EMJ July 2023 Full Issue Linked
EMJ July 2023 Full Issue Linked
EMJ July 2023 Full Issue Linked
FEATURES
Innovation Gives New-level Results, Big Wins
Five hoist-and-shaft solution and service suppliers tell how they
innovated to achieve critical goals and needed results ..............................16
A Developer Shares
AI
His Thoughts www.e-mj.com
Mining Media International, Inc.
D
During June, Hexagon invited me to its HxGN Live meet- 11655 Central Parkway, Suite 306; Jacksonville, Florida 32224 USA
iing in Las Vegas. The mining industry sees one vertical Phone: +1.904.721.2925 / Fax: +1.904.721.2930
aspect of Hexagon, but the company’s products and tools
a
Editorial
are used in many different areas, including agriculture,
a
Publisher & Editor-In-Chief—Steve Fiscor, [email protected]
cconstruction, emergency response, etc. The company re-
Technical Writer—Jesse Morton, [email protected]
Steve Fiscor
ccently announced that it was collaborating with Nvidia on a Contributing Editor—Russ Carter, [email protected]
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief suite of solutions for industrial digitalization. Together they European Editor—Carly Leonida, [email protected]
are developing an app enabled with artificial intelligence Latin American Editor—Oscar Martinez, [email protected]
(AI) that will let users see real time comparisons of digital twins. The difference South African Editor—Gavin du Venage, [email protected]
between it and previous digital twins is that it will not only look better, it will also Graphic Designer—Tad Seabrook, [email protected]
behave correctly when tasked with what-if scenarios.
Sales
During a session labeled “World Building,” Nvidia CTO Rev Lebaredian dis-
Midwest/Eastern U.S. & Canada, Sales—Craig Scharf,
cussed the development of computing power and the advancements the company [email protected]
is making with AI. Full disclosure: I own a few shares of Nvidia. Western U.S., Canada & Australia, Sales—Frank Strazzulla,
Rev got his start in Los Angeles working as a graphic designer for Warner [email protected]
Brother and Disney. “I really love the business of creating beautiful images using Scandinavia, UK & European Sales—Colm Barry, [email protected]
algorithms and simulations,” he said. “What I really wanted to do though is do it in Germany, Austria & Switzerland Sales—Gerd Strasmann,
real time so that we can experience these things interactively.” He joined Nvidia 21 [email protected]
years ago to do just that. Japan Sales—Masao Ishiguro, [email protected]
Marketing Manager—Misty Valverde, [email protected]
AI is the hot topic now, but Rev and the folks at Nvidia have been thinking about
it for a long time. Modern AI, deep learning, he explained, was essentially born on
Nvidia’s computers. In 2012, a group of scientists took one of Nvidia’s gaming PCs
and connected it to data using a fairly old idea, neural networks. Then, they managed
to do something that had vexed computer scientists for decades. Their computer was
able to robustly tell the difference between a cat and a dog inside an image.
In a relatively short period time, computing progressed from systems that were
70% accurate at telling the difference between a cat and dog to being superhu-
man, he explained. “Today, AI can now determine the exact species of cats and
dogs far better than any humans that have this particular skill,” he said.
The key to this change was the use of algorithms. The most advanced algos Engineering & Mining Journal, Volume 224, Issue 7, (ISSN 0095-8948)
is published monthly by Mining Media International, Inc., 11655 Central
in the future will not be created by humans directly, he explained. “We used to Parkway, Suite 306, Jacksonville, FL 32224 (mining-media.com). Periodicals
program algorithms based on some ideas of how we would want them to work and Postage paid at Jacksonville, FL, and additional mailing offices. Canada Post
then we hit our limit,” he said. “Instead, we wrote an algorithm, pumped a whole Publications Mail Agreement No. 41450540. Canada return address: PO Box
2600, Mississauga ON L4T 0A8, Email: [email protected].
bunch of data into it and out comes a new algorithm. We are essentially writing Current and back issues and additional resources, including subscription re-
software to write software.” While the rest of the world is trying to wrap its head quest forms and an editorial calendar, are available at www.e-mj.com.
around the implications, Nvidia has been building all the infrastructure it will need SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to qualified
to move forward with the next generation of AI. subscribers. Visit www.e-mj.com to subscribe. Non-qualified persons
may subscribe at the following rates: USA & Canada, 1 year, $90. Out-
What’s next? According to Rev, AI will begin to aggregate all readily available side the USA & Canada, 1 year, $150. For subscriber services or to order
data from different sources. Then there’s the intelligence that comes from other single copies, contact E&MJ, c/o Stamats Data Management, 615 Fifth
Street SE, Cedar Rapids IA 52401, 1-800-553-8878 ext. 5028 or email
sources, like the engineers that design mines and processing plants. Once AI has [email protected].
those inputs, it can model complex installations. Today, it’s impossible to ensure
ARCHIVES AND MICROFORM: This magazine is available for research and
that a new processing plant is going to work until it is built. If this could be done ear- retrieval of selected archived articles from leading electronic databases and
ly in the design process, engineers could solve the problems way before ground online search services, including Factiva, LexisNexis, and Proquest. For mi-
croform availability, contact ProQuest at 800-521-0600 or +1.734.761.4700,
is broken. It has the potential to save billions of dollars, and thousands of hours of or search the Serials in Microform listings at www.proquest.com.
wasted time, but it also has the potential to replace the engineering department.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to E&MJ, 11655 Central Park-
way, Suite 306, Jacksonville, FL 32224-2659.
energy utilization, energy conservation “For De Beers it is a privilege to re- mining agreements, the terms of the
and emissions reduction.” new our half-century partnership with most recent sales agreement, which ex-
Anglo American’s managed copper the people of Botswana,” Al Cook, CEO, pired on June 30, will remain in place.
operations in Chile — the Los Bronces De Beers Group, said. “It is a partner- Anglo American owns De Beers.
and El Soldado mining operations and ship that is highly regarded around Given that both Anglo and the Gov-
the Chagres smelter — were awarded the world for the enduring role it has ernment of Botswana have a stake in
the Copper Mark, the assurance stan- played in creating economic develop- Debswana, the final agreement will be
dard for responsible production practic- ment and growth.” subject to approval by Anglo Ameri-
es, in 2022. The new agreement, according to can’s shareholders.
De Beers, will also progress the long-
De Beers, Botswana Reach term capital investment required to Newmont Defers Investment
an Agreement in Principle secure Debswana’s position as one of Decision for Yanacocha
De Beers Group and the Government the world’s leading diamond producers, Sulfides
of the Republic of Botswana have and Botswana’s largest private employ- Newmont announced it will defer the
reached an agreement in principle on er, for decades to come. full-funds investment decision for the
a new 10-year sales agreement for To accelerate Botswana’s econom- Yanacocha Sulfides project in Peru for
Debswana’s rough diamond produc- ic diversification, a $75 million Dia- at least two years to advance its portfo-
tion through 2033 and a 25-year exten- monds for Development fund will be lio optimization strategy.
sion of the Debswana mining licenses created with an upfront investment In light if the recent Newcrest ac-
through 2054. by De Beers with further contributions quisition, Tom Palmer, president and
Debswana operates four diamond over the next 10 years that could total CEO of Newmont, said the company
mines in Botswana and is a 50:50 joint up to $750 million, which will aim to is targeting at least $2 billion in near-
venture between De Beers and the create substantial additional value for term cash flow improvements through
Government of Botswana. the Botswana economy. portfolio optimization within the first two
The new terms expand Botswana’s The new agreement secures ex- years. “The deferral of the Yanacocha
footprint and leadership position signifi- isting jobs and could create tens of Sulfides project represents the first
cantly across the diamond value chain. thousands of new jobs, both within an step in delivering on this target, as we
From the start of the new contract peri- expanded Botswana-based diamond evaluate further opportunities to re-se-
od, Okavango Diamond Co. (ODC) will industry and emerging sectors, with quence project capital and rationalize
receive 30% of Debswana’s produc- a focus on supporting the growth of a the combined portfolio,” Palmer said.
tion, progressively increasing to 50% knowledge-based economy. The deferral reduces Newmont’s de-
by the final year of the contract. The While the two JV partners progress velopment capex by an estimated $300
Government of Botswana owns ODC. and implement the formal sales and million. The decision to defer the proj-
ect was based on an analysis led by
Dean Gehring, chief development offi-
cer for Peru, over the last nine months
to further maximize the project’s eco-
nomics. This analysis will be integral
to preparing for an investment decision
and will continue to support the project
when construction resumes.
The company said Gehring will now
shift his focus from leading the Yanaco-
cha operation and the Sulfides project
to leading integration planning for New-
mont’s proposed acquisition of Newcrest
in his new role as chief integration officer.
The Yanacocha Sulfides project
aims to develop the first phase of sul-
fide deposits at Yanacocha through an
integrated processing circuit, including
an autoclave to produce 45% gold, 45%
copper and 10% silver. The first phase
focuses on developing the Yanacocha
Verde and Chaquicocha deposits to ex-
tend Yanacocha’s operations beyond
2040, with second and third phases
having the potential to extend the oper-
Al Cook, CEO, De Beers (left) shakes hands with Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi. (Photo: De Beers) ation’s life for multiple decades.
André Sougarret has resigned Rod Thomas has retired from his position as a director for
from the executive presidency of Generation Mining Ltd. Thomas enjoyed an extensive 40-
the Corporación Nacional del Co- year career in the mineral exploration sector, which includ-
bre de Chile (Codelco) for person- ed working as the exploration manager for BHP Minerals
al reasons. He began his career at in eastern Canada and general manager of VM Canada.
Codelco in the El Teniente Division He was also a past president of Prospectors & Developers
in 1993, where he became assis- Association of Canada (PDAC) from 2014-2016. Most re-
André Sougarret Claudia Cabrera Correa tant general manager. In 2012, Rod Thomas cently he served as vice president exploration during Gen-
he joined Antofagasta Minerals as Mining’s founding in 2018 before transitioning to a director.
general manager of Minera Esperanza and, later, Minera Centinela.
