Tag Archives: Caterpillar

LiuGong appoints Kris Kulkarni as it strives for ‘world-class’ mining product line

Automation, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining people, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

LiuGong Machinery has made Kris Kulkarni Vice President, Global Mining, at LiuGong North America.

Kulkarni began his professional career at Caterpillar, in 1996, in structures, and steadily progressed in engineering roles across diverse mining products including large wheel loaders, mining trucks, surface drills, and hydraulic shovels, LiuGong said.

“LiuGong has an emerging portfolio of mining products, including trucks, large tonnage wheel loaders, excavators and bulldozers,” the company said. “Kris is exceptionally well qualified to help lead the transformation of this mining product line to world-class levels.”

LiuGong Vice President of Strategy & Aftersales and Chairman of LiuGong North America, Kevin Thieneman, said: “Kris’ extensive background and knowledge of the mining industry brings an exciting new dynamic to our company. As LiuGong is committed to expanding not only product its current line-up of mining machines but its overall understanding of these highly specialised customers, Kris will be an invaluable part of that growth.”

Kulkarni said: “I am excited to have the opportunity to join an organisation so focused on customers and employees. LiuGong has a rich 60-year history, and an inspiring vision for its future. I look forward to helping write the next chapter as we broaden the portfolio by designing and manufacturing machines in a larger-size class which offer our customers the lowest total cost of ownership.”

Element Six synthetic diamond will help hard rock cutting achieve true potential

Diamond mining, Explosives and blasting, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Element Six, as a company, was set up to harness the unique properties of synthetic diamond (polycrystalline diamond or PCD) and tungsten carbide to deliver supermaterials that improve the efficiency, performance and reliability of industrial tools and technology, including in mining.

IM recently met with Element Six (E6) Global Sales Director, Mining, Road & WP, Markus Bening, to better understand what this means for the mining industry and what progress has been made.

It is worth remembering that the company while focussing on advanced materials also has a unique position in the industry, with diamond mining major De Beers Group the 100% owner of the technologies part of the business, and De Beers Group, itself, part of global mining company Anglo American. Some of the industry’s leading hard rock cutting technologies are already being used by these operators, at Anglo’s Twickenham platinum mine, for example. E6 also has all the required raw material sourcing and manufacturing capability such as advanced high pressure/high temperature presses in house to allow it to supply PCD solutions in the quality, consistency and quantity that will be needed to the mining global market.

In mining one of the most interesting markets is hard rock cutting, where the potential for Element Six materials is enormous in rock tools. In relevant ASTM tests such as B611-13, PCD performs up to 500 or 650 times better than tungsten carbide. Of course it has a significant price premium but its performance far, far outweighs this price gap. Bening stated: “PCD is a supermaterial so has a higher price but massive advantages in performance that come with it.”

 

 

 

 

 

Due to confidentiality agreements, Bening would not specify which OEMs are trialling PCD in the hard rock cutting space but confirmed that E6 is working on PCD prototype testing and trials with several leading players and has achieved impressive results.

Taking a hard rock cutting unit, E6 can supply the PCD material on its own, the whole component, the pick or the disc cutter, whatever the customer wants, but primarily E6 is a materials expert.

Bening told IM: “Today there is a lot of advanced testing and fine tuning using our PCD in the cutting tools of the latest hard rock cutting mining machines. In the next five to ten years I see continuous hard rock cutting going commercial throughout the mining industry and E6’s PCD technology will undoubtedly form an important part of that.”

As previously published by IM, major developers of continuous hard rock cutting machines for mining include Epiroc (Mobile Miner), Sandvik (MX650), Caterpillar (Rock Header/Rock Straight) and Komatsu (DynaCut).

And hard rock cutting is not the only mining focus. PCD also has potential in down the hole (DTH) drilling where Percussive Diamond Inserts are used on the bits, and again advanced trials are ongoing with the main global manufacturers of drill bits, with a lot of success so far. PCD means a lot of energy savings in bit use, and bits keeping their shape much longer meaning no regrinding is needed.

