Austin Engineering signs global supply deal with Rio Tinto

Perth mining equipment business Austin Engineering has signed an equipment supply and maintenance deal covering all of miner Rio Tinto’s global operations.

The company will supply dump bodies, lightweight trays for ore trucks, heavy machinery buckets, water bodies and other fabricated products from its facilities in Australia, Indonesia and North and South America.

Austin will also repair and provide other services for Austin products owned by Rio as well as those of other equipment manufacturers.

Austin said in a statement that the contract, which would run for five years from 16 December, would cover the supply of equipment through individual purchase orders.

“Austin estimates that the value of services under the contract over its life could be around $300 million, although it is dependent on individual purchase orders.

“The contract includes pre-agreed pricing for mining buckets and haul truck trays….enabling rapid purchasing and order fulfilment.”

There will be annual price reviews to manage changes in exchange rate, steel and labour costs and other factors.

Austin has supplied Rio Tinto for 33 years, and last week marked the purchase of Austin’s 1,000th truck body for the company.

Picture: Rio Tinto haul truck

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