He was executive vice president of Chile’s National Mining Co. (Ena- Arizona Sonoran Copper Co. has appointed Harold “Bernie” Loyer as
mi), before accepting a position as director of operations for Minera senior vice president projects, replacing Ian McMullan as COO and the
Fresnillo in Mexico. He returned to Codelco at the end of 2020 to take company also named Christopher White as chief geologist.
over as vice president of the company’s northern operations and was
appointed executive president a year ago. Akobo Minerals AB, a Scandinavian-based junior exploring for gold in Ethiopia,
Before leaving, Sougarret presided over a ceremony where Codelco announced that Helge Rushfeldt will join its executive management group.
appointed Claudia Cabrera Correa as general manager of the compa-
ny’s Gabriela Mistral division. She becomes the first woman to lead a Aspiring lithium
division since Codelco was founded in 1971. Starting at Chuquicamata, producer Avalon
she held different roles in that division and at the headquarters. In 2018, Advanced Materi-
Cabrera accepted a position as manager of planning and process control als Inc. appointed
at Minera Escondida for BHP Billiton. She joined Antofagasta Minerals three executives
as corporate safety risk manager in 2021 before returning to Codelco. to its leadership
team: Scott Mon-
After announcing that it would de- teith will assume Scott Monteith Jim Jaques Jan Holland
fer a decision on the Yanacocha control as interim CEO; Jim Jaques will serve as the
Sulphides project in Peru, New- company’s inaugural chief administrative officer; and
mont said Dean Gehring would Jan Holland will join the company’s board. The com-
shift his focus to leading integra- pany’s former president and CEO, Donald Bubar, has
tion planning for Newmont’s pro- decided to step down.
posed acquisition of Newcrest in
Dean Gehring Gonzalo Eyzaguirre
his new role as chief integration Bosch Rexroth announced its president and CEO Grego-
officer. The company named Gonzalo Eyzaguirre as the new general ry Gumbs has left the company. Gumbs, who joined the
manager for Yanacocha. organization in late 2020, was credited with leading in-
creased growth for the company’s North American region. Gregory Gumbs
Teck Resources Ltd. appointed Ian
Anderson as senior vice presi- John N. Murphy passed on June 13, 2023. He was
dent and chief commercial officer. the executive director of the McGowan Institute and a
He succeeds Réal Foley, who research professor in the Department of Chemical and
will retire in late November 2023. Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh
Anderson has more than 20 years (Pitt). Prior to joining Pitt, Murphy served as the Re-
of experience with Teck across nu- search Director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines’ Pittsburgh
Ian Anderson André Stark
merous logistics and operational Research Center (PRC) from 1978 until 1997, which is
John N. Murphy
functions, including general manager for both Line now a branch of the National Institute for Occupational
Creek and Fording River operations; general manag- Safety and Health (NIOSH).
er, coal logistics; and most recently, vice president, In addition to his academic achievements, Murphy was a kind man
logistics, with responsibility for coordinating Teck’s who donated much of his time to the many societies and associations with
overall logistics strategy and implementing a cost-ef- which he was affiliated. He was very active in Society for Mining, Metallur-
ficient supply chain. The company also appointed gy and Exploration (SME), the SME Foundation and the Pittsburgh section
André Stark as vice president, marketing and logis- of SME, always advocating for continuing education. He also served as the
Michael O’Shaughnessy tics, base metals, with responsibility for base metals chairman of the Coal Age’s Longwall USA executive committee. Murphy
marketing and logistics functions. Stark joined Teck also supported the Boy Scouts of America and was instrumental in devel-
in 2012 and most recently held the role of vice president, marketing. Mi- oping the merit badge for mining.
chael O’Shaughnessy has been appointed vice president, marketing SME presented Murphy with the AIME Erskine Ramsay Medal in 2016
and logistics, coal, with responsibility for the coal business unit’s mar- for his unselfish, tireless contributions to the coal industry, safety and
keting and logistics functions. He joined Teck in 2006 and most recently health research, public outreach, professional development, mentoring,
held the role of director, logistics strategy and planning. and, of course, the society.
He served as the 2011 president of SME, and is also the past presi-
Impala Platinum announces a dent of the SME Foundation, director and past chairman of the Pittsburgh
number of senior leadership Section of SME, Past President of the National Mine Rescue Association,
changes. After 13 years at Im- member and past president of the Mine Rescue Veterans of Pittsburgh
plats and a distinguished 40-year District, senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics En-
career in the South African mining gineers, member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and
sector, Gerhard Potgieter is retir- member of the Mining and Metallurgy Society of America.
ing in July 2023. Patrick Morutl- A registered professional engineer, Murphy held an undergraduate
Mark Munroe Moses Motlhageng
wa succeeds him as group COO. degree from Pitt and a master’s degree from Duquesne University. During
Mark Munroe, currently the CEO for Impala Rustenburg, has been his tenure at the PRC, he served in various technical and supervisory po-
appointed group chief technical officer, and is succeeded by Moses sitions. He held two patents and authored more than 90 technical publica-
Motlhageng who moves from his current position as mining executive tions. He received the Department of Interior Distinguished Service Award
of the group’s Marula operations. Themba Ngobeni has been appoint- in 1985, the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive in 1986,
ed general manager at Marula. and the Presidential Award for Distinguished Executive in 1993.
Appian plans to restore the zinc mining operation (above), and invest to expand the operation’s processing capacity. (Photo: Trevali)
Appian Capital Advisory LLP, has ac- pian’s third acquisition in the zinc market. ment structures in the ownership of the
quired Trevali Mining’s 89.96% interest It has been in continuous operation since Implats and RBPlat operations, increas-
in the Rosh Pinah zinc mine, located in 1969, producing zinc and lead sulphide ing economic participation and owner-
the Kharas region of southern Namibia. concentrates, as well as smaller amounts ship of key assets in the South African
The underground zinc-lead mine is op- of copper, silver, and gold. PGM sector. Our partnership with Si-
erational and it has a 2,000-metric-ton- yanda Resources, a pre-eminent strate-
per-day (mt/d) milling operation. Appian Implats Consolidates gic empowerment partner with a strong
said it plans to restart the Rosh Pinah 2.0 Control of South African track record of delivering sustainable
mine expansion project which will nearly Platinum and enduring broad-based ownership, is
double the mine’s annual ore throughput Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Im- an exciting development.” The proposed
to 1.3 million mt and improve safety and plats) purchased Public Investment Corp.’s empowerment, the company said, re-
environmental performance. 9.26% in Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RB- mains subject to securing the necessary
“This acquisition marks a significant Plat). This, together with additional acqui- approvals, to the extent required.
milestone for Appian as we continue to sitions, results in Implats gaining majority Implats has also undertaken to co-
develop our world-class portfolio of high- control of RBPlat with a current sharehold- fund projects over five years related to
ly attractive zinc assets, a critical metal ing of 55.46% and secures Implats’ com- hydrogen technology and its commer-
that will help facilitate the upcoming en- mitment to implementing broad-based cialization in South Africa, in collabo-
ergy transition,” said Michael W. Scherb, equity ownership in the South African plat- ration with the Industrial Development
founder and CEO of Appian. “We look inum group metals (PGM) sector through Corp. These projects will seek to benefit
forward to welcoming the 450 employees a proposed empowerment transaction at local communities around Implats’ oper-
at Rosh Pinah to Appian as we use our Implats’ subsidiary, Impala Platinum Ltd. ations, with Implats providing additional
extensive operational and project devel- (Impala), and Royal Bafokeng Resources funding for proof-of-concept activities.
opment expertise to support the existing (RBR), the RBPlat subsidiary, which holds The level of localisation post-transac-
management team with delivering the the RBPlat operating assets. tion will be maintained and improved in
Rosh Pinah 2.0 expansion project.” “The Public Investment Corp. is a terms of the local supply of capital ma-
The Rosh Pinah 2.0 expansion proj- strategic shareholder and key stakehold- chinery. Implats has committed to work-
ect includes the construction of new er in the South African PGM industry, and ing with local businesses to support and
processing facilities, paste fill and water its decision to sell to us strongly affirms enhance the quality of their products to
treatment plants, as well as a dedicated the rationale of the Implats transaction, meet the required specifications.
portal and decline to extended deposits. which is key to the long-term economic Securing control of RBPlat, Muller
The project will increase mill throughput stability of the Rustenburg region,” said explained, will contribute to job security
from 700,000 mt/y to 1.3 million mt/y of Implats CEO Nico Muller. “This level of for more than 42,000 Impala Rusten-
ore, increasing zinc equivalent produc- ownership triggers a series of significant burg employees and contractors, and
tion to 170 million lb/y, on average. public interest benefits for South Africa. stability for the more than 495,000 peo-
Following Vedra Metals in Italy and Implats will facilitate the introduction of ple who depend on its mining activities
Pine Point in Canada, Rosh Pinah is Ap- broad-based black economic empower- and social contributions.
Hermosa Receives
Proposed Permitting
Timetable from Fast-41
The Federal Permitting Improvement
Steering Council (FPISC), an indepen-
dent federal agency, published proposed
a comprehensive, integrated permitting
timetable for South32’s Hermosa project.
This update comes 60 days after Hermosa
South32 breaks ground on one of two exploration shafts at Hermosa project located in southern Arizona.
was announced as the first mining project (Photo: Redpath)
to be covered by FAST-41 in May 2023.
Hermosa is located on private lands process — from notice of intent (NOI), Located in Southern Arizona, the
and requires only a handful of state per- public comment periods, and final EIS Hermosa project is currently the only ad-
mits from the Arizona Department of publishing - will occur over the course of vanced mine development project in the
Environmental Quality for initial develop- 2024 and 2025, and federal authorization U.S. that could produce two USGS-des-
ment. The company, however, does an- for full development will occur in 2026. ignated critical minerals – manganese
ticipate it will need federal environmental “The process to authorize full devel- and zinc. It is also the only advanced
reviews, including a National Environ- opment reflects that stakeholders will be project in the U.S. that has a viable path-
mental Policy Act (NEPA) process, for full coordinated at the outset of project devel- way to produce battery-grade manga-
project development. opment,” Hermosa President Pat Risner nese to help the rapidly growing North
The permitting timetable from FPISC said. “We welcome FAST-41 building on American electric vehicle supply chain.
includes intermediate and final comple- the NEPA process of providing stakehold- In related news, South32 broke
tion dates for all federal environmental ers with increased transparency, real-time ground on one of two exploration shafts
reviews and authorizations for full project information that is publicly available on the at the Hermosa project recently. This
development, as well as a list of cooper- Permitting Dashboard, and multiple op- milestone achievement commemorates
ating agencies. It projects Hermosa will portunities over the next few years to give the initial surface excavation that will be
happen in three phases: Hermosa’s Mine feedback. Since our inception, the Hermo- continued by Redpath USA to a planned
Plan of Operations will be submitted and sa project has actively sought out, and has depth of 2,947 ft (900 m). The shafts will
approved by December 2023; Hermosa’s already incorporated, community feedback enable underground access for contin-
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the project’s planning and design.” ued exploration.
SEPTEMBER 25-29, 2023: Perumin, Cerro Juli, Arequipa, Peru. DECEMBER 4-8, 2023: The American Exploration & Mining
Contact: Web: www.perumin.com. Association’s annual meeting, Nugget Casino, Sparks, Nevada,
USA. Contact: Web: miningamerica.org.
OCTOBER 23-25, 2023: Coal Association of Canada, Vancouver,
Canada. Contact: Web: www.coal.ca. FEBRUARY 5-8, 2024: Mining Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa.
Contact: Web: www.miningindaba.com.
OCTOBER 23-27, 2023: XXXV Convención Internacional
Minería be México 2023, Acapulco, México. Contact: Web: FEBRUARY 25-28, 2024: Society for Mining, Metallurgy and
www.convencionmineriamexico.mx. Exploration (SME), Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Contact: Web:
www.smenet.org.
OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 2, 2023: International Mining and
Resources Conference (IMARC), Sydney, Australia. Contact: Web: MARCH 3-6, 2024: Prospectors & Developers Association of
www.imarcglobal.com. Canada (PDAC), Toronto, Canada. Contact: Web: www.pdac.ca.
within 12 m to 18 m of the shaft bottom, ing side, we were able to make certain ad- Ultimately, the shaft will prove to be
with the sidewalls being temporarily sup- justments with regard to blast patterns and a “success story that reflects well on the
ported with split sets and mesh,” he said. the types of explosives that we use.” strong collaboration between PMC and
“The poor ground conditions prevailing The inevitable large rocks were broken Murray & Roberts Cementation, as we
where the vent shaft is being sunk led to using a hydraulic breaker coupled to the both stood strongly by our safety com-
high levels of scaling that made this prac- excavator. “As a team, we decided that mitments to find a way through the chal-
tice unviable.” the rock breaker was the right solution for lenges,” Letaba said.
The shaft was lined with permanent the issue of oversized rocks, and it was The partnership delivered the results
support after every 3 m of advance and accepted that this would have an impact desired by both parties, “with PMC’s vi-
within 48 hours. “We use a specialized on the cycle times,” Malherbe said. sion aligning closely with ours and driv-
concrete mix for rapid setting and early It slowed progress, but “it is still the ing the project’s direction very construc-
strength that hardens to 3 MPa within 4 safer option,” Letaba said. Another saf- tively,” Durand said.
hours,” Malherbe said. The concrete is in er option is eliminating concurrent work. PMC, located near the town of Phal-
place for at least 8 hours before blasting. “For instance, no one is allowed in the aborwa in South Africa’s Limpopo prov-
“This solution requires that the blast shaft bottom while people are lining the ince, began production in 1956. It pro-
is conducted while the shutters are still in shaft from the stage.” duces 50,000 mt of copper ore per year.
place, so the shutters were strengthened The project showed that it is effective
and a toe added that would better handle to review key performance indicators from Project Management
the blast,” he said. “The exposed concrete prior projects when innovating and problem Discipline Scores Win
above the shutter is able to withstand the solving, Durand said. “It may not be pos- Alpine Consulting and Mining Engineer-
blast, as it has already cured for 48 hours.” sible to work differently while still trying to ing PLC said the successful completion
The lined sidewall reduces the risk meet the same KPIs,” he said. “A good ex- of a hoist refurbishment and installation
for personnel doing the drilling and in- ample is the use of an excavator for lash- project at a hard rock metal mine in
stallation of temporary support. The cy- ing, which is safer but takes longer, even northern Idaho is a “tremendous win” for
cle is choreographed so the shaft bot- without the occurrence of large rocks.” both the miner and the company.
tom is lashed, cleared and drilled while It also showed the importance of “We ended up coming in right on the
the concrete sets. close coordination with the customer. baseline schedule that was developed
“Lashing a shaft with an excavator is “Unexpected challenges tend to have an back in the first part of February, almost
not a new idea, but it is usually a back-up impact on scheduling, so the strong rela- to the day,” said company owner and
method to the cactus grab,” Letaba said. tionship of trust with our customer, PMC, principal engineer Bracken Spencer,
“We decided that the excavator would be was vital to solving any issues as they project manager on the installation.
the primary lashing method, to further arose,” Malherbe said. “Our approach “Pre-commissioning and commission-
enhance safety on site.” has always been to work closely with ing went off as best as could be expected,
The headgear was automated. The customers on solutions, and to ensure minus a couple little hiccups and run-ins,”
winding engine driver uses a camera they are regularly updated on progress.” he said. “For the most part, we got every-
for visibility when hooking the kibble
for tipping.
“We also opted to use electric actua-
tors in this project, rather than the tradi-
tional pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders
on equipment such as the bank doors,
swing chutes and tipping chutes,” he
said. “This has allowed us to mitigate the
risks such as hearing loss from the noise
of certain actuators, and contamination
from oil leaks.”
Rope twisting sometimes affected
the orientation of the stage. “Other unex-
pected challenges in the project related
to keeping the winder rope performance
within the stringent safety standards we
observe, and the replacement of a wind-
er drive to ensure optimal performance,”
Malherbe said.
Suboptimal fragmentation was com-
mon. “This is a factor that is managed with-
in the project, being satisfied that our focus
on safety is well balanced against the pace Above, an excavator busy lashing at the shaft bottom with shaft lining being carried out on the face.
of production,” Durand said. “On the min- (Photo: Murray & Roberts Cementation)
big and complicated, and critical to a The opportunity was floated for a third
mine seeking to expand production and party company to evaluate and drive
increase revenue. the project across the finish line. “They
The shaft dates back to the 1940s. reached out directly to me,” Spencer
“About five years ago it was taken out of said. “And understanding the importance
service due to safety concerns of both of this to their operations, I jumped in the
the safety apparatus and structural con- truck literally the next day and drove out
cerns on the head frame and the sheave there, had a 4-hour sit-down and talk-
wheels,” Spencer said. “The mine began through on what I could offer and what
the process of procuring the refurbished my vision for this would look like,” he
hoist, working with W.G. Spencer Engi- said. “And then drove back that night and
neering,” he said. “The old hoist was com- was notified the next day.”
pletely removed and the hoist that is going The consultant was tapped for project
in was a hoist from a different location.” management of construction and commis-
That unit, a 181-in.-dia. double-drum sioning. Stakeholders included in-house
single-clutch hoist, would first be rebuilt. management and project management,
It uses two 500-hp-DC motors, allowing construction and installation contractors,
a speed of 1,000 ft/min. to a depth of and an outside engineering firm “to design
6,000 ft. Initially it will be used for men, and oversee the specifics of the integration
materials, equipment, bolts, drills, and of the refurbished hoist,” Spencer said.
regular consumables. “I was brought in for this project in
“All components were returned to their January to make sure it was going to be
original specifications along with specific wrapped up on a newly defined schedule
upgrades that were determined by the and budget,” he said. At that point the fi-
engineering group,” he said. “And then nal deadlines were loose and the budget
were delivered to site, and the interior of was vague. “It was very much ‘we are
the hoist house was excavated and all just going to get things done when we
new flat work was put in, and then the get it done,’” he said.
hoisting unit was set in place.” The hoist “That was one of the first things I did
house was rebuilt, and a digital communi- when I was on the project was to define
cations solution for the system installed. what the outstanding work was and the
The solution could support automation, path to complete everything,” Spencer
“more process integration, remote access said. “And then understanding what the
At the Woodsmith mine, each Alimak elevator for data acquisition, and would help the expenditure rate had been, and based
measured 1.56 m wide by 1.04 m long by 2.17 m miner design mine plans around the ca- on the work yet to be done, build an es-
high. Above, the elevator is installed into the shaft
(Photo: Alimak) pacity of the shaft,” Spencer said. “Actually timate for completion that is with the ap-
understanding what the hoist itself is pro- propriate applied contingency that we will
thing done. The system is now function- ducing, the uptime and availability, is going be coming in right on track.”
ing. Shaft rehabilitation is underway.” to help support planning and accounting.” The challenges presented stemmed
The successful completion of the proj- Historically, any data related to the old from the sheer size of the hoist, the need
ect resulted from disciplined planning, hoist system was generated and stored to minimize downtime, and the pecu-
coordination and communication and manually. The new system would log and liarities of the stakeholders. “One of the
demonstrates the value of strict project organize data from multiple points within difficulties is dealing with vendors and
management protocols. “Using a fairly col- the system, and then generate historical contractors from all over the continent,
laborative effort by the engineers, leaning information when requested. “The data different time zones, different countries,
on the expertise of the various contractors, can, with an emphasis on can, be used and trying to coordinate materials to be
and through multiple coordinating meetings for both predictive and future prescriptive here when needed, and personnel to be
throughout the week, we truly experienced maintenance,” he said. “That will require here from all over the country, or all over
very minimal downtime in the schedules, the use of either CMMS software systems the continent, for their various parts and
and minimized risks from delays,” Spencer or other machine learning systems to an- pieces, particularly on the commission-
said. “And since we set a baseline sched- alyze and evaluate the data generated.” ing front,” he said. “And managing that so
ule back in February, those target dates The project progressed but not with- that we are minimizing downtime without
that were communicated on that original out setbacks that threatened the goals of having undue standby time.”
baseline schedule held true through even the miner. By January, the shaft had been One solution was the application of
the final phase of commissioning.” without a functional hoist for a half de- strict project management discipline. “We
Alpine Consulting and Mining Engi- cade. For the last couple of those years, clearly defined and communicated what
neering was contracted after the project Alpine Consulting and Mining Engineer- the business need of the project was on the
had bogged down for what the miner had ing had been doing engineering and other front end and kept sight of that throughout,”
hoped was the last time. The project was work related to other projects at the mine. he said. “We painted that bigger picture so
that everything that is being done and be- Customized Solution said. “A WIFI router connected to the main
ing worked towards that end has a purpose Solves Challenges lift controller supports the shaft-integral
to it, has a real cost and a real value.” Alimak Group reported the 900-kg-ca- WIFI network in combination with Mobile
A defined cost, which could serve as pacity double-decker Alimak SE 900 FC GSM Networks to transfer real-time data
a penalty, was assigned to any potential elevator car at Woodsmith potash mine on operational status and diagnostics.”
delay. “That provides, dare I say, lever- in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, is At WoodSmith, mined material from
age, to say this is why we need to have performing as designed and garnering the 1,600-m level is hauled to the 370-
this done at this time and in this manner,” positive feedback from the miner. m level and loaded onto a conveyor that
Spencer said. It also meant that the need The unit offers “smooth and reliable goes 37 km to the handling facility.
for innovation was shared by the group vertical access 24/7,” said James Hum-
and not pigeonholed. phrey, industrial division manager and pro- Innovative Design Aces
Unforeseen challenges related to sup- ject manager on the design and delivery. Testing
ply chain issues. For example, “we had a The elevator car was designed to FLSmidth introduced the Cage Guard-
manufacturing delay in one of the compo- move 18 people 370 m in a steel-lined ian Safety Brake for steel guides, the
nents for the hoisting system,” he said. The shaft of an “incredibly limited” size, Ali- skip Crank Type Dump Mechanism, and
delay could span as much as three weeks. mak said. “Alimak’s design engineers a new onboard Conveyance Battery
The solution was to do some work developed a custom double-decker rack- Charging System. “These three solutions
out of sequence. Knowing it would cause and-pinion elevator, comprised of two improve operational safety and sustain-
future rework, and while awaiting the elevator cars, interconnected one above ability within the mine shaft,” said Matt
parts, “we decoupled the hoist drum from the other,” the company reported. “Each Goddard, head of mine shaft systems.
