Mining dump truck "Tonar 4525": counting cubic meters

Family of red monsters

Mining dump truck TONAR-45251

Daniil Minaev Photo by the author and Yuri Petrov

In Russia, from time immemorial, the scale of an extraordinary project was wrapped like candy in a beautiful wrapper: Tsar Cannon, Tsar Bell, Tsar Tank Lebedenko, Tsar Locomotive AA, Khrushchev’s Tsar Bomb. Family of kings! Now here is the king dump truck TONAR...

For the first time, a plant near Moscow from Gubino became interested in producing heavy-duty dump trucks 8 years ago, when a multi-link road train was created for transporting rock mass over long distances.

In 2013, the TONAR-4525 off-road mining dump truck was released. Then the plant was in no hurry to declare the car “ours,” since the cabin module and the component base had to be assembled from Yaroslavl to China.

But last year, at the instigation of ALROSA, both design approaches were combined into one, resulting in a unique multi-link mining monster. Road train TONAR-95405 of off-road dimensions as part of a hooded truck tractor TONAR-45252 with a cabin of our own production.

Adjustment for modern times

This time the company returned to the starting point and decided to also develop variants of the TONAR-4525 series dump trucks, but with its own cabin. Thus, Mashinostroitelny LLC becomes the first and only Russian company with original quarry machines of its own design.

The incentive to create the cars was Daimler AG's interest in the Russian market. At STT-2014, the concern tested the reaction of miners by presenting a 40-ton Western Star 6900XD dump truck for work off public roads. Tonar did not wait for the time when they would have to replace this import, since the market lies under their feet.

The set of solutions used in the American dump truck is widely used in the world, and in terms of weight and size parameters, layout and location of the cabin, the Western Star 6900XD is in many ways similar to the MAZ-530, which was produced in the 1950–1960s in Minsk and Zhodino. It’s even strange that for 60 years this concept was considered a dead end in Russia.

The new product, designated TONAR-45251, is made in the style of a classic American technological truck with a huge 2-meter hood. Looking at it, you expect that the interior will be made in the style of American half-stellars.

In order to climb into the brutal cabin, I cling to the chrome handrails and, using a whole cascade of steps, find myself in the cabin at the workplace.

The interior turned out to be just as brutal as in last year's TONAR-45252 - with quilted leather upholstery of the walls and ceiling, with chrome panels in which round instruments with analog scales are inscribed, and powerful heavy doors on massive hinges, which convincingly demonstrates the originality of this giant . The driver is quite comfortable in the cabin, unless, of course, he appears on public roads - it will be a bull in a china shop. There is no exoticism in the cabin - fancy controls and no lack of visibility.

A completely suspended pedal assembly and powerful power steering make it possible not to think about moving such a giant in space. On the right hand is a regular Allison automatic transmission selector with an illuminated display window and a parking brake valve. There are even a pair of specially mounted cup holders on the panel, and air conditioning is included as standard. On the upper ledge of the cab in front of the driver there is a USPVL - a device for signaling the approach of a dump truck to a power line.

Main technical characteristics of Tonar

The performance characteristics of the road train are summarized in the table:

Special prepared roads are designed for Tonar's impressive size, so it cannot be found on public roads.

Circles around the range

If multi-ton specialized quarries differ significantly from trucks in their power circuits and controls, then the TONAR-45251, with a width of about 3.5 m, a length of almost 11 m, a height of 4.7 m and a total weight of 69 tons, is perceived as a regular dump truck, only very large...

I make myself more comfortable. Armchair from Grammer with support on the back and seat cushion. The steering column is adjustable for reach and tilt. The seat belt is attached to the head of the backrest.

Now I start the engine and put my foot on the brake pedal. Next, I move the lever of the 6-speed automatic transmission to the “DRIVE” position, release the parking brake trigger and carefully, so as not to hit anyone or turn anything around, back up onto the test track.

First you need to pull it back in a straight line. “Everything here is clear and even not bad,” I thought, looking at the wide rear-view mirrors, which were pushed forward on the pillars. Next comes a small snake with a drive into rough terrain to finally estimate the turning radius. Even with an empty car, the steering wheel is a little tight and you have to rotate it sweepingly with interception until you feel the limit of the wheels' turning. However, the control is effortless, both on the pedals and on the steering wheel.

