All posts by Paul Moore

Scania Commerical Vehicles appoints PPS Motors as its sole mining tippers rep for India

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services

Scania Commercial Vehicles this week announced its exclusive partnership with Hyderabad-based PPS Motors, designating them as the sole representative for Scania’s mining tippers in India. This collaboration ensures pan India coverage for sales and service of the company’s vehicles.

Speaking about the collaboration, Johan P Schlyter, Managing Director, Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt Ltd said: “Through this agreement with PPS Motors, we have laid the foundation for an impactful alliance focused on our mining tippers segment in India. By leveraging our cutting-edge technology, we are optimistic about making a substantial contribution to India’s efforts in reaching its net-zero emission goal.”

PPS Motors has established six regional warehouses across India, which have close proximity to the mining sites and are strategically connected to Scania’s central warehouse in Nagpur, creating a robust hub-and-spoke model. Rajiv Sanghvi, Managing Director, PPS Motors, said: “We are happy to partner with Scania as their exclusive distributor for their mining trucks business in India. Further, we are investing in creating additional touch points providing deeper and wider coverage.”

New Rail Collaboration Centre established in Karratha to boost local ore railcar manufacture

Careers in mining, Equipment maintenance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron ore

Most of the Pilbara’s iron ore is moved by heavy rail and Western Australia’s Cook Government says it has taken another significant step to boost local freight railcar manufacturing with the establishment of a new Rail Collaboration Centre (RCC) in Karratha, with hubs located in Newman and Perth.

The Minister Assisting the Minister for State and Industry Development, Jobs and Trade Stephen Dawson, announced a A$998,000 funding package to assist the CORE Innovation Hub to enhance manufacturing and employment opportunities in the Western Australia’s rail sector. The funding, which has been made available under the Cook Government’s Local Manufacturing Investment Fund (LMIF), will support the assembly, manufacture, servicing, research and development of rail freight wagons to take place locally.

The RCC is expected to generate opportunities for local manufacturing, new industry activity, create jobs, and localise training opportunities. The centre will fill a strategic gap as a collaboration platform to undertake world-class testing, research and development of new rolling stock, infrastructure, technology, and ideas.

One of the main focuses of the RCC will be supporting and delivering activity and capability in the Pilbara. The centre will be independently operated by the CORE Innovation Hub – as the partner of the Australasian Rail Association – and take guidance from members of their Heavy Haul Executive Committee, which represents major heavy haul operators. The Cook Government’s A$15 million LMIF is part of an election commitment to support local companies to enhance their competitiveness.

Comments attributed to the Minister Assisting the Minister for State and Industry Development Stephen Dawson: “Establishing a new Rail Collaboration Centre will create jobs, training opportunities, and provide a huge boost to local manufacturing of rail freight wagons. This is another major initiative through the Cook Government’s Local Manufacturing Investment Fund and supports our rail industry. Being able to locally assemble, manufacture, service, carry out research and development, and drive innovation for wagons, are fantastic developments for the Pilbara region.

He added: “The LMIF provides a boost to local companies and ensures our State remains competitive in an ever-changing market, putting WA at the forefront of new technologies and innovations.”

Sibanye-Stillwater accelerates decarbonisation through two more renewable energy projects

Environmental, Mining consumables, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, Sustainable mining

South Africa-headquartered PGMs and gold mining major Sibanye-Stillwater has announced the financial close and start of construction of two additional renewable energy projects for its SA operations. Aside from South Africa, the company is an emerging lithium producer through the Keliber project in Finland plus in the US produces PGMs at the Stillwater and East Boulder mines; and in Australia produces zinc from the New Century tailings retreatment operation.

The first renewable project, the Witberg wind energy project, located near Matjiesfontein in the Western Cape province with a contracted capacity of 103 MW, will generate renewable energy and supply the SA operations via a wheeling agreement with Eskom. The estimated project cost is ZAR3.4 billion, which will be fully funded by Red Rocket, the South African Independent Power Producer (IPP) developing the project, and its lenders, with Sibanye-Stillwater committing to a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). This will be the largest private wind farm constructed in South Africa to date, following the 89 MW Castle wind energy project announced by Sibanye-Stillwater on 29 May 2023. Construction of the Witberg Wind Farm will commence in December 2023, with commercial operation scheduled for Q4 2025.

