Following the official launch of Jet Park-based industrial equipment distributor MultiOne South Africa’s (SA’s) head office in mid-February, the company has sold more than 15 MultiOne 6 series compact articulated loaders, worth several million rand, to a local gold mining company.

MultiOne SA distributes the loaders manufactured by Italy-based manufacturer CSF MultiOne. The compact loaders are articulated, wheeled mini-loaders that serve as a substitute for more expensive skid-steer loaders.

These loaders are being used in applications, such as underground spillage loading and crosscut revamping, at the gold mining company’s West Rand and Orange Free State mining operations, MultiOne SA director Lofty van Wyk tells Mining Weekly.

“The MultiOne 6 series is ideal for these applications, owing to its size and lifting capability,” he says, reiterating the machine’s key feature of being well-balanced in terms of power and auxiliary hydraulic lifting output.

A significant feature of the 6 series is a telescopic boom extension, which enables the compact loader to lift loads further and higher into the mining hoppers, Van Wyk avers.

He adds that the machines articulate and have superior traction, which provides them with a distinct advantage to operate and clean in a conventional mining environment where there are rails and tracks, while the hydrostatic four-wheel drive enhances the loaders’ terrain-handling capabilities.

Van Wyk reiterates that the loaders’ ease of operation and capabilities prompted the mines switching to using articulated loaders instead of skidsteer loaders.

“The machines are easy to operate and maintain, and are cost effective in terms of fuel consumption and tyre wear. The predictive operating cost of the MultiOne articulated loaders are one-sixth, compared with other loaders, which makes investing in and using these loaders significantly attractive from a mining perspective.”

To date, MultiOne SA has sold more than 40 compact articulated loaders and numerous attachments to the mining and construction industries. The company’s range of more than 170 attachments include, but are not limited to, high-volume buckets, rippers, trenchers, augers, mulchers, pallet forks, jib cranes, augers, winches, graders, screeners, washers and log cutters for use in the mining, construction, agriculture, forestry and maintenance sectors.

Market Focus
While MultiOne SA currently focuses on supplying the compact loaders to the local gold mining sector, it is exploring options to supply the loaders for other underground mining applications, such as the coal or platinum sectors, Van Wyk highlights.

MultiOne SA, therefore, aims to market the 6, 7, 8, and 9 series of loaders for underground mining applications, with the MultiOne  10 series being more suitable for surface mining applications, Van Wyk explains.

However, he acknowledges the need for modifications and adaptations to the loaders’ design to meet the Department of Mineral Resources specifications regarding machinery for the underground mining sectors.

Consequently, Van Wyk suggests that modifications could potentially include new roll-over protection systems (ROPS) and falling objects protection systems (FOPS) certifications, height adjustments and fireproofing of the loaders. Nevertheless, he stresses that the loaders currently comply with selected safety specifications, such as fail-safe breaking mechanisms.

Despite the current economic slowdown in the mining sector resulting in reduced project activity, as well as the recent labour unrest in the gold and coal sectors, Van Wyk believes that such situations could create new opportunities for MultiOne: “. . . strikes could force mines to partially mechanise some critical operations on a small scale, which might increase demand for the compact articulated loaders to handle the work”.

New Addition
Van Wyk expects the new MultiOne 10.8 series compact loader – currently the world’s biggest compact loader – to be available in South Africa next month.

Key features of the MultiOne 10.8 include four-cylinder Yanmar or Kohler power plants that deliver 78 hp, a dynamic block system to ensure traction on uneven surfaces, a self-levelling double-H telescopic boom reaching 3.2 m and Level 1 ROPS/FOPS certification.

The loader has a liquid crystal graphic display with programmed service, such as a tachometer, hour meter, fuel gauge, maintenance light and light indicator, as well as an ergonomic fully adjustable suspension seat with armrests and safety belt.

It also has an auxiliary oil flow rate of 95 ℓ/min to drive the attachments. “This enables the operator to add demanding attachments, such as asphalt trenchers or mulchers, to the compact loader,” Van Wyk says.

He explains that the loader, while weighing 2.2 t, has a static, off-the-floor lifting capacity of 2.7 t (with back weights attached) – “a characteristic evident of a substantial power-to-weight ratio”. The loader, on uneven terrain, would also be able to lift loads of up to 2 t to a height of 2 m.

Growing Footprint
In addition to having dealerships in Tzaneen and Nelspruit, through agriculture equipment company Agrigear and general supplies company Conway respectively, MultiOne SA aims to partner with another existing MultiOne agent in Namibia before year-end, Van Wyk says.

Other regions of representation currently include the Western Cape, while the company also exports loaders and attachments to Angola, Botswana and Mozambique.