Tag Archives: Cummins

Cummins to open high-horsepower engine rebuild centre in Poland

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , ,

Cummins is to open a state-of-the-art high-horsepower engine rebuild centre in Krakow, Poland, becoming the company’s first such specialist rebuild facility in Europe.

The new site is set to be fully operational at the end of this year.

This $10 million investment will enable Cummins Poland to provide strategic support for its customers throughout the region, not only in the specialised engine rebuild process but also supporting local customers throughout Poland with its considerably extended distribution and warehousing capabilities, Cummins said.

Marek Matuszewski, Country Leader for Poland, the Baltic States & Ukraine at Cummins, said: “This is a significant step in increasing Cummins’ presence in Poland and other European countries, enabling us to meet the demand for engine rebuild services across several market segments more effectively.

“Once the rigorous engine rebuild process is complete, a product can be considered ‘as new’, delivering performance that is the same or better than the original engine, so the investment is sure to prove beneficial for our current and future partners. This is also a strategic move for Cummins globally in that it significantly expands the range of services in the region while expanding storage and distribution capacity, including a six-fold increase in warehouse space.”

Komatsu and Cummins partner on combined mining equipment and engine monitoring platform

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

To create more value for customers, Komatsu and Cummins have partnered to deliver a new, integrated remote equipment monitoring solution designed to, they say, reduce unplanned stoppages, accelerate maintenance execution, and extend component life and maintenance intervals.

By sharing equipment health and performance data over common infrastructure, and collaborating on health analytics, both companies can access the same secure data and develop joint analytics and insights. The partnership will see data collected on a single device and all actions are managed in a shared case management system, allowing experts from both teams to work remotely with a customer’s maintenance staff.

Integrating machine OEM support from Komatsu with expert OEM engine insight from Cummins allows both to proactively monitor asset health and optimise maintenance management, they say, designed to help mining customers:

  • Avoid unplanned maintenance;
  • Predict maintenance needs;
  • Decrease production costs and downtime from maintenance; and
  • Increase asset utilisation.

In the past, equipment and engine data collection and generation involved multiple data logging devices, each with their own individual remote data connection. Customers typically had separate devices which created separate data silos for subsystems on a single haul truck.

“With multiple data flows, mines have less control over where the data goes and who has access, whereas a single piece of hardware can simplify data flow and may also enhance cybersecurity,” the companies said. “By removing the need for duplicative communication infrastructure and multiple points of connection, the Cummins and Komatsu solution can offer new insights to help mining managers make better decisions faster.”

Less hardware also reduces maintenance time and machine downtime as there is less hardware to install, and there are fewer components to maintain.

This combined solution is designed to improve asset protection and reduce harm to fleets, to give customers a simplified and improved experience for asset health case management, onboarding and analytics. Instead of subscribing to separate solutions from Komatsu and Cummins, this new solution offers mines a more cost-effective approach to monitoring, the companies claim.

“With this partnership, we are tying two high-value services together,” Greg Lanz, General Manager, Technology Interoperability for Komatsu, said. “By combining data analytics from both Komatsu and Cummins, we can collaborate to help our customers maximise total asset performance and health.”

Dana Miller, Director and Service Solutions for Cummins, said: “Our aim with this integrated solution is to deliver a robust best-in-class solution to help our customers succeed.”

Effective asset management solutions don’t just provide more data about a site’s equipment and engines, they help ensure data is useful and organised so stakeholders can be more proactive. For example, understanding where a truck is in the mine, what its payload is, and which operator is driving it, all provide useful context to analyse why the engine is behaving a particular way. By combining engine and non-engine data, mining customers will be able to see all of their equipment data in one place, with insights and recommendations for a holistic view of the machine.

Lanz added: “The collaboration between Cummins and Komatsu on broader data sets opens opportunities for us to build more complex analytics and insights. The secret sauce is combining the expertise of both teams.”

