Ausroad Systems has always considered safety at the forefront of its Stemming Truck design. New technology is constantly being developed and incorporated into Ausroad products and feedback from operators and mine site/safety staff has aided in the development of an improved hopper hatch access locking mechanism.
To further improve the safety and ease of use, the locking mechanism is now also hydraulically driven. The locking mechanism cannot be disengaged if the hopper is full, which is controlled by load cells that constantly measure the weight of the material in the hopper.
Opening door is now a three-stage process:
- The hopper load must be under 500kg as displayed by the load cells
- Locking mechanism unlocks hydraulically
- Hopper door opens hydraulically. The entire process is activated by operator from a safe distance
The original design involving the locking lever had the potential to get stuck and could require significant force by the operator to open, while standing on a set of access steps. The improved hydraulically driven lock removes this potential danger while also making it significantly easier to operate.
Click on ‘Full Company Details’ (top right), and then click on the ‘Videos’ tab to watch the video of hopper hatch in action.