Mining & Quarry - Mine - Truck floor - Mobile equipement - Australia - 25% weight saving

Objective

Evaluate the performance of Creusabro^® 8000 as a lightweight alternative to 450 HB water-quenched steel in dump truck tray floors, with the aim of reducing plate thickness and overall vehicle weight while maintaining expected service life under heavy-duty mining conditions.

Test Conditions

• Location: Iron ore mining site in Tasmania, Australia

• Environment: Continuous loading and dumping of abrasive ore, subjecting the tray floor to intense sliding wear and impact from high-density materials.

• Function: Floor liner of large-capacity dump trucks, requiring high abrasion resistance, mechanical strength, and structural integrity.

• Original material: 450 HB water-quenched steel, 20 mm thick

• Replacement material: Creusabro® 8000, reduced to 16 mm thickness, processed by flame cutting, bending, and welding

Results

• The Creusabro® 8000 tray liner is currently undergoing a long-term performance test.

• Despite a 20% reduction in thickness (from 20 mm to 16 mm), the expected service life is at least equivalent to the original 3-year lifespan — with a 25% weight reduction.

• The use of thinner, high-performance material allows the mine to reduce payload deadweight, improving operational efficiency.

Value Delivered

• Weight Savings (~25%): Lower tray weight allows increased payload capacity or reduced fuel consumption.

• Maintained Durability: Expected wear life remains comparable, despite thickness reduction — thanks to Creusabro®’s superior wear resistance.

• Reduced Equipment Stress: Lighter tray design minimizes mechanical strain on chassis and drivetrain, extending equipment longevity.

• Simplified Fabrication: Flame cutting, bending, and welding remain identical to traditional practices, ensuring ease of implementation.

Expert Insight

In applications where weight is a critical factor, Creusabro® 8000 offers the rare advantage of reducing thickness without compromising lifespan. Its homogeneous through-thickness wear resistance allows for smart design optimizations — enabling lighter, longer-lasting solutions that improve fleet efficiency and reduce total cost of ownership.

Conclusion

By adopting Creusabro® 8000, the Tasmanian Iron Ore Mine and Vulcan Steel implemented a lighter, smarter alternative to traditional 450 HBW liners, achieving 25% weight savings while maintaining the same expected service life.

Creusabro® 8000 confirms its value in mobile mining equipment, where reducing weight without sacrificing durability leads to measurable performance and economic benefits.

comparative test