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July 2015
MODERN MINING
43
OFF-HIGHWAY TRUCKS
AND EXCAVATORS
feature
The well-appointed cab of a
Cat rope shovel.
A close-up view of the Cat 797F, the biggest machine in Cat’s ultra-truck range.
locally, including three to Swakop Uranium for
the Husab mine and one to Jwaneng.
Moving on to the Cat 795F AC off-highway
truck, the six machines operational in South
Africa are all working at a super-pit mine.
Duthie says the 795F has proved a big success
for Caterpillar, with more than 150 now oper-
ational in mines around the world. “When it
was introduced it represented a big departure
for Caterpillar, which historically confined
itself to the manufacture of mechanical drive
trucks,” he notes. “There have always been cus-
tomers, however, who prefer electric drive and
Caterpillar is now equipped to supply them.
Although the units delivered in South Africa
are not equipped for trolley assist, Caterpillar
does offer the option of a pantograph and in fact
is putting in a trolley-assist system at its prov-
ing ground near Tucson, Arizona, so customers
can see this capability in action.”
The Cat 795F is part of one of the broadest
ranges of mining trucks currently available
in the market with Caterpillar being the only
OEM to offer both mechanical and electric
drive machines from 40 tonne payload through
to 360 tonne. On the mechanical drive side,
the Large Mining Truck range comprises the
136‑tonne capacity Cat 785D, the Cat 789D,
which has a 190-tonne payload, the Cat 793D,
which can carry 228 tonnes, and – topping the
range – the Cat 797F, a 363-tonne (400-ton)
capacity behemoth. Complementing these are
three AC electric drive models, the MT4400D
(221-tonne payload) and MT5300D (291-tonne),
as well, of course, as the Cat795F (321-tonne).
Southern Africa does not have many pits
of a size to warrant the use of the top-of-the-
range Cat 797F but the machine is not totally
absent from the region, with a fleet of 10 being
used at Vale’s Moatize coal mine near Tete in
Mozambique. These work in conjunction with
the mine’s 6090 FS.
What of the famous Cat 777, Caterpillar’s
durable 91-tonne (100-ton) hauler, first intro-
duced in 1977 and a huge seller ever since?
According to Duthie, Caterpillar classifies it
as being part of its quarry and construction
truck range but he stresses that it is an excel-
lent mining truck as well. “It is a very tough
and durable machine which is perfect for small
to mid-sized open-pit operations. Needless to
say, we’re delighted with the popularity it has
achieved in the mining space. In fact, mining
is the main market for the 777 in Southern
“There have
always been
customers who
prefer electric
drive and
Caterpillar is
now equipped to
supply them.”
Ian Duthie,
Barloworld Equipment