Titanic Tipper

  

Good grounds for giants

The mammoth measuring over 20 m front to back and 8 m across moves powerfully up the switchback climbs. It carries 450 t of rubble in its tipper. Fully laden, it rumbles purposefully towards its destination at 40 km/h. The 75710 is the latest creation to be launched by the Belorussian manufacturer Belaz and has been put through its paces at the Chernigovez coal mine in Siberia for the last few months. But why did Belaz decide to make such a large and powerful vehicle when there are already so many massive mining trucks on the market? "The answer is obvious," says Rainer Pelcz, Key Account Manager for mining vehicles at mtu. "Over time, the ratio between spoil and seam volume of a mine changes. More spoil, i.e. rock that contains no raw material, has to be carried away. If fewer vehicles can do that work, the mine saves on staff and fuel," Pelcz illuminates.

  

On the subject of saving: The Belaz 75710 is the first vehicle of its kind with a twin-engine system. Its two 16-cylinder mtu Series 4000 diesel engines produce 1715 kW each. When the truck is loaded, both mtu diesel engines are at work. But when it is empty, one engine can run at idle speed, which saves fuel. The power generated by the mtu engines is transferred via two generators to four electric motors, which then drive the wheels. And there too the Titanic tipper sports a new feature: In order to transport this immense weight, the new Belaz monster has eight wheels instead of the usual four or six seen on most other haul trucks.

Two are better than one

The drive system of the Belaz 75710 has a special feature: The all-wheel drive incorporates dynamic traction distribution between the truck's two axles. If one of the electric motors should fail, the vehicle can still drive back to base in limp mode and therefore does not create an obstruction for other mine traffic or need to be towed back by a recovery vehicle. What is more, the all-wheel drive and hydraulic steering make sure that the 4-m high (!) tires to not get stuck on rough terrain. Slippery surfaces are therefore easier to negotiate and braking is more efficient.

"We know that the mtu 16 V 4000 C11 engines are enormously tough," says Vassili Shostak, Head of Sales and Marketing at Belaz. "We already use them in many other models, which is why we chose these tough and reliable engines for our latest vehicle," he continues. A noticeable outward feature of the Belaz 75710 is the much deeper front end. It allows the two Series 4000 engines to be accommodated in transverse orientation, instead of the direction of travel.

Expansion of sales and service

Belaz already uses over one hundred 16 V 4000 C11 engines in its vehicles, with a payload capacity ranging from 220 to 240 t. This gives the manufacturer a number of advantages, including tried and tested modularization and scale benefits. This means that the same spare parts, equipment (e.g.oil, filter) and hardware and software tools can be used in various types of vehicle.

"Good trucks are essential for mine operators, but they are not enough. A perfectly running infrastructure is also required," says Dennis Gering, mtu Customer Service employee and on site at the Chernigovez mine. "Day-to-day life in the mine is tough, so everything has to be right: From the fuel quality, to the large on-site workshop, right through to service, spare parts supply, training courses and regular consultation," he continues. mtu has therefore been expanding its global sales and service network substantially for many years. Incidentally, what were until now the largest haul trucks in the world, the Liebherr T282 with a 363 t payload capacity and the Belaz 75602 (360 t), are also powered by mtu 4000 Series engines.