Tag Archives: Komatsu 830E

Komatsu P&H 4100XPC electric rope shovels reduce truck waiting times at Capstone Mantoverde

6th December 2023Base metals, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining servicesCapstone Copper, Chile, Electric Rope Shovels, Komatsu 830E, Komatsu P&H 4100XPC, MantoverdeDaniel Gleeson

The recent arrival of two Komatsu P&H 4100XPC electric rope shovels at Capstone Copper’s Mantoverde operation in Chile is significantly reducing waiting time for haul trucks at the open-pit mine, the company says in its latest sustainability report.

These large buckets – two of four that the company committed to purchasing in 2022 – are able to move approximately 4,000 t/h of material per hour, and require not only operators in the cab, but also personnel to move the medium-voltage (7.2 kV) cables that supply power to the shovels, to accommodate the needs of the shovel operators.

The nominal payload of the P&H 4100 XPC is 108.9 t, making it ideal for loading 218 t to 363 t haul trucks and high capacity (8,000 t/h-plus) in-pit crusher-conveyor systems, Komatsu says.

Jamie Figueroa, an experienced operator with both diesel and electric shovels, said: “The electric shovel makes our jobs much more productive. It makes much less noise than a diesel shovel and has no emissions. It is a win-win on all fronts.”

Last year, Mantoverde received 13 Komatsu 830E haul trucks as part of its Mantoverde Development Project (MVDP). These trucks come with a 230-t capacity and are powered by a Cummins QSK60 diesel engine. Mantoverde also uses a conveyor system to stack and remove ore for heap leaching, reducing its truck haulage needs.

The MVDP is expected to enable the company to process 235 Mt of copper sulphide reserves over a 20-year expected mine life, in addition to the operation’s existing oxide reserves. It involves the addition of a sulphide concentrator (12.3 Mt/y) and tailings storage facility, and the expansion of the existing desalination plant. This is expected to see production at Mantoverde increase from around 49,000 t of copper (cathodes only) in 2021 to approximately 120,000 t of copper (copper concentrate and cathodes) post project completion in 2024. The mine will also benefit from the production of approximately 31,000 oz/y of gold.

RCT helps major miner move to Level 9 CAS at Bowen Basin coal mines

10th August 2022Automation, Coal technology, IoT, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining softwareAustralia, Bowen Basin, Cat 777D, Cat 785D, Cat 793D, coal, collision avoidance solution, Komatsu 830E, Level 9, Liebherr T264, Muirhead, RCT, Ryan NodenDaniel Gleeson

A global mining giant has implemented Level 9 machine intervention control technology on its mixed haul truck fleet in what RCT says is a large-scale mining fleet first for Australia.

RCT rolled out its highly interoperable Muirhead® technology across the mining company’s 128-strong equipment surface fleet, which includes multiple models of Cat, Komatsu and Liebherr trucks.

The Muirhead Machine Interface Controller (MIC) was selected because of RCT’s comprehensive and extensive engineering and quality management capability, RCT says.

This expertise has evolved over RCT’s 50-year history and enabled the company to deliver a MIC system that provides a cost effective, multi-generational solution which offers a level of standardisation across its diverse fleet.

The machine intervention technology interfaces directly with a truck’s systems (eg braking, hydraulic and electrical) and, when directed, can affect control of certain areas of the machine (eg engine throttle, transmission and hoist) if obstacles are detected in the truck’s path.

RCT’s MIC is designed to integrate with industry-leading collision avoidance solution (CAS) technologies, giving clients the flexibility to select a preferred vendor across their fleet or operations, RCT explained.

RCT’s Field Service Team commissioned the MIC across two of the mining company’s open-pit operations in Queensland’s Bowen Basin.

RCT Global Business Development Manager – Mining, Ryan Noden, said this is the first deployment of a Level 9 machine intervention technology (technologies that actually intervene in terms of automated machine control to prevent or mitigate an unsafe interaction) across a large-scale mining fleet in Australia.

“The global mining company selected RCT for this project due to our proven history of delivering standardised interoperable technology across any make and model of mobile equipment,” Noden said. “Our technology interfaced directly with a market-leading supplier of CAS and, as a result, the mining company is experiencing improved operations across their mixed fleet including Cat 793Ds, 785Ds, 777Ds; and Komatsu 830Es; and Liebherr T264s.

“This solution ensures the safety of site personnel in proximity to the haulage fleet and eliminates damage to the fleet.

“In addition to developing cutting-edge technology, we pride ourselves on delivering comprehensive service and technical support to our mining clients which empowers them to maximise mining operations at all times.”

Komatsu 830Es arrive at Capstone Copper’s Mantoverde Development Project

13th May 2022Base metals, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining servicesAusenco, Capstone Copper, FLSmidth, Komatsu 830E, Mantos Copper, MantoverdeDaniel Gleeson

Capstone Copper’s Mantoverde copper operation in Chile received 13 Komatsu 830E haul trucks in the March quarter in a sign of construction progress on its Mantoverde Development Project (MVDP).

The company said the MVDP at the existing Mantoverde (oxide) operation in Chile continued to progress, having, as of April 30, 2022, achieved overall progress of 49% and construction progress of 14% with the schedule remaining intact and construction completion targeted for late 2023.

Komatsu’s latest 830E, the 830E-5, comes with a 230-t capacity and is powered by a Cummins QSK60 diesel engine rated at a standard 2,500 hp (gross).

A 2021 technical report on the MVDP said the haulage fleet would mainly consist of Komatsu 830E trucks and a fleet of Cat 785s to re-handle oxide material. It said the peak required trucks will be between 2026 and 2029 with a requirement of 50 units.

Work completed in the March quarter included the bulk earthworks for the primary crusher and grinding area platforms; bypass water pipeline with the internal lining, trench excavation and pipeline installation in the trench; drilling for all pumping and monitoring wells at the tailings storage facility (TSF) allowing for the commencement of the major TSF construction activities; and and the construction camp.

The MVDP is being progressed under a lump-sum turn-key engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) arrangement with Ausenco. The execution plan includes a Capstone Copper owner’s team working with the contractors during the execution phase.

FLSmidth has been selected by Ausenco to supply most of the key mineral processing technologies for the MVDP. The range of equipment and technologies includes the primary gyratory crusher, SAG mill, ball mill, traditional flotation cells, column cells, thickeners, cyclones and pumps.

The total project capital budget is now estimated to be $825 million and spend to date totals $338 million. The EPC contract total budget is approximately $525 million of which $220 million has been spent to date. The total project costs have increased slightly from $787 million to $825 million due to diesel price impact on pre-stripping costs of $23 million plus additional contingency of $15 million. The majority of the capital costs are fixed due to the nature of the lump sum turn-key contract with Ausenco of $525 million, or 67% of the original capital. Major mining equipment was price fixed prior to the current inflationary environment for approximately $140 million or 18% of the total original capital.

In the March quarter, Capstone Copper merged with Mantos Copper, a transaction that brought the MVDP into the Capstone asset base.