Modern Quarrying Q3 2018

AT THE QUARRY FACE

A Dezzi FEL is deployed to work at the stockpiles.

equipment uptime are obvious: if your equipment is not running, then it cannot produce; if it is not producing, then your revenue and profits are on hold,” he says. The other reason for opting for Dezzi is the fact that the OEM is located at Rossmin’s doorstep, ensuring quick service turnaround times. “It’s also all about relationships in this industry,” says Carl Gutzeit, director at Dezzi. “There is no bad machine anymore, but the differentiator is the service that comes with the product. If you look after the client’s equipment and make sure that it runs optimally, then relationships stay. The service turnaround is really what matters, and we have exceeded Rossmin’s expectations in that regard.” Beyond the call of duty Shozi says Dezzi went out of its way for Rossmin from the very start. When breaking ground, Rossmin had Dezzi machines on hire. “They were very flexible and allowed us to hire machines from them during the quarry development phase. We hired a couple of ADTs and FELs, and that also gave us a good indication of the machine’s toughness, especially considering the nature of our slope here,” he says. “When it was time to buy, we were comfortable because we had already experienced the tough nature of the product. We had run the units for a year, which gave us ample time to have a good

of the targeted markets include the animal feed and glass-making sectors. From the onset, mine management at Rossmin understood that wrestling a larger share of the market was going to be a tough battle. There are several other operations in the area supplying the same product to the same customers. For example, one of the fierce competitors is just located less than 2 km away on the other side of the river, and has been operational for more than 40 years. Despite the fierce competition, Rossmin has already established itself as a force to be reckonedwith in the area, and testimony to its early success is that whenwe visited the site, an expansion programmewas already underway, barely two years into operation. Product quality and reliability have been themajor cornerstones of early success. Froma quality perspective, the quarry is blessedwith a high-grade limestone rock. Speaking of reliability of its limestone supplies, uptime has been the major rewarding factor, necessitated by a well-supported and reliable range of equipment on site. Local original equipment manufacturer, Desmond Equipment, better known as Dezzi, with a factory located some 20 km away from the site, has been the quarry’s yellow metal equipment supplier of choice since the development phase. Careful consideration Considering that Rossmin is a

newcomer into the limestone production space in the area, Shozi says equipment reliability was a key consideration when the time to purchase came. He reiterates that it is very crucial to consider that the procurement of capital equipment ties up money for long periods of time, and the longer the period, the greater the uncertainty and risk involved. Consequently, it must be done correctly the first time, as mistakes are not easily rectified. This is exactly what informed the buying decision at Rossmin. The company opted for Dezzi to supply a fleet of articulated dump trucks (ADTs) and front-end loaders (FELs). To date, the company owns three Dezzi ADTs, two 30-t and one 25-t units, as well as Dezzi’s 2500 (2,5 m 3 bucket capacity) and 3500 front-end loaders (FELs) (3,5 m 3 ). Shozi explains the reasons behind the buying decision. “When we started here we wanted a capital equipment provider that could offer us greater equipment reliability and dependence due to the challenging nature of the terrain,” he explains. “In fact, we were looking for more than just equipment, but the service that goes with it as well. Every product is just as good as its service.” He adds that uptime is very important for Rossmin. “It really matters for us as a start-up mine in the midst of some established players we compete against,” he says. “The benefits of maximising

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MODERN QUARRYING QUARTER 3 - 2018