The first DA45-7 articulated dump truck (ADT) from Develon has been sold in Italy and is at work in the chalk basin of Roccastrada. The machine was purchased as it was seen as the best suited for rock movement in the region’s so-called ‘Chalk Valley’ quarries.
The DA45-7 ADT is working in the province of Grosseto, in the heartland of the Tuscan Maremma, home to one of Italy’s largest chalk deposits, renowned for its stone’s purity and whiteness. The new machine is owned by Fibran Group, a Greek multinational with production sites in seven European countries and commercial activities in over 60 countries worldwide. It purchased its first chalk quarry and processing plant in the area in 2009.
In 2021, Fibran acquired Gessi Roccastrada, the company that owned the two largest natural chalk quarries and plants in the Tuscan mining basin. This consolidated Fibran’s presence in the Italian and European markets for dry construction systems and chalk-based building materials. Today, Fibran owns and manages 700 hectares in ‘Chalk Valley’, including three active quarries and two undergoing environmental restoration, with deposits that could potentially be exploited in future decades.
The optimisation of quarry machinery plays an important role in managing extractive operations. The movement of earth and chalk rock is a crucial part of the process and recently required the addition of a new dump truck to the Fibran fleet.
Felice Tirabasso, Chief Technology Officer of Fibran and Gessi Roccastrada, has been recognised as an expert in quarrying operations in Italy and abroad for over 25 years. After a meticulous selection process, his choice fell decisively on the new Develon DA45-7 6×6 articulated dump truck, the first to be sold in Italy in the 45-tonne class.
At the ‘Chalk Valley’ quarry, the DA45-7 transports chalk rock and waste soil from surface excavations over an average in-out distance of four kilometres. This work demands a fast-moving, highly manoeuvrable vehicle, and the DA45-7 has proved to be just the job.
As Felice Tirabasso explains: “Many factors contributed to our choice of the DA45-7 dump truck. A great deal of care went into the selection process, thanks in no small way to Develon’s willingness to show me the vehicle in action elsewhere, in central-northern England in particular, where the machine is also being used in quarrying. One extremely important feature of this machine, compared to others on the market, is the separate control of its front axle and free-swinging rear tandem bogie, which enables the vehicle to follow the terrain and prevents slippage and sliding. The DA45-7 is also very simple and robust, with a high load capacity, excellent engine power and an exceptionally comfortable cab, something we pay a great deal of attention to with a view to maximising operator wellbeing.”