The second project is a multi-buyer 150 MWac solar photovoltaic project developed and financed by SOLA Group, a South African IPP. Sibanye-Stillwater will procure 75 MW of the plant’s capacity over a 10-year PPA. The project will be the first to sell power to multiple buyers across the country on flexible terms. The project has an estimated cost of ZAR2.8 billion, with SOLA Group as the majority equity shareholder. The project will generate renewable energy in the Free State and will supply Sibanye-Stillwater’s SA operations via a wheeling agreement with Eskom. Notably, a significant portion of the project’s capacity has been reserved for flexible, short term PPAs, unlocking access to affordable and reliable renewable energy for other South African businesses. Construction of the solar project will commence in December 2023, with commercial operation scheduled for Q3 2025.

These projects, together with the Castle wind energy project, bring the total dedicated capacity of renewable energy projects in construction for Sibanye-Stillwater to 267 MW, fulfilling 45% of its long-term renewable energy requirements in South Africa and making Sibanye-Stillwater the market leader in private energy procurement in the country.

Combined, these projects will enable a 15% reduction in Sibanye- Stillwater’s Scope 2 emissions, or c. 921,000 t CO2 per year from 2026, and will materially contribute to alleviating the South African electricity crisis. They will further enable socio-economic development for local communities and meet the requirements of the South African Mining Charter. Sibanye-Stillwater continues to pursue the balance of its c.600 MW portfolio of renewable energy projects in its journey to carbon neutrality.

Sibanye-Stillwater CEO, Neal Froneman said: “We continue to take meaningful strides toward our target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. These renewable energy projects will not only facilitate operational decarbonisation and aid in mitigating climate change but will also contribute significantly to sustaining the shared value creation of our SA operations and assist in addressing the South African electricity crisis. We continue to seek innovative energy solutions for our business and partners that align with our strategy.”

Fortescue begins testing of Liebherr electric excavator powered by green hydrogen fuel cells

Bulk handling, Environmental, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining

Fortescue earlier this year delivered a prototype Offboard Power Unit to power a converted Liebherr electric R 9400 E excavator previously delivered to the Christmas Creek iron ore operation, part of the Chichester Hub. In a video update this week, the beginning of the electric excavator trial under hydrogen fuel cell derived power is shown with a Fortescue employee stating: “Today we’ll be powering an electric excavator with a hydrogen power supply. Its a bit of a milestone for everyone so its really good. And now we are going to move into further testing.”

The Liebherr R 9400 was originally supplied in 2010 as a diesel machine and was nearing the end of its operating life when Liebherr and Fortescue successfully retrofitted it to electric (cable powered) operation as the R 9400 E. This was Liebherr Mining’s first repower of a diesel-drive machine to electric drive and is also the first Liebherr electric excavator to operate in Australia.

The Offboard Power Unit is described in globally patent pending documents filed by Fortescue as follows: “A power supply system is provided for supplying electrical power for operation of heavy equipment such as mining machinery, the power supply system having: a hydrogen fuel cell module for generating electrical power from stored hydrogen; a power electronics circuit coupled to receive electrical power generated by the fuel cell module, and having at least one output for supplying electrical power generated by the fuel cell module to an external equipment load; a battery module coupled to the power electronics circuit to allow charging of cells in the battery module using electrical power generated by the fuel cell module, and discharging of the battery cells through the at least one power electronics circuit output on demand.”

The document adds: “Mining, particularly open-pit mining, uses large machines for efficiency of scale. In order to power such machines using non-polluting electricity can be challenging in view of the location, environment and mode of use of the machines. Embodiments of the present invention provide an offboard power unit (OPU) for supplying electrical power to operate heavy equipment such as a moveable mining machine. The power unit is designed to be mobile with the equipment being powered. Energy for the OPU is generated from stored hydrogen through use of hydrogen fuel cells (HFCs). By sourcing ‘green’ hydrogen (eg hydrogen generated by electrolysis of water using sustainable electricity), use of the OPU according to embodiments of the invention to power mining operations can be close to ‘carbon neutral’ insofar as neither the energy supplied nor its use in the mining site produces carbon pollution emissions.”

