All posts by Paul Moore

Redpath Australia upskilling operators with Sandvik’s latest digital technology

Automation, Base metals, Bulk handling, Careers in mining, IoT, Mine shafts and equipment, Mining equipment, Mining people, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals

Leading underground contract miner Redpath Australia is embracing the benefits of digital training by putting advanced Sandvik simulators to use, both at its head office in Brisbane and on site.

Wanting to explore the safety and productivity gains of virtual training methods, Redpath has been using simulators for Sandvik’s AutoMine® automation system, LH517i loader and DS422i cable bolter since July 2023 and a jumbo DD422i simulator from March 2023. The simulators, which have been provided for periods of between one and six weeks, will help Redpath to train new operators and upskill existing team members without disrupting production or entering the mine environment.

The use of the simulators follows Sandvik and Redpath signing a global framework agreement at the end of 2022 opening the way for increased cooperation and standardising of equipment.

Redpath Australia Managing Director Gavin Ramage says the company is always looking for ways to do training better. “We have used simulators in the past and we’re likely to be using them more often in the future,” he says. “We see the Sandvik simulators as a good tool for familiarising our operators with different kinds of gear. And we know that the more skilled that our operators are, the better the safety outcomes, the better the productivity, and the better the result for our clients.”

Redpath Australia’s current operations include providing full mining services at Glencore’s Lady Loretta Mine in northwest Queensland. The company’s fleet of jumbos, cable bolters and loaders are entirely Sandvik, as is roughly half of its truck fleet.

The simulators for Sandvik AutoMine® and the Sandvik LH517i loader have been used to train operators at Redpath Australia’s headquarters in Brisbane, a DD422i simulator is in use at Dugald River while the DS422i cable bolter simulator is being used at the company’s Olympic Dam operation in South Australia.

Sandvik Australia Key Account Manager Stuart Stolz facilitated training of Redpath operators on the equipment in Brisbane. He says the digital trainers will provide Redpath operators with a highly realistic training experience, allowing them to rapidly gain knowledge and confidence.

“Using a Sandvik simulator means there’s no need to pull a machine out of service – where it’s being productive – in order to conduct training,” he says. “They can be used in environments like offices, which allows new operators to become familiar with the equipment in a totally safe location before they enter the mine.”

Gavin Ramage concurs. “The two key benefits for us are that the operation isn’t affected while you’re training, and for new operators it’s a lot safer to do something on the simulator rather than in the field.”

The Sandvik LH517i digital trainer features a steering wheel, switches, and control system display like that in real Sandvik LH517i loaders. It can be used to teach operators to avoid breakdowns and unnecessary damage to the loader, reducing overall maintenance costs and increasing productivity. The Sandvik DS422i trainer provides a similar immersive training experience for Sandvik’s DS422i cable bolter.

The Sandvik AutoMine® Training Simulator allows operators to run AutoMine® for loaders and trucks without tying up a machine or production, saving money without sacrificing production time. The full-sized station version comes complete with an operator chair, while a portable version can be carried in two practical, light-weight trolley cases.

Gavin Ramage explains he expects the simulators to be used to upskill hundreds of operators during their time with Redpath. He says the staff reaction has been positive. “We believe strongly in training and investing in our people. And with simulators, they are able to clearly see that we are making that investment and working to improve their skills.”

Brock Merrion is an AutoMine® operator at Redpath Australia’s Lady Lorretta Mine. He was highly impressed by the AutoMine® simulator during a trial at Redpath’s Brisbane office. “The simulator helps people to get a little bit of confidence,” he says. “I sit people in the chair when I start training them out at Lady Loretta and they’re very nervous. But to use a simulator and know that they aren’t going to damage a machine is a step in the right direction. People get nervous, and when they’re nervous their brain doesn’t talk to their hands or feet. I think this will help overcome that.”

Redpath Australia is a leading underground contract miner and provides full mining services across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Some of their larger projects include Glencore’s Lady Loretta Mine, MMG’s Dugald River, BHP’s Olympic Dam, South32’s Cannington Mine and Aurelia’s Federation mine in central Western NSW.

ASI secures deal to add 18 more autonomous haul trucks at Roy Hill

Automation, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore

 ASI Mining, in conjunction with its distributor Epiroc, has received an order from Roy Hill Iron Ore to automate 18 Hitachi EH4000 haul trucks to be integrated with its current autonomous haulage fleet in Western Australia. The additional trucks will increase Roy Hill’s fleet to a total of 96 haul trucks which, once converted to autonomous operation, will make Roy Hill one of the largest single autonomous haulage system (AHS) sites in the world. 

Once the entire fleet of 96 haul trucks is autonomous, it will boast not only being the largest AHS rigid truck fleets at a single site, but also the first site operating four different model variants from two different truck OEMs. 

The EH4000 fleet is being added to expand production capacity at Roy Hill’s mining operations. These new trucks will join an existing fleet of Caterpillar 793F (models SSP and CMD) and Hitachi EH5000 haul trucks, in the process of being converted to autonomous trucks at the site. 

The AHS project at Roy Hill commenced its fleet expansion phase in January 2023, following completion of a two year validation period. It is anticipated all 96 of Roy Hill’s trucks will be fitted out by the end of 2024. 

ASI Mining’s Mobius AHS has been operating successfully 24/7 in a dedicated autonomous operating zone (AOZ) since July 2021, with Roy Hill achieving performance targets with a smaller fleet of 793Fs and EH5000 haul trucks. 

“The receipt of this expansion order from Roy Hill signals their continued commitment to OEM agnostic autonomy and their continued trust in ASI Mining and Epiroc,” said Diederik Lugtigheid, President of ASI Mining. 