You can navigate by the right side marker, but this will not replace the driver’s eye. This is followed by the “turning around in a confined space” exercise. To better get used to the dimensions, you need to look out the windows again and orient yourself using the mirrors.

And now the most exciting thing - a straight 500 meters long and the right pedal to the floor!

As the speed increases, the emotions only increase: it seems that the bear himself on the two-meter hood is filled with strength. Acceleration 40, 45, 50, 55 km/h! The roar of Tutaev's engine turns into a solid roar, and the wheels knock dust out of the concrete. The specifics of the machine are immediately revealed: switching occurs at increased engine speeds. But the dump truck confidently continues to accelerate to 60 without yaw, and the cramped area forces you to slow down, but you really wanted to accelerate more!

Repeated runs and maneuvering allowed us to more accurately assess the driving style of this giant. The accelerator works capriciously and in a very interesting way. In order to control more than four hundred horses that drive almost 24 tons of empty dump truck, you need to carefully dose the traction. Therefore, at the beginning of the stroke, the right pedal rests a little, as if hinting, they say, you’ve definitely thought of everything, I’m sure you can handle it, then press harder, I’ll respond, don’t doubt it!

Later, returning to the parking lot, I suddenly realized that in just 30 minutes I had completely gotten used to the heavy and bulky car and was ready to go to the mine for loading right now to evaluate the ride when loaded. However, alas. These two newly built dump trucks are already awaiting customers, one in Buryatia, the other in the Rostov region. This is where drivers will gain impressions.

Family ties and dozens of differences

Instrumental measurements showed differences between the machines in all respects except the cabin. For clarity, it is better to show them in a diagram in comparison with last year’s TONAR-95405 road train for transporting rock mass over long distances.

By the way, the firstborn of this red family, a dump truck train with a truck tractor TONAR-45252, despite the skepticism of critics, was very much loved by the drivers of ALROSA, where it underwent trial operation. Piece wages depend on the tonnage and cubic capacity of the cargo transported, and the 130 tons transported in the back of a TONAR road train per trip is twice as high as that of European road trains. As always happens, behind the similar appearance of twins there are different characters and destinies. All three dump trucks are fraught with dozens of differences in configuration, detailing and technical solutions, and not all the differences are so noticeable to the eye, such as mirror pillars and optics.

At the time of the test drive, the tested coal dump truck with frame No. 41 had already been tested as Tonar-45253. We even looked at all the comments: problems with the electrics of the windshield wipers, the air conditioning fan, the antifreeze expansion tank and the tight steering wheel... Petty garage quibbles. So far, both cars, according to the designation printed on the frames, carry the index 45251OH. The second rock dump truck with frame No. 52 allows us to judge how many TONAR-4525 series vehicles, including hooded ones, have been produced since 2013. It’s too early to judge him, he went outside for the first time!

The differences also affected the chassis. Both cars differ in the design of the front beam and steering mechanisms. Taking into account the difficult working conditions, the hydraulic boosters with bipods and rods are duplicated and are located on both sides of the bridge. The tested “coal” has classic steering gears with a steering linkage. And on the rock version there is a hydraulic steering rack. Both dump trucks of the same carrying capacity are equipped with bucket-type bodies and are designed for transporting large-sized rock in quarries, but have different configurations and geometries. With a curb weight of 23.5 tons, the vehicles are capable of transporting up to 45 tons of rock.

Dump trucks Tonar

is a broadly oriented enterprise producing units for various purposes. The history of the plant goes back more than twenty years and dates back to the assembly of ordinary car trailers. Now Tonar is one of the well-known manufacturers of equipment and supplies products abroad and to domestic markets.

Advantages and disadvantages of units

The advantages of Tonar dump trucks include:

• availability of models with rear and side unloading, which expands their range of applications;
• the ability to treat bodies with anti-freeze coating (for working in difficult weather conditions);
• design adapted to domestic conditions;
• high reliability of components and a large margin of safety.

Despite the successful layout, the models sometimes have shortcomings:

• a more complex design than its foreign counterparts, making it difficult to carry out independent repairs;
• In some samples, isolated breakdowns occur during the warranty period.

The cost of transporting large quantities of bulk material is higher than rail transportation. This increases the cost of work and the cost of production.

