Komatsu’s new MC51 hard rock mining machine will be ready to cut rock at Vale Garson by April

Posted by Paul Moore on 5th February 2021

More news on Vale’s Komatsu MC51 hard rock cutting machine…a photo of the machine in the flesh has been shared on Vale Canada’s employee news hub, valenews.ca, including some updated information to that covered in the in-depth November exclusive published by IM, which featured an interview with Vale’s Luke Mahony, Head of Geology, Mine Engineering, Geotechnical and Technology & Innovation for the Global Base Metals Business; and Andy Charsley, Project Lead and Principal Mining Engineer, Technology & Innovation.

The Vale News update states that, in February 2020, Charsley and his team chose to work with Komatsu, one of the world’s biggest industrial equipment manufacturers, to supply a machine and operators for a 400 m trial run at Garson. “Komatsu had been building a series of prototypes, and completed its first two commercial mechanical rock mechanical rock excavators (MREs). The Komatsu machines were built in Wollongong, a coastal city in Australia and then tested successfully underground at a nearby Australian mine [this was revealed as Newcrest Cadia in the IM story] in late 2020. Each machine, which can be operated by one person, allows for continuous rock excavation, and is equipped with a conveyor belt through its centre that carries the broken rock pieces to a scoop behind it. The scoop, controlled by a second operator, is tasked with taking away the rock pieces. Technical and engineering support will be on standby to troubleshoot throughout this prototype trial.”

The Vale News story adds that with the success of the test in Australia, Komatsu’s second machine was shipped in sections to Garson Mine in early 2021. Currently, it is being assembled and will be ready to cut rock by April, Charsley said.

“Although progress is expected to be slower at first as production is ramped up, the MRE is expected to eventually cut through about 3.5 m of rock per shift. At that rate, the 400 m trial should take about nine to 12 months, and continue into 2022.” Charsley, who has been with Vale for 20 years, starting in the Mines Research Department, will work with the Garson Operations Team to assess the success of the project during the trial. “We want to see if we can improve our commercial rate of cutting. We will be able to quantify the cost per metre of cut rock, as well to compare it to the drill and blast method, and of course we’ll examine the safety and sustainability of the new process.”

The statement says the results of the trial project will inform the business as to whether to continue using the MRE at Garson, and to determine if the advantages of using MREs allow hard-rock mining operations to complement the century-old drill and blast method. “We want to find out what this looks like for the future of mining,” he said.