Stantec selected to provide environmental services for Duparquet Gold Project in Quebec

Environmental, Mine surveying, Mineral project development, Mining services, Water management

Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has been selected by First Mining Gold (FMG) to lead the environmental baseline program for FMG’s proposed Duparquet Gold Project in the heart of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue greenstone belt in Duparquet, Quebec.

The firm says it has assembled a highly qualified team that is experienced in environmental baseline work and federal and provincial environmental assessments for mining projects. BluMetric Environmental Inc will support Stantec’s water-related disciplines.

Stantec’s project team consists of a strong local presence, featuring practitioners from the nearby Stantec offices in Amos and Val-d’Or in Quebec, as well as colleagues from Montreal, Quebec City, northern Ontario, and other offices across Canada and the US. Stantec’s environmental services team will operate in close collaboration with FMG and other consultants as a single, integrated team to fulfil the regulatory requirements necessary to obtain approvals.

“Stantec is excited to be part of this project and to leverage our expertise in mining projects and environmental services for FMG in their efforts to develop the Duparquet Gold Project,” says Fortunato Coppola, an Amos-based mining engineer with Stantec’s Environmental Services team. “We’ve assembled a strong team of experienced professionals with technical knowledge of the mining industry, long-standing knowledge of the region, and a focus on health and safety to lead these studies.”

Stantec says it brings a wealth of environmental services experience in Quebec in many sectors and for a variety of mining projects across Canada. The firm led the Greenstone Gold Mine’s (GGM) Hardrock Project in Ontario through a joint provincial-federal environmental assessment process, and continues to work with GGM through the ongoing permitting and approvals process. Recently, Stantec provided expertise for a historically significant critical minerals mining project in Ontario, as Generation PGM’s Marathon Palladium-Copper Project became the first mine in the province to receive approval through a Joint Review Panel process.

Haver & Boecker Niagara opens new service centre in Parauapebas, Brazil

Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, Mining services

Haver & Boecker Niagara recently opened a new service and support facility in Parauapebas, Brazil. The company welcomed clients, partners, friends, local community and city authorities to the grand opening celebration on May 18, 2023. The 43,055-square-foot (4,000 m2) facility it says provides service and support for mining operations throughout the region through cutting-edge diagnostics, equipment refurbishment, parts stocking and more.

“Providing quality service and support is at the heart of what we do. At Haver & Boecker Niagara, we strive to be an extension of an operation’s service team,” said Clayton Carvalho, Managing Director of Haver & Boecker Niagara’s Brazil operation. “We offer an array of service and support options to increase customer savings and equipment longevity. With the addition of the Parauapebas facility, we can more easily provide unmatched service and support onsite for our customers to help maximize their screening performance.”

Haver & Boecker Niagara’s new facility offers the capacity to manufacture 800 different part numbers and can refurbish 120 vibrating screens and 240 exciters. It features a paint booth, a rainwater collection system, water treatment, water and oil separation, 100% LED lighting with lower energy consumption and a natural lighting structure. Additionally, the new Parauapebas facility features a 50/15-ton overhead crane, a blasting booth and air conditioners.

“It is a great honour and a source of pride for all of us at Haver & Boecker Niagara to launch this facility. It is a display of growth not only for the company but for the entire local population,” Carvalho said. “Today, Haver & Boecker Niagara is responsible for the production of more than 50% of the mining equipment in the Brazilian region. With the anticipated demand, the new service center further benefits the community by increasing job opportunities for the local community.”

Antofagasta gears up for phased growth at both Los Pelambres and Centinela

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral commodities, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management

In its half yearly financial report for the six months ended June 30, 2023, copper mining major Antofagasta PLC gave some detailed insight into expansion plans for two of its flagship Chilean copper mines – Los Pelambres and Centinela.

The Los Pelambres Expansion project is divided into two phases with Phase 1 expected to be in production in H2 2023 and Phase 2 in 2026. Phase 1 is designed to optimise throughput within the limits of the existing operating, environmental and water extraction permits. As mining progresses at Los Pelambres, ore hardness will increase. The expansion is designed to compensate for this, increasing plant throughput from its current capacity of 175,000 t of ore per day to an average of 190,000 t of ore per day.

The expansion is divided into two sub-projects, the construction of a desalination plant and water pipeline from the coast to the El Mauro tailings storage facility, and the expansion of the concentrator plant, which includes the installation of an additional SAG mill and ball mill, and six additional flotation cells. The capital cost estimate for Phase 1 is $2.3 billion. Annual copper production will be increased by an average of 60,000 t per year over 15 years, starting at approximately 40,000 t per year for the first four to five years and rising to 70,000 t per year for the rest of the period as the hardness of the ore increases and the benefit of the higher milling capacity is fully realised.

In 2020, the decision was made to change the scope of the project and double the planned capacity of the desalination plant from 400 litres per second to 800 litres per second. However, the additional work on this expansion that can be carried out during Phase 1 is limited by what is allowed under the permits that have already been issued so the remaining work will be treated as a separate project subject to the receipt of the necessary permits. The cost of the additional work is included in the Phase 1 capital cost. Work at the desalination plant progressed during H1 2023, and water production averaged 160 litres per second in June 2023. The plant is expected to ramp-up production during H2 2023, helping to stabilise water availability.

Pre-operational testing of the fourth concentrator line at Los Pelambres has now commenced following the connection of this equipment to the national grid. Commissioning of individual circuits such as the flotation circuit has commenced, with the commissioning phase expected to be completed in H2 2023.

Following the decision in 2020 to increase the size of the desalination plant, Phase 2 of the expansion requires two separate Environmental Impact Assessment applications; one for the expansion of the desalination plant and one for the extension of the mine life of Los Pelambres through an increase in the size of the El Mauro tailings storage facility. The latter EIA will also provide the option to further increase the throughput capacity of the concentrator plant.

