Tag Archives: dump trucks

GHH InSiTE

GHH inSiTE – TALPA and GHH leveraging data to reduce underground equipment OPEX

Automation, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

At the project development and deposit exploitation stage, more focus is increasingly placed on converting the data generated by mining assets into near real time actionable insights that allow a faster reaction to the changing environment of operations.

Limited communication at the underground mine can create inefficiencies in scheduling and managing machines’ availability and uptime. These can include longer-than-planned maintenance periods, with more time spent on administrative tasks than actual revenue-driving activities. As a result, there is a need to eliminate variability and unknowns from production and equipment maintenance processes to keep up fleet availability.

Underground mining operations involving a lot of mobile machines, such as LHDs, dump trucks, drilling and auxiliary equipment, often become a closed silo of information. Once underground, the machine is hardly visible – both to the OEM that delivered it and to the central services of the mining company responsible for planning its maintenance and supplying relevant spare parts.

One example of addressing this issue is the cooperation between GHH and TALPA in implementing the GHH inSiTE digital analytics solution for a major mining company, which allowed for a reduction of equipment service costs by more than 35%/y, TALPA claims.

The system, which has been implemented in stages, began with the optimisation of service scheduling based on the information about the engine hours of the machines recorded in near real time automatic mode by the system. This was later complemented by displaying full sets of error codes and signals generated by the integrated machines. The virtual advisory to the service personnel was made available at the third stage, allowing all parties to understand issues registered at each unit and plan fit-for-purpose actions in a timely manner.

Furthermore, the system provides an interface to the central procurement system and provides equal information to the OEM, allowing for a timely supply of required spare parts and major stock optimisation opportunities.

The TALPA-powered solution enabled the mine operator to track and manage all its machines in a single system, allowing employees previously occupied with time-consuming tasks such as fault finding and service scheduling to focus on critical processes such as fleet availability for production. The customer leveraged GHH InSiTE powered by TALPA’s monitoring and analytics system’s deep capabilities to reduce costs and boost its productivity. The list of benefits included:

  • Improved service scheduling by understanding the exact time to service a fleet of over 150 machines based on permanently available knowledge of engine hours left until the next service, the recent workload of particular machines and registered errors;
  • Timely reactions to critical warnings and trends in the intervals between scheduled services in order to prevent damage to the machines requiring major overhauls;
  • Precise preparations for the service events, knowing the exact technical conditions of the machines and allowing for the timely delivery of spare parts and components;
  • Reduced downtime of machines, as the system allows for early detection of potential issues and prompt maintenance; and
  • Increased equipment availability as the system allows for better planning.

And the system also offers safeguards to ensure any recommendations not acted on by machine operators are rectified by nominated personnel within the maintenance hierarchy.

TALPA explained: “Even if the driver forgets to add the oil as indicated by the in-cabin system, this will never get missed by the Maintenance Superintendent as the system will always provide an alarm on the critical issues in the GHH machine cabin and trigger actions from that end.”

TALPA’s Industrial AI Platform solves industry-specific problems and delivers fast time to value, the company says.

“Using GHH InSiTE maintenance dashboard, powered by TALPA, allows for improving key processes throughout the workflow, delivering a clear understanding of the technical state of the fleet based on OEM standards as well as real technical conditions, and allowing optimisation of aftersales services for OEMs and technical operations for the end user,” TALPA said. “Delivered to the full extent as a service, TALPA’s platform allows for cost-efficient and worry-free implementation regardless of the fleet size and location of the operations.”

Komatsu online portal, oil analysis tools boosts efficiency for RHT Contracting

Automation, Communications in mining, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Western Australia-based RHT Contracting, a specialist provider of construction, maintenance and crushing services for major mining companies, has been successfully using Komatsu’s online parts ordering and oil analysis management systems through the myKomatsu online customer portal to handle its service, parts and maintenance needs more efficiently, the OEM says.

RHT Contracting was formed in 2018 to provide industry-best services for clients in tailings storage facility construction and maintenance, crushing and screening, earthworks and earthmoving services, quad road trains and heavy haulage.

The company has adopted a philosophy of using the latest technology and systems to give itself a competitive edge in the services and capabilities it offers to clients, Komatsu says.

