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Local manufacture of Gravico-branded surface mining equipment to be launched this month

15th November 2013

By: Chantelle Kotze

  

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The production of a new range of Gravico-branded aftermarket attachments for surface mining equipment is expected to start this month, after officially being launched onto the Southern African market last month.

Medium- to heavy-duty mechanical components fabrication, manufacture and refurbishment specialist DCD Venco has been appointed as the African manufacturing partner by Netherlands-based surface mining aftermarket attachment specialist Southwest Group for its Gravico brand of products.

“DCD Venco was selected as the local manufacturing partner of choice for Gravico, owing to its large manufacturing capacity and excellent reputation for quality and reliability,” says Southwest Group MD Louw Kriel.

DCD Venco, a division of international manufacturing and engineering company DCD, can fabricate and manufacture components of up to 50 t for original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which ranges from dump trucks and bulldozers to wagon tipplers, mills and power station components.

The Gravico attachments will be manu- factured exclusively at DCD Venco’s 25 ha production facility in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal.

DCD Venco and Southwest Group have agreed to jointly pursue the opportunities in the mining industry through mutual cooperating to jointly enter the market and establish the Gravico brand of products.

The main area of focus for Gravico will be to supply a high-end range of competitively priced attachments for equipment that is used during the excavation and extraction processes in surface mining projects, says Kriel.

DCD Venco GM Willem Maré says the attachments will initially be manufactured according to the orders placed. “We have an in-depth understanding of the local mining market, which enables us to provide the end-user with maximum value in terms of optimisation, we will be flexible to suit each individual project portfolio.”

Kriel foresees that the companies will undertake engineered-to-order products, which will be designed on existing base designs.

The Gravico brand of surface mining aftermarket attachments will include backhoe buckets and front shovel buckets varying in capacities from 7 m3 to 52 m3; wheel loader buckets, with capacities of 10 m3 to more than 20 m3; dump truck bodies varying from 80 t to 363 t in payload capacity; and the flagship dragline buckets, with capacities of 30 m3 to 105 m3, as well as dragline rigging, he says.

The Gravico backhoe bucket designs, which feature an improved top box for fatigue life improvement, are suitable for retrofitting to Caterpillar, Komatsu, Bucyrus, Hitachi and Liebherr equipment. The buckets can be designed to include several wear package options, while the lip system can either be cast or fabricated.

The wheel loader buckets are suited to retrofitting to Caterpillar, Komatsu and Letourneu wheel loaders and can be used in coal-loading, rock-loading and stockpiling applications. Several wear package options are also available.

The Gravico dump truck bodies are designed and manufactured to OEM specification for use with Caterpillar, Komatsu, Bucyrus, Hitachi and Terex dump trucks. The truck body design includes a rigid structure for fatigue life improvement.

The flagship dragline buckets are available in three capacity sizes – small draglines, with a 31 m3 to 32 m3 capacity; midrange draglines, with a 45 m3 to 69 m3 capacity; and large draglines, with a 76 m3 to 105 m3 capacity. The buckets are suited to M0850, BE1370, M8200 and BE1570 machines.

The dragline buckets have a lip tooth centre line angle of 25°, which is completely cast. The hitch has a single hitch hole, which is horizontal and movable to accommodate different-sized buckets and different applications. The sides of the buckets are angled outwards, with 12° each side that taper to include side walls.

The buckets’ gutters have a large radius to prevent carry back.

Further, the dragline rigging or chains are shaped to prevent snagging and kinking. The chain has no sharp angles to improve gradual wear, and the chain is greased, shotblasted and painted before delivery.

Maré points out that the company holds several compliance certifications, including ISO 9001, ISO 3834, ISO 14001 and OSHAS 18001, which exceed local industry benchmarks.

“These certifications ensure an excellent return on investment for several high-profile end-users that require the highest standards of quality in efficient turnaround times,” he says.

Intellectual property in the manufacturing sector can take many years to develop, and Maré adds that lead times have been dramatically reduced as a direct result of DCD Venco being named as the official manufacturing partner of Gravico attachments.

According to Kriel, the design objectives of Gravico is to ultimately reduce long-term ownership and operational costs for the end-user. “Although the initial purchase price of a Gravico surface mining aftermarket attachment may not be lower, the highquality design and competitive warranty, as well as the extended maintenance and repair intervals, will ultimately result in long-term savings.”

As investment in the African mining sector continues to increase steadily, Kriel is confident that the Gravico brand will obtain measurable market share.

“Consistent growth in the African mining sector has prompted a spike in the demand for aftermarket attachments. Given the combined expertise and experience of the Southwest Group and DCD Venco in this sector, I believe that Gravico will prove to be a strong competitor in the near future,” he concludes.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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