mageba delivers bridge bearings for mining giant

In July 2020, an Australian mining giant released a tender opportunity for the supply of Australian-designed and manufactured high-quality spherical bridge bearings for a multimillion-dollar, multi-stage rail project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

As the existing bearings had deteriorated faster than projected by the previous supplier, the client needed to engage a new supplier who could fabricate bridge bearings that were long-lasting, reliable and of the highest quality.

mageba Australia’s experience, quality-control measures and capacity to mass-produce bearings demonstrated it was the right choice for the partnership, delivering the highest quality bearings on time, at every stage of the project.

Challenging project requirements

Not only were the 240+ bearings to be designed and fabricated locally, but - due to replacement timeframes and significant modification costs - the spherical bearings were to be designed using the existing anchor location available at the site.

It was also essential that all bearings were tested at a NATA accredited testing facility, and were manufactured to stringent specifications by an ISO accredited organisation with multi-level quality-control procedures in place, most of which were to be conducted by third-party surveillance.

On-time delivery was essential, as, without the bearings, the rail bridge leading to the mining site would not be functional and any rail shutdown would lead to significant financial loss for the client.

mageba Australia demonstrated that it was the perfect choice to deliver the highest quality bearings and meet the strict requirements of the project, and was therefore awarded the contract based on its proven track record and industry experience.

Perfect project execution

The entire project required 240+ bearings delivered across multiple stages, with the lead time for delivery of the first stage by March 2021.

Stage 1: 72 bearings within 9 weeks from the date of order
Stage 2: 96 bearings within 11 weeks from the date of order
Stage 3: 72 bearings within 11 weeks from the date of order

All bearings were designed in mageba’s Australian office, capturing the most critical requirement of the client - that only the existing anchor locations available on site were used.

Due to steel shortages and delayed shipments currently being experienced around the world, mageba called upon its extensive network of trusted partners and suppliers to ensure all materials were procured in record time.

Upon fabrication approval, the existing, fully-equipped mageba fabrication facility was utilised, with the team of expert technicians commencing mass production of bearings.
mageba also provided a boost to local employment with additional ancillary staff hired to fast-track production and delivery.

Working in multiple shifts, the team at mageba ensured timely manufacture, testing and delivery of all bearings. mageba’s NATA accredited testing facility was utilised to conduct the FAT testing, with the facility currently accredited to test bearings up to 20mN, and 40mN, subject to renewal of NATA accreditation.

Quality assurance at every stage

mageba managed all fabrication from its own facility and managed supply chain partners in Sydney, using its internationally approved manufacturing procedures. Every batch of bearings for each stage of the project was segregated to ensure supply met the project’s highly demanding timeline and stringent quality requirements.

Irrespective of the time pressures, the multi-level, fail-proof mageba quality assurance system ensured that quality checks were performed at every point, as per the quality control regime and stringent specifications prescribed by the mining company.

The clients witnessed, and were satisfied with, all factory acceptance tests (FAT) and dispatch, and also reviewed reports generated by a third-party NATA and NACE accredited laboratory for various parameters set in their specification. mageba successfully met all quality requirements.

Safe and successful delivery

To ensure safe delivery, the team at mageba Australia took extra steps to ensure bearings retained their integrity from the fabrication facility all the way to the project site. All bearings were packed with additional elastomeric packers to ensure that they were roadworthy to travel hundreds of kilometres on gravel.

Custom-designed, heavy-duty pallets were also used to carry the bearings and were packed with additional elastomeric packers to ensure the bearings retained structural integrity throughout the journey.

Not only did the team at mageba Australia deliver all bearings on time and to the highest standard, they delivered exceptional results in every challenge they faced.

Once again, mageba Australia has proven itself a reliable and trustworthy service partner that meets the most stringent mining specifications for large-scale projects in Australia.

Contact mageba Australia NOW on 1300 624 322 to utilise our free design service for your next project!

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Contact mageba Australia NOW on 1300 624 322 to utilise our free design service for your next project!