For example, it is using Komatsu’s intelligent Machine Control (iMC) dozers and excavators, combined with drone technology, to develop innovative methods of constructing tailings dams for large WA mining operations.

RHT’s Komatsu equipment includes three iMC dozers, two D65PXi-18s and a D155AXi-8; seven excavators including an iMC PC360LCi-11, five PC490LC-11s and a PC300LC-8M0; two WA200PZ-6, a WA500-7 and three WA600-6 wheel loaders; two HD605-7EO dump trucks; and two GD655-5 graders.

To keep its equipment operating to the best of its capabilities, over the past 18 months, RHT has adopted the myKomatsu online customer portal for all parts ordering for its Komatsu machines, as well as a recently developed myKomatsu offering that allows it to manage its oil analysis needs more efficiently.

As a result, it is seeing significant reductions in the time required not only to order and manage parts, but also in managing frequent KOWA (Komatsu Oil Wear Analysis) tests across its fleet, Komatsu says. And, myKomatsu ensures that the right parts and tests are always ordered, according to the company.

RHT’s Procurement Officer, Shaun Bachos, handles parts purchasing for its equipment fleet, while Asset Manager, Ernie Murazvu, is responsible for KOWA and other condition monitoring services for Komatsu machines.

According to Bachos, RHT started using the myKomatsu online parts portal as soon as the facility came online.

“They got us set up with this as soon as we were able to; before that all our parts ordering had been over the phone or via email,” he said. “We now have our entire Komatsu fleet in there, so our machine models and serial numbers are all captured. That means we have access to all their parts books online, meaning everyone in our service and maintenance teams, as well as our procurement team, can quickly and easily reference them.

“We’ve found it makes it a lot easier for us to get the right part. While this hasn’t generally been an issue previously, it’s a good double-check. Also, it lets us highlight anomalies, or if someone’s trying to order a part that’s not compatible with the machine.”

With RHT workshops and service people spread throughout Western Australia, usually in very remote areas, the ability for service people to log in and identify what parts they need has been very useful, according to Bachos.

“Our service people can use the system out on site to get parts numbers. They can actually log in as a read-only user, so they can find the parts they need, and double check they are the right ones, before letting us know what they want. It means we are all on the same page, which is a really good process to have.”

Bachos says he is also a fan of myKomatsu’s delivery offering, including the in-built tracking, and free standard delivery offering.

Since moving to using myKomatsu for ordering and managing KOWA tests, the whole process has become far more efficient and less time-consuming, according to Murazvu.

“There’s a big advantage with this system, because we no longer have to fill out our KOWA sample forms,” he said. “It prefills with the details of your asset you’re getting sampled. You just need to identify the machine and the component you’re getting KOWA-tested, then fill in the current number of hours.

“It automatically calculates the hours since that component was last tested. The only paper handling is when you print off the A4 sheet with the details, cut it up and put the label in the transport bottle along with the sample bottle.”

This is a significant saving in time, as well as the efficiency benefits, Murazvu said.

“Now, using myKomatsu for this, we can do each KOWA sample documentation in about two minutes,” he said.

That adds up to quite a significant saving in time, considering the number of samples Murazvu’s department is responsible for each week.

“We are probably doing at least 50 samples a week, sometimes more,” he said. “So, a minimum of 50 a week – or 10 a day – and some weeks we can easily get to 100.”

And within myKomatsu, there is a complete record of each machine and its components’ trend profiles.

Murazvu said: “We can go back and look at a machine’s entire oil sampling history. That makes it very easy to condition-monitor components, see any trends developing, or to have an overview of a machine’s components in relation to its expected performance at the time of sampling.

“It makes the whole process a lot easier, less time consuming, minimises the chance of errors, and is far more efficient.”

MACA increases open-pit scale by acquiring Downer EDI’s Mining West business

Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MACA has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Downer EDI Limited’s Mining West business in a deal that could involve a consideration of A$175 million ($132 million).

Just last week, MACA said it was considering the potential purchase of Downer EDI Limited’s Mining West division as part of a stated plan to explore and pursue growth opportunities that will deliver “value to shareholders on an ongoing basis”.

