Ten years ago, to meet increasing demand, France’s Aramine decided to design with its engineering department two different 15 t underground mining trucks. This led to the manufacture of two models called the T1601C and T1601M, with 15 t to 17.5 t capacity. Developed for small to medium scale underground operations – with their 2 m width – both T1601 models Aramine says perfectly match sections between 12 to 18 m2 and even fit within 3 m x 3 m galleries. Operator compartments are totally different for each version: canopy for the M version or rubber mounted cabin for the C version – but they are both designed to offer the best comfort and ergonomic for the driver.
These two trucks were designed with a special dump box, engineered with a strong welded structure, angled corners for better protection, smooth interior for easy ore unloading and a rear duck tail to avoid material spilling during tramming. Aramine offers one mechanical version – called the T1601”M” – equipped with a F8L-413FW V8 Deutz air-cooled engine, and another electronic version – T1601”C”, designed with a full CANbus system and equipped with a Cummins Tier 3 CE CMSHA engine (and also available with a Tier 4 Final/Stage V version) .
The two trucks have been operating all around the world for the past nine years with improvements suggested by customers. Now, Deutz has announced they are to stop manufacturing the air-cooled engine during 2021, thus preventing Aramine from manufacturing the T1601M version. “As many customers love this easy-to-maintain fully mechanical version of Aramine 15 t mine truck, Aramine decided to launch one last production of this air-cooled version. Orders have to be confirmed by Aramine before end of 2020 and customers will be served within eight weeks for express purchase order this month or in early 2021 if an order comes in September or later this year.”
The company says the Aramine T1601M mine truck is a very reliable, easy and smart engineered machine, designed with no electronics to make maintenance easier. The operator is side seated for better visibility in both directions. Driver can easily operate the machine with mechanical gearshift and electric pilot control. Aramine also offers an optional 17.5 t X-tram Cap which includes larger wheels 16,00×25 & width 2150 mm.
Customers can choose to add an optional mechanical tailgate on dump box to increase capacity and avoid material spillage on grade and/or an optional telescopic dump box for low back height unloading or back filling application. After 2020, only the T1601C version will be available with a Tier 3 or Tier 4 Final Cummins engine and different types of dump boxes or cabins.
