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14 Service OPEN-CAST • UNIMOG MINING 2 • 2010 UNIMOG 2 • 2010 Extreme workhorses Extreme conditions at the Hambach open-cast mine demand maximum performance from personnel and machinery alike. The off-road capability and broad-ranging flexibility of the Unimog make it a highly respected partner. ROUND THE CLOCK, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the staff and vehicle fleet at the Hambach open-cast mine are on continuous duty. Its immense size alone, but especially the extreme ground conditions and the varying applications in which they need to be deployed at the mine, demand maximum performance from personnel and machinery alike. That is why operator RWE Power has for years relied on the Unimog – in a range of variants according to the application: from the U 400 up to the U 5000, all models are represented. Most of them, however, are the ultra-rugged off-road specialists of the Unimog U 4000 and U 5000 series. The Unimog can cope with the most demanding of routes along muddy tracks and over rugged terrain, climbing huge inclines, and working their way down some extremely steep slopes, too. The broad range of applications of the Unimog on the site reflect the enormous dimensions of the open-cast mine located right on the outskirts of Cologne: As far as the eye can see, there are miles of terraced cuttings extending hundreds of metres down into the ground. But the main feature of the Hambach mine is the millions of tonnes of sand, clay and gravel. These so-called covering layers conceal the valuable lignite, or brown coal. The site looks like some fantastical moonscape, with gigantic excavators seemingly grazing across the unending barren plains of this artificial landscape like some species of colossal monster. In all weather and on any ground And among them, some 50 yellowish-gold coloured Unimog wend their way around the approximately 85 square kilometre site – in all weathers – with what seems almost stoic calmness. Thanks to their all-wheel drive, differential lock and heavy-duty thick-treaded tyres, they are able to handle even extremely slippery terrain in rain, snow and icy con - ditions. “If you want to drive around extreme terrain such as this, a Unimog is essential. Its off-road capability is simply unbeatable,” comments Jörg Rübsteck, a member of the RWE Power Vehicle Service staff. Another key factor for the company, which is provided with service backup by RKF-Bleses, is that vehicles can be tailored to specific operations. “The Unimog offers us lots of different body mounting options. That means we can use one vehicle model for a wide variety of purposes,” Rübsteck goes on. As a universal master of all tasks, the Unimog handles virtually every transport job at the mine: Fitted with a double cab, it is used to transport work crews; as a flat-bed truck, it carries materials and tools; and configured as a tanker it distributes water and Imposing dimensions: Alongside the gigantic excavators at the Hambach mine the Unimog looks quite tiny.
UNIMOG 2 • 2010 • OPEN-CAST MINING 15 fuel. “The Unimog with diesel tanks mounted on them have to be particularly reliable, running round the clock, supplying diesel to construction machinery such as bulldozers. If the Unimog broke down, a lot of machines and vehicles would be forced to stop work.” There are also Unimog on-site mounted with Palfinger cranes and flat-bed load spaces, used primarily for repair and maintenance work, and there are also units fitted with box bodies, used for servicing of large-scale machinery. “They are our ‘workhorses’. Without them practically nothing would get done here,” asserts Rübsteck with a grin. The all-rounders from <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> also serve as fire-fighting and emergency vehicles, as well as providing Winter ice and snow clearing services. Because those vehicles, more than any other, have to get to their destination rapidly, however tough the conditions may be. In view of the difficult terrain on which the vehicles operate, RWE Power places great value in their safety features. Pendulum strike and roof load tests to the ECE R29 standard passed by the Unimog’s all-steel cab were powerful arguments in favour of the vehicles, alongside their reliable brake systems and seat-integrated safety belts. “We have to be able to rely on our vehicles. It is a reassuring feeling for us to send out our drivers in a Unimog,” says Herbert Töller, RWE Power’s head of Vehicle and Transport Service. “The Unimog is simply an exemplary model when it comes to safety.” The Unimog not only sets standards in terms of safety, but also with regard to low vibration. That was a key All-wheel drive and differential locks help the Unimog achieve outstanding off-road capability – an absolutely vital aspect of fire-fighting operations! ü
Page 1 and 2: www.mercedes-benz.com September 201
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Page 5 and 6: Unimog on show at the ski stadium A
Page 7 and 8: UNIMOG 2 • 2010 • COVER STORY 7
Page 9 and 10: A misleading gut feeling Jürgen Fr
Page 11 and 12: UNIMOG 2 • 2010 • AGROLOGISTICS
Page 13: A highly manoeuvrable fire-fighter
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Page 19 and 20: The U 500 is a boon to Eugen Betz b
Page 21 and 22: an ageing marshalling locomotive,
Page 23 and 24: the new setup.” Egbert Henkel, ma
Page 25 and 26: UNIMOG 2 • 2010 • ENGINEERING 2
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Page 29 and 30: the personalised Unimog Service Car
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