The Mining West business currently comprises four large contracts at the long-life assets of Karara (Ansteel), Eliwana (Fortescue Metals Group), Cape Preston (CITIC Pacific) and Gruyere (Gold Fields, Gold Road Resources).

MACA’s CEO and Managing Director, Mike Sutton, said the acquisition provided MACA with a very meaningful addition of a large-scale mining fleet currently engaged across these projects. This comprises 14 excavators and shovels, 65 dump trucks, 11 surface drills and 36 other ancillary machines.

The fleet being acquired is currently fully utilised, or in the process of being deployed to projects, with the equipment having mixed life (with machines being on average mid-life). MACA says its due diligence has confirmed the machines are in good working order, having been well maintained by Mining West’s internal plant department.

With the inclusion of Mining West, MACA now has total contracted work in hand of over A$3.4 billion, which provides a robust revenue base well past its 2025 financial year, Sutton added.

Macmahon banks coal mining work with Foxleigh joint venture

Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Macmahon Holdings confirms it has been selected as the preferred tenderer to provide equipment hire and maintenance services at the Foxleigh joint venture operation in Queensland, Australia, from March 1, 2021.

The Foxleigh mine is an open pit, truck and excavator operation in the Bowen Basin, which produces low volatile PCI coal for Asia steel mill customers.

The proposed scope of work for Macmahon involves the hire and maintenance of 21 large capacity dump trucks and other ancillary equipment over a five-year term, together with the maintenance of client-owned equipment.

Macmahon estimates this work will generate around A$250 million ($177 million) in revenue and require capital expenditure of circa-A$50 million. Most of this capital expenditure will be to acquire 220 t dump trucks, which are expected to have a useful life of 10 years, Macmahon says.

Michael Finnegan, CEO and Managing Director of Macmahon, said: “We are very pleased to be selected as the preferred equipment and maintenance provider for the Foxleigh project, and we are looking forward to delivering for a new client in Queensland. This selection highlights our expertise in sourcing and maintaining large scale mining equipment and our ability to offer a range of service models to our clients.”

Foxleigh is jointly owned by QMetco, POSCO Australia and Nippon Steel Australia.

Civmec to build and supply modules for BMA Hay Point shiploader, Iron Bridge project

Bulk handling, Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Civmec says it has secured new contracts with a combined value of around A$175 million ($126 million) including new projects with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and the Iron Bridge magnetite project.

BMA has engaged Civmec to fabricate, modularise and commission the 1,800 t SL2A ship loader using pre-contract capital ahead of a large infrastructure replacement project at Hay Point Coal Terminal (pictured, still subject to final board approval by BHP and Mitsubishi).

The contract awarded to Civmec includes the supply and assembly of the complete ship loader, up to the no-load commissioning stage. The large material handling equipment will be fabricated at the company’s Henderson manufacturing facility in Western Australia and will be assembled undercover in the company’s newly built assembly hall from where it will be delivered Free Along Side to the Australian Marine Complex Wharf for loading onto a heavy lift ship.

Work will commence immediately, with completion anticipated in the second half of 2022, Civmec says. The award of this scope of work will provide an estimated peak of 150 jobs in Perth.

The Iron Bridge JV contract includes the supply of 4,700 t of conveyor, trusses and trestles for the Iron Bridge Magnetite project, a joint venture between Fortescue Metals Group subsidiary FMG Iron Bridge and Formosa Steel IB.

Work will commence this month, with most of this completed in Civmec’s 2021 financial year. The scope will be predominately delivered from the company’s Henderson facility.

Back in July, Civmec was awarded a standalone civil contract to build the structural concrete components for the dry plant at Iron Bridge.

In addition to the above contracts, Civmec has recently secured new and increased scope packages across its Minerals & Metal and Oil and Gas Sectors, including the replenishment of orders for the fabrication of tray bodies for dump trucks from the Newcastle manufacturing facility.

Civmec’s Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Tallon, said: “We are extremely pleased to be given this opportunity to further support BHP in the delivery of a ship loader. This contract follows on from other smart modules and machines delivered by Civmec for BHP projects as part of our partnership delivering high quality, complex machines.”

He added: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with Fortescue with further work awarded on the Iron Bridge project. Having recently commenced the on-site activities for the recently awarded civil concrete package for the same project and, as we draw closer to completion on the Eliwana project for Fortescue, it is pleasing to get the opportunity to further underpin the relationship.”