Copper Mountain increases scope of trolley assist haulage project

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copper Mountain’s 2021 ESG Report has highlighted the progress the company has made on its “net-zero journey”, with its ongoing trolley assist project in British Columbia, Canada, one of the key drivers towards hitting its major 2035 goal.

The company operates its namesake mine in BC, which has recently increased throughput to 45,000 t/d as part of this net-zero journey.

Earlier this year, the company commissioned its trolley assist project with the help of Komatsu, SMS, ABB, BC Hydro and CleanBC. This project, the first of its kind in North America and a key plank of Copper Mountain’s goal of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2035, was designed to support four full-sized, trolley-capable 830E-5 Komatsu trucks at a time with hauling ore up a 1-km section of ramp in the operation’s main pit to its primary crusher.

Since commissioning the project, the company has amended its plan to convert seven trucks to trolley assist operation, now saying a total of 11 trolley-capable Komatsu trucks will be available to use trolley assist in the pit.

Each truck is expected to reduce diesel use by approximately 400 litres per hour, the company says, which equates to approximately 1 t of CO2 emissions.

“The trolley assist system will reduce annual carbon emissions by 30% compared to 2019 levels,” Copper Mountain says. “This is based on calculated savings of 6,000 t CO2e/y for the initial seven trucks as calculated for the trial, which, when scaled to the full fleet of 28 trucks, would produce a savings of 24,000 t CO2e/y, or approximately 30% compared to 2019 levels.”

With additional trolley sections planned over the next five-to-seven years, Copper Mountain says it could see a reduction of carbon emissions of up to 50% compared with 2019 levels.

The fact the Copper Mountain Mine is connected to the BC electricity grid, which has one of the lowest carbon intensities in the world due to being powered by clean and reliable hydroelectric power, makes the trolley assist project even more ‘sustainable’.

The company says it has been working with BC Hydro to upgrade the power supply infrastructure to the Copper Mountain Mine to provide more power for trolley assist and future power demands as it decarbonises and explores additional ways to electrify its operation.

Alongside the trolley assist project, Copper Mountain says it is working with partners to reduce emissions from diesel-powered haul trucks.

In 2021, it established a partnership with Cummins, Komatsu and SMS to test the use of a renewable diesel in haul trucks, and it continues to advance other partnerships to further reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Outside of trucks, Copper Mountain said it has targets to electrify its shovels in 2023 and drills in 2024.

Also in 2021, Copper Mountain collaborated with the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and IBM to build a digital carbon emissions certification system called Mines Digital Trust. Using blockchain technology to attach ESG disclosures to metal production, this program enabled transparency along the supply chain and allowed third parties to track responsible producers through the Open Climate Network, led by the OpenEarth Foundation and the UN Global Innovation, the company said.

PAUS to showcase new scaler, concrete mixer and dump truck at Bauma

Automation, Mining equipment, Mining events, , , , , , , , , , , ,

After already showcasing its battery-electric vehicle and corresponding electric driveline concept at Bauma 2019, PAUS is intending to bring even more new developments to the 2022 edition later this year.

The machines to be showcased at Bauma 2022, from October 24-30 in Munich, Germany, include the PAUS Scaler PScale 8-T (pictured), the PAUS concrete mixer UNI 50-5 BM-TM and the PAUS dump truck PMKM 8030.

In addition to the brand new designs and individual characteristics of the displayed machines, all of them will be featured with the latest technologies as part of PAUS’ general and forward-looking product developments.

Safety, performance, sensitivity and high durability are the design principles and values PAUS used for the development of its new PAUS Scaler PScale 8-T generation in order to provide what it says is a “unique scaling experience”.

“In underground operations rock falls could potentially lead to fatalities, injuries and damage to underground personnel and infrastructure,” the company said. “To prevent from and to ensure a higher safety working environment, any loose rock needs to be removed before the follow-up processes can be started.”

The highest performance possible is ensured thanks to the use of a high power output engine, 20° tiltable cabin, individual parameter adjustment of the hydraulic hammer, operation and diagnostic display, which provide higher reliability and quality of the scaling process.

