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Thiess turning autonomous mining opportunities into reality

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Thiess may have deliberately started small with autonomy, however, 10 years into its journey, the company is now being recognised as a mine automation leader in the ever-competitive mining services space.

Whether it is drilling, dozing or haulage, Thiess has plenty of autonomy expertise to offer.

The company started off in 2013 with maintenance and service work on the autonomous haulage fleet a major producer had assembled at its iron ore operation in the Pilbara. This has since broadened out to semi-autonomous tractor system (SATS) operations at major coal mines in Australia, autonomous drilling advances using Epiroc and Caterpillar platforms and, most recently, autonomous haulage and drilling operations at Pembroke Resources’ Olive Downs Complex greenfield operation in Queensland.

Trent Smith, Head of Autonomy and Operations Technology at Thiess, says the company seeks to involve itself early on with autonomy projects to ensure benefits can be realised.

He explains: “We like to help identify the opportunity for automation, which initially involves answering two big questions: is the application suitable? And does it deliver a financial benefit to the project? If there are positive answers to both questions, we try to work with those potential clients on how to bring the vision to life.”

Thiess’ involvement in this process is extensive, looking at network options, OEM selection, the “people element” and more, according to Smith.

“Our strategy was a bit different to others, where, aside from the work at our first autonomy project in the Pilbara, we started with small pilot projects on drills and dozers,” he told IM on the side lines of IMARC 2023 in Sydney earlier this month. “This enabled us to establish some solid foundations, understand the significance of the required changes, understand what the key enablers like networks were and put support models behind those aspects.”

To date, the mining services provider has worked closely with OEMs Epiroc and Caterpillar on modifying their autonomy platforms to fit its clients’ operations to improve safety and efficiency.

“With Caterpillar, we were able to take an emerging technology platform like Cat® MineStar™ Command for drilling and ensure it was fit for purpose for the coal environment we were planning to deploy it in.

“With Epiroc’s solution, we took a mature and proven product from the iron ore environment – equipped mainly for single pass, vertical drilling in competent ground with big and open drill pads – and tailored it for a coal application. This application required the introduction of autonomous rod changing and angle drilling for drilling in varied ground within tighter working areas.

“We worked hand-in-hand with Epiroc to understand the complexities of translating the solution for this environment, utilising all of the on-board data in the early trial stages and filtering that down to identify areas of waste and opportunity that could be used by the OEM and ourselves to realise an improvement in performance within that new environment.”

This evidently worked, with the companies, earlier this year, achieving the significant milestone of drilling more than one million lineal metres at the Lake Vermont coal mine in Queensland.

Pembroke Resources’ Olive Downs Complex has become the world’s first mining operation to deploy Command for hauling and Command for drilling solutions simultaneously

Thiess is also expecting to later this year reach the same autonomous drilling milestone with Cat’s Command for drilling platform; this time at a major coal mine in New South Wales.

The company has also helped achieve an industry first at Pembroke Resources’ Olive Downs Complex, with it becoming the world’s first mining operation to deploy Command for hauling and Command for drilling solutions simultaneously.

This assignment, which moved from concept to implementation of autonomous trucks and drills within a matter of 18 months, will ultimately include the deployment of 21 haul trucks (15 Cat 794 ACs and six Cat 793Fs) and three drills (Cat MD6310s) fitted with autonomous technology. Additionally, Thiess has established a private LTE network on Pembroke’s on-site communication infrastructure, enabling the safe operation of more than 85 connected assets within the autonomous operating zone. It has also upskilled more than 280 team members to, Thiess says, support the delivery of autonomous operations at Olive Downs to enable improvements in safety, operating hours, cycle efficiency and cost.

There is potential to add Command for dozing at Pembroke Resources’ Olive Downs Complex in future years, according to Smith.

“We have built the network and control room with the anticipation that this will be used,” he said. “We are already the first company in the world to have all three Caterpillar autonomy products running at operations, but Pembroke Resources’ Olive Downs Complex would be the first operation in the world to have all three Cat autonomy products operating at one mine.”

Thiess now has six autonomy projects out in the market, all of which are performing well against industry automation benchmarks, according to Smith, who says this capability is being recognised within the mining company community and OEM space.

