Make in India: NALCO, BEML join hands to launch heavy ripper dozers for bauxite mining

India’s navratna PSU and leading aluminium manufacturer National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) jointly unveiled state-of-the-art heavy earth moving machineries at the latter’s Kolar Gold Field Complex on August 28.

The HEMM BD475-1 Ripper Dozer is built using indigenous equipment and is aimed at enhancing productivity of NALCO’s bauxite mining operations while further boosting the ‘Make in India’ campaign.

NALCO has undertaken modernization initiatives to raise productivity at its bauxite mines. During last financial year, the integrated aluminium producer succeeded in achieving 100 per cent of its capacity utilization at Damanjodi bauxite mines.

The company is now aiming to eliminate detonating and blasting for bauxite mining; hence, the initiative to add heavy ripper dozers and BD 475-1 generation of ripper dozer to its capital assets. The one-of-its-kind HEMM ensures low fuel consumption, high stability and manoeuvrability, and reasonably high productivity.  It also claims to prevent noise, vibration and dust pollution associated with blasting for bauxite mining.

The giant Ripper Dozers have been getting imported till now. But, from now onward it will be available in India with 80 per cent Indigenous equipment.

On August 28 ceremony,  India’s Minister of Defence, Finance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley handed over the key and document of BD475-1 Ripper Dozer to Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD, NALCO. Dr. Chand said the launch was a testimony to NALCO’s endeavour to select technologies which are environment friendly.