Side Tipper Unloader - New Product Development Interview

I recently had an interview with Australian Mining & Bulk Handling Review on a product I have been helping to develop in conjunction with my customers, my employer (OPS) and the manufacturer (Telestack - part of the Astec group of companies). It was of course edited for publication but my complete interview answers are within this article aswell as some additional information.

For some context this new product, the Telestack Titan S800-6 ST / S1600-9 ST is a semi mobile bulk reception hopper which is designed to accept material from side tipper road trains in a similar fashion to how a typical train unloading system would work. The first unit is currently on the water at the time of writing (November 2023).

AM /BHR - Could you provide a bit of background to the product? Why has it been introduced?

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GMG - OPS have been supplying Telestack Bulk Material handling equipment for many years. Our goal is to remove inefficiencies in bulk material handling processes. We see opportunities anywhere where can eliminate loaders or haul trucks, reduce labour requirements, or save fuel.

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We already offer some unique track mounted solutions such as the Telestack Titan T1600-8 mobile truck unloader that can accept rigid haul trucks up to CAT 777 size and the popular Telestack HF24T. The HF24T was developed for OPS by Telestack to provide an easily relocatable tracked mobile reclaim feeder capable of up to 3,000TPH and accept CAT 992 and larger loaders.

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Given the increased number of side tipper road trains in operation and feedback from haulage providers it was quite a natural material handling challenge for us to approach next.

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AM /BHR - What are the key advantages of the technology for the Australian mining sector?

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GMG - With the increasing number of smaller and more remote mining operations coming online and more material being moved by road from mine to ports we see this as a real opportunity to remove some costs and complexity from that process. It could be as simple as having an unloading system in a port stockyard so the road train can tip into the side tipper unloader and directly build a stockpile to direct loading onto ship loading infrastructure from road trains. Every time you handle the material it adds additional cost from the equipment, labour and fuel used. Our aim is to remove some of these rehandling processes and therefore the associated financial & environmental costs.

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AM /BHR - What separates the technology from the competition?

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GMG - As with all Telestack products we aim to offer a modular solution requiring minimal civil works and infrastructure to support its operation. Existing solutions such as the those used at Utah Point port facility require very significant structures and earthworks.

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A major challenge here is the low discharge height of material from the side tipper trailer. It is necessary to have a ramp or operate the unloader unit on a lower level than the truck. The Telestack truck unloader can be quickly assembled and will have multiple height options so we can run lower profiles and minimise ramps heights where required or higher volume tip area where possible. It is also designed so we can add additional sections to extend the length of the tip area if required. OPS will always aim to have a unit in stock or in manufacture so lead times will be significantly better that our competitors.

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AM /BHR - What are the key applications for this technology in the mining sector?

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GMG - The key applications and target markets will typically be at the destinations where material is moved by side tippers. These destinations are typically associated with smaller or more remote mine sites where rail in not available including commodities such as iron ore, manganese ore, chromite ore and spodumene (Lithium)

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It could be a stockyard on site, a storage shed at a port or on a wharf direct loading ships. Other applications could include introducing material from trucks directly onto conveyors within larger mine operations.