Tag Archives: Germany

VDMA Mining notes German equipment turnover uptick in latest market outlook

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The VDMA, which represents around 3,500 German and European mechanical and plant engineering companies, says Germany’s mining equipment sector continues to recover from the COVID-19-related downturn, with turnover for the first nine months of the year up by 18% to €3.75 billion ($3.9 billion).

“The mining industry is doing well at the moment, benefiting from a high order backlog,” the organisation said in its latest report. “In 2021, the manufacturers of technology for the extraction of raw materials achieved a total turnover of €3.18 billion in Germany as a production location.

“From January to September 2022, turnover of €3.75 billion increased by 18% compared to the same period last year. In the first three quarters, however, incoming orders declined by 26%.”

The industry hopes that the excellent mood and response at the bauma trade fair, in Munich, Germany, will be able to close the gap in incoming orders by spring and is counting on its technical expertise, especially in digitalisation, the VDMA noted.

Exports by mining equipment manufacturers in the period from January to August 2022 were 25% up on the previous year at just under €1.24 billion. VDMA Mining estimates that the industry will end the current year with a 15% increase in turnover.

The importance of modern mining technology for Germany as an industrial location has increased with the energy transition, according to the organisation.

Manufactburers are relying on digitalised and, where already possible, autonomous extraction and production processes – also in their own companies.

VDMA Mining added: “The bureaucratic obstacles, such as the German Supply Chain Act, which is ahead of the future EU law and can hardly be implemented, a shortage of skilled workers and the negative attitude towards mining are challenges that must be overcome in order for Germany to have a future as a high-tech location.”

Dr Michael Schulte Strathaus, Chairman of the VDMA Mining Executive Board, said at the Mining Industry Meeting in Essen, Germany, on November 17: “In addition to all the political and economic uncertainties we are currently facing, we must not lose sight of the fact that a sustainable industrial location in Germany is also a guarantor of social stability and our democratic system. Modern mining equipment secures our supply of raw materials and is, therefore, indispensable.”

Zinnwald Lithium and Epiroc to collaborate on low-emission mining operation

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Zinnwald Lithium, the Germany-focused lithium development company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Epiroc Rock Drills AB to, it says, collaborate in the development of a state-of-the-art mine at its 100%-owned Zinnwald lithium project.

Under the terms of the non-binding MoU, Zinnwald Lithium and Epiroc will develop plans to implement high-end technology and deliver a low-cost mining operation focused on minimising CO2 emissions, the London-listed company said.

With an approved mining licence, the project is designed to be a long-life underground lithium mine with associated processing facilities, enabling the company to become an important local supplier of battery-grade lithium hydroxide to the European battery sector, it added.

In an interview with IM in September, Zinnwald Lithium CEO, Anton du Plessis, mentioned that electric LHDs could be used to load and haul ore to an ore pass at the mining operation. He said the cost estimates to use such equipment – which are factored into the project’s $336.5 million initial construction capital expenditure bill – had come from Epiroc.

“The base case is battery-operated loaders,” he told IM at the time. “The final selection will be based on an optimisation study where, in particular, partly trolley-fed haulage systems will be investigated.”

du Plessis added in the latest press release on the MoU: “Our vision is to build a world-leading, highly economic mine that adheres to the highest environmental standards; attracting Epiroc as a partner, which shares this ethos and brings with it considerable experience and technology, is a further step towards achieving this goal. By optimising mine design and material flow for electrification and automation, our joint focus is on fossil-free exploration and mining, sustainability and circular economy, including the use of battery-operated underground mining equipment as well as loading and haulage machinery. We look forward to providing updates as our plans advance.”

The Zinnwald project includes an underground mine with a nominal output of approximately 880,000 t/y of ore at an estimated 3,004 ppm Li and 75,000 t/y of barren rock. Processing, including mechanical separation, lithium activation and lithium fabrication, will be carried out at an industrial facility near the village of Bärenstein, near the existing underground mine access and an existing site for tailings deposition with significant remaining capacity.

With a 7-km partly-existing network of underground drives and adits from the ‘Zinnerz Altenberg’ tin mine, which closed in 1991, already mapped out, the bulk of ore haulage is expected to be via either conveyor or rail.

