Redpath breaking the records in Olympic Dam mine with a fleet of Utimec XL 1100 Agitator EDs

Redpath piloted the first Utimec XL 1100 Agitator ED, the diesel-electric 10.5 m³ capacity concrete truck at BHP’s Olympic Dam mine in South Australia for almost a year. During this time, Normet’s experts spent several months at the mine site learning about the machine’s performance, efficiency and comfort, and developed and improved the equipment further based on Redpath’s feedback. Practical feedback was provided by Redpath’s experienced agitator drivers to improve the brand-new machines further.

Since the trial, Normet have delivered seven additional XL 1100s, on top of the five 6.5 m³ capacity Utimec LF 700 Agitators, delivering concrete for seven Normet concrete sprayers. In October 2023, Redpath set a new record by delivering a remarkable 9038 m³ of concrete in a single month. This achievement was made possible using both LF 700 and XL 1100 Agitators, alongside Normet’s Spraymecs for the spraying operations.

Leah Zimmerman (in front) and her colleagues appreciate the performance and ease of driving the new XL 1100s.

The key reason for Redpath to choose the new XL 1100s was the larger concrete capacity of 10.5 m³, which fits their operational needs perfectly. “It is a lot easier to hit our targets without putting too much pressure on the operators, so it has definitely been a huge benefit to us on site,” concludes Kava Rashidi, Project Manager of Redpath. The bigger capacity means less trips, which reduces not only the fuel and overall costs, but also the traffic underground, which improves safety and air quality underground. “Due to the larger capacities of these XL 1100 ED Agitators, they have reduced our cycle times in development headings and project concrete pad pours. Higher capacity agitators mean we do not need as many, which allows us to remove some of the vehicle interactions we have underground,” states Chris Anchor, Development Contract Superintendent of BHP.

For the operators, the key benefits of the XL 1100 over the older agitators are the one pedal driving, increased performance, and improved ergonomics and visibility, which make driving more pleasant and effortless. “XL 1100s tend to travel a lot easier and faster up to the declines, compared to the older diesel ones,” says Leah Zimmerman, Underground Agitator Operator for Redpath Australia.

Normet ElectroDynamic® technology

The Utimec XL 1100 Agitator ED with 10.5 m³ concrete capacity and Normet ElectroDynamic® technology was launched in March 2023. A key element of the ElectroDynamic technology is that the need for a driveshaft and gearboxes are eliminated through driving the externally cooled mining axles directly with permanent magnet motors in a highly efficient direct-drive configuration. This not only renders a low and compact load end design, instant torque and economical electric retardation possible, but also significantly increases component lifetime. More information of the Normet ElectroDynamic® technology can be found from here.