Following a rigorous vetting process, industrial and mining equipment supplier Babcock’s Bartlett branch in Gauteng and Middleburg branch in Mpumalanga, both of which service and maintain client’s opencast mining equipment, among other items of heavy machinery, have been officially accredited as Volvo Certified Rebuild Centres.

The certification, explains Babcock national technical manager Corno de Jager, underscores Babcock’s commitment to providing cost-effective, sustainable and high-quality solutions to its customers in the mining, construction and heavy equipment industries, thereby optimising the lifecycle of Volvo articulated haulers, excavators and wheel loaders – all products which see extensive use in opencast mining.

He elaborates that achieving this certification is a testament to the expertise and dedication of Babcock’s teams, adding that following the certification, Babcock joins an “elite group” of only 19 other certified Volvo Rebuild dealers globally, demonstrating that the two newly accredited facilities meet the rigorous standards required for personnel, infrastructure and processes.

After attaining this certification, the Bartlett branch started working on Babcock’s first ever Volvo Certified Rebuild machine – an A40 articulated hauler, which is undergoing a complete rebuild, including an overhaul of its hydraulics and powertrain, followed by a new paint job.

As a part of this process, the machine is equipped with new and remanufactured Volvo genuine parts, allowing both the hydraulic system and powertrain to be returned to the latest engineering updates available.

According to Babcock Bartlett branch workshop team leader Kobus De Wit, Volvo machines are generally designed for at least three rebuilds during their lifetime.

In addition, the Bartlett facility currently has the capacity to undertake three complete machine rebuilds a year, with advanced plans to extend the facility to increase this capacity.

As capital equipment owners across industries seek innovative ways to control costs and meet environmental obligations, Babcock notes that the Volvo Rebuild Programme offers the “best of both worlds”, as it enables customers to extend the lifespan of their existing equipment at a reduced cost rather than buying new machinery – a value offering for fleet owners facing economic pressures or wanting to maintain certain production levels without significant capital investment.

Moreover, rebuilding machines consumes far less energy and natural resources than building a new machine from scratch, reports Babcock.

“The rebuild process is extensive and customisable. Volvo offers various approved packages, and we tailor the rebuild to each customer’s specific needs while adhering to the minimum requirements for Volvo certification,” states De Jager.

De Wit elaborates that each complete machine rebuild can take up to three months, while a certified powertrain replacement alone can take up to a month on its own.