The desalination plant expansion will protect Los Pelambres from the future impact of climate change and the deteriorating availability of water in the region. The project includes the expansion of the desalination plant and the construction of a new water pipeline from the El Mauro tailings storage facility to the concentrator plant. In 2021 Los Pelambres submitted the EIA required for this project, which includes the desalination plant expansion and two other sustaining capital infrastructure projects, the replacement of the concentrate pipeline and the construction of certain planned enclosures at the El Mauro tailings storage facility. EIA approval is expected in time for the project to be completed in 2026, by which time over 90% of Los Pelambres’ water needs will be fulfilled by desalinated and recirculated water.

Moving on to the mine – the current mine life of Los Pelambres is 12 years and is limited by the capacity of the El Mauro tailings storage facility. The scope of the second EIA will include increasing the capacity of the tailings storage facility and the mine waste storage. This will extend the mine’s life by a minimum of 15 years, accessing a larger portion of Los Pelambres’ 6 billion tonnes of mineral resources. The EIA will also provide for the option to increase throughput to 205,000 t of ore per day, increasing copper production by an estimated 35,000 t per year, according to the pre-feasibility studies (2014). The capital expenditure to extend the mine life was estimated at approximately $500 million in a 2014 pre-feasibility study, with most of the expenditure on mining equipment, increasing the capacity of the concentrator and the El Mauro tailings facility.

Key studies on tailings and waste storage capacity have advanced and community consultations are underway. The relevant environmental and social studies are being prepared and should be submitted to the authorities during 2023/2024 as part of the EIA application.

Centinela Second Concentrator Project

Antofagasta is also currently evaluating the construction of a second concentrator and tailings deposit at Centinela some 7 km from the existing concentrator, to take place in two phases. The EIA for both phases was approved in 2016. Detailed engineering plans and costings have recently been updated for Phase 1 of the project and key contracts finalised, subject to Board approval of the project.

The Phase 1 capacity of the new concentrator will be 95,000 t of ore per day, producing on average approximately 170,000 t of copper equivalent (copper, gold and molybdenum) a year over the first 10 years of operation. This will move Centinela into the first cost quartile of global producers. The Phase 1 capital cost is estimated at $3.7 billion, including a concentrator plant, Esperanza Sur capitalised stripping, mining equipment for Esperanza Sur, a new tailings storage facility, a water supply system and other infrastructure, pre-commercial production operating costs, and owner’s and other costs.

An updated study into the development of the Centinela Second Concentrator project is expected to be submitted to the Board for consideration by the end of the year. Work on Phase 2 would only start once construction of Phase 1 is completed and it is operating successfully.

The second concentrator, and its potential further expansion to 150,000 t of ore per day, will source ore initially from the recently opened Esperanza Sur pit and later from the Encuentro pit. The sulphide ore in the Encuentro pit lies under the Encuentro Oxides reserves, which are expected to be depleted by 2026. Fully exposing the sulphide ore in the optimal sequence required to initiate feed to the second concentrator from the Encuentro Pit is expected to require separate investments in infrastructure, mining equipment and mine development activities, which would commence half-way through the construction phase of the second concentrator and will span a period of 3-4 years.

If the company elects to proceed with the Centinela Second Concentrator project, the combined investment in mine development and sustaining capital across the Centinela district is expected to increase from an actual average of $650 million per annum in 2021-2023 to an average of approximately $900 million per annum during 2025-2027, enabling a doubling of ore supply from Centinela’s mining operations.

During H1 2023, the company continued the tender process inviting third parties to provide water for Centinela’s current and future operations by acquiring the existing water supply system and building the new water pipeline. This process is expected to be completed during the year. The outsourcing of the water supply will only proceed if it improves the net present value of the project.

ABB and Norge Mining plan to develop all electric mine at Bjerkreim-Sokndal

Base metals, High tech minerals, Industrial minerals, Mineral project development, Sustainable mining

ABB is collaborating with Norge Mining to conduct a FEED (Front-End Engineering and Design) study for a future Norwegian upstream mine production which it says has the potential to supply minerals used in electric vehicles and solar panels needed for the clean energy revolution, and fertiliser demand, for at least 50 years. The deposit contains large resources of phosphate, titanium and vanadium which are key EU-designated critical raw minerals that are essential for the clean energy transition and global food security.

Phosphate is processed and used to produce lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) batteries as well as fertiliser for the agriculture industry and is in high demand. Norge Mining recently announced that it has discovered up to 70 billion tons of a mineralised igneous phosphate rock at the new mine site in southern Norway, known as the Bjerkreim-Sokndal Layered Intrusion site.

Norge Mining is focusing on the Bjerkreim Lobe of this intrusion, which forms a large synclinal trough structure. This trough extends at outcrop for some 20 km northwest-southeast and up to 10 km northeast-southwest. It is known to extend for several kilometres in depth. Open pit, underground and combinations of the two are still under consideration with the mine potentially beginning operations in 2028.

“Norge Mining’s transformative partnership with ABB marks a new era for more sustainable, resource-efficient mining,” said Michael Wurmser, Founder at Norge Mining. “Together, we’re aiming to power progress through next-generation mining. With Norge Mining’s portfolio of significant, critical and strategic raw minerals, it will make significant global impacts on enabling food production and supplying the European battery manufacturing industry.”

