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CAT AUTODIG SHOWCASED AT MOOIPLAAS [February 2007]
PPC Aggregates’ Mooiplaas dolomite mine near Erasmia has opted for Caterpillar’s innovative Aggregate Autodig system on its fleet of six Cat 962H wheel loaders to help it meet the burgeoning demand for construction materials in the ramp-up to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.
“We opted for the Cat Aggregate Autodig system as it ensures the wheel loaders perform optimally, as well as reducing operator fatigue and improving site safety,” Gideon Ehlers, PPC Aggregates’ engineering manager, says. April Kekama and Thomas Senatla, both operators at PPC’s Mooiplaas operation, maintain that the Cat Aggregate Autodig feature makes their task that much easier.
Mooiplass operator Thomas Senatla, engineering manager Gideon Ehlers, production foreman Andre Visagie and operator April Kekama.
“The Cat 962H is quick to respond and easy to operate. The cab is also very comfortable and spacious,” Kekama says. Senatla adds that the wheel loader is extremely robust and durable, while Andre Visagie, production foreman at Mooiplaas, says the Cat 962H wheel loaders are tough workhorses up to the challenge in this arduous operating environment.
Two Cat 962H wheel loaders in operation at PPC Aggregates’ Mooiplaas operation near Erasmia.
Cat Aggregate Autodig utilises an on-board computer to control bucket-and-boom movements, in addition to the loader’s acceleration, as the machine charges a pile and fills and loads the bucket. “This permits the operator to concentrate on steering, while a full payload is guaranteed every time,” says Visagie. “It also gives the operators the confidence that they are performing optimally at all times.”
Cat Aggregate Autodig is simply switched on by selecting one of three operating modes. Two are factory settings, while the third is a custom ‘record-and-playback’ setting that can duplicate an operator’s best practice. This optimises both operator-machine productivity and efficiency. Additional Caterpillar innovations such as its Payload Control System can be used in conjunction with Autodig.
A cab monitor is used to track payload weight, storing the information for later download or for on-the-spot load tickets with an additional printer. This system allows an operator to load exact quantities of material and keep trucks moving regularly through the yard.
PPC Aggregates’ Mooiplaas operation has boosted its capacity by 30% over the last two years. “With major 2010 infrastructure projects like the stadia and the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project finally getting underway, we expect the demand to increase even further, and are busy with additional expansion in order to be able to cope,” Ehlers says.
PPC Aggregates’ Mooiplaas dolomite mine near Erasmia.
The Mooiplaas dolomite mine, which falls under the Aggregates division of Barloworld group company PPC Cement, has a second quarry operation about 15 km away at Laezonia. The fleet of Cat 962H wheel loaders will collectively move about 2.5-million tons of aggregates a year, which equates to 600 truckloads a day.
Ehlers explains that PPC Aggregates’ Mooiplaas operation has gradually replaced its older 966F loaders with the new-generation Cat 962Hs as the former reach the end of their long service lives. Four Cat 962Hs, supplied by Barloworld Equipment, are already in operation. The remaining two were delivered in February. The units already in operation have achieved an impressive reliability of 95%, says Ehlers.
Caterpillar’s new H series wheel loaders replace the older GII series with the latest Acert engines. These meet European Stage 3 emissions regulations. In addition, Caterpillar used the opportunity to introduce new value-adding features to its wheel-loader range. The combination of the new engines and a new load-sensing hydraulic implement system improves cycle times, increases lift force by 20%, and boosts fuel efficiency by 5% compared to previous models.
The Cat H series comprises four new loaders. Net power ranges from 147 kW to 214 kW, operating weights from 18 500 kg to 25 800 kg, and bucket capacities from 2.7-4 m3 to 3.8-5.5 m3. Features include new electro-hydraulic implement controls, with simultaneous lift-and-tilt capabilities, that give operators more controllability with less effort and greater productivity.
Pretoria Portland Cement Company Limited (PPC) established the first cement plant in South Africa in 1892. It is the leading supplier of cement in South Africa, with eight manufacturing facilities and four cement depots in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Together these facilities are capable of producing over six-million tons of cementitious products a year.
Barloworld Equipment is the official Caterpillar distributor in southern Africa. The new H series, launched officially in mid-2006, is fast making an impression among customers in a range of applications from Aggregates to coal and run-of-mine material.
“Customers have responded enthusiastically to the new H series due to its value-adding features that enhance productivity and reduce maintenance and service costs. This is a premium series of wheel loaders that can boost the productivity and bottom line of our customers,” says Mark Senyard, Barloworld Equipment product manager.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Model Net Power kW Operating Weight kg Bucket Range m3
950H 147 18 500 2.7-4.0
962H 158 19 600 2.9-4.3
966H 195 23 900 3.5-4.8
972H 214 25 800 3.8-5.5
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