Streamlined loading

LHD loader line – safe and reliable Merging two product lines resulted in the best of two worlds. Meet the new streamlined LHD loaders from Sandvik.

Published: 7 March 2012

Sandvik’s new LHD loader line, featuring machines with capacities ranging from 1 tonne to 25 tonnes, incorporates new safety and reliability features into every product in the range. The result of a merger and streamlining of two separate product lines, Toro and EJC, the new LHD loaders were designed with the customer in mind.

Tech Spec LHD Line

Improvements introduced with the new LHD line include:

Vehicle Control and Management (VCM) system: onboard diagnostics and troubleshooting for reduced downtime based on CANbus technology as well as simplified user interface by use of interactive display.

Advanced electrical system: wiring harnesses with Deutsch DT connectors for increased reliability and ease of service.

Redesigned operator cabin: easier access, improved visibility, efficient air conditioning, lower noise level.

Unified systems: joint electric and hydraulic systems throughout the line for ease of maintenance.

Improved cooling – higher ambient temperature capabilities, longer component life.

Load-sensing hydraulic system: reliable piston pump delivers power only where and when needed — more power but less wear on the entire system.

Stronger bucket to increase bucket life.

Safety: ground level daily maintenance, three-point mounting and dismounting, fall-protection systems, fire prevention.

Drawing on key requests identified in Sandvik’s Global Customer Roundtable, the product range has several focus areas: safety, reliability, durability and operator-friendliness. Riku Kesäläinen, global product line manager, loading and hauling, says some of the tangible effects of the improvements, based on input from customers around the world, are more uptime and less maintenance.

“We have the most productive products on the market if you consider how many tonnes our customers can get out of the machine per hour,” he says.

By maximizing uptime, the LHDs allow underground hard rock mining customers to boost their productivity. The reliability of key systems, especially electrics and hydraulics, has also been a major focus. Specific upgrades include the introduction of the advanced Vehicle Control & Management (VCM) System, which enables enhanced features and utilizes a simplified system design.

For example, an LHD typically has more than 800 electrical connections. But on the Sandvik LH514, the number of connections has been reduced to about 150 by switching to CANbus technology. With only 150 connections, failures are much less likely than with 800 points of connection.

Moving more, faster

The true test of a machine is how well it functions in the field. Sandvik’s new LH514 proved itself during a four-month trial at Palabora mine in South Africa in mid-2007. Success at underground block caves such as Palabora depends upon efficiency at every step of the way.

“Trackless mining also demands a tight relationship between the mine and the equipment supplier. There has to be a mutual understanding of each other’s problems and a respect for each other’s knowledge. This is why Sandvik is one of the suppliers to this mine,” says mining maintenance manager Ronald du Toit.

Palabora was so impressed with the performance of the LH514 during the four-month test period that it purchased the trial model, and immediately ordered a second machine.
“The LH514 has proved itself a very reliable machine and a nice progression on the Toro 1400,” says Matthew Gili, Palabora’s general manager for underground operations. “It is a robust machine and stands up to hard use.”

“When it comes to the electronically controlled LHDs, we have introduced a CANbus-based control system,” says Olli Koivisto, LHD product line manager. “In addition, we made improvements in the machine electrics. We paid a lot of attention to developing a highly reliable electric system for these new upgraded loaders that complements the electronic control system.”

The electronic control system has allowed Sandvik to more easily introduce safety features, such as interlocks, into the loaders. “It also brings the benefit of having only one display unit in the cabin, so the user interface is a lot simpler and more interactive than it used to be,” Koivisto says. “A single display panel communicates all the necessary information about the loader to the operator. Any alert appears as a pop-up window. It makes it easier for the operator to focus on making the tonnes.”

Furthermore, using the same parts on all the machines means improved maintenance. “There are fewer parts, which means less stock and less complicated ordering practices for maintenance,” Kesäläinen says.

In addition, the same control system software works for all the loaders. “It’s easy to upgrade the software,” Koivisto says. “When we release new patches, it’s simple to upload those to the control system of any of these loaders.”
The control system also incorporates onboard diagnostics, making it easier to identify and locate any potential problems. “It saves a lot of time in troubleshooting, which translates into productivity improvements and uptime,” he says.

Operator comfort, which means improved performance and productivity, has also been a focal point, with features such as air conditioning, sound insulation, vibration reduction and ergonomic controls. “We’ve really paid a lot of attention to creating a good working environment for the operators,” Koivisto says.

The LHD loader line was put to the test in the toughest conditions at Phalaborwa, in South Africa’s Limpopo province, where the Rio Tinto-owned Palabora Mining Company operates a massive underground block cave operation to mine copper and magnetite.
“In the case of Palabora, it’s a block cave, so their production is dependent on LHDs,” Kesäläinen says. “The cycle time and reliability of the LHD are the key factors in their productivity.”

At Palabora, due to improved machine control and operator ergonomics, the LHD was able to reduce its normal cycle time, contributing about one extra bucket of ore per hour. “That’s a lot of buckets in a year,” Kesäläinen says. “It all adds up when you calculate it based on the fleet number.”

Koivisto adds, “In addition to improved cycle times, the electric system proved to be very reliable and the onboard troubleshooting extremely helpful.”
Charlotte West

Sandvik LHDs
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