All posts by Paul Moore

Hexagon announces acquisition of indurad plus its AHS subsidiary xtonomy

Automation, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services

Hexagon has announced the acquisition of indurad, a global leader in radar and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) technologies, along with its autonomous haulage subsidiary, xtonomy. It said: “This strategic move underscores Hexagon’s commitment to advancing mine productivity, safety, and autonomy through cutting-edge technology.”

Key cited benefits of the acquisition are enhanced mine safety using indurad’s advanced radar-based collision avoidance systems to mitigate risks in high-stakes mining environments; and increased productivity thanks to real-time ore tracking and measurement to help automate mine workflows, reducing downtime and inefficiencies.

It also brings future-ready autonomy – as indurad’s mobile machine automation expertise and OEM-agnostic autonomy platform combined with Hexagon’s existing technologies will help accelerate the shift to fully autonomous mines.

“This acquisition represents another step towards realising our vision of fully connected and integrated mine workflows,” said Norbert Hanke, Interim President and CEO of Hexagon. ”indurad’s radar technology aligns perfectly with our focus on safety and autonomy, and we are excited to integrate their capabilities into our portfolio to unlock its full potential.”

Based in Germany, indurad specialises in modular radar systems that deliver precise object location tracking, collision avoidance, and machine automation capabilities. These innovations will enhance Hexagon’s integrated life-of-mine portfolio, it adds “further solidifying its leadership in the mining industry.”

The transaction is expected to close in late November, at which point indurad will be fully consolidated into Hexagon’s Autonomous Solutions division. In 2023, indurad reported revenues of approximately €19 million, with profitability initially below Hexagon Group levels but expected to improve as synergies are realised. The company has 140 employees globally.

indurad recently introduced its latest collision avoidance innovation at MINExpo 2024: the Gen5 iProximity PDS/CAS solution, now with full ISO 21815 Level 9 support. A key component of this system is the flagship iRTT-LVU (Radio Transponder Tag – Light Vehicle Unit). The iRTT-LVU can be mounted swiftly on any light vehicle, using standard roof racks or magnet mounts for contractor vehicles. It connects wirelessly to an Android device, providing both graphical and acoustic feedback, while featuring Wi-Fi/BLE capabilities powered by a modern Intel chipset.

xtonomy has experience with running its agnostic AHS at several operations with ADTs – including a fleet currently running at Sibelco’s china-clay Cornwood quarry in Devon, UK – a project initially conceptualised by Chepstow Plant International (CPI) and ADT OEM Bell Equipment following long-term trials between Bell Equipment and xtonomy. This project followed an initial partnership between Bell and indurad (pre-dating the xtonomy 2022 spin off) with deployment of AHS on Bell ADTs at a voestalpine limestone operation from 2020.

Big Roller Overland Conveyor partners with Tribotech to develop large idler roller

Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining services, Sustainable mining

Big Roller Overland Conveyor Company has announced that it has partnered with Tribotech Pty Ltd to develop the world’s first 20″, 20 kg idler roller suitable for a 1,500 mm wide conveyor belt, the most common belt size for 25-40 Mt/y conveyors handling larger jaw and gyratory crusher output, and to invest in tooling to scale up their existing production processes for the initial commercial product run of 50 rollers.

“We scoured the world for suitable roller product that met the requirements to achieve the design criteria and found it right here on our doorstep in WA. We went through a rigorous evaluation process of the roller manufacturing industry, including undertaking independent testing of key roller attributes necessary to achieving the design and selected Tribotech Pty Ltd nylon rollers on that basis. They exceeded all our stringent and demanding metrics on engineering knowledge and manufacturing know how, manufacturing quality and product performance,” said Shawn Ryan, Big Roller Overland Conveyor Company Founder and Executive Director.

The scope of works will be performed under Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) Grant (M10549) and includes the design, manufacture and testing of an initial run of commercial roller products. This contract will demonstrate the roller manufacturing processes can produce a product that complies with international SANS/TUNRA Bulk Solids standards and further validates and expands upon the energy efficiency hypothesis of greater than 30% reduction in the energy required for horizontal material movement already demonstrated for a 16″ test roller on Continental’s Low Rolling Resistance Eco Plus pulley cover compound.

