Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
SAFETY
THICKENING
AND DRYING
SCREENING
AND WASHING
IPCC
DEVELOPMENTS
DRONES
AND UAVS
RZ_Eickhoff_Urkunde_E_170803.indd 1 03.08.17 17:12
CONTENTS _proof 29/09/2017 14:30 Page 1
10 CONTENTS
OCTOBER 2017
40 IPCC DEVELOPMENTS
With a major acquisition, plus new designs and
technologies, the IPCC market seems to be
picking up again, reflecting renewed market
interest, reports Paul Moore
40 51 SAFETY
John Chadwick looks at new products and
ideas across a broad range of safety needs
64 airships
www.im
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This months cover shows an example of a CDE customisable plant configuration IInfo
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SAFETY
for mining and specialist sand applications. The CDE M5500 plant shown
ustry
THICKE
NI
AND DR NG
incorporates feeding, screening, classifying, dewatering and stockpiling onto a SCREEN
YING
ING
AND W
single chassis. Users can produce up to 550 t/h of high quality washed sands ASHING
that will be ready for market from exiting the belt, thanks to CDEs high-tech
materials washing and classification technology. Designed to optimise energy
and water savings, CDEs wet processing equipment gives quarrying and
mining operations a competitive edge and fast return on investment. This and
IPCC
other CDE solutions are covered in this months Screening and Washing DEVELO
PMENTS
DRONES
report. www.cdeglobal.com AND UA
VS
AROUND THE WORLD 3 The Leader 4 World Prospects 76 & IBC Forthcoming Events and Classifieds
THE LEADER VO LU M E 1 2 N U M B E R 1 0
Editor
Paul Moore B.Sc (Hons), M.Sc.
T its passage through Cuba is a tragedy. In a
country so heavily controlled by the
government, many are asking where is the
mine at Castellanos and
Emincar General Manager
Jose Vila explains: We are
Email: paul@im-mining.com
government, when they need it. now exploiting the deposit
Editorial Board
Perhaps this a salutary message for those below the oxide cap. He
Professor Malcolm Scoble
Robert E. Hallbauer interested in developing Cuban mineral resources as does not rule out the
Chair in Mining Engineering.,
University of BC, Vancouver
the cash-strapped, communist countrys government potential to produce gold there also. The mine has
Peter Knights opens up that source of wealth to more foreign current mineable reserves of 11 years, while the
Professor and Head of Division of Mining investment. nearby Santa Lucia deposit has enough for another
Stephen Stone
Cuba plans to produce 54,500 t of nickel and 10 years, Vila said.
West One Management
Perth, Western Australia cobalt sulphides this year, state-run television Sarah Marsh writing for Reuters reported that in
Dr. Andrew M. Robertson announced in July. Nickel is one of the countrys its annual investment portfolio released late last
President, Robertson GeoConsultants
Vancouver, Canada. most important exports, but revenue from it has year, Cuba published dozens of opportunities for
Ed McCord suffered in recent years due to a decline in foreign investors to explore, exploit and
Project Consultant
production and prices. The country was ranked 10th commercialise precious metals, base metals and
Caterpillar Global Mining, USA
Jason Nitz in world nickel production in 2016 and sixth in other minerals of interest.
Fleet Management & Dispatch cobalt, according to the USGS. Cuba hopes foreign investment will boost its
Superintendent
Newmont Mining Corporation, USA Cuba produced on average 74,000 t/y of nickel economy that managed to climb out of a recession
Dr Terry Mudder plus cobalt during the first decade of this century, in the first half of 2017. The island is under severe
Managing Director, TIMES Ltd, USA
but the oldest of three plants was shuttered in 2012 strain due to lower exports and a drop in cheap oil
Simon Tarbutt
Consultant, Santiago, Chile and another has suffered from obsolescence and shipments from ally Venezuela.
Dr. Mike Daniel hurricane damage. Who knows what further The USGS reports other mineral commodities
Comminution Process Consultant hurricane damage there has been. Cuban nickel produced in the country include bentonite, cement,
CMD Consulting Pty Ltd
industry executives told Reuters a year ago that the crushed stone, feldspar, gypsum, lime, limestone,
Editorial Enquiries:
Tel: +44 (0)1442 870 829 industry was averaging 56,000 t/y. marble, nitrogen, salt, silica sand, and sulphuric acid.
Fax +44 (0)1442 870 617 Sherritt International Corp has announced that it The last USGS Cuba report available is for 2014 in
Advertising Sales: has completed a preliminary review of its operations which it notes the Portfolio of Opportunities for
Phil Playle
Email: phil@im-mining.com and confirmed that all of its Cuba-based personnel Foreign Investment (POFI) announcing ten mining
+44 1442 87 77 77 are safely accounted for. It also confirmed that the sector projects. The country was offering
Advertising Production facilities associated with its Moa nickel joint venture international economic associations, including
Lynne Lane
Email: lynne@im-mining.com
as well as its oil and gas and power operations incurred prospects for copper, gold, lead, silver, and zinc in
only minimal damages as a result of the hurricane. the regions of Central Cuba, Ciego-Camaguey-Tunas,
Design & Production
Trevor Sheldon Sherritt and its partners are currently focused on clean- Holguin and Macizo-Baracoa, and Sierra Maestra. As
Email: sheldonmann@gmail.com
up efforts and restoring all operations to normal of 2013, Cuba had produced more than 2.9 Mt of
Circulation Enquiries capacity aiming for 36,000 t this year. nickel and cobalt and had about 43 identified
circulation@im-mining.com
Cubaniquel operates the Che Guevara plant, deposits of nickel. The country offered investment
Website:
www.im-mining.com aiming to produce 19,500 t this year. opportunities for the development of the Cajalbana,
Annual Subscription Enquiries:
Cubas National Minerals Resource Center has Colas Rojas de Moa, and San Felipe laterite
Emma Smith reported that the country has around a third of the deposits, which are located in the Provinces of Pinar
Email: emma@im-mining.com
world's known nickel reserves. del Rio, Moa, and Camaguey, respectively.
Annual Subscription
A new lead and zinc mine in northwest Cuba was, Cubas mining sector is regulated by the Ley de
UK and Europe 160, 230
Rest of the world US$270 before the hurricane, on track to start production in Minas (law No. 76 of January 23, 1995). The law
International Mining (ISSN No: 1747-146X) is October. Trafigura Mining Group is opening the establishes the mining policy and legal regulations,
published monthly by Team Publishing Ltd, GBR
and is distributed in the USA by Asendia USA,
countrys first new mine for many years. The $278 which guarantee the protection, development, and
17B South Middlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831 million Castellanos mine will produce 100,000 t/y of rational use of the mineral resources. The Ministerio
and additional mailing offices. Periodicals
postage paid at New Brunswick NJ.
zinc concentrate and 50,000 t/y of lead concentrate, de Energa y Minas (Law Decree No. 301) is the
POSTMASTER: send address changes to according to executives at Emincar, the joint venture entity responsible for establishing Government
International Mining, 17B South Middlesex
Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831
between Swiss-based commodities giant Trafigura policy for the energy and mining sectors. In March
and Cuban state firm Geominera. 2014, Cubas National Peoples Power Assembly
Printed by The Manson Group, St Albans
Team Publishing Ltd 2017 We are reviving the small and medium-size approved the new Ley de Inversion Extranjera (law
ISSN 1747 -146X mining sector in Cuba from this investment, said No. 118). The law establishes the new legal
Justo Hernndez Prez, Emincar deputy general framework for foreign investment in the country.
IM uses, as preference, manager, during a visit by foreign journalists to the John Chadwick
SI units throughout, so, for example, all
tonnes are metric unless otherwise stated. mine in the province of Pinar del Rio. "This is just Founder
All dollars are US unless otherwise stated
the start. john@im-mining.com
WORLD PROSPECTS
Evolution at Robit
he 30-year history of Robit has seen an ever- behave, how rock fractures,
WORLD PROSPECTS
20% higher compared to conventional hard rock simulations clearly show that the new model isnt with the excellent performance and noted better
button bits. just easy on the eye. The flow pattern is more flushing and longer grinding intervals. Across
In the medium to large sizes significant even, which reduces bit erosion. The pressure sizes, the Evolution designs have systematically
performance strides were taken by diving deep distribution is more uniform, and the smoother excelled. The 102 mm bits were tested in
into flushing properties. Here in particular, the side channels along larger main grooves increase extremely hard and abrasive rock formations in
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations airflow ensuring efficient flushing. Dead-space Pennsylvania, USA, where we had been facing a
proved their strong added value as they drove the across the face is significantly cut by introducing common challenge with a customer to find the
pre-test phase for fast finding of optimal an extra flushing hole in the middle, clearing the perfect bit for those conditions. The new formula
solutions and truly significant impacts. The 76- centre area better of cuttings. allowed us to out-perform competition and more
mm Retrac button bit body has the signature All in all, Robit says field tests confirmed what than double our achieved metres compared to
Robit curving grooves and the sleek geometry the technical simulation background work had our previous model.
flows through to the new face design. The already proven. Our partner drillers were happy www.robit.fi
Weir continues to expand network This service centre holds essential wear parts
stock for maintenance and shut-downs, and the
ith changing market conditions and and proficiency to our service offering, ensuring on-site team is available 24 hours a day to
Polyus Natalka starts production including the primary crusher, the crushed ore
conveyer, the primary SAG mill and the main ball
JSC Polyus, the largest gold producer in the companys current life of mine plan, the mill, is currently in operation having undergone
Particle physics
L-Class vibrating screen, uses a double-shaft
overhead drive system, with direct-mounted
motors, to provide multiple speed and stroke
combinations in a compact design. With a
horizontal screen, material spends more time on
Washing and screening go hand in hand across a whole the deck for optimal cleanliness.
range of mining applications, from iron ore to silica sand The HC1000 Wash Plant includes
serviceability features for maximum
and coal. Paul Moore reports on some new technologies convenience and safety. Haver & Boecker
and innovations manufactures the plant with stairs, eliminating
the dangers of carrying parts and tools up
odularisation and portability are Haver & Boecker combines the Hydro-Clean ladders. In addition, mechanics can easily use
washing plant at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017, the for our purposes and replacing them with a
M5500. The UK-headquartered company said in single plant and process was beneficial in terms
a statement that the new machine can produce of footprint, value for money and efficiency.
up to 550 t/h of washed materials on a single Late last year, McCloskey International
chassis. Kevin Vallelly, Head of Product announced the launch of McCloskey Washing
Development at CDE, said: This latest addition Systems (MWS), a new business division
to the M-Series combines feeding, screening, focused on washing and classifying across
washing and stockpiling onto one chassis, and multiple applications. The new unit designs and
packs an extra punch with unique features. manufactures a full range of mobile, modular
These include a higher capacity of 550 t/h, a and static material and mineral washing
five-product capability and triple pass cyclone equipment. While McCloskey International has
sand washing. been producing equipment for the quarrying,
A selection of Infinity screens, the companys recycling, mining and industrial sand sectors for
new development in screening technology, were over 30 years, this new division has been
also launched on the North American market created to provide 100% focus on the
along with other new technologies. development of class-leading innovative and
Adapted to applications in both dry and wet efficient equipment for washing and classifying
screening situations across a wide range of Wayne Warren, Business Development Manager material and mineral products.
materials, the new CDE Infinity technology is of for sub-Saharan Africa at CDE; with Kobus Jv McCloskey Internationals President and CEO
Rensburg of Cluster Holdings
particular interest to operators looking for Paschal McCloskey said: Our customers are
sturdier and more economical vibrating screens. always looking for more modern, flexible and
Neil Mullan, Design Engineer at CDE, said: but did not achieve the desired results in quality cost-effective solutions. Our customer-driven
We sell over 200 screens every year to the and led to wet stockpiles. approach to product development has led us to
global market, either as part of (our) modular Wayne Warren, Business Development invest significantly in the establishment of this
equipment or as stand-alone. The new weld-free Manager for sub-Saharan Africa at CDE, noticed new division, with the aim to be the design and
Infinity screens can generate the same Cluster Holdings operations while on the road manufacture of high quality washing equipment
acceleration as conventional screens with less to visit a client and stopped by. He said: Being that is easy to install, maintain and operate.
weight, resulting in a reduction in power in a reasonably remote area, the road past The products produced by the new division
consumption and in operational costs, which Cluster Holdings mining area allows you to get will deliver significant advantages to
presents significant benefits to our clients an overview of their operations. I could see customers, including lower cost of ownership,
operations. where issues might be and knew that CDE had lower cost of production, and making more
According to CDE, its materials washing solutions that could up production at most projects viable for their business.
equipment allows for more accurate material current washing plants. Little did I realise that The three model SandStorm range is made up
classification than traditional sand washing this site had such extreme potential in what up of the 516, 620 and 824 machines which can
methods, higher quality washed sand, reduced until then was called waste. In effect, unknown process up to 550 t/h, and producing up to four
costs of pond excavation, and reduced risks on to our customer, plaster sand was laying in grades of aggregate and two grades of classified
site. The final product exits the plant ready for abundance, hidden at the bottom of ponds, and sand. SandStorm has also been enhanced with
use, having been dewatered to 15% moisture. with adapted CDE technology could be the new S-Line range, that offers the benefits of
CDE says its customer Cluster Holdings in recovered and processed into a valuable the modular plant with the McCloskey range of
West Rand, South Africa, had given up on ever product. Sand Screws. Finally, the new McCloskey
recovering fines their sand screw classifier Kobus Jv Rensburg of Cluster Holdings, Washing Systems AggStorm Range can operate
system had discharged into ponds but with the provided samples for tests. It turned out that as stand-alone units or can integrate with the
introduction of the CDE EvoWash 71 sand the waste sand had one of the best plaster sand SandStorm wash plants. They can handle
washing plant to their operations, they are now grading I had come across in some time and it various types of clay-bound material where
producing high quality plaster sand from waste became Cluster Holdings priority to recover it. more aggressive scrubbing and washing is
pond material. With CDE technology, fines are CDE has a good footprint in South Africa, so needed rather than simple screening alone.
fully recovered and turned into profit and a very the customer had the opportunity to visit a few
competitive return on investment. sites showcasing the CDE EvoWash in action. Screening and screen media
The quarry is located half way between Having witnessed the efficiency of the EvoWash technologies
Carletonville and Randfontein. Rich in that produced a sand dry enough to be handled Screening media specialist Multotec is using its
decomposed granite, it was ideal terrain to and loaded as it came off the stockpile conveyor, deck map methodology to constantly raise the
develop a materials processing business to Cluster Holdings opted for CDE technology. An bar in optimising screen output and lifespan,
supply local construction companies with EvoWash 71 materials washing plant was according to Shawn Faba, Multotec
washed plaster sand. At the start of its washing commissioned and installed to process the raw Manufacturing Product Manager Screening.