“ABB is excited to begin this important project with Norge Mining, one that is anticipated to have a positive impact on European supply chains for the energy transition,” said Alex Kaufmann, Business Line Manager Mining for Process Industries Switzerland at ABB. “Through our early involvement, as well as our expertise in design and solutions for mining, we will support Norge Mining to optimise costs both during the construction phase as well as during the operation of the mine. Furthermore, our eMine™ approach for electrification and automation, which makes mines all-electric and includes integrated solutions that help eliminate CO2 emissions, will help to increase the mine’s efficiency and ensure energy efficient and seamlessly integrated systems across the entire plant.”

ABB and Norge Mining will explore the entire electrification of the future mining and downstream operations including control system options to provide a complete overview of the mine and seamlessly integrate advanced operations. The ABB study will address electrification, automation and digitalisation to ensure maximum sustainability, cost-efficiency and productivity at the mine from the outset and for the long term. ABB’s recommendations will also focus on low energy consumption within mine operations as well as optimising CAPEX and lowering OPEX with solutions for lower maintenance and higher efficiency.

ABB’s Business Line Mining draws on over 130 years of experience in the mining industry and is a pioneer in the integration of electrification, automation and digitalisation in mining.

Epiroc’s battery electric ST14 SG Scooptram well received at Grupo Peñoles’ Fantasma mine

Base metals, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mine ventilation, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining

Grupo Peñoles opened one of its flagship zinc mines, Fantasma, in Velardeña in northern Mexico’s Durango state in 2013. Today, the mine is also home to one of the global mining industry’s foremost technologies in the form of a battery-driven electric loader, the Epiroc Scooptram ST14 SG, formerly known as the Scooptram ST14 Battery.

The loader was introduced at the Velardeña mine in the spring of 2022, and has been well received by Peñoles employees, and not least the operators, who Epiroc says appreciate the new technology providing a cleaner, cooler, quieter and more efficient experience to their day-to-day operations, which are often performed under challenging conditions.

“We believe that the use of batteries, instead of diesel, is the future of mining,” said Luis Humberto Vazquez, the Director of Mines at Peñoles and one of the company’s highest ranking executives. “We are convinced that the use of batteries will continue to evolve to make the industry more efficient and better optimise operations while reducing our environmental impact.”

“I’m not exposed to as much noise or as many toxic gases as I am when operating a diesel-fuelled truck,” Eduardo García Vaquera, a Peñoles operator, said of Scooptram ST14 SG. “It makes for a much more comfortable and clean work experience with far less heat and no emissions of toxic gases.”

Grupo Peñoles – the world’s biggest silver producer and one of Mexico’s most emblematic and storied institutions – and its sister company Fresnillo “always seek to be at the forefront of changes in the industry,” said Vazquez. He has more than 40 years of experience as a miner, and says that both he and Peñoles understand the challenges of the mining industry and are always looking to improve worker security and health and reduce the hefty ventilation costs associated with the liberation of trapped diesel fumes.

Thus, implementing a Scooptram ST14 SG, which is the first battery-driven electric loader of its kind to be implemented in mining operations in Latin America (with a unit also running at Codelco’s El Teniente in Chile) was an easy decision at Velardeña, where Peñoles employs around 1,350 people – about half the population of the village – and produces 9 t of zinc on a daily basis.

To date, maintenance workers and operators of the Scooptram ST14 SG, a 14 t capacity underground loader that is an impressive 11 m long, say that Scooptram ST14 SG provides an easier and smoother driving experience and the elevated cab is comfortable, roomy and provides much better visibility, particularly when taking sharp turns in narrow and dark mine caverns.

“If I had to choose between one or the other, I’d choose the battery loader one hundred percent of the time,” said Vaquera, who has been a Scooptram operator for three years. “When driving a diesel loader, you experience a lot of vibration, but with a battery-driven electric loader, you feel nothing.”

Vaquera and José Rivero, Peñoles’s Maintenance Planning Advisor at the Velardeña mine, also agree that changing a battery on Scooptram ST14 SG – instead of having to refill a tank with diesel – has brought immediate improvements to efficiency and the speed of operations within the mine.

In the cavern designated for Scooptram ST14 SG, there is a wide parking slip for the loader in the center of the chamber. This slip is flanked on each side of the cave by two yellow-and-black striped platforms custom-fitted for the loader’s batteries. Beyond each platform are two Kempower electric charging stations and an overhead crane system that stretches the width of the chamber and is used to transport the batteries.

When it is time to replace a battery, the red overhead Epiroc crane is operated by remote control, clamping the compact yellow-and-grey ST14 battery, which is about 2.5 m wide, and transporting it from the loader to the platform. The process takes just minutes, and Rivero, who has worked for Peñoles for 33 years, says the battery has streamlined their daily work at the mine. “It’s improved security, productivity and reliability and reduced our costs,” Rivero said, adding that each of the two Epiroc batteries offers a charge of more than four hours. “There is a lot less noise and far fewer defects compared to a diesel loader and, in my role, the electric battery requires far less maintenance and upkeep.”

This is an edited version of an Epiroc customer story on this project which was recently published – see the full version here

Masters of drilling and bolting

Automation, Base metals, Coal technology, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Precious metals

On June 23-24 2023, IM Editorial Director Paul Moore had the privilege of being present at the 30th anniversary celebrations of Poland-based underground drilling and bolting major, Mine Master, having also attended the company’s 20th anniversary back in 2013. The event saw a tour of its facilities in Wilkow, including a demonstration of the world first FLP-1410 autonomous low profile drill rig, as well as a celebration dinner for employees, customers, dealers and suppliers in the city of Legnica. This allowed a unique insight into a close knit company, known worldwide for its innovation, machine quality and robustness.