Ryan adds: “We look forward to working with Tribotech Pty Ltd and having third party validated commercial roller products available for the market in Q1 2025 for use in Big Roller™ Idler Frames and Big Roller™ Ground Modules.”

Big Roller Overland Conveyor Company also says it seeks to engage with progressive mining companies both locally and abroad to perform paid field trials of the suspended three roll offset idler frames and rollers which are interchangeable with existing OEM designs.

The greatest energy losses in overland conveyor systems come from the interaction between the rubber and the roller – in the form of indentation rolling resistance. Big Roller Overland Conveyor has estimated that using Big Roller™ technology, for 13.5 km of low level modules benchmarked against other conveyors in the Pilbara iron ore sector, it will reduce steel requirements by approximately 750 t (over 50%); carry roller quantities by 10,000 (over 55%); fabrication and construction schedule durations by a third; laydown/land clearing requirements; and transport by 300 to 400 trailer movements. It will also cut installed demand power by approximately 1.5 MW and power consumption by approximately 9,750 MWh/y.

BHP on Escondida’s pathways for growth – from leaching to Hydrofloat to AHS

Automation, Base metals, Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral commodities, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines

In a wide ranging presentation forming part of its just completed 2024 Chilean copper site tour, BHP provided a comprehensive insight into how it intends to continue delivering copper growth at its operations, including its flagship Escondida operation, via a series of pathways.

Escondida like a number of other long life copper mines is facing grade decline and increased ore hardness. But it remains the world’s largest copper operation. It has been in production since 1990, with a remaining mine life of 65+ years and a Resource of 26 billion tonnes at 0.53% copper. Ore is extracted from two open pits – Escondida and Escondida Norte.

Major investments in the mine have included a focus on water and energy efficiency. Some US$4 billon has been invested in desalinated water supply for BHP’s mines in Chile over last 15 years, including for Escondida; and Escondida’s concentrators have operated exclusively with desalinated water since January 2020. Plus BHP’s mines in Chile have been using 100% renewable power since January 2022 via Power Purchase Agreements. The Energy and Fresh Water Sustainability Program at Escondida also uses digital innovation to collect data in real time to manage and control water and energy consumption. The reductions in consumption delivered are significant – 3.5 gigalitres of water since FY22 and 118 GWh of electricity since FY22.

The broad long term timeline for Escondida moving into the 2030s will see an initial production decline as the ageing Los Colorados concentrator (96,000 t/d) is demolished, followed by a production increase as a new concentrator ramps up and high-grade ore from PL2 is accessed. BHP Leach application on ripios will also begin to contribute. In the near term, BHP is looking to extend the life of Los Colorados with timing optionality and also make expansions at the Laguna Seca concentrators (LS1 currently handles 130,000 t/d and LS2 147,000 t/d).

A major focus is increasing mining intensity to support the long term growth of concentrator capacity. The current Escondida ex-pit mine movement is ~400 Mt/y. Some 170 Mt/y of this 400 Mt/y is ore, of which 134 Mt/y goes to the concentrators, with an average grade 0.82% Cu ‒ while 36 Mt/y to sulphide leach, with an average grade of 0.42% Cu. Key changes in mine design, a fleet upgrade and productivity initiatives could enable increase this to >500 Mt/y. There is also potential for a new open pit in Pinta Verde to exploit oxide leach latent capacity.

Moves could include larger pushbacks, more access ramps, a change in pit wall angle plus more and larger trucks (the new ultraclass fleet potentially increasing to around 190), and larger shovels – the mine is already one of the first users of Komatsu’s P&H 4800 XPC so more shovels at this scale are likely to be deployed.

Current mining equipment and fixed infrastructure at Escondida totals 188 trucks plus 18 electric shovels then about 65 ancillary equipment units. There are four primary crushers and a conveyance system for transport to concentrators plus one primary crusher and a conveyance system for the leaching route ie cathodes. A full fleet replacement is underway to the previously announced new Caterpillar diesel-electric 400 ton class 798 AC truck fleet which will help unlock additional capacity and enable transition to autonomous operations. This was discussed by IM Editorial Director Paul Moore with BHP’s Vice President Technology, Minerals Americas, Pedro Hidalgo, at the EXPONOR show in Antofagasta earlier this year, along with its autonomy progress at Spence, where a total of 33 Komatsu 980E trucks were successfully automated by March 2024.

