Scania has been keen for some time to prove its trucks can meet the harsh conditions required for Australasian mining.
A recent trial held at an Australian gold-mine saw Scania’s R 620 heavy-haulage truck deal with some tough jobs mining jobs – as the photo above shows.
Scania Australia’s mining services division recently specified an R 620 V8 demonstrator-unit, rated at 200 tonnes, to pull a 140-tonne payload of four side-tipping ore trailers.
The general idea was to show Australian mine drivers that Scania was up for the harsh rough and tumble of an Aussie mining environment – the subtext being, that ‘if it can make it there it can make it anywhere’.
Scania reported that winning over the first test driver, at a Kalgoorlie gold mine, was easier than expected.
Danny Denton from McAleese Resources typically needs to load four gold-ore trailers with a front-end loader, and then drive the combination 40 kms on a packed clay mining road.
Denton normally makes the run four or five times a day, each time tipping the ore from the trailer close to the mouth of the ore crusher.
While Denton hadn’t driven a European truck with a cab-over engine before, he was quickly impressed with the comfort and quiet of the R 620’s cab and load pulling abilities: “I am impressed by how well the Scania pulls when loaded, and it’s a lot more comfy than you would think.
“Inside you have a good size fridge, the air conditioning is powerful, and everything inside the cabin is really good,” says Denton.
Rene van Oppen, business manager for the Scania mining services division, says the R 620 V8 is the type of truck miners want. He also believes that making drivers comfortable is a key safety factor.
“We’re sure there are many mining operators who would like to experience, not just the cost savings these a vehicles offer, but also the ability to improve driver working conditions and comfort to a level where you have a positive impact on safety,” he says. “All operators are keen to improve efficiency and uptime rates, as well as reduce their running costs and this truck can do that.”
Scania added several mine-friendly features such as rotating beacons, reflective stripes and a bull bar with extra driving lights. It also added a heavy-duty fifth wheel for the tests.
Of the four trailers, three B-trailers had a capacity of 40 tonnes each, while the A-trailer carried 20 tonnes for a combined capacity of 140 tonnes, and a gross train weight of 200 tonnes.
With the gold mine test completed successfully, the R 620 V8 heavy-haulage prime mover is now headed to Australia’s East coast of to work at a coal mine, pulling five trailers and 170 tonnes of payload.