The PScale series allows operators to adjust and check hammer parameters directly at the face instead of adjustments on the surface, while the operator’s cabin outperforms international ROPS/FOPS requirements. Other risks can be further alleviated by using additional configurations, such as plug-and-play for the remote control, 3P safety belts, a brake test button, hill start assistance and a pressurised cabin.

For working heights up to 10 m, Paus additionally offers the PScale 10-T.

The PAUS concrete mixer UNI 50 BM-TM offers a transport solution with a higher payload as well as safe and comfortable driving characteristics, even on rough terrain, PAUS says.

The larger UNI 50-5 carrier, which highlights the new chassis of the UNI series, comes with a payload of up to 17 t, increased ground clearance, a more powerful driveline and a spring-mounted fully suspended front axle, according to the company.

With an available volume of up to 7.5 cu.m, the PAUS transport mixer is a reliable partner for successful concrete works in underground mining, it says.

The UNI 50-5 carrier can also be provided with further superstructure such as the fuel tanks, lubricant service, water tanker, fire tanker, loading platform with crane and many more. Further to that, PAUS is offering a variety of customised configurations and options to meet the individual requirements of the different underground operations and conditions. The carrier can also be equipped with different types of changeable systems for carrying cassette mounted superstructures.

PAUS delivers the UNI 50-5 BM-TM with an engine power of up to 173 kW with Deutz or Mercedes Benz engines. The machine can also be fitted with optional Stage V compliant engines.

The PAUS dump truck PMKM 8030, meanwhile, is designed for narrow-vein operations, with a compact yet powerful configuration.

The combination of the improved design and characteristics with the latest electronics and a preliminary setup for smart equipment will provide a future-oriented solution in terms of operator comfort and safety, but also efficiency, productivity and operating cost for haulage in narrow-vein mines.

The well-established sister machine, PMKM 8010, is designed with less width at increased length and height, but the new PMKM 8030 comes with a broader, shorter and narrow design at a reduced loading height and with improved driving characteristics thanks to the lowered centre of gravity, larger tyres and new axles with integrated oscillation, PAUS says.

With a payload of 16,000 kg, the machine is fitted as standard with a 8 cu.m dump box and can be further customised for transport of bulk materials with higher or lower densities.

The machine is also available with smart systems like a bird’s eye view camera, tyre pressure control and load weighing, all of which can be wireless monitored and displayed via PAUS CONNECT.

The PMKM 8030 comes with a rotating driver’s seat for long distances of driving backward at high speeds (bidirectional) and a spacious and comfortable cab.

It also comes with a choice of different Cummins and Caterpillar diesel engines complying with varying regulations and power of up to 190 kW.

The machine also includes the PAUS standard safety package for underground mining machines eg SAHR brakes, a ROPS/FOPS cabin, enhanced LED lighting, etc.

PAUS concluded: “The multifaceted portfolio, the variety of options and the customised features available along with our machines will provide the basis for almost every task – it doesn’t matter how individual the solution needs to be.”

PAUS says it is already working on new solutions like a special mine rescue vehicle – currently being developed in cooperation with Dräger and a major European supplier for firefighting equipment. In addition to that the “Scale Sense” project of the Germany-based RWTH Aachen University – for the detection of loose rock to use with PAUS scalers – is close to reaching the next development stage for extended field testing.

Boart Longyear helps drillers recover more core with LF 160 drill rig updates

Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, , , , , ,

Boart Longyear is updating its LF™160 surface coring drill rig with, among other things, an inner tube that will allow drillers to retrieve a full 6-m inner tube out of the rod string using the wireline winch.

In addition, Boart is adding foldable walkways and Cummins Tier 3 engines to add efficiency and safety to its LF 160. When paired with the FL262 FREEDOM™ Loader, the LF 160 combination is, the company says, ideal for contractors who want to target sophisticated surface drilling exploration contracts that stipulate some of the highest safety standards, without compromising on productivity. The FL262 Freedom Loader is an innovative rod loading system that requires no intervention from the driller’s assistant to trip and align rods or connect to the top drive head.

