All posts by Paul Moore

Volvo Autonomous Solutions removes safety driver at Brönnöy Kalk

Automation, Bulk handling, Industrial minerals, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services

Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) says it has achieved a major milestone with the removal of the safety driver in an active commercial mining operation at Brönnöy Kalk mine in Velfjord, Norway. The autonomous transport solution developed for Brönnöy Kalk consists of seven fully autonomous Volvo FH trucks and V.A.S.’s in-house developed virtual driver. Operating in challenging conditions that include steep inclination, extreme weather and long stretches of dark tunnels, the trucks haul limestone from the mine to the crusher.

“A long-held vision is now a reality. Removing the safety driver in an active commercial transport operation in some of the world’s most challenging conditions is a major leap for the industry. With this milestone we are underlining V.A.S.’s leadership in autonomous driving and paving the way for safer and more efficient future for the mining and quarrying industries,” says Nils Jaeger. President of Volvo Autonomous Solutions.

“This is a major step forward for us,” says Raymond Langfjord, Managing Director of Brönnöy Kalk. “We implemented autonomous trucks for several reasons – safety, efficiency and flexibility. With the removal of the safety driver we can now truly reap these benefits and increase our competitiveness in this tough industry.”

The solution implemented at Brönnöy Kalk has been in development since 2018 and V.A.S. says represents not just a major breakthrough in technology but also provides exciting new business models. This is because rather than purchasing a truck or machine, Brönnöy Kalk is buying autonomous transport capacity from V.A.S.

“While autonomy brings unprecedented benefits to the industry, incorporating new technologies into existing operations can be a daunting challenge for many customers. By providing a complete solution that encompasses everything from software to site infrastructure to training to operations, we are able to reduce complexity for customers like Brönnöy Kalk and enable them to be a part of the autonomous future,” says Sven-Erik Gustafsson, Head of Solutions, Mining and Quarry at V.A.S.

The solution includes seven Volvo FH Trucks, V.A.S. in-house developed virtual driver for confined areas, infrastructure, training as well as a comprehensive repair and maintenance program. The wheel loader operator uses a touch screen in the wheel loader to call the trucks for loading and to manage the operation. The wheel loader operator uses a touch screen inside the wheel loader to call the trucks for loading and to manage the transport operation.

Caterpillar celebrating 130 years of earthmoving innovation in South Milwaukee

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mineral commodities, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services

In 1893 only 44 of today’s 50 states formed the union, and Grover Cleveland was elected the country’s 24th President. College basketball was in its infancy, holding its first official game. And the Bucyrus Steam Shovel and Dredge Company opened a new manufacturing facility in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to improve and expand its production facilities.

Since this point in history, the management decisions and equipment produced in South Milwaukee have not only changed the construction and mining industries but also the course of history. In the early 1900s, Bucyrus-produced equipment was a major contributor to the monumental excavation projects of the time.

“Dredges were used as part of the California gold rush, and shovels were a part of the vast Mesabi Iron Ranges,” says Shawn Paap, Commercial Manager for Cat Electric Rope Shovels (ERS). “The New York State barge canal enlargement project, the largest US earthmoving project between 1902-1912, also used Bucyrus dredges.”

The company’s 40- to 50-ton steam-powered shovels also played a significant role in building the Panama Canal, one of the most exciting projects in human history. Over the course of the project, 77 shovels produced in South Milwaukee were used to construct the canal. When combined with the shovels produced by Marion Steam Shovel Company, a Bucyrus heritage company, 101 of the 102 shovels used in the project were from Bucyrus.

World War II saw unprecedented demand for excavators in Europe, and virtually 100% of the company’s entire output from 1942 to 1945 was devoted to the war effort. Post-war, the company embarked on a $2 million project to increase plant capacity by 20%. By the middle of the 20th century, Bucyrus was a global company with an expanded product offering, and more than 74,000 Bucyrus machines had been produced and used in over 166 countries.

Central to the strategy of moving production to South Milwaukee was to increase manufacturing efficiency of its core large machinery, such as rope shovels and draglines. Over the last 130 years, more than 32,000 machines have been produced at this location, and to this day, massive Cat® Electric Rope Shovels are being produced by the plant.

