BHP’s Western Australian Iron Ore (WAIO) operations are set to move more product and generate millions more in revenue thanks to an innovative engineering upgrade to its haul truck fleet.

Newly designed hoist cylinders installed under WAIO’s truck trays allow the trucks to tip higher, enabling them to unload more efficiently.

The upgrade is expected to increase iron ore movement by around 127,000 tonnes a month, or roughly 1.52 million tonnes a year, unlocking tens of millions of dollars in additional revenue.

Previously, some trucks could not fully empty their loads because tray heights were limited. The bespoke hoist cylinders, developed collaboratively by BHP’s South Flank operations and engineering teams alongside Chinese supplier JC Cylinders, solve that problem.

“These bespoke cylinder hoists have been a tipping point for haul truck productivity, resulting in a 54 per cent reduction in the number of times product is carried back in the truck,” BHP group procurement officer Rashpal Bhatti said.

“It’s a small solution with a big impact. We’re tipping the productivity uplift to unlock tens of millions of dollars in additional revenue every year.

“We see every dollar we spend as a lever for performance and progress. This is how we can help proactively create the conditions for long-term competitiveness and true operational innovation.”

The scale of BHP’s global procurement spend gives the company a unique opportunity to shape how it innovates across its supply chain and achieve solutions that deliver cost reduction, productivity, resilience and safety.

“By lifting tray performance on these trucks and tipping an extra 1.5 million tonnes a year, we’ve delivered a real productivity boost to help keep WAIO moving at pace,” BHP WAIO asset president Tim Day said.

“It’s a great example of doing more with what we’ve got through strong collaboration and smart innovation from our teams and partners.”

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