Innovative solution hauls 2,000 tons of equipment
How do you haul the largest and heaviest off-highway mining equipment quickly, safely and easily? Philippi-Hagenbuch (PHIL) says they have a revolutionary solution: their newly launched, HiVol Lowboy Trailer and Vehicle Recovery Tool (VRT) system, which are designed to work independently or as one integrated system.
When a machine such as a mining shovel moves under its own power, excessive pressure and unnecessary wear is placed on the undercarriage: tracks, rollers and idlers. Because replacing an undercarriage can cost up to $3 million, in most cases the system easily pays for itself within the first year.
Highest capacity of any trailer system
The system offers a hauling capacity of 400 tons to more than 2,000 tons, far exceeding the capacity of any other trailer on the market. It is the only system which provides the capacity necessary to haul Ultra Class rated equipment, a standard for mining equipment such as drills, loaders and high-capacity shovels.
Whether providing initial transport into the mine pit, relocating a shovel from one pit to another or hauling a piece of downed equipment to the shop for repair, PHIL’s system is able to move nearly any piece of mining equipment, eliminating the need for multiple vehicles and trailers.
Transporting large equipment is extremely safe with the HiVol Lowboy Trailer-VRT combination, as well. The VRT’s wide base provides greater stability and balance for unparalleled control of the load during transport.
Vehicle Recovery Tool (VRT)
The VRT is the first product of its kind offered to the mining industry.
Acting as the intermediary between the haul vehicle and trailer, the VRT is key to allowing up to 22 percent more hauling weight than the trailer alone. The VRT evenly distributes the load over the axles and tires of the VRT, the haul truck and the trailer.
When used as in intermediary between the prime mover and a PHIL Lowboy Trailer, the VRT conveniently attaches to the gooseneck of the trailer itself through a lowboy interface point located on the top of the VRT.
To disengage, the VRT pivot actuation system hydraulically adjusts the height and pitch of the lowboy interface point and the VRT can be moved out of the way, ready to be used for towing disabled vehicles.
As a towing device, the VRT can tow inoperable off-highway haul trucks weighing up to 400 tons to the shop for repairs or to any desired location within an off-highway environment. The VRT interfaces with the front bumper of the disabled haul truck and lifts the front tires off the ground, evenly distributing the weight between the rear tires of the disabled vehicle, the VRT and the prime mover. The VRT’s wide wheelbase provides stability and balance, eliminating the need for a counterweight on the tow vehicle’s chassis and ensuring safe towing with no added pressure on the truck or the haul vehicle.
HiVol Lowboy Trailer
By distributing the weight of the load, PHIL’s Ultra-Class Lowboy Trailer is able to haul the larger loads safely. While traditional lowboy trailers use a gooseneck and require more time, manpower and effort to front load the trailer, the HiVol Lowboy Trailer features a rear-load system, designed for safe, efficient loading and unloading for all sizes of equipment. In fact, most pieces can be loaded or unloaded in less than 20 minutes.
The trailer’s rear axles swing out and drop the deck to ground level while rear loading ramps descend. The equipment easily “walks” up the ramp for fast, convenient loading.
Additionally, the ramp is designed to maintain a consistently flat plane with the deck of the trailer, eliminating apex loading and potential damage to the idlers and rollers on tracked equipment and the trailer.
Once a machine has been secured on the trailer, the ramps raise, and the axles swing back into transport mode, fully containing the equipment for safe transport. At this point, the deck raises and the trailer is ready to move.
Philippi-Hagenbuch custom builds every HiVol Lowboy Trailer to fit an operation’s exact needs and expectations. Overall, it is the largest capacity heavy haul unit on the market, with a capacity that can exceed 1,600 tons. When not used in conjunction with the VRT, the trailer attaches to a haul vehicle with Philippi-Hagenbuch’s standard six-way kingpin style hitch. The trailer and hitch feature a low-maintenance design with minimal moving parts, components and hydraulics for high uptime.
Dolly Interface System
Building upon customer feedback, PHIL has enhanced its VRT and Lowboy Trailer with the ability to have them operate without the need of an off-highway truck. Through the use of a PHIL Dolly Interface System, a tracked loader can be connected to the dolly with the ability to pull and operate the VRT and Lowboy Trailer within a mine site environment.
This enhancement provides the added flexibility for mines to operate a VRT and Lowboy Trailer without tying up an expensive prime mover for support operations.
Every HiVol Lowboy Trailer and VRT is completely assembled and tested by PHIL prior to shipment at its Peoria, Illinois factory. Due to their size, both pieces are fully modular so they can be broken down easily for shipment by legal load and reassembly onsite. In addition, the company offers onsite assembly assistance.
