MINING TRUCKS
more than two billion tons of surface material
moved autonomously – more than all other
commercial mining autonomous haulage systems
combined.
April also saw dealer SMS Equipment deploy
the Komatsu 980E-4AT – the largest autonomous
Komatsu truck in commercial operations in the
world – into production in Canada at the oil
sands operations of Suncor. The Komatsu 980E-
4AT is modelled after the proven work horse
930E series. This 400-ton capacity truck has
many of the same attributes, such as a simple
and reliable hydraulic system design and proven
GE drive system. Fuel efficiency is maximised due
to optimised air handling with two stage
turbocharging and the truck features a Cummins
3500 HP SSDA18V170 engine.
“The introduction of these 980Es into the AHS
environment wouldn’t be possible without our
customers and distribution partners. They’re a
big reason why Komatsu has the most
autonomous systems, in the most mines, hauling
the widest variety of materials, in the world,”
said Dan Funcannon, GM, Mining Truck Division,
Komatsu America. Scott Schellenberg, Senior
Manager, AHS at SMS Equipment adds: “The
addition of the 980E-4AT 400-ton autonomous
truck is a game changer for Komatsu and our
customers, delivering even greater value in
enhanced mine productivity.”
Mike Brown, EVP Innovation and Advanced
Technology, SMS Equipment said: “SMS
Equipment continues to offer leading technology
solutions for the mining industry by working
closely with its OEM partners to deploy and
support these technology programs such as
autonomous haulage. We have invested heavily
in developing an experienced team of
autonomous mining specialists capable of
supporting our customer’s needs from inception
through to implementation and continuous
improvement. The rapid increase in proposed
autonomous projects will make Canada a global
leader in autonomous adoption as Canadian
mining companies focus on driving better
efficiencies into their operations.”
Caterpillar’s new ultraclass options
Late last year, Caterpillar announced more details
on the two new ultra-class mining trucks to join
its portfolio, the Cat 798 AC and Cat 796 AC. IM
was on site in Tinaja Hills, Arizona, to witness the
grand unveiling and saw the 798 AC in action. The
company said the decision to add the new models
was based on providing its customers with more
options at the highest end of its payload scale
regarding electric or mechanical drive.
The 798 AC features a 372 t payload and joins
the mechanical-drive Cat ® 797F in the 400-short-
ton size class. The 797F has been a popular
choice with more than 1,000 sold to the oil
sands, copper, coal and iron ore markets.
The electric-drive 796 AC delivers 326 t (360-
ton) payload. With Cat deciding the 795 AC will
not being offered in Tier 4 Final configuration, the
796 AC is likely to act as a replacement in regions
where engine emissions are highly regulated,
such as the US and Canada.
When comparing field test data of the 795F
and 798 AC, the new and larger model was
shown to carry, on average, carry 12.9% more
payload, boost productivity by 17.2% and exhibit
4% faster cycle times.
Cat’s Jeff Castleman, in charge of new product
introduction in the large mining trucks range,
said at the truck unveiling the company was able
to move from design to production in the field
with the 798 AC in just one year.
It was able to achieve this as the machine is
based off the old Unit Rig MT6300 AC design, a
product line that came with the 2011 acquisition
of Bucyrus.
Cat says both trucks will be available in June
quarter of 2019, but IM understands two 798 ACs
have been undergoing trials at Arch Coal’s Black
Thunder coal mine in Wyoming, US, for close to
six months, an operation that formerly used at
least one MT6300 AC.
While the company expects the mechanical
drive 797F to remain a leader in the Canadian oil
sands sector – around a third of sales have been
to this market segment – studies comparing the
two showed the new 798 AC could more than
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