Founded by managing director Mike de Kock in 1997, M Civils has its roots in construction, with a particular focus, during its early days, on road building and civil infrastructure development in general. However, from the onset, the mining sector formed a large part of its client base. Over the years, the company has executed some flagship greenfields mine development projects for most of the major mining houses, mostly within its Rustenburg domain.
Given its proximity and exposure to mining houses, establishing a contract mining arm of the business was only a natural step in its growth trajectory. Leveraging this foothold in the mining sector, the company secured a materials handling project from one of the major mining houses some five years ago, where it has proven its mettle with good quality service.
Based on this favourable track record, three months ago M Civils was awarded a major opencast mining contract by the same mining house at a greenfields chrome mining project in Rustenburg. With a 13-year life of mine, the project will see M Civils producing 90 000 tonnes (t) of run-of-mine (ROM) chrome per month, initially for the next five years.
When M Civils went into the market for the hauling gear to execute this contract, special consideration was given to ADTs. Site manager Mpho Ramalepe explains that articulated haulers fit the bill for the mining conditions, where seams are dipping at 10-12 degrees on average.
After a rigorous due diligence, the company looked no further than Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE), placing an order for 12 new generation A40 units, which were delivered in early June this year, just ahead of the official launch of the range in southern Africa.
While M Civils was not necessarily the first company to sign on the dotted line for the new generation ADTs, Rob Baker, sales representative at Babcock, the Volvo CE dealer in southern Africa, confirms that the company marked a significant milestone by becoming the first recipient of the new range in the region.
Delivering the goods
When Quarrying Africa visited the site in early August, the 12 A40 units were hard at work, deployed to haul both waste and ROM material from the newly-opened pit to the designated waste rock dumps and ROM pads, over 1,7-2 km distances. At the time of writing, the haulers – which work 12-hour shifts – had already clocked between 600 and 700 uninterrupted hours, delivering the goods as per the client’s expectations.
“Despite the fact that we are still in the early stages of mining and that the surfaces are still very much flat, we have already been impressed by how quick these haulers are, even over challenging terrain, which affords us faster cycle times and ultimately greater productivity,” says Ramalepe.
Vincent de Kock, contracts manager at M Civils, has been particularly impressed by the fuel efficiency. “Fuel consumption to date ranges between 10 litres per hour, when running with overburden, and 14 litres per hour, when loading chrome, which by its nature is heavy due to its specific gravity, typically between 4,5 and 4,8,” he explains, adding that these figures might change in future as mining conditions become tougher.
When designing the new generation ADT range, says Baker, Volvo CE cast a special focus on fuel efficiency, and the first units in the region are already demonstrating exactly that. The new generation range marks a significant technological leap forward thanks to innovations such as the new electronic system and an in-house developed transmission, delivering fuel efficiency improvements of up to 15%, depending on model and industrial application.
Feedback from the operators has been positive. According to Ramalepe, operators have praised the enhanced comfort through redesigned cabs with better ergonomics, visibility and noise reduction, as well as features such as heated/cooled storage and improved controls. They also benefit from features such as advanced traction control and smoother hydraulic operations for increased efficiency and productivity.
“Our operators have previously driven other ADT brands in their careers, but there is a general consensus among them that Volvo is the gold standard in ADTs. The comfort levels are unmatched,” says Ramalepe.
Why Volvo?
Having previously run other ADT brands, this transaction represents the first time that M Civils has bought Volvo ADTs. The decision to go the Volvo route, says Reino de Kock, COO at M Civils, was motivated by several factors. “There are a few aspects that we look at when making such a big-ticket purchasing decision. Firstly, the product must be cost-competitive and, secondly, it must have a strong aftersales regime behind it,” he says.
While Volvo is a premium product that commands a premium capital price, Reino De Kock says focus is not necessarily on the upfront price only, but the total cost of ownership (TCO). Understanding the TCO of equipment, he expands, is fundamental in making strategic buying decisions. Based on this approach, M Civils did not only consider the initial purchase price of equipment, but also all costs associated with operation, maintenance and eventual disposal over the entire lifecycle, which justified the Volvo decision.
“Once a product has been identified, the second factor is the aftermarket support behind it,” says Reino De Kock. “Every good product is only as good as its support. In Babcock, the Volvo CE product is supported by a reputable dealer in southern Africa. Strong aftermarket support is crucial for the success of our operations – it minimises costly downtime, extends equipment lifespan, reduces TCO and improves operational productivity through expert technical support, timely parts delivery and a proactive maintenance regime.”
Other factors
From a product point of view, one of the factors behind the decision to opt for the 39-t A40 ADTs from Volvo was the availability of an interface kit from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), which facilitates the integration of Level 9 Proximity Detection Systems (PDS)/Collison Avoidance Systems (CAS) from any third-party supplier.
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) made the Level 9 CAS compulsory through a gazette published on December 21, 2022, making it law in South Africa. This legislation requires trackless mobile machinery (TMM) in mines to automatically detect pedestrians, warn operators and pedestrians of each other, and, if necessary, automatically apply the brakes to prevent collisions.
“The biggest benefit of dealing with an OEM with its in-house Level 9 interface is seamless integration. Volvo CE has its own OEM interface, which reduces compatibility, a common issue when using third-party interfaces,” says Reino De Kock.
According to Baker, the cutting-edge interface kit from Volvo CE offers customers greater flexibility in choosing their preferred PDS solution. “With this innovation, Volvo CE has reaffirmed its commitment to driving advancements in safety technology while prioritising customer needs and satisfaction,” says Baker.
Another feature of great interest to M Civils was the Haul Assist with On-Board Weighing, a Volvo CE system that provides real-time payload data, aiming to increase productivity, efficiency and reduce wear and fuel consumption by preventing underloading and overloading. Powered by the Volvo Co-Pilot display, this integrated system measures the hauler’s load in the body, offering features such as work order management, precision loading and detailed production reporting.
“The importance of payload management in our operations cannot be reiterated enough, which is why the On-Board Weighing system from Volvo was a major consideration for us. The system provides us with real-time payload information which can help to eliminate carry-back and overloading; the result is peak productivity, reduced fuel consumption and less machine wear. External lights provide a visual guide to assist the operator of the loading unit in achieving the nominal load,” says Vincent de Kock.
Based on the performance of the ADTs to date, as well as an array of features of interest, M Civils has placed an order for 12 more A40 units. At the time of writing, the new fleet of machines was due for delivery by mid-August. “As we ramp up production, we are looking forward to receiving another 12 A40 units, which we will deploy on the same project,” concludes Reino De Kock.
