ADVANCED Braking Technology (ABT) says that when it comes to a vehicle’s safety rating, its braking performance is always at the top of any list in terms of providing the greatest safety benefit to its occupants.
So too in the mining industry – where large trucks, heavy loads and challenging environments are involved – meaning that a vehicle’s braking ability can literally mean the difference between life and death.
In recognition of these challenges, Perth-based company Advanced Braking Technology (ABT) has spent the last 10 years developing its patented Sealed Integrated Braking System. Known simply as SIBS, the ‘wet’ braking system is a uniquely Australian invention that has been quietly doing its job in preventing vehicle runaways – and saving lives.
ABT’s CEO, Ken Johnsen, says SIBS has stood the test of time and is now becoming widely-recognised as a proven safety performer in tough conditions synonymous with the mining industry.
“The brakes have proven their worth in a wide-range of conditions ranging from cold, arctic environments in North America through to wet, muddy tracks in Asia and the corrosive and salty environment of a busy underground mine in Australia,” said Mr. Johnsen.
“In all of these situations, the SIBS brakes consistently exceed the expectations of the mine managers in terms of their ability to perform where standard vehicle brakes would have failed.”
‘Wet’ brake Technology
With a fully-enclosed brake housing, the critical components of a SIBS braking system – such as the single rotor, brake calipers and brake pads – are totally protected from normal environmental contaminants such as mud, stones and brackish water.
These factors are usually the cause of brake component failure and/or increased servicing costs – or a combination of both at times when vehicle downtime is least welcome, especially on busy mine sites.
Another unique feature of the SIBS brakes is that they are “wet” brakes. Put simply, the brake’s enclosed rotor, calipers and pads operate in a bath of specially-formulated cooling fluid.
“This is another very important safety feature of the SIBS brakes,” said Mr. Johnsen “Because the brakes function in a ‘wet’ environment, their operating temperature always stays well below that of standard brakes.”
In tough Australian Design Rules brake fade tests, the SIBS brakes operated at approximately half the temperature of standard brakes over the same number of stops in the same test-time frame.
As anyone with knowledge of vehicle braking systems will know, brake fade occurs as frictional heat increases, resulting in reduced braking efficiency. The SIBS brakes suffer no such issues due to their significantly cooler operating temperature.
SIBS in PNG
Someone who knows all about the importance of mine site safety is Sandie Iparas, the Mobile Maintenance Superintendent at Tolukuma Gold Mines in Papua New Guinea.
Sandie had SIBS brakes fitted to his fleet of Toyota HZJ75 Landcruisers more than two years ago.
“We were first attracted to the idea of the wet brakes due to their capacity to work under very tough environmental conditions,” he said.“
“Being in the tropics in Papua New Guinea, our vehicles are subjected to some of the worst conditions you can imagine. Our Landcruisers are driven round-the-clock in wet, slippery and rough conditions in an underground mining environment.There is no let-up throughout the year as the weather here is consistently wet and humid.
“Our own risk assessment indicated that if the wet brakes performed according to specifications, we would be able to demonstrate significant benefits in terms of safety and maintenance cost savings. The experience we have had so far with the brakes has been excellent. We have had dramatic improvements in safety and maintenance costs.”
There is a SIBS braking solution for the Toyota Landcruiser and Hilux, in addition to a range of Hino trucks, the Nissan Patrol (leaf spring model), concrete agitator trucks built on the Meritor axle plus a range of customised brakes for industrial applications.
Also, ABT is currently testing an adaptation of the SIBS system for garbage trucks. While this brake has some way to run before commercialisation, preliminary test results have so far exceeded all performance expectations and further development is underway.
A History of Brake Failure
A quick Google search through the archives of any mines safety regulator will uncover any number of incidents and accidents in the mining industryThe most recent publicised accident (remembering that most accidents are confined to incident reports only) happened in early June, where a safety refuge chamber was put to the test at BHP Billiton’s Perseverance nickel mine in Western Australia after a rock fall trapped a worker for 16 hours.
This was a good example of how modern technology saves lives, just as the SIBS system does in a preventative manner.
Consider the following extract from the Western Australian Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Mines Safety Bulletin No. 73:Feb 2003: Service truck descending pit ramp experienced braking difficulties and drove into a windrow to stop the truck. One of the service brake diaphragms had failed, resulting in the loss of air pressure. Road conditions were wet and muddy. While the truck’s primary brakes were generally in a serviceable condition, there was no secondary or emergency brake system.
Sept 2004: A 50t crane lost control travelling down a pit ramp. The crane reached speeds of 80 km/h before negotiating a temporary access ramp and coming to a rest on a bench. The brakes were ineffectual and did not stop the crane.
Apr 2005: A loaded concrete agitator truck lost control while travelling down a decline due to failure of the service brake system. The operator steered the truck into the wall to slow the truck and did not activate the emergency braking system.
Or consider this incident report in February 2008 from the Mines Inspectorate in Queensland:A rear dump truck was hauling rock down a long, steep and winding haul road when the operator lost control due to brake failure. When the retarder and then the service brake failed to slow the truck, the driver applied the secondary/emergency brakes just prior to driving the truck into an emergency escape ramp…the truck toppled into an adjacent drain on the downgrade and rolled onto its roof before coming to rest on its left hand side.
While these reports made no mention of loss of life in any of those incidents, it is clear to see the potential for severe injury or even death as a result of brake failure in these challenging environments. SIBS offers a safety solution that has been proven in punishing conditions on mine sites throughout Australia and overseas for more than a decade.
For more information about achieving greater mine site vehicle safety through proven fail-safe braking, contact ABT by visiting their website at www.advancedbraking.com or by phoning +61 8 9273 4800.
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