HIGH PROFILE
creating capacities and increasing
production and sales of dump trucks with
payload capacities of 90-450 t. Within the
scope of which an expanded unit of
production workshops, a new facility for
finishing and commissioning of dump
trucks was commissioned, 489 units of
processing technological equipment were
purchased, and 168 units of equipment in
operation were modernised.
As of August 31, 2018, the project
disbursed investments in excess of $257
million.
The modernisation affected the
machining, welding, blank,
thermogalvanic, foundry, tooling,
assembly, painting and other production
sectors. Soon a new unique painting
complex will be commissioned in the
press workshop, which incorporates the
latest global trends in coating.
A distinctive feature of the technologies we
use in recent years is the flexibility of the created
production processes, which, if necessary, ensure
the quick and smooth transformation of capacities
from the production of some products to others
that are most in demand on the market at given
the moment.
Q What achievements of the company in 2018
would you like to emphasize?
A As I have probably already mentioned, in 2018
the volumes of production and sales of products
were significantly increased even in comparison to
the high level of the last year. In the first nine
months of 2018, we exceeded the values for 2017
in monetary terms for production, shipment and
export.
Confirming our reputation as one of the
world's leading manufacturers of mining dump
trucks, BELAZ currently offers the widest range of
payload capacity classes from 30 to 450 t, and
with the launch of the 290 t BELAZ-75320 in June,
we filled another niche. Last year we set a record
in the production of dump trucks with high
payload capacity – 90 t and above: 621 units were
produced, whereas in the best year overall for the
company, 2012, we made only 603 units. For
comparison: for the first eight months of this year
546 units have already been produced, which
means that we are going to hit a new record.
It should be noted that, as soon as positive
trends began to be seen on the global market for
mining equipment, we began to increase
production volumes: 2016 compared to 2015 was
completed with an increase of almost 52%, 2017 –
more than 88%, and considerable indicators of
the last year have every chance to be exceed one
and a half times in the current year.
The volume of shipments and exports of eight
months of 2018, when compared with the figures
for the same periods of previous years, sets
record in the entire history of the company.
Moreover, the share of high and extra-high
payload capacity trucks in the total volume
reached 65%, while in 2012 it was only 36%.
By the end of 2018, we plan to set absolute
records: in terms of shipment volume to exceed
one billion dollars, and in terms of sales of mining
dump trucks with payload capacity of 90 t and
above, reach an indicator of at least 800 units,
which is three times higher than the level reached
at the end of the last decade.
Q What can we expect from BELAZ in the years to
come?
A For the current year, a significant increase in
exports to non-CIS countries is planned and in the
long term (2019-2022), both already well-
developed markets and new trading platforms in
Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa will play an
important role.
If we talk about the technical aspect of
development, then, following the requirements of
the market and the needs of customers, every
year BELAZ updates its products by improving the
systems and sub-assemblies of serial equipment
and creating new-generation vehicles. Each
innovation, developed by BELAZ is designed to
improve reliability & safety, and provide
comfortable conditions for the operator, reduce
the workload of the servicing personnel, and
make the operation of the vehicle more cost-
effective. Production of new models of equipment
at BELAZ is also carried out in collaboration with
the scienctific and academic communities.
One of the priorities for improving BELAZ
mining equipment is the robotisation of dump
trucks with payload capacity from 90 to 450 t to
increase productivity, safety and operational
Sales of BELAZ 90 t trucks are steadily growing
efficiency by automation of loading and hauling
cycles. In April 2018, a prototype of a robotic
dump truck BELAZ-7513R with payload capacity of
136 t was manufactured, which will soon undergo
operational tests in Russia. In addition, today
BELAZ can demonstrate the operation of a robotic
complex consisting of the mentioned dump truck
and wheel loader BELAZ-78250, which at this
stage has the function of remote control.
The next breakthrough project is the
development of dump trucks with engines running
on alternative energy sources. One of the options
for its implementation is the conversion of mining
dump truck engines to gas-diesel mode of
operation, as was done in the Kovdorsky mine on
two 136 t BELAZ-75139 trucks, which are currently
in the stage of refining the fuel system and other
minor adjustments. The second option is the
installation of the gas-piston engine: since April
2018, the chassis No. 1 of the BELAZ-75476
mining truck with engine working purely on LNG
(liquefied natural gas) has been successfully
operating at Neviansky Cement Plant in the
Sverdlovsk region of Russia, and the chassis No. 2
of this truck has already been manufactured,
modified taking into account the results of
operational tests.
Another effective solution for the mining
industry can be a diesel-trolley system and
vehicles that use replaceable batteries instead of
an internal combustion engine. This will allow us
to produce environmentally friendly transport
equipment, completely free from harmful
emissions. With an increase in the specific
capacity of batteries and several times increase in
the number of their charge-discharge cycles, there
is every reason to believe that such a technical
solution will become very popular. IM
DECEMBER 2018 | International Mining 35