RMA Special Vehicles – South Africa – Mining Trucks, Ambulances, Security, Police Vehicles
NEWS
Rio Tinto Underground Mining Vehicles
Pretoria, 2024 – RMA Automotive South Africa recently delivered a number of custom-built Underground Mining Vehicles to the Rio Tinto Kennecott Copper Mine in Utah, USA. Located in Silverton’s automotive manufacturing zone, RMAA SA is a manufacturer of special vehicles for the mining sector and for a range of commercial fleet customers.
This recent project involves the first of its kind adaptation of six Ford Ranger 4X4 Double Cabs to be used as personnel and equipment carriers serving the underground mines.
There are a series of modifications that go into this Underground Mining Vehicle in addition to RMAA SA’s comprehensive Mining Package.
To support extreme braking under loads and on rough terrain, RMAA SA fitted a Spring Actuated, Hydraulic Release (SAHR) Emergency Braking System. This system was previously not available for Ranger and was specially developed by a South African brake supplier for these vehicles. The brake upgrade required replacing the rear drive shafts and brake hubs, installing a control system and separate hydraulic pump system to provide the braking power. The system includes an emergency stop button that cuts the engine and locks the wheels when the button is pressed.
An Ansul Automatic Fire Suppression system was installed – a mandatory safety requirement for underground mine vehicles which automatically deploys dry fire retardant to extinguish fires at source. The vehicles are fitted with Kevlar floor protection, made up of 12-layer Kevlar boards, to prevent damage and penetration by the steel bolts that are often driven over in the mine. This floor protection was designed and installed by SVI Engineering, a Ford QVM (Qualified Vehicle Modifier) Armor supplier to Ford South Africa.
These vehicles were the first to be fitted out with RMAA SA’s Double Cab Drop-Side body and a Dual Battery system with 10 spotlights mounted front and rear to provide lighting when working under ground.
The Rangers take the complete RMAA SA Mining Package, which includes adding side steps, a wrap-around bull bar, reflective tape, decals, heavy duty seat covers, a battery isolation switch, identification boards and all the usual mining accessories required for the light mining vehicle application. In the interior it includes a control panel for the Emergency Brake/Park with a warning indicator light that illuminates red when the brake is activated and green when the hydraulic pump releases the brakes at the correct pressure and once it goes over 8 bar.
Adaptations to the electrical system were equally extensive, requiring the addition of 13 ‘plug and play’ harnesses to accommodate additional electrical components: from the dual battery management system to spotlights, rear reverse alarm, 2-way radio, Deutsch plugs, amber beacon light all controlled from the overhead switches accessible from the driver’s seat position. There is also a headlight-on kit to ensure the headlights are illuminated at all times.
The sum of all these additions and modifications has delivered an extremely capable and formidable package that fulfils Rio Tinto’s stringent safety and operating criteria. RMAA SA is confident that once these vehicles have passed all their testing they will become the new standard Underground mining vehicle for the Rio Tinto Group.
About RMA Automotive
RMA Automotive is an innovative company leading in custom fleet solutions, majoring on special vehicle modifications, complex conversions, vehicle personalization and KD assembly.
RMA Special Vehicles are produced at RMA Automotive’s global manufacturing plants in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Türkiye, Dubai, South Africa, and Australia.