Our work: Lightweight wheel chocks

Ever wondered how our range of lightweight wheel chocks were developed?

At NPR we have always valued innovation, partnerships and teamwork since day one - so it's no surprise our chocks were developed in collaboration with an international mining company. Read on to discover the story...

THE PROBLEM

An international mining company experienced a problem with the wheel chocks on their vehicles. These chocks were too heavy to handle safely or had a high failure rate. Each chock failure resulted in the destruction of the installed safety device, putting the safety of the employees at risk.?Some chocks were able to handle the load, but handling the heavy weight of the effective chocks caused back injuries among the employees.

THE CHALLENGE

The company approached National Plastics & Rubber with a list of goals that were not negotiable:

• The chock had to hold the worlds largest mining truck on a 10% gradient
• Its design had to prevent expulsion when under load
• The materials used had to be able to withstand the harsh operating environment
• The product had to be affordable
• The weight of the products had to be reduced by 40%

SOLUTION

After reviewing all the requirements and operating environments, we thoroughly tested several materials and designs in the field. Once the right material was found, several designs were tested to ensure that all the safety criteria had been met. Once functionality and safety requirements were confirmed, we started developing production methods to manufacture the product as efficiently as possible.

OUTCOME

Our range of lightweight wheel chocks now lead the mining industry in safety, durability, price and weight. They are widely used within the mining industry on both a local and international level.

View our range of lightweight wheel chocks here.

AWARD WINNING WORKSHOP CHOCK

NPR have recently developed a wheel chock purpose designed for low gradient workshop environments. Nominated by Anglo American Dawson Mine, the chock won both the Innovation Award and Peoples Choice Award at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference. Watch the chock in action.

If you would like to collaborate with us - get in contact with us today! Email [email protected] or give us a call on 07 3279 3066