OREANDA-NEWS. When the price of iron ore and coal prices dropped, leading to dramatic collapses in the profitability of mining companies, suppliers like SMW Group were under tremendous pressure to reduce costs. SMW Group’s director Frank Humphreys said repair of buckets and truck trays requires a large proportion of welding time due to the volumes of weld metal required and the preheat temperatures involved. It is not uncommon for it to take 2,000 man hours of welding on a single dragline bucket.

“SMW Group’s research identified that in the past, robotics and automation of welding in the mining sector was not considered viable or physically possible due to the size and geometry of mining equipment as well as the damage, distortion and uneven wear of components,” Mr Humphreys said.

“SMW Group have not only reduced costs and improved quality, they have revolutionised the maintenance, repair and remanufacturing of mining and haulage equipment by introducing the first Adaptive Control Robotic Cell into the repair workshop and on-site applications.”