Heating, ventilation and cooling solutions for mines

Specialist in heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) solutions Booyco Engineering says it is set to advance its offering of standardised and bespoke designs for heavy duty mining applications, aiming to reduce lead times and improve cost effectiveness.

In addition to its cab heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for mobile mining equipment, the company offers a selection of related solutions including auxiliary power units (APUs) to reduce diesel consumption in large mobile machinery such as trucks, drill rigs, dozers and other equipment, as well as specialised dust filtration systems for cabs and engines.

“Based on our decades of experience in this field, we made a name for ourselves in mainly bespoke solutions in the most demanding applications,” says Spies. “We recently leveraged these designs to create a range of standard solutions for mining,” says Booyco Engineering MD Brenton Spies.

“The priority for mines today is equipment availability, as they work towards more uptime and better productivity,” he says. “Every time an HVAC system in a cab needs to be replaced or repaired, the machine stands idle – at great cost to the operation in lost production. Our heavy duty designs and local manufacture ensure long life and reliability.”

Booyco Engineering executive director Grant Miller emphasises that the company’s solutions comply with the benchmark ISO 23875 standard on air quality and driver health.

A related innovation is the company’s APU which drives the in-cab air conditioner without the need for the mining truck’s main engine to provide power to the system. Miller points out that, in most situations, a driver or operator has to run the main engine to keep their cab cool while waiting to be loaded.

“Fitting the APU means that the main engine can be powered down while waiting, and the cab will remain cool for optimal operator comfort,” he says. “With mining trucks consuming anything from 30 ℓ to 50 ℓ of diesel an hour while idling, this APU means a significant saving in diesel costs. It also helps reduce the mine’s carbon footprint, which is a growing strategic concern.”