Tag Archives: LKAB

LKAB selects Hardox 600 for wear steel at iron ore operations

Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining consumables, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

Looking at a typical mining site, wear steel is used as liners in hoppers, feeders and chutes, as well as for hammers in crushers or in screens for sorting.

Hardox® 600 is, SSAB says, a wear steel that performs well across a surprisingly wide range of abrasive materials, operating requirements and types of equipment, including for iron ore miner LKAB.

Hardox 600 has a nominal hardness of 600 HBW. Despite its hardness, it has a toughness that is rare for such a hard wear steel, according to the company. This gives it outstanding wear resistance, while enabling it to resist impact damage from rocks and other heavy loads. It is also through-hardened, with a minimum core hardness of 90% of the guaranteed minimum surface hardness.

As a major iron ore company, LKAB can’t afford any loss in productivity. Unscheduled downtime can severely impact throughput and, in turn, financial performance. It ships around 30 Mt of iron ore each year from its harbour in Narvik, above the Arctic Circle in Norway.

When LKAB started to experience too many unplanned shutdowns – and unwanted associated costs – it looked for a more durable wear steel for its skips and chutes. That’s why it chose Hardox 600, one of the hardest grades of Hardox steel. Before its decision, LKAB collaborated with SSAB on a performance optimisation project, which ultimately gave it the green light to go ahead with Hardox 600.

Due to the many factors influencing wear life in mining operations, SSAB says it always recommend a thorough assessment by wear specialists. For LKAB, a 600 HBW steel was the best choice. In most wear situations, there is a sweet spot where the wear rate drops significantly if the steel’s hardness is high enough relative to the severity of the abrasive material.

LKAB cuts the ribbon on new mine entrance at Malmberget iron ore op

Automation, Environmental, Mine operation news, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Earlier this week, a historic moment in the history of the LKAB mine in Malmberget, Sweden, was celebrated when a new mine entrance was inaugurated together with a new workshop area. The relocation of the mine entrance and the construction of the new facilities are some of the first visible signs that LKAB’s transformation to a carbon-dioxide-free process has begun, the iron ore miner says.

The workshop area consists of a new recycling centre, a new workshop for crusher repair and a new piping workshop. Together with the new mine entrance, they are part of the preparatory work that is put through to create the conditions for developing the value chain on site in Gällivare/Malmberget.

“The preparatory work frees up space in the industrial area and brings us closer to our plans to take the next step in the processing of iron ore in Gällivare/Malmberget,” Monika Sammelin, Area Manager at LKAB in Malmberget, says.

A ceremony with a kind of different ribbon cutting was held at the mine entrance where an all-electric truck from Scania was the first vehicle to pass through the entrance and at the same time “cut” the ribbon. Sammelin declared the mine entrance and workshop area inaugurated and says: “Today, the electric truck symbolises the work we are doing to electrify the mine in order to be able to deliver fossil-free iron ore to the demonstration plant for sponge iron that we will build here in Gällivare/Malmberget.”

The electric truck is a Scania Heavy Tipper, which is one of the electric and battery-powered vehicles that LKAB is testing and evaluating in the work of replacing the diesel-powered vehicles and, at the same time, making the mine autonomous, digital and electric. It is not yet approved for underground operation, and is currently only being tested above ground.

Back in 2022, LKAB and Scania agreed to trial an electric Scania Heavy Tipper truck at Malmberget, alongside an electric crane truck specially adapted for these mining operations, giving Scania a chance to test and operate fully-electric trucks in a demanding underground mine environment.

The new mine entrance was opened on June 12, 2024, the day after the inauguration. At the same time, the old driveway, which was built in 1966 and made it possible to travel by car in the mine, was closed.

Sammelin says: “Relocating a new entrance is something that rarely happens during the lifetime of a mine. Starting in April 2022, we have operated a 536-m-long tunnel from level 278 (underground) up to the ground surface. The mining operations has been carried out by our internal employees and it feels great to be able to inaugurate the new mine entrance today.”

Rio Tinto backs BEV use at Kennecott Underground with growing Sandvik fleet

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Rio Tinto is progressing its mobile equipment electrification move at the Kennecott underground operation near Salt Lake City, Utah, having transitioned from using Sandvik Mining & Rock Solutions battery-electric loaders and trucks in a proof of concept to commercially deploying Sandvik battery-electric TH550B trucks and a Sandvik LH518iB loader.

Just last year, Rio Tinto approved $498 million of funding to deliver underground development and infrastructure for an area known as the North Rim Skarn (NRS). Production from the NRS is due to commence this year and is expected to ramp up over two years, to deliver around 70,000 tonnes of additional mined copper over the next 10 years alongside open-pit operations at Kennecott.