The heritage of today’s Cat 7495 and 7495HF models used for the mining industry began as railroad shovels. Between 1882-1930, more than 1,850 railroad shovels were produced. Those first models weren’t mobile by today’s standards, being pushed on rails or rollers. This manual process to move the massive machines didn’t meet the efficiency needs of mining.

A series of early innovations originating from the South Milwaukee facility helped to improve rope shovel efficiency and durability. Borrowing Caterpillar’s technology of the 1920s, the steam-powered shovels adopted track-style rotating belts to significantly increase mobility. Prior to the 1930s, the entire rope shovel structure was riveted, but those rivets were replaced by welds to improve durability.

A major transition for rope shovels and the industry was the shift from steam power to electric. Bucyrus pioneered the use of electricity as a power source more than 100 years ago, as early as 1917. The advent of a new DC electrical power system in 1919 ushered in the infancy of today’s modern ERS design, and the transition from steam power to electric was completed by 1939.

“As today’s mining industry increases its focus on the electrification of equipment to reduce carbon emissions and boost efficiency, Caterpillar is proud to be the leader in a product that has been electrified for several decades,” says Caterpillar Product Value Stream Manager, Flor Rivas.

Revolutionising the market for Bucyrus and the industry at large, machine design transitioned to much less complicated AC electric motors from the rudimentary DC drive system. “AC drive motors were simpler, lasted longer, required less maintenance, worked faster and more efficiently, and delivered greater power than DC motors,” comments Mike Haws, Technical Steward for Cat Electric Rope Shovels. “The introduction of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) fuseless technology led to the evolution into digital gate turnoff (GTO) systems. And a partnership with Siemens in the 1970s put Bucyrus on the cutting edge of AC drive technology, pushing drive system availability upward to 99%.”

Since Caterpillar acquired the Bucyrus product line in 2011, an excellent ERS product has been elevated to the next level of safety, productivity and reliability by making the machines safer, easier to access and maintain, perform better under extreme conditions, efficiently integrate technology, and deliver higher availability.

Caterpillar introduced a liquid cooled motion regulator cabinet shortly after the acquisition to more efficiently dissipate the heat generated by electrical components. This enabled the global product to reliably operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -40˚C to 50˚C and at altitudes reaching 5,250 m without derating. The company also introduced a faster propel transfer switch to cut lag time by 70%, improving productivity.

After intensely studying the habits of operators with varying skill levels, Caterpillar introduced its first technology advancement package for the Cat 7495 series shovels in 2016, Operator Assist – Enhanced Motion Control (EMC). This innovation delivered machine protection and simplified operation to boost longevity and improve productivity. Protecting the dipper, the software automatically limited swing forces when the operator attempted to swing the dipper through the bank. It also safeguarded the crowd ropes and brake, and it prevented boom jacking situations to improve machine cycle times and productivity.

Today, more ERS technologies to improve efficiency and lower costs are being introduced at a faster pace than ever before. This year, Caterpillar launched two new technology packages for ERS models – the Integrated Technology Package (ITP) and Operator Assist Package (OA). Eliminating the need for additional in-cab displays from one-off tech packages, ITP and its modules serve as the foundation for launching current and future technologies. It also provides seamless integration and quicker installation of Cat MineStar™ Solutions’ operational technologies that help to track, monitor and manage the shovel.

OA offers more advanced machine protection and operating simplicity. It features a LiDAR vision system – similar to the technology found on autonomous mining trucks – to scan the front of the shovel, helping to avoid accidental collisions between the dipper and machine.

Since the acquisition, Caterpillar has produced more than 200 of the 120 t (134.4-ton) capacity ERS models in South Milwaukee, initially under the Bucyrus name and now as Caterpillar. The average lifespan of today’s Cat 7495 shovel is 20 years with machines working in some of the harshest operating conditions around the world, from the subfreezing oil sands of Canada to the arid Chilean deserts where average annual rainfall is less than 24.5 mm (1.0 in).

