LOWER LIFTIME COSTS AND AUTOMATION GIVE THEM THE EDGE
As with all cargo handling equipment, in theory at least, the bigger and more productive the machine, the lower the lifetime costs. VoestAlpine' Manfred Schaffer emphasises that in order to evaluate capital investment, lifetime costs and return on investment factors, you must compare the stacker reclaimer with alternative technologies - for instance wheel loaders.
"Europe is steaming ahead with these [hubs] in order to make logistics more efficient and have a more effective transport chain and reduce congestion. It is a logical step in the supply chain," he says.
"Wheel loaders have a lower investment cost, but cannot achieve the same handling rates resulting in longer handling times due to lower capacities. They also have higher operating costs and shorter lifetimes. The large stacker reclaimers can be depreciated over a longer lifetime - 7-10 years. So considering that these machines have a life expectancy in excess of 20 years compared with below 10 years for a wheel loader, then this depreciation period is reasonable."
Metso Minerals' Tom Lippencott makes a similar point: "It is a function of the size of the machine. Costs can range from around $1m up to $7m depending on the duty required of the machine. And the ROI can be a factor, " he adds. "If you go to a stacker reclaimer style machine over mobile equipment, you need a minimal number of workers since the machine can be programmed to run in an automatic mode."