the motors, after they had already been elevator measured 1.56 m wide by 1.04 “Innovation with a focus on lowering
aligned and coupled, to allow for test- m long by 2.17 m high, with each car able operating costs while reducing the en-
ing of the motors and the initial tuning to hold a maximum of nine passengers.” vironmental impact further supports our
of the drive that will control the motors,” The steel lining of the shaft prevented industry through objectives set out in
he said. “By doing a little bit of rework welding mast connections. “Due to hot FLSmidth’s MissionZero Program.”
to bring ahead certain portions of com- works within a small space creating a ‘con- The Cage Guardian Safety Brake has
missioning, we were able to come back fined space,’ the risks and program impli- been successfully developed, tested, and
around and maintain our schedule.” cations of welding meant a lower-risk solu- proven to meet regulations. “The Cage
The successful completion of the proj- tion needed to be found,” Humphrey said. Guardian uses traditional spring-actuat-
ect showed the importance of using pro- The challenge was without precedent ed mechanical activation to effectively
ject management. “Sometimes that can for Alimak. “Alimak worked with Hilti to clamp onto the guide while an indepen-
be done in house. Sometimes that has to develop a new solution, which involved dent braking system mounted to the cage
be farmed out to an outside firm,” Spen- the use of friction-welded studs, which dissipates the kinetic energy to stop and
cer said. “Getting an outside perspective were fired into the elevator shaft using a hold the cage,” said Henry Laarakker,
can be a great strength and asset for spring-loaded gun,” Alimak said. product manager, mine shaft systems.
people to see things or for someone to Stud design was based on preexist- The design represents an evolution-
get a perspective that they need because ing Hilti solutions, Humphrey said. “Hilti ary step beyond the traditional, conven-
they have been so ingrained in their op- had the fastening solutions for secondary tional safety catches.
eration for so long.” fixing of ducting, conduit and cable tray “For decades, many North American
The success also is the result of differ- brackets to primary steel, so this was in- mine shafts have operated using wood
entiating roles. “A mine has to know when vestigated by the design team,” he said. guides for cages transporting personnel
a project needs both a project manager “The fixing solution was four M8 X-BTs when hoisted via a drum hoist with a single
and a project engineer,” he said. “In the within each wall bracket, in S355 steel, head rope attached to the conveyance,”
mining world we like to try and do every- with recommended loads of 4.6 kN in
thing. Sometimes there is a time when you tension or 5.3 kN in shear.”
can’t do everything,” he said. “For this one I Using the spring-loaded gun “re-
wore the project manager hat and I did a lot duced the risks of fumes produced by the
of work mentoring the individual who was traditional explosive cartridge type,”
the project engineer and actually to that Humphrey said.
end that made it a very good opportunity.” Metrics on the elevator car can be
The project served as a staple for Al- tracked by the mining maintenance teams
pine Consulting and Mining Engineering by using My Alimak, a custom web-based
for H1 2023. “It has not only furthered the portal developed by Alimak Group. “Us-
relationship between this client and my- ing the My Alimak portal, Strabag AG can
self but also provided a strong foothold view operational data and statistics relat-
in the Silver Valley for work that I’m doing ing to their elevators, which allows them to
up there,” he said. “This has been just as manage their assets more efficiently.”
For use on steel guides, the Cage Guardian Safety
important a project for me as it has been Data on the car is communicated by Brake was designed and tested to meet some of
for the mine.” the WIFI system for the shaft, Humphrey the most stringent regulations. (Photo: FLSmidth)
Laarakker said. “Safety in transporting Cage free-fall tests simulated the Thus, the CTDM reduces cycle time. It
personnel in a vertical mine shaft is imper- hoist reaching operating speed “under eliminates “this extra travel distance and
ative, and redundancies are set in place full equivalent personnel load,” the safety time at creep speed, improving skip effi-
to ensure safety requirements are met,” he catch deploying, and the skip slowing “to ciency by allowing shorter skip dumping
said. “North American regulations require a stop at an average rate of not less than and filling times,” he said. The reduced
such a cage to have a safety device, which 9 and not more than 20 m per second cycle time leads to “increased production
conventionally has been a dogging-type (m/s), or 0.9 to 2 gravities,” Laarakker rates of as much as 8% to 10% or more.”
mechanism relying on the resistance ob- said. “A large percentage of the develop- Simple in design, the CTDM also low-
tained from individual teeth carving out the ment tests were performed in a multi-sto- ers energy consumption over hydraulically
wood from the guides, providing the de- ry test tower using full-scale prototype operated dumping mechanisms. It “dy-
celeration forces necessary to arrest and test rigs, in addition to a scaled-down namically opens and closes the skip in a
stop the cage anywhere in the shaft.” brake stand for more detailed examina- short burst of energy, realizing only a single
Wood guides are less than ideal for tion of braking characteristics.” open-and-close cycle through each com-
the application and compete poorly Testing ranged from a two-guide em- plete skip cycle,” Laarakker said. “Hydrau-
against engineered steel guides, he said. pty-cage scenario in a drop test, or a lically controlled systems are continuously
Those defects and distortions can quick-release test, to a fully loaded four- energized and operate on standby for most
grow over time and impact performance. guide test rig at free-fall simulating a hoist of the time while actually providing any
“Any event in which a dogging-type safe- speed of 7 m/s. “The various components useful output less than 10% of the time.”
ty mechanism becomes activated re- were subjected to rigorous tests and de- With an electro-mechanical drive, the
quires the complete replacement of the tailed improvements to ensure performance design reduces system complexity, which
damaged wood guides,” Laarakker said. levels and reliability,” Laarakker said. offers multiple benefits, Laarakker said. “Of
Engineered steel guides can last longer, “The tests included investigation on special value is that the need to control ac-
and testing for the Cage Guardian Safety hollow structural steel guides contaminat- celeration and deceleration of hydraulic cyl-
Brake showed that they perform to spec- ed with water and grease as well as hot inders as they are retracted and extended in
ifications. “The Cage Guardian was de- dip galvanized coatings,” he said. So far, short bursts is replaced by the natural sinu-
signed to meet some of the most stringent roughly 300 tests have proven the system soidal curve representing the dynamic mo-
regulations, primarily Ontario Mining Reg- meets requirements. “The latest tests ver- tion of the crank,” he said. “High-pressure
ulation 854,” Laarakker said. “This means ify performance for the Cage Guardian for lines, risk of fire from hydraulic fluid, and
that it is subjected to free-fall testing.” large four-guide cages with synchronized maintenance intensity and complexity are
actuation, a cage load of up to 28,500 kg, all other factors that favor a simpler electro-
and a hoist speed of 7 m/s, effectively mechanical solution such as the CTDM.”
capturing the largest range of cage size Also offering efficiencies that can ulti-
normal for single-rope conveyances.” mately translate into cost savings, the new
Separately, the new Crank Type Dump onboard Conveyance Battery Charging
Mechanism (CTDM) is a skip discharging System uses the kinetic energy of the skip
mechanism that can increase hoisting ca- to continuously charge batteries for the
pacity through reduced cycle times verses onboard communication system. “This not
conventional scroll-type discharge. only simplifies maintenance requirements
Historically, discharge scrolls, mount- but uses inherent energy through hoisting
ed to the headframe, are widely used. instead of relying on external energy sourc-
They are reputed to “offer the lowest es to recharge batteries,” Laarakker said.
initial installed capital cost, but only if “The new system is compact and easy to
consideration isn’t given to the additional mount using FLSmidth’s own heavy-duty
headframe height requirements,” Laarak- guide rollers and is an efficient and effec-
ker said. The skip must rise significantly tive way to replenish battery charge.”
above the dump lip, thus increasing the
headframe height requirements. Revolutionary System
“Additionally, static scrolls do not use Preps for Scale-up
any operating energy to discharge the Weir Minerals completed testing of an in-
skips but will require some additional hoist- dustrial-scale prototype of its GEHO Hy-
ing effort with every dump,” he said. “Be- draulic Ore Hoisting (HOH) pump system
sides added headframe elevation, the total and is preparing the next step of scale-up
hoist cycle time increases due to creep and field qualification.
speed of the skips passing through to the In tests at its Venlo Technology Hub in
point of reaching maximum opening.” the Netherlands, the prototype “operated
The new Crank Type Dump Mechanism is a At less than 0.6 m/s, creep speed is well within the comfort zones,” raising
skip-discharging mechanism that can increase
not a misnomer. “This prolonged cycle the solution’s readiness level, said Ven-
hoisting capacity through reduced cycle times.
It can help increase production rates by as much time compromises the achievable overall lo Technology Group’s chief engineer,
as 10% or more. (Image: FLSmidth) daily production tonnage,” Laarakker said. Ralph van Rijswick.
Whether in primary, secondary or tertiary run-of-mine ore into a feed suitable for While the drivers for regular repairs,
duties, the performance of an individu- downstream processing and beneficia- upgrades and optimization initiatives are
al crusher — gyratory, cone, jaw or oth- tion. This critical role (and thus, their po- clear, supply chain challenges, and also
erwise — can have a significant impact tential to become a bottleneck) means that the availability of skilled and experienced
upon the overall productivity and profit- ongoing upkeep is required to keep them engineers to mastermind and execute
ability of a mining operation. These units in the sweet spot between investment and important shutdowns and maintenance
essentially act as a gateway, transforming attention versus throughput and efficiency. tasks has put tremendous pressure
on service providers and mines alike
over the past 2-3 years. As such, many
are now placing an enhanced focus on
maintenance planning and are looking to
digital insights and remote service provi-
sions to help bridge the gap.
In line with these trends, OEM, Weir
Minerals, is seeing an industry-wide shift
in the way that crushers and servicing
are offered and sold to miners and ag-
gregate producers.
“Increasingly, when we sell a Trio
crusher, we give the customer the option
of adding service and spare parts pack-
ages whereby Weir Minerals will perform
all the maintenance work and supply all
the required parts,” said Sebastian Ra-
koczy, Weir Minerals, Global Product
Manager for Crusher Products. “We then
have an interest in maintaining the ma-
chine to the highest standards to avoid
unnecessary costs, which ultimately ben-
efits the customer because it prevents
unplanned downtime.”
Trio crushers are built to last even in
the toughest applications, so total cost
of ownership (TCO) is a vital way of un-
derstanding and measuring their perfor-
mance and value. The focus on TCO —
as opposed to focusing solely on CAPEX
— is predominantly down to miners and
aggregate producers taking a more holis-
tic, long-term view of their equipment.