While Poland remains Mine Master’s top market, with over 900 machines having been delivered, it has slowly but surely been increasing its influence abroad – especially as the market has consolidated – and Mine Master is now one of the few premium players in face & production drills plus bolters aside from Sandvik and Epiroc. Beyond that it is world leading in low profile equipment thanks to its experience in copper and silver mining giant KGHM’s mines but also a lack of general focus on low profile among other leading OEMs. Outside of Poland, major markets have included Turkey with 79 machines, Estonia with 28, Zimbabwe with 25, India with 19 and a long list of others from Chile to South Africa and Kazakhstan. Like many others, it has lost the important Russian market. All together Mine Master has exported more than 300 machines to 20 countries.

In Poland, over 200 machines are operating today of which some 154 are Roofmaster bolters and 57 Face Master drill rigs. The bolter share of KGHM’s overall bolter fleet is over 90% and for drill rigs over 60%. Production output has also grown significantly – from 25 machines in 1994 to 32 in 2005, 53 in 2012 and 73 in 2017. Due to the financial crisis and the pandemic things flattened out a bit but the company still produced 72 machines in 2022. Not only that but the depth of product offering has increased significantly – from five machine variants in 1994 to 17 today.

A tour of the factory was conducted by Sales Director and Management Board Member Witold Hnat, who explained that the process is similar for most of the machines – with pre-fabricated frames, partly pre-assembled carriers and canopies or cabs from external suppliers but everything is designed from the outset by Mine Master. Most customers today opt for enclosed cabs. The canopies or cabs can all be adjusted up and down by the customer in use based on local conditions – often the lowest position is used for tramming with the cab moved up for better operator visibility at the face. On the bolters the front end is supplied by J.H. Fletcher and connected to the carrier in Wilkow; while for face and production drilling rigs the front end is all done in-house. For all machines, the hydraulic hosing, cabling and electronics including aircon system as well as all of the electronics fitting and testing is done in Wilkow. The company also offers a range of factory fitted automation options beyond the standard machines, including those with the operator assist Drill Monitoring System (DMS), the semi-automated Feeder Guidance System (FGS) and the fully automated Autonomous Drilling System (ADS) technology which to date is only on the FLP-1410 prototype.

One machine takes on average about three weeks to finish. All prototype and new machine development such as battery electric machine work is also done at the factory. In the main, the production is divided into machines for KGHM and those for export customers. On the battery electric machines the two that were delivered each had a different carrier – one with a conventional hydrodynamic carrier with torque converter and one a full hydrostatic system using technology from Poclain; this was done to see which design worked best under battery power.

The Mine Master 30th anniversary included a tour of the Wilkow factory

The growth of Mine Master has had a lot of do with continuous investment – in 2022 for example, R&D spend represented 7% of overall sales and this focus has been consistent since the beginning. Investments in recent years include conversion of an older building into a new warehouse and parts storage building, a new assembly hall plus an all new welding robot from Japanese company Yaskawa Electric for building of the booms. Work that would have taken two hours can now be done in a few minutes. Next year another welding robot will be added for work to fix frames to the booms.

Reflecting all of this, employment at Mine Master has doubled from 156 at the outset to over 300 today and of this the core machine assembly and machine service workers still dominate at 200 of the total, the rest being management and administrative staff. The proportion of female staff has grown to about 10% and growing, with an average employee age of 42. The company employs almost 100 people with higher education, including almost 70 engineers. The importance of Mine Master to the local community – the nearby village of Wilkow and the nearest city Zlotoryja plus the surrounding area cannot be overestimated. Mine Master also collaborates closely with the regional technical and vocational school in Zlotoryja in recruiting and training its next generation of workers; and this training continues when they join the factory with dedicated mentors.

The event included the opportunity to sit down with Jerzy Nadolny, Managing Director – who helped found the company in 1993 – for his thoughts on the last 30 years of business.

Q KGHM remains your largest customer and a major part of Mine Master’s past and current history. Can you give a sense of the depth of partnership you have with them plus how Mine Master’s ownership and structure has evolved over the years?

We have a very deep and long lasting relationship with them – I personally started with KGHM at their copper smelter way back in 1980. Then I moved to their mechanical workshop in 1988 – the Lena Mining Facilities Works. At that time I began to look for foreign partnerships or joint ventures as at that time the technology within KGHM was still quite basic having been part of the Eastern bloc. After the first free elections in 1989, I spoke to all the major OEMs – including Tamrock and Atlas Copco, but they were not interested in having a direct production facility in Poland – they only wanted to work through subcontractors. Only Boart Longyear responded positively – and ultimately KGHM signed a full JV agreement with them, forming Mine Master in 1993 (then known as Boart Lena) , with KGHM holding 49% of the shares and Boart Longyear 51%. KGHM of course gave access to their fleet needs and requirements but also to sales of Boart Longyear hard rock tools. Boart then acquired full control in 1999. This was a strategic decision by KGHM to focus on their core mining and smelting business – though of course they retained their ownership of their internal mining equipment production arm, KGHM ZANAM, which is mainly focused on low profile loaders and trucks. Then our management along with GHH Fahrzeuge took full control of the Mine Master in 2006. So this year we are celebrating 30 years of Mine Master. With Komatsu in the process of completing its acquisition of GHH, it has already been agreed that all of the shares in Mine Master not currently held internally will also pass to the management, which should be completed in early 2024 when we will be fully independent. Aside from that, we are continuing our business as usual and still plan to cooperate with GHH/Komatsu in a global market joint sales approach, just not as part of GHH Group as before. We are assembling the smallest GHH trucks including the 20 t class MK-A20 at our facilities in Wilkow and this arrangement remains unchanged; in fact going forward it may be extended to other machines. Of course given this history we remain very close to KGHM, both in terms of its people and its facilities – including its key mining operations of Polkowice-Sieroszowice , Lubin and Rudna, and we have a major service facility in the Polkowice area and part of the Legnica Special Economic Zone – this is quite a new site, opening in 2016 and allows us to have spare parts, a sizeable workshop plus an office and training capabilities, all very close to KGHM’s mines. We have over 130 service staff linked to that facility, many of whom are mainly working underground on maintaining our machines.

