HIGH PROFILE
Reliability with experience & independence
Paul Moore caught up with Shane Nugent, Business
Development Manager: Mining, Construction, Rental &
GSE at Deutz AG subsidiary Deutz Corporation Americas,
for an insight into its position in the mining market
Q Your engines are used widely underground –
but what is it about Deutz engines that makes
them perform well in underground conditions
and what makes them preferred over other
options?
A Deutz as a company was established in 1864
and is now the world’s oldest engine company
and one of the world’s leading independent
engine manufacturers. That history and
independence combined with flexibility in engine
design, a diversified product line up to 620 kW,
options for cooling systems (air, oil, water) and
customised engineering all mean that Deutz is a
leading supplier to underground mining and a
company that both small and large underground
equipment OEMs can turn to.
Q Is it fair to say you are a market leader in
underground mining engine sales?
A Deutz is definitely a market leader for
underground powertrain solutions. When I visit
mines here in North America I always look for the
mine equipment manager and talk about how
many Deutz engines they are using. Deutz is
always in the 40-60% range of total engines
underground and the feedback I get is that the
reliability of Deutz engines is among the best and
also how easy they are to work on.
Q In terms of market share and sales what size of
engine in litres would you say dominates the
underground space - is it linked to a particular
size class of LHD or truck being the most popular?
A It is not necessarily related to
one particular LHD or truck class
but there is a clear division by
mining segment. Coal mining is
dominated by sub-7 litre engines
while metallic and non-metallic
(industrial minerals) mines use a
broader range of 5 litre to 13 litre
engine sizes.
Q How do different underground
mining applications affect engine
choice and configuration?
A Deutz engines are very versatile
and can handle any type of
stationary or moving situation.
Duty cycle, mine ambient
temperature and dust determine the engine size,
configuration and options which Deutz is able to
handle through our extensive network of reliable
suppliers.
Q What has been your strategy in terms of EPA
Tier levels and MSHA regulation with your
underground mining engines offering?
A Deutz still manufactures new Tier 2 and 3
engines and many of those are MSHA approved.
Here in North America, Deutz also offers Deutz
Xchange for all Tier 2,3, and 4 engines as long as
a core is turned in for replacement. Deutz
Xchange is a full tear down of a Deutz engine and
rebuild with Deutz only parts and 300 point
inspection. The Xchange engine also comes with
a full 3 year new warranty to give that customer
the peace of mind in purchasing. Deutz Tier 3
engines come with common rail fuel injection,
advanced electronics and the addition of an EGR
system. Deutz Tier 4 has continued advanced
electronics, refined fuel injection and an EAT
(Exhaust After Treatment) system. Air-cooled
engines have discontinued with Tier 4 technology.
Q Is Deutz actively involved in the battery electric
powertrain revolution in underground mining?
A Our E-Deutz strategy complements our range of
low-emission combustion engines with electric
and hybrid drive systems, and the off-highway
sector, including mining, is a very important part
of this. Since we launched the new strategy in
2017/2018 we have made progress within Deutz
and also through acquisitions of technology
companies like Torqeedo and Futavis. We are now
Deutz engine going in an underground mining
machine retrofit for a customer in North America
actively
working with
construction
OEMs and a
couple of
construction
prototypes that
have been built.
The
underground
mining segment
has also
expressed interest and we are exploring options
with several mining equipment OEMs. At
CONExpo 2020 we showed an all-electric JLG
telescopic handler concept, the G5-18A, which
has a compact 360 volt drive system using a split
drive comprising two 40 kW electric motors – one
for driving and one for the hydraulics in the
telescopic arm.
Q Have you been involved in any repowering of
underground mining fleets and can you give an
example?
A Our dealer in Sparks, Illinois, Shaw Heavy
Equipment has been retrofitting a fleet of over 30
underground scalers and charge rigs at one of
Doe Run Company’s Southeast Missouri Mining &
Milling Division lead mines near Joplin, Missouri.
Several different OEM engine types were
replaced with the Deutz BF4M1013FC with a 118
KW rating and Tier 2 MSHA approved. The
customer has been convinced by how well the
Deutz product has outlasted the original OEM
engines and how little maintenance is required.
Q Are there any notable global underground
equipment OEMs that have chosen to use Deutz
that you would highlight?
A Normet, the large Finnish
underground OEM supplying scalers
personnel carriers, shotcreting
vehicles, explosive chargers and
utility machine has locations all over
the world and chose Deutz engines as
an option in their product line due to
customer demand and the quality,
delivery performance, and cost
competitiveness that a product like
the Deutz engine offers. Normet
works closely with Deutz to develop
and deliver the best possible
solutions to its customers globally.
Erik Hopperton, Senior Sales Rep
here in North America for Normet, has
been in the mining industry for over
20 years and has seen Deutz engines perform
and has nothing but praise for them. IM
92 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2020