Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) says its new R60 rigid hauler offers customers a higher payload and uptime. The new E-generation machine is suitable for heavy-duty quarrying and mining. Built for markets with Tier 2-compliant engines and based on the R100E model, the R60 has a higher payload than the D-generation model it replaces, along with a durable design and new comfort and safety-enhancing features – which Volvo CE says enables it to move more for less with every cycle.
Drew Watson, global product manager for the Volvo R60 at Volvo CE, says: “The Volvo R60 offers a 55-tonne payload and body volume of 36m³, enabled by a V-shaped body ensuring optimum load retention and minimal material carry-back.
“The rigid hauler is a perfect match for a 90-tonne excavator and meets the industry standard of 10/10/20 where it can take 10% overload for 10% of the time but should not exceed 20%. To help operators haul the optimum amount of material, an optional On-Board Weighing system provides real-time payload insight to the hauler operator via the on-board display and can predict the 10/10/20 payload.”
Contributing to speedy cycle times, the drivetrain combines high torque capability and high drive-axle multiplication to deliver the traction force needed to take on the steepest site gradients.
Volvo CE says the R60 is also fuel-efficient. Thanks to Volvo Dynamic Shift Control, gear selection automatically adapts to varying conditions, whilst ECO mode enables the hauler to default to the most efficient gear-shifting schedule. In addition, auto engine-idle shut-down eliminates unnecessary fuel consumption and engine wear.
The rigid hauler is available with the Volvo CareTrack telematics system to enable remote machine monitoring and help further boost efficiency. Moreover, customers can gain recommendations on the optimum fleet configuration and site set-up from their Volvo dealer with the support of Volvo Site Simulation.
Designed to deliver high uptime and low operating costs, the R60 is built to last with a 60,000-hour life frame and a list of features that contribute to long-lasting performance and component life, including a low centre of gravity and balanced weight distribution to provide rock-solid stability and spread the impact of loads and stresses across the machine; a high-strength, flexible chassis and responsive MacPherson strut with lower wishbone connection to absorb shocks and vibrations and improve the operator ride; a V-shaped body, manufactured from high-impact and high abrasion-resistant steel, with a minimal number of panels and welds; and neutral coast inhibitor and engine-overspeed protection to further minimise wear.
Servicing of the R60 is required every 500 hours and can be completed swiftly thanks to a straightforward machine design that includes grouped maintenance points located within easy reach either from the ground or the service platform, as well as common-sized bearings throughout.
On-board diagnostics provide insights into system pressures, temperatures, and fault reporting to facilitate and speed up troubleshooting.
Volvo CE says the R60 is built with operator comfort and safety top of mind. Operators can enter the cab from both sides using anti-slip steps and walkways. The cab is now pressurised, roll/fall overprotective structure-certified (ROPS/FOPS) and features a left-positioned operator station to aid safe passing. Volvo Smart View is an option to improve further visibility with a 360° birds-eye view of the work zone.
Ergonomically positioned displays, responsive fingertip controls and low-effort steering combine to make operation effortless. The adjustable air-suspended seat and a Bluetooth-enabled audio system add to operator comfort.
The Volvo R60 has two retardation systems to keep a steady speed and facilitate machine navigation when going downhill, reducing the need for operator input. When manually selected, the transmission retarder slows the drivetrain to limit wheel lock-up, which is particularly useful on steep declines or wet conditions. The modulating braking retarder can be automatically activated when the operator’s foot is off the accelerator to maintain a gear-selected constant engine speed. Moreover, fail-safe braking and secondary steering systems add to job site safety.
Italian rigid haul truck manufacturer Perlini says its new DP265WD machine combines the company’s decades-long experience of mining haul truck manufacturing with the latest technologies, such as new control electronics, modern GPS monitoring and electronic weighing systems, to produce a versatile, economical and reliable machine.
The Gambellara, Vicenza province-based manufacturer states: “With its small dimensions, the new Perlini DP265WD is the ideal vehicle for quarries and public works; the width of under three metres also allows road transport without special transit permissions or escorts.”