Mine Master Managing Director Jerzy Nadolny, along with Andrzej Czajkowski, Vice-Chairman of the Board receiving a gift from partner Padley & Venables at the June 2023 anniversary event

Q What level of customisation has been made to allow your machines to handle the KGHM mine conditions and how involved have they been in machine development?

KGHM’s mines are very deep so you are talking about high temperatures. The geology also means there is a lot of water present, so there is high humidity as well as some of the mine water coming from the roof causing very fast corrosion. So our machines have to be really robust. But they are modern and highly mechanised units so we also have to protect all the electronics. Every machine for KGHM has been developed and built according to their needs. But that is true of all of our customers not just KGHM – often we supply something specific or special according to the customer need, and this is something we are widely known for and respected for – we do not just provide off the shelf machines. Actually, the KGHM machines are so robust once we started exports in the early days we found they were in some ways overengineered for some other customers but of course this meant these units really surprised our new customers in terms of reliability and performance. The requirements of our export customers also led to new innovations that were not required by KGHM which has included twin boom, production and narrow vein machines as an example. And we have been really successful. We occupy a niche in the market but in that niche we believe we offer an unrivalled solution.

Q On that note what are the differentiating factors for Mine Master versus other big players?

As a mid-sized company we remain very close to our customers offering a very personal service to a point where the largest companies I don’t think can compete today. We try to understand customer needs at a very detailed level. We don’t want to see a machine sale as just another order – we are never happy to ship a unit unless we know exactly their underground mining conditions and how exactly the machine will be used because we want it to perform exactly for the tasks it was designed for. We always talk to the operators about their needs as they are the ones using the equipment day in day out. And they have played a big part in helping us improve our machines over the years. While each machine is customised, to streamline production, the carrier we use for Mine Master units is common to our four highest selling models, which translates to 90% of our production. This is also true of the majority of the components on the carrier with a few exceptions.

Q Can you given some insight into your key machine and component partnerships?

J.H. Fletcher in Huntington, West Virginia is our largest and most important partner, as the majority of our low profile bolters, including those at KGHM utilise a J.H. Fletcher front end, including our Roof Master 1.4, 1.4 Automatic and 1.7 plus the innovative Roof Master 1.7 Automatic bolter which emerged from a cooperative effort involving Mine Master and J.H. Fletcher engineers. This has been followed by the new twin boom Face Master 2.320 which is being shipped to India, as well as to Chile this year. Then we also have bolters such as the Roof Master 1.8 AWK ATEX for explosive environments which uses our in-house AWK rotary rock drill. Next, I would mention five other companies – Deutz which supplies our engines including those for drill rigs and bolters; Montabert, which supplies the rock drills used on our Face Master development and production drill rigs; and Padley & Venables, which we have worked with for a long time on the hard rock tools we supply for ex-factory machines. Dana we tend to work with on transmissions and powertrains, and lastly the companies we have worked very closely for many years on computerised-control of our product line-up.

Q Looking back on Mine Master’s 30 years, are there any particular product launches or developments that you would highlight as being important landmarks or big steps forward?

I would say first of all in 1995/1996 the initial low profile 1.4 and 1.7 Roof Master and Face Master machines for KGHM. Later on, we also began to supply these machines to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Then in the early 2000s, we began working with AMV and Bever Control to produce our first fully computerised Face Master drill jumbo which became known as the Feeder Guidance System or FGS. This monitoring system allows for drilling according to a drill plan, plus it helps to control and monitor drilling parameters. The operator can see the visualisation of the drilling pattern and feeder position on their monitor. In order to maximise the drilling results, the system also provides drilling reports with drilling parameters. We were able to then offer FGS to KGHM and other customers. Lastly we have just developed a low profile drill rig with our new Autonomous Drilling System or ADS – this fully autonomous solution we believe to be a world first on a low profile machine. It means there is very little direct operator input – they are acting more as a manager or monitor of the machine. It makes for the highest levels of precision. Because the pressure and the feed is so tightly controlled in tandem with the drill plan, ultimately it will translate into a longer lifetime for the unit as well. Plus it is far safer as the operator is always under the canopy. A lot of our autonomous progress dates back to KGHM asking us to develop an automatic bolter for them in 2003 – which became the Roof Master 1.4 Automatic and on which we worked with J.H. Fletcher. It has a high thrust rotary drilling system incorporating dry drilling with dust collection. The patented drilling system uses separate drilling rods to drill a 1.2 m long hole in drifts only 1.6 m in height. The boom enables the drilling module to install bolts over a 5 m straight line with the module also capable of angle bolting. We are also today working with J.H. Fletcher and KGHM to supply them new types of autonomous bolter to meet their current needs – by end-2023 we will have a new machine able to install 1.6 m bolts in 1.9 m seams; plus 1.8 m bolts in 2.1 m seams. It will be capable of installing 10 bolts per hour.

Q Moving on to battery electric – you started testing of a BEV bolter with KGHM in 2021 – how did that project come about and what is the latest on your BEV plans?

