Bell B30E 4x4 ADTs deliver significant advantages for Afrimat

New machines burn less fuel and reduce wear on haul roads, leading to increased production and profit

QUARRY owners and aggregate suppliers will tell you that producing products at the lowest cost per tonne is non-negotiable. The production cost is influenced by several factors such as the cost of load and haul equipment, fuel, personnel, maintenance, and the fact that most quarries only operate in the daytime.

When taking all this into account, a haulage vehicle that can shorten cycle times, burn less fuel, and reduce wear on haul roads – all of which ultimately lead to increased production and bottom-line profit – sounds good.

Afrimat are a JSE-listed mid-tier mining and materials company known for consistently delivering exceptional results. The Afrimat Group comprises Construction Materials, consisting of aggregates, concrete-based products, cement and fly-ash; Industrial Minerals, consisting of limestone, dolomite and industrial sand; and Bulk Commodities, consisting of iron ore and anthracite.

In addition, the group’s Services segment consists of external logistical and mining services, and the Future Materials and Metals division consists of phosphate, vermiculite, and rare earths.

The group’s mining and quarrying activities are carefully planned and monitored using a substantial fleet of yellow machinery to achieve sustained and profitable production.

Adriaan Lategan, Afrimat’s physical asset management lead for mobile equipment and an innovative thinker, said: ‘During our 2023 budgetary planning, we knew we had to budget for a number of replacement haulage vehicles in the 30-tonne class, which is the size of the articulated dumptrucks (ADTs) we use a great deal in our quarrying operations.

‘We have a well-established relationship with Bell Equipment and the company’s proven Bell B30D and various sizes of E-series ADTs. We were, however, aware that Bell Equipment were supplying a B30E 4×4 ADT to the European market and this haul truck, with its two axles, intrigued us for a number of reasons.

‘We were fortunate to have use of one of these machines, that was destined for Europe, for a day or two in 2020 and it gave us several pointers that would later prove it would be the correct machine for many of our quarries in the future.’

Mr Lategan mentioned that due to the Bell B30E 4×4 having only two axles, its turning circle is much tighter than that of a six-wheeled machine. There is also less scuffing on the road, which augers well for longer tyre life and less wear on the haul roads.

‘The operation at our Lyttleton dolomite quarry, located next to the Waterkloof Air Force Base, features a very long, but deep and narrow void, with many sharp turns on the haul roads. This caused considerable scuffing of the rear axles, particularly on the centre axle of our traditional six-wheeled Bell ADTs. Scuffing induces a lot of strain through the drivetrains, which we noticed when analysing their differential and final drive oils,’ he explained.

In July 2023, Mr Lategan and his team ordered eight Bell B30E 4×4 ADTs, all of which were delivered by the end of the year. Four of the new Bell B30E 4×4 ADTs have been swapped with incumbent Bell B30E ADTs and moved to other operations. One was placed at Afrimat’s Marble Hall Mine in Limpopo and the remaining three were delivered to an Afrimat quarry in Durbanville, in the Western Cape, where the haul route also includes tight turns.

‘Bell Equipment are currently the only OEM producing trucks that are Level 9-ready, meaning the vehicles can accept the installation of PDS (proximity detection systems) anti-collision systems without modifications, which is something the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) is increasingly strict on,’ added Mr Lategan. ‘And we gain further reassurance from buying the equipment with 36-month/6,000h warranties on the wet drivetrains.’

‘Since their arrival at Lyttleton Quarry, the Bell B30E 4×4 ADTs have made an immediate impact on our production, especially in terms of shortening cycle times, although they carry the same loads as the 6×6 model ADTs, which is on average 28 tonnes,’ said Jon Gunter, Afrimat’s fleet manager at the quarry.

‘Having a slightly shorter body length that is offset against the wider body of the bin, and no centre axle, these Bell B30E 4×4 ADTs are definitely negotiating the sharp turns in our quarry much better than their 6×6 three-axled predecessors and have comfortably shaved off one minute on a 10min cycle.

‘One other important fact we noticed from the start was that the B30E 4×4 ADTs were also lighter on fuel, which has a direct effect on a lower production cost per tonne of any material they move,’ he said. ‘Added benefits would be less scuffing on our haul roads and the trucks’ tyres promising longer tyre life, even though the four tyres cost the same as a set of six on the Bell B30E 6×6 ADTs.’

At the time of writing, Afrimat’s four Bell B30E 4×4 ADTs working at Lyttleton Quarry had clocked between 600h and 700h each, which would see them totalling around 1,800h a year. ‘We deploy Bell Equipment’s Fleetmatic telematics, which gives us valuable production and technical feedback, but even more valuable is the attention to detail and care we receive from Bell Equipment’s product support representative, Willy Winter,’ said Mr Gunter.

‘Willy calls on us regularly as a matter of routine and is never more than a phone call away. His advice and technical knowledge are only matched by the care he has lavished on our Bell machines, especially the new Bell B30E 4×4 ADTs.’