Tag Archives: Excavators

Austin Engineering receives steel award plaudits for two-piece excavator bucket

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Austin Engineering has placed second overall at the 2019 Swedish Steel Awards, at the same time as its two-piece excavator bucket was awarded the Peoples’ Choice Award at the event.

First awarded in 1999, the Swedish Steel Prize is an international award for companies, institutions and individuals in the steel industry. The prize, owned by SSAB, has for 20 years been recognising and rewarding those that have developed a method or product that fully utilises the potential of high-strength, wear resistant and other premium steels.

An independent professional jury assesses the entries by considering their applicability, profitability, environmental benefits, performance, innovation and creativity.

The jury said: “Austin Engineering has taken a significant leap in innovation for the design and maintenance of excavator buckets. With a modular approach, they have developed an innovative concept that combines low weight with optimal use of the complete product before scrapping. The solution utilises the characteristics of high strength and wear resistant steel and has extremely low barriers for implementation.”

Designed and manufactured in Australia by Austin Engineering, the two-piece bucket features a reusable upper section and a consumable lower segment designed for quick and safe bucket change-outs during scheduled maintenance intervals.

The reusable upper section has been designed to maintain overall structural integrity of the assembly for a predetermined service life through multiple change-outs of the lower, consumable, section.

According to the company, typical baseline service life for the upper section service will be in the vicinity of 30,000 hours; around four to five years based on industry expectations of conventional one-piece buckets of similar size and capacities.

Along with Austin Engineering, the finalists in this year’s award included Kampang from Brazil for its feeder modules for axial grain harvesters used in soybean farming, Roofit Solar from Estonia for its metal solar roofs that produce electricity and the US-based Shape Corp (overall winner) for its robust manufacturing process for 3D shaped tubes.

Steel award entries must be a method or product that fully uses the characteristics of premium steel within SSAB’s product range, but does not necessarily need to be steel produced by SSAB, according to the organisers.

LiuGong highlights battery-electric vehicles and 5G connected tech at BICES 2019

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LiuGong has used the backdrop of the 15th Beijing International Construction Machinery Exhibition & Seminar (BICES 2019) in China to launch a new range of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) as well as remote controlled ‘intelligent’ wheel loaders based on 5G technology.

At BICES 2019, LiuGong is showing three BEVs, including two excavators – the 906E-EV and 922F-EV – and the company’s star wheel loader, the 856H-EV (pictured).

While not all these machines will be big enough to have mining applications, LiuGong explained that the units were very much the start of a platform that could see bigger machines manufactured.

Edward Wagner, Executive Director of LiuGong New Technology, said the total operating cost of a battery powered earthmover is, or soon will be, “depending on the exact vehicle design and customer application, lower than that of a diesel-powered machine”.

LiuGong’s new BEVs are designed for the new electric economy, it said, with a state-of- art, but well proven, lithium-ion battery system for energy storage.

“That power is directed into super high efficiency permanent magnet electric motors to create the motion necessary to drive the machines,” it said. “The machine’s mechanical and hydraulic systems have been optimised for high efficiency: a typical BEV will have peak power output that is two times a conventional diesel power machine. This enables the battery electric earthmovers to accelerate faster and perform more coordinated movements.”

These movements will also be more precise given the full electronic vehicle control, according to LiuGong. “More powerful, quicker and more precise all add up to more productivity, which is raised more than 10% compared to that of a diesel machine,” the company said.

These lithium-ion batteries are designed to last the full life of the machine and eliminate the daily maintenance and regular service routine that comes with diesel engines.

The first generation of LiuGong’s BEVs batteries are equipped with fast charging technology and innovative energy-saving technologies, according to the company. This sees them need only one hour to charge the battery to 80% capacity.

Zeng Guang’an, Chairman of LiuGong Group, at the launch ceremony for LiuGong’s BEVs, said: “We are committed to creating more value for our customers. And that is why LiuGong will never stop independent innovation.”

The LiuGong’s 906E-EV excavator is an example of how quickly and easily a diesel machine can be converted to battery electric, the company said. This machine uses most of the diesel excavator’s hydraulic system allowing for a very rapid conversion time. It is equipped with a battery large enough for a full working day, according to the company.