operations in 1986, the company opted for sand decomposed granite feed. The EvoWash Multotec has built on its concept of the
screw classifiers to wash the granite, a cheap removes the -75 fines from the sand slurry composite deck for over a decade, and
and popular choice in South Africa, but also an feed and dewaters it to produce up to 50 t/h differentiated ourselves by developing the deck
option that creates a lot of waste to ponds and within specification for plaster sand. map to design specific screening solutions for a
loss of potential profits. The subsequent switch Jv Rensburg comments: After years of trial wide range of materials with various
to a cyclone tower resulted from identifying the and error, we are delighted with our choice. We characteristics, says Faba.
potential in the plaster sand market in the area, had two plants that were not efficient enough The panels are easily interchangeable on
From a structural standpoint, they are demand for increasingly consistent sand the opportunity to witness the reliability and
fabricated with A572 Gr 50 plate (45% higher gradings. Given the increased requirement for hard-wearing of the CDE offer.
yield strength than traditional A36 plating) for sand and coarse aggregates for our downstream Kevin Vallelly, Head of Product Development
maximum strength. Side plates are a fully bolted products, the time has come to grow our at CDE commented on Roadstones new Infinity
construction, which reduces and eliminates production capability. As a result, we needed to screen with VibroCentric electric drive system:
cracking due to stress caused by welding. The upgrade in order to ensure that we achieve A key success of the VibroCentric drive system
bolted construction also makes it easier to maximum tonnes per hour every hour and that is the harnessing of the power used and
change out worn components without cutting. our plant is capable of adapting to challenges ensuring the maximum transfer of energy to the
Bronze sleeves are integrated on both ends of such as variable deposit moisture content material being screened. This system is
the shaft for protection in instances where the brought by weather and natural variations within employed on the Infinity P-Line range of inclined
outer race of the bearing could potentially turn the deposit. We have nurtured a solid sizing screens. A unique shaft design allows for
on the shaft. This reduces unnecessary downtime relationship of trust with CDE over the years and a significant reduction in the weight of the drive
and only requires the sleeve to be replaced. All had no hesitation in turning to them for an system and the screen assembly which results in
components slide onto the shaft, allowing for upgrade of our existing CDE equipment. CDE a significant reduction in overall power
easy removal and installation. The straight shaft equipment is used across most of Roadstones consumption. As a result, dewatering
features jacking bolts in the mechanism tube that sand and gravel sites in Ireland and we have had performance is maximised to allow the final
support the shaft during change outs, eliminating
the need for a crane and thus improving safety
while minimising downtime. Screens are also
equipped with a quick change spring kit that
allows for the removal of the spring pack with
only minimal vertical clearance and no need for
an overhead crane.
The company told IM: Operators looking to
upgrade their screening operations can have a
solution that fits directly into their operation with
{ CUT
no rework to existing structures. McLanahans
MAX Series Vibrating Screens make it easy to get
more from your screen without needing to
change your entire operation. Customers can be
SCREEN MEDIA
CHANGE-OUT TIME
IN HALF
sure they are getting a solution that will give
them more uptime, easier maintenance and a
safer working environment.
given us the kind of support that we need in screening media used in minerals processing by our extensive wear parts portfolio with an
terms of technical advice, sales and support of investing in three new injection presses. The industry standard such as 1 ft x 1 ft screening
their machines, he adds. presses will be installed at Metso's facilities in media is a natural step in strengthening this
The staff at the Middelburg branch are Australia, India and Sweden by early 2018. The position. We are the only supplier able to provide
excellent and Workshop Manager, Johan Herbst 1.7 million investment will significantly increase everything that a mine needs in a comminution
provides the kind of support that we, as Metsos global rubber screening media circuit, from spare and wear parts to equipment
contractors, cannot do without. ELB Equipment manufacturing capacity. The demand for Metso's and service, says Jose Perez, Senior Vice
also trains our operators professionally, which screening media has grown in the mining President, Crushing and Screening Wears, Metso.
makes it easier to get the best out of our machines. segment after the introduction of 1 ft x 1 ft Downtime is costly for screens in minerals
JP Durandt, Area Sales Manager for ELB modular screening media, Trellex 305PS, in processing and aggregates production. Metso in
Equipment also compliments Two Pedestrians 2016. In addition to Trellex 305PS, Metso September 2017 introduced its new hammerless
Mining for the professional way the machines are customers can follow the screen media wear rate, attachment system for its Trellex screening media
employed, operated and cared for by the plan maintenance and keep track of cost per which offers increased productivity and makes
operators and mechanical staff. tonne using Screen Planner, its new, media change-outs safer and faster than with
Through the years we have built up a special complementary software and web-based tool. traditional systems. Up until now, the removal of
relationship with the owners and managers of Uptime and availability mean the world to our worn-out pin and sleeve screening media
the company and, very importantly, we have built customers. A mine can easily consume thousands modules has been a time-consuming and
up a special report with the operators and of screening media modules in a year. During potentially unsafe undertaking. Metso's
mechanical staff who are in regular maintenance, the right modules simply have to innovative new attachment system improves
communication with us regarding their be at the right place at the right time. With this worker safety during change-outs. There is no
machines, says Durandt. investment, we can answer our customers needs need to use a hammer when installing and
They tell us that they prefer the Warrior and ensure on-time delivery, says Claes Larsson, removing screening media. The specially
1400X and similar machines from Powerscreen, Product Manager, Screening Media, Metso. The 1 developed pins can be screwed into place as well
saying that they work harder than other machines in ft x 1 ft (305 mm x 305 mm) screening media as removed using an impact driver. Accidents that
their class, and are easier to operate and maintain module size is a standard in major mining occur when pins that are stuck get torn off by
due to their easy-to-use controls, he says. markets, due to safety and compatibility reasons. force can be avoided. In addition to improved
Metso made the decision to include the size in its safety, the new attachment system cuts the
Metso expands screening media Trellex product range, based on customer change-out time considerably, resulting in higher
technology and capacity demand. uptime and productivity.
In March, Metso announced it is expanding its We are already the number one service In the past year, we've launched the web-
global manufacturing capacity for rubber partner for the mining industry. Complementing based Screen planner wear monitoring system
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SCREENING AND WASHING_proof 26/09/2017 11:24 Page 7
Q Is the mining industry as in other equipment areas now trying to keep A At Weir Minerals we work with both EPCMs and mine companies. In
existing screens running for longer with maintenance/service rather than recent years, mining companies have started to rely on OEMs to assist with
having to buy new screens? Being a robust steel product is there also a screen selection and design, but this is mostly due to the shift to a
market in used screens from closed mines? brownfield project environment. Mines are constantly trying to optimise
their operations to increase profits. For products such as screens, mining
A This is a topic that we are constantly discussing with customers. companies may ask us to optimise to suit their needs, and this is an
Commodity price drops and a decline in market demand have put a strain important part of our solutions offering. When more greenfield projects
on operating profits. This has led to reduced budgets for capital equipment get underway, EPCM companies will once again be involved.
as mine owners are struggling to keep their mines running. We have found
success with employing Aftermarket Product Support Specialists in our Q Is screening competing with alternative equipment in some cases or in
sales regions, offering regular equipment audits and ensuring our screens most applications is there no alternative?
run optimally. If out of specification conditions are picked up early
enough, failures can be prevented. I believe that going forward OEMs will A In very fine screening (<200 m), you could compete with hydrocyclones.
start packaging screens with Condition Monitoring systems as part of the For larger applications, traditional screening is still the accepted method
offering. At one of our Synertrex trial sites, we have proven the value of of mineral separation. For dewatering applications, various alternatives
real-time condition monitoring. We predicted an imminent failure and exist including filter-presses, trommels etc. It completely depends upon
responded proactively by replacing the defective component, thereby the customers requirements and we work with them to provide the right
avoiding an unplanned shutdown. Regarding the use of second-hand solution, be that screening or hydrocyclones.
screens, this is uncommon in the mining environment and relates more to
short-term project and quarry clients.
and invested in screening media manufacturing possible, and have Experienced Kwatani service
capacity. The introduction of the hammerless worked closely with team personnel on site
attachment system is yet another step we are end-users and inspecting a screen prior to
installation
taking to help our screening media customers panel suppliers to
minimise downtime and maximise productivity, find optimal
says Larsson. solutions.
The new attachment system is currently Kwatanis
available as a standard option for Trellex 305PS qualified and
screening media in the most common build experienced in-
heights (40-60 mm), and will soon be introduced house design and
for additional build heights. technology teams
undertake custom
Screen OEM and media supplier designs to
collaboration customers specific
Collaboration between the OEM of vibratory application and
screens and the screen media supplier is key to processing
ensuring the lowest possible cost of ownership requirements.
while continuously meeting tonnage throughput These designs are supported by finite element to expectation in terms of recoveries, tonnages
requirements. analysis (FEA) modelling competency, a and efficiencies.
According to Derrick Alston, Executive Director sophisticated test laboratory, and years of We also ask whether there have been any
of vibratory screen OEM Kwatani, the company research and development. changes in the upstream process, says
engineers screening machines for a certain Schoepflin. This is to check whether the feed
weight and performance of screen panel. Screen maintenance the right that the vibrating machine is receiving is still in
We then test the screen extensively in our approach line with the original specification of the unit;
modern workshop facilities to ensure that the Cost pressures often force mines to make difficult orebodies often change, and this can affect the
screen panels specified by the customer will decisions about how they approach the material and the processing requirements. We
deliver certain throughputs and end-products for maintenance of their vibrating screens; OEMs can need to establish whether the equipment is
that application, says Alston. When screens are ease the trade-offs by offering solutions that actually still fit for the purpose for which it was
later changed, they still need to be carefully match customers specific needs and resources, designed.
integrated with the structural and mechanical according to Kwatani CEO Kim Schoepflin. This leads to a list of issues that must be
features of the screening machine. While most mines have been through a addressed, which in turn must be prioritised;
Kwatani custom engineers and manufactures difficult period, each one has had to deal with it starting with any vibrating machine that is close
vibrating equipment for all feeding and screening in its own way, says Schoepflin. As an OEM, we to destruction as costly downtime due to sudden
requirements, from smaller machines of less than need to understand their specific conditions and failure must be decisively avoided.
a tonne to 50 t machines with throughputs of up constraints before we can build a solid Refurbishment of the equipment by the OEM is
to 7,000 t/h. partnership that works for both parties. usually significantly more cost effective,
Kenny Mayhew-Ridgers, Kwatanis Chief She says its about adopting a consultative compared to a new replacement, when it is
Operations Officer, says that once the machine is approach when dealing with customers, not just performed timeously.
operating in the field, there are instances where taking them a catalogue of products and services. On the basis of this assessment and the
panels are fitted that add substantial extra Listening carefully to the customer is vital, to resulting priority areas, we then agree on an
weight to the screen. learn what their challenges and limitations are. action plan with the mine that takes into account
We sometimes find that the screening panels Mines have tended to cut capital expenditure their human and financial resources, she says.
on our operating machines substantially exceed as a result of depressed commodity prices, which Low commodity prices have also meant that
the weight of what the machine was initially means that the working life of equipment, like mines have lost vital skills to operate and service
designed to take, says Mayhew-Ridgers. This screens, is being extended. At the same time, their equipment.
extra weight can change the dynamics and the however, the necessary maintenance is often also Along with many maintenance positions on
centre of gravity of the screen so that for cut back, creating a serious risk of failure and mines being consolidated to aid cost cutting
example, it is no longer aligned with the exciter unscheduled downtime. efforts, there are also high levels of staff
drive. This can cause damage to the machine and A vibrating screen is one of the smaller and turnover; for OEMs, this means often having to
even the building if not quickly identified and less costly items in a plant, but it is a critical deal with new and inexperienced staff who need
resolved. element that can bring a whole module, or even considerable support in guiding the maintenance
Alston highlights the importance of keeping the entire plant, to a standstill if it fails process.
OEMs in the loop when changing panel types, unexpectedly, she says. The maintenance teams are frequently
so that the fitting of new types of panel does not At Kwatani, we typically start our intervention responsible for a wide range of different
have unintended impacts that could be with an on-site audit to assess the situation in a equipment, and lack the specialised knowledge
detrimental to the machines life-span or plant, beginning with a look at the mechanical that is so crucial to keeping vibrating screens
performance. state of the vibrating equipment in its operational performing optimally, she says. This is an area
With our depth of expertise, we can advise and non-operational state. where close and ongoing contact between the
from a mechanical point of view on areas where A visual inspection allows any damage to the mine and the OEM is crucial to achieving the
problems could arise, he says. We aim to steel section or wear to be identified. The next lowest possible ownership cost over the life of
cooperate with other stakeholders wherever question is whether the equipment is performing the machine. IM
TAKRAF
In-Pit Crushing, Conveying and Spreading
TAKRAF is a key supplier of individual machines and integrated systems to the mining industry.
Each project is approached from the end-users viewpoint with the aim of meeting and exceeding
requirements and expectations.
Safe, environmental friendly and efficient material movement - In-Pit Crushing and Conveying
(IPCC) systems cut truck haulage to a minimum and build operational resilience - they substan-
tially reduce the operational expenditures and hold other environmental and safety benefits too.