The nominal output capacity of the project is targeted at circa-12,000 t/y LiOH with circa-56,900 t/y of SOP, 16,000 t/y of PCC, circa-75,000 t/y of granite and 100,000 t/y of sand as by-products.

Zinnwald striving for battery-electric circularity with lithium project development

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The development of the integrated Zinnwald lithium project in Germany could see the incorporation of a battery-electric fleet of LHDs and the return of metal production to a region of saxony with mining history dating back to the Middle Ages.

The London-listed owner of the project, Zinnwald Lithium Plc, has just released a preliminary economic study on its namesake project focused on supplying battery-grade lithium hydroxide to the European battery sector.

As with any responsible battery metal project being developed today, the project’s ‘green credentials’ are being considered even at this early stage.

Zinnwald Lithium has been keen to flag these, mentioning the project is located close to the German chemical industry, a fact that should enable it to draw on a well trained and experienced workforce with well-developed infrastructure, plus reduce the ‘carbon footprint’ of the final end-use product.

This focus will see all aspects of the project – from mining through to production of the end product – located near to the deposit itself.

Zinnwald Lithium also said the project has the potential to be a low- or ‘zero-waste’ project, as the vast majority of both its mined product and co-products have their own large-scale end-markets.

This could see it produce not only battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate products, but sulphate of potash (SOP) for the fertiliser market and precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) – the latter being a key filling material in the paper manufacturing process.

The project now includes an underground mine with a nominal output of approximately 880,000 t/y of ore at an estimated 3,004 ppm Li and 75,000 t/y of barren rock. Processing, including mechanical separation, lithium activation and lithium fabrication, will be carried out at an industrial facility near the village of Bärenstein, near the existing underground mine access and an existing site for tailings deposition with significant remaining capacity.

With a 7-km partly-existing network of underground drives and adits from the ‘Zinnerz Altenberg’ tin mine, which closed in 1991, already mapped out, the bulk of ore haulage is expected to be via either conveyor or rail

The nominal output capacity of the project is targeted at circa-12,000 t/y LiOH with circa-56,900 t/y of SOP, 16,000 t/y of PCC, circa-75,000 t/y of granite and 100,000 t/y of sand as by-products.

The company is looking to complete the ‘circularity’ dynamic in its fleet and equipment selection, according to CEO, Anton Du Plessis, who mentioned that electric LHDs could be used to load and haul ore to an ore pass in the envisaged operation.

He said the cost estimates to use such equipment – which are factored into the project’s $336.5 million initial construction capital expenditure bill – have come from Epiroc, which has a variety of battery-operated mobile equipment.

“The base case is battery-operated loaders,” he told IM. “The final selection will be based on an optimisation study where, in particular, partly trolley-fed haulage systems will be investigated.”

Forms of automation are also being studied, Du Plessis said, with the caveat that “only select technologies we consider proven” will be evaluated.

Zinnwald Lithium is also looking at electric options for long-hole drilling underground, with both battery-based units and cabled versions under consideration and requiring firming up in the optimisation study.

With a 7-km partly-existing network of underground drives and adits from the ‘Zinnerz Altenberg’ tin mine, which closed in 1991, already mapped out, the bulk of ore haulage is expected to be via either conveyor or rail. The former, of course, will be powered by electricity, but the company is also considering potential battery-electric options for the latter, according to Du Plessis.

The company is blessed with existing infrastructure at the mine, which should help it in advancing the project at the pace its potential end-use manufacturing suppliers would like. It is already evaluating options for the construction stage – with an engineering, procurement and construction management contract the most likely option – and it has plans to conclude a feasibility study by the end of next year.

Du Plessis said while most of the fixed assets have been removed or were deemed outdated a long time ago from the former operating underground mine, other infrastructure was in good shape.

“The excavations, main level, underground workshop, ventilation shafts and, particularly, 2020 refurbished access tunnel provide a very good starting point for our project,” he said. “The access tunnel was originally constructed for dewatering the old mine and, therefore, the mine and the tunnel have been maintained very well.”

