Freeport – one of the world’s largest copper producers – is upgrading its haul truck fleet with a material better suited for the supercharged heat of the American Southwest: copper.
The company’s North America haul truck fleet, comprised of various Caterpillar 793 models, currently uses aluminum radiators. But after years of testing a copper alternative made by a company called Mesabi, Freeport is ready to make a change.
Following successful trials – particularly at Morenci and Sierrita – Freeport is now transitioning its haul trucks in the Americas to the Mesabi copper radiators. Aside from being made of copper, they are less expensive, easier to maintain and last longer than their aluminum counterparts, said Joe Vaccari, Manager, Mine Maintenance-FM Technical Services. They also shed heat better, meaning the trucks will operate cooler and more efficiently.
“My first big issue is that we sell copper,” Vaccari said of using aluminum radiators. “Copper is a better heat rejector than aluminum, and we should support the product that we make.”
The copper radiators are being installed into haul trucks during regular engine replacements, or when an old radiator fails. While they are available to any site, the initial focus for the conversion is mines in Arizona and New Mexico. They eventually will be installed in all Caterpillar trucks in Colorado, Chile and Peru.
The nature of the haulage fleet at PT Freeport Indonesia is such that it is not part of the retrofitting plans.
Freeport also is working with Mesabi to develop a new radiator specifically designed for the high summer heat of the Arizona desert, which is brutal on equipment. The goal is to have that design done by early next year. The company also is working on a global agreement with Mesabi to get a lower volume-based price.
The decision to standardize to the copper radiator was made last November when a “Community of Practice” group brought together mine managers and maintenance superintendents from all sites in the Americas.
Aside from being less expensive, copper radiators clog less from dirt, so they don’t need to be cleaned out as often, which reduces maintenance downtime. They also last longer. An aluminum radiator is replaced every time a haul truck engine is replaced. The copper radiators are expected to last through two engine overhauls.
Given the size of the company’s fleet in the Americas, it will take a couple of years to swap out all the old radiators, Vaccari said.