Fortescue autonomy firsts continue with start-up of AHS-equipped Cat 789Ds

Automation, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fortescue Metals Group has completed another significant step to becoming the first iron ore operation in the world to have a fully autonomous haulage fleet with the first Cat 789D model trucks fitted with Autonomous Haulage Technology (AHS) now in operation at its Cloudbreak operation in Western Australia.

Building on Fortescue’s autonomy capability, which began in 2012 when the company was the first in the world to deploy Cat autonomous haulage on a commercial scale, the planned roll out of 38 autonomous trucks at Cloudbreak has commenced. The conversion of Fortescue’s fleet to autonomy across all its mine sites in the Pilbara will see 175 trucks fitted with AHS by mid-2020.

Fortescue’s fleet of autonomous trucks has safely travelled over 28 million kilometres and has moved over 860 Mt of material, delivering a 30% improvement in productivity, according to the company.

In a global first, Fortescue retrofitted Cat Command for Hauling, part of Caterpillar’s MineStar technology, on Komatsu 930E haul trucks at Christmas Creek. The 930Es have been operating alongside the Cat 789Ds since November, “demonstrating the company’s capability to manage and operate the first multi-class truck size autonomous haulage site in the industry”, the company said.

Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Gaines, said: “Currently, Fortescue’s pioneering AHS deployment is the largest mining technology program in the industry.

“Our approach to autonomy is to be open and transparent with our plans and to work closely with our team members to offer opportunities for re-training and re-deployment. Around 3,000 Fortescue team members have been trained to work with autonomous haulage, including over 200 people trained as Mine Controllers and AHS system professionals. This ensures Fortescue remains transformational and leads to higher skilled workers and jobs.”

The rollout of AHS at Cloudbreak also required the transfer of 160 pieces of machinery to the Cat MineStar Command remote operations server. Cloudbreak is now the first remote mining operation in the world to use the Cat MineStar Command system in production mode, FMG said.

“Our remote operations centre located in Perth is a critical part of our integrated supply chain and key to increasing productivity and efficiency across our operations,” Gaines said.

Denise Johnson, Group President for Caterpillar’s Resource Industries, said: “Caterpillar and Fortescue have a history of industry-leading collaboration in the area of autonomy and automation. Cloudbreak takes this relationship to the next level and demonstrates another great example of Fortescue’s commitment to safety, site productivity and sustainable mining.”

Fortescue’s Cloudbreak mine site is also home to the 5-km relocatable conveyor, previously supplied by RCR Tomlinson, which includes two semi-mobile primary crushing stations and feeds directly into the Cloudbreak ore processing facility (OPF). “Another example of Fortescue’s innovative operations, the infrastructure can be positioned approximate to pits and relocated, extended or shortened once an area is mined,” the company said.

Within two weeks of operation, the conveyor was at full capacity, carrying 5,000 t/h of ore at approximately 25 km/h. The conveyor has replaced the equivalent of 12 manned trucks, FMG said.

“Together with the 11 autonomous drills currently operating across sites and the relocatable conveyor at Cloudbreak, our autonomous operations continue to deliver significant benefits to the business,” Gaines said.

Caterpillar, WesTrac to help automate Rio Tinto’s Koodaideri iron ore mine

Automation, Environmental, IoT, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, Water management, , , , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto and Caterpillar have agreed to work together to create an automated mine operation at the Koodaideri iron ore project, in Western Australia, that makes best use of data analytics and integration to enhance safety, optimise production, boost mining machine use and lower costs.

The recently signed agreement will see Cat® and dealer WesTrac supply and support mining machines, automation and enterprise technology systems for the new mine. Rio, in a separate release, said this would see the supply of a fleet of 20 autonomous 793F trucks (pictured) as well as four autonomous blast drills.

Beyond the autonomous fleet, Caterpillar will also provide loaders, dozers, graders, water carts and diggers for the operation, which will be Rio Tinto’s first Pilbara mine to be primarily operated using Caterpillar machinery, Rio said. “The two companies have also agreed to study the potential for increased levels of automation of heavy mining equipment at the mine in the future.”