The company has already announced its first automation project outside of Australia – at a coal mine in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, where it will deploy autonomous drilling operations – and Smith says the company is exploring further autonomous drilling opportunities in Latin America.

As well as continuing to engage with the wider OEM market on automation options, Thiess is working on different automation applications for existing products.

“With the SATS Command for dozing product, for instance, we are looking to take the platform and work with Caterpillar to move it towards a rehabilitation application,” Smith said, referencing the Thiess Rehabilitation business the company launched last year. “The requirements in mine rehabilitation are somewhat different to standard dozer push and stockpile applications, with multi-push vectors and the ability to potentially control several small-scale projects from one centralised hub.

“This is an example of where we work with an OEM, bring our knowledge of working with the product, identify a new application for the product, and then lay out what new set of capabilities need to be addressed to meet the requirements and fulfil that market opportunity.”

The company has a track record of proposing and advancing such autonomous dozing opportunities in certain niche applications, Smith said, adding that it recently achieved the 10 million cubic metres push mark with SATS.

The first rehabilitation application for SATS could end up being at a project in central Queensland – a project the Thiess Rehabilitation team started work on last year.

Thiess recently achieved the 10 million cubic metres push mark with SATS

Against this advancing autonomy backdrop, Smith says the company continues to be asked about combining the “decarbonisation” and autonomy pieces of the mine operating puzzle, with a staged approach typically being recommended.

“At the moment, these two (autonomy and decarbonisation) are a little bit separate, but they will converge at some point,” he said. “I imagine artificial intelligence and predictive capabilities will play a role in that – evaluating when the truck might run out of charge, when is best to pull that truck out of service for a 30-minute fast charge, etc.

“What I would say is if you have taken a step in either direction (autonomy or decarbonisation) already, you are well placed for this convergence.”

Smith offered up one last piece of advice to any company looking to take its next automation step: “Don’t forget the people and process part.”

He explained: “Most organisations know how to deliver a technology project, but I think the real value in automation is bringing the people and process along with that. Automation is a business transformation.

“We worked with Pembroke Resources’ at their Olive Downs Complex to ensure the appropriate change management process to enable automation was implemented across all business functions. Each function was reviewed to understand what needed to change to bring in automation and create a cohesive environment.

“It’s already starting to pay off at that project, where we exceeded our target of 6,500 annualised hours within two months of commencing autonomous haulage operations.”

Whitehaven Coal to acquire BMA’s Daunia and Blackwater mines

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Whitehaven Coal has executed definitive sale agreements with BHP Group and Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd (together, BMA) to acquire 100% of both the Daunia and Blackwater coal mines in Queensland, Australia, for an aggregate consideration of $3.2 billion.

Whitehaven says the transaction delivers significant value upside with attractive growth opportunities in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, including synergies with Whitehaven’s Winchester South development project. It also transforms Whitehaven into a metallurgical coal producer in line with strategy, with pro-forma managed run of mine (ROM) production of around 40 Mt/y annum and pro-forma revenues of around 70% metallurgical coal and 30% thermal coal.

Completion of the acquisition is expected in the June 2024 quarter subject to satisfying conditions precedent including regulatory and merger control approvals.

The Daunia open-cut coal mine is 30 km south-east of Moranbah, and about 170 km southwest of Mackay in Queensland. The mine produces a hard coking coal (HCC) and pulverised coal injection (PCI) metallurgical coal products, and it is expected to produce an average of circa-4.9 Mt/y of saleable coal production over the next five years. It is expected that the remaining LOM production will continue until 2040. Daunia is adjacent to Whitehaven’s Winchester South development project in the Bowen Basin. Following the acquisition, Daunia’s coal products will continue to be exported to customers across Asia through the Dalrymple Bay Terminal near Mackay.

Back in 2020, BMA announced a A$100 million ($64 million) investment and new jobs as part of the introduction of 34 autonomous trucks at the mine.

The Blackwater coal mine is an open-cut mine which lies 73 km south-east of Emerald in Queensland and is expected to produce an average of circa-12.4 Mt/y of saleable coal production over the next five years. It is one of the largest coal mines in Australia, with a strike length of 80 km, and has the largest dragline fleet (7) in the Southern Hemisphere. Both HCC and semi soft coking coal (SSCC) metallurgical coal products are mined at Blackwater. The remaining LOM production is expected to be greater than 50 years. Blackwater’s coal products are exported to customers across Asia through the RG Tanna Terminal north of Gladstone.

