Tag Archives: John Oliver

First Quantum Minerals and FLANDERS sign agreement for drill fleet autonomy

Automation, Base metals, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

First Quantum Minerals Ltd (FQM) and blasthole drill fleet autonomy company FLANDERS Electric have entered into an agreement to collaborate on advancing autonomous drilling solutions across FQM’s mining operations.

The first roll-out of FLANDERS’s ARDVARC® system is scheduled for FMQ’s Zambian operation.

The OEM-agnostic retrofit solution under ARDVARC enables autonomous functionality on electric or diesel blasthole drills, including full pattern autonomy with cable reeler automation.

The initial project is set to launch at FQM’s Sentinel mine, where FLANDERS’s autonomy technology will be implemented and optimised. The ARDVARC autonomous solution will extend to the complete drill fleet at Sentinel and further expand to new drill fleets on the S3 expansion project at FQM’s Kansanshi mine. This rollout will involve a total of 20 drills across FQM’s Zambian operations.

FQM’s Lead – Group Mine Technology, Clayton Sanders (pictured in the centre), said: “Our collaboration with FLANDERS aligns with our commitment to innovation and operational excellence. By pioneering autonomous drill technology at Sentinel, we are improving mining efficiency through precision blasthole drilling, reducing inaccuracy and wastage. We are excited about the upskilling and development opportunities this will create for our frontline employees and technical staff, which will put them at the forefront of the modern mining industry whilst enhancing their safety and productivity.”

FLANDERS Executive Chairman, John Oliver (pictured far left), added: “As the only provider offering an aftermarket retrofit for multi-brand drill autonomy with our cutting edge ARDVARC solutions, FLANDERS is excited to support FQM’s strategic goals for drill fleet automation. This partnership reflects our dedication to delivering reliable, scalable autonomous solutions that meet the evolving needs of the mining industry.”

The first phase of fully autonomous operations at Sentinel is expected to go live in the March quarter of 2025. The rollout will continue over the following months, gradually equipping the entire fleet for autonomous drilling.

FLANDERS and MES partner on multi-fuel mine decarbonisation solutions

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

FLANDERS and MES have agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate and share their expertise to tackle the mining decarbonisation challenge by deploying dual fuel technology for mining trucks, they say.

The agreement, initially announced at The Electric Mine 2023, in Tucson, Arizona, serves as the platform to provide the best-in-class aftermarket dual fuel (natural gas + diesel) technology for diesel engine haul trucks to reduce carbon emissions from haulage operations, FLANDERS explained.

John Oliver, CEO of FLANDERS, said: “This move is a significant step forward in our agnostic, interoperable fleet decarbonisation offering strategy, catalysing immediate decarbonisation initiatives into mine-ready reality.”

Wayne Chmiel, Chief Commercial Officer, who revealed the agreement on Tuesday at the event, added: “We are thrilled to be in alliance with MES to provide world-class sales and support to their multi-fuel decarbonisation solutions for the mining industry. Our teaming up will catalyse and scale the decarbonisation of the mining industry ‘now’ while significantly reducing customers’ TCO.”

Adrian Abbott, CEO of MES, added: “Decarbonising the mining industry is a priority for us, and we are excited to be working with FLANDERS on this important initiative.”

Justin Kobielusz, VP of MES US, concluded: “Dual fuel technologies have the potential to impact reducing carbon emissions in the mining sector significantly, and we look forward to collaborating with FLANDERS to bring MES Technology to market.”

FLANDERS reflects on 75 years of innovation in electric rotating machines

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

FLANDERS, a global provider of engineered solutions for the mining, mills, oil and gas, power generation, utilities, and energy markets, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022/23 with, it says, activities highlighting the company’s history and plans for the future.

Beginning in 1947 as a small motor repair workshop, the company has grown into a global leader, specialising in the distribution, service, repair, design and manufacturing of electric rotating machines, it says. It now boasts products and services like artificial intelligence-powered-condition-based monitoring, custom controls, systems integration, and automation for the industry’s largest and most demanding applications.

Frank Flanders started the company in May of 1947 in Evansville, Indiana, and, in 1962, Roy Patterson and Bud Havens purchased Flanders Electric Motor Service Inc. The Patterson family held sole ownership until recently, with family members, including grandfather, father, mother, and sons, holding key leadership roles throughout the decades.

Center Rock Capital Partners purchased the company in March 2021, with the acquisition forming part of a broader initiative to serve heavy industry and mining with electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic services – focused on a “whole of service” offering to our clients, helping them lower their operating costs.

FLANDERS now has with 15-plus locations worldwide, supporting over 10,000 customers and employing hundreds of people worldwide in a family-oriented environment.

