Capital Equipment News April 2017

JOBSITE REPORT

Distances between stockpiles and the processing plants are kept at a maximum of 70 m to reduce loader cycle times.

The nine LiuGong loaders are responsible for all materials handling duties on site.

One of the key factors when making buying decisions as far as mining equipment is concerned is fuel efficiency, and the LiuGong machines are not disappointing in this respect. The LiuGong CLG856 models are said to range between 14-16 ℓ per hour, while the newer CLG856H models are consuming between nine and 12 ℓ per hour. According to Johnstone, these consumption figures are about two- thirds of the comparable offerings from some premium brands. Gone are the days when equipment designs were based on a one-size-fits-all approach. Today’s equipment designs are based on customisation, understanding what each customer’s operational needs are. This is what exactly LiuGong and Burgers have done for Balele Contractors. LiuGong engineers have paid frequent visits to Balele’s sites over the years, and Johnstone says the contractor’s feedback in terms of machine designs has since been incorporated into the newer models. “Even when we buy machines, they already know our own specifications in terms of tyre and bucket sizes. Our machines are delivered exactly according to our specifications,” says Johnstone, who concludes that, before anyone discards Chinese equipment, they should do their own homework in terms of both the quality of gear and local service support. b

of hours than we used to get five years ago on the older models,” says Johnstone. However, Johnstone cautions that every good machine is as good as its service. A stringent service regime keeps these ma- chines in greater working shape, always available when duty calls. But, a strict maintenance regime is only achievable when parts availability and dealer support are non-issues. This is where local dealer, Burgers Equipment & Spares has excelled, even going the extra mile to meet Balele Contractors’ extensive support needs. “Burgers is very much on top of its game. We have never had issues regarding spares availability for the eight years we have dealt with them,” says Johnstone. “They actually go out of their way to meet our service needs. For example, one of the ladies who works at Burgers stays near the Witbank area and on numerous occasions when we have to place an urgent part order, we can order in the afternoon and by close of business we have our part delivered.”

Burgers is responsible for all service and warranty issues for the first 2 000 hours. After that, Balele Contractors’ in-house maintenance team keeps the fleet running. Strict service intervals are maintained at every 250 hours, while a major service is done every 1 000 hours. Routine daily checks ensure that there are no alarms that might trigger bigger mechanical issues. Keeping faith When Capital Equipment News visited the site, two new LiuGong CLG856H loaders were due for delivery from Burgers, while four more units were due to arrive in in the country in April. Continued investment into LiuGong loaders is paying off big time for the contractor. “The two main reasons for sticking to this range of equipment is reliability and service, not just service from the machines, but from the local distributor as well,” says Johnstone. “The aftersales service we receive from Burgers is impeccable, we can’t ask for anything more.”

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS APRIL 2017 8