Waratah was exhibiting the first of seven Waracars bound for BHP Illawarra Coal operations on its stand; the unit features four-wheel independent suspension.

 

To date Waratah has supplied 35 of its Waracar shuttle cars to the Australian underground sector, with 11 more on the order books.

 

Waratah has designed a new body for the Waracar which has a symmetrical axis to enable the shuttle car to be non-handed - whereby the cabin and cable reel compartments can be detached and moved to the left or right.

 

Waratah sales and marketing manager Terry Coggles said it was the first shuttle car to be offered to the Australian industry that was non-handed.

 

"By designing a non-handed car it enables us to build shuttle car bodies to a planned build program, so when an order comes in we can offer decreased lead times," Coggles said.

 

"It also allows the client to re-hand the car themselves, which can be very useful in mining systems."

 

Waratah also had on show a Waratah designed cable minder which eliminates stresses on the cable when the shuttle car conveyor boom is elevated - making for a safer system. The design features a hairpin and traversing mechanism.

 

Waratah also displayed its conceptual design of a shuttle cabin. The company was looking for industry feedback in order to refine the design to ensure complete operator acceptance.

 

The design features a seat that can swing 180 degrees to face the direction in which the operator is travelling - giving ergonomic benefits. The design also enables a seatbelt to be used.

 

The cabin has two sets of controls, each comprising a steering wheel, foot accelerator, foot brake, machine controls and monitoring display.

 

The design also includes a sensor which switches when the operator has changed direction and activates the relevant control station.

 

Coggles said he believes the additional cost of such a design would be minimal.

 

Hydraulic hosing has been totally eliminated from the cabin eliminating any dangers from high-pressure hose failures.

 

Waratah also featured the redesigned placement of the service or maintenance jack.

 

Traditionally the jack - which lifts the shuttle car off the ground for maintenance - is located in the wheel arch. A safety collar must be put around the jack when used, which exposes the worker to hazards when fitting the collar.

 

Waratah has placed the jack in the cabin area so it can be accessed from the front of the machine, eliminating hazard exposure.

 

The new jack placement is now being fitted to all Waracars.