The Opportunity:
In the manufacturer of bespoke heavy vehicle equipment in small to medium production runs, the traditional approach often does not consider manufacturing and shipping efficiencies or geographically spread manufacturing facilities. With advancements in design and manufacturing capabilities, Smith Global saw the opportunity to push the boundaries in design and production by using a modular approach to the manufacture of heavy vehicles to provide clients the benefit of ultimate flexibility and significant gains in efficiency.
The Solution:
Smith Global partnered with a world leader in mine haulage and transport logistics, TOLL, to develop an Autonomous Powered Unit for its heavy mine haulage operations. The design is completely modular in construction to optimise efficiencies. The complete powerpack and chassis components can be shipped in CKD form in ISO containers.
The entire powerpack, fuel-tank access platforms, front guards and rear walkway and other sub-assemblies, allow for parallel manufacture by multiple parties in numerous global locations. The individual modules are then fitted together at the final assembly. This is supplemented by advanced manufacturing techniques, including etching, tabbing and slotting to reduce fabrication error and mark-up time.
The modular approach also reduces maintenance time with ease of access and parts disassembly / assembly.
