Modern Mining July 2015

OFF-HIGHWAY TRUCKS AND EXCAVATORS

back on the marketing,” he explains. “Having said this, we do have machines working very successfully in the field and are selling limited number of D-series machines to customers both locally and abroad.” The Bell B60 has an interesting design. While it classifies as an ADT, it would perhaps be more accurate to describe it as a ‘hybrid’ as it uses the two-axle concept that characterises rigid haulers. “Put simply, the B60 combines the best of both worlds,” states Gillham. “While it has just the two axles like any rigid truck, the difference is that the front axle is also driven so that it has a full 4x4 capability. As is the case with any ADT, the front and rear chassis are independent, giving it the manoeu- vrability that rigid haulers lack. While it will be up to our customers to decide where the B60 best applies, we believe – and we said this when we launched the machine – that it will be well suited to the difficult ground conditions typical of many South African mines and quarries, particularly where there are tight turns and steep ramps. Often the flotation of an ADT is not really required but significant savings can be seen without hav- ing to do maintenance at the load and dump areas. It will give fleet owners a lot of options – among them the ability to keep operating in wet conditions which would bring a conven- tional rigid fleet to a standstill.”

range that promotes safety – and productivity – is the company’s satellite-based Fleetm@tic fleet management system – a ‘world first’ when it was launched a decade ago. On the subject of innovation, Gillham says that most ADTs on the market these days have an array of high-tech features. “Bell itself has been responsible for many of these including HillAssist, Bin Tip Prevention, Turbo Spin Protection, On Board Weighing and our Auto Park Application, all of which are standard fea- tures on our trucks.” Bell offers the biggest range of ADTs in the African market (with a matching set of exca- vators, all sourced from Liebherr but sold by Bell, to go with them). The ADT models specifi- cally designed for mining are the B40, with a 37-tonne payload, which Bell sees as a flagship machine given its huge popularity, the B45, the B50, which can carry 45,5 tonnes, and, of course, the B60. “It is certainly not uncommon to see some of our smaller units at mines and quarries but the B40, B45, B50 and B60 have been designed from the ground up for tough mining applications,” says Gillham. The B60D was introduced at the BAUMA Africa show held in Midrand in 2013 and since then has not received a great deal of publicity. Gillham says that this has been by intent. “Full commercial production of the B60 is only due to start with the E-series in 2017 so we’ve held

Bell ADTs working at a large open-pit copper mine in Zambia.

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48  MODERN MINING  July 2015