TAKRAF GmbH
Torgauer Strae 336
04347 Leipzig, Germany Tenova, a Techint Group company, is a worldwide partner for
takraf.sales@tenova.com innovative, reliable and sustainable solutions in the mining and
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COUNTRY FOCUS FOCUS- ECUADOR_proof 27/09/2017 09:10 Page 1
COUNTRY FOCUS
Ecuador awakens
John Chadwick looks
at a country that is
busy pushing mining
to the fore, with
some success
t was only in 2015, that the Ecuador Production of mined copper decreased by Drilling on Lumina Gold's Cangrejos project
www.dxbpumppower.com
QUARRY AND MINE DEWATERING PUMPSS
DIRECT FROM THE UK MANUFACTURER
ER
3 UP TO
O 12 OR 80mm TO 300mm
m
FLOWS UP 8,000m3/hr OR 2200 l/s
/s
HEADS UP TO 400m OR 40 BAR
AR
ELECTRIC OR ENGINE DRIVEN
N VOLVO, SCANIA AND CAT
AT
SLURRIES UP TO 60% SOLIDSS (NEW)
W)
EFFICIENCIES UP TO 89%
%
STORM & STONE PROTECTION SYSTEM
M
SKID, TRAILER, CONTAINER OR PONTOON DESIGNS
NS
COUNTRY FOCUS
Mirador copper
Immediate employment generation will be led
by the environmentally-challenged Mirador
copper project, which has a committed
investment of $1,700 million by EcuaCorriente. In
2009, Corriente Resources Inc estimated Mineral
resources at Mirador to include Measured and
Indicated of 438 Mt at 0.61% Cu, 0.19 g/t Au and
1.5 g/t Ag and Inferred of 235 Mt at 0.52% Cu,
0.17 g/t Au and 1.3 g/t Ag. Corriente completed
a feasibility study on milling 30,000 t/d from a
181 Mt in-pit resource, over a 19 year mine life,
and with a 0.8:1 strip ratio.
In 2010 Corriente Resources was acquired by
CRCC-Tongguan Investment Co, which is jointly-
owned by Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group
Holdings Co and China Railway Construction
Corp. There is conflict between the mining Fruta del Norte prepared by Amec Foster Wheeler, with the
company and local communities. Also in the Cordillera del Cndor region, the support of four other globally recognised,
This project is expected to be the first large Fruta del Norte (FDN) deposit is located within a leading engineering firms in a Technical Report
scale open pit mining operation in Ecuador. The 150 km long copper-gold metallogenic sub- filed on SEDAR in accordance with NI 43-101.
company expects to start the commissioning by province. Loja, the fourth-largest city in Ecuador, Highlights:
the end of 2018 with a milling capacity of 30,000 is the nearest city to the project area. FDN is I Probable Mineral Reserves totalling 4.82 Moz
t/d ore and two years later raise the capacity to situated about 139 km east-northeast of Loja. of gold and 6.34 Moz of silver (15.5 Mt at
60,000 t/d ore. An independent feasibility study was 9.67 g/t Au and 12.7 g/t Ag)
I Estimated average annual gold production of
340,000 oz at an average life of mine (LOM)
total cash cost of $553/oz and an estimated
LOM all-in sustaining cash cost (AISC) of
$623/oz, placing FDN in the lowest cash
cost quartile globally
I Estimated LOM production of approximately
4.4 Moz of gold and 5.2 Moz of silver over
an initial 13-year mine life using an average
gold recovery of 91.7% and average silver
recovery of 81.5%
I Estimated project capital cost, including
contingency, of $669 million, net of taxes.
On May 30, Lundin Gold reported the start of
construction of the mine development support
facilities. In addition, it had completed a project
update for FDN, including a revised mine plan,
updated capital and operating costs and a new
execution plan based on a self-perform
approach versus EPCM.
Lundin Gold President and Chief Executive
Officer, Ron Hochstein: "A remarkable amount
of work has been accomplished over the past
Banktrack produced this map of the Mirador project saying it threatened to poison rivers in the year to provide a comprehensive update to the
Upper Amazon Basin. The project is controversial, lying in the Cordillera del Condor, a richly project. The result of these efforts has led to a
biodiverse area and the territory of indigenous Shuar and Awajn people, which extends across the
border into Peru more technically robust and constructible
COUNTRY FOCUS
www.dsiunderground.com
COUNTRY FOCUS
Inferred category
I Mineralisation is contained in two VMS
lenses
I 2,300-ha project in two concessions, strikes
for almost 4 km and includes six priority
exploration targets.
Salazar Resources is engaged in the
exploration and development of prospective
areas in Ecuador. Led by a senior Ecuadorian
management team and most notably, Fredy
Salazar, this team has been instrumental in
several major discoveries throughout Ecuador.
The property portfolio (four projects - 45,250
ha) includes the Curipamba project; a VMS
district located in central-west Ecuador in the
Western Mountain range's Macuchi Group about
a 2.5-hour drive from Guayaquil and about 250
km southwest of Quito.
Mendez is located in the Province of Morona
Santiago, Cantones Limn Indanza, Santiago de
Mendez and Suca. The project area covers
9,472 ha and is a Cu-Zn-Mo (gold) porphyry
system. The copper mineralisation is associated
with 2-3% of sulphides and multi-directional
veinlets in a granodioritic to quartz diorite
And more. 134,573 ha. composition of the complex porphyritic events.
Ro Blanco (Chinas Junefield Mineral Resources) Toachi Mining has an option to earn between Salazar owns 100% of Rumiahui project that
is a $79 million underground gold and silver a 60%-75% interest in La Plata gold-copper-zinc covers a total area of 2,910 ha of prospective Au-
mine development expected to come on stream volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS): Cu-Ag. The property is located about 100 km
this year. It production, according to I Former Cambior project from 1996-2000 and northwest of Quito.
BNAmericas, is estimated 67,910 oz/y gold and Cornerstone Capital,2006-2007 The 100% owned Santiago project is located
478,456 oz/y silver. I High grade gold-rich VMS deposit which within Tertiary volcanics, in a geological setting
The project is located approximately 50 km supported small-scale operations, 1975- similar to the Loma Larga deposit and the Rio
west of Cuenca and some 320 km southwest of 1981 Blanco deposit, 110 km west of FDN gold deposit
Quito. The property is situated on the western I Historic resources based on drilling by and 60 km south from Loma Larga.
flank of the Western Cordillera in southwest Cambior and Cornerstone were estimated at Chinese company Ecsa Ecuacorriente is
Ecuador. 913,977 t grading 8.01 g/t Au, 88.3 g/t Ag, exploring the San Carlos Panantza copper
The Cascabel project is a porphyry copper- 5.01% Cu, 6.71% Zn and 0.78% Pb in the project. Like Mirador, this project is in conflict
gold deposit located in the north. It lies just with the indigenous Shuar people.
off the main road, an easy three-hour drive Returning to the 2014 USGS report, it notes:
north of Quito. Cascabel is SolGold's flagship Mineral deposits in Ecuador were determined
project and shows significant promise of to include antimony, copper, gold, iron ore, and
hosting a Tier 1 resource, the company silver. Five districts, all of which encompassed
reports. some amount of protected area, were identified
Exploraciones Novomining (ENSA) holds as prospective for metal deposits; they were the
100% of the Cascabel concession and SolGold Alao Paute, the Azuay, the Imbaoeste, La Plata,
owns 85% of ENSA. It is a JV between ENSA and the Zamora Districts. About two dozen
and Cornerstone Capital Resources. SolGold foreign mining companies had active projects in
owns 11% of Cornerstone. The tenement area Ecuador by the early 2000s, and the country
is 50 km. was known to host worldclass copper and gold
Lumina Gold is a Vancouver based Canadian deposits. Continued structural reform and policy
precious and base metals exploration and revisions in the mineral sector, which resulted in
development company focused on gold and one of the highest tax rates in Latin America,
copper projects in Ecuador. The Cangrejos Au- contributed to decreased exploration investment
Cu project (4 Moz Au Inferred Resource) is as well as disinvestment or divestiture by
located in El Oro province, southwest Ecuador, mining companies already active in Ecuador. In
and the Condor Au-Ag-Cu project (8 Moz Au 2014, the Governments efforts in the mining
Indicated Resource) is located in Zamora- industry were focused on eradicating artisanal
Chinchipe Province, southeast Ecuador. mining operations and mitigating the barriers to
Lumina also holds a large and highly foreign investment that had been in place since
prospective land package in Ecuador of over the late 2000s. IM
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
series of quality and productivity generate high volumes of dilution liquor and
incidents related to the leach feed optimise flocculant flow rates and mixing. The
thickener had delayed E-Volute Feedwell is marked by feed stream
corresponding improvements in total dissipation, optimal mixing energy and shear
output.One of the sites primary profiles and an even feed distribution into the
concerns was around what was thickener tank.
considered to be excessive The mine agreed to this solution as it directly
consumption of flocculant. targeted the identified under-performance
FLSmidth are our on-site characteristics low flocculant efficiency and
maintenance contractors and feed distribution. We gave FLSmidth the
although the thickener wasnt one of contract partly because of the solution they
theirs we asked them to take a look offered, partly because of their experience with
and come up with a solution that thickeners and primarily because they could
Outotec Directional Autodil and Outotec would reduce floc consumption and improve handle the total project from design to handover.
Turbodil are the first thickening systems to performance and reliability of the thickener, said a They were responsible for all engineering,
auto-dilute feed while optimising performance
and flocculant consumption mine spokesperson. planning and scheduling, project management
Essentially, the thickener was undersize for and installation and commissioning.No one else
ensures all particles are aggregated by the the job it was being asked to do. It was an off- could give us that end to end solution.
flocculant. Efficient operation is maintained in the-shelf design and not optimised for the duty, Additionally, economies of scale and a range
this upper zone over varying feed rates. meaning any increase in feed led to immediate of efficiency savings were realised because
The lower zone promotes gentle mixing for performance issues. The feed system was found FLSmidth could retain the whole project in-
continued aggregate growth, with the option for to be too small and hampered by the amount of house, including fabrication of all components
secondary flocculant dosing. This zone also air being drawn into the feedwell. The outdated at the companys Welshpool facility.
enables the uniform discharge of aggregates density-reliant feed dilution system meant that FLSmidth says the upgraded thickener is
under low shear conditions. the feed system was not being diluted, resulting delivering impressive results. Data received from
To decrease the level of feed solids prior to in high flocculant consumption, poor overflow the mine shows a marked reduction in flocculant
flocculation, Outotec developed a patented quality and lower than desired density. consumption. At steady-state operation above
directional autodilution system that harnesses The technology in place also suffered 900 t/h, consumption has been reduced by some
the natural head difference across the feedwell markedly from biased feed distribution into the 34% on a gram per tonne basis. Based solely on
wall. This drives supernatant liquor into the thickener, resulting in a constrained surface area anticipated flocculant savings, the ROI for the
feedwell, where slurry dilution, mixing, and and residence time available for compaction. upgrade is expected to be around twelve months.
flocculation take place. Autodilution ensures the The biased flows also increased feedwell exit Additionally, average thickener underflows
density in the feedwell is within the optimum shear rates and would have significantly have been increased by 2% (w/w) a level that
range for flocculation, irrespective of feed flow reduced overall agglomerate size at the feedwell has been set to limit increases in viscosity in the
rate or density. exit, requiring an excessive flocculant CIL. They are now held at 50% - up from 48%,
The company has also developed the Outotec consumption rate. which gives an additional 6% residence time in
Turbodil patented system of forced dilution to Following sedimentation performance tests, a the leach circuit, which helps to maximise
provide an effective feed dilution scheme for process and mechanical review and full recoveries. According to the mine, the upgrade
alternative process requirements. The system structural analysis of the bridge and thickener project went flawlessly, so much so that the
uses a low head axial pump to drive dilution by FLSmidth, the solution offered was a proven shutdown schedule was reduced by three shifts.
water into the feedwell. combination of the companys E-Duc dilution Being able to return to full production 36 hours
Outotec Turbodil can help meet your technology and the E-Volute Feedwell. The ahead of schedule has been a significant win for
requirements when the process requires further E-Duc system uses feed stream momentum to our production.
dilution of already low feed concentrations; high
volumes of feed dilution flow are required to
bring the incoming feed to the required density;
large variations in feed conditions are
anticipated; or low slurry specific gravity
differential exists between the feed slurry and
the overflow liquor due to the particles in the
slurry having a low specific gravity.
Metso IPS units allow guarantees equal highest availability. For 30 years, DELKOR high
positioning of specifically
designed feed ports for an distribution to all quality drives have set the standard and with the
optimum ratio between the inclined plate pack more recent advent of FEA, the designs have
clarification and chambers with been refined and improved to work seamlessly
thickening area
minimum with the tracking system. The high torque and
turbulence at the entry stresses associated with paste have made the
large Setl type settlers have points. drive design and selection even more important.
been operating successfully The solids settle onto and DELKORs Auto Dilution system has the
for a number of years. slide down each plate pack capability of adding very large volumes of
Prefabricated units are to the sludge tank where the dilution liquor through the double concentric ring
available with up to a 500 m2 solids are further thickened and design. Operating data from one installation
settling area. The Inclined compressed with the assistance of shows high feed volumes at 40% being diluted to
Plate Settler (IPS) consists of the raking system. 12% solids using the system. This unique design
two main components, the of high dilution capability enhances flocculation
upper tank containing the Thickener drives from that contributes to reduced polymer usage.
lamella plates inclined at 55 DELKOR DELKORs patented Forced Dilution system is
and the lower conical or DELKOR, the solid liquid also capable of adding additional overflow liquor
cylindrical sludge tank. separation specialist that is into the feed of a thickener using a low head
The feed for the IPS part of the Tenova axial pump to drive dilution water into the
enters through TAKRAF group, provides feedwell. The main advantage of the Forced
vertical chambers proven thickener drive Dilution system is that it takes the overflow
on either side of the technology including liquor from a large surface area negating the
plate packs and passes single planetary units risk of causing localised high internal rise rates.
into each plate gap through delivering 1.2 MNm of torque as well The system then optimally mixes with the feed to
slotted feed ports. Clarification takes place above as multi-pinion centre drive systems capable of produce an ideal slurry concentration prior to
the suspension inlet so there is no mixing of the 14 MNm of torque. With more than a thousand flocculation, which improves setting and reduces
clarified fluid with the incoming feed. operating thickeners our drive design is well flocculant consumption. Another advantage of
Above each pack is a full-length overflow known to be highly reliable and can be operated DELKORs patented Forced Dilution system is its
launder fitted with throttling holes to create a hydraulically or electrically. As process plants ability to draw large volumes from the surface of
slight hydraulic back pressure on the incoming seldom include standby thickeners, we focus on the thickener. This attribute enhances the
feed stream. This method of feed control providing the best design to ensure the client withdrawal and elimination of froth layers.
www.aqseptence.com
with a proven technology capable of producing a The ThyssenKrupp POLSHAFT retention time in the unit of
dryer operates according to the
drip-free cake from concentrates and a wide counterflow principle only a few seconds until
range of waste material. Customers looking to they are completely dry. This
reduce or eliminate settling/tailings ponds, as continuous supply of hot gas. The is very important, for
well as those unable to receive permitting, are material is swirled up by the example, in the case of
cited as ideal candidates for Filter Presses. paddle shafts which are temperature-sensitive
Additionally, customers who currently have belt integrated into the bottom of the materials.