Design features

The fundamental difference between domestic Tonar dump trucks and models from competing manufacturers is the choice between a trailed and semi-trailer design. The mining dump truck, which has a relatively low price and high technological capabilities, deserves special mention.

The load-bearing components of the units are reinforced, which improves the possibilities for their use in off-road conditions and high loads.

In order to reduce the total weight of the machine, original technical solutions are widely used, with the help of which the weight and bulkiness of components are reduced without loss of strength. This allows you to transport impressive loads without exceeding the new standards established for the maximum weight of trucks.

Safety in parking and on the move is ensured by an additional braking system. Spare wheels are located at the bottom of the tipper compartment or in the front compartment of the body. The trailed design is usually equipped with a three-axle wheel unit, which increases overall operational reliability.

The total operating weight of modern six- and five-axle Tonar dump trucks does not exceed 44 and 40 tons, respectively (usually 10-12 tons less). A large number of wide wheels reduces ground pressure and allows the units to be used even on roads with thin surfaces. The use of dual wheelsets maintains the stability of the machine when one or more wheels are punctured.

From the world by thread

Looking at the origins of the units, assemblies, instruments and components of this exclusive dump truck, it seems that the whole world has tried for the TONAR model 45251. Today, two engine options are offered. Our “coal” got an 8-cylinder 17.24-liter square Tutaevsky turbodiesel TMZ-8437.10 (piston stroke and cylinder diameter 140 mm) with a power of 425 hp. The rock dump truck received a 450-horsepower long-stroke Cummins QSZ13-450-II six, originally from China.

Two engine options:

It must be said that we did not dare to test drive a “rock” dump truck with a Cummins. The car was assembled literally a couple of days before the presentation and it is clear that not all hardware with fasteners and parts are installed - they are always placed in place. The dump truck doesn’t even have a logbook, and factory testers have yet to teach the vehicle how to drive.

Lincoln central lubrication system

All TONAR technological dump trucks are equipped with a Lincoln Quicklube centralized automatic lubrication system, which provides lubricant supply to 24 points.
Sealed equipment prevents abrasive from entering friction pairs, reduces material consumption due to precise dosage, and reduces labor costs for maintenance. This increases the service life of components such as king pins, pins, tie rods and ends, spring shackles, suspension and cabin supports. Both cars have the same gearbox – an American Allison automatic, assembled in Hungary. The front beams are distinguishable by their thickness. The drive axles are the same Hande brand from the Middle Kingdom. Braking and pneumatic equipment is built mainly on Wabco components from Germany. Body lift hydraulic cylinders are Italian, Penta brand. Many rubber goods and silicone parts arrived from St. Petersburg, from. The engine cooling system radiator, oil heat exchanger and TASPO intercooler were manufactured in Belarusian Smolevichi. By the way, it was noticeable that all the pipelines were manufactured and installed at TONAR right on site. But the driver and passenger seats bearing the Grammer brand were made in the Republic of Tatarstan, in the city of Elabuga. Tires are branded by AEOLUS, a consolidated enterprise established by the Customs Administration of the People's Republic of China.

And again a little materiel

There is no doubt that the main advantages of this specific truck do not lie in the cabin. The most interesting things here are the superstructure and chassis. But it’s worth mentioning the detailing. Many components are covered with thick metal sheets or hidden in armored boxes, such as a battery or fuel tank. The thick pillars of the rear view mirrors are impressive.

The test vehicle for Rostov-on-Don was equipped with an all-metal bucket-type body with a geometric capacity of 35 m3, intended for bulk cargo. As was said – mainly coal. On the second vehicle, manufactured for Buryatia, the body with a capacity of 27 m3 assumes the transportation of large-sized rock with large diameter fractions.

The bodies are made of steel 09G2S, the thickness of the sides is 6 mm, the thickness of the bottom is 12 mm. For lifting, a pair of underground (!) Penta hydraulic cylinders are used, both bodies are heated by exhaust gases. The loading capacity of the dump truck, as already mentioned, will be 45 tons.

The front beam is on an air spring suspension with a load capacity of 13 tons. Thick cardan shafts rotate two drive axles of the rear balancing trolley on springs with rubber elastic elements. Unlike hydropneumatic suspension, this solution is simpler, requires virtually no maintenance and operates in a temperature range from –60 to +50 °C. Drive axles – Hande 25T with inter-wheel and inter-axle locks. The design is quite traditional for a dump truck, and not only a quarry one, but also a general-purpose one. Only all the parts are larger and more massive, matching the load capacity and total weight of the machine.

