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LOADING HAULING Articulating a Truck Buy HITACHI, IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES RENEW PARTNERSHIP Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd (HCM) renewed its exclusive partnership agreement with Immersive Technologies to provide it with continued access to HCM's proprietary engineering information and engineering staff. This will facilitate the ongoing development and support of the mining industries' leading range of advanced equipment simulators, which are designed by Immersive for equipment operator training and workforce development. Essential training feedback will be provided to HCM by Immersive Technologies representing general operator behavior. This will be utilized by HCM for development, improvement, troubleshooting, etc. of the actual mining equipment. This feedback will take the form of aggregated data extracted from Immersive Technologies' Global Operator Benchmarking System, a proprietary tool which contains performance data collected from over 46,000 mining equipment operators from around the world. When you're considering the purchase of a new articulated dump truck (ADT), you need confidence that the investment you're making will help you achieve your business goals. You want to know that your ADT can quickly and efficiently haul high volumes of material over rugged terrain for long distances at the lowest possible cost of ownership. Industry experts say that's not too much to ask. Today's ADTs provide more power, productiv‐ ity and stability, resulting in shorter haul cy‐ cles than previous generations. They also offer a number of off‐road performance ad‐ vantages over rigid frame trucks in most min‐ ing and quarry applications, said Doosan ADT Product Specialist Brian Bereika. Bereika offers the following five factors to consider when specifying an ADT to perform mining and quarry work. Match the machine to the task. ADTs are commonly tasked with removing overburden – such as surface rocks and soil – in the early stages of a mine's development. Other common chores include cleaning out holding ponds, hauling ore to crushers and hoppers, and stockpiling metals and aggre‐ gate. Articulated trucks are available in 25‐ton to 40‐ton class sizes and can carry up to 46‐ ton payloads. Since an ADT's body is its rev‐ enue generator, size and payload are critical specifications and involve several more fac‐ tors. Therefore, accurately estimating produc‐ tivity before purchasing for a particular task in mining environments needs to be specific and comprehensive. Partner with the right loader. One of the primary goals of any ADT owner is to accomplish tasks and reduce haul cycles for maximum efficiency. One of the best ways to achieve these results is to match an ADT to its loading equipment so that neither the loader operator nor the ADT operator will have long waits between loads. Over 95 percent of ADTs are loaded by excavators, while large wheel loaders, conveyor belts or hoppers are used in many mining or quarry operations. For most material hauling sites with good production, the industry consensus is that it 20 ROCKproducts • JULY 2013 typically takes between six and 10 passes to fill an average ADT with an excavator and four to six passes with a wheel loader. For maximum production, the number of passes to load should be between three and five. Identify jobsite restrictions. Are there any width, height or maneuverabil‐ ity restrictions that may impact an ADT's ability to fully perform? Loading under a hopper, for example, will usually mean there are width and height restrictions and some larger ADTs may not physically fit in the space. Built for maximum maneuverability, ADTs are designed to adapt to uneven ter‐ rain due to a joint or hinge connecting the cab to the body, which allows the truck to flex. This feature also keeps all six wheels in constant contact with the ground while trav‐ eling over loose or compacted soil, banks, material pilings or rocks common in mining or quarry jobsites. Due to their massive size, mining and quarry projects can involve long drives on congested haul roads and opera‐ tions in confined staging and dump areas. Select an ADT with a tight turning radius, which can help decrease the time it takes for operators to position the trucks for loading and unloading. Choose tires carefully. "Tires are always a concern in quarries and mines because of the risk of sidewall damage and lower tread life due to operation on hard packed surfaces," said Bereika, "so choose tires carefully to minimize costs." The right tires contribute significantly to an ADT's tractive force, which is determined by the tread design, remaining tread life and tire in‐ flation, along with the ground conditions at the site. Extend ADT life with dealer support. Finally, make sure you understand all of your ownership costs and the expected lifetime of ADT components, as they may be different from equipment you currently own. Since ADTs are used off‐road and are subject to se‐ vere duty, component lifetimes may be dif‐ ferent than typical mining equipment. This is why educated and dependable product sup‐ port is critical. Before purchasing an ADT, choose a dealer that has product specializa‐ tion and trained mechanics, offers great re‐ sponse times and has good parts stock. www.rockproducts.com