The company is now shifting to the bankable feasibility study and currently selecting partners for the project.

With what it calls a “simple, five-stage processing” route confirmed by test work for the extracted material at Zinnwald, the company is looking to select OEMs with the optimal concept for the project, Du Plessis said.

“In the PEA, mineral processing equipment cost is based on Metso Outotec estimates, pyrometallurgy is based on Cemtec technology, and hydrometallurgy is based on various providers’ technology,” he clarified.

TOMRA XRT ore sorters providing Mt Carbine with tungsten upgrade, circular economy advantages

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TOMRA X-Ray Transmission (XRT) sorters are providing a game-changing solution for the EQ Resources-owned Mt Carbine mine in Queensland, Australia, reducing costs and achieving high-purity tungsten ore for follow-on processing while contributing to a circular economy by producing green aggregates for sale, the ore sorting company says.

The Mt Carbine mine, northwest of Cairns, Queensland, was acquired by EQ Resources in 2019. The company entered a joint venture with Cronimet Group to set up tungsten extraction from the mine’s large waste dump and tailings. It is also planning to operate the open pit and underground mine, of which it has full ownership.

EQ Resources management has a long-standing relationship with TOMRA, having used its sorters with success on a variety of projects since 2011, TOMRA says. Based on this experience, the company turned to TOMRA once again for the Mt Carbine mine, with test work conducted at TOMRA’s Test Center in Wedel, Germany, confirming its XRT technology would provide the solution for the project.

“We were confident it would work, but we sent a small sample for testing to make sure,” Kevin MacNeill, CEO of Mt Carbine mine, EQ Resources, said. “The advantage of TOMRA’s sorters compared to others is in the image resolution: it is able to resolve the finer inclusions in the tungsten. This high resolution gives us better recovery and more control over the sorting process.”

Mt Carbine is currently mining the 12 Mt of low-grade historical stockpiles. The ore is crushed and screened at 6 mm and 40 mm. Two TOMRA XRT sorters are used to pre-concentrate the feed in the 6-40-mm-size range before processing in the wet plant. Approximately 10% of the sorters’ feed mass is ejected as product with a recovery of tungsten of well over 90%. This means only 10% of the mass is processed in the wet plant, dramatically cutting running costs, reducing the required size of the wet plant, as well as saving water and energy, TOMRA says.

“We let the technology do the work for us and take out all the rubbish and we’re left with just the pure tungsten to send to the processing plant – and we do that very cheaply using the sorters,” MacNeill says. “One of the best things about the TOMRA XRT is the cost savings to the operation. It costs approximately A$1.5/t ($1.02/t) to sort and then it costs A$14/t for wet processing: as we take out 90% of the sortable fraction mass, we only have to process 10% of the higher grade concentrate and natural -6 mm material while maintaining recovery, so our cost benefit is obvious.

“We couldn’t afford to run this waste dump if we had to crush everything to 6mm and process it through the wet plant, it would be too low grade and costly.”

EQ Resources is also taking advantage of the TOMRA XRT sorters to create an additional revenue stream from the waste material.

MacNeil explained: “Normally you would grind the waste down to 6 mm and put it through the jigs, but, by putting it through the TOMRA sorters, we are able to keep a whole range of aggregates on the coarser size fractions. The sorters remove any material containing acid-forming sulphides and the waste rock that comes out is incredibly clean. We are, therefore, able to use it in making all kinds of different quarry products – from road bases to concrete aggregates. It’s a perfect example of a circular economy.”

“Selling these green aggregates adds a significant portion to our business – about A$5 million a year – and that’s all because of the TOMRA sorters. In fact, we’ve probably paid for each machine from this revenue five times over.”

The TOMRA XRT sorters are delivering both environmental and business benefits to the Mt Carbine operation, to the satisfaction of MacNeill: “They’re dry, they create no water usage, they require very little power compared to what we use in the processing plant, so it’s a real advantage to us to have these, and we’re looking at purchasing a third one in the near future.

