The global aggregates hauler market continues to offer attractive commercial opportunities for leading articulated and rigid dump truck manufacturers. Guy Woodford reports in our sister title Aggregates Business.
Motherwell, Scotland-headquartered Terex Trucks is a leading player when it comes to supplying articulated dump trucks (ADTs) to the world’s aggregates producers. The company’s managing director, Paul Douglas, recently found space in his busy schedule to talk to Aggregates Business about the health of the global articulated hauler market and the company’s new dealer appointments.
“For the past two years, we’ve seen strong growth in the articulated hauler market in almost every area. Looking at the last 12 months rolling, we can see articulated hauler sales peaked at over 8,000 units, across all brands, for the first time in many years. Most territories have seen positive growth, albeit at different parts of the cycle (i.e. some are growing steadily, whereas others may have reached a peak). We are watching this closely and are already seeing some signs of contraction in certain areas.”
Douglas says there is a large global demand for energy, housing and infrastructure, and this has been driving demand for construction equipment. On top of this, construction markets in general have also seen growth, but some signs of maturity and even contraction are now evident.
“The global economies in the second half of 2019 are not totally clear: China appears to be slowing down which will affect Asia and the global market, we still await the outcome of Brexit and the impact that may have on both the EU and global markets, while North America still appears to be strong and growing.
“There are several key markets for Terex Trucks that are particularly strong. These include North America, South Africa, France, Germany, Russia and the UK. Terex Trucks is continuing to expand its presence in these markets where growth is expected over the coming years.”
Douglas says Terex Trucks has signed several new dealers recently. In North America these include B-C Equipment Sales in South Texas and RDM Equipment Sales and Rentals in British Columbia. A little closer to home the company also signed four new dealers in France: Griset Materiel, Manu Lorraine and Manu Alsace from the Manu Lorraine Group, Framateq and Promatex, as well as Baumaschinen Rehnen in Germany, Mining Eurasia in Russia and Aldimak in Spain.
He continues: “Expanding our operations is helping to reinforce our commitment to customers and dealers and bring our robust and reliable TA300 and TA400 articulated haulers to a wider customer base. We are working with strong dealer partners who understand the local customers and can provide them with high-quality support and solutions, with the backing from us here at the factory. We aim to continue to grow our dealer network, volume output and market share as the year progresses.”
Doosan has been talking in more detail about the company’s bauma 2019-launched Stage V-compliant DA30 and DA45 ADTs. The new DA30 and DA45 replace the previous DA30-5 and DA40-5 Stage IV models, respectively. The DA30 has a 28-tonne payload, while the DA45 offers a 41-tonne payload.
The DA30 is powered by the new Scania Stage V-compliant DC09 9-litre diesel engine providing 276kW of power. The DA45 is driven by the new Scania Stage V DC13 13-litre diesel engine with an output of 368kW.
The new Scania engines have undergone two years of very intensive testing in exacting construction and mining environments and have passed with flying colours. While the core of the Scania engines, which has been responsible for their exceptional reliability, has not changed, the main difference in the new engines from their predecessors is the improved after-treatment system.
In 2018, the DA30 ADT was upgraded with a range of features including a new cab, a new self-levelling front suspension and a new tandem bogie system which are all incorporated in the new Stage V model. A similar process has been applied in the new DA45 Stage V machine, with a new cab and a semi-levelling front suspension that adjusts itself independently depending on the operating conditions to ensure a comfortable working environment for the operator.
As well as these changes, the new Stage V models offer many more features - one of the most eye-catching is a new design for the front frame and bonnet components on the trucks, created by the Doosan design team in accordance with the latest trends in the market. The new dynamic look this gives the Stage V ADTs reflects the high performance, power and robustness of the Doosan ADT range and aligns even more closely with the rest of the market-leading range of construction equipment from Doosan.
Together with the visual changes there are a number of functional changes on the new ADTs which improve safety, comfort and serviceability. These include a new positioning of the diesel and AdBlue tanks. The latter are now much lower than before, allowing the operator to fill both tanks whilst standing next to the machine (‘ground-level filling’).
The greasing system has also been relocated to make it easily accessible from ground level. Space has been provided above the automatic lubrication system (which is standard) for additional grease cartridges and a filling pump. In addition, the transmission filters have been installed close to the greasing system, where they are also very easy to access. All of these systems are protected to ensure that any excess drops of oil/grease are collected and can be removed during service and maintenance.
Both new machines are equipped with additional external round hand rails to prevent accidents and hazardous situations. Inside the cab, there is a new additional grip on the right-hand side for increased safety for the operator. The electronic and hydraulic systems in the new trucks have also been upgraded to offer improved performance with extended functionality and new technology.
The state-of-the-art designs and developments in the new Stage V DA30 and DA45 ADTs are said to have resulted from intensive market analysis, customer visits, interviews with operators and additional feedback gathered by the Doosan ADT product and R&D teams at the company’s ADT plant located in Elnesvågen, near Molde in Norway.
Given their many new, advanced features, Doosan says its new Stage V ADTs establish a notable benchmark in load-carrying performance, fuel efficiency, enhanced controllability and high operator comfort, together with improved reliability, durability and reduced maintenance and servicing costs.
Caterpillar ’s new 777G rigid dump truck (RDT), a 90-tonne hauler with a 765kW Cat C32 ACERT EU Stage V/US Tier 4 Final engine, is said to be proving popular among quarrying and mining customers, with sales strong in markets such as Indonesia, Africa and the Middle East.
“We have designed and manufactured the 777G to be the most efficient 90-tonne mechanical truck in the industry. The new 777G is reliable and economical, and offers comfort, confidence and control to its operators. In addition, with an improved access system designed to minimise slips and falls, this truck provides firm footing and stability in less than perfect conditions,” says Kyle Amettis, global application specialist, Caterpillar.
Showcased at the bauma 2019 exhibition in Munich, Germany, the 777G incorporates several fuel-saving features.
Auto Neutral Idle allows the hauler’s transmission to intermittently shift to neutral when the truck is idling in a forward gear to avoid stalling the torque converter and increasing engine speed. Engine Idle Shutdown, an operator-selected feature, stops the engine when the truck idles in park for more than a preset interval. Speed limiting provides an alternative to gear limiting the 777G by allowing the truck to travel at a more fuel-efficient engine speed and in a more efficient transmission gear. Meanwhile, Advanced Productivity Electronic Control Strategy (APECS) transmission controls boost fuel efficiency by maintaining momentum and speed on uphill grades during shifts.
Additionally, the 777G has two operating modes: Standard Economy and Adaptive Economy. Standard Economy is said to save fuel by reducing engine power by 0.5 to 15%, based on the fleet and economic conditions at a given site. Adaptive Economy requires a production baseline for the site using the Advisor display, and then, as the truck travels the haul cycle, the system automatically evaluates the power rating needed to meet baseline requirements. Full power is applied when needed, and reduced power is applied when appropriate. The efficiency of the 777G’s performance is said to be further enhanced by 7% more engine torque and an increase in top speed.
