Capital Equipment News January 2018

COVER STORY

EXPANDING HAULAGE GAINS Following massive operational gains reaped since its decision to deploy Scania mining tippers at its limestone mining operation, PPC Slurry has further expanded its fleet with three more units, bringing to seven its complement of Scania Mining’s hauling solution, writes Munesu Shoko .

KEY TALKING POINTS

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A major improvement is the double hydraulic cylinder on the bin

PPC Slurry has expanded its Scania mining tipper fleet with three more units

Consequently, PPC Slurry is planning to place an order for two more units early this year to bring the total complement of its Scania mining tippers to nine. This is in line with the operation’s production targets. “As we will commission our new Kiln 9 this year, we will need to put 15 000 t of material through the crushers a day, translating into 1 000-1 200 t per hour. With the current range of 32 t Scania mining tippers, we will need a total of nine to meet these targets,” says Niemand. When the existing units reach their re- placement cycles, Niemand will, in future, look to acquire the recently-launched 40 t Scania G460CB8x4EHZ mining tipper units. The 40 t mining tipper will meet Slurry’s targeted production volumes with a total of seven trucks. For Niemand, a key benefit is the reduction of total vehicles operating on site, obviously with safety in mind. Meanwhile, getting rid of the few remain- ing rigid haulers on site will also allow Slurry to scale down its loading tools. The current generation of Cat 988 loaders will be scaled down to Cat 986 front-end loaders to suit the

To reduce carrybacks, the new body has been engineered with a “bath tub” effect, which allows for smooth flow of material

Close cooperation between all key stakeholders is a winning formula for all parties

I n a move that clearly underlines its complete migration from the use of conventional yellow metal haulers, PPC Slurry has further added three more units of the construction-type Scania mining tippers. The new acquisitions bring to seven the number of Scania’s G410CB8x4EHZ mining tippers operating at Slurry. Speaking at the handover ceremony of the three new acquisitions, Andre Niemand, technical advisor: Mining at PPC Slurry, re- iterated that the Scania solution has ticked all the right boxes for PPC Slurry, and it has become a haulage solution of choice for the operation moving forward. “Going forward we will stick to Scania’s mining tippers for

our haulage needs. The Scania mining solu- tion has lived up to the standard we want. Through continued consultation, Scania has managed to produce a durable and reliable solution that fits our bill,” explains Niemand. Niemand says Scania’s willingness to tailor the trucks to Slurry’s unique specifica- tions, and the lower total operating costs, were the major reasons behind the latest buying decision. He highlights that with as much a 20% saving on maintenance costs and massive fuel savings as high as 50% compared with the previous range of con- ventional yellow metal haulers, among other several benefits, the Scania mining solution has surpassed Slurry’s expectations.

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JANUARY 2018 4