The company introduced its LF 160 and FREEDOM™ Loader during MINExpo 2016.

The 6-m inner tube, coupled with the capability of handling full PQ inner tubes, means the LF 160 delivers more operating efficiency, reducing the frequency of retrieving the inner tube, which in turn decreases downtime, the company said.

Erik Gaugh, Product Manager – Capital Equipment, said: “Compared to a standard 3-m system, the 6-m inner tube system can deliver efficiencies of up to 50% for deeper holes. We anticipate the 6-m system to be a game changer for many of our customers.”

Foldable walkways are available on the LF 160T (truck) and are integrated on both sides of the rig with railings and kick plates, the company explained. The walkways provide safe access to the elevated rig platform on the truck chassis and eliminates the need for fall arrest protection. The walkways hydraulically fold in and out without the need for manual manipulation to further reduce the potential for hand injuries, Boart explained.

The company concluded: “Boart Longyear is committed to providing the safest, most productive, and most reliable rigs in the industry. The foldable platforms, 6-m inner tube system and Cummins Tier 3 engines are continued proof of that commitment.”

Cummins’ PrevenTech Mining keeps Komatsu trucks, wheel loaders going at Boliden mines

Base metals, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cummins says its solutions are helping maximise machine uptime on trucks and wheel loaders running its engines at Boliden’s mines in Sweden and Finland.

In the vast open-pit copper mines here, the temperatures can drop as low as -40°C, testing the sturdiest of machinery working day and night extracting and hauling ore.

“It wouldn’t be so tough on the equipment if the thermometer stayed in roughly the same place for any decent length of time, but up there on the edge of the Arctic Circle it’s not unusual for a bitingly cold day to be followed by a more temperate one that feels positively tropical by comparison,” Cummins says.

The unpredictable swing in temperatures makes it difficult to keep equipment in full working order, with parts freezing and thawing, but it’s a challenge taken on by Cummins, which has signed service and maintenance agreements with the Swedish and Finnish distributors of Komatsu specialist mining equipment.

Cost-per-hour agreements – the first of their kind for Cummins in Europe – cover a total of 17 QSK60 Tier 4 Final engine-powered vehicles in Finland, while, in Sweden, a support contract covers a further nine examples of Komatsu’s 2,700 hp 930-E dump truck and a pair of the world’s largest wheel loaders, the L2350.

European DBU leader, Alok Joshi, and Sander Thorstensen, Cummins Leader for the Nordic region, arranged the contracts with the Komatsu distributors Hesselberg (Sweden) and SRO (Finland).

“We are relatively new to the mining sector in Europe,” Thorstensen says, “but all the feedback we have received so far has been incredibly positive, helped by our outstanding new PrevenTech® Mining telematics technology.”

PrevenTech Mining is a real-time digital monitoring and reporting system that provides an early warning of potential equipment operating issues. It helps plan maintenance and service, ensuring machinery is offline as little as possible, boosting productivity for, in this case, Boliden.

Janne Valmari is managing the Komatsu operations for Cummins Sweden. He has appointed two dedicated service technicians for Boliden’s Aitik copper mine just south of Gällivare in northern Sweden, and four technicians to cover Boliden’s Kevitsa mining operations across the border in Finland.

Valmari said the stream of data from PrevenTech allows the Cummins technicians to identify and diagnose performance issues faster and with greater accuracy, so they can see, for example, if an engine has been idling too long or revved too high, and can plan in the right fixes.

“It puts the mine owner in complete control, with no expensive surprises and benefitting from a higher return on their investment in product,” Valmari says.

Thorstensen added: “With their goal of keeping production running non-stop round-the-clock, I am certain Boliden sees the Komatsu-Cummins relationship as a core element of its strategy, and we will continue to strengthen our ties with Boliden and the Nordic mining industry in general.”

