Doosan Construction Equipment has announced several new developments in the company’s DA30 and DA40 articulated dump trucks (ADTs) aimed at increasing safety and productivity for mining and quarrying applications. The Doosan range of ADTs features an articulation hinge positioned behind the turning ring to provide equal weight distribution even during maximum turning and ensure full contact between the tyres and the road surface. Doosan states: “The trucks also have an exceptionally flexible and agile undercarriage incorporating a free-swinging rear tandem bogie that further guarantees permanent 6-wheel drive for equal power distribution and excellent driving performance in difficult terrain. The sloping body design also enhances the stability of the trucks thanks to its low centre of gravity and allows fast and easy tipping, even in the most demanding conditions.”
The group adds: “The combination of the forward turning point, the unique tandem bogie and the sloping rear frame results in ‘best in class’ rough and soft terrain capabilities and avoids the need for electronic aids such as traction control…the new Levelling Meter developed by Doosan to meet increased safety requirements in the quarry industry will help to raise the safety bar even further.” The system utilises rotation sensors installed on the front and body of the truck, which provide a continuous stream of data which is converted into clear graphical readouts on the control panel giving the status to the driver, telling them whether or not it is safe to drive the truck forward and to stop if there is a danger of turning the body of the truck over.”
Other safety features being added by Doosan are Lexan headlight guards providing improved protection when working on applications in poor light or at night. These systems have long lifetime components requiring less maintenance. The company is also offering a limited maximum speed option for improved safety particularly in the mining industry. To complement the safety features of Doosan ADTs, the company has developed new systems to provide immediate fault detection in several languages. “Providing immediate fault indication via larger symbols on the control monitor for greater visibility, the new fault detection systems also offer full trouble shooting to reduce downtime for the end user. In addition, the fault detection systems have easy to update software to safeguard future truck performance.”
Doosan has also developed a new Payload and Cycle Count Meter for the DA30 and DA40 ADTs. The new system utilises load sensors on the front and body sections of the machine which provide an immediate readout on the cab’s control monitor of the payload with an accuracy of +/- 5%. The load is registered and counted in the Vehicle Control Unit if the weighing value is at least 3 t. To avoid more than one registration per load the next registration is not possible before the vehicle has travelled more than 50 m or after a timeout of 3 minutes. The data can be downloaded to a USB memory stick or sent as an attachment by GPS. The data is in Wordpad format and can be easily identified and tracked by assigning it with a unit serial number. A new Economy mode developed by Doosan controls the engine rated speed on the company’s DA range ADTs automatically when it is activated. It is ideal for fuel saving on long distance haul roads. The new improved powertrain and electronics on the DA30 and DA40 models allows Doosan to decrease the rated speed for the engine, and work with optimal power and torque to further improve fuel efficiency.