Paul Flynn, CEO & Managing Director of Whitehaven, said: “This is a compelling transaction for Whitehaven that accelerates our strategy, transforms our company and delivers substantial value for our shareholders.

“This transformational acquisition will pivot our portfolio towards metallurgical coal, which has been a core pillar of our strategy for many years making this a better balanced business. Our thermal coal business remains strategically important as we continue to provide much-needed coal products to support the global energy transition and as customers seek our high-quality and high-CV products to limit their emissions.

“This is a highly attractive and materially earnings accretive acquisition, with considerable upside potential, which we expect will deliver meaningful returns to our shareholders for many years to come. It strengthens our portfolio of quality, long life assets in attractive locations providing geographic and operational diversification and scale benefits.

“We look forward to completing the transaction and welcoming the teams at Daunia and Blackwater into the Whitehaven business, and working with the local community and other stakeholders who will remain an important part of our operations.”

Intramotev to put rail back in mining material movement competition

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St Louis-based Intramotev is looking to rekindle the mining and rail relationship that made US operations viable in some of the country’s most remote places by using a modular battery-electric propulsion system and an autonomous-ready operating platform that can provide shipment certainty, safety and sustainability.

Founded by Tim Luchini, Alex Peiffer and Corey Vasel, Intramotev has come to the table in the last four years with a portfolio focused on autonomous, zero-emission rail solutions.

The company has brought together a team from the rail, aerospace and automotive sectors to revolutionise and revamp the rail sector, looking to provide the “speed and flexibility of trucks with all the advantages of rail”, Luchini, also CEO, told IM.

“Through our solutions, we can offer the rail industry 20% to 100% reductions in their emissions footprint, while lowering their all-in costs by 30-80%,” he says.

Such metrics, which could encourage mine site expansions as well as new greenfield operations to start up, will be achieved by deploying one of the two solutions Intramotev has in its portfolio:

  • TugVolt, a proprietary kit that can retrofit/upfit existing rail cars to become battery-electric; and
  • ReVolt, capturing waste energy in traditional trains via regenerative braking, and automated safety systems including gates and hatches.

TugVolt can decouple to independently service first- and last-mile legs, providing the type of flexibility that, Luchini says, will allow the system to more readily compete with trucking. ReVolt, meanwhile, stays in the consist to capture energy via regenerative braking and reduce the overall diesel consumption of locomotives.

Both solutions leverage battery-electric technology – with Luchini saying the rule of thumb would see a 100 kW battery on board a rail car able to transport a 100 t payload for 100 miles (160 km).

“This compares very favourably with the massive batteries companies are having to put into rail locomotives to provide hybrid consists,” he said. “We’re offering something much more scalable to allow operators transporting large volumes of materials via rail an opportunity to electrify their fleet and reduce their costs.”

The first mining company to publicly commit to such a solution is Iron Senergy, which is set to receive three ReVolt rail cars for its 17 mile private rail line that transports coal produced by its Cumberland longwall coal mine, in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, to its Alicia Harbor Facility on the Monongahela River, in western Pennsylvania.

This will be the world’s first deployment of self-propelled battery-electric rail cars in a traditional freight train when it starts up by the end of the year, according to Intramotev, using regenerative braking and battery technology to reduce diesel consumption from locomotives, resulting in lower costs for rail operators and reducing emissions impact from rail operations.

Tim Luchini, co-Founder and CEO of Intramotev

This might be the first, but there are plenty more in the works, according to Luchini.

“We have a pipeline of 168 rail cars today which are at different levels of commitment,” he said, adding that, of this total, there was a roughly even split between enquiries for TugVolt and ReVolt.

“We’re expecting payback periods on projects to be as little as six months, so there is a real economic case to employ these solutions, as well as the ability to reduce your emissions,” he said.

The US represents a massive market for the company to aim for – close to a million freight rail cars sit idle in switching yards, awaiting locomotives to bring them to their destination, according to the company – but Luchini also sees opportunities in Canada and South America where North American rail standards are already present.

“Then there is a region like Australia to consider, which obviously has a rich history of mining with remote operations in need of affordable and low-emission transport infrastructure,” he added.

