Breakthrough Solutions for Industry Since 1884
P&H Mining Equipment has excelled as a provider of breakthrough material handling solutions for various industries since 1884. P&H is today one of the world’s leading providers of highly productive and reliable equipment and Life Cycle Management support to the surface mining industry. Throughout its history, P&H has excelled in delivering exceptional Quality and Service value and its employees worldwide remain focused on providing smart solutions that help increase mine operations efficiency, safety and sustainability.
1884
Alonzo Pawling and Henry Harnischfeger join forces on December 1, 1884, starting up a small machine and pattern shop to craft and support high-quality components and assemblies for brick-making, beer-brewing, industrial sewing and other industrial equipment manufactured in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA...
1887
Pawling & Harnischfeger rebuild and improve upon the design of a damaged overhead bridge crane made by another manufacturer. Soon after, industrial customers line up to order more such cranes built by “P&H” as the firm reorganizes and expands to meet demand.
1893
A “bank panic” in the USA caused by excessive investment in railroads causes a sudden drop in demand for industrial equipment including P&H bridge cranes. To help sustain business during future economic downturns, Pawling & Harnischfeger decide they need to develop a broadened product line including earth-moving machinery.
1911
In failing health, Alonzo Pawling decides to sell his interest in the business to his partner, Henry Harnischfeger. Pawling asks Harnischfeger to keep the “P&H” trademark on company products going forward. Harnischfeger agrees to keep the now well-known P&H trademark, as it has become a symbol of exceptional industrial products Quality and Service. “Pawling & Harnischfeger” becomes “Harnischfeger Corporation” led by Henry Harnischfeger.
1914
Harnischfeger Corporation begins to introduce its earliest earth-moving equipment. Rugged “P&H”-trademark backfillers, ladder trenchers and “skim-scoop” machines begin to serve America’s roads and infrastructure construction projects.
1920
P&H Model 206 – a crawler-propelled power shovel equipped with a ¼-cubic-yard dipper – becomes the first highly successful P&H earth-moving platform. P&H 206 and subsequent P&H 300-series machines were “convertible” into power shovel, backhoe, clamshell, dragline, construction crane, augur, backfill and magnet configurations.
1930
Co-founder Henry Harnischfeger dies and is succeeded by his son Walter Harnischfeger as president. During the Great Depression P&H struggles but moves forward, converting its cranes and excavators to all-welded design and fabrication for increased strength and efficiency. Scope of P&H equipment distribution system becomes more global with distributors established in key regions.
1935
Harnischfeger Corporation introduces “Bantamweight” gas-powered excavators with up to ½-cubic-yard capacity. P&H also introduces new Ward-Leonard drive electric excavators for increased productivity performance.
1941
World War II causes a surge of industrial activity. Harnischfeger Corporation concentrates on manufacturing hoists, bridge cranes, construction cranes and power shovels. Numbers of women employees surge during this time. One of the new generation of employees is Rose Kaminski – “Rosie the Crane Operator” – who was the P&H counterpart to “Rosie the Riveter” symbolic of a fast-changing industrial workforce in America’s factories.
1945
Peacetime marks the beginning of a world-wide industrial boom. P&H excavators and overhead and construction cranes contribute in a major way, both in America and in emerging markets worldwide. P&H introduces a new-generation electric mining shovel featuring simpler control components and factory-installed wiring for faster field erection and commissioning.
1946
Harnischfeger Corporation engineers develop “Magnetorque” electro-magnetic brake and control system to replace traditional friction mechanisms for greatly increased digging power and speed. Magnetorque revolutionizes the heavy equipment industry and continues to be used on smaller electric shovels in the 21st Century.
1952
P&H introduces its largest capacity electric dragline to date – the Model 1855 with up to 10 cubic yards bucket capacity. Magnetorque magnetic clutch system applied to every operating function: digging, hoisting, swinging and propelling. Designed primarily for strip mining, the 1855 brings new standards of performance to the field of large excavators.
1954
P&H rolls out its new Model 1800 electric mining shovel - the latest and largest heavy-duty digging machine in the P&H line with electronic control, centralized AC motor drive, and nominal 8 cubic yard dipper capacity. Mines refer to the P&H 1800 as the “Pride of the Pit.”
1959
Harnischfeger Corporation continues to expand its global network of customer support operations by entering into a joint ownership of a new company in Australia, P&H Power Cranes and Shovels, Pty., Ltd., predecessor to today’s P&H MinePro Services Australasia operations.
1960
P&H shovel maximum dipper capacity reaches 12 cubic yards to help meet growing demand for highly productive taconite and other hard-rock mining excavators.
1962
P&H launches the “Harnischfeger Institute” and embarks on formal training programs for personnel engaged in operating and maintaining P&H equipment.
1967
P&H shovel maximum dipper capacity increases to 15 cubic yards.
1969
In a major leap forward, the P&H 2800 electric shovel debuts initially with a 25 cubic yard dipper capacity to help meet growing world demand for coal, iron and copper. P&H 2800 innovations include solid-state electronic control and planetary propel, enabling the new-generation shovel to greatly increase productivity and overall performance.
