AEL’s 15-Ton Trucks Addresses Customers with Smaller Operations’ Needs

AEL’s 15-Ton Trucks Addresses Customers with Smaller Operations’ Needs Johannesburg - South Africa - AEL Mining Services, an international leader and innovator in commercial explosives and blasting solutions, announced its new range of 15-ton Mobile Manufacturing Units (MMUs) engineered for customers with smaller operations.

Similar to the recently launched 20-ton MMUs, the E-15T MMU is capable of pumping or augering bulk emulsions and ANFO to produce explosives in blast holes at surface mining operations. These units were designed in response to the need by the market for smaller trucks for more cost effective solutions.

“Not all customers require big trucks. With this in mind, AEL designed and built the 15-ton trucks to assist in cost-savings, as well as easy manoeuvrability on bench. By delivering a high payload in a quicker turnaround time, the new E-15T MMUs save customers costs and time,” says Steven Burke, AEL’s Equipment Services manager.

“This was also encouraged by the success seen from the 20-ton MMUs. Since launch in late 2009, we have seen remarkable results from the MMUs,” adds Burke.

The MMUs are developed and designed within AEL, highlighting the company’s capabilities to meet its customers’ needs in various mining applications. The latest 15-ton MMUs have the capacity to pump 250kg of emulsion per minute in smaller holes and 500kg per minute in big holes.

According to Burke, the design of the 15-ton trucks is similar to that of 20-ton trucks. “We are cognisant of requirements to meet the challenges of increasing the unit's legal road mass to carry more load, while simultaneously reducing the bin mass. From an engineering perspective, we wanted to reduce the parts' count, labour hours and welding metres to fabricate the components, without compromising on quality, safety, and durability, which have been the hallmark of both our 12 and 20 ton MMUs.

"The new E-15T has a 6x6 chassis with a weight of 10,860kg. Its bins are designed according to the internationally accepted (ADR) code for transporting dangerous goods.

“We prefer the MAN TGS range, which complies with the very strict EURO 5 (MAN only brings in Euro 3 into RSA) specification regarding exhaust gas emission and EURO end cap collision protection. MAN, one of the largest manufacturers of heavy duty trucks, is a manufacturer of choice when it comes to our MMUs. The Tipper chassis in the E-15T is powered by MAN straight six common rails is turbo charged and inter-cooled six cylinder diesel engine. It generates 1700NM of torque between 900 to 1,300 RPM,” adds Burke.

The AEL 15T MMUs have been introduced in South Africa, Africa and select international markets and one is currently operating at customer’s site in Indonesia. “We manage our fleet in the field and have ensured that all the mechanical equipment is free of defect,” concludes Burke.

Issued on behalf of AEL Mining Services Limited

For more information, please contact Ivy Chamboko at AEL Marketing Services on 011 606 0000 or email ivy.chamboko@aelms.com or mark.cross@aelms.com

Editorial Contacts

Contact Nono or Lebo at P and P Communications on +27 11 447 3511