Location, Location, Location
It’s those rugged ground conditions that make ADTs so useful, but their adaptability contributes to their popularity on other jobs. Historically, scrapers were used on many of these difficult jobs—and are still in use on some jobs today—but the ADT has increasingly become a popular choice of machinery.
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Although the majority of mining applications still use rigid trucks, ADTs are being seen more often. In addition to overburden removal at mines and quarries, Sollitt says they are ideal for road building, site preparation, reclamation projects, and transporting fly ash at coal-burning power generation facilities. “Versatility is what makes these trucks so popular.”
And the list goes on. Thomas says articulated trucks are used on greenfield sites as well as for subdivision construction, detention ponds, highway projects, and hydroelectric dams. He points out that they were used to build canals (Suez and Panama expansions).
ADTs are a good choice on “any kind of job where you plan to move a certain amount of dirt,” says Hydrema’s Binder, from small site development to massive excavation jobs. But, he concludes, “you can’t make a rigid [truck] efficient on a small job, and you won’t use small ADTs on a big job. That’s not changing.”
The Long Haul
“On job sites where well-maintained haul roads exist, rigid trucks tend to be a more ideal fit,” says Sollitt. “Hard-packed, well-maintained roads are best suited for rigid frame trucks.”
And they’re perfect for applications at surface mines or large sand, gravel, or rock quarries, he explains. “Since these types of applications are usually longer term, it allows time for roads to be established and maintained,” he adds.
Because they are heavy rear-wheel drive trucks, they typically perform better on hard-packed, well-maintained, well-drained haul roads, emphasizes Caterpillar’s Thomas. “Rigid frame trucks work best on grades of 10 to 15% or less.”
They’re the best choice for applications with few roads and long travel distances, when a large volume of materials is involved or quick load times are required, when hard ground and a long, flat, maintained road is available, says Gilchrist. Those conditions and requirements are typically found in mining, quarry, and road building applications. “That’s where you see a long haul on flat roads at high speed,” he says.
Look at the application: If it involves a massive amount of material and requires fast cycle times, it’s likely that you’ll want a rigid frame truck with a larger hauling capacity. These rear-wheel-drive trucks are capable of longer hauling distances at higher speeds that put too much wear and tear on an ADT, explains Graves.
The Payout on Payload
As Sollitt mentions, rigid dump trucks are used on jobs when increased payloads, faster travel speeds equating to faster roundtrip travel times, and reduced owning and operating costs are critical. “The key advantage rigid trucks have over arctic trucks is carrying capacity,” he says.
Komatsu America’s mechanical trucks haul between 40 and 158.9 tons, where as their articulated trucks have capacities of 30.9–44.1 tons. The capacity of Komatsu’s electric drive, rigid dump trucks ranges from 200–360 tons.
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Articulated trucks are limited on payload when compared with rigid frame trucks, elaborates Thomas. Caterpillar offers trucks from 40–400 tons. The choice “really depends on the material, length of the project, haul road conditions, loading tool, and how much production a customer is looking to achieve on a daily basis.” He says that most rigid trucks are put to work on a long-term project (longer than five years) where the increased payload helps to achieve the daily production requirements of the customer.
In addition to providing larger payload capacity than articulated trucks, Komatsu’s rigid trucks have a tight turning radius that makes them maneuverable in constricted work areas. “This is made possible by the MacPherson strut front suspension design that pulls the front tire away from the mainframe,” explains Sollitt. This suspension design also provides a comfortable ride for the operator, in addition to a wide, stable stance, resulting in a higher steering angle.
But, while rigid frame trucks have been known for their payload for years, Thomas says Caterpillar’s ADTs are catching up. “Rated payload capacities for the new models are 36, 42, and 45.2 tons, with
all models replacing their B Series predecessors. The new 745C’s 1.7-ton capacity increase—compared with the 740B’s capacity—combines with its faster cycle times for significant production gains.”
To keep track of that payload, Komatsu articulated dump trucks come standard with a payload management system. The system is fully integrated into KOMTRAX, Komatsu’s telematics system, so daily production reports can be monitored from any computer with Internet access or the user’s handheld device.
Cat’s Connect Payload technologies for the 735C, 740C EJ, and 745C offer Cat Production Measurement as an option. This allows operators to measure and deliver accurate payloads to boost productivity, lower costs, and prevent the potential for overload damage. When used with Cat Connect LINK technologies, data can be accessed through an online user interface, enabling customers to assess performance and productivity data and make timely decisions about their fleet.
Common Ground
Komatsu’s mechanical drive rigid frame dump trucks are designed to deliver high production with lower operating costs, combined with safety, reliability, durability and ease of maintenance for applications across quarrying, mining and heavy construction throughout Australia. Across the range, our mechanical drive dump trucks have the highest horsepower and engine retardation in their classes, combined with outstanding fuel efficiency and the most comfortable cabs on the market. Our advanced transmission systems include the Komatsu Traction Control System and the Automatic Retard Speed Control system, which allows the operator to easily set downhill travel speed limits on even the steepest inclines, so they can fully concentrate on steering – even when carrying a full payload.
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