Modern Quarrying October-November 2017

HPE Africa’s recently launched 20 t class crawler excavator the Hyundai R200LC-9S, is claimed to offer the best in its class in fuel efficiency, improved productivity and reduced maintenance requirements. With an operating weight of 19,1 t and a heavy duty 0,90 m³ bucket, the excavator has been specifically designed to meet the demanding requirements of the plant hire, civil engi- neering, construction, agriculture and scrap handling industries. “Feedback from the local market highlighted a demand for fuel efficient equipment and Hyundai Construction Equipment has responded to this need, with the launch of the new R200LC-9S,”says Alex Ackron, MD of HPE Africa.“Due to improved fuel efficiency, when compared to competitors’ offerings in this class, customers can save up to 80% of their capital expenditure in diesel costs over 12 000 hours of a machine’s service. As part of the launch process, HPE Africa placed an R200LC-9S demonstration unit on site with one of the largest fleet owners of water and earthmoving equipment in South Africa. Over a 14-day period, the machine built gravel stockpiles and loaded this mate- rial into tipper trucks. The operator was impressed with the machine’s speed and smooth operation. Fuel consumption was carefully monitored by HPE Africa’s technical staff and verified

The R200LC-9S excavator’s long undercarriage design ensures greater stability in arduous operating conditions.

by the client. At the end of this 14-day period, the R200LC-9S achieved an average fuel consumption significantly below the expected nine litres an hour. The R200LC-9S excavator comes standard with Hyundai’s computer aided power optimisation (CAPO) system, which allows the operator to select preferences for boom or swing priority, power mode and optional work tools. Variable operating modes are: P – Power Max mode, which maximises machine speed and power; S - standard mode, which provides a reduced, fixed rpm and E economy mode, which provides precise hydraulic flow and engine power based on load demand. www.hpeafrica.co.za

Burma Plant Hire expands fleet

He emphasises that serving custom- ers today is not just about providing well-maintained, fit-for-purpose equip- ment; it is also about collaborating with customers to meet stringent compliance requirements in safety, health, environ- ment and quality (SHEQ). “Our reputation for customer service is built on adding value to our customers’ operations, which includes working with them to manage and mitigate business risk,” he says. Burma Plant Hire’s experience and its substantial fleet of equipment have recently allowed it entry to a number of new markets including renewable energy projects in wind and solar power gener- ation in the Western Cape and Northern Cape. Part of its commitment to quality and performance is pursued through Burma Plant Hire’s in-house training and certifi- cation of its complement of almost 400 operators, who can also benefit from the company’s driving simulator. www.burma.co.za

construction applications, says Izak van Niekerk, divisional head designate at the Raumix Materials Division of holding com- pany Raubex. “We have focused on strate- gic locations where we are building critical mass and investing in equipment that will boost our flexibility and responsiveness.” Burma Plant Hire MD Theuns Burger highlights that the company’s depth of expertise in plant management is enhanced by its sophisticated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system – built up over the years to integrate and streamline its operations. “Having these systems in place allows us to respond quickly and effectively to customer requirements, and to maintain a very close working relation- ship with our original equipment manu- facturers (OEMs).”

A restructuring and fleet renewal pro- gramme at Cape Town-based Burma Plant Hire has put the company on track for fur- ther growth in the construction, mining and other sectors. Significantly, the com- pany is a Level 2 contributor to BBBEE. In addition to its traditional base load work in the construction and land- fill space, in recent years Burma Plant Hire has expanded considerably into mining contracting on opencast operations – and is seeing a resurgence in interest follow- ing improvements in commodity prices. The addition of quality brand doz- ers, loaders, excavators and articulated dump trucks for mining operations is part of Burma Plant Hire’s fleet revitalisation. There has also been an investment in 30 new tractor-loader-backhoes (TLBs) for

A restructuring and fleet renewal programme at Cape Town-based Burma Plant Hire has put the company on track for further growth.

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MODERN QUARRYING

October - November 2017