If you’ve ever been to a mining site, you’ll know just how HUGE some of the vehicles are that miners use on a daily basis. One of these colossal pieces of machinery is the much-used articulated dumping truck, which gets loaded up with tons of earth and other matter and is used to transport and dump its payload wherever needed.
These giant feats of human engineering have truly revolutionised mining across the world, but what are the steps to take when – like any internal combustion engine – things go wrong and the engine won’t swing into action? Let’s take a look at what earthmovers are, where articulated dump trucks come in, and where to get earthmoving equipment engine repairs and refurbishment in KwaZulu-Natal:
Earthmovers Defined
What is an earthmover? The hint lies in the name, which is used to refer to any vehicle or piece of machinery used to dig up and/or transport earth and other dug-up matter. These vehicles don’t need to be fast, though. Speed isn’t a concern here. What is most important is the machine’s ability to handle extremely heavy loads, and deliver the load to a predetermined location.
CAT 745 Articulated Truck
The primary difference between a regular truck and an articulated truck is in the axle. Articulated trucks feature more than one axle, meaning they can articulate in ways regular, single-axle vehicles cannot. Think about freight trucks pulling a load. There is an articulation point between the cab and the trailer, making it easier to manoeuvre the vehicle.
One of these remarkable pieces of machinery is the CAT 745 Three-Axle Articulated Dump Truck. With an impressive CAT C18 engine, this earth-moving equipment is big in size – and big under the hood. See some of this vehicle’s CRAZY mechanical specs here:
ENGINE
- Engine bore: 145mm
- Engine stroke: 183mm
- Displacement: 1 litres
- Peak torque: 2558 Nm
- Gears: 9
- Top speed: 55km/h
- Gross power: 381kW
WEIGHTS
- Rated payload: 41 tons
- Total loaded: 74 tons
CAPACITIES
- Heaped: 25m3
- Struck: 5m3
Engine repairs for earthmoving equipment
Due to the very nature of the work these massive vehicles undertake, engine issues can arise from time to time. They are meant to work hard, but even the sturdiest of engines need maintenance every so often. Not only does planned earthmoving equipment maintenance keep money-making vehicles operational, but this will also avoid any loss of engine performance due to usage wear and tear.
Eagleharm Engineering is the only engine reconditioner in Durban that has the machinery large enough to refurbish almost all earthmoving engines. Our TS-1000 engine block borer enables us to bore any engine block to factory specification – regardless of which vehicle it came out of. We’re also able to collect and deliver in KZN any engine parts requiring maintenance, so get in touch with Ryan or Todd Harmsworth and ensure that your important equipment remains reliable and in optimum working condition.