IM Editorial Director Paul Moore with Pedro Hidalgo, BHP VP Technology, Minerals Americas, at EXPONOR 2024

All the autonomous trucks are currently operating in an autonomous zone in Escondida Norte – to date 15 out of a fleet of 36 Caterpillar 798 AC trucks (see lead image) with all 36 there expected to be running autonomously by July 2025. The total conversion of 141 trucks is expected by FY30 (with 52 trucks converted and operating at Escondida Norte by FY27). BHP says the main achievements during the eight months of operation so far include zero safety events and over 17 Mt of waste movement. Autonomous drilling (Epiroc Pit Vipers using the OEM automation system) is also progressing aligned to plan (20% to date) with zero safety incidents during deployment.

On to the processing plants themselves. BHP has identified 40,000 t/d latent capacity in the Laguna Seca concentrators due to the impact of hardness on balls mills and flotation circuits. So one option for additional production is to prepare Laguna Seca for the hardness increase by utilising new technologies to increase recovery. The plan is to deploy a new third line with another SAG mill to deliver the additional 40,000 t/d (~15 Mt/y above the current 100 Mt/y) of throughput ‒ but combining this with large mechanical cells and an Eriez Hydrofloat coarse particle flotation (CPF) plant to improve recovery by ~1-4 ppt from 85% in FY24. This move at Laguna Seca represents capital efficient expansion and requires minimal incremental ongoing operating costs. A final investment decision (FID) will be made CY27/28.

This latest capacity will also align with plans for Los Colorados. There is the option to extend the life of the Los Colorados plant beyond FY27 to FY29 (FID CY25/26) with an optionality to FY31. This would deliver an incremental 130-145,000 t/y copper production without the need for a new environmental permit. Once it is demolished, it will enable access to key mine pushbacks as it is underlain by high grade ore. This plant will be replaced by an all new concentrator (FID CY27/28) with a 125,000 t/d (45 Mt/y) capacity. This will include a traditional comminution circuit with SAG mill, pebble crushing and ball milling (SABC) for more flexibility ‒ but as at Laguna Seca will use innovative industry-proven technologies in flotation – large mechanical cells and Eriez Hydrofloat coarse particle flotation (CPF).

How the new concentrator to replace Los Colorados might look

Finally to leaching – which has the advantage of no tailings plus lower water and energy consumption. It produces cathode (so no smelting) and can operate in parallel with the concentrator. It is also another way to economically treat low grade ores and coarse material. BHP is assessing multiple opportunities for Escondida, including a new oxide leach pad, leach residue reprocessing (ripios), a sulphide leach run-of-mine pad along with other new sulphide pads. BHP is actively trialling a wide range of technologies, across both BHP and third-parties as well as partnership technologies.

It already has 20+ years of development and delivery of new leaching technologies and has a competitive advantage  in having the BHP Innovation Leaching Facility at Escondida, which covers the full innovation chain. Here there is a demonstrated track record with bio-leach, chloride leach and nitrate leach technologies. It has pilot scale testing with scale-up across a range of column sizes (1 m to 10 m high). Variability testing and process improvement work is currently underway.

BHP is looking at a variety of current and new leaching technologies for Escondida

Current Escondida cathode production is about 200,000 t/y with a latent capacity of about 100 t/y expected to grow as oxide ore depletes. There is the opportunity to leverage water and renewable power supply to site plus the scale and breadth presents several locations for deployment of existing and new leaching technologies. There is also the potential to enhance synergies between concentrator and leaching.

Looking at the options – chloride leaching (Full SaL) improves recovery and enables new crushed material (mixed ore and secondary sulphide) to be processed on the oxide leach pad. Jetti Catalyst can improve recovery at the existing sulphide leach pad by ~5-10 ppt. Then BHP’s own BHP Leach patented nitrate leaching has the potential to recover additional copper from ~20 years of leach residues (ripios) plus process sulphide ROM at higher recoveries and shorter cycle times than the current bioleach process. BHP also has optionality through Nuton leaching technology.

