Capital Equipment News September 2016

Scan QR code to watch the interview with Becky Smith, GM of Mining at Scania.

SCANIA GOES MINING AT ELECTRA

challenging the conventional yellow met- al, “bigger is always better” mentality of the local mining sector. Smith agrees that local miners have over the years grown accustomed to their articulated and rig- id haulers. “That’s one thing we are very mindful of. We are up against a yellow metal equipment mentality that believes bigger is always better,” she says. Smith, however, argues that mining has since evolved and profitability is heavily reliant on carefully controlling operating capital investments and operating costs. The Scania G410 8x4 mining tipper, for example, comes with an array of features and benefits that fly in the face of conven- tional hauling solutions such as ADTs and RDTs. The tipper comes with a payload of between 32 and 34 t, depending on appli- cation, core density of the material and the type of body. Smith says that it can there- fore compete very much on par with a con- ventional hauler with a payload of anything between 30 and 60 t. “You may require two Scanias to replace a 60 t ADT, for example, but the outright capital investment is much lower, operating costs are much lower,

The local mining fraternity is facing new and tough challenges, and only a stronger focus on cost-efficient solutions and operational excellence will keep mines in business. Scania will use Electra Mining Africa to showcase its holistic approach to mining with a full range of offerings geared at increasing customer profitability, writes Munesu Shoko.

T he downward commodity pric- es, exacerbated by decreasing mineral ore bodies, continue to put the local mining industry under immense pressure. Becky Smith, general manager of Mining at Sca- nia Southern Africa, alludes to the fact that mining is in dire straits and “has been a tough go” for industry players. Bearing in mind that transport accounts for up to a third of operational mining costs, she is of the view that, now more than ever, mining houses need to rethink their onsite transport solutions to optimise every stage of their processes for better productivity, feasibility and profitability.

With that in mind, Scania will use Electra Mining Africa 2016, scheduled for 12-16 September, to showcase the full width of its mining range, from tippers and service vehicles through to staff solutions and ADR vehicles. Some of the key exhibits in this regard will include the the G410 8x4 mining tipper and the G360 6x6 chasis, the ground-breaking Staff Carrier and the G410 CB 6x6 Nitro Unit for the explosive industry. This will be complemented by a range of engines for industrial applications and power generation. Challenging the norm With its mining tipper range, Scania is

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