presses, centrifuges or screw presses, but are dryer and provide the conditions The thermal shock,
looking for a better solution that produces a drier for fast and very intensive which results from the
product should contact McLanahan about the vapourisation of the hot gas material surface water
benefits of this equipment. It can help with owing to convection. Depending spontaneously and violently
reclamation or reduce transportation and on the material properties, the evaporating, causes
disposal costs of waste products. material can simultaneously be possibly existing larger
Unlike the traditional plate and frame press, disagglomerated and agglomerations to burst
McLanahans Filter Ppress line features either subsequently, the product quality even at the feed point. On
recessed plate or membrane plates, both of can be increased. the other hand, micro-
which create a chamber for dewatering the slurry The retention time of the agglomerations survive the
without trapping the cakes within the frames. material can also be influenced by drying process. The flash
This allows the dewatered cakes to discharge the design of the special dryer is suitable for
more easily than with traditional plate and frame internals; the material is interconnection with other
presses. Recessed plates dewater using hydraulic transported within the dryer both machines, eg a mill or a
pressure created from feed pumps, while by the paddle shafts and POLCAL gas suspension
membrane plates are designed to squeeze the pneumatically by the hot gases. preheater.
cake once the chamber is full of slurry. The next design, the POLSHAFT
In an effort to provide a safer, simpler and dryer, operates according to the Fluid bed technology
smarter design, McLanahan has also engineered counterflow principle. It is Metsos fluid bed technology
its Filter Presses to feature overhead beams and specifically designed to reduce is just one of its drying
a single piston design. The combination of four the moisture content of pellets or briquettes to a options and is applicable in a multitude of
tension shafts and a single cylinder results in level acceptable for the kiln feed. Its unique industries and in minerals processing such as
less horsepower, fewer control valves, and less design enables efficient heat exchange and mineral sands (ilmenite,rutile, zircon, leucoxene,
complexity, all while still isolating the overhead generates only a small amount of fines, this garnet), iron ore drying, diatomaceous earth,
beams from dynamic loads. The overhead beam improving the overall plant efficiency. Preheated phosphates & potash, lithium (spodumene), lime
style results in faster opening and closing for air (eg. 300C) reaches the upper as well as the and various other industries. Fluid bed
greater production and better cake release, as lower part by means of a drying air fan. In the technology can be for stand-alone units or
well as providing larger plate openings for better upper section the hot gas enters the chamber complete system deliveries including PLC control,
access for cleaning and maintenance. and flows through a bundle of pipes from top to dust/product collection, product conveying (feed
Due to the variability in permeability and bottom. The pipes warm up and contribute to the and discharge), exhaust gas handling, heat
surface area, each material should be tested drying process. To reach the required heat, the exchanging, and fuel delivery systems. The
prior to the sizing a Filter Press. Other drying air is heated to a constant and controlled introduction of an appropriate air flow into the
parameters are used for greenfield sites when drying temperature by using an air heater. In the system brings about the onset of
testing isnt possible. McLanahan is able to offer lower section a cross construction and an fluidisation.The air flow passes through the bed
both lab and on-site pilot testing. arrangement of gas entry and exit cones ensure of material and suspends the particles in a fluid
the distribution of the hot gas which passes state.The bed has the appearance of a
ThyssenKrupp drying options through the material in counterflow. The dried vigorously boiling liquid, and will flow steadily
Moving on to drying technology, with one of the material is discharged through a cone into a tube through the vessel from one side to the other and
widest ranges of dryers in the industry, which empties into a vibrating feeder. discharge over a set weir plate or bed level
ThyssenKrupp can offer solutions to most drying The company also supplies Rotary Dryers, control feeder. Each particle is suspended by its
tasks in the mining and minerals industry. The used in the minerals industry for drying wet own pocket of gas maximising the heat transfer
key components of the Rapid Dryer are a and/or abrasive materials. They are designed for rate.This results in an extremely efficient heat
compact stationary housing in welded design, a very high throughputs and can process materials transfer process.
paddle-shaft unit (consisting of one or two with diverse granulometric properties. Metso has supplied over 4,000 dryers for over
paddle shafts which are integrated in the dryer In a Flash Dryer, the material is fed into the 400 different materialsfor operations around the
bottom), special dryer internals for the hot gas riser duct of the dryer, through which hot drying world. This experience translates into better
and material conveyance, as well as connections gases from a combustion chamber, or exhaust performance, higher availability and easier
for the hot gas and material supply. The product gases from other thermal processes, flow from maintenance. Materials act differently during
is discharged either through a gate valve for the bottom to the top. The gas and material are drying. They may be sticky whenbeing fed to the
solids in the bottom of the Rapid Dryer or mixed intensively due to the special design. The dryer, or they may become sticky during drying.
together with the stream of hot gas. dried product is normally collected in a cyclone. They may agglomerate during drying, or become
The moist and lumpy or fine-grained raw Excellent mixing of the material and good flow dust. In some cases the material needs to be
material is fed into the Rapid Dryer and dried in conditions ensure very high drying speeds, such dried completely, bone dry, and in some cases
the housing in the parallel flow due to that even very moist materials often need a the material is only partially dried. IM
HIGH PROFILE
Flooded riches
software and communications still ongoing, civil
works at Lee Moor started in June. A safe
working area was required, to bring in the
equipment with heavy transport trucks and
launch the system components. Also a slurry
Paul Moore spoke to Jenny Rainbird, Senior Project depot was created on land, which will capture
Manager, BMT Group, about progress with the VAMOS! the material being pumped up as a slurry while
mining underwater. Meanwhile the site set-up
underwater mining project, while the project team have has been completed with offices, fencing,
provided an update on the first trials in the UK welfare and workshop units.
During the trials, the Lee Moor site operates a
s populations grow and per capita increased safety and a reduction of costs make strict safety regime in accordance with the UK
IPCC
In-pit insights
options that includes belt wagons, mobile belt
bridges and the FLSmidth RAHCO mobile reclaim
conveyor technologies.
Through combined capabilities for large
(>22,000 t/h) capacity conveying capabilities
With a major acquisition, new designs and technologies, and references, large capacity stacking and
the IPCC market seems to be picking up again, reflecting reclaiming ranges, coupled with a range of
portable conveyors, large range of boom
renewed market interest reports Paul Moore spreaders, as well as FLSmidth mobile stacking
he big news in the IPCC market is that stations, two more will be delivered going conveyor technologies, the company says it
GET A GRIP ON
OVERBURDEN
Global mining is changing: rising costs and environmental pressures have
called time on traditional standalone truck and shovel methods. For nearly
40 years, MMDs innovative, greener In-Pit Sizing & Conveying (IPSC)
technology has been at the forefront of this revolution.
IPCC
FLSmidths portfolio from the recent Sandvik criteria for the largest mobile stacking conveyor leverage process data and analytics for
Mining Systems acquisition will enable us to system in the world for a mine in Mexico that monitoring, benchmarking their performance and
integrate from pit into processing plant: by has now been operating for close to a year. With predicting maintenance of their equipment.
knowing what will be coming into processing an effective stacking length of over 300 m, and
you can optimise the overall process. We can with a stacking capacity of 12,000 t/h, FLSmidth MMD Fully Mobile Surge Loader
help bridge the gap between the pit people and has supplied the highest capacity heap leach MMDs latest offering, a Fully Mobile Surge
the processing people, and increase overall mobile stacking conveyor system in the world Loader, is poised to help open-pit mines harness
process efficiency. Automation and smart for Southern Copper Corporation's Cananea the benefits of continuous mining, using their
system development, implementation and on- copper mine in northern Mexico. The system is existing truck fleet. Shovels represent
going data analytics of the well-known ground- fully automated based on GPS and a self- significant CAPEX and OPEX costs, and yet the
breaking Vale S11D IPCC system, as well as alignment system that ensures the ore is efficiency of a shovel rarely exceeds 60% of its
inclusion on more recent waste stacking stacked accurately, thereby optimising leaching capability. We recognised we could design a
systems being built at present, will complement efficiency. With the integrated GPS system, the piece of kit that would harness the capability of
and strengthen FLSmidths efforts to provide machine knows exactly where it is located on a the shovel and revolutionise the speed of
pro-active condition monitoring and data real-time basis and the machine auto-self-aligns loading trucks, says David Pitchford, President,
collection for IPCC equipment with associated as it progresses forward. The target is to build a MMD Mineral Sizing Americas.
data analytical reports designed to identify consistent pile to a depth of 80 m across the Accepting direct loading from excavators,
damage or wear and tear ahead of any failure. valley. FLSmidth conveyed +350 mm lumps of shovels or an MMD Fully Mobile Sizer, the Surge
This is with the intention of offering value crushed ore at around 6m/sec across this Loader stockpiles material and delivers a
proposition through preventative maintenance, sophisticated stacking system, similar to an regulated flow to the waiting truck fleet. Based
as well as identifying critical component status IPCC application. on simulation data, MMD believes an operator
or poor operation/misuse for improved FLSmidth is also developing and installing could get 12 to 14 more loads per hour from
productivity at the mine site. one of the largest Hybrid Apron Belt (HAB) their shovels. Key benefits are summarised as
He adds: FLSmidth intends to be on the feeders in the world that is under the largest follows:
forefront of IPCC systems and technologies filter press built to date. The HAB has n Optimises shovel production capability
going forward with a focus that will allow performed flawlessly to date and exceeded n Increases truck utilisation
clients to reduce CAPEX, OPEX and increase expectations, so on the back of this product n Improves truck fill factors
throughput in order to increase their development success, FLSmidth has n Reduces truck body wear
productivity. With this offering FLSmidth will investigated its use for IPCC applications to n Reduced truck spotting time
help our mining customers rebuild profitability, combine apron feeder, dribble belt and n Lower cost per tonne
improve mine safety and reduce environmental discharge conveyor into one unique unit, the n Minimal capital investment for significant
footprint. Incline HAB. Although conceptual at this stage, improvements.
this will allow more compact truck tip or shovel MMDs new system design is built upon its
Market outlook for IPCC and project fed stations that could feed to a secondary combined experience at the Drummond
update station housing the mineral sizer, all of which Pribbenow coal operation in Colombia some 12
To increase productivity, miners must improve with the intent of smaller more compact and years ago, and seen first hand by IM, and its
two of three variables: OPEX, CAPEX and mobile in pit equipment. more recent IPSC (In-Pit Sizing & Conveying)
throughput. FLSmidth states: The tendency in FLSmidth has also announced the Coffer Dam installation at the Pingshuo Chinese coal mine.
the past has been the temptation to increase concept, developed for an IPCC oil sands In Colombia, MMD had installed a number of
throughput by adding trucks and shovels to application, and previously discussed in IM. The Heavy Duty Apron Plate Feeders that could be
existing fleets and infrastructure and granted, concept is simple, low capital and OPEX cost loaded directly from a dragline. An awaiting
when compared with an IPCC system that is a effective, in that it eliminates the need for costly queue of trucks were loaded both efficiently
lower initial CAPEX investment. However, retaining walls associated with large semi- (nearly three times faster) and accurately (98%
ignoring the long term OPEX costs will be mobile or relocatable stations. fill factor) one after the other, by the
detrimental in the new norm for the mining Digitalisation is also a major area of hydraulically regulated feeder. In China, MMDs
industry. investment for FLSmidth which is relevant to flagship Fully Mobile Sizer station convincingly
Emerson told IM: The interest for IPCC has IPCC: remotely operated and fully automated proved the system setup of allowing the shovel
increased in the last several months: We have systems with on board sensor technologies, to dig continuously and load the mobile sizers
been approached by clients from South America, data capture capabilities and data analytics. receiving hopper, without having to stop. The
Europe, Russia, India and South East Asia in Emerson adds: We want to provide our full flow shovel operator has been able to load 9,000 to
particular requesting scoping studies and sheet of premium technologies embedded in a 12,000 t/h until he needs to reposition.
budget pricing requests for IPCC systems. The unique combination of leading process know Combining the experience in Colombia and
positive response from several major clients, in how and services; by understanding China, MMD has designed the Surge Loader for
response to our pending Sandvik Mining performance data and optimising customers loading trucks in existing mines where
Systems acquisition is a clear indication the operations, while minimising the environmental conveyors are not practical, or investment in
market is starting to look quite closely again at impact. In collaboration with GE we are creating truck fleets needs to be retained. Trucks often
IPCC systems and in the pit mining solutions for digital solutions for increasing productivity in dont receive 90% of their fill factor, and
the future, and in some cases stay in business the mining industry. In this collaboration, typically shovels dont sustain 6,000 t/h, when
requirements, of large scale mines. FLSmidth is building our solutions on top of GEs they should be loading at 10,000 t/h, says
On ongoing IPCC related projects, FLSmidth Predix platform with applications for managing Pitchford.
has successfully run and met performance process flows thereby allowing customers to The Surge Loader can be deployed
IPCC
IPCC
IPCC
gearboxes, belts and pulleys. Proper drive control can also increase the
lifetime of major mechanical gears.
Dirscherl adds: Another area gaining attention is preventive
maintenance. Here the goal is to minimise unexpected shutdowns caused
by system failures. A continuous recording system or data logging system
is connected to all components of the conveying system, including
mechanical and electrical parts. The mass of produced data is then
integrated with data from other sources, such as field service reports.
Through advanced analytics, experts can predict impending failures and
take action in time. An added advantage is that they can also uncover
opportunities for performance improvements, as well as energy and cost
savings.
The technologies behind preventive maintenance have given rise to
another trend: remote asset health management services. For this, Siemens
can go online from a competence centre and provide instruction to help
mine personnel fix a problem. Should a service engineer have to be sent to
the site, he or she is very well prepared and knows exactly what spares to
bring along. In either case, coming up with a viable solution is simply faster.
From innovative conveyor technologies to an intelligent use of data,
mine owners have a whole range of possibilities to improve their
operations. But in regard to the former, South American mines were early to
start benefitting from direct conveyor drive systems, which boast the
highest availability and overall efficiency of available drive systems. In the
meantime, mines in other regions of the world are beginning to follow suit.
As a guideline, direct conveyor drive systems make sense when power
requirements are more than 2,500 kW for a drive pulley.
