Value in Australian ‘iron’
September 1 - 7, 2010
ANDREW Forrest spoke a lot at the recent Diggers & Dealers conference in Kalgoorlie about Fortescue Metals Group’s use of innovative mining methods in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, but doesn’t believe Australia’s mining supply sector is innovative enough to build a significant manufacturing base. Industrea’s Robin Levison is one who disagrees.
Cat targets hydraulic shovel swing
June 23 - 29, 2010
JUNE 21: KERRY Stokes’ WesTrac is set to be a major beneficiary of American machinery giant Caterpillar’s latest move into the global hydraulic mining shovel business, which has tripled in size in the past five years.
In brief: Haulmax, Australian equipment market, Sandvik, Bucyrus
July 28 - August 3, 2010
WET Stockton on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island has proved to be an excellent testing ground for the unique Haulmax mine trucks produced by an Australian manufacturer.
In brief: Sandvik, Caterpillar, Joy Global
June 30 - July 6, 2010
SANDVIK Mining and Construction has given the iconic coal loader, the Eimco 913, a makeover. The result, the 6t-payload LS151,is the first in a new line of low-emission underground coal loaders designed and manufactured in Australia at the company’s Hexham facility near Newcastle.
Partnership takes to high ground
May 26 - June 1, 2010
SANDVIK and Cubex are looking to leverage their global underground product alliance and the former’s extensive distribution channels in key mining markets with a new sales agreement.
Miners looking at cheaper options
April 28 - May 4, 2010
HEAVY equipment suppliers to the mining industry may want to wait a bit longer before starting to worry, but the latest survey of mining spending by a major investment bank points to a dramatic turnaround in attitudes towards low-cost ‘replacements’.
Picking up the pieces
March 9 - 15, 2010
IT MIGHT not be causing analysts to realign their spreadsheets at this stage, but ESCO Corporation’s plans to be the dominant player in Australia’s mining machine parts business, in its own right, will cause long-time product licensee Bradken to change a few of its foundry moulds. That’s if history repeats in this case.
Big Cat to boost Kerry's ratings
March 2 - 8, 2010
WE went digging for synergies in the WesTrac/Channel 7 merger this past week – asking for all manner of expert help – but found only strands of motive, hints of suspicion ... hang on, what’s that...
Back up the truck
February 23 - March 1, 2010
SO IT was earthmoving equipment for the Australian Government’s $A43 billion national broadband network that federal communications minister Stephen Conroy discussed with billionaire Kerry Stokes on the Vail ski slopes in Colorado last month, not television licence fees.
Mining equipment demand recovers quickly
February 23 - March 1, 2010
FEBRUARY 19: A STARTLINGLY bullish view of the global mining machinery business from a US investment bank should have the ‘downstream’ service and supply companies in the sector salivating at the prospect of a stronger than expected recovery this year. For miners though it looks to be time to get back in the queue.
Australian firm cast in bigger role
February 2 - 8, 2010
AUSTRALIA’S success exporting mining IT and other technologies is well known. Less so the build-up in mining machinery attachment and parts production, which has been fired mainly by the domestic market. A company that has really broken this mould is Austin Engineering.
Eight is enough
January 19 - 25, 2010
THIS YEAR seems unlikely to be one of major consolidation in the global mining machinery business, despite opening with a bang with Bucyrus International $US1.3 billion purchase of Terex Corp’s mining equipment lines. That’s the view of several sector analysts, though price as always remains the key.
In brief ... Sandvik, Haulmax, Joy Global, Bucyrus
January 19 - 25, 2010
SANDVIK expects to start delivering low-profile underground coal mine development equipment to China’s Shenhua Energy Company’s Shendong operations in Shanxi province in May this year under a new contract to supply seven machines.
Bucyrus backs mining super cycle; Terex does not
December 21 - 27, 2009
US MINING machinery heavyweight Bucyrus International has agreed to buy Terex Corporation’s mining equipment business in a $US1.3 billion deal that leaves Germany’s Liebherr and Japan’s Hitachi as the two logical acquisition choices for Joy Global if it wants to follow its Milwaukee rival’s lead.
Cat zaps electric truck talk
November 16 - 22, 2009
CATERPILLAR has rejected suggestions its big electric-drive mine truck program has been unplugged.
In brief ... Austin Engineering, Komatsu, Liebherr, Terex Mining
November 16 - 22, 2009
THE BIG pay-off for Austin Engineering’s move into South America will be profits similar to the Australian group’s domestic earnings, according to Argonaut Securities, which noted this week integration of the Chilean operations bought from Conymet “is progressing well”.
Snub won't stop surface miners: Wirtgen
October 19 - 25, 2009
NEWS that Rio Tinto has rejected the use of surface mining technology at its existing operations in the Pilbara has not shaken German supplier, Wirtgen, which says it will continue to market its range of surface miners to iron ore and bauxite companies worldwide.
On the rebound
August 31 - September 6, 2009
LOST (somewhere) in the recent announcement by Australia’s Austin Engineering that it had acquired Chile’s biggest steel mine dump truck body supplier was the detail about not acquiring all of the Medel family-owned enterprise. What’s left includes Conymet Duratray, which now intends to more aggressively market its rubber trays in key world markets, including Chile.
Austin rides into Chile
August 10 - 16, 2009
AUSTRALIA’S Austin Engineering has confirmed the acquisition of Chile’s Antofagasta-based Conymet Ltda (HighGrade, June 22) from the Medel family, a deal that makes it the world’s largest non-OEM supplier of mine dump truck bodies and opens the door to significant mine fleet maintenance revenues.
CAT says big trucks are ready
July 27 - August 2, 2009
MINING machinery giant Caterpillar says field testing of its new mechanical and electric drive trucks has reached important milestones, but it hasn’t yet put a commercial launch date on its first big electric drive hauler.