Komatsu iMC dozers, drone tech help RHT Contracting revolutionise tailings dam build

Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When long-time friends Joe Riccardo, Mike Heddon and Mark Tyler set up RHT Contracting in mid-2018, they knew they needed a winning edge when bidding for contracts – so they went for the most innovative and technically advanced construction equipment available, a Komatsu Australia case study reports.

That saw them choose Komatsu’s intelligent Machine Control (iMC) dozer and excavator technology when bidding for a large contract to construct tailings storage facilities (TSFs) for a major mining operation in Western Australia.

Currently RHT runs four Komatsu iMC machines: two D65PXi-18 swamp dozers, a D155AXi-8 dozer, and a PC360LCi-11, as well as Komatsu wheel loaders, dump trucks, graders, and other excavators on the one site.

Not only does using iMC technology give RHT significant safety, productivity, efficiency and accuracy advantages in TSF construction, it also provides the company’s mining clients the security and peace of mind that their critical facilities have been built to the highest and most exacting standards.

Today that is essential for any mining operation, following catastrophic failures of tailings dams in South America in the past five years, which have killed many people and caused widespread environmental devastation.

To ensure their integrity and long-term performance, it’s essential that TSFs be constructed following an established process, which involves placing the dam material in 300 mm thick layers; these are then compacted, and the top 100 mm scarified to ensure a strong lock with the subsequent 300 mm layer.

Using Komatsu iMC machines in this application, each 300 mm layer can be placed, quickly and efficiently, within tight tolerances, ready for compaction.

And unlike conventional ‘bolt-on’ machine control systems, the iMC system prevents dozer blades or excavator buckets from ‘over-digging’ into the already compacted and scarified layers, ensuring they are not compromised during placing of the next layer.

When RHT was formed, Riccardo, Heddon and Tyler (the company’s name comes from their surname initials) saw the opportunity to use Komatsu’s iMC technology as a real competitive advantage.

“These days, you’ve really got to innovate,” Heddon says. “Clients want to see that you are innovative and you’re not a dinosaur.

“I’ve been going to shows like CONEXPO and BAUMA for years, and I see all the latest stuff, and I was wondering how good it actually was. Then we spent some time with Dean Jones and Colin Brindle (from Komatsu Perth), to find out what their iMC technology could do.

“We were convinced enough to buy a D65PXi-18 swampy and a PC360LCi-11 excavator, plus a Topcon base station, which were delivered in February 2019, and took them to the site.

“We also put on Fraser Mead, a young surveyor, who’s passionate about technology, plus he’s really into drones and how they can really help with the whole mine infrastructure construction process.”

As of mid-June, Mead and RHT are trialling Komatsu’s EDD (EveryDay Drone) technology, a high precision UAV (drone) survey system providing industry-leading super-fast on-site processing using Komatsu SMARTCONSTRUCTION’s Edge technology.

“Initially the operators weren’t convinced about the iMC machines; they said ‘stuff this, I’m an operator, I don’t need that’, but then after a few days of seeing what the technology could do, they were going ‘wow!’,” Heddon says.

“On the first dam we built, we never put a grader on it, did the whole batter with just our first D65EXi dozer and the PC360LCi excavator. I have never, ever done that before; they are exceptionally good. The dams look great, the batters look great, we’re never having to do rework, we get it right – from the start to the end. It’s always spot on.”

Expanded fleet

Following the success of its first D65PXi-18, RHT bought a second D65PXi-18 in September last year, and the D155AXi-8 in February this year.

“At the moment, we’ve got all these machines working on site, building up to three dams at one time,” Heddon says.

“With the dozers, we are using them for winning material from borrow pits, while the excavator is pulling up batters.”

Building tailings dams for larger mines requires large amounts of earthworks – with dam walls up to 4-6 km around, along with haul roads, so there is a lot of earth to be moved.

RHT’s two smaller iMC machines, with their swamp tracks, are proving ideal for the precision final trim work to millimetre level accuracy, while the larger D155AXi-8 (pictured) is being used for the bulk earthworks on the dams and haul roads, according to Komatsu.