This is an edited version of an article that appeared in The Cummins Magazine

Cummins launches QSK95 engine for ultra-class mining trucks

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

Cummins has launched the high horsepower QSK95 95 litre engine for mining, heralding it as the most powerful engine ever to be developed for ultra-class trucks.

Already in use in the marine and rail sectors, the mining engine comes with 2,837-3,281 kW of power (two versions – the higher rated QSK95 4400 and the QSK95 3800), 15,245-17,653 Nm of torque and is available in US EPA Tier 2 and Tier 4 Final configurations.

“The QSK95 offers class-leading cost of production and performance, with the availability that comes with legendary Cummins reliability,” the company said. Cummins has sold more than 1,200 of these engines across 36 different countries, it added.

IM understands the engine is being trialled in trucks like the 363 t Komatsu 980Es working at high altitudes in Latin America, with potential to be deployed in ultra-class trucks working in similar environments from other OEMs.

Cummins says the QSK95 delivers an “optimum power-to-weight ratio for 400 t (363 tonne) haul trucks”, a 3,800 hp rating for increased fuel efficiency and, on average, a 15% better life to overhaul, leading to longer engine lifespan with fewer overhauls.

“Specially designed single-stage turbocharging system means the QSK95 reliably maintains big power, even at high altitudes”, Cummins said. It also comes with lower vibration and less noise, thanks to the simple compact V16 design and stiff engine block.

Komatsu commissions Australia’s first Tier 4 Final ultra-class haul truck

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

In an Australia first, Komatsu has commissioned the inaugural Tier 4 Final version of its 930E-5 ultra-class mining truck in Australia.

The commissioning is part of the company’s commitment to designing and manufacturing mining equipment that, it says, advances its corporate social responsibility aims while embracing UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This latest factory-designed emission control technology solution, which meets the most stringent North America and EU emissions regulations, has been adopted by Komatsu Australia to meet a client’s specific operational needs, the company said.

“Komatsu has a strong commitment to environmental best practice, with a continuous focus on reducing our environmental impacts and our carbon footprint,” Jason Arthur, Komatsu’s National Product Manager – Mining, said.

“Our ongoing research and development efforts include developing new products that significantly reduce fuel consumption as well as greenhouse gas emissions.”

Komatsu’s Tier 4 Final compliant, 290-t payload 930E-5 incorporates on-board after-treatment system that significantly reduces the Scope 1 emissions produced during the haulage process at mines, the company says.

These emissions are an unavoidable by-product of the high temperature combustion process in the diesel engines that power most mining equipment, Arthur explained.

“This emission reduction technology is an option that now can be incorporated into Komatsu’s class leading 930E-5 model,” he said. “To achieve this, Komatsu worked with our large horsepower engine partner Cummins to provide a simple, low maintenance solution to meet Tier 4 Final emissions requirements.”

The Cummins-sourced engine treats particulate matter in the engine cylinders through an advanced high-pressure fuel injection control system to reduce PM 2.5 by 80% (compared with Tier 2 engine levels). In turn, the nitrogen oxide greenhouse gas emissions are treated out of cylinder through a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) after-treatment process.

This modular SCR system consists of an airless diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) dosing system and features an integrated decomposition chamber with a maintenance strategy that aligns with the life of the engine. The SCR units are contained within the truck’s rear-exiting exhaust system.

Komatsu’s use of the flow-through exhaust aftertreatment system delivers ultra-low emissions while increasing fuel efficiency without increasing backpressure, according to the company.

Critical engine parameters are monitored by the integrated engine management system to ensure optimised DEF consumption, Arthur said.

Tier 4 emission technology is a small portion of Komatsu’s overall emission reduction strategy, with the company continuing to actively invest in research and development projects that focus on reducing customers’ Scope 1 emissions and using alternate energy sources, the company said.

In addition to meeting the technology challenges in developing a Tier 4 Final compliant version of the 930E-5, the customer also requested Komatsu provide a truck with significantly lower noise emission levels.