From 1990 to 2022, roughly 237 machines – both Bucyrus 495 and Cat 7495 series – have moved more than 105 billion tonnes (116 billion tons) of material. If this quantity were moved by the 364 t (400-ton) Cat 797 mining truck, it would have resulted in 290.1 million truckloads and have taken over 13.9 million hours to complete, given a 2.88-minute cycle and truck spotting time.

“We are proud of our long heritage in South Milwaukee, the impact the equipment produced at this location has had on the global market over the last 130 years, and the talented and dedicated team continuing the tradition of excellence in the production and support of Cat electric rope shovels and draglines,” concludes Jeremy Niedens, facility manager – South Milwaukee for Caterpillar.

Immersive highlights PAMA, Vale, Usiminas, NGM & Grupo Mexico in annual improvement awards

Automation, Base metals, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining techniques, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining

Immersive Technologies has announced the winners of its 14th annual Global Business Improvement Award which acknowledges the most outstanding results achieved by mining companies who use simulation as a key driver in mine optimisation. Category winners are selected from mining companies across 50 countries for their achievements in continuously improving operational safety, productivity and reliability through strategic simulator-based training initiatives.

It states: “These projects demonstrate excellence in aligning people, process, and technology to push the mining performance envelope across any OEM make, this year’s winners operate mixed fleets including Komatsu, Caterpillar, Liebherr and Hitachi.”

As part of its vision to be the world’s leading mining contractor with the best productivity, engineering and occupational safety and health and environment record, Pamapersada Nusantra (PAMA) in Indonesia partnered with Immersive Technologies for a haul truck-based improvement project targeting accident reduction and machine fuel efficiency. Real results included a 12% decrease in accidents; 7% decrease in damage caused by accidents; and 3.9% reduction in fuel burn.

“Our initial implementation of Immersive Technologies simulators helped us create a work-readiness assessment to ensure operators had the skills to perform their duties safely. In this program new operators and those returning from leave were given a simulator-based assessment and training with the end goal of increasing mine safety and reducing mining incidents. The Custom Mine Site from Immersive Technologies helped us conduct this training with realistic operating conditions of Pamapersada Nusantra Mines,”
said M. Nabawi – PAMA Operational Training Section Head.

Vale in Brazil utilised Immersive Technologies simulators to drive skills development in PC8000 loader operators in an autonomous haulage circuit. Results in the real operation included a 5% increase in production dig rate; 15% improvement in autonomous truck spot time; and 79% improvement in autonomous haulage system wait time.

“Investment in state-of-the-art training technology is essential for mine productivity and safety. By investing in our people, they master their operating technique and show a significant improvement in productivity, safety and care for the machine’s components. The work carried out with the Immersive Technologies team is a great case study of the need for continuous data driven training,” said Caroline Mirian da Silva Reis – Autonomous Mine Operation Coordinator at Vale.

Usiminas in Brazil completed a continuous improvement project focused on production efficiencies for its Caterpillar 777G haul trucks. With support from Immersive Technologies, Usiminas completed a program which utilised real world data and simulation training data to identify operators in most need of training. Mining operators then completed targeted simulator training to hone their skills.
Real results included a 22% improvement in haul truck spot times; and 4% improvement in haul truck availability.

“Our strategy for utilising Immersive Technologies simulators in operational improvement has been multi-faceted. Our initial implementation of the Immersive Technologies simulator for the CAT® 777G truck was focused on operator safety. Next, we conducted a fuel efficiency study we verified a reduction in usage of 50,000 litres of diesel…it was an honour to participate in these projects, Simulator technology allows us to train operators without the operational risks and also reduces training costs through reduced unproductive machine time,” said Fabricio Lopes – Usiminas Mine Operations Instructor.

Nevada Gold Mines completed a continuous improvement project targeting improved machine reliability through decreased equipment abuse and proper operating technique on their CAT® 793C haul truck fleet. Results included a 39% reduction in abusive shifts events; up to 14% reduction in brake temperature events; and a 42% reduction in body up events.