It adds: “The trailing cable in use carries a substantial level of electrical current and/or high voltage between the OPU and the equipment, and should therefore be sufficiently robust and insulated as for use in a mining pit or similar. The trailing cable may have a length in the order of 300 metres, which allows the equipment a range of movement without needing to relocate the OPU. Since the equipment is typically mobile and trails the cable behind it, there is preferably some kind of strong anchoring connection between the cable end and the equipment to prevent unintended disconnection physically or electrically. One way of anchoring is to wind an end portion of the cable around a circular structure that uses friction to maintain lock. The structure is connected to the equipment, but is able to pivot to allow a greater degree of freedom for movement. In addition or alternatively a cable reel of commercial variety may be included, either at the equipment end or the OPU end, for use in managing the length of cable deployed at a given time according to position and/or movement of the vehicle relative to the OPU. In consideration of magnetic flux that may be generated by current flowing through cable wound on the reel, it may be desirable to limit how many layers of cable can be wound on the reel. This is then determined by how large the reel is to accommodate more cable before needing to layer the cable on the drum.”

The document then adds: “Different forms of electrically driven mining machinery may require significantly different electrical supply characteristics. For example, in terms of power requirements, the aforementioned DTH Drill (eg Atlas Copco D65) may require electrical supply power in the order of 400 kW, a large platform drill rig (eg Epiroc PV271 Blast Hole Drill with electric motor option) may need around 700 kW supply, whereas even a small (250 t) mining excavator (eg Liebherr R 9250 E with electric motor option) may require 1,000 kW or more in electrical supply power to operate. Moreover, some equipment needs direct current supply whilst others use alternating current. Supply voltage requirements can vary also, along with duty cycles.”

On scalability the description also states: “The range of power requirements is addressed by embodiments of the invention by allowing each of the fuel cell, battery and electronics modules to be scalable and independently configurable in capacity. This flexibility in design of the offboard power unit provides opportunity to tailor sizing of battery and hydrogen fuel cells, in particular, to suit equipment applications. Hydrogen storage can also be tailored to suit equipment duty cycle and operational requirements.”

Back to Liebherr and the excavator conversion itself. “Approximately 60% of an electric-powered Liebherr mining excavator is the same as a diesel-driven machine, which helps to simplify the repowering process” explained Chris Di-Nardo, Project Manager, New Machine Deliveries, Liebherr-Australia Pty Ltd in a recent article posted by the company. “Once this R 9400 had been removed from its operations in Western Australia, the base machine was returned to our branch in Perth, where the conversion could begin.”

Among the changes necessary for the R 9400 to become an R 9400 E, the diesel powerpack and fuel tank needed to be removed and replaced with their electric counterparts – in this case, an electric-drive powerpack and a high voltage electric cabinet respectively. Components needed in the diesel-drive R 9400 – like the water-cooling radiators, fans, exhaust, and air intake systems – were made redundant with the introduction of the electric-drive powerpack. However, the rotary connection was a unique case: in order to accommodate the high voltage interface between the upper- and undercarriage of the R 9400 E, an entirely new rotary connection needed to be installed.

In order to simplify major machine maintenance for customers, Liebherr recommends that repowers occur when a machine is due for a major service or component exchange. So while the R 9400 was being transitioned from diesel to electric power, major components that had achieved service life were also exchanged. Performing major maintenance in this way also has the benefit of making the process more cost-effective for customers. Once the new electric-drive modules were installed, connections completed, and systems checked, the repowered R 9400 E was then ‘powered up’ to energise the excavator’s operational systems. The R 9400 E requires 6,600 volts at 50 hertz for its power up process and then the electric motor and hydraulics can be ‘started and run up.’ To minimise the inrush current needed to start the electric motor, Liebherr developed a specialised system that consists of high voltage transformers. This system of transformers reduces the current required from the customer’s power grid to avoid excessive network disturbance.

Although the repower process is not overly complicated, specific expertise from Liebherr’s excavator factory in Colmar, France, was required to support the Liebherr team in Australia with its first diesel to electric repower project. “Repowering the R 9400 was an exciting challenge for our team, but one that they quickly overcame,” says Di-Nardo. “Most of the people working on this project had only worked with diesel powered machines previously. However, thanks to the combined efforts of more experienced team members here in Australia and the engineering assistance from our excavator factory, the team was able to complete the project tasks safely and on time.”