In more detail, the Escondida BHP Leach ripios application (FID CY27/28) will turn otherwise leached ore back into usable material. It offers shorter leaching cycle times (-55% vs. conventional leaching) for processing as well as recovery benefits (~50% additional recovery on the remaining copper that can now be leached). BHP says the ripios application is a fast option for large-scale implementation and shows potential for a higher IRR versus processing ore ‒ a demonstration plant is under construction and will prove the technology on run-of-mine material at scale. Initial results are planned late CY25 that will bring data on copper recovery, reagent consumption and gas management. Cycle times will be ~250-350 days, with recoveries of ~60-70%.

 

CITIC HIC’s record export ball mill starts up at Shandong Gold’s Cardinal Namdini

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining project news, Mining services, Precious metals

In the presence of the President of Ghana, Akufo-Addo, and the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Tong Defa, a ceremony was held recently on November 8 to mark the commissioning and first gold pour at Shandong Gold’s Cardinal Namdini gold project, which is now the third largest gold mine in Ghana.

It is also significant as it is located in the north of the country. The President stated at the event: “This mine we commission today is evidence of the power of exploration as the lifeblood of the mining industry. For years, this area, and several other areas within this northern belt of our country, have only been known for small-scale mining. Large-scale mining firms have concentrated on the south, largely influenced by the literature that links gold only to the south of our nation. It is investment in exploration that led to the construction of this mine, which we are told today will become the third largest mine in the country and one of the largest single-stream gold mines in West Africa.”

CITIC Heavy Industries Co Ltd (CITIC HIC) supplied an overflow type 8.2 x 12.7 m ball mill to Cardinal Namdini. The ball mill saw its factory test run at CITIC HIC’s factory in Luoyang, China on August 15, 2023 before subsequent delivery to the customer.

The ball mill is the largest exported from China to date, and in accordance with international standards and norms, CITIC Heavy Industries says it has applied key technologies such as a variable frequency dual-drive synchronous motor drive, large pure static bearings and lubrication, intelligent load sensing, and large open gear design and manufacturing, adopting high-efficiency, parametric 3D design and intelligent factory manufacturing.

CITIC says the large ball mill offers a high operation rate and low maintenance and “represents the current international advanced level of high-end mining equipment, and is another important step in what is being achieved in the export of large ‘Made in China’ critical mineral processing equipment.

CITIC Heavy Industry also provided two CC400 cone crushers, a PXZ54-75 gyratory crusher and a CSM-950 vertical stirred mill for the Cardinal Namdini gold project, which it says fully demonstrated its excellent technical strength and professional service capabilities in the field of mineral processing. During the on-site commissioning stage, CITIC arranged for eight of its skilled service engineers to carry out overseas installation services.

Cardinal Namdini is Shandong Gold’s first overseas ‘self-built’ large-scale gold mine in Ghana, and also the first large-scale self-built project of a major Chinese enterprise in West Africa. It is one of the largest gold mines in West Africa and is expected to consolidate Ghana’s position as one of the world’s leading gold producers, with production expected to reach 350,000 oz/y. It is the first major greenfield mine to be opened in Ghana in a decade and will be closely followed by the opening of Ahafo North by Newmont in 2025 which will be another 300,000 oz/y plus operation.

Glencore’s Lomas Bayas partners with Ceibo to accelerate access to clean copper

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral commodities, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining techniques, Sustainable mining

Ceibo, a clean copper extraction technology company, and Glencore’s Lomas Bayas copper mine, have entered into a partnership to deploy Ceibo’s proprietary leaching technologies that enable a more effective extraction of copper from low-grade sulphides.

Lomas Bayas has validated Ceibo’s technology and is moving toward scaling up to assess this as an alternative to extend the life of the mining operations. This partnership follows two years of testing by Glencore, an important contributor to Chile’s position as the world’s largest copper producer.

Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, Ceibo’s technology will scale up with on-site testing through the Lomas Lab, a Glencore world-scale test site, and the company’s research and development branch. This agreement opens a significant commercial avenue for Ceibo, demonstrating its unique approach with a major mining company and affirming the value that Ceibo’s advanced leaching technologies bring to copper assets globally.