The ability to add spur and extensions onto existing lines and run smaller units of battery-electric rail cars – like the company thinks can be achieved in the likes of Arizona, Nevada and Minnesota – could provide serious competition to the trucking sector there.

Luchini concluded: “If you are a mine site today, you have an obvious tension when it comes to material movement.

“Conveyors are great material movers but can cause huge issues when they fail; trucks are fast and flexible but come with excess emissions by today’s standards; rail is low cost, fast and environmentally responsible but in its current form is not very flexible.

“We’re looking to change this dynamic, going back to the rail sector’s heritage as a mine operation facilitator.”

DRA Global to carry out works for Whitehaven’s Vickery Extension project

Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

DRA Global says it has secured the contract for a major design package for Whitehaven Coal’s Vickery Extension project located in New South Wales, Australia.

As the preferred supplier, the DRA team will execute the detailed engineering and design and post Whitehaven’s Financial Investment Decision provide technical and project support services during the tendering, construction and commissioning phases for the Vickery Coal Handling and Preparation Plant, it said.

DRA Global APAC Executive Vice President, Darren Naylor, said the contract award underscores the company’s recognised technical expertise and capabilities in the market.

“Led by the APAC team in Brisbane, the works will continue to build the EPCM delivery capabilities for process plants and infrastructure, leveraging our proven track record of success,” he said. “We are pleased this award strengthens our long-standing partnership with Whitehaven Coal and further solidifies our presence within the broader New South Wales and Queensland resources market.”

The Vickery Extension project is a proposal to construct an open-cut coal mine and associated on-site infrastructure about 25 km north of Gunnedah, Whitehaven says. The mine will produce a majority metallurgical coal for steel-making, with the balance being high quality thermal coal destined for premium export markets in our region. The proposal builds upon, and further optimises, an already-approved mine, on a site that has already been extensively and safely mined over many years.

In August 2020, Vickery was approved by the Independent Planning Commission NSW.

WesTrac and Hushpak’s expertise delivering sound results on board Cat 793Fs for Bloomfield

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WesTrac and its subsidiary Hushpak have delivered what they say is as an innovative sound suppression solution to The Bloomfield Group that has reduced the noise output of 19 Cat 793F mining trucks.

Managing the sound output from heavy machinery can be a challenging task on mine sites, but this is starting to become easier for many businesses, according to WesTrac.

“That’s thanks to a range of innovative sound suppression offerings from leading Caterpillar dealer WesTrac, which in the last two years has delivered 19 Cat 793F large mining trucks to Hunter Valley-based mining customer The Bloomfield Group showcasing these capabilities,” it said.

Using a combination of Caterpillar factory options and inhouse, customised solutions, WesTrac was tasked with reducing the noise of the Cat 793F trucks to levels that aligned to Bloomfields’ requirements at its Bloomfield and Rix’s Creek mines – in close proximity to Maitland and Singleton, respectively.

According to WesTrac NSW Strategic Growth Manager, Alan Corcoran, the solution achieved that goal on time, within budget and included several requested customisations.

“Working with our subsidiary Hushpak, we devised a solution that passed the sound output tests in the first instance,” Corcoran says.

Hushpak is a standalone engineering business specialising in sound suppression and attenuation on both mobile and fixed plant. WesTrac acquired the company in March 2022.

“Sound comes from various outputs, particularly on mobile plant,” he explains. “The engine, transmission, fan, hydraulic pumps and various other components compound to make these large machines quite noisy.

“Caterpillar offer ready-to-order sound suppression kits for mining machines, but, in some cases, there are gaps in the product offering. Many of our customers have unique needs, especially in areas like the Hunter Valley, where mine sites are in closer proximity to towns and residential areas.

“These customers have additional requirements that need further sound suppression. Meeting these unique needs, on all types of mining equipment, such as this customer’s 793F trucks, led to this project to bridge the gap.”

“These 793Fs are a 20-year investment for our business and are setting the foundation for our haulage fleet moving forward,” David Worboys says

Such is the case for Bloomfield, which produces around 2.5 Mt/y of saleable coal from its mines in New South Wales, where all haulage and ancillary machinery fleet are Cat products.

Following extensive market research carried out in 2020, Bloomfield Plant and Equipment Manager, David Worboys, and his broader team settled on the 220-t-class Caterpillar 793F truck and have since taken delivery of 19 units from WesTrac’s Tomago branch, now working at Rix’s Creek and Bloomfield mine.