“On the newer dams we are building, we are using clay oxide materials, which are heavier to work with, which is why we brought in the D155AXi,” Heddon says. “Plus, we can also use it for building haul roads. We can just map in a haul road route and design, and the machine can go out and build it, even in rock and clay.”

One thing RHT has found is that the D155AXi-8 has not so far been giving quite the final trim accuracy of the D65PXi-18s.

“Certainly, it is extremely accurate compared with any conventional dozer next to it, but because we have seen how precise the D65s are to a few millimetres, we were expecting that with the D155. However, because it is bigger, it corrects slightly differently,” Heddon says.

“It’s still good, still within coo-ee of what we need, but we know at the moment it’s giving a slightly rougher surface, so you’ve got to take things a bit slower, use a lower gear to get there.

“On the bulk side, Komatsu’s intelligent Machine Control works really well, absolutely on this bigger dozer. You can just set it, and it does exactly what we need. It’s on the fine control, where I think we can get it going even better.

“Because this is all so new, it’s something we are working with Komatsu to perfect.”

Heddon also says iMC ensures that rework and over-excavation never occurs – eliminating overruns and field survey work.

“With Komatsu’s intelligent Machine Control acting as a rover, we know we are always building to the exact specs; we are never over-building, and everything is always exactly level and ready for rolling.

“We don’t require anyone to go out there with a dumpy level checking levels and all that stuff,” he says.

No micro managemenent

The other big advantage is having all the works designs already in the machines, ready for the operators as soon as they need them.

“That’s a big saving because the operators have everything at hand in the machines to do the work,” Heddon says.

“In the old days, we’d have two teams out there pegging the site, one for the day shift, and another for the night shift.

“Now we just put in a couple of reference pegs, then once the operator has the levels, it’s all good to go.”

And, as each part of the job is completed, it can be immediately checked and audited – and the records remain readily available at any time in the future for clients or geotechnical engineers.

“This technology means that the as-built track mapping is all there from the start. When you’re building a tailings dam, it’s essential that layers go down in 300 mm lifts, before the next one goes on top,” he says.

“We can see all this on the computer and know that it was done precisely. So, in future, if there is ever a question with a dam, we can go back in there and show that it was done exactly right. There’s no need for anyone to go in and micromanage. It is a great system.

“The other great thing about these iMC machines is that essentially they act as a mobile rover because everything is done within the machine.

“So, the surveyor can be away on another mine site, and if the operator finishes a job, the surveyor can jump in remotely, and work together with the operator to set things up for the next job. So, people are not sitting around waiting for someone to get back after lunch to start up again.”

Greatly increased site safety is another huge advantage with iMC, according to Komatsu.

“Safety is paramount for us,” Heddon says. “And not having people working on the ground around dump trucks, excavators, wheel loaders, dozers and other machines, is a major safety component. It’s just unreal.”

Heddon has also observed interesting reactions from operators using the iMC systems, and RHT’s clients.

“When these machines first came to site, people said it was just more stuff to go wrong. But then after a few days, they all agree the benefits are countless.

“And our clients have been really impressed with the quality, efficiency and technology the iMC machines offer.

“With this technology, we have the trucks deliver to the site, the dozers push it out – and it’s so level that the trucks can keep working, whereas before we’d have to call in a grader to give the trucks access.

“Everyone is stoked with it, the whole concept. We’ve since bought a second base station, and we’re putting that in our second site.”

The future

Heddon sees tremendous potential for Komatsu’s iMC technology in future projects.

“This is really moving into the future, that’s the only direction we want to go now.

“And particularly after those catastrophic dam failures in Brazil, the more you can prove the quality of your work and show that to the geotechs and the clients, the more successful we can be.

“They really need the confidence that these dams are getting built correctly at all times, not just some of the time.

“It’s giving the mining companies that security and peace of mind that their dams are built right, so they know they have their dams constructed to worlds best practice.

“We’re very committed to this technology. We want to see it on all our earthmoving machines, and we are very keen to see it on the larger excavators, at least up to PC490 size,” Heddon says.

SANY delivers first rigid mining truck to Indonesia coal sector

Base metals, Coal technology, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Five SANY excavators, including two SY750Hs, two SY500Hs, one SY215C, and one SRT95C rigid-body mining truck, have recently been delivered to two large coal mines in Indonesia, the China-based equipment manufacturer reports.