The new 922F-EV excavator is driven purely by electric power, with the battery pack located centrally in the rear for optimum mass balance. The electric motor and hydraulic system have been optimally packaged to maximise operator visibility, LiuGong says. “The result is industry leading operator visibility which will further enhance performance and efficiency.”

A feature of the new 856H-EV wheel loader is a pure electric driveline with regeneration. This improves operating performance and reduces the energy consumption.

LiuGong explained: “The hydraulic system is electrically driven while using proven off the shelf components. Performance is incredible given the 300-plus-kW peak power capability.”

All three machines are designed using a new platform strategy, which means a very high degree of commonality of parts and systems across all LiuGong’s new energy machines. “This simplification of parts will further lower the total cost of ownership,” it said.

LiuGong introduced the company’s first intelligent shovel remote control wheel loader at its 60th anniversary celebration last year and, at BICES, it has presented its new 5G-based remote-control intelligent wheel loader, co-developed and supported by China Telecom and Huawei technology.

According to Cai Dengsheng, Deputy Chief Engineer of LiuGong’s Intelligent Technology Institution, the model can be remotely controlled from over 2,000 km away, compared with 2 km as of last year, realising real-time response and accurate control through the 5G network.

This 5G network is the most advanced network communication technology in the world with only 30 millisecond data transition from Beijing to Liuzhou, according to LiuGong. “Meanwhile, the transmission quality or stability are not influenced by either a complex environment or long transition time,” the company said. “It is the best technical solution for timely, efficient and high-quality transmissions of large amounts of data.”

The company added: “It provides a high-quality network environment and network technology support for LiuGong’s remote control driving research and provides strong support for the combination of edge calculation and cloud computing in intelligent control under remote control conditions.

“As one of the few Chinese construction machinery companies that has mastered the 5G technology, LiuGong is expected to realise remote-control driving from even longer distances under this platform.”

In addition, LiuGong’s intelligent shovelling wheel loader can sense material penetration; has one bottom loading and dumping function, along with auto levelling and controllable placement of the bucket. It also features an intelligent throttle control system, the company said.

Under remote-control driving mode, all operations can be observed from the videos that are sent back by the machines’ cameras. It also applies the intelligent protection technology to realise automatic identification and auto emergency stop.

As a result, the machine can not only be used in its normal applications, but also can be applied in dangerous and unsafe environments such as rescue and disaster relief.

F-Series excavators

In addition to the BEV and 5G releases, LiuGong used the event to launch four new excavators in its F-Series range that have mining applications.

The 922F is a new-generation 22-ton hydraulic excavator. It and the other F-Series vehicles come with a fully electronically controlled hydraulic system and intelligent heat dissipation technology, with the excavator boasting high operating efficiency, low oil consumption and low noise.

It has “unique engine matching technology and new P/S/E mode ensure higher efficiency and low oil consumption”, the company said.

The company also launched the 926F 25-ton hydraulic excavator, the 936F 36-ton excavator with 1.7 cu.m bucket and the 92-ton 990F excavator which comes with a heavy-duty structure and optimised crushing design.

Truck & Shovel conference gains Singapore Mining Club support

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The inaugural Truck & Shovel conference is now just over seven weeks away and the stage is set for an exciting event looking into the future of the global loading and haulage industry.

With topics such as automation, digitalisation, fleet management, and tyre and fuel optimisation on the agenda, there will be much to discuss at the 1.5-day event, taking place at the InterContinental Singapore, Middle Road, on September 19-20.

In addition to gaining the support of Komatsu Mining (Platinum Sponsor), Zyfra Mining (Gold Sponsor) and Mining Industry Professionals (Media Sponsor), IM Events is pleased to announce that the Singapore Mining Club has backed this global event.

Truck & Shovel 2019 will now be held in association with the Singapore Mining Club, an influential group that exists to promote development of Singapore as the pre-eminent regional hub for the management and financing of mining enterprises.

We chose Singapore for this global event for several reasons, including:

  • Many of the big mining companies have procurement and marketing hubs in this Asian metropolis;
  • It acts as a gateway through to key mining hubs such as Australia, India, China and Indonesia, and;
  • It has good transport links and an excellent reputation for event hospitality.

Taking place in Ballroom I and II of the InterContinental Singapore, this event has attracted a number of high-profile speakers that have masses of industry knowledge to share with delegates.

