Capital Equipment News January 2018

ARTICULATED DUMP TRUCKS

If one needs a truck to work in all terrains, all weather, all of the time, the ADT is still regarded the best choice.

ARTICULATING IN ALL TERRAINS

In the area of haulage, the lower end of the ADT scale is seemingly under siege from an emerging new generation of mining tippers, but articulated hauler manufacturers believe there is a place for both solutions, though the ADT’s prowess in challenging underfoot conditions is hard to beat, writes Munesu Shoko .

I n haulage applications, a new genera- tion of construction-type mining tippers is emerging to challenge mostly the 20-30 t size classifications of articulated dump trucks (ADTs). As operators seek bet- ter economies of scale, tippers are claimed to be lighter, offering better fuel and tyre efficiency, as well as reduced maintenance costs than ADTS in the same class size. As construction-type tippers threaten to wrestle a bigger share of the ADT market, especially in the 20-30 t size class, or even 40 t range to some extent, does this class size of ADTs have a future at all? Michael Miller, Caterpillar Articulated Trucks Application Specialist, says models in the lower end of the ADT scale absolutely still have a future, adding that “we are

currently seeing growth in the sector”. “Machine application and utilisation is different between construction-type tippers and ADTs, and if you need a truck to work in all terrains, all weather, all of the time, an ADT is still the best choice,” says Miller. Pontus Evertsson, director of sales support for articulated haulers and GPE wheel loaders at Volvo Construction Equipment Sales Region EMEA, says the choice between a construction-type tipper truck and an articulated hauler all depends on the ground conditions. He reasons that construction tipper trucks are great if the terrain is easy, but as soon as you face sites with soft ground conditions, bad hauling roads or steep grades, construction-type trucks will reach their limits.

“Articulated haulers are designed for rough off-road conditions and require mini- mal haul road maintenance and can operate in all weather conditions and steep slopes. Due to the articulated haulers’ wide tyres, the low ground pressure makes it possible to operate in all conditions,” says Evertsson. Erik Lundberg, business manager – sub-Saharan Africa at Terex Trucks, believes there will be continued demand for smaller ADTs in the future despite the emergence of construction-type tippers. “When you com- pare ADTs to construction-type tippers, you will see that there is a significant difference in the capabilities of the machines. When an application calls for a true off-road truck, an ADT will always be preferable as this type of machine will be able to perform in conditions

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