Rio Tinto approves PFS to progress development of the Rhodes Ridge project

Mineral project development, Mining project news, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining

Rio Tinto has approved a US$77 million (A$110 million) pre-feasibility study (PFS) to progress development of the Rhodes Ridge project, one of the world’s best undeveloped iron ore deposits, in the East Pilbara in Western Australia.

The commencement of a PFS follows completion of an Order of Magnitude study that considered development of an operation with initial capacity of up to 40 Mt annually, subject to relevant approvals. The PFS is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and will be followed by a feasibility study. First ore from the initial development is expected by the end of this decade.

Rio Tinto is planning to spend more than A$400 million on exploration over five years from 2024 to 2028 as part of the ongoing study phases. Study work to date indicates a staged development with an initial hub likely to be located in the northern part of the project, adjacent to existing rail infrastructure.

Last year, Rio Tinto (50%) and Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (50%) agreed to modernise the joint venture covering the Rhodes Ridge project, located 40 kilometres north-west of Newman. Rhodes Ridge contains 6.8 billion tonnes of Mineral Resources at an average grade of 61.6% Fe, including 5.3 billion tonnes at 62.2% Fe and 0.6 billion tonnes at 63.9% Fe.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Simon Trott said: “The size and quality of the resource base at Rhodes Ridge has the potential to underpin our iron ore business in the Pilbara for decades to come. Longer term, the resource could support a world-class mining hub with a potential capacity of more than 100 million tonnes of high-quality iron ore a year. We are committed to working closely with the Traditional Owners, the Nyiyaparli and Ngarlawangga People, as we progress this project.”

The joint venture will utilise Rio Tinto’s existing rail, port and power infrastructure, including the planned instalment of renewable power assets in the Pilbara. As a greenfield operation it is also likely to incorporate many of the latest technologies available focused on low emissions and sustainable water management. There will be a lot of learnings on this front at Gudai-Darri which can then be scaled up further for Rhodes Ridge.

Trott stated in the recent analyst Pilbara Site Visit 2023 Q&A: “What worked really well at Gudai-Darri…is that sort of stage development and having some of that temporary crushing and screening there so that we can effectively commission the plant backwards. And so that ramp up has been really good compared to our previous projects compared to other projects in the Pilbara, and that’s certainly a lesson that we’re taking on board with as we think about Rhodes Ridge.”

Evolution Mining bolsters copper with Northparkes acquisition as mine starts up surface ops

Automation, Base metals, Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mine shafts and equipment, Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining techniques, Precious metals

Evolution Mining has entered into a binding agreement to acquire an 80% interest in the Northparkes copper-gold mine in New South Wales from China’s CMOC Group Ltd for a total cash consideration of up to US$475 million. Sumitomo Metal Mining and Sumitomo Corporation will retain their 20% interest in the Northparkes JV. The deal will increase Evolution’s exposure to copper to ~30% of revenue on a FY24E basis. The transaction completion is expected to occur before the end of December 2023 and is not subject to any conditions precedent.

Evolution has also agreed to enter into an offtake agreement with IXM SA, a subsidiary of CMOC, under which IXM will purchase from Evolution copper concentrates produced from the Northparkes mine equal to Evolution’s 80% attributable interest over the life of mine’s existing Ore Reserves. In addition, Evolution will assume the obligations of CMOC Limited as guarantor under the Triple Flag Metal Purchase and Sale Agreement, under which Evolution will deliver a percentage of its attributable gold and silver production from Northparkes to Triple Flag over the operation.

Evolution says it is creating a portfolio of long-life gold & copper assets and that Northparkes represents an immediate cash generating asset plus is a well-established, long-life operation. Northparkes FY24E production (for Evolution’s 80% share) is expected to be 25,000 t of copper and 38,000 oz of gold. Infrastructure and management wise, Northparkes also works for Evolution given that it is quite close to its own Cowal gold operation which is now both surface and underground. The ore reserves (100%) at Northparkes stand at 101 Mt at 0.53% copper and 0.27 g/t gold with a mine life remaining of about 30 years plus a highly prospective geology. These reserves equate to contained 537,000 t copper and 880,000 oz gold.

Northparkes is a large underground mine, and Evolution brings its own experience there with the Ernest Henry gold mine plus the Cowal gold mine started its own underground operation in 2022. Northparkes uses block caving and sub-level caving. The mill is permitted to 8.5 Mt/y with a current mill capacity of 7.6 Mt/y. This is made up of ~6.5 Mt/y from underground operations which has been supplemented by stockpiles plus this year, Northparkes started open pit mining operations for the first time in nearly 10 years and is now operating two open pits – E31 and E31 North.