Finally, Grupo Mexico Buenavista de Cobre utilised the fuel efficiency training capability of their Immersive Technologies simulator to improve the skills and behaviours of its haul truck operators. To assess the impact of introducing fuel-efficient behaviours, the fuel consumption rates of the equipment were measured both before and after the training. Real results included a 2.1% reduction in haul truck fuel used and 5,000+ tons of carbon reduction. “The usage of Immersive Technologies simulators allowed us to achieve the objectives that were set at the beginning of the project. Our main operating expense is the consumption of diesel and having achieved the objectives is very satisfying,” said Ing. Jorge Millan – Mine Operations Superintendent.

 

Epiroc, Boliden, Algoryx & Örebro University work towards all autonomous face drilling

Automation, Base metals, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals

Finding a solution for autonomous face drilling will be a major step toward fully automated underground mining. A collaborative project between equal partners Epiroc, Boliden, Algoryx and Örebro University that is scheduled to run until 2025 the partners say can hopefully come up with a working solution.

Epiroc states: “Face drilling is already automated in part, with rig control systems following digital drill plans. In practice, however, the face topography is seldom immaculate. More often than not, it is necessary for the operator to adjust the drill plan manually to compensate for various types of obstacles.”

“The success of the blast is very much dependent on the quality of the drilling. We are trying to figure out if an autonomous system can achieve results that are comparable with or better than those of experienced operators,” says Oskar Lundberg, Global Innovation Manager at Epiroc Underground division.

The idea is to equip a Boomer face drill rig with a laser scanner and an AI system to scan and analyse the face before adjusting and applying the drill plan. To teach the system to identify potential problems and decide what changes should be made to the drill plan, the project constructs a simulated environment for running the thousands of scenarios necessary for the trial-and-error process of machine learning. After simulation training, the system will graduate to an actual mine for final tests.

“The project has come a third of the way. As of now, we’ve entered an extremely active phase with a large number of ongoing activities. There’s full transparency between the partners, and we’re all focused on producing working solutions. As a bonus, we’re greatly increasing simulation competence within Epiroc,” says Lundberg. “Using a simulation is a much safer and quicker way to accomplish the task.”

To build the digital twin, an actual mine tunnel at Boliden is scanned, and the environment is then rendered in the Unity game engine. A large number of slightly randomised environments, including obstacles, are generated to provide different training scenarios. A digitalised version of the rig is inserted into the simulated environment, and a physics engine from Algoryx ensures that all forces affecting the rig are as close to reality as possible. A simulated laser scanner, with corresponding functionality to a real one, is added to the simulated rig.

Epiroc adds: “From the system’s point of view, it is vital that the simulated environment resembles an actual mine as closely as possible. The digital twin does not have to look exactly like a mine but it has to scan like one. The simulated laser scans the simulated environment, generating a point cloud which the system then analyses to look for potential problems and adjusts the drill plan accordingly. Another area that can benefit from machine learning is the autonomous control of the two booms on the rig; they need to learn how to move freely and precisely without colliding with either each other or the rock. After running and analysing different scenarios a few thousand times, the system should be ready for testing in an actual mine.|

“Using a simulation is a much safer and quicker way to accomplish the task – we simply cannot shut down a mine for the weeks or months necessary to train the system. This will hopefully enable us to greatly reduce the need for physical testing and also simulate scenarios that would be hard to set up in real life,” says Lundberg.

In summary, the project aims to enable autonomous face drilling, increasing safety by minimising human presence at the face. This requires expert AI systems to stand in for operator knowledge. Epiroc is leading and coordinating the project and is contributing machinery, manpower and expertise. End customer Boliden is contributing the operations and environment knowledge, testing and demonstration sites, as well as the evaluation of solutions. Algoryx is providing software development, simulation and Unity expertise, as well as AGX Dynamics, the physics engine. Örebro University is researching and developing the recognition and machine-learning algorithms.

Thiess awarded second Indonesian nickel mining contract

Base metals, Mining equipment, Mining services

Thiess has been awarded an A$240 million nickel mining contract with PT Halmahera Sukses Mineral, marking Thiess’ second successful venture in the Indonesian nickel market this year and reflecting its capability to deliver world-class mining solutions for the metals industry.

