Hastings Deering recently delivered the 6000th Cat D11 dozer to the Lake Vermont coal mine in Queensland. Australian Mining looks at how the Cat dealer made it happen.
Building a dozer from scratch is no small feat.
But that’s exactly what Caterpillar did almost 40 years ago when the company constructed the first model of the D11N dozer, a large mining dozer built to withstand the most challenging conditions.
“The first D11N dozer was introduced in 1986,” Hastings Deering Toowoomba operations manager Justin Butcher told Australian Mining. “It’s a derivative of the current D11 dozer.”
Over the last 38 years, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has worked to make the D11 dozer tougher, stronger and more efficient through each iteration.
“It’s a reflection on our commitment to continuous improvement,” Butcher said.
These efforts have more than paid off, with Cat dealer Hastings Deering delivering the 6000th D11 dozer to the Lake Vermont coal mine in Queensland in July.
Located 20km north of Dysart, Lake Vermont is an open-cut mine owned by Jellinbah Group and operated by Thiess since 2007.
Image: Hastings Deering
According to Hastings Deering resource industries account manager Matthew Leabeater, Thiess has operated D11 dozers across its operations for several years.
“Hastings Deering, in partnership with Caterpillar, delivered the 6000th D11 dozer to Thiess to acknowledge the contractor’s significant involvement, ownership, and investment in D11 dozers over the years,” Leabeater told Australian Mining.
“Keenly involved in the D11 dozer, Thiess has also been one of the leading users of SATS (semi-autonomous tractor system), highlighting their familiarity with the machine.”
The 6000th D11 dozer is fitted with Cat MineStar Command solutions, which enables an operator to remotely control up to four dozers from an office or operating station.
Cat MineStar Command is designed to help the machine perform repeatable processes, including loading the blade, pushing, dumping and grade control with consistent accuracy.
“By using Cat MineStar Command, you’re removing operators from the machine,” Leabeater said.
“Dozers can have a pretty big impact on the human body because of the bouncing and the vibrations, so taking operators out of the vehicle has health and safety benefits.
“The flip side of that is you’re not having to stop the dozers for operators to take a break because once the machines are set on a system they keep going back and forth. This means you can run a dozer for 24 hours, only stopping to refuel.
“There is no other OEM that offers autonomous dozing.”
The D11 dozer’s torque divider and stator clutch automatically free up the stator when torque is not required, delivering higher drive-train efficiency and an eight per cent increase in fuel efficiency.
The vehicle’s high-horsepower reverse speeds up non-productive travelling for faster cycle times, leading to greater output and efficiency.
The D11 also delivers a reduction of up to six per cent in overall cost per bank cubic metre compared to the previous model.
“Cat MineStar Command is about consistency and accuracy, which brings productivity and safety enhancements,” Butcher said. “The D11 is our largest and most powerful dozer.”
Once it was decided Hastings Deering would deliver the 6000th D11 dozer to Lake Vermont, a group of Thiess representatives travelled to Peoria, in the US state of Illinois, to witness the machine come off the production line.
“They got to shake hands with representatives from Caterpillar and Hastings Deering and view the machine,” Leabeater said. “From there, the machine was shipped from Peoria all the way to Brisbane. From concept to delivery, it took eight to 12 months.”
Once the dozer arrived in Brisbane, it was transported to Toowoomba for assembly. Butcher described Hastings Deering’s Toowoomba branch as the D11’s “centre of excellence”.
“We see a number of dozers pass through here for assembly,” Butcher said. “Our team are specialists for that product line.”
The vehicle’s assembly took place over a six-week period, where features such as window tinting, mine-site radios, and the auto lubrication system were fitted.
“When the 6000th D11 came through for assembly, fitment of mine-site extras and customisation, we really made sure it was built to the highest quality, and when it was delivered to Lake Vermont, there was never an issue,” Butcher said.
Image: Hastings Deering
While the building of the 6000th unit was the same process Hastings Deering follows when building all D11 dozers, the company wanted to make this one special.
“I suggested we put a gold emblem on the front of the machine to mark the occasion and to differentiate it from the rest of the dozers in the fleet,” Leabeater said.
Coinciding with the 6000th D11 dozer delivery is the 92nd year of Hastings Deering operations, cementing the company as one of the top Cat dealers globally.
Thiess is also celebrating a big birthday in 2024, with the company commemorating 90 years of operations. Since 1934, Thiess has expanded across seven countries and three continents, making it a truly global company.
Hastings Deering and Thiess have worked together on various Australian mining operations throughout the years, and this relationship is only getting stronger.
“Thiess is very grateful for the support that comes with working with an OEM dealer model as opposed to just dealing straight with the OEM,” Leabeater said. “Hastings Deering has a significant footprint in Queensland.
“We’re there from order through to delivery and the lifecycle of that machine; it doesn’t just start and finish with the buying and selling of a machine.”
“To me, that’s the biggest differentiator between us and our competitors. We have all the resources and support in the region to make sure when the machine goes to work, it stays at work.”
Looking ahead, Hastings Deering is looking to deliver a new D10 dozer to Lake Vermont.
“The first next-generation D10 dozer is like the baby brother of the D11,” Leabeater said. “It’s a new model that’s only been released within the last 12 months.
“Lake Vermont will get the first next-gen D10 as part of Thiess’ fleet. It’s expected to be delivered in about a month’s time, which is exciting.”
The D10 dozer is innovative by design, with industry-leading technologies and feedback from the field enabling Caterpillar to deliver a dozer that evolves with every model.
Burning less fuel, the D10 dozer is up to six per cent more efficient than its predecessor. It also guarantees up to an eight per cent reduction in maintenance and repair, ensuring less downtime and reduced costs due to longer component life and improved serviceability, durability and overall productivity.
Leabeater said Hastings Deering is always looking for new opportunities to continue supporting Thiess at Lake Vermont.
“We have a very good relationship with Thiess’ leadership team at Lake Vermont and we want to continue working with them to build that partnership going forward,” he said.
This feature appeared in the September 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