New ABB Medium Power GCD on excavator at the LEAG-owned Consider it done. redpathmining.com
Jaenschwalde lignite mine close to Cottbus
IPCC
handles up to 14,000 m/h of overburden sand Through a primary crusher at the accommodates most loading styles.
base of the opencast mine, a
but with large contained rocks derived from the MegaPipe conveyor provides The units are built in 48 in (1,219 mm) or 72
Ice Age. The design temperature is -25C to + the steep transport at in (1,828mm) wide models and can transfer
40C, with harsh shock and vibration parameters right angles to the material at rates up to 1,500 t/h.
opencast mine
to withstand; as well as limited space. embankment Superior told IM that heap leach mining
operations now require greater capacity,
MegaPipe comparison study continuous material flow, and reduced downtime.
ContiTech, Siemens and thyssenkrupp have In any precious metal application including
founded a research and development consortium expected gold, copper and ore these challenges are
to develop and market the Chevron- lifetime of chevron ongoing top-of-the-mind initiatives, particularly
MegaPipe conveyor. The new conveyor cleat ribs referring to a due to the complexity of stacking plans. Material
design is set to help reduce conventional wear and a profile bond- handling equipment must be highly mobile and
heavy-duty truck traffic and the resulting high strength to the belt surface extremely flexible. And, for optimum
operating costs in open-pit mines. High- under the extreme opencast performance, more and more operations are
strength, ribbed steel cable Chevron-MegaPipes mining conditions. utilising integrated conveyor systems, which can
with a nominal strength of up to 9,500 N/mm and The newly developed chevron cleat rib be custom-engineered for the specific pad
an outer diameter of up to 900 mm facilitate cost- exhibits longer durability than the 14 mm thick design. The speedy payback from the latter is
effective conveyance of ore and overburden with upper rubber cover plate of the basic belt 2000 measured in more tonnes per move, larger leach
lump sizes up to 350 mm over mine slopes with St3150 14:7 DIN-X. Taking into account the pad footprints and increased profitability.
angles of inclination of 30 to approximately 45. measured hours of use until the profiles wear in Because every heap leaching operation
The solution has already proven itself in a feasibility the material transfer station, the theoretical maintains a specific process with unique
study for a 350 m deep open-pit mine with a mass durability of the chevron profiles was calculated characteristics, mines are far more likely to
flow of 5,000 t/h. as approximately five years or more. improve efficiency with a customised and
In a recent project, the cost-effectiveness of comprehensive material handling system, says
continuous conveying technology in opencast Superior mobile conveyors for leach Jarrod Felton, VP of Engineering for Superior.
mining was compared to discontinuous transport operations Felton says that an integrated heap leach
using heavy-duty traffic involving trucks and rail. Superior Industries Inc, the US-based system is comprised of a core group of mine-duty
Through a primary crusher at the base of the manufacturer and global supplier of bulk material conveyors, with the customisation of the system
opencast mine, a MegaPipe conveyor provides processing and handling systems, recently being applied with various belt lengths and
the steep transport at right angles to the completed manufacturing of its first Razerlink widths, belt speeds, and load areas; as well as
opencast mine embankment. Comparison Mobile Conveyora multi-functional machine choices in hoppers, mobile tracks, control
calculations were based on conveying capacities designed to load, unload, transfer, and/or systems, electrical components, and the total
using heavy-duty trucks and rail in a well-known stockpile material. number of jump or grasshopper conveyors. This
iron ore surface mine in Eastern Europe. According to Superior engineers, by combining strategically selected system of machines and
In this opencast mine with the dimensions mobility with telescoping conveyor technology machine attributes ensures smooth material
L 5,000 m x W L 3,000 m x H L 480 m, the Razerlink Mobile Conveyor limits downtime transfer and far greater efficiency over that of
approximately 50 Mt/y of material per year are and accelerates material handling. Additionally, older, conventional methods.
transported out of the mine by 27 heavy-duty one time handling of material aids in maintaining Felton explains that currently many heap leach
trucks (payload 120 t) and 36 hopper trains high quality material spec. mining operations work in a manual radial
(payload 1,000 t). Each unit is tailor-made to the exact conditions stacking mode. Operators will move the radial
Alternatively, using a single Chevron- of the customers operation, whether it be a stacker with a loader to a given location, leaving
MegaPipe with a diameter of 900 mm and a barge, rail, quarry, mining or construction site it to stack there while they perform other
conveying speed of 4 m/sec and a fill factor of application. Mobility options include conveyor maintenance duties. Later the operators return to
approx. 50%, the equivalent annual conveying tracks, drive tyres, or towable tyres. For either fill in holes or move the stacker to the next
capacity of 50 Mt could be transported with an applications not requiring telescoping capabilities, location. This typically results in saw-tooth pile
operational availability of 8,322 hours. Using an the Razerlink Mobile Conveyor can be fitted with a tops, which are not ideal for irrigation, he says.
IPCC system (here with MegaPipe conveying out fixed length, radial, or luffing conveyor. The units Alternatively, automated heap leach conveying
of the opencast mine) reduces operating, feed design can come in the form of a drive over systems are programmed to stack per desired lift
personnel and maintenance costs while ramp, back up ramp, or feed hopper, which specifications. At the core of the system is the
simultaneously reducing environmentally harmful
CO2 emissions.
An interesting aspect of the MegaPipe design
are its chevron cleat ribs, which will stop material
slipping at high angles and maximise capacity, so
are fundamental to the design success.
Experimental investigations of the impact-
strength, bond-strength and wear-resistance of
the new chevron cleat ribs on the ContiTech
impact test rig and in a belt system transfer
station in the Oetelshofen Limestone Opencast
Mine in Germany were used to determine the Superior recently completed manufacturing of its first Razerlink Mobile Conveyor
IM
IPCC_proof 27/09/2017 07:38 Page 7
IPCC
mine-duty Superior TeleStacker Conveyor, which Integrated with the telescoping radial stacker systems, there are super portable grasshopper
is engineered with an internal stinger conveyor is the Horizontal Index Conveyor (HIC), a fully- conveyors that range from 215 to 250 ft in length.
that maintains constant motion along a cell, skirted unit with a frame that mounts to the The companys Trailblazer Portable
distributing material evenly to achieve a flat top stacker. For greater heap leach site mobility, the Groundline Conveyor can also be used to replace
to each heaped pile, while also piling more track drive on the unit is designed to move itself some of the grasshopper conveyors. This gives
material per move. Its longer stinger conveyor, and the radial stacker along the cell centreline the system the advantage of fewer transfer
over that of conventional radial telescoping units, and for maximum flexibility, the HIC can be fed at points and electrical connections, and lesser
allows for greater flexibility in complex valley fill any point along the length of the conveyor, says move frequency.
applications, says Felton. He explains that the Felton. He adds that when combined with Northern Vertex Mining Corp recently
conveyor is equipped with the FD Series Axle portable jump or grasshopper conveyors, the HIC confirmed that it had awarded Superior
assembly, a technology that allows a quick minimises the frequent removal or adjustments Industries the contract for the overland conveyor,
transition from radial to linear mode, enabling of the jump conveyors along the material transfer grasshopper conveyors and radial stacker for its
movement along the leach pad cell centreline. line. Ultimately, the combined mobility and Moss gold mining project near Bullhead City,
Also, the unit features the patented FB flexibility of the HIC is key to building larger Arizona. The original feasibility study states on
Undercarriage support system, which is leach pad footprints, he says. the design: Crushed ore will be reclaimed from
constructed of durable steel and a tubular braced Next, Felton explains that a horizontal feed the stockpile with a front-end loader, which will
structure that prevents any twisting and shifting. conveyor runs perpendicular to both the HIC and transfer the ore to a feed hopper. A belt feeder
This level of stability is required for the uneven the grasshopper conveyors. It transfers material will draw ore from the hopper and transfer the
ground and the constant movement typically seen from the grasshopper conveyor to the HIC to crushed ore to a belt conveyor that feeds an
in the heap leach environment, he stresses. maintain a consistent, steady material flow, he agglomeration drum, approximately 2.7 m in
As to additional mobility options, Felton says says. diameter and 9.2 m in length.Cement will be
that operations may utilise radial travel tracks Built in standard lengths of 100 ft or added to the agglomeration drum feed conveyor
and/or a track-mounted mobile pivot base in engineered in custom lengths, multiple and raw water will be added in the drum for the
conjunction with the telescoping conveyor. grasshopper conveyors comprise a substantial binding process, at a moisture content of
Radial travel tracks are a cost-effective method length and are combined consecutively to approximately 7% by weight. The agglomerated,
to gaining optimum flotation and traction. When transfer material to the stacking conveyors. crushed ore will discharge from the drum onto an
combined with the mobile pivot base, operations Felton says that retreat stacking will move in overland conveyor for transfer to the heap leach
can achieve free-ranging onsite and transfer increments of the grasshopper conveyor length pad. The overland conveyor will discharge onto a
point mobility as well as radial travel capability by removing one at a time, while advance series of several mobile, grasshopper-type
all while reducing the need for multiple trucks stacking requires the insertion of a jump conveyors. Units of grasshopper-type conveyors
and loaders, he says. conveyor upon moving forward. For very large will be added or removed as required dependent
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Richwood 2016
IPCC
the pit perimeter and elsewhere have Group Ltd (CREC). CRECs senior representative
demonstrated successful handling of primary responsible for the project, Cai Zemin said, We
crushed ore and waste rock. are pleased and excited that this major milestone
Finally, the UHAC is a prospective application for progressing the CEIP has been achieved. It
for Western Australia. It is designed as the vital demonstrates the strong joint commitment of
link to salvage an existing IPCC system that has CREC, Iron Road and the South Australian
proven sluggish due to its dependency on long Government to the construction and operation of
low angle conventional conveyors that link the Australias next major mining and infrastructure
IPCC system to the remote spoiling system. project; one that will have a significant impact on
Operation of the present system proved the strength of the mining sector in the State.
impractical largely due to the extensive planning The only remaining primary government
required, much non-productive movement, approval for the CEIP is under the Commonwealth
excavation, re-handling and grading work required environmental legislation. The Commonwealth
to accommodate the present low angle link. Minister for Environment and Energy will
Presently the system sits idle awaiting the vital consider the assessment report provided by the
link that will free the rigid interdependency of the South Australian Government with a decision
in-pit system and the remote spoiling system. expected to be announced soon. The CEIP mine
Dos Santos argues that the UHAC promises a will produce at least 21.5 Mt/y of high grade, low
viable solution, providing a compact mobile link, impurity iron concentrate.
capable of elevating or lowering the primary Joint venture company and IPCC specialist
UHAC Universal High Angle Conveyor design
crushed 350 mm minus waste rock at 8,000 t/h. Thiess-RWE in 2014/2015 was tasked with
upon the stacking location on the pad. The final Designed with the emphasis on versatility the validating the technical feasibility of a hybrid
conveyor will be a radial-type mobile stacker that UHAC can operate in either direction (elevating or IPCC/truck-excavator mining operation for CEIP
will place agglomerated ore in lifts, up to 10 m in lowering the material) and at any level from and to demonstrate improvements in mining
height. tramming on grade to a 3 x 12 m bench costs compared to a pure truck-excavator base
operation. The UHAC offers the vital versatile case. Phase 1 saw analysis and comparison of
Dos Santos on sandwich high angle link for surface spoiling (elevating) or backfilling several alternative mine design methods and
conveyors of the mined out pit (lowering). equipment system layouts to select the preferred
Suitability for IPCC systems has been hybrid IPCC solution. Phase 2 included complete
demonstrated with Dos Santos Sandwich Belt Project update Iron Road mine planning, engineering and project cost
high angle conveyors with a number of units the Iron Road Ltd recently advised in May 2017 that estimating to demonstrate project improvement
company says handling ore and rock at very high the Premier of South Australia, the Hon Jay by application of IPCC technology.
rates. The key question is can they handle large, Weatherill MP and the Minister for Mineral Most recently in July 2017, Iron Road stated:
heavy, primary crushed ore and waste rock. Resources and Energy, the Hon Tom Koutsantonis Thiess-RWE, a leading expert and contractor in
President and Founder of DSI, Joe Dos Santos MP, had announced the granting of the two key continuous mining systems such as in-pit
told IM: Clearly, large lump size is relative. 350 approvals required for the Central Eyre Iron crushing and conveying, has been appointed to
mm lumps are too large to handle at a sandwich Project (CEIP). The CEIP has generated significant conduct a final, short mine plan review at CEIP.
belt of only 1,000 mm width, but not at a momentum towards financing and construction, The review is expected to drive additional mine
sandwich belt of 2,600 mm width. Indeed, to with the rail and port components declared a establishment efficiencies around the planned
have compatibility of belt width and material size Priority Project by Infrastructure Australia in use of in-pit crushing and conveying.
we limit the material size with regards to the September 2016, and three major Chinese banks Findings were anticipated during August 2017,
trough depth. For predominantly lumpy material, formally indicating in April 2017 lending appetite and will shape a key component of the Independent
we limit the lump size to the depth of the trough. for the CEIPs requisite debt financing. Technical Expert report that will be provided to
For occasionally lumpy material (less than 10% Progress has been backed by a strong Chinese banks and other financial institutions
large lumps), we increase the size criteria to relationship with strategic partner China Railway during respective due diligence processes. IM
125% of the trough depth. This is to limit the
separation of the belts, preserving a good
covering over the bulk material and positive belt
to belt contact at the edges of the sandwich.
Before founding DSI, Dos Santos, while
employed with a major US conveyor
manufacturer, engineered the high angle
conveyor at Majdanpek copper mine in Serbia,
one of the only true IPCC applications to date. It
is no longer operational, but during its lifetime,
250 mm lumps were easily handled on the 2,000
mm wide belts. Five years after start up the
system had precluded tripling of the truck fleet;
precluded the need for 4 km of haulage ramps,
3.5 km of which would be of constant ascent; and Joint venture company and IPCC specialist Thiess-RWE in 2014/2015 was tasked with validating the
saved $12 million per year. Other installations at technical feasibility of a hybrid IPCC/truck-excavator mining operation for CEIP
SAFETY
n April Global Mine Design noted: "The Lovells in Johannesburg, South Africa), in an In underground mines, it is vital to have safe
SAFETY
mining sector. top working order and able to detect irregular to adhere strictly to operational safety
So, while great inroads are being made in levels of CO and other potentially toxic fumes, procedures. Employers need to provide the right
terms of legislation and policy making, there is a vapours and gases. Make sure you have a tools and training to every employee to protect
long journey between legislation and boots on regularly scheduled maintenance and testing the life, health and safety of the workforce, as
the ground worker safety. "Global Mine Design plan for this equipment. well as to protect valuable worksites and assets.
always has an eye for the practical application Mine operators must know the location of As leading mining organisations already know,
of safe, economic, and productive mine design, every worker at every moment of each shift. creating a safe working environment means a
and part of that comes from seeing the Double-check your worker identification and more productive and profitable mining
implementation of safety practices across check-in/check-out system. operation. It also leads to higher levels of
multiple mining jurisdictions around the world." Periodic disaster evacuation drills and worker morale and job satisfaction, which in
Grainger offers a wide range of safety testing emergency communication and turn improves employee retention. Taking a
equipment. It provides useful notes that, while signalling systems prepare workers on what to holistic view toward improving worker safety
specific to underground, are widely applicable do if theres an emergency. Emergency gear, education and safe work practices is a sound
throughout the industry. such as HAZMAT suits and breathing apparatus business investment that pays dividends for
According to the US Department of Labor, should be available for first responders and long-term success.