“From an environmental point of view, I think the TOMRA sorters will play a huge role in the future because of their capability of removing sulphides. If you remove sulphide before stockpiling waste rock, you will have the benefit of no acid creation and drainage – and it would reduce your footprint in your closure plans.”

Liebherr to present new mid-size-class hydraulic mining excavator at Bauma

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Among its booths at Bauma 2022, in Munich, Germany, from October 24-30, Liebherr is set to unveil a brand-new mid-size class hydraulic mining excavator.

This second Generation 8 machine will be joined by other mining products and solutions on the company’s stands at the world’s largest construction show.

A pre-series model of the new machine will be exhibited at the Liebherr booth. As the second machine within the Liebherr mining portfolio to receive the “Generation 8” label, after the R 9600 excavator, which was launched in 2021, this new model comes equipped with the latest Liebherr technology products, the company said.

The hydraulic excavator to be displayed at Bauma 2022 has already entered the testing phase, with the company planning the start of serial production in early 2024.

The T 274, a 305-t mining truck, will also be on display at the show, featuring what Liebherr says will be “an impressive demonstration of the Trolley Assist System”.

This new truck bridges the gap between the  T 284 (363 t) and the upgraded T 264 (240 t) and was launched last year with the Liebherr Trolley Assist System available as an option.

The Liebherr Trolley Assist System uses an overhead pantograph to connect the electric-drive system to a mine site’s electrical network, powered by the customer’s energy source of choice. The Trolley Assist System offers increased truck fleet productivity, and potential for reduction in fleet size while maintaining yearly production, when compared with standard trucks. The potential for significant reduction of diesel fuel consumption and carbon footprint by decreasing the truck fleet’s CO2 emissions, demonstrates the Trolley Assist System as an effective first step on the road to zero emission mine sites of the future, the company said.

Liebherr already delivers proven field experience with 56 Liebherr trucks fitted with the Trolley Assist System currently in operation across three mine sites, it said.

Liebherr Mining’s recently launched Technology Product portfolio will also be showcased at Bauma 2022.

Mining excavator technology products to be presented will include the Truck Loading Assistant, Performance Monitoring and Application Severity analytic products, Liebherr Power Efficiency, and the Bucket Filling Assistant, which offers the first step towards excavator automation.

Other innovations across the Liebherr Group set to be presented in Munich include Liebherr Components’ first hydrogen engine, the H964, with, the company says, high efficiency and very low NOx emissions with the same service life and maintenance intervals as diesel engines.

The various injection solutions for hydrogen for medium and heavy-duty engines, as well as large engines with 7-100 litre capacity, will also be presented.

Metso Outotec slurry pumps to treat tails at SevGOK iron ore project

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Engineering Dobersek in Germany and Severniy Mining and Processing (SevGOK) in Ukraine have selected Metso Outotec’s mill discharge pumps for Severniy’s greenfield process waste thickening plant, the OEM says.

Metso Outotec’s pumps will be used to pump the iron ore concentrate plant’s waste sludge into the settling ponds from the thickeners. The 22 pumps to be delivered by Metso Outotec include 10 large high-capacity MDM700 pumps. Together, the pumps are capable of handling a total volume of 117,500 cu.m/h of waste sludge.

“SevGOK’s complex is the second of its kind in Ukraine, and Engineering Dobersek in Germany has designed it,” Axel Stappen, Managing Director, Engineering Dobersek GmbH, says. “With this investment, SevGOK aims to decrease environmental impacts and costs by lowering energy consumption and water usage. They chose Metso Outotec pumps because of their reliability and efficiency, and the good support Metso Outotec has provided in their previous projects.”

Michael Nienhaus, Head of Sales, Slurry Pumps, Germany, Metso Outotec, says: “We are delighted to have been selected to supply our MD series pumps to SevGOK’s project. To give an idea of the size of an MDM700 pump, it can weigh as much as 31 t and be 2.8 m in diameter, and have an impressive pumping volume of up to 9,650 cu.m/h. The MDM pumps operate in very demanding conditions, and we’ve designed them to operate reliably and to withstand exceptional wear.”

Metso Outotec mill discharge pumps have been designed for mill circuit applications, such as SAG/ball mill discharge pumps and hydrocyclone feed. Special emphasis has been placed on components that have to withstand exceptional wear from coarse heavy solids and flow turbulence, the company says.