During this 3.5 year contract, Thiess will deliver full mining operations including mine development, haul road construction, ore loading and hauling. The mine is situated in Central Halmahera, North Maluku, just 6 km from another Thiess operation, therefore consolidating its regional footprint and operational efficiency.

Thiess Executive Chair and CEO Michael Wright said: “We are excited by this new contract award, which underscores Thiess’ expertise and strong track record in the Indonesian mining industry. It reaffirms our commitment to providing safe, sustainable, and innovative solutions to our clients while contributing to the growth of Indonesia’s nickel industry, a metal critical to enabling the global energy transition.”

Thiess Group Executive – Asia Cluny Randell said: “This contract win aligns with Thiess’ strategy to diversify our commodities portfolio. Our focus on safety, technological advancement, and inclusion sets us apart. We are excited to continue building strong partnerships in the Indonesian nickel sector.”

The mining services major adds: “In line with Thiess’ commitment to health and safety, comprehensive measures will be put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of the team. Further, Thiess will continue its dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion by launching its female operator training program, aimed at fostering greater female participation in the mining workforce. The company remains committed to operational excellence and contributing positively to the communities and environments in which it operates.”

LGMG & EACON to produce another 300 units of jointly developed autonomous hybrid mining truck 

Automation, Environmental, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining

On August 26, Lingong Machinery Group (LGMG) held a Global Partner Conference in the city of Jinan, Shandong Province, China. Industry experts from over 60 countries around the world attended the conference. EACON, as LGMG’s autonomous driving partner, gave an address to attendees. 

During the conference, EACON and LGMG held a strategic partnership signing ceremony. Building upon their previous collaboration that resulted in the production of 102 EL100 (EACON136) mining trucks, they are now collaborating on an additional 300 units. The partners stated: “Based on LGMG’s outstanding manufacturing capabilities and EACON’s leading technologies and products in the field of mining autonomous driving, this collaboration will undoubtedly promote the intelligent development of the mining industry and accelerate the future of autonomous mining.”

On July 18, 2023, EACON had announced that it would deliver 100 units of the 90-ton payload extended-range autonomous mining truck EL100 (EACON136) to the South Pit of TBEA, China’s largest open-pit coal mine in terms of production capacity. The 100 units of EL100 represent the initial project of strategic cooperation between EACON and LGMG. By August 2023, 102 units have been delivered, and the commissioning work for the vehicles has almost been completed, with the autonomous driving functions currently being fine-tuned.

These vehicles will undertake haulage operation in two work benches, making EACON one of the first players in China to achieve commercialisation of Level 4 autonomous driving at scale. The 39 previously deployed fuel vehicles at the South Pit Mine, managed by EACON, are gradually being phased out, and only 13 units are left. EACON has now reached 115 units of autonomous driving vehicles.

At present, EACON has a vehicle R&D team of 30 members. It comments: “They have years of experience in commercial vehicle research and development, including capabilities in new energy system integration and matching, overall vehicle energy management, and drive-by-wire chassis domain control. These capabilities are industry-leading. This team has enabled the EL100 to achieve excellent fuel efficiency and stable drive-by-wire chassis performance in its design.”

“According to some mining policies in certain regions of China, the elimination of mining trucks under 90 tons must be completed by 2025, and some mines require a reduction of over 50% of on-site personnel at mining sites to ensure safety. The combination of these two requirements has led to a large number of customers beginning negotiations with us for the EL100 model,” stated the Business Development Director of the EACON team. 

Since its establishment, EACON has gone through a five-year product development cycle and says it has now finally reached large-scale commercial implementation. Currently, out of the additional 300 mining trucks jointly developed with LGMG, 150 units have already entered production. EACON’s autonomous driving solution has already adapted to four vehicle models from three different OEMs, namely Yutong, Tonly and LGMG, making EACON a leading OEM agnostic AHS provider. 

 

Fortescue’s evolving zero emissions mobile fleet and associated electrical infrastructure

Energy minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining

Fortescue has reflected on rapid progress with its green zero emissions technology strategy in its just released Climate, Sustainability and Annual Reports. In FY23 (July 2022 to July 2023), Fortescue deployed its first prototypes on site and in June 2023, its first battery electric haul truck arrived at Christmas Creek.