John Oliver, CEO of FLANDERS, said: “I am very proud of what we’ve accomplished throughout the company’s 75-year history. It takes a great team of employees and partners to get us where we are today. From our legacy products to new engineered solutions, we’ve learned from and evolved with the needs of our global customers. As we look to the next 75 years, we are committed to developing innovative products and solutions to meet our customers’ unique challenges.”

Today, FLANDERS has multiple business streams, including autonomous solutions, control and power systems, distribution, motor manufacture, and repair and services. Each business stream capitalises on solid engineering expertise to help customers solve unique challenges, it says. The company is also investing in green power solutions to protect the environment and solutions that help reduce the cost of operation in heavy industry.

FLANDERS has its headquarters in Evansville, Indiana, and holds more than 1 million sq.ft (92,903 sq.m) of repair, office, and inventory space.

Oliver added: “Built into the FLANDERS ethos is our customer service mindset, we understand that our customers are focused on safety, quality, reliability and productivity, and at FLANDERS as we use that lens to engineer solutions and services that put the customer’s needs at the forefront and going a step further to think above and beyond what can be done to improve the customer experience.”

FLANDERS says it is dedicated to investing in its diverse employee base and innovative technologies, focusing on green power management solutions for another 75 years.

FLANDERS autonomous drilling solutions start up at Anglo’s Mogalakwena mine

Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

The first FLANDERS autonomous drills are now up and running at Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena platinum group metals operation in South Africa, with a third set to start up later this year.

FLANDERS CEO, John Oliver, and VP of International Operations, Willie Van Ryneveld, recently visited the mine in Limpopo, South Africa, where the first ARDVARC autonomous drills are now in operation in fully-autonomous mode.

The first two ARDVARC Autonomous drills were delivered on time and within budget to Mogalakwena, and the third Epiroc Pit Viper 271 XC drill is due to arrive at the FLANDERS South Africa workshop for conversion in May, the company said. The company said the first PV 271 XC drill recently drilled its first hole in fully-autonomous mode.

FLANDERS’ flagship ARDVARC automated drill control systems has been used around the world for more than 15 years, with more than 30 mine site deployments in this time.

The product suite is designed to facilitate customers to scale up automation at their own pace and covers all aspects of drill automation, from semi- autonomous to tele-remote and autonomous operation of a single piece of equipment to multi-machine control and full-fleet automation using Command Centre control capabilities. ARDVARC Autonomous comprises a suite of tools for automating, analysing and optimising drilling production and processes, interconnecting with fleet management systems and other data acquisition technologies.

The company claims operations can achieve productivity gains of up to 30% when employing ARDVARC autonomous solutions by reducing downtime due to human factors such as shift changes and pauses of drilling during blasting operations.

Rolls-Royce and FLANDERS sign MoU to develop hybrid mining truck retrofit kits

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

More details have emerged on Rolls-Royce and FLANDERS Electric’s plan to develop a retrofit solution for hybridising mining trucks with mtu engines, batteries and hybrid control systems, and FLANDERS drive train solutions at MINExpo 2021 this week.

As IM revealed last month, Rolls-Royce has been working on concept of a hybrid drive system for mining trucks, with  FLANDERS Inc power electronics and controls to be used for retrofits.

The two companies have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding enabling them to offer a scalable retrofit kit for hybridising mining trucks in a wide range of mining applications.

With its brand mtu, Rolls-Royce says its business unit Power Systems is a leading provider of advanced integrated and sustainable power solutions for a wide variety of applications, including mining equipment. FLANDERS, meanwhile, develops and sells electric motors and generator systems, as well as automation and control systems for heavy industrial applications.

The companies plan to leverage their extensive experience to offer customers hybrid solutions that aim to save fuel and reduce the CO2 footprint of mining trucks as well as optimising vehicle power performance and efficiency, enabling more climate-friendly and safer mining operations, they say.

John Oliver, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Flanders, said: “Improving our customers’ operations, lowering their costs while enhancing their energy footprint, is a win for the mining industry and for the environment as a whole. We are excited to partner with Rolls-Royce Power Systems to deliver an industry leading hybrid power solution that will help our customers achieve their energy or carbon reduction goals.”

Scott Woodruff, Vice President for Mining and Oil & Gas at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said: “We are excited to shape the mining industry’s sustainable future together with Flanders and further leverage our advanced hybrid technologies, which are already proven in the rail industry. Together we will offer our customers integrated, future-oriented, hybrid solutions.”

The mining truck hybrid concept recovers braking energy, using the mtu EnergyPack battery system. This energy is then fed back to power the wheel motors, allowing the diesel engine to be downsized. The smaller engine reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 30%, helping mining customers to achieve their emissions reduction targets, while optimising their operations, it says. The hybrid concept also includes the DC/DC converters which interface the battery system with the DC link of the truck. The system is highly modular and scalable for trucks of any size, working anywhere in the world, according to Rolls-Royce.