A Motherwell-built Rokbak RA30 hauler is transporting hundreds of tonnes of rock a day at a site in Victoria which provides construction materials to locations around southern Australia.
Aerolite Quarries supplies scoria and basalt-based construction materials to Melbourne and the surrounding area.
Described as a very light honeycomb volcanic rock, scoria is said to possess a high strength rate as well as low tonnes to cubic metre, allowing more product at less weight to be delivered. The crushed rock is used for road base and overpasses throughout Victoria.
Aerolite Quarries purchased the RA30 from Porter Group, Rokbak’s global Parts Dealer of the Year. Since arriving on site, Rokbak revealed it has demonstrated its efficiency working in a constant circuit, going back and forth between the fixed plant and mining area.
“We are flat out all the time,” said Aerolite Quarries general manager Trevor Bartlett. “We’ve done a lot of projects where we are supplying 50 or 60,000 tonnes over a time of a period of months, hence the need for more and more equipment.”
Covering 1,800 hectares, Aerolite Quarries contains two scoria quarries and a basalt bluestone quarry. Excavators fill up the RA30, which takes the material across a distance of 100m to be processed at one of two fixed crushing plants. Aerolite has two large fixed plants which process between 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes per plant per day.
Rokbak explained that the RA30’s advanced articulated steering system allows for ‘greater manoeuvrability’ while navigating challenging terrains and confined spaces, while the visibility has been singled out for praise.
“The vision and the cameras are very good,” Trevor added. “There are no blind spots, so the drivers can see everything, which is critical for us. The side mirrors are big, the camera works exceptionally well and the view through the windows in all three directions is perfect for us. And the driver’s seat is adjustable, so it doesn’t matter whether you’re 5’.2” or 5’.10”, you get great visibility.
“The seats are air cushioned, so you can bounce up and down with them. It doesn’t matter how bad the roads get. The cabin is almost like an independent capsule if you like – the driver comfort is fantastic.”
Paul Douglas, Rokbak MD, commented, “Our brand name stands for power, performance and reliability. It’s a name that reflects that we’re a skilled, experienced and passionate team with a growing reputation. We are committed to making rock-solid haulers every day, and will never waver on our promise to always support our customers and deliver powerful and reliable machines.”
