7 Ways Duratray’s Game-Changing Maintenance Keeps Remote Mines Operational

Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance is transforming the way mining operations maintain reliability in extreme and remote environments. 

For mines located in some of the most isolated corners of the world, where temperatures can drop to minus 50°C and snow and ice dominate for months, keeping trucks operational is a constant challenge. Mines like the Ekati Diamond Mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories or northern Manitoba, where more than 200 days a year remain below freezing, face logistical hurdles that would overwhelm conventional maintenance strategies. In these conditions, the way operators manage Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance can mean the difference between smooth production and costly downtime.

From the first day of deployment, Duratray SDBs show why simplified maintenance is critical in harsh environments. 

Unlike traditional rigid steel trays, which require long and labour-intensive relining or repairs, Duratray SDBs are designed to minimise downtime. 

By focusing on straightforward rope tension inspections and rapid floor replacements, Duratray SDBs allow technicians to maintain operational efficiency even when external support is scarce. 

This approach makes Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance a cornerstone of resilient, high-performing remote mining operations.

1. Overcoming the Challenges of Extreme Environments

Operating a mine in the Arctic or sub-Arctic is not merely uncomfortable – it is a logistical and technical puzzle. Extreme cold exacerbates issues like carryback, where bulk materials cling to the container floor. Frozen ore sticks to steel floors, reducing payload efficiency and forcing extra trips. This inefficiency is costly, especially for small and medium operators who cannot afford downtime or lost productivity.

Distance adds another layer of complexity. Delivering spare parts to remote sites can take days or even weeks. Roads and air transport are often restricted by weather, making conventional maintenance slow and unreliable. Even a minor repair on a standard steel dump body can become a multi-week disruption, severely affecting production throughput and profit margins.

Duratray recognised these challenges and designed the Corpo de descarga suspenso with simplicity and maintainability in mind, turning a traditionally complex maintenance process into a predictable and manageable routine. 

This is why Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance is highly valued in mines that operate in extreme temperatures and isolated regions.

2. Innovative Design for Maximum Efficiency

The Duratray SDB stands out because of its unique engineering. The rubber mat and steel frame, suspended by high-strength synthetic ropes, offers flexibility that reduces frozen material adherence, tackling carryback from the start. Key benefits include:

• Payload maximisation: Reduced carryback allows trucks to haul closer to full capacity, increasing efficiency.
• Lower wear and tear: The flexible floor absorbs shocks from heavy or frozen ore, extending chassis, suspension, and tyre life.
• Rapid maintenance: The suspended design ensures routine inspections and repairs are completed quickly, even under extreme conditions.

These features make Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance a proactive solution rather than a reactive one, shifting maintenance from a disruptive necessity to a planned, manageable routine.

3. Simplified Maintenance for Remote Operations

Conventional steel bodies are notoriously difficult to maintain. Liners often need welding, replacement can take weeks, and repairs require heavy equipment and skilled labour, which may not be available on-site. Duratray SDBs, by contrast, focus on essential maintenance:

1. Rope tension checks: During preventative maintenance (PM), synthetic ropes are inspected for wear and proper tension.
2. Floor inspection and replacement: Modular rubber floors can be replaced in a single day if needed, versus up to six weeks for conventional trays.

This simplicity drastically reduces downtime. For Arctic or similarly remote mines, this is a strategic advantage. With Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance, technicians can perform essential tasks without waiting for specialist welders, spare part deliveries, or factory-level interventions. 

The result is maximised uptime, predictable production schedules, and lower maintenance costs.

The most common wear point – the rear-most rope – is easily monitored and replaced proactively. This ensures that Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance remains predictable and efficient, even in the most challenging environments.

4. Empowering Technicians with Simple Procedures

One of the greatest advantages of Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance is the empowerment of field technicians. Unlike traditional steel trays, which often require external support or factory intervention, Duratray SDBs can be maintained efficiently on-site. Routine checks and mat replacements can be completed safely and effectively, even in extreme cold.

