Modern Mining October 2016

feature TRUCKS IN MINING Cat 794 AC mining truck on display at MINExpo 2016 C aterpillar’s newest large min- ing truck, the Cat ® 794 AC, made its mining show debut at MINExpo 2016 held recently in Las Vegas. The 291-tonne (320-ton) capacity truck uses a combination of proven designs – a chassis design that has accumulated about 18 mil- lion operating hours and power train design that has racked up three mil- lion hours. Following extensive field testing, controlled rollout of the new truck started last year. To date, the 794 AC is operating in four countries – work- ing in applications ranging from deep pit copper in the western USA to coal and copper in South America. drive system is designed to power the larger Cat ® 795F AC, which has dem- onstrated drive train component life of more than 30 000 hours. The new truck features four-corner wet disc brakes as well as dynamic braking for stable handling and fast stopping. The 794 AC has industry leading retarding capability in its size class with 4 086 kW (5 480 hp) of con- tinuous retarding. The 794 AC is designed and built to minimise total costs. The unit is a true 291-tonne truck, as it accommo- dates additional weight allowances for options and body liners – so the truck can be fitted for superior dura- bility without significant negative effects on production. D ust, dirt, loose sand and corrugated roads are all in a day’s work for the fleet of FAW 28.280FD 6x4 tippers op- erating on the andalusite operation of Imerys Refractories at the Rhino mine site near Tha- bazimbi in Limpopo Province. Fleet operator and contractor on the proj- ect, Willie de Beer and his son Michael, run the fleet with their staff of 24 people deployed as drivers, loader operators, technicians and administrative support. Willie de Beer purchased the 10 m 3 tippers early last year and reports that the trucks are moving a massive quota of about 4 200 tons of sand, grit and loose stone mixture a day – which translates to roughly between 108 000 A FAW 28.280FD 6x4 tipper operating at the Rhino mine site.

Tippers handle tough conditions at andalusite operation

and 110 000 tons a month. Mining and moving andalusite, which is an extremely hard nesosilicate mineral, is highly abrasive on any equipment involved. This pres- ents all the vehicles and heavy equipment with one of the toughest environments to work in. What made Willie de Beer decide to buy the FAW 28.280FD was the brand’s reputation for strength and durability. “These tippers have exceptionally good torque – 1 160 N.m between 1 400 and 1 700 rpm,” he says. “They also have a strong chassis, great steel tipper bins and offer a solid payload at 28 t GVM. The Weichai WDB615.50 engine has proven its capabilities over and over. We are very happy with the com- bination of this engine and the manual 9-speed FAW gearbox giving us a grade ability of 36 %. We are able to move quickly and efficiently with these tippers across the hills and valleys of this terrain.” Since changing to FAW tippers, de Beer reports a 22 % drop in fuel consumption. “We enjoy the support of the FAW Pretoria West dealer and Pieter Gerber, the dealer prin- cipal, in particular, when it comes to keeping the tippers moving. The dealer is responsible for servicing our vehicles on site, the supply of parts and the training of our drivers – invalu- able service and support when we have these types of site challenges to deal with,” says de Beer. 

targets and to work seamlessly in mixed fleets where truck speed dif- ferences can reduce productivity. Three power options – 2 050, 2 312 and 2 610 kW – are available using the same engine. High altitude con- figurations are also available. The Cat High Efficiency (HE) body is sized and configured to meet the specific needs of the mine, dictated by fragmentation, abrasion, cohesion and the loading tool.  Caterpillar’s newest large mining truck, the Cat® 794 AC.

Mechanical availability of the 794 AC has averaged 90 % or better from the introduction and has contin- ued to improve with every new site introduction, says Caterpillar. The

The 794 AC uses the Cat C175-16 engine and a proven Cat AC power train. System power is adaptable to accommodate changes in production

44  MODERN MINING  October 2016