On the Cover: Increasing productivity and reducing cost per tonne can help mines survive the typical boom and bust cycles associated with the sector. With that in mind, Liebherr Africa is launching the new Liebherr R 9150 B excavator with a specific design focus on increased productivity, efficiency and reliability – three key parameters that can provide the mining sector with some insulation against the cold whims of the market.
As an industry whose fate is tied to fluctuations in commodity prices, mining operations often feel the pinch of sustained commodity price dips, and only feel the relief when prospects pick up again. Although mining companies can’t entirely disentangle themselves from this cycle of boom and bust, increasing productivity and seeking ways to reduce their cost per tonne can provide some shield against the downward cycles of the market.
Equipment efficiency and reliability are key to productivity in mining. The new Liebherr R 9150 B ticks all the right boxes as far as these key indicators are concerned. Now available from Liebherr Africa, the new excavator is said to set a new loading standard in the 100 t class mining market. As a perfect loading tool for 50 t up to 135 t dump trucks and offering a wide array of uses, the R 9150 B is a radical upgrade of the respected R 9150. The R 9150 B’s operating weight ranges between 128 000 kg and 148 000 kg, depending on the type of wear packages and attachment the customer requires.
Abie Kriel, Technical Manager Mining at Liebherr Africa, tells Capital Equipment News that the launch of the new B model fits well into the LEC strategy for this specific market segment of 100-150 t class excavators, which has been identified as one of the major growth drivers for Libherr’s Mining Division. As part of that strategy, Liebherr Africa also introduced the 100-t T 236 rigid hauler late last year, which can be perfectly paired with the new R 9150 B.
Tom Munch, Director Mining at Liebherr Africa, said at the time that the contract mining market was a major driver of the 100 t class. “We are working in a contract mining market. If you look at the type of equipment this group of customers requires currently, it’s mainly 100 t class excavators and 100 t dump trucks. This is due to the mobility they require, given that their contracts are limited to 3-5 years at most,” says Munch.
A step ahead in the cost-control battle
Knowing what’s going on inside their mission-critical equipment puts operations a step ahead in the productivity and cost-control battle. How can digitalisation provide a breakthrough in heading off small problems while they are still small, running machines as efficiently as possible and keeping unplanned downtime to a minimum?
The mining industry is getting a lot of upgrades, and it is not only through better machinery and equipment. As with most sectors, mining is profiting from the digital revolution. How – with the addition of digital technologies in their practices – can mining companies usher in a new age of efficiency and win the productivity and cost-control battle?
Niel McCoy, Business Line Manager Automation for Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology Southern Africa, says there is no way one can manage or improve what they don’t know, adding that any form of operational or business improvement is extremely difficult to quantify without data and direct feedback from the operation as changes occur.
“Digitalisation enables mine operators to take the roof off the mining operation and get feedback on what is happening in real time. This helps to determine exactly where the areas of improvement are. The operational team can then make informed decisions on what areas to focus on and see the results immediately when changes are made. In essence, it takes the guesswork out of operational improvements,” says McCoy.
Bill Dears, Commercial Manager, Mining Technology and Solutions at Caterpillar, says as customers continue to look for consistency across their operations, reductions in costs and maximum output from all of their assets, digitalisation can provide the breakthrough they need.
“At Caterpillar, we are committed to helping our customers use Cat technologies to achieve those goals. All of the technologies within Cat MineStar Solutions help manage costs, and when operations better manage costs, they become more profitable,” says Dears.
Optimising undercarriage life
Taking the time to inspect and maintain crawler excavator undercarriages will help you get longer machine life. If the undercarriage is not routinely inspected and maintained, it can easily cost you valuable time, money and potentially decrease the track’s lifespan.
The undercarriage of tracked heavy equipment, such as crawler excavators, comprises many moving components that need to be maintained for them to function properly. Let’s take a closer look at why correct machine operation, coupled with regular maintenance, significantly reduces undercarriage wear, improves operating efficiency and reduces running costs of tracked excavators.
In terms of correct machine operation, Vaughan Ellis, MD of Maximum Equipment, the exclusive dealer of the Hidromek range of excavators and backhoe loaders in South Africa, says any undercarriage needs to be treated with respect because it is a fundamental component to the overall machine.
“If you abuse it, then it will cost you. You can tell the difference between a good and bad operator through the undercarriage. A bad operator thinks the undercarriage is designed to track over anything including rocks and stockpiles. This is a common scenario, especially in quarries. That’s not good for the undercarriage because it will prematurely wear the shoes and snap off track bolts quite quickly. My view is that the secret to a long lifespan of an undercarriage is a good operator,” says Ellis.
The same view is shared by Shumani Tshifularo, the recently appointed MD of HPE Africa, who says the operator of a tracked excavator needs to apply different skills from operating a wheeled excavator, and that’s why operator training is critical. As far as maintenance is concerned, Tshifularo says because excavators have a strong solid steel construction, maintenance of the undercarriage is often neglected and that is an expensive mistake.
“Research shows that repair costs for the undercarriage of a tracked excavator account for as much as half of all repair costs over the life of the machine. A worn undercarriage increases vibration levels of the excavator, which reduces service life of components, like pumps, motors, electronics and the engine,” says Tshifularo.
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