Design Features

The tractor is designed for transportation of diamond rocks. It consists of two nine-meter trailers with hydraulics for side unloading and the tractor itself. The design of the TONAR-7502 road train is created according to the Australian scheme - the second one rests on the first trailer, which is equipped with a saddle.

Hidden under the huge hood of the Tonar is a six-cylinder Cummins QSK19 diesel engine with a volume of 18.9 liters, which develops about 760 hp. and thrust of 3084 Nm, at 1500 rpm. The transmission is a reinforced hydromechanical seven-speed Allison 6620, which allows the road train to reach speeds of up to 45 km/h, even when fully loaded, and 65 km/h without load. In the harsh conditions of Yakutia, the car can slip; especially for this purpose, this monster was made all-wheel drive and a 6x6 wheel arrangement was installed with center differential locks. Axles from Chinese, transfer case ZF VG2700/400.

Tonar operates a centralized lubrication system. The smooth ride is enhanced by air suspension on the front axle and elastic rubber elements on the rear. The designs were borrowed from Australian giant tractors. The intimidating design impresses with its design, which is dominated by straight lines and angles. The interior is designed laconically with competent ergonomics; inside there are two chairs with air cushions. The main emblem is the bear symbol, which can be found on different parts of the car, including on the hood. Speaking of the hood, it is simply huge; its length is more than two meters. And to fix it, a person literally needs to climb inside the hood.

The cabin was also modernized: all four cabin mounting points were installed on air cylinders. Sound insulation has been improved and the cabin is now much quieter. A new informative instrument system allows you to monitor the condition of the car, and the ability to remotely control has been added.

But in general, the design has not changed much compared to the previous model TONAR-45252. The main differences of this new product include:

• Four-wheel drive tractor;
• Rear bogie that can withstand 50t;
• Improved HANDE axles;
• Interwheel and center differentials;
• Automatic transmission.

About

Career and road, familiar and dear

This type of equipment is produced in small batches. Seeing such a vehicle on an ordinary road is like winning the lottery. They don’t stay at the factory site for long - the car is manufactured strictly to order. Now in Russia there are about 100 companies engaged in mining (excluding 6 monopolists in oil and gas production). This market is very critical and subsoil users in the regions often win tenders for the development of deposits without any alternative. To increase business profitability, mining and processing plants are trying to reduce costs not only through the purchase of economical equipment, but also heavy-duty experimental samples, for which there are tax preferences.

A “low-tonnage” mining dump truck (70 tons of gross weight is not that much for a quarry worker) is similar in its set of design solutions to a regular dump truck that has been pumped up with steroids. And on top of that, the “4525” series has a two-axle rear bogie, which means that the adhesion weight of 0.8 will allow you to work more safely on ore slopes and icy industrial roads - a typical habitat for BelAZ vehicles with a 4x2 wheel arrangement, of which the coefficient barely reaches 0.7. But such machines, unlike articulated ADTs, do not like soft soils.

Motor wheels, electric traction, remote control - such designs are typical for even heavier special equipment, and here, of course, this will not happen. We saw the limit of the use of fluid mechanics last year in the test of the 90-ton Terex TR100.

So it turns out that, if desired, special transport can be designed, making extensive use of traditional solutions characteristic of mass vehicles. This is convenient to use, if you do not prioritize the narrow specialization of such equipment.

Road train TONAR-95405 of off-road dimensions as part of a hooded truck tractor TONAR-45252 with a cabin of our own production.
Technical characteristics of TONAR-45251 mining dump trucks

Mining dump trucks "TONAR-4525" and "TONAR-45251" - price.

The manufacturer offers to buy a Tonar-4525 or TONAR-45251 mining dump truck at a price of about 6,000,000 rubles, which is lower than the prices for mining dump trucks of similar payload capacity produced in China or Belarus. In addition, the manufacturer offers for this price decent service as close as possible to the place of operation and is ready to solve any problems that arise on the first call in the shortest possible time. Also speaking about price, you should always keep in mind the manufacturer’s warranty, which in this case is very attractive.