Spotlight Feature Articles Joy Global Undergroud Load and Haul June 16 | Page 13

UG LOAD AND HAUL

The RDH Muckmaster 600EB with charger
performs better” says Gustavo Portalier, Chief
its LHD line in mining through regional dealers,
Operations Officer at RDH. “When the diesel
similar to a Caterpillar approach, instead of
engine is eliminated you also eliminate
relying on a few of its own sales reps to travel
associated maintenance, oil changes, filters, and
globally. The range still includes machines from
fuel costs. The cost of charging a battery is about
the 3.5 t class SFL35 with air-cooled (and
20% of the cost to fill up the tank with diesel.
integrated axial-flow blower) DEUTZ D914 L6
Add in the costs saved by the reduction in
engine, up to the 18 t SFL180 with watercooled,
ventilation requirements and the health and
turbocharged and aftercooled Cummins QSM11
safety benefits and mines can achieve significant
engine. The models between these are the SFL60
savings.” Due to its success with its Evolution
(which includes flameproof and XLP models),
line of battery powered
equipment and increasing
demand, RDH is currently
developing a 1 m3 capacity
The new Schopf SFL35 is used in tunnelling
loader for narrow vein mining.
operations in Switzerland as well as some
mining applications
Battery powered equipment is
especially suited to address the
specific challenges narrow vein
mining faces – limited space,
ventilation challenges, and
limited capital budgets. This
Muckmaster 100EB will be
introduced at MINExpo 2016.

SFL65 and SFL140.
Paul Moore spoke to the Managing Director of
Schopf, Hubert Schaller, also on the Goldhofer
Board of Directors. He comments: “Our machines
are simple in design and easy to fix in operation,
with diesel engines and electrical not electronic
controls. They offer reliability and don’t need a
laptop to diagnose problems.” Schopf has
machines running in mines in Turkey, Russia,
other former CIS nations, Chile, Peru and South
Africa amongst others, and says the simplicity is
key to success in these mining markets. Key
customers include in Kazakhstan ENRC Group, in
Turkey the Koza mine, and in Mexico Contratista
de Obras Mineras.
The previous small machine was the SFL60 at
6 t capacity but customers wanted a smaller
machine with 3.5 t, as well as a lower cab, which
became the SFL35. “A major reason for this
demand is low commodity prices. The big mines
are struggling with costs in many cases but
smaller, nimble mines with lower overheads can
operating more profitably and they need fewer
and smaller machines.” The SFL35 is running in
mines in Mexico and Turkey as well as a
tunnelling project in Switzerland. IM

Schopf new horizons
Germany’s Schopf, since 2013
part of Goldhofer AG, the
transport technology and
airport vehicle group, says it
has changed its strategy to sell

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JUNE 2016 | International Mining