BELL Equipment has revealed its 60-tonne crossover concept, the B60E 4×4, has an ‘impressive balance’ between off-road performance, productivity and fuel economy.
Designed to provide a crossover to both rigid dump trucks (RDTs) and traditional ADTs, the B60E has a single rear axle instead of the more typical double axle whilst retaining the traditional ADT characteristics of all-wheel drive, and articulation steering with an oscillation joint.
Nick Kyriacos, Bell Equipment product manager for ADTs said, “The oscillation joint keeps all the wheels in contact with the ground allowing for consistent all-wheel drive performance. If an RDT fleet owner is looking for more flexibility or is forced to stop production due to unfavourable conditions, then the B60E is a great solution for them. The truck has operated side-by-side with rigid dump trucks on several sites where it has proven it capabilities. Additionally, customers running a mixed RDT and B60E fleet are able to standardise on one loading tool whilst retaining a high level of flexibility when deploying their equipment.”
In comparison to traditional ADTs, Nick explained there are customers who do not need the level of off-road ability that their 3-axle ADT counterparts provide. “In these cases, the B60E offers a level of productivity never seen before. There is negligible tyre scuffing on the 4X4 ADTs, which is a major wear point for the middle and rear axles of 3-axle trucks.
“Some of our leading customers have experienced the B60E achieving more than double the tyre life of their 6×6 counterparts in the same application. The B60E’s tyre life also exceeded that of similar sized rigid dump trucks in the same application by 60% due to a combination of its all-wheel drive configuration whilst the oscillation tube ensures that all wheels maintain even contact with the ground along the entire haul cycle.
“We have sold a number of B60s to ADT customers in various parts of the world who are running them very successfully and enjoying the increased productivity and tyre life they offer.”
Safety features on the B60E include Hill Assist, Safe Tip, downhill braking control and automatic traction control. Other standard features include auto-greasing systems, rear-view camera, onboard diagnostics, and Bell Fleetm@tic telematics with full production data reporting.
