Subsequent to the signing of an exclusive distributor partnership agreement between ITR Africa and Progress Mining in January this year, Progress Mining’s mining undercarriage solutions are now available in Southern Africa.

With over a decade of design expertise and an established European supply base, Progress Mining is building on world best practices to set a new benchmark in undercarriage performance, safety and running costs.

"We are thrilled to have partnered with Progress Mining as their exclusive distributor in the Southern African region," says Justin Brink, Managing Director at ITR Africa. "ITR has been looking to extend its product offering to meet the growing needs of its customers. We are already a dependable supplier of GET products (ground engaging tools) for large mining earthmoving machines, and by adding the Progress Mining undercarriages, we become a convenient 'one source' for all our customers. The undercarriage range is suitable for machines from 250 to 800-tonnes. There is good synergy between ITR Africa and Progress Mining, who will benefit from our established customer base and immediate access to a new market. ITR also offers a good support infrastructure with an established sales force and field service vehicles to provide product support."

Progress Mining is an Australian company with European-based manufacturing facilities. Specialists in undercarriages, they manufacture their own products and have sold over 45 undercarriage sets globally over the last couple of years. Wear rates have been tested after a significant number of hours in the field and the undercarriages have proved to perform well.

Expansion into Southern Africa

Purchasing an undercarriage is a huge investment, which is why warranty is so important. Progress Mining offers a warranty that covers a guaranteed number of hours, and should any issues arise during this time, will facilitate an immediate swap out of parts from readily available back-up stock. As our exclusive distributor, ITR will also have back-up components in stock to ensure a quick swap-out should it be required following the sale of a full-set undercarriage.

In addition to competitive pricing, it's Progress Mining’s quality, service excellence and fast turnaround times that set its undercarriages apart from its competitors. "These are mechanical parts by nature and so how fast we respond and resolve any issues is vitally important" explains ITR’s Brink. "We have the expertise and resources to resolve any issues timeously, affording our customers complete peace of mind."

Delivery lead times

In terms of lead times, National Sales Manager at ITR Africa, Carel Zwiegelaar explains that "from the day an order is placed, the current delivery time to customer is estimated at around 4 to 5 months. This includes a 12-to-14-week manufacturing process, plus 45 to 50 days shipping from Europe – which is faster than the typical delivery turn-around time. This can vary dependant on market conditions at the time, but we will keep our customers informed should this time frame change."

"Customers in the mining industry generally know 6 months in advance as to when they will need to replace an undercarriage," explains Zwiegelaar. "They are aware of the wear and tear rates due to regular testing, and this enables the long-term planning. Part of our service offering is the measuring of the undercarriage; we've got the tools, we've got the facilities and we’ve got the vehicles that can go into the pit. This is a critical requirement to ensure that we rapidly pick up any issues before they actually become an issue."

More new products to come

ITR Africa is planning more new products this year to add to its portfolio of offerings. "We have been looking at our customer base and engaging with them as to where we can add value to their business," says Brink. "We are hearing what our customers are saying, what they are asking for and we're responding accordingly. Undercarriages were one of the products identified."

"We are a growing company. After the launch of the Progress Mining undercarriages, there will be more new ranges to come. It’s going to be an exciting year ahead," concludes Brink.