Training

New rigid takes over from ’60s fleet

As the first new truck at the quarry in 30 years ? and replacing two mid-1960s trucks ? it is impressing everyone at the site.

Hanson?s Glass House Quarry produces about 400,000 to 600,000 tonnes of intermediate igneous rock each year, with the material used for a wide range of applications, including roadworks, civil construction, rock for stabilising steep batters and housing development sites.

Material is transported as far south as Brisbane and as far north as Nambour.

In addition, Hanson uses the quarry aggregates for its own concrete plants in the region, at Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosa, and also into northern Brisbane.

According to Craig Stevens, the quarry manager at Glass House, the HD605 is loaded by a Komatsu PC600-7 excavator, which is the primary face loading tool.

The quarry also has a WA500-3 loader that is primarily used as a sales loader for aggregate, roadbase and rock but can also work as a back-up machine if the excavator is down.

?The HD605 has a haul distance of about one kilometre, over a reasonably flat haul road,? Stevens said.

?Our crushing plant?s capacity is about 350 tonnes per hour and with the single truck and excavator, this pairing can comfortably keep up.? He said there were a number of reasons why Hanson went with the HD605 at Glass House Quarry.

?We have an ongoing relationship with Komatsu and one of the reasons we went with the HD605 is that we can utilise it with other Komatsu loading tools on our site,? he explained.

Since taking delivery, Stevens and his team of operators have been very impressed with the HD605.

?To start with, it?s our first new truck in 30 years at Glass House,? he said.

?Before this, we just had a couple of little 1964-era trucks ? and the technology has definitely come a long way.

?It?s giving us magnificent performance, and fantastic driver comfort. It?s just beautiful to drive and includes payload scales so the drivers know when they have a full load from the digger.

?Since we had it delivered, there have been no problems at all. The truck itself is beautiful.

?We also have a very strong relationship with Komatsu Australia. Every two months we have a meeting between our quarry managers in the region and Komatsu people are invited to these.

?Things are just getting better and better, especially their back-up service, which is now going very well.

?We work with Komatsu?s Sunshine Coast branch here and they are very good. We?ve known them all for a lot of years so that makes things very easy.?

Source: Komatsu Australia

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