Building quality connections

TriCab has big plans to bring its decades of cabling knowledge to PNG.

There’s one thing all sizes of mining machinery have in common: cables.

Mines are made up of millions of copper wires powering equipment so they can keep producing essential metals and minerals. But not all cables are created equally.

In such a heavily productive industry as mining, it is especially important to ensure the cables keeping operations running are of the highest possible quality.

Enter Australian owned and established electrical cable manufacturer TriCab.

Now a cornerstone of cable manufacturing, TriCab has been servicing the Australian and international markets for nearly 50 years.

The company operates manufacturing facilities across Australia, Asia and the US, aiming to respond to the needs of its customers and produce fit-for-purpose cables companies can rely on.

And TriCab has a vision to share its wealth of experience with Papua New Guinea (PNG).

“As a successful Australian electrical cable manufacturer, it was a natural step for us to move into the mining space where our expertise can save operators time and money by using quality cables from the start,” TriCab Queensland state manager Shane Plumridge told PNG Mining.

“We’re excited to share our knowledge and expertise with the PNG mining sector, using our prime position in Australia to bring quality and reliability to the market.”

Plumridge has seen first-hand what can happen if companies choose a lesser quality cable. Breakdowns are just the beginning, with time spent out of action coming at a huge cost to operations.

“That’s why it’s so important to choose quality cables,” Plumridge said. “With TriCab, you know you’re getting the best.

“Our team of engineers are constantly developing the latest advancements for our cables, meaning they are able to be installed quicker and require less labour on site, saving operators time and money.”

TriCab’s quality comes from its years of experience manufacturing in Australia to meet the requirements of Australian/New Zealand wiring standards (AS/NZS).

“We’re very focused on these standards, which include PNG in their jurisdiction,” Plumridge said. “As an Australian manufacturer, ensuring our cables are in line with the AS/NZS standards means we can consistently deliver quality over time.”

Plumridge emphasised TriCab products are always up to the latest AS/NZS standards, whether they’re smaller cables for switchboard manufacture or larger cables for powering up equipment like pumps and motors.

Heavy mining machinery requires more copper in its cables in order to conduct enough electricity to keep things running reliably, but a thicker cable means less flexibility which could spell trouble for operators. Thankfully, TriCab has a solution.

“Our cables are all made from a 0.3mm copper strand,” Plumridge said. “Even our largest cables are made from bunching together fine strands.

“That makes the cables easy to bend and get in and around tight spaces, allowing labour saving and reduced downtime. Our competitors’ cables may be unable to keep up with that level of flexibility.”

Plumridge emphasised TriCab’s commitment to its customers and the company’s reliability as a leader in the cable industry.

“We’re very proud of our product and our customers are used to the high level of service we provide,” he said.

“A lot of our competitors have moved their manufacturing offshore, but TriCab has remained a strong producer in Australia thanks to our consistent quality.”

Looking ahead to the coming year and beyond, Plumridge is confident in TriCab’s ability to meet the growing needs of the PNG mining sector.

“We’re looking to expand our footprint in the PNG sector and work with like-minded companies looking for labour-saving installations,” he said.

“We’re determined to support the PNG mining sector with the best quality cables on offer.” 

thing all sizes of mining machinery have in common: cables.

Mines are made up of millions of copper wires powering equipment so they can keep producing essential metals and minerals. But not all cables are created equally.

In such a heavily productive industry as mining, it is especially important to ensure the cables keeping operations running are of the highest possible quality.

Enter Australian owned and established electrical cable manufacturer TriCab.

Now a cornerstone of cable manufacturing, TriCab has been servicing the Australian and international markets for nearly 50 years.

The company operates manufacturing facilities across Australia, Asia and the US, aiming to respond to the needs of its customers and produce fit-for-purpose cables companies can rely on.

And TriCab has a vision to share its wealth of experience with Papua New Guinea (PNG).

“As a successful Australian electrical cable manufacturer, it was a natural step for us to move into the mining space where our expertise can save operators time and money by using quality cables from the start,” TriCab Queensland state manager Shane Plumridge told PNG Mining.

“We’re excited to share our knowledge and expertise with the PNG mining sector, using our prime position in Australia to bring quality and reliability to the market.”

Plumridge has seen first-hand what can happen if companies choose a lesser quality cable. Breakdowns are just the beginning, with time spent out of action coming at a huge cost to operations.

“That’s why it’s so important to choose quality cables,” Plumridge said. “With TriCab, you know you’re getting the best.

“Our team of engineers are constantly developing the latest advancements for our cables, meaning they are able to be installed quicker and require less labour on site, saving operators time and money.”

TriCab’s quality comes from its years of experience manufacturing in Australia to meet the requirements of Australian/New Zealand wiring standards (AS/NZS).

“We’re very focused on these standards, which include PNG in their jurisdiction,” Plumridge said. “As an Australian manufacturer, ensuring our cables are in line with the AS/NZS standards means we can consistently deliver quality over time.”

Plumridge emphasised TriCab products are always up to the latest AS/NZS standards, whether they’re smaller cables for switchboard manufacture or larger cables for powering up equipment like pumps and motors.

Heavy mining machinery requires more copper in its cables in order to conduct enough electricity to keep things running reliably, but a thicker cable means less flexibility which could spell trouble for operators. Thankfully, TriCab has a solution.

“Our cables are all made from a 0.3mm copper strand,” Plumridge said. “Even our largest cables are made from bunching together fine strands.

“That makes the cables easy to bend and get in and around tight spaces, allowing labour saving and reduced downtime. Our competitors’ cables may be unable to keep up with that level of flexibility.”

Plumridge emphasised TriCab’s commitment to its customers and the company’s reliability as a leader in the cable industry.

“We’re very proud of our product and our customers are used to the high level of service we provide,” he said.

“A lot of our competitors have moved their manufacturing offshore, but TriCab has remained a strong producer in Australia thanks to our consistent quality.”

Looking ahead to the coming year and beyond, Plumridge is confident in TriCab’s ability to meet the growing needs of the PNG mining sector.

“We’re looking to expand our footprint in the PNG sector and work with like-minded companies looking for labour-saving installations,” he said.

“We’re determined to support the PNG mining sector with the best quality cables on offer.” 

This feature appeared in the June–July 2024 issue of PNG Mining.