core sector communique

DMS COALTRAM TAKES THE MARKET BY STORM AS ENSHAM TAKES THREE

Mining services group Diversified Mining Services (DMS) continues to score success with its locally-manufactured Atlas Copco Coaltram utility vehicles with Ensham Resources recently purchasing three new Coaltram CT10 vehicles for their underground operations in Emerald.

Since launching to the market early last year DMS has now sold more than 30 vehicles and has indicative orders for a further 25 more over the next few months.

DMS Underground Coaltram General Manager Craig Anderson said the vehicles were quickly becoming the underground diesel vehicle of choice for the Australian mining industry.

“After a long research and development phase we couldn’t be happier with the response and the demand from the industry,” he said. “Sales to date have exceeded our expectations and we are now ramping up production to ensure we can meet the demand.”

Other customers choosing Coaltrams over other machinery include Centennial Coal, Donaldson Coal, BHP Illawarra, BMA Queensland, Mastermyne, WDS Contractors, NRE Gujarat, Xstrata QLD, Xstrata NSW, UGM Contractors and most recently Ensham Resources.  The Coaltrams are produced in Beresfield near Newcastle by DMS.

Ensham Resources Principal Engineer Mining Graham Morris said the company selected the Coaltram CT10 because with its greater lift height, good visibility and engine emission controls it was best suited technically to the operating conditions expected in its new bord and pillar operation.

“We look forward to them coming into operation in the near future,” he said.

Mr Anderson said the high level of demand for the vehicles had justified the company’s decision to invest in a long-term research and development phase.

“The Atlas Copco Coaltrams are Australian vehicles for Australian conditions and the industry is quickly realising the competitive advantage they provide in delivering long term cost savings, as well as productivity and efficiency gains,” he said.

“The Queensland and New South Wales coal industries have really embraced these vehicles and the more we put into the market the more demand we are receiving. We are well advanced with our plan to double our production capacity over the next 18 months to satisfy customer demand.”

Mr Anderson said other articulated LHD vehicles used in Australian underground coal mines have had minimal changes or improvements in the past 10-15 years.

“With a Tier 3 electronically controlled engine and the onboard MONEx management system the Coaltram offers significant advantages for future vehicle tracking and uploading of operational critical data to be integrated automatically into the existing mine site management systems,” he said.

DMS, an unlisted public company, was formed in May 2009 with the merger of five well respected and successful mining services businesses. The merged businesses were Anderson Group of Companies (the Coaltram vehicle designers), Ausgroup Industries, Ausscaffold, East Coast Engineering, AllSteel Fabrications and MachineTek Engineering. In December 2010 DMS further acquired Induspray Australia and Valley Scaffold in the Hunter Valley.