Thiess says it is expanding its Asset Services offering through a strategic partnership with Mechatronix that will see the mining services provider bring bonded carbon fibre composite and steel reinforcement technology to mining, rail and civil organisations seeking to improve asset reliability, reduce maintenance costs and extend the operational life of heavy equipment.

Developed for fatigue-prone assets and steel structures operating at, or above, structural capacity, Mechatronix’s engineered and bonded reinforcements provide an innovative enhancement of conventional structural repairs, it says. Independently tested by CQ University, the technology reduces fatigue stresses following a conventional weld repair or greatly extends the initial (crack-free) fatigue life of new or low-hour assets. This enables operators to keep critical equipment in service for longer while reducing unplanned downtime.

The partnership combines Mechatronix’s specialist expertise in structural engineering and composite technology, with Thiess’ decades of experience operating and maintenance of one of the world’s largest and most diverse mining fleets.

Ryan Kirkwood, Thiess Group Executive – Assets and Autonomy, said: “Like many other industries, mining is under constant pressure to maximise asset availability while reducing maintenance costs and capital expenditure. Because we manage critical mining assets every day, we understand the challenges our clients face. By partnering with Mechatronix, we’re bringing a proven structural reinforcement solution to the market that helps clients safely extend asset life and improve maintenance outcomes.”

Mechatronix bonded reinforcements are lightweight, high-strength carbon fibre and steel systems engineered specifically for each application. Using advanced structural assessment, finite element analysis and asset-specific design, the reinforcements lower the stresses in fatigue-prone areas, slowing crack propagation and increasing the mean time between failures, the company claims.

Andrew Middlin, Mechatronix Managing Director, said: “Our partnership with Thiess is about challenging the way the mining industry thinks about structural maintenance. Rather than accepting an ever-decreasing fatigue life between even high-quality weld repairs we can intervene with bonded reinforcements to prolong life and reduce total cost of ownership.”

Mechatronix reinforcements have been applied to more than 40 assets in Thiess’ fleet, including 16 Thiess’ Caterpillar 793 haul truck chassis, addressing fatigue-prone areas around the torque tube and steering box connections. The Mechatronix reinforcements on the CAT 793s, have now accumulated more than 230,000 operating hours. They have also recently been installed on a Thiess Liebherr T282 haul truck.

Mechatronix has demonstrated significant potential on Hitachi EX5600 excavator booms, with modelling of the bonded reinforcement has shown up to a 22 times improvement in fatigue life of known cracking locations. Mechatronix technology has also been applied to Komatsu 4100 rope shovels, rail cars and 30 CAT 785 and 789C trucks.

The reinforcements can also incorporate embedded structural monitoring sensors that provide early warning of developing defects, enabling maintenance teams to plan inspections proactively and intervene before minor issues become significant structural failures. For maintenance teams, this means structural condition is no longer limited to what an inspection finds on the day. The sensors track how a monitored area is behaving between service intervals, showing whether a defect is stable or developing.

Through Thiess Asset Services, mining companies can now access Mechatronix composite reinforcement technology alongside Thiess’ global maintenance, rebuild and asset management capabilities, the company says.

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