Tag Archives: Articulated trucks

Euro Sun Mining plots Rovina Valley gold-copper production route in DFS

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Euro Sun Mining’s definitive feasibility study (DFS) on the Rovina Valley gold and copper project in Romania has outlined the development of two open-pit mines for a 21,000 t/d operation producing 132,000 oz of gold-equivalent over a 16.8-year mine life.

The company plans to use a phased development approach at Rovina Valley, with the development of the two open pit gold-copper deposits, Colnic and Rovina, included in the DFS and the exploitation of the Ciresata underground deposit (not included in the study) phased in following completion of open-pit mining. Ciresata is envisioned as a bulk underground mining operation and will be evaluated for its economic potential in a later study, the company added.

Estimated initial capital expenditure came in at $399 million (including $12.7 million in pre-strip), with average all-in sustaining costs of $813/oz of gold-equivalent. Using $1,550/oz gold and $3.30/lb copper prices, the post-tax net present value (5% discount) came in at $359 million.

These results were broadly in line with a May 2020 target of outlining a DFS with an 18-year mine life, with initial capital expenditure in line with the preliminary economic assessment – which showed off a capital expenditure bill of $339.7 million.

The Rovina Valley project is planned to be mined with a standard open-pit mining method using articulated trucks and a hydraulic loader. The open-pit mining operation is anticipated to last around 16.5 years, during which the lower-grade material will be stockpiled on a pad close to the primary crusher location for treatment over another 18 months. The DFS incorporates simple flotation without the use of cyanide and dry-stack tailings, the company said.

On the latter, the company said: “KCB have designed a waste management facility within the project area for the co-deposition of waste rock and filtered rougher tailings. Process plant rougher tailings will be filtered in the plant where the resultant filter cake will be transported by conveyors and will be co-mingled with waste rock prior to deposition. The cleaner tails will be filtered separately from the rougher tailings and the resultant filter cake will be transported by conveyors and deposited separately within a lined zone contained within the boundary of the co-mingled facility and will be stored separately in a lined zone of the waste management facility.”

Euro Sun said the design had been engineered to reduce the risk of development of impacted seepage from potentially acid-generating waste rock and capture the impacted seepage from the cleaner tailings.

“After completion of mining the Colnic pit, the waste rock and rougher tailings will be preferentially backfilled into the Colnic pit, while the cleaner tails will continue to report to the lined zone of the waste management facility,” it added.

The company said it is targeting first production from Rovina Valley in 2024.

Terex Trucks signs up Headwater Equipment as Alberta dealer

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

Terex Trucks has announced Headwater Equipment Sales Ltd as its new dealer in Alberta, Canada, bringing its articulated haulers to even more customers in the province’s construction, mining, agriculture and oil and gas sectors.

Terex Trucks articulated haulers can handle rough terrain and tough conditions and perform reliably during Canada’s coldest months of the year, according to the company.

In Alberta, a variety of tasks await Terex Trucks’ TA300 and TA400 articulated haulers. The company’s new dealer, Headwater Equipment, will sell and rent the TA300 and TA400, as well as provide aftermarket support, to its customers in the prairie province in the west of Canada.

“Customers in Alberta require tough construction equipment that performs reliably during the coldest months of the year, when temperatures can drop as low as -30 to -40°C,” the company said. “That’s one of the reasons why Terex Trucks’ durable and robust articulated haulers have a history of strong sales in the area.”

Matt Stringer, President at Headwater Equipment, said: “Terex Trucks is well known in Alberta; the haulers perform well in cold conditions. Under the ownership of Volvo CE, they’ve made substantial investments and improvements to the quality and performance of the TA400 and TA300, so we’re looking forward to introducing our customers to the upgraded trucks.”

Headquartered in Coalhurst, near Lethbridge in Alberta, Headwater Equipment operates from three locations in Alberta and one in British Columbia. The dealership was founded in 1997 and, today, 65 employees and 20 service trucks provide customers with quality equipment and support.

Greg Gerbus, Regional Sales Manager Terex Trucks, said: “Headwater Equipment is a growing dealership with a strong focus on superior customer service. Our customers will benefit from the complementary product lines Headwater Equipment provides, such as excavators, as well as their high standards and business model of creative solutions to customer needs.”

The TA300 has recently been upgraded and now comes with a new transmission, leading to improvements in fuel efficiency, performance, productivity and operator comfort, when compared with the previous model. The 28 t machine delivers a 5% improvement in fuel efficiency, a 5 km/h increase in speed to 55 km/h and an increase in the length of time between oil maintenance intervals from 1,000-4,000 hours. In addition, the truck now comes with eight forward gears as well as four reverse gears, to help ensure smoother gear shifting and, thereby, higher levels of operator comfort. All of this means that customers can be more productive, achieving faster cycle times, lower cost per tonne and reduced carbon emissions.

