A GIANT SETS FOOT IN AFRICA
Terex Africa has written itself into the pages of local mining history with the arrival of a mighty 1,000 tonne RH 400 hydraulic mining shovel, destined for service at Anglo Platinum’s Rustenburg Platinum Mines - Mogalakwena Section.
The largest hydraulic mining shovel in the world, and the first of its kind to reach African shores, it is only the 11th to have been built since the model’s introduction in 1997 and has a reputation for productivity that has made it a legend in its lifetime. What’s more, it is the only electrically powered ultra-large hydraulic Terex RH 400 mining shovel in operation.
The majority of these machines work in the world’s toughest mining environments, extracting oil sand from the frozen wastes in Canada. Operating in extreme surroundings, they have already loaded close to 10,000 tonnes of material per hour under performance test conditions, and are noted for their mobility and flexibility in use. Put simply, this equates to 90 one-tonne bakkie-loads per 30 seconds.
According to Mogalakwena Section’s Production Manager Hendrik van Niekerk, the RH 400’s capacity makes it extremely cost effective which was the main motivation behind the purchase. Mogalakwena has the distinction of being the single biggest opencast platinum mine in the world.
The arrival, transportation and assembly of the shovel was in itself a massive exercise in co-ordinated teamwork.
The machine, which was built by Terex’s factory in Dortmund, Germany, arrived in Durban on Saturday, 10 January, at which point it became the responsibility of Terex Africa project managers Eben Pietersen and Ian Crawford.
The first stage of the operation was to unload the shovel, which was shipped in component form, and transport it to the North West Province for assembly on site.
“In total it took just six days to unload the RH 400 and transport it, with the final consignment arriving at the mine in the early hours of the morning,” says a delighted Eben. No fewer than 20 vehicles were used to transport it, and the entire route had to be thoroughly checked to ensure its safe passage.
A team of 15 Terex Africa employees assembled the shovel, and were assisted by technical staff from Germany who will also be involved in maintenance training. Operator training is being provided by global specialist Steve Maloney.
Commenting on this historic delivery, Colin Oliver, head of Terex Africa’s Mining Division, explains that apart from the machine’s exceptional capacity, Terex Africa enjoys an excellent working relationship with the mine.
Mogalakwena Section Engineering Manager Bertus Schoeman agrees, and says that it was logical to purchase the unit as substantial infrastructure is already in place.
“We have a large installed base at Mogalakwena Section which includes 11 Terex 500 tonne and 550 tonne class hydraulic shovels, in addition to a fleet of mining trucks and auxiliary equipment,” says Colin.
The RH 400 boasts two induction motors with a combined output of 3,600 kW, and has a bucket capacity of 90 metric tonnes. The working eye-level height for the operator is a dizzying 8,8 metres, and it can fill the largest haul trucks in a maximum of four operating cycles.
The machine will be officially handed over to the mine on Thursday, March 12.
For any further information please contact:
Colin Oliver
Terex Africa - General Manager - Mining & Drilling
Tel: (031) 966 2000