The ‘Roadrunner,’ based on a converted 240 ton class Terex MT4400 Fortescue says  brings several surface mining firsts, including the ability to fast-charge in 30 minutes and the capacity to store regenerated power as it drives downhill.

In addition to this, a prototype Offboard Power Unit (to power a Liebherr electric R 9400 excavator previously delivered to site) and a prototype 3 MW Fast Charger (to charge the prototype battery electric haul truck) have also been transported to the Christmas Creek iron ore mine site to continue commissioning and site-based testing. The final major piece of primary mobile equipment for testing will be Fortescue’s hydrogen fuel cell electric truck, based on the 240 ton class Liebherr T 264, which will be delivered to Christmas Creek in FY24 – more specifically by the end of 2023.

And in May 2023, Fortescue’s dual-fuel ammonia-powered locomotive nicknamed ‘Locommonia’ arrived at Solomon to undergo field tests. Commissioning of the locomotive is being completed in readiness for mainline trials in FY24. The miner says it is continuing to explore the development of a world-first Infinity Train which would use gravitational energy to recharge its battery electric systems without any additional charging requirements.

On the bigger picture, in FY23, Fortescue says the team also continued to design solution pathways consisting of both ‘off-the-shelf’ products and new technologies via collaborations and partnerships with world- leading OEMs, including Liebherr and Fortescue WAE.

The focus of this workstream also includes the design and construction of the on-site electrical infrastructure required to power and charge the new zero emissions fleet.

Fortescue adds that the Green Mobility group is also identifying solutions for generators, light vehicles and support mining equipment as well as working with on-site contracting partners to align on a pathway to successfully transition their fleets. A suite of trials for validating battery electric light vehicles, support mining equipment and electrical infrastructure will be completed in FY24.

The team is also pursuing opportunities with OEMs across the complex supply chain and has committed to purchase three electric 400 t excavators and two battery electric locomotives.

Fortescue has also started designing and constructing the on-site electrical reticulation infrastructure that will take the energy from the Pilbara Energy Connect transmission to where it is needed on site. The project aims to integrate Fortescue’s Pilbara iron ore mining and port operations into one common 220 kV network.

This program of works will continue through FY24 to FY28 to enable its sites to have the electrical infrastructure ready to power the electrical equipment, as it becomes operational.

Marula Mining acquiring TOMRA and Rados XRF sorters to produce spodumene from stockpiles

High tech minerals, Mineral commodities, Mineral processing

Marula Mining, an African focused mining and development company, has provided an update on the Blesberg lithium and tantalum mine, where the company through arrangements with Q Global Commodities is completing the acquisition of two sensor-based, XRF ore sorting plants that will now be commissioned at Blesberg in Q4 2023 and used initially to increase the production of high-grade spodumene ore from the processing of the historical stockpiles.

The XRF ore sorters comprise a Rados SRF100-8 ore sorter with a 30 t/h capacity  and a TOMRA COM XRT 1200 ore sorter with a 120  t/h capacity. The XRF ore sorters will both be included in the proposed expanded processing facilities at Blesberg that, in addition to new crushing and screening equipment, is planned to increase the production capacity of high-grade spodumene ore to over 1,000 t/mth of saleable product.

The Company is acquiring the XRF ore sorters for total consideration of approximately ZAR40.6 million (£1.7 million) from Q Global Mining (Pty) Ltd (Q Mining), a subsidiary of Q Global. Documentation for the acquisitions are currently being finalised with Q Global’s lawyers, with commercial terms agreed. The Rados SRF100-8 ore sorter is to be acquired through a series of 36 monthly payments, after which ownership will be transferred to Marula. The TOMRA COM XRT 1200 ore sorter acquisition cost of £750,000 are to be offset against subscription funds to be received from Q Global, pending the approval of a conditional subscription agreement and Rule 9 waiver which were earlier announced January 31, 2023.