Lomas Bayas is known for its focus on innovative and efficient new solutions. Through this partnership, it will be able to further capitalise on copper reserves by increasing and optimising extraction. It also positions Lomas Bayas at the vanguard of sustainable mining by increasing the volume of copper while simultaneously minimising the impact. Lomas Bayas is striving to maximise technologies that allow the production of copper cathodes from sulphide species containing chalcopyrite, with the goal of extending the life of the mine.

Ceibo’s leaching processes extract copper in all sulphides using existing leaching plants. This process more quickly and effectively catalyzes the oxidation in the ore through electrochemical reactions, resulting in higher recovery rates in shorter operational cycles. In recent industrial testing on over 20 chalcopyrite-rich ores, the technology has recovered over 75% of copper, a significant increase compared to traditional leaching. Ceibo’s technologies can be used in many ways, including increasing the output of existing operations, extending the life of a mine, and enabling new brownfield and greenfield projects.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Ceibo to scale an innovative technology that can transform the copper industry. Ceibo’s ability to produce copper from sulphide-rich ores brings a huge value for assets like Lomas Bayas to sustain production while transitioning from oxides to sulphides,” said Pablo Carvallo, General Manager of Lomas Bayas. “This increase will help us maximise our production to service growing worldwide demand.”

“The copper industry is facing increased demand alongside environmental standards,” said Cristobal Undurraga, Co-Founder and CEO of Ceibo. “We are thrilled to have such an innovative partner in Glencore’s Lomas Bayas, who is at the forefront of adopting new technologies. Together, we are proving that our advanced leaching technologies are allowing the extraction of even more copper from the existing operation while significantly improving sustainability – all while we meet the urgent global need for copper in the clean energy transition.”

Ceibo says its technologies “greatly reduce the implementation time and resource consumption of traditional production methods such as concentrators and smelting, which require many years to build and secure permit approvals and are burdened by an extreme reliance on water and energy.”

Autonomous hydrogen-powered mining truck achieves test successes in China

Automation, Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment

While the majority of global attention today is on progress with diesel-battery hybrid and all battery mining trucks, work on hydrogen-powered mining trucks continues – which are still a form of hybrid using a hydrogen fuel cell-lithium battery energy system often referred to as FCEV or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle. The general feeling is that hydrogen will still have its day in mining trucks due to better parity with diesel in terms of range along with the avoidance of charging headaches – just not yet due to the issue of local hydrogen generation and supply infrastructure.

But the longer it takes to prove out the performance of all-battery trucks in real mining fleets, plus the more the industry adopts diesel-battery hybrids in the interim, attention is set to return to hydrogen-based hybrids, especially if governments in major mining hubs support growth of and investment in green hydrogen ecosystems  – Chile’s mooted hydrogen valleys being a good example.

To date the best known FCEV large rigid mining trucks are the nuGen™ Haulage Solution based on a Komatsu 930E and designed and built by First Mode in partnership with Anglo American; and Fortescue’s Europa, based on the Liebherr T 264. General Motors and Komatsu are co-developing a hydrogen fuel cell power module for Komatsu’s 930E electric drive mining truck. There have been other attempts – such as the HYDRA project in Chile, which got as far as a stationary powertrain prototype that was run at Centinela but never installed on a truck.

In terms of actual running mining trucks, the other hotspot has been China. Weichai, better known as an engine supplier, built a 200 ton class FCEV truck as far back as 2019 working with CRRC Yongji but it was never commercialised. Inner Mongolia North Hauler (NHL) has built the 150 ton class NTH150 which is still in testing at Huolinhe coal mine. Earlier this year coal mining giant CHN Energy, leading Chinese mining equipment OEM XCMG and hydrogen fuel cell supplier THIKO New Energy held a signing ceremony for development of a 240 ton class FCEV mining truck to be deployed at the Baorixile coal mine of CHN Energy. These are all rigid trucks, but there are numerous FCEV examples in wide body trucks in China as well.

The latest rigid truck project to get off the ground is at CHN Energy’s Shenhua Beidian Shengli Energy Co Ltd, better known as the Shengli mine, in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, where a 110 ton class truck known as the HT3110E built by Aerospace Heavy Industry (AHI), part of China Space Sanjiang Group (CSSG), is now in test operation. This FCEV uses hydrogen fuel cells supplied by Reshape Energy.