Mining Health and Safety Administration rescue teams.
(MHSA), 70% of mine accidents in the US are Experienced miners know what gear they Where are they?
related to using heavy machinery and other need to prevent or at least minimise injuries on In Australia, NLTs N-Connex received a 2017
equipment at the work site. Among the top ten the job. For newcomers, however, its important Good Design Selection in the Product Design
most cited causal factors contributing to to include information on selecting Personal Category. The jury commented: High-end
accidents in 2012 were: lack of safety training; Protective Equipment (PPE) in their training. design for a rugged, no-fuss utility product. It is
hazard communication; machine guarding; Manufacturers of PPE have made significant clear that a professional design team worked on
lockout/tag out precautions; and electrical wiring. improvements in the materials they use. Take a every aspect of this product. The end result is a
As Grainger states, modern equipment, more look at what youre using for PPE. It might be professionally executed product that does what
automated mining techniques, and better mine time for change. it has to do with elegance and simplicity.
engineering have significantly reduced some of Todays glove manufacturers have made N-Connex (gigabit version) uses an NLT
these safety risks, leading global mine significant improvements in glove designs, using supplied mil-spec two-core pre-terminated fibre
operators to incorporate rigorous safety lighter-weight and more breathable fabrics. for the high speed network backbone. N-Connex
procedures and health and safety standards, Some if these materials even offer better cut can also work with other fibre combinations.
while taking a proactive approach to worker and puncture resistance. Take a look at the Access to the network is provided by N- Connex
education and training. gloves your workers are using. There may be Bolt Access Points and/or PoE ports on the core
While improvements have been made and better options available. Distribution module. The system is fully 802.11
much more is known about the dangers and the Todays work boots are higher to prevent compatible; therefore any WiFi or Ethernet client
risks, it makes sense to periodically evaluate ankle rollover. Specially insulated boots can can function over N- Connex.
your safety strategy to ensure youre doing all protect feet in both extreme cold and heat. Sole N-Connex is an IP67 rated modular solution
you can to provide the safest, most up-to-date platforms are now wider and thicker to provide that simplifies installation and maintenance
work environment possible. While the list below surer footing and better balance. while allowing easy expansion of the network
may seem obvious, it never hurts to revisit your In addition to LED-lighted hard hats, many and solutions offered. While a range of modules
safety program. Heres a checklist of reminders miners require safety glasses. Todays eyewear to suit most requirements is offered, the
to consider when re-evaluating your safety designs include improved scratch abrasion and proprietary IP67 enclosures easily support new
program for an underground mine. fog resistance. functions and solutions, or new modules.
For general tunnelling operations, the MHSA Mine blasting and excessive noise generated N-Connex, being fully compatible with
requires a minimum illumination intensity of 5 by diesel-powered equipment can industry 802.3 and 802.11 standards
foot-candles, although 10 foot-candles must be cause lasting damage to miners supports all
provided for shaft heading during drilling, hearing. Hearing protection in the
mucking and scaling. Check all lamps regularly. form of earplugs and coverings
Check all signage to make sure its highly can be used, depending on the
visible and legible. ambient decibel levels in work
Make sure all telephones and other areas.
signalling devices are fully operational at all To be successful, safety best
times. These devices can be critical in the event practices in any organisation must
of an unexpected incident or accident. be deeply ingrained into the
Routine equipment checks and maintenance corporate culture and supported
programs ensure that equipment and vehicles from top management on down
used in the mine or on the site are performing through the ranks. Safety is truly
properly and reliably, and do not pose any everybodys job. This is especially
dangers to their operators or workers nearby. important in mining where safety N-Connex
Where ladders and scaffolds are needed, awareness and consistency are modules are simply
make sure you have the proper harnesses, belts essential in helping to prevent accidents, clipped to the customised frame and connected
via a Cat5 cable to the main Distribution
and other safeguards to prevent falling. injuries and fatalities. module, as all devices support Power over
Air quality sensors and alarms should be in Mine managers and individual miners need Ethernet (PoE) connectivity
SAFETY
Ethernet and WiFi devices. NLTs range (sometimes constructed with fibre and
of solutions can be used over the N- steel belts) have to be sliced with two-
Connex network including Voice, Data handed box cutters before being spliced
and Video solutions. Some of the back together with steel staples.
solutions include: Maintenance crews are often positioned
n Voice IP Radio Handsets and VoIP on their knees during these dangerous
phones can be used for two-way cutting operations and must pull knife
voice communications blades directly toward them, not the most
n Data network connectivity allows ideal work environment. Recordable
access to Intranets and the Internet injuries from deep punctures and
n Video monitor critical points lacerations are often serious - and in some
through your operation cases, life-threatening.
n Tracking know where your people HexArmor engineered a new level of
and assets are via WiFi (or RFID) protection against punctures and
Tracking and make use of NLTs lacerations with the development of a
powerful digital mine software suite dedicated conveyor belt chap. This was an
n Monitoring ventilation, gas levels, answer to a call from a major mining
environmental conditions or ground company that had been experiencing a
strata changes can all be monitored high level of recordable injuries (punctures
over N-Connex and lacerations) in its belt conveyor
n PLCs Ethernet connectivity for PLC A key part of an MST network infrastructure splicing operations. After conducting an
networks to remotely control and monitor (NS50 AP/Switch) in a Russian mine onsite review of the companys maintenance
electrical equipment. operations, and working directly with the
MST Globals Wireless Repeater Node (WRN) American and Glencore, that are using Short companys safety committee, HexArmor
also received a 2017 Good Design Selection in Interval Control to proactively monitor, analyse, engineered a conveyor belt chap designed to
the Product Design Category. The jury report and manage their underground processes deflect the cutting blades and knives used in belt
commented: The WRN is a rugged, fit for more effectively. splicing maintenance. The result: belt conveyor
purpose design that has been executed The WRN is a specific device, just part of MSTs maintenance and installation injuries were
flawlessly. User controls, ergonomics, choice of much broader IMPACT Wi-Fi suite, but a new and completely eliminated after the introduction of
materials, fit and finish are as good as it gets. important element to that suite. It enables easy, the HexArmor chap.
This is an excellent product and deserves wireless connectivity in that difficult last mile The company says that HexArmor with
recognition at the highest level. into the dynamic areas of the mine the mining SuperFabric brand materials provides some of
MST Global has a range of products that fit faces. the highest cut resistance in the industry today,
within four main technology groups. From ULF to featuring ANSI/ISEA Level A7 and CE Level 5 cut
VHF and UHF, through to digital Wi-Fi based What are they wearing? resistance ratings. The cut, puncture, and
systems, MST has developed a number of Engineering the right type of PPE for mine abrasion resistant 9911 chap provided mine
proprietary products to address particular workers and maintenance crews is critical. For maintenance workers with full front and back leg
requirements and to complement third party example, in almost all mining operations, high coverage plus a double-layer knee patch to
products that may be used in a system. capacity belt conveyors are used and they require reduce wear in specific splicing task positions.
MSTs product suites can be used in isolation frequent maintenance and repair. Splicing is The 9911 Chap was developed with extra
or in combination to provide a total solution to hazardous work for maintenance crews. Belts room in the thigh area to offer easy movement
mine operators requirements. Voice
communications, data communications, people
tracking, emergency messaging, asset tracking &
management, wireless telemetry and proximity
detection are all functions delivered by these
systems.
MST was the first company to broadly
introduce Wi-Fi in underground mines in 2004.
Denis Kent, General Manager, explains this was
done to leverage the bandwidth of Wi-Fi networks
to improve communications and track people in
the mien, a step change in safety.
But the same technology also is being
leveraged to improve productivity.
In fact now we have moved beyond just mine
worthy infrastructure, but into devices and
applications to deliver business value from the
collected data and available communications. An
example is how MST is an integral part of the
activities of mining companies, such as Anglo The 9911 HexArmor Chap completely eliminated belt conveyor maintenance and installation injuries
SAFETY
and comfort, not to mention the chaps are cooler luminous flux on a
and lighter than the leather alternative products. surface. It decreases
Another benefit is that the chaps are fully by the square of the
washable, lowering replacement costs and distance (inverse
improving hygiene. square law) of the
HexArmor also provides a wide range of PPE surface from the light
such as protective gloves, arm guards, jackets, source:
and aprons. The mining industry demands grip E(lx) = luminous
and dexterity to allow maintenance workers to flux (lm)/area (m2).
handle tools and knives without slipping under What is the
extreme pressure. HexArmor has a variety of grip difference between a
solutions for the toughest mine site applications. lumen and a candela?
Lumen = luminous
Mine lighting flux = the complete
In the lead to this article, the importance of quantity of light
lighting has been demonstrated by Airfal. Nordic emitted by a source.
Lights is one of the leading global suppliers of Candela = luminous
Heavy Duty LED, HID & Halogen lighting intensity = quantity of
solutions. It defines Heavy Duty work lights as light radiated in a particular direction. Recommended Nordic Lights LEDs for various
lamps specifically designed to be suitable for Theoretical lumen output cannot be achieved machines
use in extremely demanding environments and in real life. It is a calculated value showing what
applications. They are most commonly used to would be possible under absolute ideal turn the LEDs on and off extremely rapidly (<300
provide illumination of working areas close to the conditions where no optical, electrical or thermal Hz). However, the human eye cannot see this (the
machine to which they are attached. However, losses occur in the system. This value can often eye can only see flicker below about 200 Hz).
some heavy duty lights are also suitable for road be 60% higher that the true lumen output. If LED flickering is noticeable then there could
and signalling use. Operational lumen output takes thermal, be various reasons:
Nordic Lights provides useful reference optical and electrical loss into account. It is the n Cheap LED lamps may be designed with too
information, like the difference between lumen true representation of the lumen output from the low LED switching frequency
and lux. A lumen is the unit of measurement of lamp in real life conditions. n There may be a fault in the lamp circuitry
the complete quantity of light emitted by a light Why do LEDs flicker, or appear to flicker? n There may be an intermittent connection of a
source the luminous flux. Lux is the quantity of Lamps using switched power supplies actually component on the circuit board
SAFETY_proof 26/09/2017 14:26 Page 5
SAFETY
n There may be an intermittent supply sphere angles, normally 90o in all directions (a
connection to the lamp (eg loose, or poorly half sphere). As a result we get the nominal
plugged in connector) illumination values of all detected section angles.
n The flicker may be fake; eg the light may With our software Helios, we analyse the
actually be reflecting from a vibrating shiny measured values and generate the correct lumen
surface. So, the light itself isnt flickering, but output. All measurements are performed at an
because the shiny surface is moving rapidly, the ambient temperature of 23C. The light output is
reflected light is also changing direction rapidly. measured after thermal stabilisation time of the
Nordic Lights offers many different types of light unit after 30 minutes in function; the LEDs lighting solutions. Exceeding ATEX and IECEx
LED work light. This is because an LED is not a have then reached their operating temperature. safety requirements, SLAM FIXED is fit for the
standardised light source like a halogen or HID The company is now offering new extreme most demanding conditions in hazardous work
bulb. LEDs vary, particularly in physical size and corrosion resistant work lights with a special areas.
lumen output. This allows the flexibility to coating to improve the resistance of its mining The lightweight yet extremely durable lights
produce lamp designs suitable for a wide variety work lights in harsh conditions. For its NanoSafe are mounted using acid-resistant steel brackets,
of applications and customer requirements. A coating, it implemented three more layers to and operate reliably in temperatures from 40 C
lamp with lower lumen output typically requires make lights more corrosion resistant and to +40C. The antistatic and extremely rugged Ex-
less, or lower power LEDs than a lamp with a implemented a non-stick and easy to clean plastic casing of the lights enhances working
much higher output. The lamps physical surface coating. These three additional layers safety in explosion hazardous areas.
dimensions, shape and lumen output can be lead to a much higher and longer resistance Thanks to LED technology, maintaining SLAM
tailored for various situations. Using against corrosion. FIXED lights is easier and less frequent than with
combinations of lenses and LEDs can also create Its RFCommSafe products were developed in traditional lamps. SLAM FIXED light fittings are
products with identical appearance but with recognition that some radio communication safer and more cost-effective than other
differing light patterns and output. equipment can self-tune to be very sensitive in industrial lighting solutions. Thanks to both low
On mounting lights, Nordic Lights notes that remote areas. maintenance and low energy consumption, SLAM
aside from the physical dimensions and size of FIXED lights also represent an environmentally
mounting bolts, the main differences are in the sound solution.
material used and their ability to withstand
vibration, shock and corrosion. Basic brackets are Mine utility vehicles for safety
made of steel and have basic shock & vibration Underground machinery is normally specialised
resistance. Cast brackets have a far greater to fit only one purpose, but in mining it is
vibration and shock resilience. They are also commonly needed for one machine to fulfil
more corrosion resistant. The best performing several requirements. This is where Paus took the
brackets in terms of resistance to vibration and initiative and designed the MinCa 18A with a
shock are our patented Quake Damped brackets unitised modular system. It offers a maximum
available for the Scorpius range of lamps. payload of 3.8 t and enough room to transport up
HELLA Mining warns that there is currently no to 18 passengers. However, it is not only
universally recognised standard for measuring equipped with a standard passenger cabin.