German mining OEMs to benefit from climate, digitisation focus, Schulte Strathaus says

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Those involved in the mining equipment industry in Germany are optimistic about future demand for their products, with only state-of-the-art technology able to provide the raw materials needed for climate protection and digitisation, the VDMA Mining Association reports.

This is despite expectations of a decline in sales of for 2020, the association said.

This industry importance was also emphasised by the Chairman of the VDMA Mining Association, Dr Michael Schulte Strathaus, during the association’s annual press conference at the Zeche Zollverein in Essen, Germany, earlier this month.

Due to the pandemic, predictions for 2021 are hard to make, but Schulte Strathaus said he was sure incoming orders and sales will develop positively in the future.

“We ensure that raw materials can be mined and processed,” he said of the equipment makers within the association. “Mining equipment is becoming increasingly environmentally friendly and is making its contribution to climate targets, for example through alternative drives and lower energy consumption in mines.”

Production and sales developed well in 2018 and 2019 for the mining companies from Germany, the VDMA said. Yet, contrary to expectations, new business and incoming orders fell sharply at the end of 2019.

While the industry was still expecting a subdued development with stagnating sales at best, COVID-19 put additional pressure on these companies.

Over 2020, companies managed to close the interrupted supply chains again and to organise COVID-19-compliant production. They largely switched communication with overseas customers to web-based procedures. By the end of the summer, the industry was sending out very different signals: from virtually unchanged sales plans and expectations, to a drop in sales of 30% or more. Overall, the industry expects a decline in sales of 10-15% in 2020 to €4-4.5 billion ($4.8-5.4 billion).

The EU countries, the US, Russia, and China remain among the largest export markets for German mining manufacturers. Australia demand surprised this year, reaching second place among the individual markets, ahead of China and Russia. With an export share of 96%, manufacturers in Germany are dependent on foreign business.

In the EU, mining production has remained stable over the last 20 years. In the summer, the EU Commission announced it wanted to secure Europe’s supply of critical raw materials. To this end, the procurement of raw materials in the EU is to be strengthened, the VDMA said.

In the US, Schulte Strathaus believes the mining industry is on the brink of upheaval.

“With Joe Biden, the country will commit itself to climate neutrality, and large parts of the announced funds of around $2,000 billion will be channelled into the development of clean energy technologies,” he said. “This creates opportunities for our mining equipment manufacturers in Germany. However, they must make more effort to open up new sales areas or expand existing ones.”

Following a very successful 2019 with exports of around €97 million, deliveries to Australia fell to €68.8 million in the first eight months of 2020. Schulte Strathaus was confident Australia customers would again be more interested in mining technology from Germany from 2021 onwards, as the reluctance to establish new supplier relationships due to the pandemic eases.

Russia is currently a very difficult market due to sanctions, political disagreements, and the weak Rouble, the VDMA said. Travel restrictions and the uncertainty that deliveries from Germany could be stopped at any time make business relations risky for companies in Russia, it added.

In China, coal mining was way ahead of the wider Chinese mining industry. While the country is recovering from COVID-19, the mining sector generated sales of around €309 billion and a profit of around €30 billion in the first eight months of the current year. Manufacturers from Germany were unable to benefit from this, the VDMA said. By August, exports had only reached €67.7 million, a drop of 45%. Schulte Strathaus, nevertheless, sees good chances for positive German equipment sales development, with China banking on digitisation and unmanned operation of mines.

In addition to all the positives that come with adopting new technology, social benefits are increasingly becoming the focus for manufacturers of mining machinery, according to the VDMA.

“With our machines, we guarantee a climate friendly and secure supply of high-tech raw materials because, without them, there can be no energy transition,” Schulte Strathaus said.

Gensource signs up K-UTEC, Koeppern and Ebner for Tugaske potash project

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Gensource says it has engaged a consortium of world-class potash process design and equipment fabrication companies to work together to provide a design-supply-commission package for the entire process plant at the Tugaske potash project, in Saskatchewan, Canada.