Worboys says all trucks fitted out with the Hushpak-engineered sound attenuation package were contributing to ongoing site noise compliance and minimising impact to nearby communities.

“We pride ourselves on being good neighbours, and therefore we make every effort to minimise the noise impacts on them,” he says. “We use engineering best practice where we can, to achieve as high sound output reduction as we can.

“These 793Fs are a 20-year investment for our business and are setting the foundation for our haulage fleet moving forward.”

With that in mind, WesTrac’s equipment specialists and engineers worked with Hushpak and Bloomfield to develop a customised solution for the 793F that took airflow, weld locations, centre of gravity, visibility and access for maintenance into consideration.

On completion of the first 793F fit out, WesTrac engaged an independent tester to assess the noise output. Testing was carried out at WesTrac’s NSW headquarters in Tomago.

Following delivery of the first two trucks to site, WesTrac and Hushpak continued to work with Bloomfield to administer minor adjustments that have been carried through to other trucks delivered.

“Through collaboration, using expertise from us on site and working with WesTrac and Hushpak to come up with solutions introduced into the sound attenuation package has ultimately delivered a great product,” Worboys says.

Corcoran said WesTrac’s ability to tailor solutions to meet customer requirements as well as broader requirements such as emission reduction targets fuels the company’s continuous improvement program.

Whitehaven Coal moves into final year of AHS development at Maules Creek

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Close to three-and-a-half years after commencing autonomous haulage operations at its Maules Creek coal operation in New South Wales, Australia, Whitehaven Coal is set to soon decide on whether to adopt the automated haulage system (AHS) or discontinue its pilot program, the company said in its just released FY2023 results.

Back in July 2018, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd and Whitehaven announced the two companies had come to an agreement to implement the first commercial Hitachi autonomous truck fleet at Maules Creek. The collaboration between the two companies entailed scoping the delivery and commissioning of phased AHS deployment for the fleet of Hitachi EH5000AC3 trucks at Maules Creek and the establishment of the physical and technological infrastructure to support AHS capability.

At that point, the two companies said the AHS solution would leverage the fleet management system provided by Hitachi’s Wenco International Mining Systems subsidiary, in addition to Hitachi Construction Machinery’s Smart Mining Truck with Advanced Vehicle Stabilisation Controls using Hitachi robotics, AC motor and drive control unit technologies. The Blockage management system from Hitachi’s railway business would also play a role in this solution, as would a sensing technology and navigation system developed in Hitachi Group’s automobile industry segment.

Initial on-site testing of Hitachi’s AHS took place in 2019 and the company ramped up these tests to reach the commercial deployment stage. A fleet of six EH5000 trucks and one excavator (an EX3600) then started operation in March 2020, focused on overburden.

In the years that have passed, the company has added more trucks to the program, with 28 of the company’s 300-t-payload EH5000s equipped with AHS as of the end of June 2023. This represents around 60% of the entire truck fleet.

Reporting in its annual results, Whitehaven said there were enhancements underway to improve efficiencies with the AHS system, especially focused on manned/unmanned interactions. It also said there were software upgrades scheduled for its current financial year (to June 30, 2024), while it planned to run two EX8000 excavator fleets with integrated manned coal and waste operations.

These actions followed a rise in operating costs across the company during the 2023 financial year. When it comes to Maules Creek, the company noted operational constraints driven by labour shortages, congestion arising from limited dumping locations while maintaining separation of manned and unmanned AHS fleets, as well as productivity impacts and disruptions from weather and in-pit water management.

“Maules Creek delivered run of mine coal production of 9.6 Mt in FY 2023, 15% below FY 2022,” the company added.

After several years of development, Whitehaven expects to make a decision on whether to fully embrace AHS operations at Maules Creek in its current financial year.

It said: “Development of the AHS will continue this year, which is expected to place continued constraints on production at Maules Creek. Depending on the success of this final year of AHS development, a decision will be made to adopt AHS at Maules Creek or discontinue the pilot program.”

Thiess Rehabilitation to deliver rehabilitation services at Muswellbrook coal mine

Coal technology, Environmental, Water management, , , , , , ,

Thiess Rehabilitation says it has secured a two-year contract with Idemitsu Australia’s Muswellbrook Coal Company (MCC) to deliver rehabilitation services at the Muswellbrook coal mine, in the upper Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia.