Rakoczy told E&MJ: “Today, opera-
tors typically have a much more detailed
understanding of their operations than
they did 10 or 20 years ago. They un-
derstand the wear life of their parts and
High-quality parts combined with good service and reasonable pricing have seen many mines looking beyond they plan maintenance accordingly. As
the traditional OEM offerings when it comes to crusher maintenance in recent years. (Photo: CMS Cepcor) an OEM, it’s important that we work with
Nicholas Vanderlinde, Sales and Prod- suited the feed conditions, Metso was able
uct Offering Specialist for Crushing Prod- to deliver a 50% increase in liner wear life.
ucts at Metso, said that the company’s A similar program saw equal success in
customers are struggling to find qualified the mine’s tertiary crushers and, through
and experienced technicians to maintain switching the mantles used in its two Su-
their crushers, which means an emphasis perior primary gyratory crushers to Met-
has been put on simplifying maintenance so’s hybrid composite MX mantles, the
and increasing safety when it comes to mine also saw more than a 50% reduction
gyratory crusher repair and upkeep. in changeouts, resulting in greater avail-
“We have been pushed to create new ability, more production and less waste.
longer lasting wear components and up- Despite growing demands on pro-
grade packages that accommodate in- duction, mine maintenance budgets are
creases in safety for maintenance crews rarely increased, so whatever can be
onsite,” he told E&MJ. “In addition, we’re done to make dollars go further is a plus
seeing customers constantly looking to at any site. Vanderlinde said that addi-
increase their tonnage rates as orebodies tional monitoring solutions allow better
change throughout the LOM. With lower planning of downtime and repairs, as
percentage ores becoming the norm, de- well as tracking of parts onsite which,
mands on uptime and throughput are ever again, can help to reduce inventories.
increasing on customer sites. This just “Additional data allows mines to have
means more demand on primary crushers, the right parts onsite at the right time for
Schematic illustration of a gyratory crusher.
The spider lifting hook ensures faster and safer so any improvements that can be made at their needs, helping to maximize the re-
maintenance. (Image: FLSmidth) that stage of the process are paramount to sources they already have,” he said. “In-
customer profitability and success.” creased data at the crusher also allows
new, operational Trio TP260 cone crush- These days, there’s a huge demand teams to respond better to changes in feed
ers and, from our perspective, we’ve got for TCO and aftermarket services. or ore, helping to increase downstream
a local team that’s gained a huge amount Vanderlinde said that, with operations process efficiencies at the plant too.”
of knowledge and experience.” having more data available each year, Of course, the shrinking base of ex-
The mining industry currently faces a performance analyses are giving opera- pertise on crusher maintenance has not
myriad of supply chain challenges which tors the insights they need to better un- only impacted mine operators but also
OEMs, like Weir Minerals, are working to derstand their operational expenditures. OEMs and service providers. “The skills
resolve. Rakoczy said that the next 5-10 “This has given our customers the abili- needed are becoming less common, so
years will continue to be about getting parts ty to understand where their biggest main- there is a premium placed on solutions
and spares to customers on time. Again, tenance hangups and costs are, and act that can fill that gap,” Vanderlinde ex-
digital technologies can help in streamlin- to solve them,” he said. “It’s why we have plained. “This means new innovations in
ing this process — data on wear life and moved to working closer with our custom- crusher monitoring and data gathering
wear characteristics will help eliminate un- ers to better understand their needs and are going to become essential to making
knowns and unplanned maintenance. But, provide solutions designed to solve those sure crushers perform at their maximum
just as importantly, it’s vital that equipment exact issues. Targeted upgrades and sup- potential. By adding in remote technol-
suppliers are close to their customers — port for our customers means they are ogies in operation of the machine and
both in terms of proximity, as well as in un- spending their money where it will have additional monitoring, we can help elim-
derstanding their operations inside-out. the largest impact on their profitability. inate potential issues down the line and
“This is why Weir Minerals’ global net- “Sustainability is another huge target give mine sites even more information to
work of 150 service and support centres going forward. Increasing the life of our streamline their processes.”
is central to our commitment to our cus- spare and wear parts means customers Mikko Koivunen, Director for Process
tomers,” he said. “We see our customers use fewer parts and can maintain lower Optimization and Remote Services Sales
as partners, and we provide solutions stocks onsite. Less scrap means lower Support at Metso, added: “Greater avail-
based on their specific challenges.” environmental impact, which is always a ability of data online also enables Met-
target for Metso as well as our customers.” so’s Performance Centres to react faster
Data Enables Continuous La Caridad copper mine in Sonora, to arising issues and offer proactive sup-
Improvements Mexico, signed up to Metso’s Chamber port through data analysis.”
Nowhere is the skills shortage in crush- Optimization Program in 2011 and, since Vanderlinde said that, as the skills
ing being felt harder than in the mainte- then, the companies have worked togeth- shortage is unlikely to end anytime soon,
nance of primary gyratories. As the first er on a series of continuous improvements going forward, there will be a huge push
step in any comminution circuit, the co- to optimize the yield of the operation’s to simplify crusher components and
lossal size and relatively low number of crusher circuit and reduce its maintenance maintenance practices.
these units on any site (low redundancy) costs. For example, by switching out the “As more knowledge is lost through
makes their role and availability more im- competitor liners used in its six Nordberg retirement, there are fewer people step-
portant than most others. MP800 cone crushers for ones that better ping up to take the place of those who
are leaving the industry,” he said. “This we once would have taken on a smaller big picture in view and the overall main-
means that more of the demand for re- scope, like requests for component repairs tenance plan is addressed,” he said.
pair and replacement is going to come and incorporating recycling of used com- Like his peers, Kupstas has noticed a
into the world of services and support. ponents to reduce environmental impact,” greater focus on reliability-centred main-
New training technologies and repair Trevor Kupstas, Global Product Manager tenance and TCO programs over the
strategies are going to be paramount – Crusher Liners at FLSmidth, told E&MJ. past decade. The initial capital invest-
to keeping crushers running as well as “We see our customers working to im- ment of the equipment is only a small
additional manufacturer support for cus- prove their operational run time, so they portion of the overall costs, so it makes
tomers. Using monitoring technologies to are focusing their maintenance strategies sense that the aftermarket expenditures
help fill that gap is going to be an import- on areas that provide these returns, like are getting more attention.
ant step for the mining industry.” reliability of equipment and the mainte- “I think that our customers are doing
Koivunen added: “This is where da- nance of key parts,” he added. “Most large this because they are more and more im-
ta-driven, digitally enabled field service sites have already shifted to preventative pacted by pressure from pricing and find-
experts with access to real time data and maintenance, rather than reactive because ing skilled workers and need a solution,”
the support of Metso Performance Centres the benefits far outweigh potential costs. he explained. “In the past, maintenance
can really excel, helping customers to fo- Therefore, things that we did earlier, like revolved around repairs and not as much
cus in on the right issues at the right time.” designing wear parts for specific shutdown planning. That was not necessarily be-
schedules, are moving even further.” cause of want, but because of lack of in-
Planning and Reliability- Kupstas explained that many sites formation (data) to make more informed
centered Maintenance have also shifted their purchase require- decisions. Today, we use data and tech-
Today, nearly all mines have their own sus- ments to incorporate features that will al- nology that is available on our equipment
tainability programs and commitments, low maintenance to be performed more to plan and schedule maintenance a lot
and OEMs are no different. Through FLS- efficiently (i.e., faster, easier, and safer) better and earlier than before. Without
midth’s MissionZero strategy, the compa- to keep total downtime to a minimum. data the results that we are getting with
ny helps customers to identify crusher up- “As a result, when we discuss cham- our TCO and Optimization Programs
grades that increase efficiencies on site. ber or liner optimizations with our cus- would be a lot less impactful.”
“We are also shifting and expanding our tomers, the meetings incorporate more Reliability-centered maintenance
operating space, to help in the areas where individuals to ensure that we keep the plans are a good example of where digital
“An example would be the annual Shelley said that, as such, operations are intended design life of 25 years. With
service contracts that CMS offers,” he increasingly pursuing proactive planning the combination of an aging machine
explained. “Together with the operator, and preventative maintenance strategies. and pushing equipment to its limits then
our sales and service team will develop “As the demand for crucial compo- breakdowns are inevitable.”
a maintenance plan for the year encom- nents like new main shafts or shells con- As operators continue to push the en-
passing all the likely parts and service re- tinues to rise, the lead times for these velope in production and rely increasing-
quirements. We then assemble a quote items are also getting longer as the num- ly on third parties to help them with plant
around that and a financial solution to ber of qualified suppliers is remaining rel- maintenance and supply chain manage-
make their budgeting and maintenance atively constant,” he added. ment, it’s likely that the role companies
spending more predictable and easier Although TCO is an issue with prima- like CMS Cepcor plays will continue to
to manage. This approach combines the ry gyratory crushers, relative to other ma- grow in importance.
strengths of both parties, where the oper- jor equipment types on site, these units “It’s our opinion that aftermarket offer-
ator has experience of running the plant are not major consumers of wear parts ings of the OEMs are fundamentally com-
and we have the experience of main- and spares. “It may well be a serious promised because their business models
taining all types of crushers around the consideration when evaluating the initial are not fully dependent on being truly
world; it’s a great combination. selection of capital equipment between competitive in that sector,” Shelley said.
“For the longer term we are offering suppliers, but once installed we often find “All of the OEMS have a broad portfolio
students from local colleges the oppor- production factors outweigh long-term of processing equipment of which crush-
tunity to come and start their career as spend,” Shelley told E&MJ. ing is only a minority part. Even within the
apprentices. We hope this gives them “Where we see a real challenge to sector, the attraction of the large capital
the opportunity to acquire the skills and this is where there’s the need to push orders they can achieve means their af-
experience needed to plug the skills gap throughput as far as possible. This termarket business is always fighting for
in the years to come.” means the machines can be operating at attention internally because the values
Because the repercussions of un- or above their advised limits, increasing are so much smaller. CMS Cepcor is fo-
planned downtime can be very expen- the risk of major breakdowns. This chal- cused solely on crushing; it’s what our
sive in mining, it’s becoming ever more lenge becomes more pronounced when whole business is geared towards and it’s
impractical to rely on last minute planning considering the presence of older ma- why we commit such a large proportion of
or reactive maintenance approaches. chines still in operation, surpassing their our resources to stock and availability.”