The kick-off of engineering work for the major process equipment package is another milestone for the project, the fertiliser development company said.

Gensource previously announced advances in the development and financing of the Tugaske project, with KfW IPEX-Bank and Société Générale, joint lead arrangers for the project debt, nearing completion of their due diligence process.

The total senior debt financing for the project is expected to be supported by export insurance coverage with the German Export Credit Agency (ECA), Euler Hermes.

To satisfy a significant portion of the German export requirement, Gensource has elected to work with a consortium of three German-based design and equipment fabrication companies, namely: K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies, Koeppern GmbH & Co KG and Ebner GmbH & Co KG.

“Individually, these companies represent world-class capabilities in their specific areas of expertise, whether in the design of potash and salt processing plants or the design and fabrication of equipment,” Gensource said.

Together, the three companies known as KKE have the capability to supply the entire main process plant in a single design-supply-commission package, the company said.

K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies will look at the physical chemistry, overall process development and engineering, including practical bench scale testing, for the project; Koeppern will be engaged for drying, compaction, and screening process design and compaction equipment design and manufacture; and Ebner (tour of Ebner fabrication facility in Eiterfeld, Germany, pictured below) will be in charge of cooling crystallisation process design and crystallisation equipment design and manufacture.

“Based on the combined experience and capabilities of KKE, Gensource saw an opportunity to not only work with these top-tier companies and have this work qualify for ECA coverage, but also to simplify the number of project interfaces by packaging the entire process plant into a single design-supply-commission contract package,” Gensource said.

“Together, these companies provide a complete solution: from receiving the raw brine from the solution mining wellfield all the way through to a final potash product, meeting the off-taker’s specifications, ready for storage and shipping.”

Additionally, by packaging the entire process plant into one export contract, Gensource says it de-risks the project through obtaining a process guarantee from KKE for product quality and process plant throughput.

To advance the scope on this process plant package, Gensource has initiated the first phase of engineering with KKE, which will start the detailed process and equipment design, leading to the fabrication and ordering of key equipment for the process plant.

Advancing the scope of this package supports a development timeline that targets production from the Tugaske project in late 2022, supplying product to Tugaske’s off-taker and future equity partner, Helm Fertilizers.

The efforts of the KKE group will be integrated into the project by Gensource’s key project delivery partners: Engcomp Engineering & Computing Professionals, the lead engineering and design consultant for the project; and South East Construction (SEC), the general construction contractor for the project, it said.

“Together, Gensource, Engcomp, and SEC are acting as an integrated team, responsible for the overall execution and delivery of the project,” Gensource said, explaining that both Engcomp and SEC were seasoned engineering and construction professionals in the Saskatchewan potash industry.

Mike Ferguson, President & CEO of Gensource, said: “The three companies of the KKE group have unrivalled global experience in the potash and salt industries and bring their tremendous know-how, experience and proven track record of success to our project.

“Together with Gensource, Engcomp, and SEC, KKE rounds out the world-class potash team that we have established, which will no doubt deliver a world-class sustainable potash production facility in Saskatchewan via the Tugaske project.”

Like other Gensource module designs, the Tugaske project will produce a minimum of 250,000 t/y of saleable muriate of potash product.

Flexco lays ground for growth in Europe with bigger Rosenfeld facility

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Flexco’s Europe division has recently moved into a larger complex in Rosenfeld, Germany, as it addresses existing space constraints and allows for future growth of the operation.

Joerg Schairer, Managing Director of Flexco Europe GmbH, said: “The reasons behind our decision to build it were complex. We have always pursued the goal of becoming the most important contact in the sector for operations who want to maximise the productivity of their conveyor systems. The new building will help us to achieve this goal, because it has the space that allows us to manufacture new, innovative products that solve our customers’ biggest conveyor challenges – and we’ll also be able to offer our customers the best possible support in our modern training centre.”

The facility is 10,741 sq.m, with 3,200 sq.m dedicated to administrative functions, while the other 7,500 sq.m houses production, storage, and shipping. The location more than doubles the size of all departments and provides opportunities for workforce expansion, the conveyor-focused specialist said.

