Maubra Utility Products managing director, Kevin Clarke.
scrapes and so on. We’ve also dropped the
RTV’s maximum height to 1.4m by lowering
the floor pan, the seats, and the roll cage
height, and installed dead man’s switches.”
According to Clarke, Maubra has also
added flameproof paint and strengthened the
roll cages. “The mining industry has certain
specifications that have to be met, and it took
quite a long time for us and our partners to get
these vehicles certified to go into the mines.
Training the mechanics to service and repair
those vehicles in the mines also took some
time, as they need special permits and undergo
quite a strong level of scrutiny before they are
permitted to work on the mines.”
To ensure safety in operations, the base
vehicle is also fitted with special-purpose front
and back steel bumpers, a steel lattice driver
and passenger door, and an array of LED
auxiliary lights, including nautical-style red and
green side lights for easy identification of travel
direction in the dark. The entire floor surface
of the cab as well as the load bed is also coated
with a rubberised non-slip material.
“Maubra governs all Kubota RTV-X900
vehicles destined for underground at 15km/h,
in line with the underground speed limit,” adds
Clarke, and while the RTV’s diesel engine is
not powered by high tension (HT) electricity,
all other electrical components are insulated to
prevent the ignition of combustible vapour by
any incidental sparks. Additional customisation
is available for even more specific applications,
allowing the RTV to be used for carrying
explosives or reaching accident victims quickly,
for example.
The Kubota RTV-X900’s unique braking
system is linked to the fluid-drive transmission,
and although it is primarily controlled by the
operator, Clarke points out that the vehicle can
only move if the transmission is engaged and the
throttle is pressed; in any other mode, the wheels
will not turn. The vehicle cannot freewheel if
the engine has been switched off, ensuring it
cannot run down an incline uncontrolled. And
even when the engine is idling, if the throttle
is not pressed, the transmission won’t supply
sufficient fluid to turn the wheels, which prevents
uncontrolled movement.
“As the official Kubota distributor for
southern Africa and thus the importer of the
base RTV-X900, SPE is extremely proud to be
working with Maubra, which has taken the base
vehicle and gone the extra mile by customising
the unit for a very specific application, all
while maintaining high levels of customer
Brits-based
Kubota dealer
Maubra
customises
the RTV-X900
specifically
for use
underground. ”
SEPTEMBER 2017
21