MINING TRUCKS
Four Caterpillar 795F AC trucks are part of a
current trolley assist trial at Boliden Aitik
establish partnerships. We are proud to have a
strong consortium in place with global leaders
from both the needed industry sectors as well
as academia. The support from the Swedish
Energy Agency to the project gives the team
confidence that we are doing the right thing, as
well as puts us under healthy pressure to meet
expectations and share the results to the
community and industry.”
Volvo R100E development has
customer at core
All eyes were on the new range of Volvo-
branded rigid haulers in April when Volvo
Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) officially
launched the new machines in front of
customers and dealers at the company’s
Motherwell facility in Scotland. IM was in
attendance and a detailed article on the new
R100E will feature in our June 2018 issue.
Guests got their first glimpse of the new
machines – which consist of the 45 t R45D, 60 t
R60D, 72 t R70D and the flagship 95 t R100E –
on April 10th. Volvo CE states: “The star of the
show was the R100E, a completely new rigid
hauler that combines a wealth of market and
customer knowledge with proven components,
new technologies and a striking new design – all
providing a cost-effective and productive
solution to fulfil the needs of today’s mining and
quarrying customers. The new four-model range
is initially available in less regulated markets.”
“With a focus on helping customers achieve
production targets faster – and using less fuel in
the process, Volvo’s new rigid haulers are made
for surface mining and quarrying applications
where operational costs and safe operations are
critical. Uptime and productivity are centered on
the range’s durable design that promotes high
component protection and longer lifecycles.
Efficient and intelligent, the Volvo haulers boast
16 International Mining | MAY 2018
a competitive power-to-weight ratio, effective
gearing and weight distribution that gives the
tractive effort to allow the machines to traverse
steep slopes in total control.”
As well as having the chance to inspect the
new machines, guests at the landmark event –
which was held between April 9-11 – also got to
the opportunity to test drive the all-new flagship
R100E, see how the rigid haulers are designed
and made and watch them in action at a nearby
quarry.
With customer input key to the development
of the new range of rigid haulers, the machines
have undergone extensive field testing – with
very positive results. One such customer is
Trollope Mining Services, the contract mining
company based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“The Volvo R100E is an impressive design that
offers a good balance between productivity, fuel
efficiency, comfort, ease of maintenance and
safety,” says Sagrys De Villiers, Site Manager at
the Manungu Colliery. “We are sure that this
truck will be a strong competitor in the rigid
truck market in the future.”
“The R100E is capable of carrying an extra
bucket pass compared to other 100 t trucks
being used on the site,” agrees Workshop
Manager Danie van Niekerk. “This means extra
productivity for the mine, which is very valuable.
Speed and acceleration of the hauler on inclines
compares favorably against competitor
machines, even when fully loaded and carrying
more material.”
The truck has also been tested in the Boliden
Aitik copper mine in Sweden.
Volvo CE adds: “The E-Series R100E is a
completely new machine that delivers stability,
a long service life, high profitability, durability
and comfort. With its high capacity and hauling
speeds, new V-shaped body, efficient hydraulics,
intelligent monitoring systems and operator
environment, Volvo CE demonstrated how the
rigid hauler will help customers in the mining
and quarrying segments move more material in
less time. Moreover, the R100E is also quick and
simple to operate and maintain.”
Based on the existing and well-proven Terex
Trucks TR-Series, development of the D-Series
R45D, R60D and R70D Volvo rigid haulers
follows an in-depth engineering review,
ensuring that the machines meet the standards
expected from Volvo products in their target
markets and segments. Improvements include
greater visibility and safety systems, along with
Volvo technical support and branding.
“It was great to invite customers and dealers
to the site where the new Volvo-branded rigid
haulers are being manufactured,” says Thomas
Bitter, Senior Vice President of the Marketing
and Product Portfolio (MaPP) function at Volvo
CE. “We’ve been working on the new range
since Volvo CE acquired Terex Trucks in 2014.
The development of these machines has relied
heavily on