PC5500 Undergoing Testing Premium Matte Paper Poster

"We have a PC5500 undergoing testing at our AZ proving grounds next month. Are you available to visit?"

Duh?

Even though it was this machine's first time in the dirt, it wasn't my first time laying eyes on it. I saw it nearly six months prior when I attended MINExpo, America's premiere mining equipment show in Vegas.

Once every three years, all the major manufacturers spend millions to mobilize, assemble, and display some of their biggest mining machines.

How do you make big machines look even bigger? Bring them indoors... Komatsu's Tier 4 PC5500 was HUGE and presented quite the photo-op.

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I drove through the desert south of Tucson, Arizona, to Komatsu's low-key testing operation behind ASARCO's Mission Mine.

Komatsu is a no-frills Japanese equipment manufacturer, and their Arizona facility matches the brand. There are a few offices for visiting engineers, a HUGE workshop, and plenty of trucks and other machines scattered about for testing.

However, my hosts weren't Japanese—they were German, thanks to the Demag pedigree. But that's a story for another time.

We approached the machine as it lumbered atop a "small" pile.

At first, we parked far away. I gave it a few minutes, then walked closer to test my boundaries. When the engineers didn't say anything, I inched even closer.

It wasn't loading trucks, so the floor was clear and safe. All it did was scoop some dirt, rotate, dump, and repeat. As it moved, an engineer sitting in the buddy seat of the machine watched the data on a laptop.

But I wasn't there for the data… I was there for the photo op. After a few cycles, I captured what I came for.

Features:

• The 200 gsm/ 80 lb paper weight makes it durable and long-lasting.
• We use FSC-certified paper or equivalent certifications depending on regional availability. It’s better for the people and the planet.
• Each poster is shipped in robust packaging, ensuring it arrives safe and secure.
• Paper sizes may vary slightly by region. For the US and Canada, the measurement is in inches, while for the rest of the world, it is in centimeters.
• It is printed and shipped on demand. No minimums are required.

Our heavier-weight, white, premium matte paper has a natural, smooth uncoated finish that feels luxurious to the touch.