The majority of production is sourced from the E26 block cave – where capital development is completed, with additional production from E26 SLC, the mentioned open pits and stockpiles. Options are also available for E22 – the next production centre – including sublevel and block caving, while preserving future extensions and lower capital intensity. Looking at E26 is more detail, in 2022, the Lift 1 North (E26L1N) project was put into production. This was a block cave extension, mining the porphyries to the north of the E26L1 and E26L2 caves and has has established a significant ore source – over 40 Mt of copper-gold ore – ready to supply the ore processing plant for the next decade.

Underground mining at Northparkes is highly automated – as far back as 2011 it has been using Sandvik AutoMine and in 2015, Northparkes became one of the world’s most automated underground mines achieving 100% of production from automated loaders, using AutoMine Fleet to run six Sandvik LH514 units operated from surface – five electric with cable reels and one diesel. The mine has estimated that automation has boosted output by about 20%. The mine was also the first in the world to use the innovative direct tip “double-mouth” jaw-gyratory crusher. Developed by thyssenkrupp and now part of FLSmidth’s offering since it acquired thysssenkrupp’s mining business, it is based on the proven BK 63-75 design and included a new, patented, spider to give the opportunity to feed the crusher from both sides, thus removing the need for a primary crusher feed (buffer) hopper and primary apron feeder. This saves a lot of space underground. This double-mouth jaw gyratory followed the success of two single mouth units installed at the mine in 2003 and 2009.

Processing includes secondary surface crushing, stockpiles, grinding mills, froth flotation and storage. A traditional sulphide flotation process is used to recover copper and precious metals into copper concentrate containing gold and silver. It is designed to process both copper-gold oxide and sulphide ore. A new A$200 million surface secondary crushing and screening facility was recently installed with Sandvik crushers. Overall process recovery is averaging 83% Cu and 71% Au (YTD).

 

 

Normet’s Charmec Revo remote controlled charging takes the operator away from the face

Automation, Equipment maintenance, Explosives and blasting, Mine shafts and equipment, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining people, Mining safety, Mining services

Normet has introduced its latest innovation in improving operator safety underground – Charmec Revo – which it describes as a revolution in underground explosives charging. The system involves a remote-controlled robotic arm which places the initiating system into the borehole and, in conjunction with the emulsion kit, dispenses emulsion, allowing the operator to remain in a supported tunnel area away from the danger zone.

Explosives charging is one of the most hazardous work processes in modern underground mining. Easily available ore deposits are depleting – forcing mining companies to go deeper underground where risks of rockfalls and rock burst accidents are increasing. Normet states: “The only tangible way to improve operator safety is to remove the operator from the high exposure danger zone, meaning the unsupported area of the tunnel – like Charmec Revo does.”

The system is developed for tunnels from 4 x 4 m up to 6 x 6 m, which covers most of the underground mining tunnels. The charging manipulator consists of an in–house developed servo-robotic arm with extremely agile movements – built robustly to fulfil the needs of underground mining conditions.

Drilled borehole maps from the drill rigs can be uploaded to the system to locate the boreholes in the face wall, when a machine vision system, fully developed by Normet, guides charging hose automatically to the drilled boreholes. If the map is not available, the machine vision helps the operator to locate the boreholes. Once the borehole is found, the charging hose delivery system will take care of the priming unit and explosive delivery to the borehole.

The system uses collision free path planning to define the safest route for the arm during the operation. If an obstacle or operator appears in the arm’s operating area, the arm slows down and stops its movement before contact.

The Charmec Revo system can be adapted to use any commercially available wired, semi-wireless or wireless initiating systems. The priming unit can be handled manually or by magazines provided by explosives suppliers. The initiating system magazine is placed on the platform next to the charging arm, enabling priming unit’s unique pick and deliver –method to be deployed.

The Charmec Revo platform is the latest generation front cabin carrier available with either the latest diesel engine emission rating or SmartDrive battery-electric architecture with zero local emissions. The load capacity of Charmec Revo is 6,000 kg, meaning up to 4,000 kg matrix capacity can be mounted safely onto the rear platform away from the hot surfaces. A large bulk tank capacity reduces the need for back and forth driving between charging sites and the explosives warehouse, which increases productivity significantly and helps to keep the charging machine in good condition. As with initiating systems, Charmec Revo can be used with all commercial bulk emulsion systems.

