Australia has some of the world’s largest reserves of minerals and is the biggest producer of iron ore and bauxite, among others.

Minerals are, in fact, Australia’s largest export. Due to sediment location, however, Australian mining companies have to brave some of the world’s harshest and most remote working conditions.

As a result, the technologies employed in this sector are expected to be tough, durable and safe.

In addition, the mining industry is highly regulated due to the potential hazards that shafts and machinery can pose to personnel.

Rules cover the design,  manufacture, usage and testing of lifting components, smelter equipment, and elevated work platforms, among others.

Regular inspection, testing and certification are outlined by the relevant Australian Standards chapters. Regular audits assess working conditions and verify that the documentation and certification in place cover every part of the equipment presently in-service.

Reliance Hexham has been providing products and services to the Australian and international mining sectors since 1989, building strong partnerships that allowed us to accrue substantial experience in equipment peculiar to mines.

Quality is our #1 concern.

Our services are fully integrated: we can manage the whole process, from design to manufacture and certification.

We are equipped to supply and service many types of equipment including the following, built following our own design or that of a third party:

Detaching Hooks

Reliance Hexham has worked extensively with detaching hooks of varying load capacity. Our manufacturing services include forging, profile cutting, heat treatment, and protective coating. Detaching hooks are a crucial safety device, and a final mechanical device, that can save lives and equipment in an overwind situation.

Rope Attachments

Rope attachments constitute a vital component of vertical shaft lifting and slope haulage applications. They ensure a secure link between rope and conveyance, allowing for safe transportation up and down the mine. Our team has extensive experience in designing, manufacturing, testing and maintenance of various kinds of head, guide and tail rope attachments. All our attachments are made from high-grade materials and offer safety, ease of use, and reliability.

Conveyances

Reliance Hexham designs, manufactures, tests, refurbishes and re-certifies custom-made Shaft Conveyances and Drift Conveyances, including but not limited to miner’s cages, skips and kibbles, flat tops and dolly cars with up to 40 men capacity.

Smelter Lifting Equipment

For integrated mining operations, we also offer a complete range of smelter lifting equipment services. Devices intended for carrying molten pots of metal necessitate significantly higher resistance to temperatures and chemicals than standard lifting equipment. On top of our usual design and manufacturing services, Reliance Hexham also offers heat treatment and surface coating for a more durable lifespan of components. Recent projects have included high capacity, high resistance hooks made for customers operating in steel and copper metal production.

Forged Products

With an average of more than 25 years of experience each, our highly qualified and expert blacksmiths have worked with a vast array of forging projects, such as specialised lifting and suspension equipment.

Technogrid

Wherever hazardous impacts cannot be avoided entirely, they can be managed. Technogrid is a solution born out of the need by mining companies to curb the damage deriving from foreseeable accidents such as belt and winder failures. Its unique grid design and stackable nature enable Technogrid to handle impacts up to 10,000 kJ, preventing destruction to property, increasing worker safety and keeping the costs associated with production downtime to a minimum.

Our customers always strive for excellent performance, and so do we. Hence on top of our design and manufacturing services we provide comprehensive testing facilities, whether required by law or for your peace of mind. We are accredited by NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) to perform a range of Destructive Testing and Non-Destructive Testing procedures and issue the relevant certificates.

Non Destructive Testing

Proof Load Testing

Mining standards often require a factor of 1:10, and sometimes higher, to guarantee a high degree of equipment safety. Proof Load testing is among the tests we perform most frequently, in line with Australian Standards requirements. We can carry out Proof Load tests to assess load handling, rigging and tensioning systems ranging from 400kg to 195 tonnes.

Liquid Dye Penetrant Testing

Dye-Pen testing is a quick and cost-effective method for revealing surface cracks on any non-porous material and is therefore ideally suited for metal equipment. Dye-Pen tests are commonly carried out after a Proof Load test or at regular time intervals throughout service, for certification purposes.

Magnetic Particle Testing

Similarly to Liquid Dye Penetrant tests, Magnetic Particle tests are used to expose cracks in machinery. What sets this test apart, however, is that it can find cracks that are hidden under the surface as well, thanks to the properties of certain ferromagnetic materials (iron or steel).

Function Testing

Function testing aims at verifying the equipment’s functions given its wider environment. For instance, detaching hooks need to be examined to confirm that given the correct situation, they will indeed detach. Especially when implicated in critical operations such as lifting or winding personnel and cargo, equipment should be carefully examined to ensure that proper safety mechanisms are in place. It pays to proactively function test new and existing equipment, especially in cases where a failure can bear disastrous consequences in terms of production downtime, property costs and lives.

Destructive Testing

Destructive testing is paramount for equipment involved in lifting heavy loads on a daily basis, as this activity can be the source of hazardous malfunctions. This type of testing examines the physical properties of a material, such as resistance to impact, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength. DT is also used to determine the equipment’s safety factor, i.e. the ratio between everyday usage stress and failure point.

Reliance Hexham is NATA-accredited to perform the following Destructive type tests:

• Breaking Load testing for the evaluation of load handling, rigging and tensioning systems (0.4 tonnes to 195 tonnes);