More Volvo machines for Banks Mining

Mining operator upgrades fleet with new equipment, including two Volvo EC300D excavators

BANKS Mining have continued their association with Volvo Construction Equipment with the acquisition of five A40F articulated haulers, two EC220D excavators and two EC300D models rigged with bespoke front-shovel coal equipment.

The latest assortment of machines has been delivered to Banks Mining’s Shotton Surface Mine, near Cramlington, Northumberland, as part of an upgrade to the company’s existing fleet. The new A40F dumptrucks are being deployed to haul overburden from the more difficult areas on site where access and manoeuvrability are harder for larger rigid haulers. The Volvo ADTs – which feature 24 cubic metre bodies with a 39,000kg load capacity – are powered by a Stage IIIB-compliant Volvo D16 low-emission engine with a gross power rating of 350kW.

While Banks continue to have a long association with Volvo articulated haulers, choosing models from Volvo’s excavator range was a new departure for the mining operator. ‘We had scrutinized the marketplace to evaluate was what was available but based on the overall package on offer from Volvo, and the high availability and reliability of the haulers, decided to put their excavators to the test,’ commented Andrew Bennett, procurement manager for Banks Group.

The new 22-tonne EC220D excavators have been supplied in standard backacter configuration, along with two 30-tonne bespoke EC300Ds. With the former working to clean off the last layers of overburden to expose the coal which can lie in seams ranging from just 4in to over 4ft thick, the EC300D excavators are used to load coal into high-bodied coal haulers.

The machines have been converted to face shovel configuration by Messrs Kocurek of Ipswich and feature a bespoke 5m long boom, 3.4m face shovel arm and 1.8 cubic metre capacity clamshell bucket. In this configuration, the EC300D provides a generous forward reach of 9.25m and a load over height of 5.75m.

Heavy-duty guards have been fitted to the cab windows and the clamshell bucket is operated by a X1 two-way proportional valve. Both EC220D and EC300D models are powered by Volvo Stage IIIB-compliant, low-emission engines developing 129kW and 170kW, respectively. The engines utilize precise, high-pressure fuel injectors, turbocharging and intercooling, as well as advanced electronics to optimize machine performance.