We plan to kick off the day with a keynote from Komatsu Mining’s Jason Knuth (Senior Manager – Data Solutions) and Simon Van Wegen (Product Manager – Data Solutions) on ‘Data-driven designs for dynamic mining environments’.

The duo, who have spoken at many high profile conferences around the world, are set to reveal how advanced mining original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are leveraging the plethora of data nodes on smart equipment to adapt equipment and design solutions for the modern mine environment.

Mikhail Makeev, Global Business Director, Zyfra Mining, is set to continue this digitalisation theme during his catchily-titled ‘How to make your mine “rock”’ presentation. The company has automation and fleet management expertise that it has applied across many mine sites, with Makeev keen to share details on these experiences.

Automation

For those focused on surface mining automation, Truck & Shovel tackles the concept from three different angles.

Drew Larsen, Director of Business Development, ASI Mining, will provide a business case for haulage automation with a presentation titled: ‘Autonomous Mining – more feasible than you might think’. The company, 34% owned by global mining OEM Epiroc, began work on a project with Barrick Gold to retrofit and automate a fleet of Komatsu 930-E Ultra Class haul trucks at the Arturo joint venture operation in Nevada, last year, and is expecting to issue news on projects with other miners in the near future.

Tony Cutler, Principal Consultant, OTR Global, will be tackling automation from a different stance in his ‘Factoring tyres into autonomous haulage’ presentation. Research from the leading mining OEMs offering autonomous haulage systems (AHS) indicates these systems have the potential to prolong tyre life, a claim Cutler will interrogate up on stage.

And Steve Russell, Director – Mining, Scott Technology Ltd, will be looking at autonomous refuelling in his talk. With a title of ‘Robofuel Robotic Refuelling – A safety and productivity initiative for the 21st Century Mine’, he will highlight case studies that showcase just how effective this process is in an open-pit mining context.

Equipment design and innovation

The look and feel of loading and haulage equipment hasn’t changed dramatically over the past few decades, but with mining companies and OEMs now receiving data in real time about how trucks and excavators are operating and interacting with each other, one would expect these design blueprints to, in the future, be altered in some way – for example Komatsu’s cabless haul truck concept.

Taking on this topic at the event will be Christopher B Althausen, Director of Sales & Marketing for Pioneer Solutions LLC, and Brad Rogers, CEO of Bis Industries.

Althausen’s presentation, ‘Mining truck design and development: challenges, hurdles and solutions’, looks at his and his company’s experiences approaching haul truck design over many decades. Rogers’ talk, meanwhile, focuses on ‘Innovation in minesite haulage’. With Bis Industries now having successful trials of its revolutionary Rexx haul truck in its back pocket, delegates will look forward to hearing all about the proven productivity benefits of using this 20-wheel machine.

Maximising payload

The first day of the event will finish with a packed session on truck bodies and excavator buckets where four speakers will highlight just how effective customised solutions can be in the open-pit mining environment.

Carl Samuelson, Global Business Support Manager, Metso Haul Truck Solutions, will talk about successes the mining OEM has had with its hybrid haul truck tray, the Metso Truck Body, while David Pichanick, Global Manager Market Development & Innovation, Austin Engineering, will reveal how thinking ‘outside the box’ and changing the way the company uses materials in dump bodies and buckets has had an impact on safety and productivity. Tom Smith, Engineering Manager at DT HiLoad, rounds out the truck body talk, presenting, ‘HERCULES: The Strongest Tray in Earth’.

Ian Cornfoot, Managing Director of G&G Mining, has the honour of closing day one with a presentation on the use of customised excavator buckets titled, ‘Moving Rocks Not Steel – “Productive innovations in earthmoving buckets”’.

Fuel efficiency and management

As has been well documented, fuel efficiency is key when it comes to open-pit mining, with optimised fuel selection and management often keeping the cost per tonne down.

This topic kicks off day two of the event, with Kevin Dagenais, CEO of Blutip Technologies, looking at the use of predictive modelling techniques to target mining inefficiencies in this space. Sean Birrell, Group Product Officer, FluidIntel, follows closely behind him on ‘Analytics opportunities in fuel and lubricant management – unseen risks & untapped value in your supply chain & operations’, with Joao Silveirinha, Chief Technology Officer of Banlaw, rounding out the fuel talk with a talk titled, ‘Digital Transformation and Automation as it relates to the management of Hydrocarbons in Mining’.

