Modern Mining December 2023

MATERIALS HANDLING

able to handle the high rainfall season.” However, supply chain challenges at ports in South Africa continue to delay product delivery to customers and have proved to be extremely frustrating to the equipment supplier. Trends driving the equipment market According to Goosen, for the Northern Hemisphere, where access to key resources such as drivers is a chal lenge, the focus is on the adoption of autonomous equipment that enhances productivity and safety. Bell Equipment has been a front-runner in identifying the trend towards autono mous and remote-controlled trucks which have informed the development of its product range. “A number of solutions in the market currently align with an autonomous plug and play offering, and our decision early

on to develop equipment that can be integrated into existing product ranges has proved to be a boon. As it stands, mining houses operate equipment from a variety of product manufacturers – be it dozers, water tankers, ADTs and drill rigs, etc., which means that a propriety solution is not ideal,” emphasises Goosen. The uptake of autonomous equipment is favoured due to its low cost of ownership as it eliminates the use of drivers and offers improved safety as “there is less product abuse and fewer accidents”. “Often a single truck driver leads the way

has invigorated the mining sector, particularly devel opment for base metals. “Mining in the DRC, Mozambique, Botswana, and Namibia also remains solid with vast amounts of mining projects currently underway - this translates to continued strong demand for reliable machines carrying maintenance and backup support. Bell Equipment’s extensive product range, especially trucks in the larger size range – 50 t and 60 t and ADTs – are in high demand. Moreover, given the focus on safety, equipment operators are seeking six-wheel drives in the ADT range as they are better

The Bell B60E 4x4 targets opencast mines and large quarries and is ideally matched to the Kobelco SK850LC.

The Bell Motor Grader has made innovative advances in control, comfort, efficiency, and maintenance and is expected to create a new standard for the grading industry.

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22  MODERN MINING  December 2023