GHH has been awarded a Red Dot Product Design award for its new 42 tonne underground dump truck.

The MK-42 can carry up to a maximum of 45 t with the dump truck tray capacity ranging from 19 cu.m up to 24 cu.m.

What’s more, the truck comes with a best-in-class power rating of 460 kW. It also has a class-leading turning radius and dump angle (of 68°) for improved performance and less material adhesion in the tray, the company says.

“The truck boasts optimal traction and higher driving comfort thanks to oscillating articulation and a front axle suspension system,” GHH says. “The MK-42 has a large, ergonomic ROPS/FOPS certified safety cabin with high performance air conditioning and air filtration. The pressurised cabin is noise and dust isolated with no high pressure hoses inside, and includes a strategically placed trainer seat for on-the-job operator training.”

GHH, together with Studio Heikki Naulapää Oy, created the baseline methodology and design philosophy for the MK-42 from which the GHH team developed the truck.

“This dump truck has been designed in collaboration with operators and miners in order to ensure the most fit-for-purpose product with best-in-class operator comfort and safety in mind,” the company said.

“The powerful, rugged product design lends itself not only to an extremely comfortable ride, but also provides for high productivity while maintaining low operating costs. The truck is strong on the inside and, through advanced industrial design, is also visually extremely appealing on the outside with the clear product colouring providing for maximum visibility in underground mining/tunnelling operations.”

On those companies receiving a Red Dot award, Red Dot CEO, Professor Dr Peter Zec, said: “The winners of the Red Dot Award have proved that they have created excellent products worthy of winning an award. The products won over the jury not only through their aesthetic, but also thanks to their incomparable functionality. With their designs, the award winners are setting new standards in their industry. I wish to congratulate them most sincerely on their success.”

The Red Dot Award: Product Design offers designers and manufacturers from all over the world a platform for assessing their products. In 2020, designers and companies from 60 countries entered more than 6,500 products in the competition, according to Red Dot.

The international jury comprises experienced experts from different disciplines and has been convening for around 65 years to select the year’s best designs.

The adjudication process lasts several days and is based on two essential criteria: the jurors test all of the entries for the aesthetic and materials selected, the level of craftsmanship, the surface structure, ergonomics and functionality.

“After intensive discussions, they make a decision on the design quality of the products,” GHH explains. “True to the motto, ‘In search of good design and innovation’, only the best designs receive an award.”

On June 22, the MK-42 material will be added to the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany, where materials from all the award-winning products will be on show. The MK-42 will also feature in the online exhibition on the Red Dot website.