Safety and training

The last session of the conference is all on safety and training, with two speakers keen to talk up the benefits of these in open-pit mining where accidents can cost lives and machines.

Daniel Bongers, Chief Technology Officer of SmartCap Technologies, will present, ‘Zero fatigue incidents achieved – moving to alertness monitoring’ in his 30-minute slot, with Graham Upton, Director of Business Development at simulator specialist, Doron Precision Systems Inc, following him with ‘Shovel and Truck, side-by-side Coordinated Training’.

For details of how to register for this event, or access the full program, please visit the website: https://im-mining.com/truck-and-shovel/

Please note, all company delegations of two or more people are entitled to a discount. Get in touch with Editorial Director, Paul Moore ([email protected]), or Editor, Dan Gleeson ([email protected]), for more information.

XCMG bolsters Mongolia offering with spare parts centre

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XCMG has opened its first spare parts centre in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in an effort to provide “all-around support and services” for customers in the country.

The new centre will connect with the Xuzhou Headquarters, Erenhot Distribution Center and mining districts’ On-site Support Warehouses to create a complete “sale-support-repair” service, it said. This will provide “high-quality equipment, flawless support in operation and guarantees for equipment throughout the entire life cycle of XCMG’s products”, the company said.

XCMG’s Song said: “As Mongolia accelerates the construction of infrastructure over the next decade, XCMG will be on-hand to help develop the local market. With our new service centre and complete solution, there will be no limit to what we can build together.”

The company’s exports to Mongolia are increasing year by year, XCMG said, with the total number of machinery shipped to Mongolia up to July 2019 already exceeded the total for 2018, according to recent customs reports. “The dramatic increase underlines the position of XCMG’s large-tonnage mining excavators, loaders, graders and mining trucks as the top choice for operators in Mongolia,” XCMG said.

To meet the ever-growing demand for spare parts support and services, XCMG initiated the spare parts centre project with local dealer AODE in April. Some 20 million yuan ($2.9 million) was invested to construct the 2,000 sq.m site located in Ulaanbatar. This will significantly improve XCMG’s ability to provide spare parts services in Mongolia and its neighbouring region, as well as better sales services in Middle Asia, the company said.

Wang Min, Chairman and CEO of XCMG, said: “XCMG is committed to providing excellent products and service to all our customers, service is part of the product itself, and XCMG will invest heavily to create a global spare parts network and standard service procedures to win customers’ trust.”

NRW’s Golding to operate new trucks, excavators at Isaac Plains East coal mine

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NRW Holdings’ wholly-owned subsidiary, Golding Contractors, has reached agreement with Stanmore Coal to increase overburden removal capacity at its Isaac Plains East mine in Queensland, Australia, with the addition of a third truck and excavator fleet.

During 2019, the mine has continued to increase production and the new contract mine plan is seeking to sustain current coal production volumes of around 3 Mt/y of run of mine (ROM) material.

The two companies, in November, agreed to extended the contract mining services contract for at least another five years.

The third fleet will commence operations in August, with Golding supplying an additional Hitachi EX3600 excavator, five EH3500 Hitachi trucks and the remainder of the ancillary fleet, the majority of which will be mobilised from NRW’s Middlemount project, NRW said, adding that the five EH3500 trucks will be replaced by 5 EH4000 Hitachi trucks as they become available from the Middlemount project.

Stanmore Coal has also entered into binding agreements to acquire a 600-t Caterpillar 6060 excavator for the Isaac Plains East mine from Cat dealer Hasting Deering. This will be commissioned later in the year, NRW said, with Golding operating and maintaining the machine. It will either move prime overburden in front of the dragline or overburden in dedicated excavator and truck pits uncovering coal, according to Stanmore Coal.

Stanmore said: “Once the environmental approvals are granted for the Isaac Downs project, it is planned that the excavator will transfer to Isaac Downs to commence the box-cut operation to establish the mine. Operations at Isaac Plains East will continue in parallel with the development of the Isaac Downs project.”

The total investment is expected to be A$13 million, which includes additional workshop facilities and associated equipment expenditure at Isaac Plains to support efficient maintenance practices, the company said.