It is equipped with a 70MPa hydrogen storage system and the truck can reach a maximum speed of 50 km/h under heavy load conditions. Reshape Energy says its independently developed fuel cell system has the advantages of strong load capacity, long service life, and high safety. The average operating altitude is about 1,000 m at Shengli with a big temperature difference between winter and summer ranging from -25°C to 30°C. Reshape Energy cooperated with AHI to improve the vibration resistance and heat dissipation performance of the fuel cell system. The truck can reduce diesel consumption of 320,000L per year equating to over 230 tons of carbon emissions.

Not only that but the truck is being operated autonomously – one of the first if not the first FCEV to do so – using autonomous haulage technology supplied by one of China’s AHS leaders, TAGE Idriver. The hydrogen fuel cell driverless heavy-duty mining dump truck project was included in the ‘1025’ project of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council. Currently, the hydrogen energy mining truck has achieved full-load trial operation and has been run autonomously for over 600 km.

The truck has a total hydrogen storage capacity of 5,052 litres with a system weight of 203 kg and combines four 140 kW hydrogen fuel cell modules with a lithium iron phosphate battery for total power output of 900 kW. Liu Xi, Director of the Shengli Energy Mechanical and Electrical Information Center says of the truck project: “This is to adapt to the special working environment of the northern open-pit coal mines, which have long winters and mostly extremely cold weather. Hydrogen fuel cells are used in extreme climates such as extreme cold and wind and snow in the north. It can continuously provide heat under certain conditions, and at the same time only generate water during driving. It can also work continuously for a long time, enabling high-intensity operations of more than 20 hours a day in mines.”

Iridium Molybdenum delivers fleet of 115 ton hybrid wide body trucks

Bulk handling, Coal technology, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services

One of the many Chinese companies looking to grab a piece of the action when it comes to next generation mining trucks is Iridium Molybdenum Technology, full name Xiamen Yimu lntelligence Technology Co Ltd, which uses the slogan EASYMOVE.

Iridium Molybdenum Technology’s initial model is the 115 ton class EM165H, equipped with a Guangxi Yuchai 16L YCK16775 engine and 108 kW lithium manganate battery. Recently, the first ​10 EM165H trucks were delivered to the Baishihu open pit coal mine in Hami, Xinjiang, which is operated by Yiwu Guanghui Mining Co Ltd.

According to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’s Emergency Management Department, the mine’s production capacity has increased from 18 Mt per year to 35 Mt per year hence the drive for larger class trucks. The delivery of these vehicle marked an important step in the commercial evolution of Iridium Molybdenum Technology. In tests, the EM165H has been shown to be still capable of driving on a 28% slope gradient even when overloaded to 150 t.

The company is also set to introduce its larger EM186H 130 ton wide body hybrid mining truck at the forthcoming Bauma China event in Shanghai from November 26-29, 2024. The new truck uses a Chinese Guangxi Yuchai 16L YCK16775-T30 1,900 kW engine with 118 kWh lithium manganate battery, 8DS260 transmission, auxiliary AMT E-drive and 400 kW drive motor.

The trucks are part of a multi-bridge, new energy mining truck platform, which it calls HiMADS, consisting of new large-scale wide body trucks, with multiple energy combination modes. The platform also adopts multi-axis drive front and rear multi-axis steering technology, where the front and rear multiple axes can steer intelligently and collaboratively, making the vehicle’s turning radius smaller and more flexible. It also means that the vehicles with upgraded load capacity can still easily adapt to the existing transportation roads in the mining area.

It states: “Iridium Molybdenum Technology’s multi-axis drive technology solution uses a distributed drive method to disperse the vehicle load, which not only makes the load-bearing more balanced, but also reduces the requirement for large-scale single components.” The 8×6 configuration offers full hydraulic, two axle steering with the first and fourth axles being the steering axles. HiMADS it says can be customised and equipped with a variety of drivetrain forms, not only the standard diesel engine + battery hybrid but also pure electric drive, methanol extended range, and hydrogen.

It adds: “HiMADS integrates intelligent control and a modular hybrid power system, which can reasonably allocate power output according to working conditions, achieving very good energy-saving effects. The intelligent energy-saving system uses intelligent algorithms to reduce process losses, provide energy-saving driving tips, downhill braking energy recovery and charging, etc ensuring that even under the worst working conditions, the vehicle can still save more than 20% more energy than mainstream fuel vehicles currently on the market.”

