Plant Equipment and Hire June 2018 | Page 9

WORLD NEWS 5 000th assembly of Cat 793 mining truck With the recently completed assembly of the 5000th Cat® 793 mining truck, Caterpillar data shows that the momentous production figure far surpasses the manufacture of any other brand of 250-ton (227-tonne) size class truck. Truck number 5 000 represents the fifth generation of the 793, which has been in production since 1991. During a ceremony at the Decatur, Illinois, USA, manufacturing facility, Jean Savage, Caterpillar vice-president with responsibility for the Surface Mining & Technology Division, said: “The 793 mining truck is the core of Cat surface mining vehicles,” adding that the 793 has been an integral part of making Caterpillar the leading supplier of surface mining equipment. Sudhanshu Singh, global product manager: large mining trucks, added: “The success of the 793 supports our belief that it is the most productive and cost-effective mining truck in a wide range of applications,” and added that the 793’s success is a direct result of collaboration with customers, Cat dealers, and cross-functional teams within the Caterpillar organisation. “Our very first 793 truck, placed in service 27 years ago, is still in service, delivering best-in-class cost per ton,” Singh added. The 5000th 793 unit will be delivered to a mining customer in Australia, where some of the largest numbers of 793s are operating, as well as in North America and South America, where the trucks work to mine iron ore, copper, coal, gold, and other minerals. Built for durability, one of the longest-running 793s was built in 1992 and has accumulated 173 000 operating hours — nearly 20 years equivalent — as it works in a mine in the US. The most recent generation, the 793F, has been the truck of choice for autonomous operation. More than 100 793F trucks are now operating via Command for Hauling, the Cat autonomous truck operations system, which is part of Cat MineStar™. Most of the autonomous trucks are operating in iron ore mines in Western Australia, though Cat autonomous truck fleets are growing in South America and North America. Interest in autonomous haulage continues to grow, because Cat autonomous trucks have delivered productivity increases of more than 20% while improving safety and reducing costs. Cat autonomous trucks have hauled more than 800 million tons (700 million tonnes) since the first such trucks started working about four years ago. Built for durability, one of the longest-running 793s was built in 1992 and has accumulated 173 000 operating hours. JUNE 2018 7