The latest delivery, the SY750H, the largest-tonnage SANY excavator in Indonesia at 76 t, added to the SY500Hs and SY215Cs already on site. The SY750H is equipped with a 5.4 cu.m bucket to achieve higher ripping in difficult ground conditions, SANY says. It comes with a fuel-efficient ISUZU engine.

“The SY750H crawler excavators are used specifically for overburden, as well as for loading dumper trucks in the mine,” SANY said. “They have proved their efficiency, cost-effectiveness and reliability in operation.”

The delivery of the SRT95C, meanwhile, represented the first rigid truck to head to a coal mining job site in Indonesia. It came equipped with a Cummins QST high-power engine with electronic fuel injection control and Allison transmission. “This means enhanced acceleration performance and reduced fuel consumption and emissions,” SANY said.

The truck’s frame is made of alloyed structural steel, which features resistance to low temperature, bending, twisting and impact. In addition, McPherson front strut suspension adopted on the front axle and steering mechanism smooth the ride, according to SANY.

“SANY’s equipment has a strong presence in Indonesia as clients across the islands have purchased a range of products, including excavators, cranes and mining trucks, since years ago,” it said. “These machines have proven their outstanding off-road properties as well as a good quality in service.”

The client from one of the coal mines said: “With large grab capacity, high fuel efficiency and rapid working cycles, SANY excavators fully meet our requirements. Also, the productivity and stability in operation and good aftersales service, especially the spare part support, make SANY rigid mining trucks impressive.”

The delivery of these excavators and trucks followed another order from a mining customer in Africa last month.

On July 23, Eritrea’s Bisha Mining Share Company, owned by Zijin Mining, took delivery of nine SRT95C dump trucks it ordered earlier this year from SANY. These trucks will help the copper-zinc mine increase ore production.

New GHH 45 t capacity dump truck about to enter underground market

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

GHH has developed a new 42 t payload dump truck that, it says, offers maximum drive power, improved turning radius, steep dumping angle and excellent ergonomics and safety.

The German manufacturer of heavy machinery for civil engineering, tunnelling and mining, which has roots that go back to 1758, has three other underground dump trucks in its underground mining portfolio (in addition to two within its low profile dump truck offering and one within its flameproof portfolio) spanning 15-35 t payload applications. The new truck is the largest in its portfolio.

The new MK-42 offers an up to 45 t payload, 19-24 m³ dump body capacity, maximum drive power, a great turning radius, improved dumping angle and excellent ergonomics and safety, according to the company. It has a streamlined, innovative product design, which just received the Red Dot Design Award, GHH added.

The 460 kW Mercedes OM473 forms the engine base, fulfilling the latest EU Stage V emission standards. GHH also offers Tier 3 and 4 versions for less regulated markets, while an alternative Volvo Penta TAD1651 or 1671 engine option is available.

The vehicle rests on Kessler axles with oscillating articulation and front axle suspension, while the power is transmitted by a converter and gearbox combination from the Dana 8000 series.

Designed for use in harsh environments, especially in underground hard-rock mining applications, the MK-42’s dimensions are surprisingly compact at 3,062 x 10,535 x 2,719 mm (WxLxH). A steep dumping angle of 68° leads to high efficiency productivity and improved cycle time, according to GHH.

The company said special emphasis was placed on a safe and simple design, with low maintenance and repair costs, and operator safety and comfort kept in mind through the entire design process. The ROPS/FOPS certified cab is ergonomically designed to be spacious, quiet, pressurised and effectively air-conditioned to ensure maximum operator comfort while minimising fatigue, GHH says. The strategically placed trainer seat, meanwhile, provides for effective operator training.

The new MK-42 fits seamlessly into the manufacturer’s range of dump trucks and is the perfect haulage partner for GHH’s LF-14 loader, with the combination of the two offering three pass loading, GHH said. Extensive consulting, aftermarket support, parts sales and technical training are just a few of the services GHH offers to all customers worldwide.

Global sales will start shortly as the prototype truck enters its final stage of rigorous testing, GHH said, which added that a special version, the MK-A45, will be marketed exclusively for the Russia market.