The value of the increase in scope of the contract adds approximately A$450 million ($315 million) to the existing five-year contract Stanmore and Golding have in place, NRW said. The total contract sum is estimated to be around A$950 million at the current mine production levels.

NRW CEO and Managing Director, Jules Pemberton, said: “This amendment is built on the back of a productive relationship and a positive transition for both Stanmore and Golding to the Isaac Plains East operations. We expect our capital commitment to be very low at around A$10 million as we are able to utilise fleet secured through an agreed early release from the Middlemount Coal contract.

“The Middlemount contract is not formally due for completion until the end of the 2020 financial year, however we will be able to release certain fleet prior to that date and some fleet will also likely remain on site beyond the formal contract end date. As the Middlemount project is a maintained dry hire contract, the release of our fleet will enable us to re commit these assets to existing and new full-service contract mining opportunities in line with our mining divisions delivery model.”

Consultant Measured Group updated the Isaac Plains reserve in August 2018 with current estimates supporting over 10 years of open-pit mining at planned mining rates of 1.2-1.8 Mt/y of product coal. Total open-pit reserves as at August 2018 were 14.9 Mt (run of mine).

The contract amendment is tied to Stanmore Coal’s decision to defer the Isaac Plains Underground project and prioritise its Isaac Downs project, which has higher margin ROM coal to feed the coal handling preparation plant, Stanmore Coal says.

Stanmore Coal said the Isaac Plains Underground bankable feasibility study had been completed and confirmed a positive business case for the new underground mine with potential production ramping up to an average of 1.2 Mt/y of saleable coal from year two of the production plan.

“The quantum of product tonnes forecast for the underground combined with the open-cut sources exceeds the current CHPP and contracted port capacity. Stanmore Coal is prioritising its highest margin ROM coal at Isaac Plains East and Isaac Downs project, to maximise returns to shareholders. Accordingly, the Isaac Plains Underground project will be deferred until additional port and CHPP capacity are secured or until mining at the Isaac Downs project is largely complete, subject to prevailing business conditions.”

Mobil lubricant switch pays off for Russia limestone quarry

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A Russia limestone quarry has achieved an annual saving of €7,900 ($8,764) after switching its Hitachi excavators to Mobil DTE 10 Excel™ 46 hydraulic oil, according to ExxonMobil.

The use of this hydraulic oil, which, the company says, is specifically formulated for use in modern mobile equipment, extended oil drain intervals by 25% and also reduced filter replacements.

ExxonMobil said: “The mining company was having to drain its existing hydraulic oil every 4,000 hours but was aware that a better performance might be possible for the excavators, which weighed between 80 t and 115 t. It therefore approached ExxonMobil in the hope of extending oil life while maintaining hydraulic pump efficiency.”

Sarp Degirmenci, EAME Offer Advisor at ExxonMobil, said the company’s field engineering services (FES) team worked with the customer to identify the most suitable lubricant.

“As a result of this, they suggested a switch to Mobil DTE 10 Excel 46 hydraulic oil, which was developed to provide a long oil life and minimise deposit formation, even in hydraulic systems operating in severe conditions.

“Our engineers also recommended implementing Mobil Serv Lubricant Analysis to monitor the in-service performance of the oil.”

Regular testing revealed the optimal drain interval for Mobil DTE 10 Excel 46 hydraulic oil was 5,000 hours, an improvement of 25% on the previous grade, according to ExxonMobile. “It also revealed enhanced hydraulic pump efficiency, a reduction in deposit formation and reduced filter clogging.”

There was no unscheduled downtime during the test period, according to the company, which helped boost productivity and cut maintenance costs. The combined annual saving was estimated at €7,900.

Degirmenci said: “Mine owners need to ensure the reliable performance of all their equipment as any unscheduled downtime can damage bottom line performance. Using high performance oils and grease, in partnership with a next generation used oil analysis service, can help guarantee uptime, cut costs and improve equipment performance. This combination can help operators gain a competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive industry.”

Hitachi Construction Machinery delves into mining industry’s downtime issue

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Maintenance or mechanical failures are often seen as the root causes of industry downtime, but Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM), in South Africa, thinks there is more to this loss in productivity and profitability than this.

A deeper look into the actual typical operating conditions in the mining environment reveals there are levels of downtime beyond these two, HCM South Africa said.

