The location of the crushers at Highland Valley Copper is important—they must be close enough to the copper ore haul to be effective, but not so close that the massive units require frequent moves during pit expansions.
When the crushers do occasionally require relocation, it’s an incredible undertaking. The portable units can be disassembled into large pieces: the rock dump hopper and feed conveyor—each weighing around 1.5 millions pounds and measuring approximately five building stories tall—and the crusher system and main frame building. From there, a number of powerful lifting devices are used to move the pieces, including a mobile hydraulic crane, and a Self Propelled Modular Transport Unit, a diesel-powered hydraulically driven multi-wheeled machine used to carry heavy loads over steep terrain. In addition to the move itself, there is a huge amount of wiring, piping and support structures within the equipment to be disassembled and rebuilt correctly.
Most importantly, to carry out the task safely and on time, the project requires a great deal of planning and a committed project team, as was the case with this move a number of years ago that was captured on film.
“Teamwork, especially on a project of this size, can’t be emphasized enough,” says Rick Plovie, Support Equipment Planner, Highland Valley Copper. “The safe and enthusiastic approach that every member of the team brought with them every day to work was inspiring.”
