Modern Mining February 2016

COMPANIES

Scania targets the mining sector Notwithstanding its reputation as one of the world’s leading truck and bus manufacturers, Scania globally has historically not had a strong presence in mining. This began to change in 2012 when the group decided to target themining industry. Since then its penetration of theminingmarket has grown strongly, particularly in Sweden, Brazil, India and the Philippines. Scania South Africa is looking to emulate this success and has now established a fully-fledged mining division, headed by Becky Smith, GMMining, who was appointed in September last year.

S mith, notes that mining profitability is heavily dependent on carefully controlling capital and operating costs. “We know that transporta- tion costs make up at least 30 % of the total and this is where we can add huge value. The message we want to get across to South Africa’s mining sector is that Scania has a solution for every stage of mining; from ex- ploration to reclamation and everything in be- tween,” she says. “Our range includes both on- and off-road vehicles, all built to a demanding mining speci- fication, which can provide capacities up to 50 tonnes in the case of in-pit rigid dump trucks and up to 150 tonnes in the case of longer dis- tance haulers. Regardless of the application, we are highly focused on delivering uptime through best in class parts availability, network coverage, flexible services set-up, in-house

breakdown assistance 24-7 (Scania Assist), and driver training and coaching to name a few.” Smith acknowledges that Scania trucks – while able to handle extremely tough conditions – are not the answer to every single application in mining. “Obviously, there are areas where one needs traditional specialist mining equip- ment,” she says. “Having said this, there are many situations in which ADTs are being used where Scania trucks could provide a far more cost efficient alternative, given their lower capi- tal cost and excellent fuel efficiency.” Smith stresses that Scania is in the busi- ness of providing fully specified solutions and not just selling vehicles. “We are able to offer qualified mining advisory services in logistics and site optimisation which may include opti- mising loading time and overall equipment utilisation, and monitoring ongoing opera- tions,” she notes. “Specifically, we will create a haulage solution that is tailored to each cus- tomer’s situation and provide advice on how to maximise equipment efficiency and productiv- ity and minimise downtime, which are crucial factors in any mining application.” She adds that Scania can provide aftermar- ket backup through its extensive dealer network throughout Southern Africa, extending as far north as Tanzania. “Our ‘footprint’ and regional structure keep us close to our customers and improve our ability to solve problems and pro- vide support quickly. We can also put field workshops on mine sites with varying levels of service depending on what the customer needs. In fact, globally we now have them operating on 15 mines in 10 countries. These workshops are a container-based solution and can consist of as many as eight types of containers, each dedicated to a specific purpose such as lubrica- tion or parts storage.” Tailored, full-service contracts for preventive maintenance and full repair and maintenance are offered by Scania South Africa, with the full maintenance contracts providing the con- venience of paying a fixed, predictable amount

Becky Smith (left), Scania South Africa’s GMMining, is seen here with key account managers Reuben Govender and Charnie-Lee Kruger. In the background is a Scania mining bus.

38  MODERN MINING  February 2016