Volvo Penta teams up with Sandvik for a robust application in the tough mining industry

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Volvo Penta’s new 16-liter engine is installed into the latest TH663 underground truck from Sandvik, to provide enhanced performance and cost savings. Volvo Penta has collaborated with global equipment manufacturer, Sandvik Mining & Construction, to develop an engine which is suitable for heavy-duty mining applications.

The TAD1643VE-B, which was launched last month at Bauma, has now been unveiled as the new engine for the latest underground mining truck by Sandvik. The companies worked together after Sandvik turned to Volvo Penta for help in replacing existing 19-liter engines in its TH663 trucks.

“We’ve worked with Volvo Penta on other projects and have a close relationship with them,” says Mark Ryan, product line manager for trucks, loading and hauling at Sandvik’s mining division. “Their performance, both in terms of technology and customer service is exemplary, so it was a no-brainer to ask them to help us with this machine. We needed a high horse-power engine of the right size and class, which is robust and more cost effective to install and run than the previous engines.”
Sandvik’s new TH663 underground truck, incorporating the 16-liter Volvo Penta engine, has been tested extensively, and is now in operation in hard-rock metal ore mines in Australia. They will also be available in other international regions.

“These are very harsh environments underground. The engines on our trucks need to withstand really heavy-duty cycles and continuously haul heavy loads up a steep ramp. “This is a tough application, but we’ve noticed that with the better torque delivery of the Volvo Penta engine, our trucks can haul up the ramp faster now, compared to the previous 19-liter engines we used. “It produces fewer emissions, also, which not only makes ventilation better for workers in the mines, but has an improved environmental footprint – so it’s a better option all-round.” says Ryan.

Fuel efficiency is better and as the Volvo engine is a newer and more superior design than the engines we used to have, downtime will be reduced and we anticipate that it will last longer overall. The TAD1643VE-B is compliant with US Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 2 Power Band E (which is equivalent to EU Stage II, regulation 96) and China’s NS III emissions regulations for non-road mobile machinery (NRMM). It shares common electrical and physical interfaces with Stage IIIA, Stage IV and Tier 4 Final engines. Rated power of 565kW at 1900 RPM: highest output per liter of displacement, making it the best 16-liter engine in its class.