The partnership with Caterpillar at Koodaideri will enhance Rio Tinto’s industry-leading Mine of the Future™ programme, which connects all components of the mining value chain for the first time, as well as making increased use of automation and digitisation, according to Rio. Caterpillar’s machinery will be integrated with Rio Tinto’s Mine Automation System (MAS), which collects and enhances data created by the company’s mining operations, to improve productivity across Rio Tinto’s entire iron ore network.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Chris Salisbury, said: “We’re pleased to be partnering with Caterpillar and WesTrac, the regional Cat dealer, to help make Koodaideri the most technology-enabled and innovative mine in our Pilbara iron ore network.

“Technology is rapidly changing our mining operations as we harness innovation to make our operations safer, smarter and more productive. This extension of our partnership with Caterpillar and WesTrac represents an exciting step for our business.”

Denise Johnson, Group President Resource Industries, Caterpillar Inc, said: “The Caterpillar team is looking forward to working with Rio Tinto to apply our proven mining equipment and technology and to implement additional MineStar™ autonomy solutions at Koodaideri—a new mine designed to capitalise on leading-edge technology.

“We are excited to work together to advance Rio Tinto’s mine automation and digitalisation program.”

Koodaideri will deliver a new production hub for Rio Tinto’s iron ore business in the Pilbara. Construction work has commenced, and first production is expected in late 2021. Once complete, the mine will have an annual capacity of 43 Mt, underpinning production of the Pilbara Blend, Rio’s flagship iron ore product.

As mine construction advances, WesTrac will manage logistics of mining machine delivery and commissioning and play a key role in implementing technology solutions.

Jarvas Croome, WesTrac CEO, said: “WesTrac is excited to be part of the Koodaideri project and to work with Caterpillar to deliver ground-breaking equipment solutions to support Rio Tinto’s Mine of the Future vision.”

Last week, FLSmidth announced it would bring the latest smart 3D design to Koodaideri after announcing a contract win.

RCT brings automation to MATSA underground operations in Spain

Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RCT says it has finalised a major automation project at MATSA’s Aguas Teñidas and Magdalena mines in the Huelva province of Spain.

The project involved installing ControlMaster® Guidance Automation on four CAT R2900G underground LHDs and one Automation Centre Surface Control Station at MATSA’s Aguas Teñidas copper-lead-zinc mine.

MATSA is a jointly-owned company by Mubadala Investment Co and Trafigura. It owns and operates three mines in the Huelva, including Aguas Teñidas, Magdalena and Sotiel, on top of a 4.4 Mt/y copper and polymetallic processing plant.

RCT’s automation centre at Aguas Teñidas is fitted out with RCT’s Multiple Machine Control feature enabling a single operator to remotely control multiple machines at the same time via the mine’s digital communications network.

RCT also commissioned two Sandvik LH621 underground LHDs with ControlMaster Guidance Automation at the nearby Magdalena copper mine. These Sandvik LHDs can operate on a digital network via RCT’s Area Access Cabinets which act as an extension of the automation centre and interfaces between the work areas and the machines.

This instalment builds on a previous project to mount ControlMaster Teleremote and Guidance Automation solutions on three of the site’s CAT R2900G LHDs, which operated on an analogue network via two surface control stations, according to RCT.

Guidance Automation allows machines to tram between two predetermined points on a mine site with the push of a button by operators who also receive real-time information including machine speed, rpm, direction, pitch and roll, RCT said.

“The automation centre consists of an ergonomically designed operators chair facing up from screens, which feed real-time information from sensors and machine-mounted cameras to the operator,” the company added. Teleremote, meanwhile, enables the operator to remotely manage the machine from a control station in real time.

A MATSA spokesperson said: “This system not only allows us to operate in hazardous conditions safely from the surface, but also increases productivity by permitting us to operate during shift change and smoke clearing. We also have the capability to simultaneously operate more than one piece of equipment with the same teleremote operator.”