Actually we have been discussing battery machines as far back as the early 2000s. At that time we spoke with several battery suppliers plus we explored having electric wheel motors. But then, it was firstly not possible from a cost point of view to build the machine plus then there was not the market demand or drivers that there is now. The batteries alone would cost more than what a standard entire machine would cost. We restarted our project in 2017 which culminated in the new battery Roof Master 1.8KE being deployed in 2021 at KGHM’s Lubin mine. It is designed to work in galleries from 3 m to 5.8 m in height and is equipped with a 1.8 m mechanised bolting mast for nine bolts. The 120 kWh sodium-nickel battery installed on board the machine can be recharged by using the existing mine power network in the 500-1,000 V range plus energy recuperation is also possible during downhill tramming. This machine was followed by a battery Face Master jumbo, the FM 1.7LE, which also went to Lubin mine. The performance of these machines has given us a lot of confidence in future BEV machines – they work very well, both machines obviously working off a cable when drilling and off the battery when tramming. You can even if needed charge one battery machine partly with another which has a higher charge level. The bolter completed its year of testing then was bought by KGHM and now operates as part of the normal fleet. The drill rig is a few months into its testing. For 2024, KGHM previously asked us to supply machines with a Euro Stage V engine instead of a Stage IIIA; because they are going ever deeper and the conditions in terms of ventilation continue to become more challenging – we are in the middle of an ongoing discussion with them about battery machines as an alternative. Even from a running cost point of view including service, maintenance etc the bolter showed savings of 70% per bolt compared to a standard diesel machine, a lot of which is related to much reduced diesel engine service time.

The FLP-1410 – an autonomous first for low profile rigs

IM saw some final outdoor testing of the world’s first low profile rig equipped with full autonomy; in this case Mine Master’s ADS which offers consistency in drilling and drill patterns for lower overbreak, plus less component wear and tear and so lower running costs. The first machine is destined for Zimbabwe where it will go for testing to Unki platinum mine, part of Anglo American. This mine already operates the non-autonomous equivalent rig, the FLP-1400, the newest version of which is automation ready so could be upgraded to an FLP-1410 with the addition of the right sensors and other equipment. Additionally, the current system makes it possible for one operator to manage two machines – moving to the second once the set up process is complete.

The autonomous FLP-1410 low profile drill rig during tests at Mine Master’s Wilkow factory

Challenges included getting all the necessary components into a limited space on the machine which is already very low profile – only 1.4 m in height. Then Mine Master had to install all the ADS elements including sensors and pins and integrate them with the machine hydraulic system. This includes the magnetic sensors in the pins themselves for angle measurement, plus hydraulic rock drill, feeder and boom extension hydraulic flow meters and finally machine proximity sensors to avoid collisions. In this machine a Level 9 ready system from Becker Mining is used.

The process starts with a new face, where some navigation by the operator is needed to match the position of the virtual face with the real face. The operator positions the machine with the front platform horizontally, in both axes. They then have to retract the boom extension and the frame extension to the starting position. The next step is to select the drilling pattern and the drilling depth. The operator ties the machine to a reference point on the face to which the working unit now aligns itself and its blast pattern. Then the machine switches to automatic mode and starts its calculation for the first hole. The algorithm calculates how to reach the first hole from the current boom position. The point that is currently being drilled is highlighted in green on the monitor and the machine continues to work without input from the operator.

Oyu Tolgoi prepares concentrator for higher grades & hardness as underground ramps up

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining

With the commencement of underground operations in March 2023, Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine now has two sources of feed that comes its concentrator – open pit ore from the conventional load and haul Oyut deposit and underground ore from the Hugo North Deposit via the Hugo North Lift 1 first stage of the block cave. While underground is around 10% of the feed at the moment there will be a slow and steady increase over the next few years and ultimately lead start the mine on its long term path to producing 500,000 t/y of copper on average from 2028-2036.

As Andrew Wilson Operations Director, Oyu Tolgoi explained during the recent Oyu Tolgoi Site Visit and Investor Day in July 2023, this phasing in of underground ore has to be correctly managed from the concentrator point of view. The mill concentrate capacity from 2024 to 2025 needs to support increased volumes of high grade underground ore which involves a brownfield concentrator conversion project which is already commencing and is critical for the underground ramp up.

Wilson stated: “That includes an additional ball mill, a flotation circuit and a series of other new equipment to be able to support the higher grade that is coming from the underground, mainly from Panel 0 to start with. The conversion work is already started…that will be occurring over the next couple of years, as the underground feed increases.” He added that it is important to note that the concentrator conversion does not necessarily increase the capacity of the concentrator. The conversion for now just supports the higher grade of the material though of course Oyu Tolgoi is also looking at other options to increase plant capacity.

Otgonbayar Togtokhbayar, General Manager, Technical & Integrated Planning commented on achievements already made since the concentrator began operations in 2013. Then ore capacity rates were around the 20 Mt/y mark but over the last 10 years it has doubled to 40 Mt/y, thanks to a number of different initiatives and improvements, and this milling rate has been maintained now consistently. This includes mill discharge grate improvement, magnet removal for the scrap metals, plus a raft of new technologies helping the operation to remove bottlenecks and any constraints in the mill. Other examples include increasing grinding media quality and upping flotation performance. Oyu Tolgoi has also worked on the value chain, introducing high intensity blasting in the open pit to increase help increase fragmentation for material going to the mill.

The significant benefits have been achieved despite increasing ore hardness and the concentrator milling effective utilisation is expected to remain above 94%, which fits the industry benchmark. The ongoing ore hardness increase reflects the open pit mine getting deeper and the underground ore proportion increasing.

Back to the concentrator conversion which will enable the processing of the higher grade underground ore. Damian Rogers, Underground Project Director, Oyu Tolgoi said that the early works part of this programme is now complete, with civil works proceeding as planned and the main construction works already commenced with a main contractor on-board. “It adds a fifth ball mill, a process circuit including additional flotation columns, rougher flotation, a thickener, and filters…this is quite specialist work which we’re executing inside the operating concentrator facility, so the key here, like all major brownfield work is the fine knit detailed planning, and the real discipline execution of this, particularly when it comes to tying in the new equipment into the existing plant.” 

