A major global manufacturer is making its debut in the rigid hauler market, while proven articulated models remain in big demand. Guy Woodford reports – in our sister title Aggregates Business.
Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is set to enter the rigid hauler market in Q2 2018 with a complete Volvo-branded range. Using the expertise of its Motherwell facility in Scotland, the range consists of four machines, starting at the 45tonne R45D and extending up to the flagship 100tonne R100E.
The development of the new four-model range has relied heavily on the long-standing rigid hauler expertise of Volvo CE’s subsidiary Terex Trucks, combined with the technological strength of the Volvo Group. The range, which will initially be launched in less regulated markets, consists of the 45ton (40tonne) R45D, 60ton (54tonne) R60D, 72ton (65tonne) R70D and the flagship 100ton (90 tonne) R100E.
The E-Series R100E is a completely new Volvo CE rigid hauler said to combine a wealth of market and customer knowledge with proven components, new technologies and a striking new design – all said to provide a cost-effective and productive solution to fulfil the needs of today’s mining and quarrying customers.
Based on the existing and well-proven Terex Trucks TR-Series, development of the D-Series R45D, R60D and R70D Volvo rigid haulers followed an in-depth engineering review, ensuring that the machines meet the standards expected from Volvo products in their target markets and segments. Improvements include greater visibility and safety systems, along with Volvo technical support and branding.
As a result of the launch of the Volvo-branded rigid haulers, production of Terex Trucks rigid haulers will, over time, cease.
“Our purchase of Terex Trucks in 2014 was a strategic decision that allowed Volvo to offer customers a rigid hauler option,” says Thomas Bitter, senior vice president of the marketing and product portfolio (MaPP) function at Volvo CE. “Since then, we’ve been working to design a completely new rigid hauler that builds on Terex Trucks’ 84-year heritage, while also incorporating Volvo CE’s industry-leading technology and core values of quality, safety and environmental care. Today we move to the next stage, and the new Volvo machines, especially the E-Series R100E, are the outcome of this work. We’re confident that they will impress customers working in the mining and quarrying segments.”
The all-new flagship R100E has been designed to meet customer demands for a rigid hauler that delivers high performance and productivity, low total cost of ownership, easy serviceability and good operator comfort. With its high capacity and hauling speeds, new V-shaped body, efficient hydraulics, intelligent monitoring systems and operator environment, the R100E will, Volvo CE says, help customers move more material in less time.
“Terex Trucks’ rigid haulers are known for performing well in tough conditions, while also being easy to maintain and delivering low cost of ownership,” says Paul Douglas, Volvo CE’s vice president of Rigid Haulers and Terex Trucks. “Our proven design has provided a strong DNA on which to help develop Volvo CE’s innovative entry into this product line. The new E-Series R100E is a completely new machine that delivers stability, a long service life, high profitability, durability and comfort. And moreover, it’s quick and simple to operate and maintain.”
The new Volvo-branded rigid haulers will be manufactured at the rebranded Volvo Motherwell production facility in Scotland and sold exclusively through the Volvo dealer network.
Skene Group Construction Services has invested in a new B30E articulated dump truck from Bell Equipment.
The new-breed machine was brought into the fleet within one of Skene’s quarry sites in September 2017, working alongside the company’s existing seven-year-old B30D, which continues to deliver.
Established in 1968, Fife-based Skene Group is a major independent supplier to the construction industry, manufacturing and supplying concrete blocks, ready-mixed concrete and aggregates throughout Scotland and beyond. The company’s own plant and equipment are utilised within its two quarries and Contract Division, carrying out civil engineering works within both private and commercial sectors.
The company’s quarries have expanded in recent years to meet with growing commercial and domestic demand, leading Skene’s taskforce of hardworking ADTs, excavators and wheeled loaders to accumulate considerable working hours involving stripping, primary and secondary crushing, and tipping.
“The machines we choose for working within the quarries are certainly put through their paces,” says Skene’s joint managing director, Darren Forrester. “We use the ADTs daily, primarily to perform overburden tasks to access rock, but also to shift and retrieve material from the quarries’ main faces for subsequent processing at our static plants.
“The use of capable ADTs has been essential in achieving these tasks effectively, and we’ve tried and tested the benefits of various makes and models over the years. We bought our first Bell ADT seven years ago, and have been truly impressed with the machine’s reliability and performance, right to the present day.”
That machine is still ‘very much up and running’ and has an impressive 7,000 hours under its belt. Its robust performance has been a key contributor in informing Forrester’s decision to invest in another Bell. However, during the time Skene’s B30D has been grafting in the quarry, the leading ADT manufacturer has been further developing the capabilities of future machines, and has presented a new and improved line of vehicles to the market – the E-series.
Development of the E-series took the course of five years, and led machines to be stringently tested within some of the harshest mine sites in the world. With increased suspension travel and an A-frame adaptation to give operators a more independent ride, E-series vehicles have already proved a driver success. The series offers 6x6-technology to provide class-leading power and weight-ratios together with advanced engine and drivetrain characteristics, while the improvements made to the onboard diagnostics enable the interface to be more detailed, but also user-friendly.
Forrester said: “In short, we’ve been really impressed with the new B30E ADT. It’s a cracking machine that we’ve used every day since delivery, without a hitch. The machine type has, like our own relationship with Bell Equipment, evolved over the years, and grown from strength to strength.”
Czech Republic-based company ATM CZ has invested in the help of a Terex Trucks TA300 to extend the country’s 90km D11 motorway by a further 15.5km.
Lengthening a busy motorway is no easy task. From earthwork to compaction and paving, there’s a lot to do before motorists can use the new road. This is something ATM CZ, a company specialising in large earthworks, road and motorway construction, knows all too well.
ATM CZ has recently started work on a two-year project to extend the D11 motorway by 15.5kms. The road currently connects the Czech capital Prague and the city of Hradec Králové. Once the project is complete, the motorway will continue to Smiice. The motorway is part of European route E67 – the so-called Via Baltica – from Prague to the Finnish capital Helsinki by way of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. To move the vast amount of earth and materials on site, ATM CZ purchased a Terex Trucks TA300 articulated dump truck to help them get the job done.
The company bought the 28tonne capacity articulated dump truck from Terex Trucks’ dealer AUSTRO Baumaschinen (ABM). The TA300 is powered by a fuel-efficient five cylinder ScaniaDC9 engine. It also has a 17.5M³ heaped capacity.
“I chose the TA300 because of its excellent fuel economy, operator comfort and the service and support Terex Trucks provides,” says Tomáš Michalika, owner of ATM CZ. “My crew continually praises the TA300 for its simple and effective design. It has also been good to work with ABM again. Although I am a first-time Terex Trucks customer, we’ve been working with ABM since 2012 and they’ve previously supplied us with other machines, such as excavators. We are extremely happy with the level of service and support they offer. In fact, things are going so well that I’m already thinking about buying a second Terex Trucks articulated dump truck from ABM.”
Terex Trucks’ range of off-highway articulated dump trucks is recognised and trusted across the world for its reliability, flexibility and performance in the most extreme environments. These highly productive machines are well suited to construction, quarrying and mining applications.
“The Terex Trucks TA300 articulated dump truck is a proven performer in the toughest applications,” says John Mlonek, commercial sales manager at Terex Trucks. “It’s great to hear that ATM CZ, as a first-time Terex Trucks customer, is happy with the machine and is already thinking of buying a second unit.”