RCT Account Manager, Shane Smith, said the Guidance Automation products would provide solid benefits for MATSA. “ControlMaster Guidance Automation has a proven track record of improving operator safety in a traditionally hazardous working environment by removing them from the mine face,” he said.

“The faster tramming speeds will also help to boost site productivity on site and limit unplanned machine downtime due to repairs from machinery accidents while the new automation centre will reduce operator fatigue due to improved comfort and ease-of-access on the mine’s surface.”

Strong mining and construction demand leads to Cat Q1 sales jump

Automation, Equipment maintenance, Mine shafts and equipment, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, , , ,

Demand from the mining and construction sectors saw Caterpillar’s sales and revenue jump 5% in the March quarter, the equipment manufacturer has reported.

Sales and revenue came in at $13.5 billion in the first three months of the year, compared with $12.9 billion a year earlier, with the company’s profit per share rising to $3.25/share – a quarterly record.

Cat said the sales and revenue increase was down to higher sales volume for both equipment and services and favourable price realisation, primarily in Construction Industries and Resource Industries.

Within the Resource Industries segment, Cat saw total sales grow 18% to $418 million as mining production levels and commodity market fundamentals remained positive. Quarterly profit came in at $192 million within the segment, 52% higher year-on-year thanks to the higher sales volume and favourable price realisation, the company noted.

Following these results, Caterpillar upgraded its profit per share estimate for 2019 to $12.06-13.06, from the $11.75-12.75 it previously stated.

Cat’s R1700 LHD the first to get battery-electric treatment

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining events, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Following the development of a proof-of-concept battery-electric LHD in 2017, Caterpillar has confirmed at the Bauma fair that its first environmentally-friendly commercial machine will be a version of the recently released R1700 loader, the R1700 XE. The company hasn’t yet given a release date but has said the 15 t LHD will be the first in its line of battery-electric equipment. Robert Droogleever, Cat’s General Manager, Underground, said the company was targeting deep mines in Canada with the battery-electric R1700, but he also saw demand for the machine coming from countries such as Peru and Australia. The testing on the proof-of-concept R1300 took place at a Glencore underground mine in Sudbury, Canada, with the machine running in trials alongside the diesel equivalent.

Cat believes that battery-powered LHDs have the potential to significantly impact the economics of underground-mining and the viability of opening new mines. Benefits can include reducing ventilation infrastructure requirements and costs; generating less heat and dust that must be removed with additional air conditioning; and lowering the overall operating costs of the mine. “For a battery electric driven LHD to realise these types of benefits, it must balance high production capability with extended run times between battery charges. To this end, Caterpillar has chosen to make the new R1700 its first battery electric platform while using fast, onboard charging to facilitate high production levels. The new Cat® R1700 XE will be well positioned and engineered to accomplish these critical design parameters.”

The Cat R1700 was introduced in 2018 as a ground up redesign providing customers with game-changing productivity improvements. These improvements primarily come from its efficient new electro-hydraulic system, which saves fuel and provides a 65% increase in lift force – leading to significantly improved digging performance in the pile. “The R1700 XE combines these new features with a Caterpillar-developed lithium-ion battery operating and charging system. “The company’s exclusive MEC-500 fast charging system allows rapid, on-board battery charging with little to no impact to existing electrical infrastructure. Our charging system eliminates both battery handling during recharging (with its potential safety hazards) and the necessity to maintain change-out battery inventories.”

In designing the R1700 XE, Caterpillar “is relying on a long history and wealth of experience in designing electrified machines and power generation components and solutions. These include over 350 patents spread across such products as the electric-drive D7E and D6 XE crawler dozers, 988K XE wheel loader, and 794 AC and 795F AC mining trucks. The R1700 XE program also uses components from the Cat Microgrid solution. For underground mining specifically, this electrification experience was backed up by the development of a proof-of-concept machine whereby Caterpillar converted a conventional mechanical Cat LHD into a battery-electric platform. Concurrent to this program was the testing of the new MEC 500 charging system – both of which saw substantial testing at Caterpillar’s Peoria Proving Grounds followed by weeks of operation and testing at a customer mine in Canada.”

