Features, Innovation, Products, Repair and maintenance, Safety processes, Safety systems and solutions

Nivek’s Beast of Burden shoulders the load of maintenance

Nivek

Nivek’s Beast of Burden shoulders the load of maintenance.

Mine maintenance has come a long way over the years, with new and emerging innovations making the practice easier and safer by the day.

But there’s no getting around the fact mining is a heavy-duty industry that requires the maintenance of multi-tonne equipment – a necessary but often dangerous undertaking.

Putting workers in harm’s way is exactly what a mine wants to avoid, yet personnel still have to contend with lifting or working under extreme loads.

Nivek Industries first tackled this issue in 2008 when development began on the company’s Tracked Elevated Device (TED), a remote-controlled all-terrain hydraulic belly plate jack designed for applications where a crane or forklift is not viable.

Since it was launched in 2011, TED has undergone multiple upgrades and enhancements and now has more than 40 attachments available to increase its versatility.

The success of TED inspired the Nivek team to keep innovating to improve the experience of workers at mine sites across Australia and around the world.

This has led to the development of the company’s Beast of Burden (BOB), an all-terrain remote-controlled carrier with the ability to track loads across long distances of rough terrain.

The right BOB for the job

The BOB Tracked Carrier is available in two different sizes. Image: Nivek

Currently available in 500kg (the 0.5T model), 1500kg (the 1.5T model) and 5000kg (the 5T model), each BOB carrier has been built to comply with three key Australian standards: AS1170.0, AS1170.1 and AS4100.

“Besides the working load limits, the main differences between the 0.5T and 1.5T machines are the type of tracks it utilises, rubber and steel, respectively,” Nivek general manager Derrick Cant told Safe to Work.

“The 0.5T BOB with rubber tracks is designed to carry loads that are too heavy or awkward to lift manually and access areas where a forklift is unable to reach. The rubber tracks also allow the 0.5T to climb a staircase.

“The 1.5T BOB, with its increased carrying capacity, is designed to carry heavier loads to areas other machinery is unable to reach. Its increased capacity and small footprint make it a useful carrier.

“The 5T BOB is designed to carry extremely heavy components around the worksite. With its manoeuvrability and large battery system, operators can transport those large components around the workshop safely.”

Nivek BOB Tracked Carriers are fitted with an auxiliary power outlet that allows the carrier to be modified with custom-made smart attachments to suit a variety of tasks and requirements.

With the ability to be adapted to a range of situations, BOB is well on its way to joining TED among the ranks of industry mainstays.

“Nivek designs and builds products that can be adapted to suit customer requirements,” Cant said. “This allows us to develop specific attachments to meet individual customer needs without having to fully develop an entirely new machine.”

The company’s drive to innovate doesn’t stop with BOB’s versatility. Nivek is also helping mines make an impact in the sustainability arena with the aid of greener power solutions.

The 0.5T and 1.5T models are powered by dual 48-volt lithium batteries that provide 4.6 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power to the 3.5kW electric motor power unit, in turn driving two independent hydraulic drive motors.

The fully electric 5T model incorporates dual electric-drive motors and a battery supply of up to 14kWh.

Known for durability, both electric motors allow BOB to produce enough torque to ensure heavy loads can be carried across various types of tough terrain.

Nivek designs and builds products that can be adapted to suit customer requirements. Image: Nivek

“BOB is more than just a carrier – it’s essentially a mobile, adaptable powerhouse capable of undertaking a wide variety of jobs,” Cant said.

“I was recently at a mine site in Western Australia where workers were having to carry 60kg pumps up to 100m over rough terrain. This is the perfect application for BOB, which can handle any surface and comes with a variety of custom-made smart attachments that help it take on any task.”

Nivek has more attachments in the works to increase BOB’s versatility and is even looking to create BOB models that can carry up to 10,000–20,000kg.

All of this innovation is coming out of the company’s research and development (R&D) facility in Singleton, New South Wales.

“Most of our ideas for attachments and developments come from our end users,” Cant said. “They’ll often send us the specifications for an area where they’re having an issue and we’ll look at how we can solve it safely and efficiently using BOB or TED or another suitable product.

“There’s probably a million jobs BOB can do, and we’re only thinking of 20 of them. It’s through our customers using BOB that we can see all the ways it can make an impact on a site and drive that impact even further.”

This feature also appears in the January-February issue of Safe to Work.

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