“We have extensively tested the Charmec Revo technology in underground mining and it has demonstrated its ability to improve operational safety while retaining similar productivity. Ease of use and low learning curve ensure effortless implementation of this technology” says Anssi Mykkänen, Normet Product Line Director of Explosives Charging.

The technological development of this project has been part of the IMOCO4.E project. This project has received funding from the ECSEL Joint Undertaking (JU) under Grant Agreement No 101007311. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Latvia, Portugal, Germany, Finland, Romania and Switzerland.

Hitachi nears completion of all battery trolley large mining truck for test deployment to Kansanshi

Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining

Back in June 2021, Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) and ABB announced that they were collaborating on an all-battery electric mining truck, which would draw the power it needed for operations from an overhead trolley catenary line while simultaneously charging the on-board energy storage system based on ABB high power and long-life battery technology.

Then in March 2023, HCM and First Quantum announced that the Kansanshi copper mine in Zambia would be the proof of concept location – it is ideally suited to these trials due to its existing trolley assist systems, which align with development of battery dump trucks. The mine already has 41 HCM trolley trucks.

IM can reveal that the new truck is now nearing completion. HCM in Japan told IM: “Hitachi Construction Machinery will supply the first of its full battery, rigid frame dump trucks fitted with an ABB Ltd battery, on-board charger and associated infrastructure around the middle of 2024 for technological feasibility trials at First Quantum’s Kansanshi copper-gold mine operations.”

It added that the trial deployment will coincide with the ramp up of Kansanshi’s S3 expansion which is projected for commissioning and first production in 2025. HCM added that it is currently testing the basic operation of the battery system and the auxiliary operation of the hydraulic equipment and pantograph at the Hitachinaka-Rinko factory in Japan. Hitachi also has the ability to test trolley trucks at its Urahoro testing facility in Japan. The actual all battery truck class has not yet been revealed.

Applying a proven technology from its current trolley truck system to the battery dump truck has allowed Hitachi Construction Machinery to expedite the development of its product to market. The retrofittable system design is also an added advantage, allowing current diesel truck fleets to be converted in the future to utilise the battery system, offering scalable fleet capability, minimal operational impact and greater value for customers such as First Quantum.

First Quantum’s existing fleet of Hitachi Construction Machinery equipment includes 39 EH3500ACII and two EH3500AC-3 rigid dump trucks across its mining operations in Zambia, as well as several construction-sized machinery across global operations. A further 40 EH4000AC-3 dump trucks equipped with the latest HCM/Bradken robust tray designs are in the process of delivery to Kansanshi, to support the S3 expansion project as it is scaled up. The first new Hitachi EH4000 (number RD170) dump truck was commissioned in September 2023. Six new EX5600-7E (electric) excavators equipped with Bradken Eclipse buckets and incorporating loss tooth detection technology are also being supplied.

The S3 Expansion, when completed, will comprise of a standalone 25 Mt/y processing plant with a new larger mining fleet that will increase Kansanshi’s total annual throughput to 53 Mt/y. Once the expansion is completed, copper production from Kansanshi is expected to average approximately 250,000 t/y for the remaining life of mine to 2044.

 

Komatsu acquires small and mid-tier mine FMS major iVolve

Automation, Bulk handling, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine surveying, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software

Komatsu Ltd, through its wholly owned subsidiary in Australia, has acquired iVolve Holdings Pty Ltd based in Queensland, Australia, which is led by CEO Kim Parascos. iVolve is well known supplier of fleet management systems (FMS) for construction and mining equipment. It particular it provides FMS for small to mid-tier miners, contractors, and quarries. iVolve offers systems that visualise operation management information, reduce running costs, and promote safe operations through access to real-time data.