“Our US-based Komatsu Engineering team became intimately involved and created a factory-engineered sound suppression solution that would meet our customer’s requirements,” Arthur said. “These factory-designed sound treatments more than halved the standard truck’s emitted sound power levels, resulting in a target sound power level of less than 113 dBA.

“Successfully achieving these sound levels was a very challenging undertaking for a large mining truck powered by an engine with an output of 2,700 hp (2,014 kW).”

National Group ups the excavating ante at NSW gold mine with Liebherr R 9200

Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , ,

National Group, through National Plant & Equipment, has supplied a Liebherr R 9200 excavator to an open-pit gold mine in western New South Wales, Australia.

The Liebherr R 9200 offers the biggest payload in its class with the 12.5 cu.m bucket capacity enabling sustainable performance and peak fuel burn efficiency in the most challenging conditions, according to the OEM.

Equipped with a Cummins QSK38 engine, with a rating of 810 kW at 1,800 revolutions per minute, the R 9200 is available powered by both diesel and electric motors. It can also be fitted with backhoe and face shovel attachments.

National Group Managing Director, Mark Ackroyd, said the arrival of the Liebherr R 9200 had further diversified the company’s already impressive fleet of equipment.

“The feedback from site is that the Liebherr R 9200 has been very well received,” Ackroyd told Australian Mining. “Our customers have been impressed with the performance of the Liebherr R 9200; it’s a very good machine and is competitive with other machines of a similar size and type.”

National Group is known across Australia for its dry hire of heavy earthmoving equipment. Working alongside Liebherr, it selected the R 9200 excavator for site, applying the joint understanding of the mine, the work being completed there and previous success using Liebherr equipment.

Liebherr-Australia Major Account Manager, Ben Kerr, explained: “Liebherr’s relationship with National, and understanding of the gold mine site requirements, allowed us to put forward the appropriate sized excavator and tailored bucket size to suit both National’s and site’s requirements.

“The addition of this R 9200 to National’s fleet further expands their range of mining equipment, building on the strong relationship and ease of doing business between the two companies.”

Cummins power units set for take off

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mining equipment, Power supply for mines, , , , , ,

Cummins has launched new engine power take-off (PTO) capabilities for its B6.7 and L9 Performance Series Power Units that could help support underground mining equipment, as well as crushing and screening units.

Launched at Hillhead 2018, Cummins’ power units are available from 75-503 kW, and delivered as a complete and ready-made package. This comprises an engine, exhaust after-treatment system, radiator, and cooling system, plus auxiliaries such as mounting feet, hoses and an air cleaner.

More than 60% of the content is pre-approved, making the machine integration process simpler and quicker, according to the company.

Jeremy Harsin – Cummins Off-Highway Marketing Director – said: “Our Performance Series power units offer a flexible drop-in solution for manufacturers. The high-power density of our engines enables them to deliver high machine capability for hard-working applications such as crushing, screening and pumping.”

Examples of installations to date include the L9 Power Units powering Anaconda Equipment International’s new J12 and I12 mobile crushing machines.

“To increase the flexibility and capability of the power units, we are integrating new single and dual rear-engine power take-offs (REPTO),” Harsin said. “These complement their standard PTO capability used for items such as hydraulic pumps. We are also making these available on the base engines without the pack.”

As an example, fitted with the dual REPTO, the L9 will have a total drive capability of 560 Nm. This will make the engine capable of driving additional pumping capability through SAE B 2 and 4 bolt mounts, according to the company. Integrated into the flywheel housing, the dual REPTO is compact and has a minimal impact on engine packaging. Added weight is around 100 kg.

“For equipment manufacturers, they have the ability to efficiently drive more from the engine without the need for additional aftermarket systems,” Harsin explained. “This would support driving of hydraulic pumps for all sorts of machine functions from steering systems to fans, etc. It will reduce installation costs and complexity, for a more integrated solution.”