1976
P&H increases maximum dipper capacity on its 2800-class shovel to 40 cubic yards. More significant, P&H introduces “Electrotorque” solid-state control for DC motors – a single-stage controlled power manipulation that delivers an abundant adjustable-voltage DC power supply, along with simplified troubleshooting, maintenance and repair.
1984
Harnischfeger Corporation reaches 100 consecutive years of product quality and service excellence on behalf of the mining and other industries.
1988
The company acquires the Page Engineering walking dragline product line and begins modernizing the line for increased performance value. Up until this time, P&H draglines have been limited to smaller-capacity, crawler-propel machines.
P&H Mining Equipment also launches the P&H 2800XPA featuring planetary propel and modular hoist drive for significant gains in machine maneuverability performance and maintainability.
1991
Harnischfeger Corporation acquires the Gardner-Denver line of large production drilling rigs and proceeds to implement needed upgrades for increased performance value.
Also in 1991, Harnischfeger Corporation introduces the P&H 4100-class shovel line to help mines efficiently load new-generation 240-ton haul trucks. The P&H 4100 features 85-ton dipper payloads and numerous ease-of-maintenance features including modular components – improvements resulting from continuing partnership with mine managers aimed at reducing mine operating cost.
1994
P&H Mining Equipment announces plans to introduce an all-new walking dragline featuring numerous customer-inspired improvements. Dubbed the P&H 9020, the new dragline features the revolutionary P&H Gradial tub, planetary transmissions applied to walk and swing functions, numerous designs aimed at increasing maintenance ease, and several dig attachment innovations along with high-performance P&H Optima dippers. The new P&H 9020 debuts in a coal mine in Australia in 1996.
P&H 120A blast hole drill rolls out with numerous performance-boosting improvements over the foundation GD120. The new drill fast becomes a preferred blast hole production rig in Iron Range mining operations.
1996
P&H Mining Equipment launches its global network of regional P&H MinePro Services centers to provide local service and distribution support for surface mine customers.
Also, the 4100 shovel evolves into the 4100A, featuring DC digital “Electrotorque Plus” drive for faster digging cycles due to optimized peak horsepower, and improved information systems for the shovel operator and maintenance team.
1997
P&H 4100TS rolls out and quickly gains a foothold in the Canadian oil sands as a high-performance loading tool in a harsh, high-productivity environment.
1999
P&H Mining Equipment introduces the P&H 4100XPB – a powerful new loading tool tailored to mines utilizing haul trucks of up to 360-ton capacity. The P&H 4100XPB is designed and built to deliver bigger payloads of 100-plus tons, faster cycle times, and smarter control systems for optimized digging performance and increased productivity. Breakthrough solutions applied to the new 4100XPB include P&H OptiDig for optimized dig attachment performance through the dig cycle.
P&H Optima Plus dippers become available for mines seeking consistent, optimized fill factors in overburden and hard-rock mining environments.
2001
P&H Mining Equipment introduces the P&H 4100BOSS, a higher-performance successor to the well-regarded P&H 4100TS. The BOSS features many of the technology advances introduced on the P&H 4100XPB shovel.
P&H Gradial tub installations on non-P&H walking draglines help underscore growing mining industry recognition of the rugged quality and performance value of the new tub design.
2004
P&H Mining Equipment releases P&H Centurion, a powerful new supervisory control and data acquisition system that makes possible major performance gains for both the machine operator as well as mine maintenance personnel due to its systems-optimizing and downtime-reducing capabilities.
Also in 2004, P&H Mining Equipment introduces the P&H Loading Control Center, a technically and ergonomically advanced shovel control environment aimed at transforming the shovel operator into a more of a “loading operations manager” role.
2006
P&H applies Centurion control and numerous other advances across the P&H product line for increased comfort, control and consistency with regard to systems maintenance. P&H Centurion installations – both on new machines and as upgrades applied to existing machines – demonstrate significant productivity and maintainability breakthrough performance value.
2007
P&H Mining Equipment rolls out next-generation shovels and drills, including the P&H 320XPC hard rock production drill, the P&H 4100C BOSS, P&H 4100XPC and P&H 2800XPC shovels featuring all-new operator cab environments and numerous other performance-enhancing breakthrough solutions driven by customer requirements.
P&H Mining Equipment also successfully introduces an AC-drive P&H 4100BOSS shovel for oil sand loading operations. Increasing AC drive reliability and maintainability drives this departure from traditional P&H DC drive product offerings and the effort is launched and completed within a fast-track, 24-month time frame.
2008
P&H unveils plans to bring a new P&H 9030C ultra-class 100-cubic-meter class walking dragline to the mining industry. Rounding out the P&H walking draglines are the P&H 9010C and the P&H 9020C, all featuring P&H Centurion and available with AC drive.
P&H also announces plans to bring the P&H 4170C Mobile Mining Crusher / In-Pit Crushing Conveying system to high-throughput coal and oil sand overburden handling operations. The 4170C will be synchronized and controlled from a P&H 4100XPC shovel and the system is available as an economic alternative for shovel-truck overburden operations.
2009
P&H celebrates its 125th anniversary of providing innovative products and services to the mining industry. Breakthrough solutions from 1884-2009.