Technicians benefit from:

• Streamlined procedures that are easy to learn and repeat
• Minimal reliance on external support, keeping operations uninterrupted
• Predictable maintenance windows, reducing unexpected production halts

By designing around ease of maintenance, Duratray shifts the focus from reactive repairs to proactive care. This approach makes Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance not just a procedure but a strategic enabler for mines operating at environmental extremes.

5. Operational Benefits Beyond Maintenance

Simplified maintenance delivers tangible operational and financial advantages:

• Higher payloads and fuel efficiency: Less carryback and lighter trays increase hauling efficiency and reduce diesel consumption.
• Reduced downtime: Same-day mat replacements keep trucks in service, avoiding prolonged disruptions.
• Lower total cost of ownership: Extending the life of truck components while reducing maintenance complexity decreases operational expenses.
• Improved fleet predictability: Easy-to-plan maintenance schedules enable reliable production forecasts.

These benefits make Duratray SDBs ideal for extreme and remote mining operations, where every efficiency gain translates directly into measurable cost savings and improved operational resilience.

6. Proven Performance in the Field

Across mines worldwide, Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance has proven its worth. In Arctic Canada, technicians routinely complete rope inspections and mat replacements in a single day, returning trucks to service immediately. In high-altitude South American operations or desert mining in Australia, similar procedures maintain fleet availability under extreme conditions like dust, abrasion, and heat.

The guiding principle is simple: design for maintainability, train for efficiency, and plan for minimal downtime. Duratray’s focus on this principle allows mines to operate continuously, even when external resources are limited or environmental conditions are severe.

By keeping maintenance straightforward, operators can maintain peak performance without relying on complex logistics chains or lengthy specialist support. This is the essence of Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance  –  practical, reliable, and tailored for remote mining realities.

7. Mastering the Extremes with Duratray

The success of Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance is visible wherever SDBs are deployed. From Arctic mines to high-altitude operations and deserts, the principle remains: keep procedures simple, train personnel, and focus on rapid, predictable maintenance.

Mines succeed not by avoiding challenges but by mastering them. Duratray SDBs, with flexible, durable design and streamlined maintenance requirements, allow operators to do just that. By making maintenance simple and rapid, Duratray Suspended Dump Body Maintenance ensures operations remain resilient, productive, and profitable even in the harshest conditions.

With the right technology and trained personnel, extreme temperatures, remote locations, and logistical hurdles no longer halt production. Instead, they become manageable factors within a well-planned operational strategy, with Duratray SDBs at the heart of the solution.

Perguntas frequentes (FAQ)

1. What is carryback, and why is it such a problem in cold climates?
Carryback refers to the material that sticks to the inside of a truck body and fails to unload. In cold climates, moisture in the ore freezes, causing tonnes of material to adhere to steel bodies. This reduces payload, forces additional trips, and drives up fuel and maintenance costs.

2. How does the Duratray Suspended Dump Body reduce carryback?
The suspended rubber floor flexes during tipping, breaking the bond between material and tray. This design ensures cleaner dumps and significantly reduces carryback compared to rigid steel bodies.

3. How long does it take to replace a Duratray floor compared to a conventional box?
A Duratray floor can be replaced in a single day, whereas relining or repairing a conventional steel box can take up to six weeks. This drastic reduction in downtime is a major advantage for remote operations.

4. Can technicians at remote mines perform Duratray maintenance without factory support?
Yes. With suitable training, field technicians can handle routine inspections and floor replacements on-site. The maintenance requirements are simple, involving mainly rope tension checks and occasional floor changes.

5. Are Duratray SDBs only suitable for Arctic conditions?
No. While particularly effective in cold climates, Duratray SDBs also excel in hot, abrasive, or high-altitude environments. The design offers benefits wherever carryback, maintenance downtime, or extreme conditions are challenges.

65 SDB’s operating at Canada’s largest diamond mine.

Duratray Featured in Carryback Study in extreme weather conditions