This followed a September 2022 announcement where Rio Tinto approved development capital totalling $55 million to start underground mining in an area known as the Lower Commercial Skarn (LCS) at Kennecott. Underground mining within LCS started in February 2023 and is expected to deliver a total of around 30,000 tonnes of additional mined copper through the period to 2028.

These two investments will support Kennecott in building a world-class underground mine which will leverage battery-electric vehicle (BEV) technology, following a trial with Sandvik equipment in 2022 involving an LH518B loader and Z50 truck.

The first LH518iB loader in North America has just been delivered to site, with the automation-capable vehicle equipped with Sandvik’s patented self-swapping battery system, including the AutoSwap and AutoConnect functions, to minimise infrastructure needs and enable the loader to return to operation significantly sooner than ‘fast-charge’ mining BEVs, Sandvik claims.

Since launching the vehicle in March 2023, Sandvik has confirmed orders or made deliveries of the LH518iB to operations owned by LKAB, Boliden,Torex Gold, Foran Mining, Rana Gruber and Byrnecut.

Rio Tinto will complement these machines with a fleet of Sandvik TH550Bs, some of which are already operating on site. This 50-t payload truck combine Sandvik’s 50 years of experience in developing loaders and trucks with Artisan™’s innovative electric drivelines and battery packs. The electric drivetrain delivers 560 kW of power and 6,000 Nm of total torque output, allowing for higher ramp speeds for shorter cycle times and an efficient ore moving process, according to the OEM. All of this comes with zero emissions.

They also come with AutoSwap and AutoConnect functions that Sandvik has refined for battery swap processes that take only a few minutes.

Rio Tinto has previously stated on battery-electric vehicle use: “BEVs create a safer and healthier workplace for employees underground, increase the productivity of the mine and reduce emissions from operations.”

LKAB to bring GHH LF-19EB tethered-battery electric loader to Malmberget

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

LKAB is set to add to its electric fleet at the Malmberget mine in northern Sweden after agreeing to acquire a LF-19EB tethered-battery electric loader from Germany-based GHH.

The manufacturer welcomed a team of LKAB team experts to its factory and testing ground in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, this month, with a successful Factory Acceptance Test of the LF-19EB taking place.

The LF-19EB is a 19-t-payload LHD initially designed for feeder breaker loading in the soft rock, salt and potash mining industries. It has a 34 kWh on-board battery for panel-to-panel electric tramming, with a tractive effort force of 380 kN and an average of 250 kVA under permanent load and 315 kVA peak. It has a maximum cable length of 310 m, which provides loading flexibility when plugged into the mine grid.

The loader heading to Malmberget has been upgraded for hard-rock applications with input from the customer, GHH says.

LKAB has tested and used several pieces of battery-electric equipment from different vendors at its Malmberget mine, while its Kiruna mine was among the industry’s earliest adopters of cable-electric loading, trialling its first Sandvik unit in 1985.

LKAB-HYBRIT

The HYBRIT initiative receives major funding for fossil-free steelmaking developments

Environmental, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , ,

The HYBRIT initiative has received support from the Industrial Leap (Industriklivet), Swedish Energy Agency’s program to support Swedish industry’s transition to fossil-free, with a total of SEK3.1 billion ($302 million) granted for the establishment of a first demonstration plant in Gällivare, Sweden, for the production of fossil-free sponge iron on an industrial scale.

LKAB is responsible for the construction of the planned plant and will be the main recipient of the support.

Jan Moström, President and CEO of LKAB, said: “The processing and production of fossil-free sponge iron is central to the climate and to Swedish competitiveness. We are pleased with the announcement that the state is participating and sharing the initial risk in this crucial step to industrialise the HYBRIT technology. In order to counter climate change, we need to move forward quickly, and to keep up the pace, it is important that we get all the prerequisites in place for future investment decisions.”

Hybrit Development AB (HDAB), owned by LKAB, SSAB and Vattenfall, had originally applied for SEK4.9 billion in support from Industriklivet for the next step in the development of the HYBRIT initiative. On October 31, 2023, HDAB and LKAB submitted a supplementary application stating that LKAB will be responsible for the construction of the planned demonstration plant and will also be the main recipient of the requested support. At the same time, the amount of aid applied for was reduced to SEK3.7 billion.

The demonstration project is one of 35 projects from 12 EU countries that are part of the Hy2Use IPCEI integrated project. IPCEI stands for Important Projects of Common European Interest and enables EU Member States to provide government support to priority initiatives with a strategic common European interest.

Robert Andrén, Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency, said: “The future competitiveness of Swedish industry lies largely in becoming fully fossil-free. Therefore, the investments made in Industriklivet are of great importance, not only for the sake of the climate and the environment, but also for the supply of skills and employment in both new and old industrial locations in our country. The decision we are now taking is the largest financial decision made so far in this work and it is an important one.”