The company adds that the DP265WD has the usual prized Perlini features, including a brake/retarder system with oil-bath brakes, oil-pneumatic suspension, and typical Perlini stability and operator cabin comfort. The new RDT also has a sustainability-minded Stage V Scania DC09 engine and an Allison 4430ORS transmission with updated electronics.
First presented at bauma 2022 in Munich, Germany (24-30 October), the DP265WD was also showcased by Perlini at the 31st edition of SaMoTer (3-7 May 2023).
Speaking at the exhibition, Paola Pugliani, Perlini’s sales marketing executive, says: “This is our first completely digital machine; the start of a new era. It allows our technicians to remotely control the haul truck and do preventative maintenance remotely. We can check the machine’s operation parameters hour by hour, not just fuel consumption and productivity but also whether something is wrong and needs attention. This system makes for easy maintenance working together with our customers.”
Pugliani says the DP265WD’s under-three-metre width is in response to many smaller quarry operators in Europe and North Africa requesting that kind of RDT over the past decade. “It is a very flexible machine that can work in a quarry and other work sites. We were recently contacted by an important customer in Ireland that was looking for a machine like ours. They have a narrow bridge to pass through in their quarry, and we are the only manufacturer currently offering an RDT of a suitable size.”
Perlini’s four-strong RDT range starts with the construction and quarrying-application-suited 26-tonne capacity DP265WD, followed by the also construction-and-quarrying-application-suited 40-tonne DP405WD, the 65-tonne DP705WD, and the 100-tonne capacity DP905WD. “The last two models are aimed specifically at mining applications,” says Pugliani.
She adds: “Perlini is targeting many Central Asian countries full of iron and other material mines. Due to the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, many BelAZ [Belarussian mining dump truck manufacturer] customers cannot get their trucks. So, they are now looking at other companies, like Perlini, to supply them with new machines.
“Many governments globally are also moving away from the gas and oil industry to the extraction of minerals in Central Asia and Africa. This means much finance is concentrated in this mining sector, which creates new opportunities for us. We are looking for good dealers in countries in these regions. They will need to do more than just selling trucks; they will need to offer customers quality after-service, including maintenance.”
At SaMoTer 2023, Perlini introduced its new Italian dealer, Rimini, Emilia-Romagna-based WR57. “The company is also a Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) dealer and provides our after-sales support, purchasing spare parts from us and selling them to Perlini customers. WR57 also offers Perlini dump trucks for rental. We are seeing more and more Italian customers wanting to rent our machines. Many of our customers see machine rental as the future. They are attracted by the ability to quickly change machines and always have the latest models, which is particularly important during busier periods.
“During the exhibition, we were visited by an important Italian company that runs cement plants nationwide and stressed the importance of rental machines. They like to test a new machine through a rental before purchasing it.”
Pugliani says Perlini is pleased to see Giorgia Meloni’s new Italian government continuing the infrastructure spending of the previous administration, creating good domestic business opportunities for off-highway machine manufacturers. “The previous government greatly supported manufacturers and equipment end users. We have a specific Industry 4.0 offer that helps sell machines. Many customers near our factory are working on big high-speed train works, and there are many infrastructure works in southern Italy.”
Perlini plans to treble its production capacity after a sustained period of investment. “By 2025, we will be able to produce up to 120 units annually, up from 40 units,” says Pugliani. “We are hiring many engineers and spending time training them. Our products are complex from an engineering perspective and very attractive.”
Turning to Perlini’s sustainability credentials, Pugliani says they are partly reflected in the company’s choice of engine supplier: “In 2019, we switched from another engine supplier to Scania, as the Scania engines complied with new EU Stage V emission standard, and also offer lower fuel consumption. We cooperate well with them, and now they supply engines for our Stage II emission market customers. Unfortunately, Scania doesn’t offer an engine with the horsepower required for our 100-tonne RDT, so we have a Fiat engine in that machine for Stage V and Stage II emission market customers.
“We also focus on lowering the noise that can be heard inside our truck cabins. That’s important for our operators and the wider environment. Our customers are also interested in running hybrid diesel-electric versions of our trucks. It is a project we are working on, and I think we will be ready with our first hybrid-power models in a couple of years. The rigid hauler is in our DNA, and a sustainable product range is very important to us.”
