SURFACE LOADING
measuring the bucket payload instantaneously , providing real-time information to the operator , strategising the number of passes required and visualising the loading tendency alignment with load strategy .
PT Liebherr Indonesia Perkasa ( Liebherr Indonesia ) also recently commissioned a second R 9800 G6 mining excavator for PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara ( AMMAN ) at the Batu Hijau copper-gold mine in West Nusa Tenggara , Indonesia . On October 30 , 2022 , Liebherr Indonesia completed the assembly and commissioning of the 800 t class mining excavator for AMMAN . The ceremonial handover of the machine later took place at the Batu Hijau mine .
Representatives from AMMAN , including the General Manager for Mining , Wayne Perry , and the technicians were present at the handover of the machine . Liebherr Indonesia ’ s General Manager , Max Muench , and the Project Manager , Laurent Fricker , presented an oversized R 9800 key to symbolise the completion of the delivery , assembly , and commissioning process . Fricker expressed his appreciation of the entire assembly team for their exceptional efforts in achieving an incredibly fast assembly time . “ Normally , it would take an average of 45 days to assemble an R 9800 , but our committed and skilled technicians were able to complete it in just 20 days ,” he said .
AMMAN ’ s first R 9800 G6 was commissioned in April 2021 , and since then Liebherr Indonesia has received positive feedback from the customer . According to the mining company , the first R 9800 has been an important asset in helping AMMAN meet its production targets . The arrival of the second R 9800 will boost overall production even further .
Christian Bombenger , Managing Director of Liebherr Indonesia , said : “ Even for us at Liebherr , excavators of this size are impressive . To see them in action , operated by such an important customer , in a mine with top-notch mining practices , is a sheer delight .”
The R 9800 is the largest hydraulic excavator in the Liebherr portfolio and the OEM says is the ideal loading tool for ultra-class mining trucks with a haul capacity upwards of 240 t . In its standard configuration , the R 9800 comes with a 47.5 m 3 bucket capacity , allowing operators to move 76 t of material in each pass . " This 800 t class excavator provides a cost-effective and highly productive mining solution for large-scale mining operations around the world ."
AMMAN is Indonesia ’ s second-largest copper and gold mining and processing company with world-class operational capabilities . The company operates Batu Hijau mine and other copper and gold prospects which are located in West Sumbawa , West Nusa Tenggara province .
Caterpillar ’ s next generation rollout continues
As Caterpillar begins rolling out its next generation Cat ® Hydraulic Mining Shovels ( HMS ), the manufacturer in a recent blog post is quick to point out the many ways these machines will deliver significant benefits in terms of operator comfort and safety , productivity and efficiency , maintenance and support , technology and connectivity .
But the one thing these updates all have in common is the philosophy behind their design . “ When we ’ re developing new features or updating our current offerings , we want to make sure those improvements are always focused on increasing the value customers get from our machines ,” says Matt Jacobs , HMS Sales Manager . “ We know we ’ ve achieved that goal when our customers can increase their annual production and profit with our shovels versus the competition . And we ’ re proud to say that our next generation shovels are on track to do just that .”
Product experts across the HMS organisation agree that reliability is a key contributor to achieving that low-cost-per-ton performance . With a theme of Reliability at the Core , the most important outcome these shovels will deliver is the uptime mines need today and in the future .
“ Our customers buy hydraulic mining shovels to move material . So , whenever they ’ re loading trucks with the machine , it ’ s generating revenue for them ,” says Paul Taylor , HMS Value Stream Manager . “ The best thing we can do for them with the next generation shovels is to make them more reliable than the ones before .”
And so far , they ’ re delivering . The first model of the next generation , the Cat 6060 , made its public debut with a full cab on display at MINExpo 2021 , and several of the new machines have been working on mines around the world since 2020 .
The Cat 6060 , first model of its next generation hydraulic excavators
“ The overall next generation introduction is absolutely on track with where we expect it to be , and our Next Generation 6060s are improving our customers ’ experience as we speak ,” says Taylor .
Next generation Cat shovels incorporate many new functions and features designed to add value and boost safety throughout the entire loading operation . These updates fall into six main categories , each including a number of new features and benefits .
“ The next generation shovels are designed by operators — for operators . The cab is quieter and more comfortable and provides 40 % greater visibility than previous cabs for increased safety and productivity . Mining safety best practices are incorporated as part of the standard design , which focuses on areas such as access , egress and visibility . Next generation shovels also incorporate features that allow operators to load more and experience less fatigue over the course of a shift .”
Next generation HMS take advantage of an Optimized Electronic Architecture ( OEA ) that supports productivity , safety and reliability improvements today and provides a platform that will seamlessly integrate future technologies to meet the needs of the site . “ This architecture impacts nearly every aspect of the next generation shovel . The integration of proven and validated Cat electronics delivers additional performance and reliability advantages , helps operators be more productive , enables a proactive approach to maintenance , and improves connectivity to optional advanced technologies .”
The next generation shovels feature Hydraulic Optimisation , which dynamically assigns individual pumps or groups of pumps to deliver
International Mining | MARCH 2023