Mining Magazine > Panorama > First sales of Atlas Copco Coaltram

Mining services group, Diversified Mining Services Ltd (DMS) has made its first delivery of the Australian-made Atlas Copco Coaltram CT10 underground coal utility vehicle. The DMS Underground division sold three Coaltrams to Donaldson Coal for use at its Hunter Valley mines near Maitland, New South Wales. The sales follow more than three years and AU$25 million of R&D. Formal approval for use by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries was achieved in May, 2009.

DMS Managing Director, Terry Young said: “The partnership between DMS and Atlas Copco is an enormous asset to this business that has taken many years of painstaking work to develop. With approvals now received in Australia, and international approvals for the Coaltrams expected soon, we are confident that this business will continue to grow strongly and broaden our revenue base.”

The agreement with Atlas Copco allows DMS Underground division to produce and supply the world coal market with the Coaltram vehicles, which will be sold and supported in Australia and New Zealand exclusively by DMS Underground and internationally through the global Atlas Copco network.

The low-profile vehicles, in combination with a variety of interchangeable attachments, can perform a wide range of utility functions underground including loading, lifting, materials handling, drilling and bolting, longwall shield relocation, cable handling, grading and dozing.

The two models – the CT13 and smaller CT10, were developed by a dedicated team of seven engineers and over 20 support staff over a period of three years, with all of DMS’ designs and modifications approved by Atlas Copco.

DMS general manager, Craig Anderson commented: “The Coaltrams incorporate new technology, safety and operator comfort never before seen in an underground coal environment. They are also fitted with the latest electronically controlled Tier 3 based low emission diesel engines, with greatly reduced diesel particulate matter and are more compact than comparable vehicles yet provide excellent stability due to their low centre of gravity.”

DMS was formed in 2007 to establish an alternative supplier for large-scale mining operations in the Australian coal industry, where the services sector remains highly fragmented and dominated by small to medium-sized companies. Under share purchase agreements, DMS acquired six separate businesses through a combination of debt and equity. These are; the Anderson Group of Companies, Ausgroup Industries, Ausscaffold, East Coast Engineering, AllSteel Fabrications and MachineTek Engineering.

Most of the businesses are focused on servicing the coal industry, with a particular focus on Queensland’s Bowen Basin and some operations in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. DMS businesses already hold preferred supplier status with a number of major mining companies.