The first Outcast Bucket has been in use since May 2020. The bucket had its first off-site refurbishment after 8,000 hours, and the second off-site refurbishment after 12,000 hours. The bucket still has its original main shell.
Goldmont completed a 2.5 year, supply and maintenance contract for 3 Outcast buckets. The contract demonstrated reduced maintenance costs over the maintenance life cycle.
Other benefits of the Outcast bucket are:
- reduced safety hazards:
- remove manual handling hazard associated with replacing heel shrouds, lip shrouds and wear bars.
- reduce exposure to the line of fire when fitting the bucket to the loader and for servicing of bucket pins.
- improved clean-up capability.
- no hang-up observed in an Outcast bucket.
- improved cycle times (easier penetration into the ore and easier to dump)
- no incidental damage from heel blocks (eg catching on truck trays, puncturing ventilation bags).
- reduced shock loads transferred to the loader due to easier penetration.