Additionally, OP Pro Fleet Management Development at ASI Mining. “Autono- ments in dispatch algorithms and energy
provides vertical integration with Hexa- mous mining machines are dependent management. These trends will open op-
gon’s interoperable autonomous stack. upon a software layer, generically re- portunities for innovation within FMSs as
Going forward, Hexagon continues to ferred to as a traffic management system well as other optimization solutions which
focus on its data and analytics strategy. (TMS), which conveys missions, maps, could add value in the whole technology
“We are currently building up our Power of traffic rules, and other particulars to au- stack, particularly when AHSs and ener-
One analytics platform which aims to bring tonomous vehicles. While this TMS layer gy management are involved.”
data from across the mine into a unified is the core of an autonomous haulage op- Early adopters of AHSs have been
platform with well-defined data definitions, eration, they generally rely on an FMS to primarily tier one mining companies with
customer-facing application programming provide mission assignments, tied to the large, complex operations. However, ASI
interfaces (APIs), and modern data visual- mine plan, that the TMS can execute.” Mining has recently seen smaller mines,
ization tools,” explained Kowalchuk. FMSs at open-pit mining operations which do not operate under an FMS,
“In the meantime, we have just com- have traditionally used software algo- consider the adoption of autonomy. Lars-
pleted Fleet Analytics 2.0, which is a rithms focused on optimizing traditional en said that, in such cases, it’s possible
program to improve our existing fleet mine operations, with human operators in to deploy ASI Mining’s Mobius AHS solu-
management reporting tools with a newly equipment and in the control room. These tion without a traditional FMS.
upgraded application and 40 new reports have performed well over time. However, Mobius is capable of dispatching
that are focused on providing improved de- Larsen said that as more fleets explore trucks, providing visualization of asset lo-
cision-making support for our customers.” autonomy and the industry starts to inject cations, monitoring asset health informa-
Reducing the TCO and further integra- zero-emission solutions, such as bat- tion, and generating production reports;
tion between OP Pro and the HxGN Mine- tery-electric equipment, additional logic all basic functionalities of a FMS. How-
Protect fatigue management and CAS, as around energy management is required. ever, for larger and more complex min-
well as the HxGN MinePlan portfolio is an- “Artificial intelligence (AI) and incor- ing operations that need more real-time,
other objective for future developments. porating self-learning algorithms is a optimizing FMS dispatch algorithms, the
Sean Perry, Senior Vice President, Ma- development we believe will have a pro- company recommends choosing an FMS
terial Movement, Hexagon’s Mining divi- found impact on fleet management,” he that meets the needs of the site, then in-
sion told E&MJ: “Providing interoperability said. “There are already start-up com- tegrating an OEM-agnostic AHS solution,
by unlocking data on a single platform is panies exploring self-learning FMSs that such as Mobius.
a key focus. Sharing planning and safety provide more autonomous dispatching “Again, while Mobius was designed
data with operations provides insights for functionality, making optimization deci- as a TMS, we’ve found that many mines
faster and more accurate assisted decision sions that traditionally were made by the operating highly functional FMSs, are of-
making. We are continuing to expand this controllers themselves. ten underutilizing their capabilities — ei-
same consistent experience across all an- “Autonomous systems are great at ther because of the rapidly changing na-
cillary equipment and office applications.” precisely executing missions from an ture of their operations and/or because
He added: “Autonomous mining equip- FMS. Therefore, we believe FMSs will they feel these more complex functions
ment is a trend that will continue to grow need to adapt and innovate to keep up are not delivering the value,” said Lars-
over the next 5-10 years. For mines with with new complexities and orchestration en. “Also, many mining operations are
mixed fleets, or for those who perhaps requirements stemming from improve- small or simple enough that large FMSs
aren’t comfortable with locking in with
a particular OEM and autonomous sys-
tem, Hexagon will continue to deliver
OEM-agnostic fleet management and au-
tonomous solutions. We also believe the
connections between geoscience, mine
planning, and mine operations will con-
tinue grow and become more integrated
through data to better leverage the maxi-
mum economic value of a mine resource.”
are simply not required. In such cases, a sion truck emerges as the best overall ers can monitor multiple operations, track
system like Mobius could become a via- solution for their operation. vehicle locations, allocate resources, and
ble alternative to operate an AHS fleet, Larsen explained: “This interoperability respond to contingencies more effectively.
without a traditional FMS. It’s also worth with other third-party FMSs has enabled us Wenco systems utilize machine guid-
mentioning that the modularity of Mobius to offer clients the ability to leverage their ance and simulation tools to optimize
means that an FMS could always be in- existing investments in legacy FMSs, in- fleet performance and resource allo-
tegrated later once these more complex stead of requiring FMS replacement, as is cation. These consider various factors,
functionalities are required.” common on most other AHS offerings. In such as equipment availability, produc-
The underlying driver for most of ASI ASI Mining’s history, integrations with dif- tion targets, and operational constraints
Mining’s research and development is ferent FMS systems have been performed. to generate optimal schedules, routes,
enhancing the value proposition of au- Most notable is with the Wenco FMS, and task assignments. Customers can
tonomy in mining. Since the business which is currently being used by Roy Hill, identify bottlenecks, optimize efficiency,
case for AHSs is largely driven by an integrated with Mobius for Haulage.” and improve overall productivity by simu-
increase in utilization, productivity and lating different scenarios.
reliability, all factors that enhance that Open and Integrated “Our customers are also utilizing
realization are ASI’s top priorities. FMSs are increasingly incorporating In- FMSs for closer alignment with their ESG
“At the same time, we’re investing in ternet of Things (IoT) enabled devices objectives and sustainability initiatives,”
expanding the automation platform to and connectivity solutions. Jason Dos said Dos Santos. “Wencomine provides
allow integration with other autonomous Santos, Product Marketing Manager at technologies that monitor and aid in re-
equipment, for example, water trucks, Wenco International Mining Systems, ex- ducing emissions by tracking and reduc-
light vehicles and drills,” Larsen added. plained: “IoT connectivity facilitates data ing fuel consumption, thus supporting
“We’re also closely monitoring emerg- exchange between site equipment and customers’ environmentally conscious
ing opportunities around zero emission different areas of the network, enabling practices. Fleet managers can use these
initiatives. These will no doubt drive the seamless communication and coordina- systems to enforce sustainable fleet op-
continued need for autonomous sys- tion across sites. The integration of au- erations and comply with ESG standards.
tems that can support a variety of energy tonomous vehicles, such as haul trucks “These advancements in FMSs and
solutions and systems. They will need and drills, is also revolutionizing fleet mine networks support improved effi-
to provide the traffic patterns and vehi- management in mining. These vehicles ciency, safety, and sustainability in min-
cle behaviours that may be required with can operate with minimal human inter- ing operations. They enable real-time
trolley assist, battery electric, and other vention, following pre-determined routes monitoring, data-driven decision-mak-
recharging strategies to operate mines.” and performing tasks efficiently. FMSs ing, optimized resource allocation, and
are evolving to support the integration integration of autonomous vehicles, ulti-
Supporting Future Energy and coordination of autonomous vehicles, mately driving productivity and minimiz-
Choices ensuring smooth operation and optimized ing environmental impact.”
Nearly all haul truck OEMs are working utilization within the mine’s network.” According to Dos Santos, flexibility
frantically on the next generation of ener- Many Wenco customers utilize central- and integration are core capabilities of
gy-efficient haul trucks. Larsen said that, ized controls to monitor and manage fleet Wencomine. “One of the key pillars of the
because of the complexities between operations. These leverage advanced Wenco mindset is ‘open’,” he explained.
mining methods across different miner- technologies, like real-time data visual- “This is an openness to collaboration, in-
als, environmental factors, and availabili- ization and geospatial analysis, leading to teroperability, advancement, integration,
ty of low-cost energy, there will likely be a predictive modelling to provide a holistic and iteration; every new development
plethora of different energy options mov- view of fleet performance. Fleet manag- and acquisition has Wencomine compat-
ing forward. These could include trolley ibility at the forefront.”
operations, battery electric, hydrogen, This emphasis extends all the way to
and other hybrid solutions. system architecture, allowing for interoper-
“Additionally, truck sizes could be re- ability with emerging technologies such as
thought, as a greater number of smaller fragmentation tracking, digital blast move-
trucks could emerge as a potential via- ment modelling, and material sensing.
ble alternative to ultra class fleets,” he Wenco is also persuing open auton-
said. “Each of these potential scenarios omy through ISO 23725: FMS interface
will have significant impact on FMS op- to autonomous haulage. This standard
erations and the injection of a potential aims to bring new entrant autonomy pro-
new software module into the stack; en- viders into mining, mixed fleet operation,
ergy management system (EMS). The new mining strategies, and enable the
autonomous systems from ASI Mining, application of new technologies.
based on the Mobius TMS, are agnostic “Ensuring our long-term customers
with regards to FMS, and also truck se- can take advantage of our latest func-
Wenco recently acquired the SmartCap fatigue
lection; which gives operations the ability management system which has been integrated
tionalities and solutions is always top of
to adapt to whichever FMS or zero-emis- into the Wencomine FMS. (Image: Wenco) mind throughout development,” said Dos
New Optimization OEMs, like Komatsu, are doing a huge amount of work to develop different hardware platforms that
Opportunities support zero-emissions mining. (Photo: Komatsu/Modular Mining)
“The trends that we see having the big-
gest influence on fleet management prac- valuable information that can be gained and compare the outcomes to the mine
tices today are carbon emissions reduc- from data sharing and we’re evolving our plan. The value is that it allows operators
tions and autonomy,” George Mavros, offering accordingly.” to make more informed decisions, and to
Product Manager — Load and Haul at He said that requests for third-party pivot quickly if unforeseen events or cir-
Modular Mining, told E&MJ. “The two are integrations have thus far involved safety cumstances arise, for instance, a shovel
somewhat affiliated, but they also bring and tire monitoring products, but that Mod- breakdown or a road closure due to ex-
their own challenges. On the autonomy ular will work with customers to accommo- treme weather. Usually, users take actions
side, Komatsu has a number of well-es- date integration requests where possible. based on previous experiences, but this
tablished products, and we see a need The team is currently working on two functionality allows them to check if those
for further integration and interoperability new FMS deployments replacing com- decisions would be best based on the
between autonomous solutions and other petitor products for tier one miners — one business’ objectives and to quantify them.”
systems, such as our DISPATCH FMS. operation is in Australia and one in Latin The refuel function can be used for
“With respect to carbon emissions, America. DISPATCH is now fully integrat- any mobile equipment that needs to be
OEMs, like Komatsu, are doing a huge ed with Komatsu’s ProVision machine refuelled or recharged (diesel, petrol,
amount of work to develop different guidance solution and Mavros said that battery powered etc.). Mavros explained
hardware platforms — for instance, bat- this capability, combined with the ability that it aims to optimize the refuelling or
tery-electric trucks — that support this. to connect with third-party systems, was recharging schedule for the fleet, and
But, of course, they also require software a deciding factor in both deployments. also the utilization of refuel/recharge
that can optimize their integration into There are also some new products in stations. It can be used as a standalone
mining operations.” the development pipeline. “We’re work- module or can function as an input to the
DISPATCH may be one of the longest ing on a series of new applications that short-term simulation feature to check
(if not the longest) standing FMS on the will enhance DISPATCH’s capabilities,” different scenarios and find the best pos-
market, but that doesn’t mean that its de- said Mavros. “The first two relate to sible outcome against the mine plan.
velopment has stood still… Far from it. short-term simulation and refuelling and Mavros told E&MJ. “We’re not mov-
“We’re working on a number of new those are currently in beta testing with ing away from DISPATCH in any way —
features, and also to expand DISPATCH’s key customers. We have additional apps the optimization tools built into that have
current functionality in line with market in the works, but you’ll have to wait for done a fantastic job for the past 40 years
demands,” Mavros explained. “The latest more details on those!” — but, given the challenges mines face
version includes a new speed monitoring This new series of apps is designed today, it’s time to build on those capabil-
module, and also extended functionality to enable mines to access next level opti- ities and give miners greater control and
for the existing brakes, park up and shift mization opportunities. Mavros explained agility when it comes to optimization.
change modules.” that the addition of short-term simulation “We’ve broken this journey down
DISPATCH has recently transitioned will allow mines to optimize fleet move- into steps and will be introducing new
to the Linux embedded platform which ments according to the mine plan, which concepts, apps and algorithms over the
Mavros said will enable more flexibility is a relatively new concept. coming months. Having refuel function-
when it comes to integration with data “FMSs traditionally optimize for pro- ality is a good example: it allows mines
from Komatsu and also third-party sys- duction and cost, but we’ve been hear- to optimize fleet movements to improve
tems via an API. ing for a while that operators would like operational efficiency and production,
“We understand that today there is greater visibility and optionality when it but also to cut their carbon emissions.
a need for greater integration and in- comes to operational optimization,” he “Additionally, we’ll continue to expand
teroperability between different mining said. “This is a live application, so the user our range of APIs for both internal and
solutions,” Mavros explained. “There’s will be able to analyse different scenarios third-party systems.”