“A closer approximation of actual production time can be reached by applying an OEE (overall equipment efficiency) analysis on a calendar time-based approach, as opposed to a loading time-based approach, since the latter is based on theoretical total time and is more likely to give an inaccurate reflection of actual production capacity,” the company said.

“With a calendar time-based OEE analysis, then, a number of additional factors affecting productivity are taken into account:

  • “Unscheduled downtime (breakdowns/failures);
  • “Scheduled and unscheduled maintenance;
  • “Idle time (eg operator lunch breaks);
  • “Waiting time (eg when a shovel waits for a truck to be loaded/unloaded);
  • “Inactivity during moves between sites, and;
  • “Environmental disruptions (e.g. unsuitable terrain, etc).”

HCM said: “From this, it is clear that the true cost of downtime is notably higher in reality than in theory, and since many of these factors are beyond the control of managers and personnel, it clearly illustrates the importance of quality and reliability of the equipment itself to the overall viability of a mining enterprise.”

HCM supplies one third of all the hydraulic mining excavators in the world – a fact due in no small part to the “strength and reliability of Hitachi machines”.

“In fact, it is thanks to the overall longevity of Hitachi’s machines, and the fact that customers get far more than expected from their purchases; the modular designs employed in the newer technology machines, in particular, make for timeous and effortless maintenance routines, which play a significant role in production optimisation.

“Superior horsepower output, efficient engines, ergonomically designed cabs, advanced hydraulics, tough frames, and powerful arm- and bucket-digging forces make for formidable, robust machines that maximise production time to get the job done,” the company said.

This also makes for lower total cost of ownership, as the customer benefits from additional value over time, according to the company. “For example, a renowned mining customer has reported seeing extended life on main components purchased with the equipment such as the rigid dump truck wheel units, on which they have achieved in excess of 25,000 hours through the application of class-leading maintenance tactics in partnership with Hitachi’s site support personnel. With a very closely managed and monitored maintenance plan, they aim to manage these components to 50,000 hours.”

The company concluded: “Ultimately, it is through willingness to receive customers’ feedback and then incorporating it into their vigorous and ongoing R&D processes that Hitachi is able to optimise their machines and offer exceptional value.”

MOD lays out plans for T3 copper-silver project in Botswana

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The feasibility study for MOD Resources’ majority-owned T3 copper-silver open-pit project in Botswana has delivered compelling mine economics, in addition to a fleet and flowsheet plan that will interest the major mining original equipment manufacturers.

T3, in the Kalahari Copper Belt, is expected to require $182 million in development capital and deliver a mine able to produce life of mine average production of 28,000 t/y of copper concentrate and 1.1 Moz/y of silver at all-in sustaining costs of $1.56/Ib after deducting silver credits.

The pre-tax net present value (8% discount) for the project came in at $368 million based on a long-term copper price of $3.08/Ib, or $6,791/t.

The current plan would see T3 produce first product in the March quarter of 2021, operating over an 11.5-year mine life.

In terms of the primary loading fleet, the company said this would be made up of a maximum of five hydraulic excavators in the 120-250 t class. This is considered the optimal option that could achieve the required productivity, maintain a degree of selectivity when required and minimise the number of units required for practical separation of loading and hauling units, according to the company.

The ore and waste haulage fleet is expected to consist of 140 t mechanical drive haul trucks capable of direct tipping to the primary crusher.

MOD said there is step change to a lower annualised total material movement (TMM) after year five of operations. A peak TMM of 39 Mt (annualised) is due to be maintained during the first four years of the schedule, requiring 24 trucks and five excavators to ensured continuous ore supply. TMM drops to 6 Mt/y after year six and is generally maintained for the remaining life of mine, it said.

“The mining schedule has been constrained by setting a maximum vertical advance rate of 120 m/y annum to allow sufficient time for dewatering, grade control, drill and blast and load and haul,” the company said, adding that the maximum vertical lag between benches is set at 50 m.

The production schedule achieves the target process plant throughput rates both during ramp-up and during steady state operations of 3.0 Mt/y to 3.2 Mt/y (peak), it said.

