Chapter 12
I The First Half Century - The Initial Struggle
II The Second Fifty Years - The Start Of Expansion
III The Third Fifty Years - Federation And The First World War
IV The Fourth Period - Second World War To The Present
i General Conditions
ii Iron and Steel Production
iii Aluminium Technology
iv Innovative Copper Refining Process
v The EDIM-4WD Load-Haul-Dump Vehicle
vi Copper Rod Production
vii Copper Wire and Cables
viii The Diecasting Industry
ix Automotive Components
x Whitegoods or Consumer Durables
xi Hardware
xii Some Recent New Industries
xiii The National Measurement System
xiv Manufacturing Industry in this Decade
xv Acknowledgements
References
Index
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The EDIM-4WD Load-Haul-Dump Vehicle
A further MIM Limited innovation combined the application of modern technology with long practical experience and inventiveness. Australia has long been influential in underground mining on the international scene and MIM has been to the fore in the evolution of trackless mining machinery leading to the new Load-Haul-Dump Vehicle. The design was based on three years of intensive research at Mt. Isa carried out jointly by MIM and the University of Queensland, Mechanical Engineering Department. The detailed design work was done by Evans Deakin Industries in consultation with the other two parties.Hydrostatic transmission forms the innovative power train, power being transmitted to the wheels via an hydrostatic pump and motor system. Two piston pumps, one each for the front and rear wheels, are driven by the engine and pump oil through a control system to hydraulic motors on each wheel. These motors drive planetory reduction wheel-hubs.
The displacement of the pumps and motors is infinitely variable, requiring no pause for gear changes, and allows very smooth acceleration. Wheel slip control ensures that lightly loaded wheels do not spin out of control and anti-stall controls ensure that the engine is not overloaded. Vehicle speed is controlled with a foot pedal. This pedal controls the infinitely variable pump/motor displacement (transmission ratio) while the engine speed is normally set at constant speed for digging and tramming with a hand throttle.
A number of innovations had been made in the design of the driver's cabin which lead to increased productivity of both driver and machine. The cabin has anti-vibrations mountings, is air conditioned and dust-free and the seat can be freely rotated in both directions reducing operation strain. The equipment is made under licence by Evans Deakin Industries Ltd. and aspects of the design are covered by patents.
Organisations in Australian Science at Work - Copper Refineries Pty Ltd; Evans Deakin Industries Ltd; Mount Isa Mines (M.I.M.)
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Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering |  |
© 1988 Print Edition page 898, Online Edition 2000
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/876.html