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COVER STORY
18
MODERN MINING
June 2016
Above:
The Sleipner E-series
gives tracked machines a set
of wheels through the use of
a dolly system.
Right:
With the E-series,
travel times for tracked
excavators around mines
can be reduced by as much
as 85 %.
means that machines weighing up to 120
tonnes can be moved quickly and safely. The
DB-series has been an unqualified success with
sales having been made to mines around the
world. Here in Southern Africa, we’ve already
sold two units – one to Orapa and the other
to Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena
mine near Mokopane – and are negotiating with
several other customers.”
According to Hollins, the DB120 is every bit
as revolutionary as the E-series. “In essence,
Sleipner’s engineers have re-invented the tra-
ditional lowbed – so much so, in fact, that
we don’t even call the DB120 a lowbed,” he
says. “We prefer to describe it as a transport
solution. It consists of a tilting travel bed
which can be towed by a 40-t or 50-t articu-
lated dump truck (ADT) from a customer’s
mine fleet. Transit speeds of up to 30 km/h are
possible and the articulated design guarantees
a high degree of manoeuvrability – the turning
radius is just 11 m, which is less than that of a
100‑tonne truck.
“Uphill performance with a full load is 12 %
while downhill transport is safe at gradients of
up to 14 %. The DB120 has its own sophisti-
cated braking system – the ADT actually has
to pull the trailer downhill – and pressure
gauges provide an emergency stop function.
Large wheels provide a high degree of stability
and a ground clearance of 600 mm, allowing
considerable all-terrain capability. The hydrau-
lic system on the DB120 allows for a degree of
‘self levelling’ when travelling either uphill or
downhill, further enhancing the safety. This,
combined with a 100 % fail-to-safe emer-
gency braking system (the only one of its kind)
means that the DB120 sets a new benchmark in
The DB120 consists of a
tilting travel bed which can
be towed by a 40-t or 50-t
articulated dump truck
(ADT).