Through this acquisition, Komatsu says it will globally deploy iVolve’s FMS, which has a unique IoT platform, as a new solution to further contribute to improving safety and productivity at customers’ workplaces. After the completion of the acquisition, iVolve will continue to provide its services as an independent group company, and Komatsu says it aims to become the world’s leading FMS provider in the construction and mining equipment market by capturing new business opportunities through Komatsu network.

iVolve’s main FMS package is Mine4D, which focuses on operational efficiency improvements directly related to production and vehicle maintenance. This enables its clients to increase productivity, cut costs and minimise risk. The 4D refers to four key components. iVolve Mine4D Production enables real-time decision making in two ways: by providing real-time feedback to operators in-cab; and by monitoring and recording in real-time all parameters of the haul truck load cycle. This data is sent over the Nexis network to the iVolve Server for real-time access by site personnel as well as for ad-hoc and scheduled reporting purposes.

Then iVolve Mine4D Maintenance provides real-time equipment health data feeds. This data is displayed graphically via iReport dashboards at fleet and individual asset levels, with full data history available for informal and scheduled reporting. Third is Mine4D Guidance. Specifically designed to optimise operator activities, Guidance seamlessly integrates machine guidance and fleet management tasks. Guidance combines the benefits of real-time operational data with the precision of advanced machine guidance and control.

The fourth element is Proximiti™ which integrates a long-range, high-speed GPS based collision awareness system with a short-range, low-speed radar proximity detection system to provide enhanced situational awareness for operators of heavy, medium and light vehicles on mine sites. Proximiti™ alerts the vehicle operator while also providing auditable data via the iVolve Server™ application; the system also supports full play-back capability for incident investigation purposes.

In 2021 iVolve also released Mine4D Go, to unlock the benefits of the Mine4D solution for small & medium size fleets. By combining simple in-cab operator input with intelligent vehicle location awareness, iVolve Mine4D Go calculates complete production cycles for vehicles and reports accurate operational data to site managers. Mine4D Go is simple to install and delivers the foundation for an optimised mining operation that has a direct and immediate impact on a customer’s ROI. Mine4D Go is offered on a hybrid cost-of-acquisition model that includes both fixed and subscription-based pricing, which enables customers to have more flexibility in their budgeting and expenditure.

Mill relining systems leader RME expands range bringing solutions for every mill and mine

Automation, Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Sustainable mining

Mill relining systems OEM, Russell Mineral Equipment (RME), has announced an expanded liner exchange machine range with accessible, future-proofed options for every mill and mine site, from the largest to the smallest. The expanded range introduces additional RUSSELL Mill Relining Machine (MRM) models with an increase in rated capacity for medium to large grinding mills, made possible by its modular, upgradeable, and AutoMotion™-ready platform.

Value-engineering has also given customers a wider choice of RUSSELL Mill Liner Handlers (MLHs), ensuring more cost-constrained smaller mills can improve safety and productivity through superior quality and reliable mill relining solutions.

RME Founder, Executive Chairman and Chief Engineer, Dr John Russell described the new range as the embodiment of everything RME has learnt from manufacturing more than 550 RUSSELL Mill Relining Machines (MRMs) for over 35 years. “Mill relining is one of the most hazardous activities in mineral processing, and put simply, is the reason RME exists – to remove fatal risk through innovative solutions. So, if we are to deliver on our company purpose, then it stands to reason that we should work to solve the issue of safe and efficient relining of all mill sizes. There really is no such thing as a lightweight liner.”

He adds: “Every mill, whether its liners weigh 180 or 9,000 kilograms, needs access to an efficient, reliable, and most importantly, an inherently safe mill relining solution. Leveraging all we have learnt over the past 35 years, we have dedicated ourselves to the task of creating the industry’s highest quality mill relining solutions. Now, we offer an even more comprehensive range of technologies, from advanced automation to compact mechanised solutions. I’m proud of the work our team has undertaken to open up our liner exchange solutions platform to ensure every mill and mine site can access safe, fast and reliable mill relining.”

The RUSSELL MRM family now offers customers an expanded range of models and an increase in rated capacity to 9,000 kg, establishing a new industry benchmark. Top of the range is the RUSSELL 7 Model R AutoMotion™ MRM, recently announced as the world’s first roboticised MRM capable of relining from outside the mill. The RUSSELL 7 Model U MRM is reserved for unique, custom-engineered 7 or 8-axis solutions for highly-specialised grinding mill applications. The RUSSELL 7 Model S+ is future-proofed with RME AutoMotion™-ready hardware for an easy software-only upgrade path to advanced relining.

