On-site hose assembly
On-site hose assembly

Reduce Downtime With On-Site Hose Assembly

New Hope Group's Bengalla coal mine saves valuable time and money with a fully equipped on-site hose shop. Housed in a standard shipping container, the shop can turn out quality hoses in as little as 15 minutes. It's a prime example of how Cat® Hose Solutions provide the support you need, when and where you need it.

Estimated read time: 3 minutes

Setting Up a One-Stop On-Site Hose Shop

At the single-cut open-pit Bengalla coaI mine, New Hope Group runs a 24-hour, 364-days-per-year operation. Reliability Analyst Anton Nichol says the pace can be tough to maintain.

The site's remote location in the upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales complicates matters. Something as simple as a blown hose has the potential to take a machine down for hours because there are no nearby OEMs and suppliers. "When you're dealing with stuff in the pit, you don't want a three-hour wait time," Nichol says.

The solution: The company's Cat® dealer, WesTrac, transported a complete hose shop and storage unit out to the site. The full set of tooling, built into a standard shipping container that is supplied and staffed by Cat-trained hose technicians, cuts down hose repair time.

“The beauty of what we have here is that we can get that hose made in 15 minutes," Nichol explains. As a result, New Hope Group can get a hose made in a quick turnaround, significantly reducing downtime.

 

On-Site Technicians and Inventory Management

When an order comes in from the field, technicians working in the Cat Hose Container assemble the hose, then stage it in the storage container for the maintenance crew.

Computer-controlled inventory management ensures that the hose technicians always have the supplies they need. Whenever stock gets low, it's automatically reordered. This proactive approach saves time and lets workers focus on higher-priority tasks.

Dealer technicians are on site during the day shift, and Bengalla site crews take over in the off hours. WesTrac trained the Bengalla technicians, so they're fully equipped to accurately make a hose, improving site efficiency all around.

The on-site container solution works across the entire Bengalla fleet, he adds. “Cat provides a variety of hoses that suit every application. You can standardize hoses across all your equipment for a mixed fleet."

For a look inside, check out this Cat Hose Container walk-around video.

 

A Great Idea for Any Remote Site

The on-site hose shop has been critical to get the site's equipment back up and running fast.

The container is "a great idea for any remote site," Nichol says. "Solutions like this provide us with great cost savings, great reliability, and all the things we look for in continuous improvement."

Watch this short video to learn more about how the Bengalla mine site cuts hose repair time with the hose container.

CAT® HOSES & COUPLINGS 

See how Cat® hose and coupling solutions can help you keep your operation running.

Explore Hose Solutions
CAT HOSES & COUPLINGS
CAT HOSES & COUPLINGS
of

 

Contact your local Cat dealer to see how Cat hose solutions can help your operation save downtime and reduce costs, whenever top production is on the line. In the meantime, discover the benefits of Cat hoses here.

CONNECT WITH YOUR CAT® DEALER

Find out more about how your dealer can support your mining operation and keep your jobsite moving.

Consult
CONNECT WITH YOUR CAT® DEALER
CONNECT WITH YOUR CAT® DEALER

GET THE LATEST MINING NEWS FROM CATERPILLAR

 

 

Popular Articles About Mining

Get the most from your mining equipment with information about Customer Value Agreements, repair options and more.


Want even more info to help you keep your mining business running smoothly?
Check out our article page with tips for controlling costs and increasing productivity.

View More Articles