In the roughly 125 or so years since the cal infrastructure design, electrification motor drive supplier is making it easier
first truly useful electric motors for indus- system and battery management, ESG for customers to efficiently choose, mon-
trial purposes were introduced, their role and safety impact analysis, and cost itor and maintain their drives.
has steadily expanded to include almost modelling of both Capex and Opex. OEMs are also aware of the need to
any application that requires rotary pow- It’s safe to say that electric motor ef- conserve materials, both during original
er. One recent estimate from a major ficiency at this – or any multi-million-dol- fabrication and for end-of-life recycling,
motor supplier has electric motor-driven lar project – will be looked at closely. and are pursuing strategies aimed at
systems accounting for about 45% of the But even a high-efficiency motor has to optimized or reduced use of copper wire
world’s energy usage. be properly engineered for its intended and magnet material. For example, late
For the mining industry, all indications application. A list of the main reasons last year ABB announced plans to use
are that motor usage will continue to grow why motors fail, as shown in the ac- Boliden’s certified recycled and low-car-
as companies study, structure and exe- companying chart, indicates that many bon copper in its high-efficiency electric
cute plans to electrify operations from pit failures can be traced back to incorrect motors and other equipment. As of 2023,
to plant. A glimpse of the future was pro- initial selection. As OEMs develop new ABB said it will purchase that copper
vided by a recent announcement high- concepts for motor design, aimed at of- to cover the demand for certain IE5 Ul-
lighting a collaboration between electrifi- fering products that have higher torque tra-Premium Efficiency and other motor
cation specialist ABB and mining services density, better cooling performance and types produced in Europe. The two com-
group Perenti to provide a study for full smaller physical footprints, they’re also panies have also signed a memorandum
underground electrification of IGO’s Cos- implementing features and services that of understanding that will see ABB sup-
mos nickel project in Western Australia. enable customers to more accurately porting Boliden in identifying inefficient
The three companies will work together choose the correct product and moni- low-voltage motors across its operating
to forge a plan that includes mine design tor its performance throughout the duty units. These motors can then be replaced
optimization for electric operations, pro- cycle. Check out our interview on p. 36 with high efficiency motors within ABB’s
duction and operating philosophy, fleet with Danfoss’ global business director take back upcycling framework, with the
selection, power distribution and electri- for heavy industry to hear how this major old motors recycled to provide raw mate-
rial for Boliden’s recycled copper.
According to ABB, Boliden’s low-car-
bon copper is produced by using second-
ary raw material from recycled products.
A typical 75-kW motor weighing 650 kg
might include 80 kg of copper. Using Bo-
liden’s copper saves approximately 200
kg of CO2 emissions for every one of these
motors manufactured, said the company.
In another copper-related develop-
ment researchers at Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory (PNNL), a national
laboratory managed and operated by
Battelle for the US Department of Energy,
found a way to increase the conductivity
of copper wire by about 5% – enough to
make a significant improvement in motor
efficiency. For example, the actual num-
ber of large motors installed every year is
The latest standard electric-motor product lines offer increased modularity and flexibility to meet the relatively low, but their power ratings are
requirements of a wide range of applications. However, unique site conditions or performance demands
often call for custom designs such as these cylindrical-cased 6,600-v, 1,700-kW squirrel cage motors so high that even a small increase in effi-
engineered by Menzel Motors to power an underground mine’s ventilation system. ciency can cut losses by tens of kilowatts
This interactive procedure can be re- line strategy, particularly in their larg- approach for excavators that is intended
peated until the engineers are satisfied est-capacity machines. In 2021, Komat- to facilitate upgrades or retrofits as new
with a design that best satisfies the final su said it would be offering all of its P&H drive technology becomes available.
performance targets. electric rope shovels as AC-powered ma- Caterpillar, which was an early
chines going forward, citing production adopter in introducing AC technology to
High-speed performance prediction improvement gains that were measured mining equipment – starting with ana-
technology and efficient presentation by comparing machine performance data log GTO control technology then intro-
technology. The AI technology creates and input from customers reporting that ducing IGBT digital control – has had a
specifications by referring to past designs, they could regularly achieve higher pro- long-term partnership arrangement with
searching for the best specifications and ductivity with the company’s AC models. Siemens to develop custom-designed
then presenting multiple combinations of Liebherr has offered AC power throughout AC drive systems for rope shovels. The
possible specifications optimized to perfor- its range of mining excavators for many latest motor-related improvements are
mance targets. Engineers can choose the years and has adopted a modular design featured on the company’s new-produc-
specifications that best suit overall needs
and quickly determine a final design that
matches their final performance targets.
The TMEIC AI initiative certainly isn’t
the only large-scale program under way
to apply AI tools to motor design and pro-
THREE WORDS.
duction. For instance, last year Bosch an-
nounced a major expansion of its North ONE PROMISE.
ALWAYS IN STOCK.
American facilities for manufacturing
electric motors; the company said it would
begin production at its Charleston, South
Carolina site – ironically, at a facility pre-
viously devoted to production of compo-
nents for diesel engines – and planned to
spend more than $260 million in the future
to expand capacity there even further. The
new facility reportedly will use AI to design
production lines that will be highly config-
urable for various customer requirements.
It’s part of a larger corporate effort, ac-
cording to recent remarks from Bosch ex-
ecutives. “In recent years, Bosch has made
good progress in the development of AI in
its divisions and at its locations worldwide,”
said Tanja Rückert, member of the board
of management and chief digital officer of
Bosch GmbH. “We are bringing AI into our
applications quickly and successfully.”
The company stated that before the
end of this year, all of its products and solu-
tions will either contain AI or have been de-
veloped or manufactured with its help.
Switching to AC
Another aspect of expanding electric mo-
tor usage – in this case, one that goes
hand-in-hand with the mining industry’s
pursuit of higher equipment efficiency,
sustainability and circularity – is the op-
tion to upgrade older equipment, such
904-3 56-6840
as DC-powered mining shovels, to AC
sales@schurcoslurr y.co m
power for better performance, safety and
9410 Florida Mining Boulevard East,
lower maintenance requirements.
Jacksonville, Florida, 32257
This trend has been gaining industry
interest, with the benefits offered by AC
power strongly influencing OEM product
tion 7495 and 7495 HF shovels, which • Safer – Less motor maintenance, in- and three engineers. “We have a long-
offer a drive system design that uses spection and testing; eliminates DC term perspective when it comes to these
common motors in multiple applications. commutators. conversions,” he explained. “Given that
These motors, according to Cat, have • More reliable – Eliminates carbon industrial drives and other electronic
higher power densities, smaller frame brushes and dust. Addresses obsoles- components typically have a five to sev-
sizes and optimized footprints. cence and digitalization. en years lifespan, we address obsoles-
For older DC shovels that may be • Energy efficiency – 10+% more effi- cence concerns by producing our own
mothballed, under-utilized or still in pro- cient than DC. Active Front End (AFE) inverters and digital control cards. We
duction – but with high maintenance drive precisely controls power factor have implemented a unified control plat-
costs and risks – repowering with AC and reduces harmonics. Reduced pow- form for shovels and draglines, allowing
components offers a range of benefits. er system losses. us to support this platform in the future
Mike Onsager, director of technology • Productivity – Faster, smoother op- without depending on OEM or industri-
at power and control systems special- eration with custom control system. In- al-supply sources.”
ist Flanders, outlined those advantages creased tons per hour. Reutilization of existing machines is
for an audience at the recent Haulage The advantages of switching to AC gaining interest as mine operators seek to
& Loading Conference, held April 2-5 in power extend beyond the machine, said reduce their overall carbon footprint and
Tucson, Arizona and sponsored by Min- Onsager, starting with additional power ca- engage in sustainable, circular equip-
ing Media International. pacity becoming available to a mine while ment ownership and operational strat-
Flanders offers custom electric motor using the same distribution system. “You egies. Onsager pointed out that some
design and manufacturing, along with can operate more equipment on the same draglines were approaching 70 years of
engineering and manufacturing exper- system, have more flexibility with substa- service, and with ongoing maintenance,
tise gained through upgrading dozens of tion location, length of trail cables, along refurbishment and upgrades where ap-
P&H shovels and converting draglines with how many other machines are in the propriate, could reach the century mark.
and other equipment from DC to AC pit and how they’re affected,” he explained. Although that might not be the case with
drives and components. The “numbers” “Plus, the (AC) motors for the shovels and a typical mining rope shovel or AC motor,
– the machine-specific benefits of shov- drag lines are custom manufactured by AC motor and control upgrades can keep
el conversion to AC – are clear-cut, said Flanders to be drop-in fit replacements.” these machines operating at highly pro-
Onsager, and can be summarized in a A typical conversion takes about a ductive levels for many years – and avoid
few bullet points: month and is handled by six technicians “making new steel to replace old iron.”