He continued: “We also know from our experience that an often underestimated success factor in this type of work is a really clear governance structure and decision making process for any works inside that operating plant…we have a really good structure and a good programme in place, and it’s been functioning really well between the project and operating teams.” Rogers mentioned the close integration between the project and the operating teams for the concentrator conversion: “We’re really working tightly together on this; we’ve been seeing this run really well today and on site and we effectively just had one team delivering this work at the concentrator, and that’s really critical for the success.”

In more detail, ore reclaimed from the coarse ore stockpile is currently fed to two comminution lines, each consisting of a SAG mill, two parallel ball mills, and associated downstream equipment. Cyclone overflow from the circuit at a P80 of 140–180 μm reports to the rougher flotation cells. The modifications include the installation of a fifth ball mill and associated equipment.

Increased rougher flotation capacity will be provided by adding a fifth rougher flotation bank. The design of the fifth rougher bank is same as the existing 160 m3 mechanical tank cells. Retention time in the rougher circuit is 25 minutes at design throughput rates. Tailings from the new rougher bank will flow to the combined rougher tailings cross-launder at the end of the banks.
Rougher concentrate discharges into the combined concentrate launder, that feeds the regrind cyclone feed pump box. Concentrate from the rougher flotation cells is reground in vertical tower mills before reporting to the first stage cleaner and cleaner-scavenger circuits.

When treating predominantly Hugo North underground ore, cleaner-scavenger concentrate will be directed to the column feed pump box. But the modifications will also allow the cleaner-scavenger concentrate to combine with rougher concentrate for regrinding, when treating open pit dominant ore.

Concentrate from the first stage cleaners-scavengers is pumped to column cells, which produce the final grade concentrate. The column cleaner flotation circuit currently consists of four flotation column cells. The Phase 2 modification involves installing six new cells and associated ancillary equipment. The new cells will be identical to the existing cells. The additional six columns make use of a column tailing air sparging system with six new pumps installed. The modifications will include the ability to direct the column cell tailings to the regrind circuit when processing predominantly Hugo North ore, or to the feed to the cleaner cells when processing mostly Oyut open pit ore.

Two stacked type concentrate filters, each with 24 plates and 144 m2 filtration area, are currently installed. The modifications include installation of two new 144 m2 filters of similar design and capacity. The new filters will be mounted on an elevated platform to provide perimeter access and enough clearance for the gravity transfer of filter cake onto a belt feeder via an inlet surge chute. The concentrate is deposited on a conveyer that transports dewatered concentrate to the storage building.

Final concentrate is currently thickened to 70% solids w/w in two 23 m diameter high rate concentrate thickeners. The Phase 2 modifications include installation of a third thickener. The new thickener has similar design specification with the existing thickeners. The existing two concentrate thickeners and storage tanks are enclosed within the concentrator building. The third thickener will be installed in an adjacent annex.

Vollert robot rail shunters help Bogatyr ramp up coal production capacity in Kazakhstan

Automation, Bulk handling, Coal technology, Mining services

Bogatyr is planning to expand the production capacity of Kazakhstan’s largest open-cast coal mine from 32 Mt/y to 40 Mt/y with automated conveyor technology. The modernisation project included erection of an automated coal wagon loading station in cooperation with ThyssenKrupp. It only takes three to four hours to load two trains with about 70 cars each in parallel. The trains are pulled automatically by five Vollert DER 300 shunting robots with diesel-electrical drives, traction forces of 300 kN each, and service weights of 150 t.

Each of the five shunting machines comprises a six-axle tandem version with control and engine cars, and a drive output of 180 kW. A Cat generator adjusted to the specific requirements on site provides the power needed to operate the system. Temperatures from -30 to +30°C and temperature fluctuations of +/- 30°C in the course of a day demand tried and tested, robust technology. Vollert says it ensures smooth operation even under harsh climate conditions with heated components, a diesel tank integrated into the frame, automatic couplings, and a sanding system. “All commissionings were performed in time at 33°C before Vollert’s technology perfectly mastered its load tests.”

Delivery to the loading track happens manually, using a radio remote control. The shunting robot stops automatically in its defined position, where the operator will initiate handover of Wi-Fi control to the staff in the loading building. With the empty freight train and its locomotive coupled to it, the shunting robot will move into the loading building to place the first wagon under the loading chute. Once loading is started, coal will be conveyed into the wagons continually, completing the process of loading in no more than three hours. The line locomotive will take over the train again at that point to transport the coal to the customer, while the shunting robots go on their way to take over the next train.

Vollert used Siemens components to build a Wi-Fi route along the 1.3 km-long shunting tracks for data transmission and control. Eleven access points with directional antennae, connected by optic fibre, reliably forward the control unit’s data signals to the machines and vice versa. The Wi-Fi control also permits free operation of all robots on all tracks, enabling rolling use of the five shunting robots on four tracks and warranting failsafe operation around the clock. Each robot has remote maintenance integrated for 1st level support from Germany. Vollert says it also offers its customers the option of performing recurring inspections and maintenance on site.

This project is the largest single order to date in the shunting systems portfolio of Vollert, a company that has existed for nearly a century. Train loading was officially put into operation in December 2022, with full operation planned for mid-2023. Before the shunting robots were able to take up their work, however, Vollert organised their transport across more than 6,000 km to Ekibastuz – on land, on water, and by rail. Heavy-duty low-loaders carried the ten tandem parts with a total weight of 750 t to Kiel, from where a ship took them across the Baltic Sea to Lithuania, to be transported on to Kazakhstan by train on a route spanning another 4,000 km.