Tag Archives: Anders Johansson

Epiroc lays out plan for first Minetruck battery-electric conversions

Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , , ,

An articulated underground truck with a 32.6 t capacity is the next vehicle Epiroc is looking to provide a battery-electric conversion kit for, the OEM confirmed at its Capital Markets Day today.

The Minetruck MT436B set for an electrification conversion is suitable for medium to large underground operations, according to the company.

Epiroc has, to this point, provided battery-electric conversion kits for two of its underground loaders. The first up in its conversion project was the diesel-powered Scooptram ST1030 loader, followed by the ST14 LHD – which Epiroc already provides a new battery-electric option for.

Jess Kindler, President Parts & Services division, told attendees at the CMD that several machines were currently under conversion. At least two converted diesel ST1030s are due to go to Evolution Mining’s Red Lake gold operation in Ontario, Canada, as part of the company’s first order for the solution.

Epiroc’s Anders Johansson, Product Line Manager – Midlife services and Custom Engineered Solutions, told IM last month that more than one ST14 unit had been converted using another newly developed conversion kit, with one machine undergoing testing.

Both converted model types have been developed at the same Epiroc location in Lively, Ontario, according to Johannsson, where there is plenty of highly experienced Midlife services rebuild project experts. The battery conversion specialists, FVT, which Epiroc recently acquired, is also located close by.

Neither of Epiroc’s two main underground mining equipment competitors have a formal battery conversion offering, but Kindler was enthusiastic about the potential market uptake of these solutions.

“I believe we have a truly special window of opportunity here over the next few years,” he said. “As I briefly mentioned, the average lifespan for an underground piece of equipment is four-to-seven-years – give or take – and, by offering conversions, we can increase the speed of our customers taking on battery technology and we can also speed up the rollout of our batteries to the market.”

He added: “We’ll roll out more and models and, to be honest, there is nothing standing in the way of us doing conversions on other OEMs equipment, as well. We have the knowledge to do it.”

Epiroc investing in 3D printing for on demand spare parts

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining software, , , , ,

Epiroc says it is introducing a project focused on the use of 3D printing capabilities for the manufacturing of spare parts.

According to Anders Johansson, Product Manager at Epiroc, working with 3D technologies will open up unlimited possibilities for the company.

One promising technology gaining momentum is additive manufacturing or a phased build-up of an object using 3D modelling and printing, Epiroc said. This has not yet been widely developed for the mining and construction industry.

“The technology of fast details production involves the manufacturing of physical samples based on CAD-data or 3D-scanning data,” Epiroc said. “This includes the use of special equipment for layer-by-layer 3D-synthesis and practically no need of further refinement.”

Earlier in 2019, Epiroc begun to explore the opportunity to implement additive technologies in the process of manufacturing spare parts; it was after high standards of quality and accuracy with this.

Johansson said: “Working with 3D technologies opens up unlimited opportunities for the company to create complex geometric shapes and maintain high quality standards.

“This technology does not only provide additional opportunities for the creation of complex parts. It also allows companies to transfer digital models around the world in minutes to manufacture spare parts right on the spot where they are needed.”

For those who use Epiroc equipment, spare parts wait time will be noticeably reduced, according to Epiroc. Consequently, equipment downtime will also decrease. In addition, the possibility of 3D printing significantly optimises the process of delivery and storage of Epiroc spare parts, which will lead to increased value for the customers, the company said.

Johansson concluded: “Thanks to the opportunities this will give, we will be able to serve our customers in new ways and, at the same time, reduce environmental impacts throughout the world, which is high on our agenda as a modern global company.”