Commissioning of HydroFloat® Separator in Anglo copper concentrator recognised in CEEC Medal

Base metals, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Sustainable mining

The Coalition for Minerals Efficiency (CEEC) has awarded the 2022 CEEC Medal for Operations to a group of researchers for their paper on the commissioning of an Eriez HydroFloat® Separator in a copper concentrator. The writers of the paper; Karina Arburo, Jaime Zuniga; Adrian McDonald and Felipe Valdes, all of Anglo American, along with Jose Concha from Eriez and Eric Wasmund, the Eriez Global Flotation VP, published their research in the proceedings of the Copper 2022 Conference, which took place in November 2022 in Santiago.

Their paper, ‘Commissioning a HydroFloat® in a Copper Concentrator Application,’ describes the successful installation and operation of a HydroFloat in a copper concentrator circuit in a gangue rejection capacity. The HydroFloat technology separates particles based on their hydrophobicity and buoyancy, resulting in a more efficient and eco-friendly extraction process.

The CEEC Medal for Operations recognises contributions to the optimisation of comminution performance, energy consumption, water utilisation, tailings management and other mineral processing operations. The Medals Committee was impressed by the authors use of coarse particle flotation technology and the successful implementation of the process in Anglo American’s operations. Coarse particle flotation (CPF) is one of the strategies employed to reduce energy consumption in mineral-processing circuits. The HydroFloat technology has previously been successfully applied in the coarse flotation of industrial minerals and sulphide middlings, notably at Newcrest’s Cadia mine in NSW where it is employed in a scavenger configuration. CEEC says it commends both Anglo American and Newcrest for their ground-breaking work in the area of CPF and energy and water consumption reductions. 

The winning paper highlights a full-scale application of sulphide mineral processing technology and exemplifies Anglo American’s commitment to FutureSmart Mining™ technology innovation through the development and commercialisation of sustainable process designs. This enables its operations to significantly reduce energy and freshwater usage per unit of copper produced. While this case – the El Soldado mine in Chile – was applied in copper, Anglo American is extending the learnings to other commodities. The paper also showcases the benefits of close collaboration across corporate groups, nations, and between owners and vendors. 

One of the writers of this award-winning paper, Karina Arburo said: “It is wonderful to have industry recognition as testimony of the successful delivery of this full-scale application of Coarse Particle Recovery (CPR) in gangue rejection mode, thanks to the combined team effort of many different teams within Anglo American, in Chile and globally.”

The CEEC Medal for Operations is awarded annually and the Awards Ceremonies will take place at the 2023 SAG Conference in Vancouver, on 24-28 September and the MetPlant 2023 conference in Adelaide, Australia on November 6-8.

Liebherr deploys first autonomous haulage fleet to WA mine for onsite validation

Automation, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore

Having completed comprehensive internal validation of its Autonomous Haulage Solution (AHS) at Liebherr’s Mining Technology Development Centre in the USA, Liebherr Mining has announced that it has deployed a fleet of four T 264 trucks in Q3 2023 to an unnamed mine site in Western Australia to support onsite validation. This onsite validation marks a new stage of Liebherr’s strategy to accelerate development of a new autonomy product for the mining industry.

“After significant research, development, and program planning, Liebherr is excited to announce the commencement of onsite Autonomous Haulage Solution validation as we move to deploy the next generation of autonomy technology for mining equipment,” says Scott Bellamy, Divisional General Manager, Product Management, for Liebherr Mining. “This deployment not only represents Liebherr Mining’s market introduction of the AHS, but also highlights Liebherr’s continued expansion as a technology solution provider for the mining industry.”

Liebherr’s flexible scope of supply solutions provide customers with scalable options – from autonomy ready haul trucks through to the fully integrated Liebherr AHS, also including a fully integrated Fleet Management System. Liebherr’s philosophy is to provide open architecture solutions, allowing customers the freedom to choose which best-in-class base machines, automation, traffic management, and fleet management systems will work best for their purposes.

“Along with the first deployment of the autonomy solution, Liebherr has expanded its autonomy project team to include onsite support for the duration of the AHS validation program,” continues Bellamy. “However, our focus is to ensure the organisation can support in the future not only this exciting project, but also future AHS deployments across multiple customers and regions.”