Modern Mining June 2016

COVER STORY

possible and the articulated design guarantees a high degree of manoeuvrability – the turning radius is just 11 m, which is less than that of a 100‑tonne truck. “Uphill performance with a full load is 12 % while downhill transport is safe at gradients of up to 14 %. The DB120 has its own sophisti- cated braking system – the ADT actually has to pull the trailer downhill – and pressure gauges provide an emergency stop function. Large wheels provide a high degree of stability and a ground clearance of 600 mm, allowing considerable all-terrain capability. The hydrau- lic system on the DB120 allows for a degree of ‘self levelling’ when travelling either uphill or downhill, further enhancing the safety. This, combined with a 100 % fail-to-safe emer- gency braking system (the only one of its kind) means that the DB120 sets a new benchmark in

means that machines weighing up to 120 tonnes can be moved quickly and safely. The DB-series has been an unqualified success with sales having been made to mines around the world. Here in Southern Africa, we’ve already sold two units – one to Orapa and the other to Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena mine near Mokopane – and are negotiating with several other customers.” According to Hollins, the DB120 is every bit as revolutionary as the E-series. “In essence, Sleipner’s engineers have re-invented the tra- ditional lowbed – so much so, in fact, that we don’t even call the DB120 a lowbed,” he says. “We prefer to describe it as a transport solution. It consists of a tilting travel bed which can be towed by a 40-t or 50-t articu- lated dump truck (ADT) from a customer’s mine fleet. Transit speeds of up to 30 km/h are

Above: The Sleipner E-series gives tracked machines a set of wheels through the use of a dolly system. Right: With the E-series, travel times for tracked excavators around mines can be reduced by as much as 85 %.

The DB120 consists of a tilting travel bed which can be towed by a 40-t or 50-t articulated dump truck (ADT).

18  MODERN MINING  June 2016