What do you do when you need a 3.2 million pound shovel, but it is too big and too heavy to transport to Round Mountain?
This was the challenge facing the site, as they needed to get their new CAT 7495 electric rope shovel, with a 65 yard bucket, to the mine from Las Vegas, Nevada, a distance of more than 400 kilometres.
The solution: assemble it themselves! Since November, the assembly has taken 10,000 work hours and 56 truckloads, each carrying 1,000-2,000 pounds of equipment to the site.
It’s been a team effort to put such a giant piece of equipment together, especially for the Mobile Maintenance and Operations teams led by Rusty O’Dell, Mobile Maintenance General Foreman, Round Mountain and Bryan Perchetti, Field Maintenance Supervisor, Round Mountain.
“We have been working to put the shovel together for months and are really proud and excited that it is almost complete,” said Rusty. “It has been a great example of employees coming together from all departments for a common goal. We hope to be in the final stages of the assembly in March and then start to put the shovel to good use.”
The shovel will be able to hold approximately 73 tonnes and is expected to increase efficiency and reduce loading costs at the site.
David Hendriks, Vice-President and General Manager, Round Mountain (fifth from the left in the red hat) with employees
Putting the shovel together, piece by piece