HiMADS is equipped with a power coupling and intelligent power management system. “As the ‘brain’ of the power system, it can not only flexibly allocate power to each axis, but also adapt to various needs such as uphill and downhill, unloading, and escape, thus having better climbing ability. and load capacity, it can also accurately identify operating conditions and adopt different output strategies, while improving the vehicle’s power and economy.”

Given that the power and steering systems of the HiMADS platform are more complex, the requirements for intelligence and networking are higher. Therefore, a multi-controller domain control architecture is adopted to adapt to higher control requirements. This architecture divides functions into four domains: power domain, chassis domain, cockpit domain, and autonomous driving domain. Each domain is connected to the central gateway to improve collaboration capabilities and intelligence levels.

In addition, HiMADS also has an intelligent network connection system. It collects vehicle operating data in real time through the 4G/5G network, including vehicle speed, fuel consumption, camera images and voice and other data, and realises vehicle operation through synchronous analysis including remote diagnosis, maintenance and other functions. At the same time, the data platform can realise the management of the fleet, view the real-time location of each vehicle and other information in real time, conduct dispatching and command of the fleet, and improve the dispatching efficiency and fleet informatisation capabilities.

The company adds on autonomy: “HiMADS will continue to be upgraded and iterated. With the application of wire-controlled chassis and domain controller technology, it will become a mining truck platform more suitable for carrying unmanned driving technology. At the same time, the platform adopts a modular design…customers can freely customise models according to the mining area environment and development requirements like building blocks, and quickly realise iterative upgrades of manned and unmanned driving.”

 

DXP Pump & Power launches high efficiency Stage V pumpset for UK quarrying

Environmental, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management

DXB Pump & Power has designed and launched a new 6″ workhorse pumpset, the DE400/30, for the UK quarrying industry, which is specifically focused on reducing costs and emissions for quarries. Built using its modular DXB2 canopy, the pumpset uses a Stage V Deutz TCD 2.2 three-cylinder 55 kW engine complete with the latest turbocharged and after-cooled technology, optimising the power delivery to the Cornell pumpend at any speed between 1,200 and 2,000 rpm.

The Deutz engine is managed and controlled by the in-house designed DXB control panel with integrated telemetry system allowing the operators to have full control and monitoring both remotely or at the pumpset itself.

Using the compact 6611T high efficiency pumpend with 80% efficiency and 76 mm solids handling, the pumpset has a best efficiency point of 400 m3/h at 30 m (3 bar) head but using only 12 litres of fuel per hour whilst pumping up to 600 m distances through 200 mm polypipe.

Designed to operate in conjunction with long range fuel tanks, the new 150 mm pumpset can work remotely on large quarries where fuelling is undertaken perhaps only once a week by maintenance teams supported by monitoring & telemetry systems that text or directly message the quarry operators instant information on the health of the engine and pumpset during operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Quarry managers or supervisors can get additional information sent directly to their computer indicating not only its location but also its health and environmental impact through monitoring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for reporting in ESG reports.

With four large access doors and DXB ‘Hotbox’ design that mounts the DPF and exhaust system in its own safe zone, servicing every 500 hours is done easily with specific access points being easily reached by service engineers without restrictions seen on other designs with internal DPF mounting above the engine.

Simon Ruffles, Managing Director of DXB Pump said: “This pumpset is a powerhouse of performance for use on a variety of quarry applications where pumping higher heads can be used for pumping out of deeper sand and gravel quarries or greater distances to processing plants without the need for multiple pumps – it’s a game changer for those using larger plants with increased tonnes per hour output.”

He continued: “We focused on the application of sand and gravel where modern washplants need around 300-450 m3/h at the plant to wash the tonnage seen on modern quarries and the fact that the water sources were some distance away. This pumpset now gives quarries the capability to supply that water with the lowest fuel consumption and emissions seen on the market today.”

EACON delivering AHS project at Zijin copper-gold mine utilising battery trucks

Automation, Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Precious metals

EACON Mining has recently secured a commercial order from the Zijinshan copper-gold mine and will deliver the autonomous system on the battery-powered XCMG EX80 base truck – further demonstrating its OEM-agnostic flexibility.