Bingham Canyon Converts loss-time impact on mining operations Pty Ltd in Australia. The addition of Cal-
to MineStar for bringing nearly 100 trucks plus more ibre’s 800 professionals brings WSP’s
Caterpillar and Wheeler Machinery, a than 40 supporting dozers, shovels and mining team to 5,200 professionals glob-
Cat dealer servicing the western U.S., drills online with MineStar Fleet. Caterpil- ally, including 1,400 in Australia.
recently completed the installation of a lar and Wheeler worked together to pro- WSP said the combined team will
Cat MineStar fleet management system vide a quick turn-around time with best- support clients with strong ESG commit-
at the Kennecott Bingham Canyon mine, in-class implementation. ments. “We have the opportunity to play
located near Salt Lake City, Utah. Rather “The close collaboration between a pivotal role at a time when mining com-
than upgrading the mine’s previous fleet the Rio Tinto Group team, Caterpillar, panies are making bold commitments to-
management system, Kennecott chose to [Wheeler] and Kennecott ensured a suc- wards decarbonizing their operations and
deploy MineStar Fleet. This has optimized cessful deployment at Kennecott and infrastructure, while providing the critical
the mine site’s equipment tracking, pro- their desire to be the flagship for future minerals required for the green transition,”
duction recording, material management MineStar sites,” said Joshua Wood, prin- said CEO Alexandre L’Heureux.
and truck assignment, and it has further cipal advisor, Surface Mining Centre of The development caps two decades
expanded the relationship between Cat Excellence at Rio Tinto. of focus on becoming the consultant of
and Rio Tinto, which owns Kennecott. “We have been impressed with the part- choice for major mining projects, Calibre
“For 15 years, Rio Tinto has used nership, and we share the same vision and said. “Joining WSP enables our talent to
MineStar Terrain and has expanded its have the correct team to get us there,” said leverage the scale, capabilities, and ex-
MineStar capabilities in recent years at Bryce Olson, mine monitoring and control pertise of a global company with 67,000
locations like Gudai Darri and Marandoo, superintendent at the Kennecott Bingham professionals,” said Executive General
autonomous mine sites in Western Aus- Canyon mine. “We flipped the switch, and Manager Adrian Chapman.
tralia,” said Ryan Howell, mining tech- we haven’t gone backwards. We immedi-
nology commercial product manager for ately started using MineStar Fleet’s open Solvay Expands Facility
Caterpillar. “The Bingham Canyon mine assignment, load-haul-dump and auto fuel to Meet Demand
is the first MineStar Fleet site in Rio Tinto advanced features.” Solvay completed expansion of the
history, and this extends the company’s MineStar Fleet automatically records company’s Mount Pleasant, Tennessee,
application of MineStar capabilities. and tracks data up and down a mine’s U.S.A., facility to meet growing demand
Even though it wasn’t the easiest value chain, providing insights that help from copper mining for its ACORGA
route for the mine, the cost-benefit analy- miners identify what is working and fix products. The facility manufactures sol-
sis showed significant long-term benefits what is not to meet production targets. vent extraction reagents.
using MineStar Fleet, including seamless The platform allows miners to view the The company said the expansion was
integration with MineStar Terrain, which entire operation at a glance on a comput- a major achievement that helps it ensure
is currently used by the mine. “A true er and gain insights into key cost drivers the security of supply for customers while
partnership with the supplier, dealer and – such as fuel, tires, service parts, and responding to their increasing production
customer allows for large-scale technolo- idle time – and improve haul fleet produc- needs. “We expect to add additional ca-
gy projects like this to be completed suc- tion and shovel utilization. pacity in the future to remain a reliable,
cessfully with minimal impact to produc- long-term partner and help our mining
tion,” said Mike Gray, general manager WSP Global Acquires Calibre customers maximize metallurgical re-
for Wheeler Machinery. Professional Services One sults and overall operational value,” said
An incremental approach was de- WSP Global Inc. completed the acquisi- Matthew Davis, global business director,
vised to minimize the system installation tion of Calibre Professional Services One mineral processing and metal extraction.
An incremental approach will be used to minimize downtime as the Bingham Canyon mine (above) converts nearly 100 haul trucks and more than 40 pieces
of supporting equipment to Cat’s MineStar system. (Photo: Rio Tinto)
er reagents, as well as a bacterial growth processes. This ‘waste-as-carbon-sink’ technology significantly accelerates the
and inoculation facility. At a technical pre- approach has further potential for reuse natural process of carbon mineralization
sentation given late last year at Rio Tinto’s in building materials, thus significantly using mine tailings from ultramafic rocks.
Bundoora Technical Development Center reducing the amount of waste that needs This helps these companies transform
in Melbourne, Australia, company person- to be stored as compared to present day their tailings into industrial-scale direct
nel explained that the Nuton technology legacy nickel processing.” air capture and storage facilities, trans-
extracts up to >80% of copper from prima- “Arca is helping mining companies un- forming mine waste into a valuable new
ry copper sulphides compared to 25%– derstand the potential for mineralization of resource and climate solution.”
35% in traditional heap leach processes. their resources, design how that potential Arca, formerly named Carbin Miner-
Nuton modelling capabilities reduce re- should be realized, and then advance to als, is backed by Lowercarbon Capital
quirements for extensive test programs. actual project development,” said Profes- and the Grantham Foundation, both of
In addition to the Cactus project, Nu- sor Greg Dipple, co-founder and head of which are “climate investors” in the car-
ton technology is also being evaluated at science at Arca. “Our mineral activation bon dioxide removals industry.
Lion Copper & Gold’s Yerington, Nevada
project and at McEwen Copper’s Los
Azules project in Argentina.
Geoscience Company
Targets CO2 Capture in
Mine Tailings
Arca, a company founded by geoscien-
tists from the University of British Co-
lumbia, announced that it is working with
nickel producers to capture and perma-
nently store CO2 in mine tailings.
The company said it is developing
and commercializing a portfolio of tech-
nologies that help mining companies
measure, maximize and monetize the
carbon sequestration potential of their
mining byproducts. Arca’s patent-pend-
ing mineral activation technology uses
high-intensity bursts of energy to trans-
form and disrupt the mineral lattice
structure of magnesium-rich minerals,
increasing both the rate and capacity
for CO2 capture and permanent storage.
With material from its mining company
partners, Arca said it has achieved un-
precedented rates of air capture and
capacity for CO2 storage, operating at at-
mospheric air temperature and pressure.
Arca said it is currently working with
clients that include Vale and the Australia-
based juniors Poseidon Nickel, Nickel-
Search, and Blackstone Minerals.
Arca said it is also working with Tal-
on Metals which, in a joint venture with
Rio Tinto, is developing the Tamarack
nickel-copper-cobalt project located in
central Minnesota. “Talon and Arca are
working on transformational change in
mining and mineral processing,” said
Todd M. Malan, head of climate strategy,
Talon Metals. “Our partnership is focused
on showing how waste from convention-
al nickel processing can be harnessed to
store carbon that has been removed from
the atmosphere or captured in industrial
can operate continuously in the automat- Dewatering Pumps Get provide hours of cooling, while a spare set
ed area while allowing for intersections Chromium Impellers of ThermoPaks are included with each vest
with manual equipment. It allows manual Tsurumi reported it is equipping several to extend cooling time and comfort, the
equipment to cross automated equip- dewatering pump series with ultra-hard company said. A thermal barrier is built in
ment routes and share dump or load chromium impellers with no price increase. to ensure the wearer does not get too cold.
points. The feature prevents autonomous The high chromium content of up StaCoolVest.com
equipment from entering a space where to 28% makes the impellers extremely
a manned machine is operating. wear-resistant, the company said. The ma- Load Ejector System
Additionally, AutoMine access bar- terial is five times more resistant to abra- Nixes Carryback
riers are equipped with technology that sion than grey cast iron or stainless steel. Philippi-Hagenbuch reported the Load
informs operators of the shared area sta- Tsurumi uses semi-vortex impellers. Ejector System virtually eliminates ma-
tus with visual and audible indicators. With purpose-designed adjustable wear terial carryback, helping to increase load
RockTechnology.Sandvik plates, the pumps achieve hydraulic effi- capacity and operational efficiency. Load
ciency levels similar to those using closed Ejectors are professionally engineered
Collision Avoidance System impellers, but without the disadvantages, to fit any rigid off-highway haul truck, the
Handles Complexity the company said. By adjusting the wear company said.
Wabtec Digital Mine released the Gen- plate, the optimal pressure point of the The Load Ejector System consists of
eration 3 Collision Avoidance System pump can be set, and the impeller can run an overlapping jointed plate lattice de-
(CAS). The system uses an intelligence significantly longer. “This reduces the costs sign that rests flat against the front slope
engine that provides the flexibility to deal and maintenance times of the pump.” and floor inside of the truck body. When
with the most complex vehicle interaction TsurumiPump.com the body is raised, the Load Ejector sep-
scenarios, the company said. arates from the truck bed by gravity, re-
Core functionality, such as real-time Safety Vest Stays Cool moving material as it hangs.
self-test, personnel detection and sec- StaCool Industries Philippi-Hagenbuch engineers Load
ondary sensing capabilities, are main- reported the Sta- Ejectors with three different mounting
tained in the Generation 3 CAS. The sys- Cool Vest Core styles. The standard mount is used for car-
tem incorporates a brand new, cleaner, Body Cooling Sys- ryback that accumulates on the front slope
simpler user interface with context-based tem, available in of the body. The built-up mount is engi-
voice alerts. It replaces analog technolo- safety colors, helps neered to address material that sticks to
gy with sophisticated discreet, direction- workers beat the the front slope as well as down and back
al, and audible warnings. The interface summer heat. Ful- toward the rear of the body floor. The ro-
enables operators to work without dis- ly adjustable mod- tating mount provides full-length coverage
traction and respond instantaneously to els are available in from the front slope to the rear of the body
audible alerts, Wabtec Digital Mine said. safety yellow, or- floor and automatically pulls away from the
The system was co-developed by ange, and green to truck body when the bed is dumped.
Glencore. It went through three years wear over normal The company offers two material op-
of live proof-of-concept and production clothing, providing tions. The standard-duty design is made
testing. It is OEM agnostic. The hardware all-day comfort with unrivaled mobility, of high-strength Grade 80 steel and is for
and software are compatible with the the company said. operations with a minimal abrasion. The
Generation 2 CAS system for a seam- Easy-to-care-for, micro-thin, highly heavy-duty design is built with Hardox
less transition, the company said breathable materials offer cooling comfort 450 Steel for highly abrasive materials.
WabTecCorp.com and mobility. ThermoPaks around the vest PHILSystems.com
YOUR
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1 column x 3” space
Starting at $525
(July 6, 2023)
Precious Metals ($/oz) Base Metals ($/mt) Minor Metals ($/mt) Exchange Rates (U.S.$ Equivalent)
Gold $1,910.80 Aluminum $2,129.00 Molybdenum $48,290 Euro (€) 1.087
Silver $22.69 Copper $8,261.50 Cobalt $32,232 U.K. (£) 1.272
Platinum $911.00 Lead $2,050.50 Lithium Hydroxide $45,840 Canada ($) 0.749
Palladium $1,263.00 Nickel $21,209.00 Australia ($) 0.662
Rhodium $4,000.00 Tin $28,530.00 Iron Ore ($/dmt) South Africa (Rand) 0.052
Ruthenium $465.00 Zinc $2,363.50 Fe CFR China $113.50 China (¥) 0.138
Gold and silver prices provided by KITCO Bullion dealers (www.kitco.com). Platinum group metals prices provided by Johnson Matthey (www.platinum.matthey.com).
Non-ferrous base and minor metal prices provided by London Metal Exchange (www.lme.co.uk). Iron ore prices provided by Platts Iron Ore Index. Currency exchange
rates were provided by www.xe.com.