As surface mining and quarrying operations grapple with rising ambient temperatures, the way HVAC systems are specified for mobile equipment is coming under increasing scrutiny. Booyco Engineering, a specialist Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of HVAC systems with over 40 years of experience in these demanding sectors, is sounding the alarm on the risks of relying solely on kilowatt ratings when selecting HVAC solutions.

Brenton Spies, Managing Director at Booyco Engineering, highlights a growing trend where specifiers and procurement departments are using only an HVAC system’s kW rating as a benchmark for selection. While this may seem like a straightforward approach, it is leading to complications on site often only becoming apparent once the equipment is installed and in full operation on the mobile mining machines.

“Not all HVAC systems  with the same kilowatt rating are created equal,” says Spies. “We are encountering cases where a unit is rejected for being ‘too expensive’ compared to other products with the same kW rating - only for the customer to discover later that the chosen system cannot cope with the site’s actual ambient conditions.”

The underlying issue, he explains, is that many buyers overlook critical international standards - specifically the ISO 5151 classification - which define the temperature classes to which HVAC systems are engineered. Known in industry as T1 and T3, these classifications set clear parameters for how equipment is expected to perform under different thermal conditions.

“These standards exist to guide the design, testing and validation of systems for specific environments,” Spies explains. “The materials, cooling capacities and componentry of a T3-class HVAC system, for example, are engineered to handle far harsher conditions than those of a T1-class system. This makes a significant difference in high temperature mining environments, where system failure is not just inconvenient but can compromise safety and productivity.”

“Our air conditioning systems are ISO 5151 T3-rated, meaning they are designed to operate in ambient temperatures of at least 46°C unlike many competitor systems, which are ISO 5151 T1-rated for just 35°C ambient temperatures,” says Spies. “This higher rating ensures our products maintain the specified performance in extremely demanding environments. A system designed for T1 will simply just not perform in T3 conditions, leaving the operator exposed to hazardous conditions.”

Spies emphasises that cutting costs at the procurement stage by opting for a cheaper system based on kW rating alone can end up costing operators far more in the long run. Unsuitable HVAC systems not only underperform in extreme conditions, but they are also more likely to suffer premature wear and require frequent maintenance or replacement.

He urges those responsible for specifying HVAC systems - particularly for mobile mining and earthmoving equipment - to consider environmental conditions and the applicable temperature classes as a fundamental part of the selection process. With climate conditions becoming more extreme, especially in remote and open-pit mining environments, ensuring that HVAC units are fit-for-purpose is more critical than ever.

Booyco Engineering continues to work closely with OEMs and end-users alike, applying its decades of expertise to ensure every HVAC system it supplies meets the rigorous demands of the application - not just in theory, but in real-world conditions.