Zijinshan copper-gold mine, the birthplace and core operation of Zijin Mining, began operations in 1993 and has a remaining lifespan of 20 years. The gold deposit is located in the upper oxidation zone, while the copper deposit lies in the lower primary zone. In 2021, the mine reached its carbon peak and is now working towards full carbon neutrality by 2030.

By September 2024, electric vehicles accounted for 45% of Zijinshan’s fleet, all of which support both static charging and battery swapping. The battery swap station, built by Zijin Mining and State Grid Corporation of China and launched in September 2023, can service a truck in just 8 minutes and has an annual battery charging capacity of 12 million kWh.

EACON secured the commercial order at this copper-gold mine after successfully showcasing its capabilities in the previous Proof of Concept (POC) project that concluded in early 2024, which featured the EY90E – another battery electric model introduced in collaboration with Yutong.

In the first phase of this autonomous haulage project at Zijinshan, EACON is deploying the new XCMG EX80, which is equipped with EACON’s advanced Autonomous Haulage Solutions (AHS) hardware and supports both static charging and battery swapping. Engineers from XCMG and EACON have aligned on the drive-by-wire system requirements, and the OEM has modified the base model to integrate EACON’s AHS features and adopted EACON-designed data interfaces. Currently, EACON’s team is on-site at Zijinshan, fine-tuning and testing the truck’s control functions.

EACON says its complete suite of AHS capabilities – including the fleet management system, ORCASTRA® Conductor, the onboard autonomy system ORCASTRA® Pilot, and the safety and task collaboration system on ancillary equipment, ORCASTRA® Crew – are fully OEM-agnostic and power-agnostic, as validated by successful partnerships with Yutong, Tonly, LGMG, and now XCMG across various models and commodities.

The technology company concludes: “Partnership with OEMs is a key ingredient in EACON’s recipe for success. Looking ahead, EACON will remain committed to its mission of reshaping mining, creating a cleaner, more sustainable future by joining forces with all its partners.”

Antofagasta receives first hydrogen locomotive in Chile and South America

Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Mining services, Sustainable mining

Antofagasta PLC’s Transport Division Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia (FCAB) has unveiled the first hydrogen-powered locomotive in Chile and South America, a milestone in the company’s effort to develop alternatives to fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make mining more sustainable.

The locomotive, powered by hydrogen produced using renewable energy, is expected to start operating in 2025 and is part of the company’s strategy to replace diesel fuel and curb its carbon footprint. Last year, Antofagasta incorporated the Chilean mining industry’s biggest fleet of electric pick-up trucks at its Centinela mine. In the wider context of the global energy transition, the news also aligns with Antofagasta’s objective to reduce Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 30% by 2035, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

“This milestone is a major step forward in terms of innovation, which is the hallmark of Antofagasta and FCAB. It will allow us to learn about this new fuel, which only emits water vapour and hot air, unlike diesel. We want to explore other possible uses of this fuel in the future, when the technology is more mature,” said Iván Arriagada, Antofagasta’s Chief Executive Officer.

The 1,000-kilowatt locomotive, developed by CRRC Qishuyan, is equipped with a high-capacity battery and a 35 MPa on-board hydrogen storage system. It also has a lightweight design, which reduces the weight by approximately 30 t compared to other hydrogen locomotives. “Our commitment to the community of Antofagasta and to our clients means we explore all available technologies to progressively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and, in this way, contribute to combatting climate change,” said David Fernández, the General Manager of the FCAB.

“I would like to congratulate this decision by the FCAB, which takes advantage of the opportunities offered by new technologies both for decarbonisation in the freight industry and to enhance its link with the mining industry. I wish the company much success in the development of this project and I hope that FCAB continues to promote this type of initiative to support more sustainable economic growth,” said Nicolás Grau, Chile’s Minister of Economy, in a message to FCAB.

FCAB has secured a supply of hydrogen throughout 2024 and is in the final stages of preparing its facilities for the new locomotive, as well as training personnel in the maintenance and operation of the machine. This milestone positions Antofagasta as the first company in South America to use hydrogen-powered locomotives, cementing its pioneering position in the region.