Underground mining equipment and parts specialist, Aramine, has over the years created its own range of tailored machines for its customer base, which has how led to the creation of its own 15 t mine truck, the T1600, largely inspired by the Atlas Copco MT416. Thanks to Aramine’s rebuild and remanufacturing activity, the company knows the MT416 inside out, including its strengths and weaknesses, which has driven its engineering team to its own design, described as “a worthy offspring of this machine.” Aramine states that “the T1600 will soon become an essential machine in the mining industry as it offers a lot of advantages in five fundamental areas. The watchwords in the design of the T1600 are maintenance and reliability, ergonomics, security and performances.”

Firstly, the new truck has a low maintenance cost and is very reliable. The engineering team has worked hard to develop a machine “with a low maintenance cost and a really easy upkeep. This is the result of the use of well-known spare parts and components.The T1600 was designed with 90% of reliable spare parts and components that have already proven themselves. Our engineering team has also anticipated all the major maintenance operations in order to facilitate this process when the time comes.” Moreover, Aramine has decided to use single stage cylinders to raise the boom in order to lower the breakage risk and cost. For purists of simplified versions, Aramine also offers a mechanical version without any electronic parts to survive the most demanding projects and the toughest mining conditions.

Regarding ergonomics, the T1600 has been designed to facilitate manoeuverability and offer the best driving comfort possible. The cabin is in front of the truck with a forward seated operator to offer a great visibility. Moreover, the T1600 is equipped with LED work lights, which provide a more homogeneous beam and a high light intensity while being more resistant to machine vibrations. The compact and robust lights have an increased lifetime of 10,000 hours. To add even more operator comfort, Aramine has located the operator seat in the most stable place of the truck with each control at the user’s fingertips and a high comfort seat meaning less fatigue for the driver. In order to help the driver experience, the team has selected an efficient Orbitrol direction system with a steering wheel that offers an enhanced driving feel and very good manoeuverability. The T1600 is also equipped with a reverse camera and has the option of a soundproof enclosed cabin.

Finally, all T1600 machines are equipped with a strong canopy which is ROPS/FOPS certified (same for the optional enclosed cabin). The posi-stop brakes are spring applied and hydraulic released in each wheel. This efficient and simple system guarantees an immediate emergency stop of the truck in case of any problems whether the vehicle is empty or loaded, and on flat or sloping grounds. Other options include an engine braking system, a rear tailgate to avoid spillage and an onboard weighing system for better control of production.