Results were impressive, says Cat. “Compared with base-line numbers for a diesel-powered R1300, the battery-powered model exhibited more than a 10-fold decrease in total energy costs; nearly an 8-fold decrease in generated heat; significantly less noise at the operator’s ear; instant torque from the electric motors; reduced dust levels attributed to not having a conventional diesel-related radiator fan; and reduced tyre wear.”

Caterpillar has used the insight gained from its proof-of-concept testing to design the R1700 XE and the MEC 500 charging system as a safe, profitable and productive option for mines going to electric fleets.

 

Newmont Australia progresses with Maptek Vulcan and Cat MineStar/Minetec work

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, , , , , , , ,

Newmont’s Boddington and Tanami gold mines, in Australia, are piloting and deploying technological innovations as they look to optimise resource value and deliver improved operational performance, the company says.

To do this, the company is using regional technology teams that, according to Newmont’s Vice President of Operational Technology and Innovation, Mike Wundenberg, are “instrumental to digital transformation at Newmont”.

The team of technicians and engineers in Australia are, among other initiatives, working on a full rollout at Boddington, one of Australia’s largest gold mines, of the first commercial application of Maptek’s Vulcan optimiser, which Newmont referred to as “an automated, revenue-based ore control software that reduces variability while optimising ore recovery and cutting down on waste”.

The IT team at Boddington provided new infrastructure and support needed to deploy the technology, Newmont said. They also worked to replace Boddington’s old Wi-Fi system in the last two years – a move that now allows for seamless, continuous interoperability and will support the execution of numerous digital initiatives going forward.

Meanwhile, at the Tanami underground gold mine, which produced 500,000 oz of gold last year, a pilot study of the Caterpillar MineStar suite of technologies for underground is underway at Tanami. “This exciting pilot of the latest Caterpillar and Minetec technologies will lay the foundation for a range of Newmont’s safety, productivity and cost initiatives,” Newmont said.

Last year, Caterpillar and Minetec announced this trial at Tanami, saying Newmont would provide operational input from its underground hard-rock mining operations.

Grant Cunningham, Regional IT Operational Engagement Architect, is the primary liaison between the vendors and Newmont site teams. He explained that an important aspect of the pilot is “getting a broad cross-section of personnel exposed to the technologies so they can gain working knowledge of its benefits and contribute to the final assessment”.

B2Gold weighs up in-pit crushing and conveying as Fekola mine expansion economics stack up

Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining project news, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , ,

B2Gold’s plan to expand its Fekola gold mine, in Mali, by 1.5 Mt/y could see an up to $56 million investment in additional excavators, trucks, drills, support equipment and wheel loaders, according to the latest project economic study.

The expansion study preliminary economic analysis showed the company could increase throughput to 7.5 Mt/y, from the current 6 Mt/y base rate, by injecting just under $50 million over a period of some 18 months for processing expansion and upgrades.

As currently envisioned, the processing upgrade would focus on increased ball mill power, with upgrades to other components including a new cyclone classification system, pebble crushers, and additional leach capacity to support the higher throughput and increase operability.

“Critical path items include ball mill motors and the lime slaker, both of which will be commissioned in Q3 (September quarter) 2020,” B2Gold said.

“In parallel with the expansion, B2Gold is studying the addition of a solar power plant, which would reduce operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The current on-site power plant has sufficient capacity to support the expanded processing throughput, with or without the solar plant.”

On top of this, the company would need to invest in its mining fleet.

The current mining fleet consists of four Caterpillar 6020B excavators with haul trucks, drills, and support equipment to match, and mines an average of 36 Mt/y. The Whittle study results currently indicate mining production rates ranging from 54 Mt/y to 76 Mt/y are optimal to support the expanded processing rates over the life of mine and optimise head grade during the period 2020-2024.