Thiess Rehabilitation will conduct detailed design and construction of the post-mining landform, creating a combination of native ecosystem and pasture land uses that generate approximately 180 ha of rehabilitated land across MCC’s open-cut mine, it said.

This is the second contract with Idemitsu Australia for Thiess Rehabilitation, having been awarded the rehabilitation services contract for Idemitsu Australia’s Ensham mine in Queensland in July 2022.

Thiess Rehabilitation Group Manager, James Anderson, said: “The Muswellbrook contract demonstrates the growing strength of our relationship with Idemitsu Australia, and builds on the hard work and solid performance of our team at Ensham.

“Muswellbrook coal mine also holds special significance for Thiess. The mine’s open-cut operations began in 1944 and that contract was awarded to our founders, the Thiess Brothers, marking both the start of Thiess’ mining business, as well as the start of Thiess’ presence in the Hunter region.

“Given our legacy at Muswellbrook coal mine, Thiess Rehabilitation is excited to be given the responsibility to deliver value to this site and to the community through the site’s post-mining transition.”

Idemitsu’s CEO, Steve Kovac, said: “Muswellbrook Coal has been owned by Idemitsu since 1989 and has a very proud history. Now that mining and processing operations have been completed at the site, Idemitsu is progressing plans to develop the Muswellbrook Clean Industries Precinct at the site.

“A critical part of these future plans is the rehabilitation of the mining operational areas, and we are pleased to have a specialist with proven experience to help deliver our rehabilitation goals. We look forward to working with Thiess Rehabilitation once again.”

Thiess Group Executive Chair and CEO, Michael Wright, said: “Thiess has delivered award winning rehabilitation programs globally for more than 30 years. We’re proud that Thiess Rehabilitation is continuing this tradition of excellence as a trusted partner in sustainable mining operations.”

Bravus and Skytrans Airlines seal FIFO agreement for Carmichael workers

Mine operation news, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

Bravus Mining and Resources has signed a new deal with Skytrans Airlines that will see the operator operate two Dash 8 300-series aircraft to exclusively service 24 direct flights a week to or from the Carmichael coal mine in central Queensland and Townsville and Rockhampton.

The average flying time for the Dash 8 300 is just 45 minutes between the Carmichael mine and Townsville, and 50 minutes between the Carmichael mine and Rockhampton. The first of the multi-million-dollar planes entered service this month.

Bravus Mining and Resources Chief Operating Officer, Mick Crowe, said the new aircraft would get Carmichael’s workforce to site and back home again more quickly, safely, and in greater comfort.

“Like every mine, the safety and wellbeing of our people, contractors, and suppliers is always our number one priority,” he said. “Our somewhat unique challenge is the remoteness of our operation. Carmichael is more than a 160-km drive to Clermont, and more than 300 km from Queensland’s east coast.

“So that means fatigue risk management and maximising quality of life for our workforce are top of mind when it comes to getting people to work and back home again safely and efficiently.

“These news planes will do just that. Those of our team who can’t drive in from the Isaac Region will be at work or at home in about an hour. That means less of their R&R lost to work-related travel, more time to spend with friends and family, and, hopefully, happier, safer, and more productive workers.”

Skytrans co-Owner, Johnathan Thurston, said: “From a Skytrans point of view, we are very excited to have the relationship with Bravus. This contract is going to create around 20 new jobs for Skytrans, employing local people in Townsville and Rockhampton, so it is great work from Bravus and Skytrans.”

Skytrans CEO, Alan Milne, said the company would establish bases of operation in Townsville and Rockhampton and recruit pilots and flight attendants who live locally to service the contract.

“This is really exciting news for the workers at Carmichael, who are going to receive an incredible level of service, and for Townsville and Rockhampton who’ll see new jobs and investment,” Milne said.

“Townsville and Rockhampton airports will now be formal bases of operation for us with local pilots, flight attendants and maintenance crews, just like we have in Cairns, Brisbane, and Horn Island.

“It’s terrific to see Bravus Mining and Resources continue to back fully Queensland-owned businesses like ours, and we look forward to building on this successful partnership long into the future.”