The TA400, the largest articulated hauler on offer from Terex Trucks, has a maximum payload of 38 t and a heaped capacity of 23.3 cu.m. Powered by a high performance, fuel efficient engine that develops a gross power of 331 kW, the TA400 is designed to meet the demands of the most extreme operations such as quarries, mines and large-scale construction projects.

Cat ups the ante with introduction of AD63 underground truck

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

Caterpillar has released a new underground articulated truck that, it says, features increased payload, advanced emissions controls, enhanced comfort and serviceability.

The new Cat® AD63, the largest underground truck in the Caterpillar product line, features a 5% increased payload and more torque for enhanced production capabilities, compared with its predecessor, the AD60. The new AD63 also can be configured to meet the strictest diesel engine emissions regulations – for both regulatory compliance and improved underground air quality, the company says.

Additional new features enhance operator ergonomics, maintenance access and safety, and data collection for machine health monitoring, according to the company.

The new model will be available in late 2020, according to the company.

The AD63 is powered by the Cat C27 diesel engine, which produces 588 kW, meets EU Stage V emission standards and is approved by CANMET for use in underground mines, the mining OEM said. The truck does not require diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to meet these standards, with the emissions control system maintaining the ability to use diesel particulate filters, such as the Cat Wall Flow Filter, to further reduce particulate emissions.

The AD63 powertrain also features a new torque converter gear ratio to increase peak torque and improve gear retention on variable grades, according to Cat. “The optimised transmission shift strategy results in smoother uphill driving and greater operator comfort,” it said. “The new torque converter also increases rimpull when driving away from a stop.”

The AD63 engine package has extended altitude capability – from negative 3,048 m to positive 1,524 m – while the new engine cooling package maintains capabilities at high ambient temperatures. A new design and routing for cooling air, meanwhile, improves serviceability, and the radiator core has serviceable tubes for fast repairs.

In the AD63 cab, the ducted ventilation and air conditioning system gives the truck operator full control with nine adjustable louvres for comfortable cooling and efficient defogging. The HVAC system is powered by a battery electric system so it can be operated when the engine is not running, which pays off in less engine idling and lower operating costs, according to Cat.

The new cab arrangement features a forward-facing trainer seat offering increased space and comfort for the trainer, Cat says. The tilt cab feature gives maintenance personnel the ability to tilt the cab for access to the cab side of the engine for easier and faster access to components. And, outside the cab, a redesigned access ladder and fold-flat handrails enhance safety during maintenance

The new AD63 incorporates Product Link Elite™ as standard equipment to enable data collection and equipment health monitoring. “The system enables sharing data across multiple destinations, reduces gaps in data or lost data due to network issues, and has direct connectivity to Caterpillar and Cat dealers for remote support and services, such as condition monitoring,” the company said.

The AD63 also has external displays showing the weight of the truck contents to the loader operator. “Instant feedback for the loader operator enables more efficient passes and optimum truck loads,” the company said, which added that displays are on both sides of the truck.

In addition to new technology, Caterpillar has added the option of a new lightweight dump body, with 38.3 m³ capacity. The AD63 also maintains commonality with other AD60 bodies.

Milestone delivery for Cat articulated trucks

Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore,

Caterpillar has delivered its 50,000th articulated truck from the Peterlee manufacturing facility in the UK.

Trader Construction Company of North Carolina, US, received the unit during a ceremony recently held at the facility. Carl Huddle, president of Trader, and Gregory Poole Cat dealer representatives were on hand to receive keys to Trader’s newest Cat 745, 41-tonne articulated truck.

Brent Losey, product manager for articulated trucks, said: “The articulated truck has been a key member of Caterpillar’s core product line since it was developed in Peterlee, which has always been its proud home.

“Cat articulated trucks are helping our customers meet their objectives on construction and mine sites around the world. We are proud to see the 50,000th truck drive off the assembly line and look forward to the next 50,000!”

Trader and Cat dealer Gregory Poole have enjoyed a longstanding relationship dating back to the 1960s, and Trader has owned or leased a total of 500 36-t class articulated trucks over the years, according to Anthony Pollock, articulated trucks marketing manager for Caterpillar.

Featuring the recently re-engineered cab, the Cat 745 offers improved ease of operation, uninterrupted rear-quarter visibility and in-cab operating sound levels 7 dB lower than previous designs.

Its gear range selector delivers efficient single-lever control over truck speed and body hoisting functions to improve cycle times.

Featuring economy mode operation for an average 5% fuel consumption improvement, the truck’s power train is driven by the Cat C18 ACERT™ engine, rated at 504 net horsepower (375 kW), with a range of emissions control platforms to meet global environmental standards.

The Cat 745 articulated truck features a host of standard integrated technologies, including Product Link™, Cat Production Management and Cat Detect with Stability Assist, to monitor, manage and enhance job site operations.

Cat’s family of articulated trucks features six, three-axle models with rated payloads ranging from 24-41 t and heaped capacities from 15-25 m³.