Blue skies ahead for MMC with Volvo A40G

30th Volvo machine for mining contractor

To mark Mbuyelo Mining Contractors’ purchase of their 30th Volvo dump truck, Babcock presented the mining contractor with a uniquely branded Volvo A40G articulated hauler, sporting MMC’s signature blue and company logo on the ‘nose’ of the truck.

MMC has been steadily increasing its fleet of Volvo Construction Equipment over the last six years and has purchased 28 Volvo A40G articulated dump trucks and two other Volvo machines for its mining operations in Belfast, Hendrina and Delmas.

Part of the Mbuyelo Group, a well-established ‘home-grown mining giant’, MMC’s blue-sky thinking has seen the company expanding its mining contractor operations over the last decade. Kurhula Bilankulu, engineer at MMC, explains that the company started off by purchasing rebuilt machines for mining operations, until it was able to purchase its own new machinery. Today, MMC has a capacity of moving 1.3 million cubes of material all with its own equipment.

Bilankulu cites value for money, reliability and fuel efficiency as some of the reasons for their continued support of Volvo ADTs. “The Volvo A40G ADTs are ideal for open-cast mining as they are powerful enough for going up the ramps at steep gradients. One of the standout-features is the stats analysis software system installed in the machine, which enables us to improve on efficiencies.”

He confirms that the machines have been performing very well, with an achievement of 85% availability on average. He also says that the back-up and support received from Babcock, as well as a full end-to-end offering including finance options and servicing, has played a significant role in building a strong relationship between the two companies.

“We have received excellent technical support from Babcock, and meet with the Babcock technical team monthly to align the expectations between ourselves and Babcock,” says Bilankulu.

Sales Representative for Babcock, Mark Barrett, says ensuring that expectations are aligned is at the company’s core objective of collaborating with its customers to identify what they really need in order to deliver better outcomes.

“The word ‘Mbuyelo’ means ‘returns’ in Xitsonga, and we are committed to ensuring that MMC’s investment in the Volvo A40Gs bears returns,” says Barrett.

Babcock, the exclusive distributor of Volvo Construction Equipment in southern Africa, is currently ranked one of the market leaders in ADT sales and holds in excess of 40% of the 40-tonne ADT market share in southern Africa. Designed for heavy hauling in severe off-road operation, and renowned for long service life, quality, reliability and durability, Volvo A40Gs continue to be popular in the open-cast mining sector.

50 years after creating the ADT concept, Volvo has maintained the honour of producing the best hauler line-up in the world, but that hasn’t stopped it from trying to make the best even better. The latest features on the A40G ADTs aim to boost productivity, comfort and safety with a new Optishift function to make loading and dumping easier and faster; cruise control for more comfortable long hauls and bumpy roads; and downhill speed control.

These features, together with the world-renowned Volvo engine, Volvo drivetrain, Automatic Traction Control including 100% differential locks, all-terrain bogie, and hydro-mechanical steering, all combine to create a powerful machine that can handle heavy-duty workloads while delivering high fuel efficiency and superior hauling applications.