BELAZ and ZYFRA enhance mine automation and AI ties

Automation, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , ,

Equipment manufacturer, BELAZ and ZYFRA, a company which specialises in industry digitalisation, have agreed to jointly develop “robotisation technologies” for the mining industry and set up a research centre at BELAZ’s facilities for innovation in the fields of artificial intelligence and autonomous transport.

The strategic partnership agreement was signed on July 10 at the Innoprom-2019 International exhibition, in Yekaterinburg, Russia, by Petr Parkhomchik, CEO of BELAZ-HOLDING, and Igor Bogachev, CEO of ZYFRA.

“The main goal of our partnership is to understand better the current and future digital needs of the mining industry and to offer vehicles that fully meet these needs so that customers do not have to waste resources and time upgrading them on their own,” Parkhomchik said. “Identifying these needs will be the object of our joint research activities with ZYFRA and all our future projects will be based on these studies.”

The companies are already taking their first steps together in the areas highlighted in the agreement. For example, VIST Group, a subsidiary of ZYFRA which develops solutions for the mining industry, and BELAZ have launched production of robotised dump trucks.  The vehicles are being successfully used, in particular, in open pits operated by SUEK, according to ZYFRA.

“Experience shows that thanks to accurate tracking of the geotechnology parameters, fully-autonomous and remotely-controlled equipment improves transport efficiency by 20%, while removing drivers from hazardous work zones,” ZYFRA added. “The company expects the solution will be highly demanded by the markets of Sub-Saharian Africa, Chile, Peru and India.”

The collaboration between BelAZ and ZYFRA will have a focus on AI-based technologies, with the companies planning to conduct joint studies of customer needs and an analysis of the global market for digital AI-based products in the mining industry. This will act as a foundation for creating and improving their own developments in this field.

Immediate plans include working on a predictive analytics system for quarry equipment to help predict breakdowns by analysing historical data and carry out predictive maintenance, ZYFRA said. “In parallel, the two companies have mapped out joint steps in the development of industrial safety solutions. In particular, they are planning to test a driver fatigue tracking system using computer vision technologies.”

The companies also plan to develop an environment scanning system for autonomous dump trucks already equipped with artificial intelligence. The system will be able to not only to perceive and react to objects located around the dump truck, but also build a 3D model of the rock mass to be loaded, determine its sequence of actions and correlate its movements with the dump truck’s position.

Bogachev said: “With such a powerful mining technology business unit as VIST Group, ZYFRA is seeking to work closely with the global leaders in the production of quarry equipment.

“I’m convinced that this combination of competences will benefit all parties. For us, it will mean a stronger presence on the global market, a deepening of our expertise and the opportunity to create products equipped with the most advanced technologies, while the mining companies will be able to order their equipment from the plant with their chosen digital features ready installed.”

The agreement includes partnership in the promotion and commercialisation of digital technologies for mining companies and joint training of personnel for the implementation of digitalisation projects, according to ZYFRA.

DUX working on compact scoop loader and electric-powered equipment

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

Underground mining equipment supplier, DUX Machinery, says it is in the process of manufacturing a very compact DUX Model DSL-300 scoop loader.

The compact model has the operator side seated in an “ergonomically correct” compartment, while the engine side end is identical to the DUX DT-5N dump truck (pictured), which the company designed, built and tested in 2016/2017, with one machine now operating in a narrow-vein copper mine in the US.

The company has become renowned for developing machines for the underground narrow-vein market and said of the mining technique: “The advantage of the narrow-vein mining methods is to improve the ore grade delivered to the mill, significantly reduce waste development and reduce equipment, mining, ventilation and fuel costs.”

DUX’s DSL-300 comes with a 3-t tramming capacity, a machine width of 1.4 m, a bucket width of 1.45 m and a standard SAE heaped bucket capacity of 1.22 m³. It also has an ejector bucket option available.

While this unit is available with a diesel engine for high altitude and EPA Tier 4 Final, EU Stage IV regulated engine, DUX said it is in the process of designing a battery-/electric-powered version of the DSL-300 with on-board battery charging. These will improve noise levels, and reduce ventilation and maintenance costs, it said.

The electric-powered version will be introduced in 2020, according to DUX.