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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
SEPTEMBER 2016
4
T
he downward commodity pric-
es, exacerbated by decreasing
mineral ore bodies, continue to
put the local mining industry
under immense pressure. Becky
Smith, general manager of Mining at Sca-
nia Southern Africa, alludes to the fact
that mining is in dire straits and “has been
a tough go” for industry players. Bearing
in mind that transport accounts for up to
a third of operational mining costs, she
is of the view that, now more than ever,
mining houses need to rethink their onsite
transport solutions to optimise every stage
of their processes for better productivity,
feasibility and profitability.
With that in mind, Scania will use
Electra Mining Africa 2016, scheduled for
12-16 September, to showcase the full
width of its mining range, from tippers and
service vehicles through to staff solutions
and ADR vehicles. Some of the key exhibits
in this regard will include the the G410 8x4
mining tipper and the G360 6x6 chasis,
the ground-breaking Staff Carrier and the
G410 CB 6x6 Nitro Unit for the explosive
industry. This will be complemented by a
range of engines for industrial applications
and power generation.
Challenging the norm
With its mining tipper range, Scania is
challenging the conventional yellow met-
al, “bigger is always better” mentality of
the local mining sector. Smith agrees that
local miners have over the years grown
accustomed to their articulated and rig-
id haulers. “That’s one thing we are very
mindful of. We are up against a yellow
metal equipment mentality that believes
bigger is always better,” she says. Smith,
however, argues that mining has since
evolved and profitability is heavily reliant
on carefully controlling operating capital
investments and operating costs.
The Scania G410 8x4 mining tipper, for
example, comes with an array of features
and benefits that fly in the face of conven-
tional hauling solutions such as ADTs and
RDTs. The tipper comes with a payload of
between 32 and 34 t, depending on appli-
cation, core density of the material and the
type of body. Smith says that it can there-
fore compete very much on par with a con-
ventional hauler with a payload of anything
between 30 and 60 t. “You may require two
Scanias to replace a 60 t ADT, for example,
but the outright capital investment is much
lower, operating costs are much lower,
SCANIA GOES MINING AT ELECTRA
The local mining fraternity is facing new and tough challenges,
and only a stronger focus on cost-efficient solutions and
operational excellence will keep mines in business. Scania will
use Electra Mining Africa to showcase its holistic approach
to mining with a full range of offerings geared at increasing
customer profitability, writes
Munesu Shoko.
Scan QR code to watch the
interview with Becky Smith,
GM of Mining at Scania.