The RUSSELL 7 Model S, serving as the base model, continues as RME’s signature machine for performance and the industry’s most widely adopted MRM. Both the Model S and S+ are upgradeable in-the-field to the RUSSELL 7 Model R AutoMotion™ MRM feature-set. This upgradable platform offers mill operators many advantages, such as greater budget flexibility, more deployment options, increased value and return on technology investment, and ensures mill relining operations can be automated in the future. RME will also continue to offer RUSSELL TWIN 7 MRMs, which enable both sides of the mill to be relined simultaneously, safely increasing reline speeds.

The RUSSELL MLH offering for small to medium mills now includes the Model E, Model L and Model LL. The RUSSELL 3/7 Model E 1500 MLH/MRM can be economically purchased as a RUSSELL 3-axis liner handler with future upgradability to 7-axis MRM functionality. The field-proven RUSSELL 3 Model L 1000 MLH gives smaller mills the certainty of industry-best quality and reliability with the means to improve mill availability and safety. Model LL is the MILLMAST POWERSHIFT, an innovative compact carry-in liner handler for small mills with liners up to 400 kg. RME’s smaller capacity mill liner handlers are configured-to-order, reducing end-user cost and delivery lead times, and enabling Customers to realise safety and productivity gains sooner.

RME is also actively promoting its RUSSELL V range, developed for manoeuvring auger liners in vertical axis stirred grinding mills. These mills are gaining popularity due to their reduced energy consumption and increased energy efficiency. In this range RME has the RUSSELL 3V MLH with a capacity of 13 t and the RUSSELL 6V MRM with a capacity of 10 t.

Along with the newly-expanded liner exchange machine range, RME has also released the new RUSSELL All-Reach Grapple™. This innovative grapple offers a superior centre of gravity and increases the maximum lifting capacity of RUSSELL MRMs to 9,000 kg, the highest in the industry. It also delivers extreme in-mill reach and precision control of liner orientation. The All-Reach Grapple is a standard inclusion on the RUSSELL 7 Model S+ and Model R from 2024 onwards, and is optional for the Model S. All-Reach Grapple retrofits are available for most RUSSELL 7 and 8-axis MRMs in the field.

The RUSSELL Claw is a new grapple attachment from RME’s INSIDEOUT™ Technology suite. It enables MRM operators to retrieve worn liners without the need for crew to work on the charge, or even inside the mill. It can eliminate the manual slinging of worn liners, which until this invention, remained one of the most hazardous tasks in worn liner removal. The RUSSELL Claw is compatible with both 2-pin and 4-pin grapples. All grapples manufactured from 2024 onward are Claw-ready, and RUSSELL 7 and 8 units predating 2023 can be retrofitted for this attachment.

Dr Russell continued: “We’re making it easier than ever to enter the world of advanced relining and achieve visible, defensible and sustainable improvements in concentrator performance and mill relining safety. While RME has historically delivered quality solutions to the mid and large-sized mills market segment, we are ideally placed to address the challenges faced by all mills and mine sizes today, and in the future. Smaller mills may be characterised by a much lower throughput but like any mill, there are risks to safety during relining, and lost opportunity when the mill is shut down for maintenance.”

He adds: “In addition to giving customers the flexibility to deploy the right solution today, while safeguarding their future, our expanded range now provides opportunities for mills of all sizes to optimise liner design and reduce liner piece count. This optimisation results in shorter shutdowns, higher mill availability, and increased throughput – all made possible when sites have options to integrate higher-capacity machines into their mill relining system.”

RME aspires to improve the human condition through responsible access to metals at lower cost. This aspiration carries three responsibilities: to ensure the safety and wellbeing of RME’s people and customers; to minimise RME’s environmental impact; and to enhance RME’s customers’ mill availability to meet the growing demand for the minerals necessary for decarbonisation.

Dr Russell concluded: “RME believes that future development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability for the ongoing improvement of the human condition. That same belief underpins our inventions. Through collaboration with our suppliers and customers, we have made mill relining safer and faster, while also positively impacting local jobs, livelihoods and living standards in the regions where we operate. RME’s liner exchange machines are also electro-hydraulically powered, and unlike fossil fuel-driven mining equipment, are ready for sustainable energy sources without requiring power system modifications. We are delighted to be able to play a part in safely and responsibly enabling the efficient production of the metals and minerals that are essential to decarbonising our economies.”