B2Gold said: “Increased production will be achieved with the addition of two to four excavators with corresponding trucks, drills, and support equipment. Large front-end loaders would also be included to maintain fleet flexibility.

“Mine fleet expansion timing and scale will be optimised during Q2 (June quarter) 2019 and will generally be equipment loan/lease financed over a five-year period. The study has included $28 million for expansion to 54 Mt/y and an additional $28 million (for a total of $56 million) to go to 76 Mt/y.

“In parallel with the Whittle study, B2Gold is reviewing in-pit crushing and conveying as a means to reduce operating costs and potentially implement tailings and waste co-disposal at the Fekola mine.”

The expansion study estimated optimised that the life of mine could extend into 2030, including significant estimated increases in average annual gold production to over 550,000 oz/y during the five-year period 2020-2024 and over 400,000 oz/y over the life of mine (2019-2030).

This would see an increase in project net present value of approximately $500 million versus the comparable amounts in the company’s latest AIF mineral reserve life of mine model based on a $1,300/oz gold price and a discount rate of 5%.

Mining equipment finance competition heats up

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

Cat Mining Finance, the financing arm of leading mining OEM Caterpillar, says it sees increasing demand for tailored finance solutions from mining companies, with this flexibility often proving decisive when it comes to winning business.

Bob Bennes, Vice President with responsibility for Cat Mining Finance, revealed this when speaking to IM for an upcoming feature on equipment finance, rental and leasing (to be published in April).

Bennes said: “I would say we have seen the demand for tailored finance solutions increase.

“Our mission is to help customers, dealers and Caterpillar succeed through financial services solutions. A lot of mining companies have learned that Cat Financial has a specialised mining finance group which understands the industry and can leverage various offerings to meet customer needs.

“For example, providing corporate finance solutions, new and used equipment financing, project finance facilities in certain instances, extended warranty solutions, and financing to support certified rebuilds.”

He said Cat Mining Finance’s strong integration with the equipment and dealership side of the wider group was also appreciated by mining companies when it came to financing and delivering the equipment they required.

“It is a great advantage that we offer a total solution to customers. We are able to work seamlessly with Caterpillar and the dealers to get a transaction closed. It demonstrates to our customers that we have risk alongside them in their business in support of Caterpillar equipment over the long term,” he said.

“However, it goes even further than equipment and financing. Post close, customer support across the Caterpillar enterprise is critical and helps provide varying levels of maintenance and repair support depending on the mine’s requirements. The financing and support after the sale are important to winning business in the mining industry.”

In terms of where demand for mining equipment financing is coming from, Bennes said the market was “constantly fluctuating”.

“When a new mine is going into production, they’re usually committing to buying an entire fleet, so in some years that’s a bigger portion of the business than other years. The same goes for mining contractors when they win a new bid that requires an updated or expanded fleet.

“Generally, about 15-25% of Cat Mining Equipment sales are related to greenfield/brownfield projects with the remainder being expansions of existing mines as well as replacement business.

“This can vary widely based on commodity prices and the point in the cycle, with greenfield/brownfield projects representing a bigger opportunity during periods of high commodity prices,” Bennes said.

“Rental/lease companies would be in the 1-5% range while contractors can be a higher portion of the market in some countries, such as in Australia and Indonesia.”

Bennes also thinks that mining companies and the investors that back them have become a lot more aware of the benefits of employing a solutions provider like Caterpillar when it comes to keeping mine sites operating to their potential.

“Mining companies and their shareholders are used to making long-term investment decisions that have long payback periods. They understand the value of examining the total cost of ownership over the entire life of the mine including planned M&R and rebuild,” he said.

“Price is important, but losses from unexpected downtime can be costly.”

Bennes concluded: “Caterpillar’s global dealership network is designed to provide premium mine site guidance, service and support throughout a mine’s life.”

Earlier this week, IM published a piece on this subject that gathered the thoughts of Sandvik Mining & Rock Technology’s Director Customer Finance, Björn van den Berg.