“The new facility gives us space for more than 100 attractive jobs,” Schairer said. “We have increased our workforce by 15% in the past 12 months and, in the future, will be doubling the number of apprenticeships we offer.”

With construction of the new building, Flexco was looking for a more modern, open design that would optimise the exchange of information between its employees and customers, it said.

“Since Flexco has a long history of manufacturing innovative, high-quality products, the design team wanted to make sure the use of modern technologies were high on the list of requirements,” the company said. The resulting facility encompasses all these features, with more to come, it added.

“We’ll be developing the site into one of the most modern competence centres in Europe for belt conveyor productivity in a variety of industries and applications,” Schairer said. “We understand the challenges of customers – from food, to parcel handling, to laundry, to mining, and more – and support them in finding safer, more efficient solutions. Flexco University, online training courses, webinars, on-site trainings, and industrial networks are just a few of the offerings through which our customers can benefit from our experience and know-how.”

Epiroc’s new hammers to ‘dramatically change profitability in DTH drilling’

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Epiroc says its new COP M series of flexible down-the-hole (DTH) hammers is easily adapted for use on different rigs and in different drilling conditions – and set to boost productivity for mining companies.

Mining companies seek to minimise the cost of drilling holes by opting for fewer and larger holes to reduce the total number of drill meters, and increase efficiency and profitability, according to Epiroc.

“It’s about ensuring maximum utilisation of the rig and keeping it operational with minimum interruption,” said Davood Mohammadi Balan, Percussive Service Manager at Epiroc.

However, traditional DTH hammers involve repeated consumable replacements and a large inventory. Shifting to a new hammer for each rig type or drilling condition is costly to mining companies.

The new COP M hammers from Epiroc will dramatically change profitability in DTH drilling thanks to their innovative flexibility, according to the company.

“These new hammers are a step towards a change in operational flexibility by being easily adapted to different rig types and drilling conditions,” Balan said.

Each hammer in the new range can be used on a wide range of DTH drill rigs thanks to a conversion kit located inside the hammer.

Fredrik Gransell, Product Line Manager, DTH, Epiroc, said: “By adapting the hammer to a specific rig, the rate of penetration (ROP) is optimised.”

Together, the new products, COP M6, COP M7 and COP M8 – where M stands for mining and the number for the tool’s dimension – optimally cover drilling needs in the 6.5-10 in dimension range.

Gransell added: “The new COP M series adds the flexibility of selecting the right tool for any given situation. It’s a revolutionary innovation in DTH drilling.”

“At a small investment, mining companies can tap into top-quality technology from the leading provider – and boost profitability to a whole new level,” concluded Balan.

Still within the COP M Series, but for smaller diameter holes, Epiroc also used the recent Bauma fair in Munich, Germany, to showcase its new COP M4 DTH hammer for soft-rock applications.

The DTH hammer offers mining and construction companies the highest durability for both hammer and bit – with maintained ROP, the company said.

As the name implies, the hammer’s dimension is 4 in, making it useful for most soft-rock blast holes.

Besides offering a high ROP, the COP M4 is operating gently on the bit, reducing fatigue, which adds further to its favourable total cost of ownership (TCO), Epiroc said. E-kitting is a way to further improve TCO without sacrificing productivity, the company said.

“We managed to reach the perfect balance between frequency and impact energy, which means the new hammer breaks the rock optimally – without hitting it too hard,” Gransell said.

Other benefits include a smoother and more reliable drilling process, without the hammer getting jammed in the rock, as well as low fuel consumption, Epiroc said.

It is also easy to adjust the hammer for use in different ground conditions by replacing one or two components inside the hammer.

The COP M4 is made of only eight components, meaning it is easy to assemble and disassemble. In addition, it is shorter and lighter than conventional hammers in the market, which makes it easy to handle for drill operators and their service crews, Epiroc said.

To offer best value, Epiroc is also planning to launch a new bit, specially designed for soft-rock DTH drilling.

“Launching a complete DTH solution that combines COP M4 and our upcoming soft rock bit, we’re expecting to redefine productivity and reliability in DTH soft rock drilling,” Gransell said.