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NEWS
MAN fit to drill
WA company chooses MAN for tough drilling jobsMAN has firmly established a reputation for an all-wheel-drive truck chassis that is a perfect fit for the demanding role of drill rigs.
The factory specification is basically the same whether the truck is heading for the furnace-like heat of outback Australia or the frigid cold of the Alaskan north-west.
Advanced electronic control systems keep the 13-litre engine performing at the ideal temperature for power, torque and emissions output, no matter what the ambient temperature outside.
One West Australian driller knew the MAN credentials well enough to launch a specialised drilling company at the worst possible time – the GFC of 2008.
Matt Izett was an experienced driller working with established contractors, but when the GFC made a contract in South Africa unviable, a high-tech MAN truck chassis and drilling rig bought and configured for the job was suddenly without work. Owned by one of the largest Australian drilling groups, and at around a quarter of a million dollars for the chassis alone, the cash suddenly became more important than the truck.
It was the perfect opportunity for Matt to snare a latest technology ready-to-go rig, branch off into a specialist area and launch Ranger Drilling.
The company now has a 19-strong fleet of MAN TGS 41-480 8x8 trucks configured as rigs and support trucks, plus another six TGA 15-290 4x4 crew cabs for the light-truck support role.
The MAN 8x8 is the key truck in the Ranger fleet, and has a critical role to play in ensuring reliable and safe operations for Ranger’s customers. Equipment failures mean missed deadlines, unhappy customers and serious damage to reputation. With millions of investment dollars hanging on urgent core test results the exploration business is not a forgiving one.
It’s a credit to the engineering of the MAN brand that these 8x8 chassis are produced in Germany for markets across the world, including both temperature extremes, without modifications to the basic configuration.
The MAN D26 engine is a 12.5-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel producing 480hp and 2300Nm of torque. A 12-speed ZF AStronic automated manual transmission, along with the transfer case provides 10 separate modes of differential and cross-lock combinations, and there are hub reduction axles all round.
Matt told Trucksales.com.au the MAN is recognised by both operators and customers as an industry-known performer. "My customers like it and that’s important," he said, underlining the dependence on absolute reliability to meet pressing deadlines.
The only negative he could raise was the air-conditioning system, which he said was fine for temperature but lacked volume to cope with the worst heat conditions. He also noted that having all-electric systems such as windows and mirrors was sometimes frustrating.
All the MANs are single-cab units and operate close to maximum GVM all the time.
The latest Ranger MAN acquisition has forged new territory – remote-control drilling.
Built by Ausdrill subsidiary Drill Rigs Australia the rig features an integrated control system that places the operator 8-10 metres outside the area of operation and therefore free from noise and the danger of shrapnel from drill accidents and breakages.
More a safety measure rather than cost cutting, Matt sees the system becoming standard fare as he pushes his business further towards being accident free.
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Written byDavid Meredith
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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