MASPRO is leveraging automation to deliver premium engineered mining solutions more efficiently.
Through its specialised engineered mining solutions, MASPRO prides itself on being “exceptional in the market”, with the ability to solve pressing equipment headaches quickly and effectively.
MASPRO will often be presented with intricate time-critical issues, some of which require novel solutions. The company’s engineering team will then go to work to reverse engineer an ailing component to not only understand the problem but conceive the solution.
In addition to leading the charge with its ability to crack complex engineering codes, MASPRO is also a technology frontrunner, with four automation work centres at its engineering headquarters in Condobolin, NSW.
Complementing these centres, MASPRO has implemented optical 3D metrology equipment, which can complete the measurement of millions of data points in seconds, and advanced computer numerical control (CNC) machining tools to enhance precision and safety.
Image: MASPRO
These technologies remove the need for many hands-on tasks and assist MASPRO in expediting its engineering and manufacturing processes without losing out on build quality.
This means jobs can be turned around quicker, and mining customers can implement their re-engineered parts sooner, which, in MASPRO’s case, is within a matter of weeks.
MASPRO production scheduler Arnold Small explained the company’s typical process.
“When a customer has a problem with a part, that goes to MASPRO’s engineering department, which will analyse the component to see what a re-engineered part might look like and how it can be improved,” Small told Australian Mining.
“This is where Tony (Waterman, MASPRO head of engineering) and his team come in to re-engineer the part. We then start our NPD (new product development) process, which is where myself, Tony and his team get together.
“We will discuss the problem, look at its engineering to see how it could be improved and the number of parts that go into it. We will then determine whether the solution is a potential candidate for our automated work centres.”
Automation removes the need for MASPRO employees to complete more monotonous, time-intensive tasks, and the fact that robots can operate around the clock means the company can significantly enhance and accelerate its production scope.
Robots never act in isolation, with MASPRO’s team of highly skilled technicians providing high-level monitoring and management during the production process.
Some of the automated technology MASPRO has implemented includes the Agile Flex 35D automated CNC machine loader, which loads pre-cut steel blanks in sync with machining software ready for batch production. This removes the need for manual handling and eliminates the risk of repetitive stress injuries.
Image: MASPRO
The ATOS ScanBox takes 12 million points of measurement per scan, creating three-micron repeatable part item reports, removing set-up times and repetitive tasks associated with precise measurement.
A T-SCAN Hawk hand-held scanner enables fast digitisation to facilitate informed research and development (R&D), while MASPRO also boasts a suite of automated welding and fabrication robots.
MASPRO understands that some of its products, such as inner zooms and cradles, are complicated to manufacture, requiring precision welding that can be difficult for even the most skilled welders.
The Corner Cell welder and X-Wing welding positioner are designed to remove human error from the process while delivering precise finishes, leading to improved product manufacturing.
While automation isn’t a new concept, MASPRO is maximising its own operability and synergy of automation to create an agile interconnected engineering capability that delivers premium mining solutions.
“Automation is there, but to combine automation like we have is new,” Small said. “We are one of the first companies in the mining sector to cross-pollinate automation across different engineering workstreams to create an end-to-end operation.
“This enables us to keep our automation systems operating around the clock to satisfy customers with premium products and on-time delivery.”
And at MASPRO, robots don’t replace humans, with skilled engineers more important than ever in an era of automation and artificial intelligence.
“Automation offers faster, safer, more precise production, and can give us economies of scale; however, skilled employees will always be a critical part of this exciting and innovative new era for the mining industry,” MASPRO managing director Greg Kennard said.
“Innovation via robotic equipment, programming and automation will help the industry free up time for their skilled engineers and internal experts, removing dull manual tasks and clearing the decks for creative thinking and design. This is what the industry desperately needs more of right now.
“The culture of innovation that Australia is known for is sure to remain strong when we collectively give our best people more time to think, create and experiment.”
This feature appeared in the August 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
