Capital Equipment News June 2018

COVER STORY

ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR VOLVO RIGID HAULER ROLLOUT

Ahead of the southern African debut of the new Volvo CE-branded rigid haulers, Babcock, the exclusive regional distributor, says necessary preparations have been completed to ensure an unhindered rollout of the range into local mining and quarrying sectors during the last quarter of this year. By Munesu Shoko

F ollowing Volvo Construction of rigid haulers in April this year, Babcock has largely completed all the necessary legwork for the local rollout of the new rigid dump trucks (RDTs) in southern Africa. David Vaughan, MD – Equipment at Babcock, tells Capital Equipment News that it’s all systems go for the local launch, and the first units are expected to arrive in South Africa during the last quarter of this year. “We have completed the three legs of preparation – comprising investments into facilities to cater for the big-sized range, the necessary parts and components and the technical training – ahead of the launch,” says Vaughan. The first leg of Babcock’s preparation to become a rigid hauler distributor dates as far back as 2015 following the commissioning of its purpose-built sales, parts and service dealership facility in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, South Africa, which was officially unveiled in February 2016. The design of the facility allows for handling of space-hungry items such as larger rigid trucks and the relevant componentry. “The flagship facility in Middelburg was conceptualised with handling of large pieces of earthmoving gear such as the 100-t rigid hauler in mind. The size of the workshop bays, the cranage in the workshop and the entrances into these facilities, among other things, were all designed to handle large rigid dump trucks with ease,” says Vaughan. The estimated R100-million facility covers 30 000 m². The primary workshop covers an area of nearly 2 000 m² under roof and includes 12 x 9 m-wide work bays with two Equipment’s recent international launch of its Volvo CE-branded range

adjoining rows of six bays, all serviced by overhead gantry cranes. All bays have a ceiling of 9 m under hook, making it possible to service mega trucks, such as the 100 t rigid, bucket up. Ben Buys, technical director – Equipment at Babcock, says the width and height of the workshop can handle a dump truck of up to 300 t and a crawler excavator of up to 250 t. Buys says the Middelburg facility’s component workshop, purpose-built to cater for heavy items, will house the majority of the bigger componentry. “The facility will act as the distribution centre for larger componentry. The bulk of the sizeable components of the rigid hauler range will be distributed from here into the rest of southern Africa,” says Buys. The component workshop is a 198 m² facility situated adjacent to the workshop and the two facilities share a common tool store. It is serviced by a 10 t overhead gantry, making it ideal for engine, transmission and axle overhauls. Second leg The second leg of preparation for the rollout of the rigid range centred on in-depth technical training to allow the technical team to adapt from the Terex Trucks range to the new Volvo product. Bear in mind that the development of the new range relied heavily on the longstanding rigid hauler expertise of Volvo CE’s subsidiary, Terex Trucks, and will replace the latter’s current TR-Series. The Babcock team attended a two-week training session in Scotland to acquaint themselves with the technical nitty-gritties of the new range. The two-week training was not only meant for technicians, but also catered for product specialists and trainers,

who will replicate the training locally. “Because it’s a completely new product in our stable, we also brought in Volvo rigid hauler trainers here for a two-week period,” explains Buys. “We have already trained branch personnel, initially around areas where the new RDTs will be operating, such as Northern Cape, Gauteng and Middelburg, where the majority of the truck population will reside.” Buys adds that the all-new 105-ton R100E comes with two major components that are new to the Babcock team: the Cummins electronic engine and the shift-protected Allison transmission. Babcock has already undergone the necessary training and accreditation to be able to support the two components. Following facility and business inspections by both Cummins and Allison, Babcock has been appointed as an authorised service agent for the two items. The range The new Volvo rigid hauler range – which will initially be available with an EPA Tier 2 / EU Stage 2 emission regulated engine – comprises four models, the 45-t R45D, 60-t R60D, 72-t R70D and the flagship, all-new 105-ton R100E. The three-model

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