Julien
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R9800
Inscrit le: 27 Juil 2003
Messages: 2610
Localisation: Zimmerbach
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 Posté le : 05 Mar 2011 à 18h01 |
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One of the most significant developments in the market is the potential combination of Caterpillar’s and Bucyrus’s assets this year, bringing together the leading truck player with a leading rope shovel and hydraulic excavator supplier. However, the deal has had its own knock on effects.
According to local Aurora, Illinois-based newspaper, The Beacon News, Caterpillar is suspending development and capital investment for large mining-class hydraulic excavators that were to be manufactured at the company’s Aurora plant. The company apparently said the suspension was effective immediately and was a direct result of the pending purchase of Bucyrus, which of course includes its successful mining excavator business, based out of the former O&K facility in Dortmund, Germany. Many of Caterpillar’s key global dealers already offer this range in conjunction with Caterpillar mining trucks.
It was in June 2010 that Caterpillar announced that it had selected the Aurora plant for production of a new line of mining excavators. But the Beacon News reports that Caterpillar officials want to evaluate the Bucyrus shovel programme to see exactly what resources the company needs to dedicate to any new or different products. Of course the basic reason is that there would be little efficiency gained in developing a whole new line of mining excavators when like models already exist within the Bucyrus portfolio, from the RH90 up to the RH400.
The mining excavator programme was seen as somewhat of an offset to the jobs the Aurora plant is due to lose when Caterpillar moves its small to mid-sized excavator line to Texas in 2013. Aurora has been the exclusive place for production of US-made excavators by Caterpillar since 1972.
Hydraulic excavators
It has been a busy year for Liebherr, having opened its new factory and development centre dedicated to mining excavators in Colmar. After an investigation of the best location for the factory, a final decision was taken to have it in close proximity to the existing plant and adjacent to Colmar’s regional airport.
The capacity of the new facility is some 200 machines annually (both diesel and electric). The company plans to manufacture 211 units in 2011, which may increase further to 250 units should demand warrant it. The facility produces eight mining excavator types, from the 6.8 m3 bucket R9100 through the 7 m3 R984C; the 15 m3 R9250; 18 m3 R9350; 21-22 m3 R9400; 26.5 m3 R995; 34-36 m3 R996B and 42 m3 R9800.
The 800 t R9800, which was six years in development, is Liebherr’s newest and largest mining excavator and three have now been built, two for contractor Thiess and a third for another customer. In its Autumn 2010 newsletter, Thiess published a dedicated article on the first unit it received which has been working at Peabody Coal’s Burton Downs operation since December 2009. As of October 2010, the new R9800 had operated for 4,500 h with no major problems and faster cycle times of under 30 seconds. Thiess itself has stated that it is achieving a 30% improvement in production versus the 660 t Liebherr R996.
Thiess’ General Manager for Plant Bruce Kenny commented: “The R9800 will deliver us a lower unit cost per bank cubic metre of overburden, which means added value for our client…. we were looking for technology that would improve production by 30 percent and this is what Liebherr has been able to do by starting from the ground up and with an understanding of our operational requirements. The initial testing looks extremely good, as we are exceeding that target at times.”
The productivity gains are not just down to the extra 10 m3 available in the bucket, but also the improved cycle times, which have been reduced compared with the R996. All drive system components have been developed in-house within Liebherr, and the entire hydraulic system optimised to ensure maximum circuit efficiency in order to improve cycle time performance. The R996 can load a nominal 230 t truck in four cycles, so the goal for the R9800 was to do it in three.
Outside Liebherr’s largest market of Australasia and Indonesia, growth markets include Mongolia, where there are already two R996 machines at SouthGobi Resources Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine with a third R996 due for delivery by 2012.
Source : http://www.im-mining.com
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