The mining industry is all about innovation and finding new products that are going to a) make things easier on site; b) help everyone to be more productive, and c) keep everyone safe; is imperative to site success. That’s where MPC Group comes in.
MPC Group has once again used its strong focus on in-house innovation to re-invent the way the industry installs High Voltage and Fibre Optic cabling. The result: increased crew safety and significant production efficiencies.
MPC Group this month rolled-out its fully-tracked-mounted cable crawler – a hybrid, modular unit that is designed to fit upon its fleet of winches.
The list of the machine’s innovative modifications is long, but sure to gain plenty of interest is that it is track mounted to provide increased stability on any terrain, and has an innovative swing arm assembly to ensure accurate cable guidance into trenches at all times.
It’s also more cost effective, with only two crew members and one machine required to install cable, compared to three crew and three machines using conventional methods.
A unique re-spooling mechanism also enables road and rail crossings to be performed without the need cable for joints or excavation of bell holes.
The machine’s safety credentials are also outstanding, with its purpose-built, remote-controlled hydraulic arm system lifting cable drums safely into place without manual handling risks which are often associated with conventional cable install methods.
The remote control capability also extends to the swing arm operation, providing crews with full visibility for accurate cable installation into trenches, but also with all round safety oversight during operation.
While the safety and accuracy advances are sure to rate highly within a marketplace constantly seeking safer operations and increased cost efficiencies – the machine’s operational speed is sure to be the biggest drawcard and likely to see it dramatically change the cable install industry landscape that we know today.
With 5km per hour installation speeds for cable diameters right up to 110mm, it’s simply the fastest cable install machine on the market.
Already delivering massive production increases on project sites across Queensland’s Surat basin, MPC Group believes it won’t take long before this innovative machine becomes common place within the industry.
MPC Group Electrical Superintendent Garry Muldowney describes the innovative machine as 21st Century thinking.
“Our R&D team put in extensive effort in the machine’s design phase to collaborate closely with our cable install crews to ensure this purpose-built machine provided them with a much safer and far more effective machine to work with,” Mr Muldowney said.
“It has undergone extensive field testing over the past 12 months to allow our fabrication team the opportunity to “engineer out” any operational risks and “engineer in” unique safety features and efficiency gains.
“This is next generation thinking and I’m confident we’ve got the design right, and the proof of that, is the machine is already delivering `best-for-project’ outcomes for our clients right across the Surat basin,” he said.
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