[metaslider id=9524]The mining sector worldwide is in the phase of deploying heavy-duty mining equipment with the aim of increasing production. Therefore, for any open cast mining company with comprehensive expansion plans it becomes imperative to deploy mining machinery with higher payload capacity. Presently, India is going through a transitional phase of opening of greenfield coal mining projects with requirements to feed the upcoming coal-based thermal power plants, cement and steel companies. There is thrust in increasing underground mining, too, thus the demand for heavy-duty mining equipment is bound to grow in India.
Belaz is constantly working to improve its mining equipment and manufacture new high-efficiency dumpers and other machinery. Belaz’s flagship product is heavy-duty dump trucks, with payload ranging from 30 to 450 tonnes. Each of these dump trucks is offered as per the requirement of the customers depending on operating conditions, type of diesel engine, transmission and other chassis components.
Since 2007 Belaz has considerably advanced technologically, whereby it has introduced latest technology in its manufacturing plants which produce dumpers of very high standards, compliant with all the international norms. Practically all heavy-duty dumpers produced by Belaz are with electromechanical drives which are cost effective due to reduced fuel consumption as compared to hydro mechanical dumpers. Electromechanical dumpers are by far most environment friendly.
The recent achievement of Belaz is the launch of a 100-tonne mining dump truck with electromechanical drive. This is a unique achievement as no other manufacturer of mining dump trucks has produced similar dump trucks with electric drive till date. Due to their low fuel consumption and minimal moving parts, Belaz electromechanical dumpers prove to be very economical for the end users. Belaz is the only company in the world today which has launched a heavy-duty mining dump truck with highest payload capacity i.e. 500 tonnes which is an engineering marvel and a “world record”!
Building the brand
Despite various ups and downs in the mining sector of India, the company is working steadily towards establishing the Belaz brand in India amongst government and private customers and is optimistic towards achieving its targets. At the end of year 2013 it launched the first four units from a total lot of 10 units above 100-tonne capacity at Kemta coal mines in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. This is the first major launch of Belaz HDD in India after a gap of more than 20 years. Belaz dumper model No.75135 with payload capacity of 120 tonnes has given excellent performance in tough weather conditions of Central India i.e. during extremely hot and humid months of May, June, July and August with temperatures crossing 50 C. In a span of just five months these dumpers have clocked 3,000 operational hours, which is a very good performance by all standards.
Mining dump trucks with payload capacity of 154-160 tonnes are designed for transportation of rocks in severe mining conditions of deep pits, at open-cast mining of mineral deposits on technological haul roads under various climatic operating conditions (ambient temperatures from -50 to +50 degrees Celsius). Designed for transportation of loosened rocks on technological haul roads at open-pit mining sites under different climatic conditions, these trucks can be used in construction of large industrial structures and hydraulic facilities, in construction of highway systems as well as in technological departments of the enterprises of processing industry. Depending on relative density of the transported materials maximal efficiency is achieved during operation with excavators and loaders with the following bucket capacity: 20-30 m3.
At present, dump trucks are important transport vehicles for mining transportation in open pits all over the world and set to grow in the near future due to the expansion of open-pit coal mining operations. Open-pit mining today is done in 300-500 metre deep mines. At such depths vehicle efficiency is reduced, vehicle power consumption is higher, and environmental conditions in the pit become worse. Higher loads experienced by the dump truck systems have a negative impact on their durability. In view of this, today’s trend is to improve the dump truck design and manufacturing processes, develop and test new, high-capacity mine machinery models that are concurrent with the existing requirements to open-pit mining.
Expansion strategy
With stiff competition among mine vehicles and equipment manufacturers, mining companies prefer hardware that offers maximum productivity at minimum service cost. While having a satisfactory market share in Russia, Ukraine, China, Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa, Belaz is constantly concerned with preservation and expansion of its presence in the world market. In case of India, Belaz Enrika Mining Equipment and Services Pvt. Ltd, a joint venture company formed in 2011, has Belaz as a partner and whose main task is to provide ‘after-sales and maintenance support’. This JV has entered into an alliance with Voltas Ltd (Mining and Construction Equipment Division) which has vast experience in providing after-sales support for heavy-duty mining equipment for past several decades.
This ‘alliance’ with Voltas not only strengthens our plans to provide high quality and professional after-sales service and maintenance support for Belaz equipment in India but also gives us the opportunity to build our expertise in tough tropical Indian mining conditions. Today, Belaz dumpers in India are provided after-sales service by teams of Belaz Enrika having local as well as highly qualified specialists from Belaz along with the Voltas team.
The new government seems to have a clear road map for the country’s economic growth and power and mining sectors are the most critical areas which will play a key role in this. The Ministries of Power and Coal are coming up with new policy framework to achieve higher production targets, which is a good sign of things to come.
Today’s mining industry worldwide is going through a slump as demand from countries like China has sharply decreased. This is due to increase in domestic production in these countries. However, with global demand expected to rise, especially for high-grade thermal and coking coal, the future is not all that bleak. Till that time major mining companies have resorted to cost cutting by reducing their targets which is a normal phenomena in a demand oriented market scenario.
The company’s strategy is clearly to launch all the flagship models of Belaz heavy-duty dumpers in India which are above 100-tonne payload capacity i.e. starting from 120 tonne and reaching up to 300-400 tonnes.
Source: Belaz-Enrika Mining Equipments Services Pvt. Ltd
