48 / 60
46
MODERN MINING
July 2016
LOGISTICS
C
ommenting on the contract, EC
Blauuw’s General Manager, Wi-
kus van Heerden, says it includes
moving run-of-mine (ROM) ore
from the mining operation over a
distance of 32 km return trip to the processing
plant and back. “The mine runs a continuous
operation, so we structure the bulk transport
on a three-shift cycle of eight hours per shift.”
No room for stoppages
In this challenging arrangement there is little
room for breakdowns or stoppages. “It is there-
fore imperative that we have our trucks on the
move constantly, and that all our equipment is
cost-efficient and reliable,” he emphasises. “I
can’t afford any unplanned standing time – as
this would affect the non-stop service we are
contracted to provide.”
The trucks are loaded from a chute under a
mine ROM silo, where they receive the ore in
generally minus 150 mm product – filling the
15 cubic metre bins to a weight of 25 tonnes. To
withstand the trials of this mining application,
the bins have been specially designed and man-
ufactured for extra strength and durability.
“While the tipper bin must be tough enough
for this job, the added strength should not come
with undue weight – as this would limit our
payload capacity,” says Van Heerden. “Scania
was able to manage this balance by providing
bins which don’t hamper our ability to opti-
mise loads.”
The result is a smooth operation moving
120 000 to 200 000 tonnes of platinum ore
each month between mine and plant, as well
as providing on-site stockpile management and
transportation of minus 20 mm waste product
from the plant.
“The P-series trucks at work on this contract
are engineered for manoeuvrability, economy
and speed,” comments Scania sales representa-
tive Jean Groenewaldt. “While these qualities
are enhanced by a lightweight design, the units
are tough enough for mining, construction and
various off-road applications.”
Demo mining truck
Scania’s demo model off-road truck is also
being tested in the EC Blaauw transport fleet,
where it has been taking on the role normally
reserved for articulated dump trucks.
“This is a larger unit with a higher capacity
bin of some 32 tonnes,” notes Van Heerden. “It
is very robust and we have been impressed by
its performance. The technology in the truck
– such as on-board weightometer and cam-
era – allows us to monitor operational data
Platinum hauler
keeps rolling
Hauling run-of-mine ore
from silo to process plant is
the role of these Scania P410
tippers, equipped with 25-t
payload capacity.
Transport contractor EC Blaauw has grown its fleet
of Scania trucks in a demanding 24-7 contract with a
platinum producer near Rustenburg in South Africa’s North-
West province. Based in Kroondal, EC Blaauw provides
short-haul transportation and plant hire to the mining
sector, and recently added another six Scania P410 tipper
trucks to the two already in its fleet.