Pilot Crushtec talks up DoppiaTrac DR400 fully mobile double-roll crusher

Coal technology, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Pilot Crushtec says Africa’s only locally manufactured, fully mobile double-roll crusher, the DoppiaTrac DR400, continues to perform well in the field of mobile coal crushing.

The DoppiaTrac DR400 now has a decade of success in the field, according to the company, achieving production rates of 300-400 t/h.

“We designed the DR400 from the ground up to give us the flexibility to produce a truly great crushing solution,” Jorge Abelho, Director, Technical Support at Pilot Crushtec, said. “It has proved itself through its combination of throughput, reliability and economy.”

The machine’s ability to reduce the generation of fines is thanks to the double-roll crusher. While a horizontal shaft impact crusher creates more coal fines due to impact energy, the double-roll crusher forces material through a constant gap, according to the company.

Pilot Crushtec Sales Engineer, Ben Armitage, said: “The crusher uses just enough energy to break the material down to the size of the gap. The DR400 generates less than 5% of 0-6 mm fines, compared to around 12% created by impact crushers – depending on coal hardness and crushing ratios.”

The DR400 boasts a large hopper that is readily fed by loaders or excavators. To increase the average production rate, the unit can be interlocked as part of a crushing train. Connected with a Metso LT106 jaw crusher, the two units can communicate to synchronise the feed rate. This optimises throughput by automatically adjusting the rate of material moving between the machines. The on-board hydraulic rock breaker on the Metso LT106 also allows oversize material to be quickly broken, avoiding blockages and preventing downtime, according to the company.

Crushing efficiency is enhanced by feeding material into the crushing chamber at exactly the same speed that the drums are spinning, Pilot Crushtec explains. This minimises attrition and friction, even at high throughput rates.

Armitage said: “The safety features on the DR400 ensure that it is compliant with demanding safety protocols applied by mining companies. These include full guarding around all moving parts, access points, nip points and crushing points – as well as pull cords and emergency stops to quickly isolate the unit when necessary.”

He explained that the efficient Volvo engine delivers the lowest kW per tonne of any mobile double-roll crusher working in the coal sector. Depending on coal characteristics, the engine’s 160 kW output can convert to a ratio of just 0.4 kW/t.

“The fuel consumption is also a significant factor for operators, and this crusher can run on as little as 17 litres per hour,” Armitage says. “This is achieved with a hydraulic load sensing system and an optimised crusher chamber design, which reduce the power needed to crush the coal.”

The quality and simplicity of the DR400 is demonstrated by the fact that over 25 of these machines are currently in operation around South Africa – one of which exceeds 22,000 hours of operation. Pilot Crushtec says it supports the DR400 through its service levels, stock holding and after-market offerings.

Thiess extends mining services stay at Wahana and Hanoman mines in Indonesia

Coal technology, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , ,

Thiess says it has received contract extensions in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, at the Wahana coal mine from Bayan Resources and at the Hanoman coal mine from PT Cakrawala Langit Sejahtera , which mines the pits in the Satui area owned by Arutmin, part of Bumi Resources.

With a combined value of A$480 million ($320 million) over more than three years, Thiess will extend its mining services, including drill and blast, load and haul, and pit dewatering.

Thiess Executive Chair & CEO, Michael Wright, said: “We are excited to continue to deliver sustainable mining outcomes for our longstanding partners Bayan and PT CLS by working the two adjacent mines.

“These extensions reinforce our capability and credentials for operational excellence. They also give us opportunities to showcase our passionate commitment to diversity and inclusion, where we continue to increase the participation of women and people with disability in our workforce.”

Thiess President Director, Indonesia, Jeffrey Kounang, added: “The solutions we provide for both clients enable our team to maximise resource recoveries and optimise the reserves of both operations. We are proud to continuously live up to our clients’ expectations and deliver on our promises.

“We are also very pleased to be able to continue working with the Satui community, which started back in the early 2000s, to help create lasting social and economic values.”

These contract awards build on two separate agreements Thiess has signed in Indonesia, both announced this week. Thiess successfully extended a long-term contract with Bayan Resources to continue providing mining services at the Melak mining complex, in East Kalimantan, while it also secured an agreement with Kaltim Prima Coal to extend its current mining services contract and to provide fleet hire services at Sangatta mine, also in East Kalimantan.