Plant Equipment and Hire August 2018 | Page 6

AFRICA NEWS
Ford Motor Company has appointed Neale Hill as managing director of South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa , effective 1 July .
Dr Casper Kruger , a seasoned automotive professional with over 20 years ’ experience in the market , is
stepping down to take on a new personal endeavour . “ We thank Casper for his commitment to Ford and wish him the very best in his new role ,” said Mark Ovenden , president MEA .
In his new role , Hill will be responsible for growth in the company
operations across the region as Ford South Africa continues to grow its customer-centric product offerings , improve operational fitness , and further develop its customer base .
“ Neale has a wealth of experience in the market and we are thrilled and
fortunate to be able to draw on his talent and experience in this role . Neale ’ s customer focus , combined with his deep brand and product experience in South Africa and across sub-Sahara , will be an incredible asset as we move the business forward ,” Ovenden added .
Tough enough for chrome mining
Indian exploration firm APC sent its geologists to scout for suitable mining opportunities on Madagascar and found , north of the capital of Antananarivo , a mining concession over a vast 59 000 hectares of chromite-rich land .
Managing director Pari Appusamy explains that the company invested in six Volvo EC480D excavators , saying , “ They are the soul of the whole project ,” as they are needed to strip the overburden , then expose and extract the chrome body . They then load haulers to transport the ore the 1.5km to the beneficiation plant for crushing and processing .
“ It ’ s crucial that the excavators deliver high uptime over their 12-hour workday , and that is why we invested in the Volvo EC480D excavators ,” he adds , opting for many smaller machines in favour of fewer , “ but larger generalpurpose production machines , who we believe are more suitable for the task ,” he explains . “ We chose Volvo ’ s 50-tonne class excavators because I am a fan of the brand , the machine quality is high and the support we get from Materauto , the local customer support and sub-dealer , is consistently excellent .”
The excavators are currently working on an ore body that is 25m wide , 600m long , and 80
Volvo
Volvo EC480D on site in Madagascar .
metres deep . The Volvo EC480D is well suited to the task , as it is a heavy-duty crawler excavator whose productivity lowers operating costs through reduced fuel consumption and simple
maintenance requirements . Powered by a proven D13 Volvo engine , the EC480D delivers high digging and breakout forces , alongside reduced emissions and good fuel efficiency .
DAF : Truck of the Year 2018
Amid stiff competition , DAF Trucks was awarded the prestigious International Truck of the Year 2018 accolade for its new XF and CF series . Cited as making the greatest contribution to road transport efficiency , the DAF XF and CF trucks set new standards of driveline effectiveness and overall performance .
Babcock is the sole distributor of DAF Trucks in southern Africa and has successfully grown the brand in the country over the past eight years .
The annual International Truck of the Year award is presented to an individual vehicle or model range introduced into the market in the previous 12 months , with the winner chosen by an independent jury of leading road-transport journalists from 23 European countries . The award is considered the most prestigious honour in the European truck industry and is judged on several criteria , including technological innovation , driver comfort , road safety , drivability , fuel economy , environmental ‘ footprint ’, and total cost of ownership .
Innovations in DAF Trucks ’ new XF and CF series , such as entirely new powertrains with highly efficient transmissions and rear axles , compact after-treatment systems , and sophisticated software and aerodynamic optimisations , resulted in reduced CO 2 emissions and a fuel consumption improvement of 7 %, compelling the jury to announce the new DAF XF and CF trucks as leading the way in transport efficiency .
The new XF and CF innovative drivelines deliver improved drivability , greater fuel efficiency , and seamless gear changing . Energy efficiency features include improved combustion , reduction of internal engine friction losses , engine down-speeding , intelligent auxiliaries , driveline component integration , different gear-shifting strategies , enhanced predictive features , and weight reduction in selected components .
The outstanding fuel consumption of the DAF XF 105.460 earned the truck a first place in the Tridem flatdeck category at Truck Test 2017 , a local event .
As the brand gains popularity in the country , Babcock is forging strong and lasting relationships with customers , reinforced by its tailor-made aftersales service and support programmes , a strong dealership network , flexible repair and maintenance contracts , and competitive pricing .
DAF
Cited as making the greatest contribution to road transport efficiency , the DAF XF and CF trucks set new standards of driveline effectiveness and overall performance .
6
AUGUST 2018