Redesign focused on safety, ease of maintenance and standardization
Marcotte Mining Machinery Services Inc. of Sudbury has unveiled a new mobile utility carrier, the RAM40, and sold its first unit, a scissor lift, to JDS Energy and Mining of Vancouver for a project in Mexico.
“We wanted to focus on three key areas, one being safety and ergonomics because there’s a big push in the industry for improved line of sight and clear visibility,” said general manager Alicia Woods. “We also focused on ease of maintenance. We really wanted to improve access to filters and components, and wanted all maintenance activity to be performed from ground level because we don’t want the guys or girls to have to climb up on the machine to do any maintenance work.”
The third area of focus was standardization.
“We wanted to come up with one carrier that would be common across the entire utility fleet. That meant one front end with a common dashboard, common electrical panel and common component locations for a number of reasons. One is so that the operators are familiar with the entire range of equipment, so if they’re operating a scissor lift and move to a crane truck, they’re familiar with the dashboard layout.”
Standardization also reduces the inventory mining companies have to carry and speeds manufacturing and delivery of new equipment to customers.
The carrier was designed to accept various powertrain configurations, including both high and low horsepower diesel engines, the new Tier 4 diesel, as well as a battery-electric drive package.
“That was key because, if a customer buys a diesel powered unit and wants to convert to battery power, the unit is able to accept it,” said Woods.
Marcotte has teamed up with Siemens to supply its battery-electric drive packages.
“Siemens has 20 plus years of experience in the industry,” said Woods. “They have more than 900 trucks in operation in open pit mines and they’re on almost every mine site with their broad range of products, meaning they have local service and support, which is key for us.
“As mines go deeper and have challenges with ventilation and heat, battery power is the way to go. We’re excited to have a partnership with a company like Siemens. We’re strong believers in forging relationships with experts in their respective fields and Siemens is a perfect fit.”
Aside from the scissor lift, the RAM40 can also be configured as a crane truck, an emulsion or ANFO loader, a fuel/lube truck, a shotcrete sprayer or personnel carrier.
Marcotte consulted industry representatives and its own employees to assist with the redesign of its carrier.
“The team is really proud of it,” said Woods. “We engaged everybody and I think it makes a big difference with everyone involved and able to have input, even down to the colour scheme and the naming of the carrier.”
RAM stands for Raymond Arthur Marcotte, the founder of the company and Woods’ grandfather.