the photometric properties of solid state (LED) There are a variety of convenient cassettes
lighting. This has resulted in many available as well. These cassettes include fuel
manufacturers and resellers using theoretical HELLA Mining lumen measurement tanks, lifting/scissor platforms,
data (eg raw lumens) which offers no actual equipment/material transporters and fire-
useful comparison data for the purchaser, who is Every LED lamp contains electronic circuitry, fighting/ambulance cassettes. The Paus fire truck
either unaware or unable to calculate the actual HELLA Mining explains. It is essential that this offers a water tank with an average of 1,600 litres
light output taking into account optical, electrical circuitry does not cause harmful interference to of water and other versions or customised
and thermal losses. The IES (illumination other devices and at the same time is not solutions are also available on request. The
Engineers Society) released in 2008 a standard susceptible to radiation from other devices. The comfortable and innovative suspension, shock
for testing amongst other things, the total limits prescribed by regulatory requirements and absorbers and oscillated axles lead to an
luminous flux of LED fixtures. This publication as defined in international standards such as outstanding driving comfort at speeds of up to 33
appears to be the front runner in becoming the CISPR15 or relevant UNECE standards may not be km/h. That way the ambulance version is well
benchmark standard in testing solid state sufficient to ensure there is no interference with developed for a safe and convenient passenger
luminaire photometrics, and has been adopted very sensitive radio communication equipment. transport.
by most top tier manufacturers, including HELLA Lamps marketed as RFCommSafe are designed to In close cooperation with an initiating mine
Mining. In simple terms, the test will determine go well beyond the requirements of CISPR15, and Drger, a leading company regarding
the effective light output of a luminaire, ideally CISPR25 and UNECE standards. medical and safety technology, Paus also
using specialised photometric equipment in a Atexor says its first fixed Ex-lighting solution developed a special rescue vehicle which is
NATA accredited laboratory. For the purpose of exceeds safety requirements and provides already in use. The MRV 9000 is based on the
this comparison, only data obtained using the powerful yet energy efficient light in extreme mentioned Paus MinCa 18A. The drivers cabin
LM-79-08 standard is utilised. conditions. and the rescue cassette include ROPS and FOPS
The correct way to measure the light output The SLAM FIXED range of fixed luminaires and have been tested accordingly. The most
of head- and work lights is usage of a offers the same high quality features and important feature of this vehicle is that it is
goniometer. This instrument measures defined robustness as the well-known Atexor portable totally equipped with an own closed pressurised
www.ansul.com/mining-solutions
SAFETY
safety and usability of
the MRV 9000 for
environment where miners are actively involved
in operation, as it is designed not to cause any
instance a gas harm to man and machine. The discharge
210/./-0,+*)( monitoring system, mechanism is free of any particles that might
'.&%+$0#,"+!0 /+-."+0%%+))"+)( thermal imaging cause physical harm. The most common
0/.-,.+*)('&%($#",(!. ,*(*&-("-*+(0*+"*,(0") cameras, acoustic installations are on continuous miners, within the
$"-/+.( .*(.* #(+.*(..)+.*(
*-.."*,
**(
00(0.&($0(*"-.(0*-"-("-"-(+.,/* ,( signals or further roadway and on longwalls.
-*+-".-("-"- solutions if special An ExploSpot AESS installed on a continuous
'0-, /-0,+*) requirements exist. miner is a single suppression system interfacing
'.&%+$0#,"+!0 /+-."+&-1+))"+) the continuous miner with a power supply, water
0/.-,.+*)('&%(.* #(*+.,( ,,*("-*+(
"/*-(0+*& Explosion supply and preferably a communication interface.
($,,."*,(+"-)"-(0. ".-,("-,(*+",((*",(.*,*
0(
00(0")( .*(*-.*(!
($)-*(*+" suppression In the case of a longwall face area, the area will
(( -*+-".-("-"- Arend Spaeth, CEO of be split into multiple AESS barrier zones. Each
ExploSpot Systems says zone will be protected by a dedicated AESS. The
-00%/.11
+*)
-,0%"+.--."+ ,%+)))"+) the implementation of difference in function of the AESS on longwall
0/.-,.+*)('&%( .*(( -*+-".-("-"- an active explosion installation compared to that on a continuous
suppression system miner is that an explosion might have two
! /.-,.1%+-,%.1+*)
-,0%"+.--."+ ,%+))"+) (AESS) in a mine can be propagation routes. So, the AESS must create an
0/.-,.+*)('&%(
00( .*( -*+-".-("-"-((
suppression is to prevent operation in intake or return air drifts. These
injuries, fatalities and AESS systems are placed in an environment that,
SAFETY
SAFETY
SAFETY
need for an effective ventilation system. Sanders Senior Vice President, Howden. MSAs line of best-in-class XCell sensors with
The most robust primary ventilation system Craig Stewart, founder of Chasm Consulting TruCal technology. Among their many
for a mine with a surface ramp is to have at least said: The combination of Howden and Ventsim capabilities, these innovative sensors
one surface intake shaft and one surface exhaust will offer exceptional value for our customers by automatically compensate for environmental shift
shaft servicing all main working levels. The providing a key advantage to optimise fan and sensor drift, meaning operators dont have to
intake shaft can be equipped with a ladderway selection and ventilation system designs. When I touch or calibrate the gas monitor for up to 18
(or set up for emergency winding) and acts as visit clients across the globe I notice that fan months.
both a secure second means of egress and also sizing is often neglected, resulting in elevated These systems are true game-changers that
provides secure fresh air bases on each working operating costs due to low efficiency or fan will further strengthen MSAs market-leading
level. The ramp operates as a neutral intake, ie replacements/upgrades resulting in costly position in the global fixed gas and flame
downcasts only sufficient intake air from surface production stoppage. Howden will now have the detection market, said William M. Lambert, MSA
for its own purposes (ie to ventilate itself ) and is ability to provide the end-product that the Chairman, President and CEO. We know, from a
not used to feed air into the working levels. This customers really need in other words, not just tremendous amount of voice-of-customer input,
provides a highly secure and robust ventilation fans but air. I believe this is a revolutionary our customers wanted a tough, user friendly and
system. However, if under the ALARA principle, change in the business of mine ventilation. I have reliable system they can set, forget, and know
the operation cannot support such a design and no doubt it will improve ventilation as well as workers are protected. With the S5000 and
only one surface shaft can be provided, then health and safety. I am looking forward to helping Ultima X5000 Monitors, operators can do just
serious consideration should be given to using create the next generation of products and that and trust these new systems will function
this surface shaft as the intake and using the continuing to work with our existing and new as designed, and do so at a significantly lower
ramp as the primary exhaust, under the influence customers to help design and optimise their overall cost of ownership, he said.
of a surface blowing fan. ventilation systems. MSAs Series 5000 Transmitters are designed
In all cases, the operation of the ventilation for a broad range of applications where toxic and
system must be carefully integrated with site Gas monitoring combustible gases pose a workplace hazard. The
operating practices and other controls, such as One of the global safety equipment two new systems are designed as a replacement
the selection and use of suitable self-contained manufacturing leaders, MSA Safety announced option for the companys large installed base of
self-rescuers, refuge chambers, fire detection last April it is redefining expectations for gas previous generation systems. The S5000 model,
systems and personnel notification systems. detection technology with the launch of a new which the company will market under its General
Howdens current strategy is to become the line of advanced gas detection monitors. The Monitors brand, represents a premium option
worlds leading provider of mine ventilation S5000 and Ultima X5000 gas monitors known designed for use in particularly harsh
solutions and its latest move in this has been to collectively as MSAs Series 5000 Transmitters environments. For all other applications, the
acquire Chasm Consulting and its world leading enhance facility and worker safety while Ultima X5000 offers the industrys most intuitive
product Ventsim. Providing industry-leading 3D significantly simplifying and minimising system and user-friendly interface for customers who
design and simulation capability, the Ventsim maintenance requirements. want to standardise and simplify their gas
software is widely used among the global mine The S5000 and Ultima X5000 systems are the detection program.
ventilation community. Howden will now offer a result of a four-year research and development Lambert commented that the new gas
full suite of solutions for mine ventilation, from effort involving three MSA global design centres. detection monitors provide a good example of
modelling and design software to full turnkey This represents the companys largest ever new how MSAs core product focus and R&D
projects including main and auxiliary fans, product development effort in the area of fixed investments are yielding innovative safety
instrumentation, automation and Ventilation on gas and flame detection. solutions that support the companys growth
Demand via the Simsmart product line. In use, the Series 5000 Transmitters are strategy and market leadership goals. At MSA,
This acquisition is part of our mission to mounted at a fixed point and protect assets and we often talk about the value of safety, he said.
better serve our customers by providing the workers within a facility by sensing low levels of These new gas detection systems are great
complete suite of solutions for any type of mine toxic or combustible gases in the air. The new examples of that mindset in action, where we are
ventilation system. The Ventsim software has systems are powered by advanced and using breakthrough technology and innovation to
earned a strong reputation in the market place. It differentiated technology that provides improved generate value for all MSA stakeholders.
will remain a stand-alone product, and we will facility and worker safety at a lower cost of Scott Safety, a global leader in innovative
continue to enhance its functionality, said Mark operation. The nerve centre of this system is personal protective equipment and safety
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t3FEVDFEEVTUBOEOPJTFMFWFMT CFMUEBNBHF
SAFETY
SAFETY
system.
Tommy Knockers
offer:
n Portable design
allows for ease of
transport, can be
hoisted, dragged,
rolled, or forklifted
A MineARC refuge system underground n Double door entry
system for control of
outside air
The internal atmosphere must be sealed from n Positive air pressure
the external threat. The refuge should offer a minimises outside air
breathable air supply and redundancies, ingress into chamber
including: n Comfortable bench
n An appropriately filtered, dry compressed air seating for chamber
connection occupants
n Internal, chemically controlled recirculation n Storage area for
(scrubbing) system and oxygen supply consumables in
n Air conditioning, including temperature and cabinets and under
humidity control seat
n Uninterruptable power supply (UPS) and n Sectioned off area for
secure storage toilet
DRONES/UAVS
Flight support
nmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), BMA recounts the BHP Billiton experience: PRODRONE has developed the PDH-02C Auto-
DRONES/UAVS
DRONES/UAVS
NEW
RIEGL VZ-2000i
FOR TOPOGRAPHY AND MINING
DRONES/UAVS
NVIDIA researchers built their drone with payloads and batteries are purpose capability of the platform opens up the
off-the-shelf components to reduce costs automatically exchanged possibilities for entirely new solutions and
and equipped it with the NVIDIA Jetson TX1 with the robotic swapping missions that drones have never been used for
and two cameras
mechanism, enabling a before.
diversity of payloads and The team at Airobotics fuses expertise in
mission types. aerospace hardware design, robust electronic
Optimus streams video systems, leading software engineering, and years
from the drone, providing of experience in commercial drone operations.
customers with real-time Like systems using operators, Airobotics
aerial insight into critical drone solution provides critical information in the
events and increasing their following areas:
situational awareness. n Exploration and prospecting
Airbase is a completely n Stockpile volumes and end-of-month
automated base station reconciliation
from which the Optimus n Terrain mapping and change detection
To keep costs low, researchers built their drone launches and lands on its own, without any n Asset management and scheduling
drone with off-the-shelf components. The drone human intervention. There is a custom designed n Situational awareness and emergency
navigates without GPS and relies instead on deep robotic arm. Designed for speed and reliability, response
learning. the arm automatically swaps batteries and n Infrastructure and equipment inspection
Although the technology is still experimental, payloads once the drone returns to Airbase, n Security and surveillance.
it could eventually search for miners in minimising downtime between flights. Airobotics also suggests hauling optimisation
underground accidents. We chose forests as a The Airbase provides status updates, anomaly with automated drones:
proving ground because theyre possibly the detection, and alerts. The Airbase is completely n Optimise fleets - provide current 3D models
most difficult places to navigate, Smolyanskiy sealed, waterproof, durable, and corrosion to engineers and planners which can be used
said. We figured if we could use deep learning resistant. to improve fleet fuel consumption. Use
to navigate in that environment, we could The Airobotics software is integrated, dynamic damage and traffic flow data to inform most
navigate anywhere. software that enables users to control and optimal maintenance scheduling
Unlike a more urban environment, where manage missions with one click. Pre-designed, n Damage identification - identify road damage
theres generally uniformity to, for example, the repeatable missions are despatched on-demand features using images, video, or surface
height of kerbs, shape of letterboxes and width or through the flight scheduling system. The models to prevent future incidents and
of pavements, the forest is relatively chaotic. software is both a complete operating system eliminate the need of personnel to physically
Trails in the woods often contain no markings. and an open platform, designed with scale in enter the haul road network
Light can be filtered through leaves; it also varies mind. Third parties can build and customise the n Emergency oversight - view streaming footage
from bright sunlight to dark shadows. And trees payloads, along with software apps to support of incidents, including tyre overheating and
vary in height, width, angle and branches. and manage various new missions. unresponsive driver, to support decision
Our whole idea is to use cameras to Harvested data passes through the processing making
understand and navigate the environment, pipeline, translating raw data forms into concise, n Minimise personnel in dangerous areas -
Smolyanskiy said. Jetson gives us the actionable information. Additionally, users reduce risk of injury by using aerial data
computing power to do advanced AI on board the interact with real-time and processed data to instead of manned-inspection for incident
drone, which is a requirement for operating in extract insights and improve decision-making response.
remote environments. processes.
As a completely automatic and operated aerial The systems swappable payload mechanism, Airobotics stylised UAV task. First, user selects a
pre-planned scheduled or on-demand mission,
system, Airobotics empowers industrial together with its software, positions Optimus as designed to scan areas throughout the site.
companies to leverage the power of drones a multi-tool drone capable of carrying various Then the drone harvests data along flight paths.
without the need for skilled and expensive drone sensors and payloads. The dynamic, multi- Thirdly, data collected from the Optimus drone is
processed into final digital elevation models and
operators. Its platform enables customers to run other file types. Finally, the user receives
missions autonomously to monitor, inspect, analysed data that supports critical operations
survey, and secure strategic sites.
Airobotics delivers an automatic drone
platform capable of executing a nearly infinite
number of missions for its operators. By taking
the drone pilot and operator out of the equation,
Airobotics removes the most expensive and hard
to find component of industrial drone operations.
The system is comprised of three major
components.