The copper recovery plant and associated service facilities will process run of mine (ROM) ore delivered to a single stage primary crusher. The crushed ore will be stockpiled from where it is fed to a two-stage grinding circuit using SAG and ball milling. Copper minerals in the ground ore will be concentrated in a conventional copper flotation circuit, made up of roughing, regrind and a single stage of cleaning. Concentrate from the cleaning stage will be thickened then filtered on site prior to transporting to Walvis Bay, in Namibia. From Walvis Bay, the concentrate will be shipped to third-party smelters.

Tailing from the roughing and cleaning stages will be pumped to the tailings storage facility located south of the proposed mine. The TSF is designed to store approximately 34.4 Mt of conventional thickened tailing – enough for the 11.5 years of the project life.

The process plant is forecast to produce a life of mine annual average copper in concentrate of 28,000 t, with average grades for Cu and Ag of 30.4% and 383g/t, respectively.

The key criteria selected for the plant design are:

  • The mill will process a total of 34.4 Mt of ROM ore for 11.5 years;
  • The annual ROM treatment is 3.0 Mt/y with a peak treatment rate of 3.2 Mt/y, at a primary grind size of 80% passing 180 μm;
  • Design availability of 91.5% with standby equipment in critical areas;
  • Design copper head grade of 1.3%. This head grade allows for grade variation from the life-of-mine average grade of 1.0% Cu;
  • Eighty-fifth percentile of comminution ore properties;
  • Ore specific gravity of 2.8 t/m³;
  • Laboratory rougher flotation residence of six minutes, and cleaner 1 and cleaner 1 scavenger residence time of two minutes and eight minutes, respectively, and;
  • Rougher concentrate mass recovery of 6.2% (w/w) for regrind circuit sizing and final concentrate mass recovery of 3.6% (w/w) for thickener and filter sizing.

Doosan wins major excavator order from Neimenggu MengXin Group: report

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

Doosan Infracore has signed a contract to supply 36 excavators to Neimenggu MengXin Group, PulseNews reported on Wednesday.

MengXin runs four mines with more than 100 large-sized excavators and 30 wheel loaders, according to the news agency. It has a coal mining capacity of 20 Mt/y, it added.

The mining company decided to change its supplier to Doosan Infracore after testing the firm’s products for two months and noticing their performance and fuel saving capability, the news agency reported.

As a result, Doosan Infracore will provide six 80 ton (73 t) DX800 excavators, 20 DX520 excavators (capacity 52 tons (47 t) and 10 38-ton (34 t) DX380 excavators (one pictured), which will be used at the company’s operations in Inner Mongolia.

SANY 75 t excavator gaining traction in Africa mining market, GEM says

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Goscor Earth Moving (GEM), part of the Goscor Group, has launched SANY’s SY75 excavator into the Africa mining market and received a positive response from the continent’s miners.

The SY75 is a primary loading tool for the mining industry, from open pit to alluvial diamond mining.

The 75 t excavator is ideal for loading blasted material onto articulated dump trucks (ADT), as well as for stripping top soil and free digging, according to Andre Steenkamp, General Manager of the SANY range under GEM. For example, the 4.2 m³ bucket allows a 40 t ADT to be loaded in less than seven passes.

GEM, which is the official distributor in Africa for SANY products, is already registering significant interest for the SY75, with the second unit to be imported from China already pre-sold prior to delivery. In addition, a major Zambia copper mine ordered four units on a trial basis. This has since led to another six units being ordered, GEM said.

“The SY75 will definitely carve a niche for itself in the market, due to its reliable power source and impeccable back-up from GEM,” Steenkamp said. The Isuzu 6 W G1X engine delivers a maximum torque of 2,138 Nm at 1,500 rpm.

In addition, the SY75 features a self-diagnostic system that flags technical issues quickly, reducing downtime.

The excavator has a maximum digging depth of 7,620 mm, and a maximum excavating distance of 12,050 mm. The maximum digging height is 11,200 mm, while the maximum dumping height is 7,250 mm. It has a 7 m boom and a 3 m arm, which translates into a bucket digging force of 402 kN and an arm digging force of 345 kN.

While the SANY brand is fairly new to the South Africa mining industry, especially in open-pit mining, Steenkamp expects the addition of the SY75 to allow GEM to offer complete solutions for its mining customers, no matter the size of the operation.

“SANY is on a par with well-known competitor brands when it comes to technology, but at a fraction of the price. It also innovates constantly, and will be launching two new products at Bauma China in Shanghai in November,” Steenkamp said.