On April 23, Caterpillar dealer Barloworld Mongolia successfully organised a key delivery ceremony of equipment at Khuren Tolgoi Coal Mining LLC in Gurvan Tes, Umnugovi. The new fleet includes a Caterpillar 395 excavator, three Caterpillar 777 dump trucks, a Caterpillar 988K wheel loader and Mongolia’s first next generation Cat 6060 hydraulic mining shovel in face shovel configuration which will be used to load larger overburden Cat 793 haul trucks already running at the mine.
Khuren Tolgoi Coal Mining LLC has been operating since 2002 and has a leading position in the mining industry in terms of coal export, sales, tax payment, benefits of projects and programs implemented in the framework of social responsibility, and contribution to economy. It says it is a transparent and responsible mining company that strictly implements the policy of environmentally friendly mining in its operations, plus values labour protection and safe operations.
It was originally established in August 2002 and commenced operations in April 2003. However by December 31, 2019, it transitioned into a fully nationally-owned corporation with 100% domestic investment. Subsequently, on August 4, 2020, the company was officially listed as ‘Khuren Tolgoi Coal Mining’ in the State Register.
The Cat next generation 6060 has multiple design enhancements and new components that the OEM says advance machine performance, durability, serviceability and operator comfort. It features updated engines, optimized hydraulics, heavy duty structures and undercarriage, Cat electronics and a state-of-the-art cab. The new shovel is also fully integrated into Caterpillar product support systems for efficient Cat dealer services.
The 600 t class mining shovel has a bucket payload of about 61 t per pass in both face shovel and backhoe configurations. Twin Cat 3512E engines are optimised for high performance, fuel efficient operation and increased durability. The efficient engine and optimised hydraulics enable 10 to 15 % better fuel efficiency compared to the previous face shovel model. For reduced maintenance, engine oil and filter change intervals are doubled to 1,000 hours. Structural, undercarriage and slew ring upgrades help maximise uptime and productivity and lower cost per ton.
To boost longevity, the Cat undercarriage features heavy duty rollers, idlers and tracks, along with a revised track tensioning system. The superstructure frame, face shovel and backhoe attachment structures have been redesigned to reduce structural repair and extend service life via increased plate thicknesses and geometrical improvements.