The importance of productivity, be it in construction or mining, cannot be overemphasised. In construction, productivity is a vital component of any project; without it projects are delayed and budgets quickly become overwhelmed.
Given that the industry’s fundamentals remain challenged in the short to medium term because of the lack of meaningful infrastructure development projects, particularly in South Africa, it is important for both project owners and contractors to pursue productivity/efficiency improvements.
The same goes for quarries and mines, where operators have in recent years obsessively focused on productivity gains. The industry’s equal focus on productivity and efficiency ensures that output increases over time, costs decrease, resulting in profitable operations, even during quieter periods.
One area where these industries are seeking to improve their productivity and control costs is in equipment selection. For example, one of the growing trends in both construction and mining is the increase in demand for 8×4 axle configurations in tipper trucks, confirms Mike Hawkins, Senior Manager: Commercial, Ever Star Industries.
In an exclusive interview with Quarrying Africa, Hawkins says the trend has taken root in the past two-and-a-half years. In fact, Ever Star Industries has seen its sales of 8×4 tippers double during that period. Traditionally, the 6×4 axle configuration has always been the best seller, but due to recent growth, the 8×4 now represents 50% of Ever Star Industries’ extra-heavy-duty sales.
While the 6×4 stock continues to be in demand, Ever Star Industries has three months’ worth of back orders on its 8×4 line-up, which means customers have to wait for up to three months for their new 8×4 trucks. “The demand has caught us by surprise this year,” says Hawkins.
Why 8×4?
“The major reason behind the shift from the 6×4 to the 8×4 is the latter’s favourable cost of ownership. The 8×4 offers a much higher payload than the 6×4, yet fuel consumption is pretty much on a par between the two. This is why it makes sense for both construction and mining operators to go the 8×4 route,” explains Hawkins.
To provide context, a Powerstar 6×4 truck offers a 12-t payload on a 10 m³ tipper, while an 8×4 provides a 17-t payload. Barring the two-tyre difference (a 6×4 runs on 10 tyres and the 8×4 with 12), the servicing costs of the two vehicles are generally the same, increasing production capacity over a 6×4.
Commenting on the preferred configurations, Hawkins tells Quarrying Africa that the 8×4 is used mainly as a tipper truck in South Africa. However, in the rest of Africa, customers prefer it for water tankers for dust suppression purposes in mining and construction.
Expansion on the cards
Ever Star Industries currently offers its Powerstar VX 4035 in the 8×4 segment. Powered by a 350 horsepower (hp) Weichai Euro 2 engine, and the model has been one of the company’s flagship products for years.
To address the need for more power in arduous construction and mining conditions, the company will be launching its Powerstar VX 4042 model powered by a 420-hp Weichai engine this year. The model retains all the features of the existing Powerstar VX 4035, but benefits from a larger engine for more power.
“The Powerstar VX 4042 will make its debut in the next two months. We expect the model to gain quick traction, especially in an environment where customers demand more power to make light work of their tough applications,” concludes Hawkins.
WATCH: Mike Hawkins discusses the growing increase in demand for 8×4 axle configurations in tipper trucks.