Optimus is a large, high capacity drone
capable of flying 30-minute missions while
carrying a 1 kg mission specific payload. It
employs premium military grade avionics for
flight performance and reliability. Optimuss
DRONES/UAVS
a preset flight path while recording a short video Pioneers community are early-stage companies
and tracking a subject along the way. Users can from around the world that are involved in the
now control which circular direction the drone design, development and deployment of new
flies during Circle and Helix modes to give them technologies and innovations, and are poised to
more cinematic control when filming. Other have a significant impact on business and
QuickShot modes have also been improved by society. There are 30 technology pioneers that
increasing the height gained during Dronie mode made it to the final selection.
and smoothing out the cameras pitch in Rocket Following Airwares selection as Technology
mode. Pioneer, the companys Founder and CEO
Spark also adds new photo shooting features Jonathan Downey has plans to attend the Annual
that maximise the cameras capabilities. In Meeting in Davos, in January 2018, and continue
addition to the existing Vertical and Horizontal to participate in dedicated Technology Pioneer
Pano modes, a new 180 mode stitches 21 community events in the course of the next two
individual photos together to capture 1,80o years.
Instructing the DJI Spark camera drone. To panoramic images. The photo resolution when We welcome Airware in this group of
perform the Record gesture, stand within 2 m of shooting in ActiveTrack and Gesture Modes has extraordinary pioneers, says Fulvia Montresor,
the drone and raise one arm out to your side also been improved to capture images at 12- Head of Technology Pioneers at the World
until it is about 45o above parallel with the
ground. The front LEDs will slowly blink red megapixel resolution of 3,968 x 2,976 pixels. Economic Forum. We hope that thanks to this
when the drone recognises the Gesture video The firmware update has also made selection, the World Economic Forum can
mode. The front LEDs will blink quickly improvements on the overall performance of facilitate greater collaboration with business
indicating the camera is ready to record. Perform
the hand gesture again to stop recording Spark including better responsiveness to input leaders, governments, civil society and other
from the remote controller, enhanced relevant individuals to accelerate the
Technology pioneers connectivity between the aircraft and remote development of technological solutions to the
DJI has released new features for its Spark controller, as well as flight logging for the worlds greatest challenges.
camera drone that make it easier than ever to Intelligent Battery system. We are humbled by this prestigious
capture pictures. Spark is DJIs smallest and Airware, which provides end-to-end solutions recognition and look forward to working closely
smartest drone that lets users control it with that turn aerial data into actionable business with other thought leaders as a Technology
hand gestures alone. Made possible through a intelligence for enterprises, was selected among Pioneer over the next two years, said Downey.
recent firmware update, the new features deliver hundreds of candidates as one of the World In an industry that is crowded and competitive,
a powerful combination of video and photo Economic Forums technology pioneers, a its an honour to be acknowledged as a leader in
improvements to Spark users worldwide selection of the worlds most innovative the commercial drone market for our
including: companies. Airware has been recognised for its unparalleled ability to help businesses collect
n A new gesture to start and stop video leading set of technologies that provides and make the best use of their aerial data.
recording everything enterprises need to collect, manage, The Technology Pioneers were selected by a
n Enhanced QuickShot video features for more and analyse aerial data. It offers its customers an selection committee of more than 60 academics,
cinematic control accurate view of their world to drive business entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and corporate
n An 1,80o photo shooting mode and improved outcomes, including operational cost savings, executives. Notable members of the committee
photo image resolution enhanced worker safety, and improved decision include Geoffrey Moore (Adviser, Geoffrey Moore
Paul Pan, Senior Product Manager at DJI making for example, mining companies Consulting, USA), Yossi Vardi (Chairman,
explained that these updates deliver on our measuring excavation yield. International Technologies, Israel) and Lee Sang-
vision to make Spark an easy and fun camera The World Economic Forums Technology Yup (Distinguished Professor and Dean, Korea
drone that anyone can use, even if youve Advanced Institute of Science and
never flown a drone before. Technology, Republic of Korea). The
Through its innovative 3D Sensing committee based its decisions on criteria
System, Spark has groundbreaking including innovation, potential impact and
features like Gesture Mode and leadership. Past recipients include Airbnb,
PalmControl. Users can control Spark with Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir
hand movements, giving it commands to Technologies, Scribd, Spotify, Twitter and
follow them, take aerial pictures, send the Wikimedia.
drone away, and beckon it to come back. VTOL AEROSPACE is introducing the UAV
With the addition of the new Record Converticopter line (CVC), adding
gesture, users can now start and stop unmanned versions to its manned
video recording with a simple arm convertiplanes. Since its creation in 2013,
movement, giving them the freedom and the company has made extensive use of
flexibility to capture videos whenever the flying proof-of-concepts at different scales,
right moment strikes using Sparks image going from compact unmanned test vehicles
stabilised 1080p HD camera. up to a 8.5-m manned prototype.
Sparks QuickShot Intelligent Flight Founder and CTO Oliver Garrow says
Modes that make creating professional putting these test vehicles through their
videos easy have also been enhanced. paces, meaning flying them in real
Airware schematic summarising drone
Using QuickShot, Spark automatically flies along possibilities conditions at a runway, has provided invaluable
DRONES/UAVS
DRONES/UAVS
DRONES/UAVS
DRONES/UAVS
PROJECT FOCUS
PROJECT FOCUS
carry 20 t of cargo (containerised or bulk Dorey: We believe that our Hybrid Airships Rob Weiss, Executive Vice President and
loaded) and up to 19 passengers. First will provide significant benefits in reaching General Manager, Lockheed Martin Advanced
commercial deliveries are scheduled in 2019. remote locations such as the Strange Lake Development Programs (Skunk Works) said:
The LMH-1 combines the technology of lighter complex. Removing the need for expensive, Alaska is an ideal location for the Hybrid
than air aircraft with airplanes, helicopters and intrusive infrastructure, it is a significant step in Airship to operate. The airship enables access to
hovercraft. Helium provides 80% of the lift, redefining the way transport works in remote Alaskas most isolated regions, and is designed
while the remaining lift comes from the regions. to protect the sensitive ecological environment.
aerodynamic shape of the aircraft and its four Rob Binns, Chief Executive Officer, Hybrid In Alaska PRL Logistics offers a variety of
thrust vectoring engines. The airship, costing Enterprises: Lockheed Martins Hybrid Airship project services and comprehensive logistics
some $40 million, also features a unique hovercraft- represents a revolution in remote cargo delivery. solutions including: project management,
like Air Cushion Landing System that facilitates The Quest Strange Lake project is a prime project planning, modelling, safety, procurement
taxiing and grips the craft firmly on the ground. example of how our Hybrid Airship enables a and field execution. It serves a broad range of
They can taxi and park securely for safe cost effective and environmentally friendly projects and clients in the oil and gas, mining,
emplaning/deplaning of passengers and roll- solution to accessing strategically important defense, industrial, construction and
on/roll-off cargo movements without the mineral deposits. environmental industries.
problems of mast-moored airships that Quests initial plan was to build a 168-km PRLs understanding of the complexities of
constantly shift with a surface wind. road from Strange Lake to Anaktalak Bay off the working in Alaskas extremely remote site and
Other considerations in the airships favour Atlantic coast. That would have cut across a our partnership with Straightline Aviation,
include: caribou migration route. The company now says whose airship operating experience is
n The ability to operate with similar ground- flying airships from the mine over 200 km to unparalleled, means this will be a true game
handling parameters to a standard cargo jet Schefferville will save money in the long run, changer. It affordably opens up many projects
such as a Boeing 737 despite the extra distance. currently inaccessible without the development
n Offer greater range and significantly lower Building a road would cost about C$350 of the costly infrastructure required by
costs per tonne-km than heavy lift helicopters million, with construction starting two or three traditional modes of transportation, said Ron
and other traditional modes of transport years before the mine begins producing ore. So Hyde, PRL CEO
n Reduce operating expenses through a the company would have to finance the road US Senator from Alaska, Dan Sullivan, also a
combination of greater fuel-efficiency and and pay interest. Then there's the cost of road former Commissioner for the Alaska Department
lower maintenance downtime than helicopters. maintenance and winter servicing. By of Natural Resources: Alaska is a storehouse of
Dorey also comments that the hybrids save comparison the airships are expected to cost immense natural resource wealth. This
on significant upfront infrastructure capital C$85 million a year to operate. combination of technology and innovation will
expenditure prior to revenue generation. This Quest will only pay for airship use when it is enable access to resources and provide needed
has the added benefit of reducing project risk needed. Looking into the future, it is already benefits to our infrastructure. It is an example of
and making these ventures more investable. anticipating Lockheed Martin's next generation a company operating to provide a transportation
This should be a cost-effective and of airships, which could be ready by 2025. That solution to meet Alaskas unique challenges.
environmentally-friendly solution to Quests may well be an airship that can carry 90 to 100 t, It is anticipated that airship operations will be
transport challenges. It is not only designed to some five times the current payload. With such a based at the PRL Logistics Operations Center in
use less fuel, emit less carbon dioxide and plane, the cost per tonne-kilometre will drop Kenai, Alaska and supported by other PRL
produce less noise than conventional aircraft, it dramatically by 50 or 60%. locations throughout the state. The Kenai
also eliminates the need for costly ground-level Last year SLA signed a letter of intent to Facility has overland, marine, and aviation
infrastructure, avoiding impact on the areas purchase up to 12 of the Lockheed Martin access and will also be the base operations
wildlife habitat compared to road transport and airships, with a potential value of approximately centre for the Hybrid Airship.
trucking along a road corridor to the Labrador $480 million. At the time Mike Kendrick, SLA Co-
Sea coast. Founder and CEO said: We are delighted to be And in Tanzania
This new transportation solution will also first in line with this magnificent aircraft that is At the beginning of April, Hybrid Enterprises
stimulate employment and business going to dramatically change the way cargo is announced a strategic partnership with Helium
opportunities for regional and Indigenous moved around the world. The clear-cut economic One, an explorer, developer and producer of
communities increasing the socio-economic and environmental advantages of these Hybrids high value bulk liquid helium for the
benefits to the area around the mine site. are attracting vast amounts of attention from a international market. Helium One will use the
The service agreement represents a value of wide-range of potential end users." LMH-1 Hybrid Airship to safely transport helium
about $850 million, including fuel costs, over a Headquartered in the UK with offices in New out of its deposit sites in Tanzania.
10-year period that starts in 2019, with further York and Los Angeles, SLA was co-founded by a Helium One holds a prospecting license
extensions of up to 20 additional years in line team of highly experienced airship and aviation across three project areas in Tanzania,
with the current projected life of the mine. executives with the sole purpose of bringing encompassing more than 4,500 km of land with
Pierre Lortie, Executive Chairman of the Hybrids into operation. helium concentrations up to 10.5%. With
Board, Quest, said of the agreement that his Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Hybrid significant operational, technical and
company and SLA make ideal partners we are Enterprises is the exclusive reseller of Lockheed commercial experience, the Helium One team is
well positioned to fully leverage the cost Martin's Hybrid Airships. well positioned to capitalise on opportunities
efficiencies and environmental advantages of within the global helium market. This strategic
the LMH-1, and are truly excited to be among And Alaska collaboration would provide a safe and
the first companies to implement such an Last August, PRL Logistics announced it was sustainable solution for transporting helium
innovative transport solution. teaming with SLA for operations in Alaska. from mining sites in Tanzania. IM
www.ansul.com/mining-solutions www.srk.com
BELAZ 8-9 Sulzer 31 Santiago, Chile.
www.belaz.by www.sulzer.com https://gecamin.com/procemin.geomet
BME a member Tenova TAKRAF 23
of the Omnia Group 2 www.takraf.com 17-19 October:
www.bme.co.za www.tenova.com Metallic Mining Hall, Seville,
CDE Global FC thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions 43 Spain.
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CMS Cepcor 45 solutions.com 31 October - 2 November:
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of Aqseptence Group 35 Weir Minerals 27
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DXB Pump & Power 25 @WeDigItYouLiveIt www.min-eng.com/flotation17
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Eickhoff IFC FORTHCOMING EVENTS
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Flowrox 19
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HARD-LINE 14-15 Izmir, Turkey. www.immat.org.tr
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www.havercanada.com Broadbeach Island, Australia. Exploration and Mining FEM 2017,
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Komatsu 37 US East Coast & Canada Contact: Ricardo Corts
www.komatsu.com Contact: Phil Playle Editec S.A.
ME Elecmetal 21 Lansdowne Media Services Ltd Tel: +56 2 2757 4210 or +56 2 2757 4200
www.me-elecmetal.com Tel: +44 (0)1442 877 777 rcortes@editec.cl
Fax: +44 (0)1442 870 617
Metso OBC phil@im-mining.com Japan Contact: Akiyoshi Ojima
www.metso.com Japan Advertising Communications, Inc
MMD Mineral Sizing 41 Western USA Tel: 81(0)45 319 4742 Fax: 81(0)45 319 4743
Contact: Bob Warren ojima@media-jac.co.jp
www.mmdsizers.com Lansdowne Media Services Ltd
Motion Metrics 5 Tel: +44 (0)1442 877 777 China Contact: Huang Shusheng()
www.MotionMetrics.com Fax: +44 (0)1442 870 617 Tel: +86 10 13901065576
bob@im-mining.com Fax: +86 10 81573510
PAUS 63 huang_shusheng@hotmail.com
www.paus.de US Mid-West, Cent & Mt
PressurePro 55 Contact: Kevin Lapham India Contact: Deven Singh
www.pressurepro.us J.P. Media Inc Block 10/502 Heritage Estate, Dodaballapur Road
Tel: +1 (630) 420 9752 Fax: +1 (630) 420 9763 Yelahanka, Bangalore - 560064
Rajant Corporation 65 lapham@jpmediainc.com Tel: +91 74064 64314
www.rajant.com/drones devksingh2005@gmail.com
Redpath 47 Brazil
Contact: Joseph Young Italy
www.redpathmining.com Minrios & Minerales Magazine Contact: Claudio Sanfilippo
Richwood Industries, Inc. 49 Tel: +55 11 3895 8590 or Andrea Rancati
www.richwood.com josephyoung@terra.com.br Rancati Advertising
Tel: +39 02 70300088 Fax: +39 02 70300074
RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems 67 Australia and New Zealand csanfilippo@rancatinet.it
www.riegl.com Contact: David Lansdowne or Marika Cooper or arancati@rancatinet.it
Robit 13 Lansdowne Media Services Ltd
www.robitgroup.com Tel: +44 (0)1442 877 777 Classified Advertising
Fax: +44 (0)1442 870 617 Contact: Emma Smith or Lynne Lane
Sandvik Mining 7 david@im-mining.com Tel: +44 (0)1442 870 829
www.mining.sandvik.com/mysandvik or marika@im-mining.com emma@im-mining.com or lynne@im-mining.com
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