Bruce Rock Engineering (BRE) has announced the integration of SSAB’s new wear steel for corrosive environments in the new Hardox HiAce. Transport efficiency is crucial in today’s mining industry as is the need to ensure equipment can withstand highly corrosive environments found in municipal and industrial waste management, waste-to-energy plants, and in mining and process industries. Servicing this industry is one of BRE’s star-products is the 60 m Super Quad road train with a payload up to 141 tonnes four trailers pulled by a powerful truck travelling vast distances on dirt roads. Designed for heavy industry and the mining sector, a majority of these transports iron ore from the mines in the Pilbara region of Western Australia to the nearest port.
Such transportation exposes the trucks’ steel to acid corrosion caused by the environment. This increases maintenance cost as well as its wear and tear. Hardox HiAce steels are able to prolong the service life by up to three years at lower pH environments making it cost-effective consequently increasing profitability. The estimated AUD 5 billion truck servicing and repair industry is expected to grow 1.3% annually. Meanwhile, another recent study has shown that trucking costs can be reduced by 3.1% in the long run, minimising industry cost by AUD 9 billion by 2050, if cost reduction is maintained through the supply chain.
To combat this, Hardox HiAce is used on the entire floor plates and the trailer sides of BRE’s new Super Quad trailers for transporting corrosive loads. SSAB’s research and wear corrosion tests indicate a conservative estimate of a 20 to 30% increase in service life compared to Hardox 450. Depending on the transport conditions, an increase of up to 50% is realistic. Considering these numbers, BRE recognized the immediate benefit of added years and mileage on rough roads before any maintenance is needed, therefore lowering total ownership costs of equipment.
Bruce Rock Engineering (BRE) prides itself in manufacturing trailers and other custom transport equipment with some of the lowest tare weights in Australia. Western Australia is the largest iron ore supplier in the world, accounting for 39%, roughly 1 billion tonnes, of global supply in 2018.
Brenton Verhoogt, Operations Manager, Bruce Rock Engineering, said, “We did not hesitate for a minute before introducing Hardox HiAce into a Super Quad trailer combination for iron ore transport. When SSAB develops a new product, we know it has been tested thoroughly before being launched. Therefore, we are confident it will perform as Hardox 450, with the added benefit of being corrosion resistant.” BRE’s relationship with SSAB, the manufacturer of Hardox wear plate, dates back 15 years. BRE is also a member of SSAB’s quality assurance programs, Hardox In My Body and My Inner Strenx, ensuring design, manufacturing standards and performance for productivity, safety and resale value across the board.