Although the HYBRIT technology has been tested and proven successful, it has not yet been fully used on a large scale. The support now granted is intended to be used to get past the initial stage, from pilot to industrial production, with a first demonstration plant planned at LKAB’s industrial area in Gällivare. This is in line with the development of the HYBRIT cooperation and the aim of developing a fossil-free value chain for iron and steel production with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen.

The plan for the demonstration plant is to produce over 1.3 Mt/y of sponge iron, volumes intended for SSAB’s transition. With sponge iron produced with hydrogen instead of coal, carbon dioxide emissions in the steel industry can be largely eliminated by replacing coal-fired blast furnaces with electric arc furnaces, the initiative says.

Martin Pei, EVP and CTO, SSAB, said: “We welcome the decision as an important signal of the potential of the green transition for Swedish competitiveness. We have started the transition of SSAB’s steel production in the Nordic region, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Sweden and Finland by ten and seven percent respectively in around 2030. The HYBRIT technology has made us global pioneers in fossil-free steel production and we look forward to scaling up our pilot deliveries of fossil-free steel to commercial levels. Today’s announcement is therefore important for our strategy going forward.”

The electricity demand for the demonstration plant with HYBRIT technology is estimated at about 5 TWh/y at full operation and is primarily for large-scale production of fossil-free hydrogen needed for the direct reduction process.

Andreas Regnell, SVP Head of Strategic Development at Vattenfall, said: “This is gratifying news, for the climate, but also for Sweden’s future competitiveness. Cooperation on the entire fossil-free value chain for fossil-free steel has proved successful. This and access to competitive fossil-free electricity is and will be crucial to the success of the transition. Sweden already has a fossil-free electricity system, and thus has an advantage over most other countries in the world, but now we need to ensure that we expand the supply of fossil-free electricity and hydrogen in line with the needs of industry. Vattenfall is investing in fossil-free electricity production, transmission and development of flexible technologies, such as hydrogen storage, to contribute to continued competitive energy supply.”

The owner companies in HYBRIT have accounted for approximately 75% of the financing for the technology development. SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall have together invested one third each, a total of about SEK1.7 billion in a feasibility study for the pilot phase, implementation of the pilot and a feasibility study for the demonstration phase. HYBRIT has previously been granted more than SEK520 million in state aid.

LKAB has begun transitioning its mining and processing operations with the goal of making all products and processes carbon-free by 2045 – a step-by-step transition for sponge iron production that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions from customers around the world by 40-50 Mt/y, equivalent to Sweden’s entire annual greenhouse gas emissions. In May 2023, LKAB submitted an application for the environmental permit necessary to begin the transition.

Moström added: “This is a huge opportunity for Sweden and for the climate. Our high-quality iron ore combined with good access to fossil-free energy gives us unique conditions compared to other countries to establish a sustainable and competitive value chain for the fossil-free iron and steel production of the future. Now it is important that we as a society take advantage of these benefits and build competitiveness while attacking emissions.”

The planned construction of the demonstration plant builds on the positive results achieved in the HYBRIT initiative, where the pilot operations in Luleå continue to play an important role in the development of the technology, the companies say. The jointly owned research and development company Hybrit Development AB will continue to develop the technology with the aim of eventually licensing it to licensees outside the current circle of owners.

LKAB bolsters automated, electric Sandvik loading fleet at Kiruna iron ore mine

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LKAB has ordered 12 Toro™ LH625iE cable-electric loaders and five Toro™ LH621i loaders, all equipped with Sandvik’s AutoMine® solution, for its Kiruna iron ore mine in northern Sweden.

The order will more than double Kiruna’s electric Toro LH625iE fleet to 20, all of which will now be automated, and its total Sandvik loader fleet to 28 by the end of 2025, the OEM said.

The orders were booked in the June and December quarters of 2023, with deliveries scheduled from January 2024 through the end of 2025. The investment follows a study by Sandvik’s Trans4Mine team and calculations by Polymathian that identified opportunities for Kiruna to increase production by as much as 15% through automation of its large electric loader fleet.

“Sandvik and LKAB have a shared goal to boost production at the Kiruna mine,” Magnus Backe, General Manager LKAB Kiruna, said. “This is a true partnership to increase tonnage and improve safety through automation.”

Developed in 2020 as a collaboration between LKAB and Sandvik to replace Kiruna’s ageing fleet of 17 Sandvik LH625E loaders, the 25-t-payload Toro LH625iE is a revamped version of the industry’s largest-capacity underground loader.

“This investment supports our strategy towards a more electrified, autonomous and safer mine,” Joel Kangas, Mine Manager at LKAB, said. “We need to excavate an enormous volume of rock from depths of up to 1,300 m, and we will mine even deeper in the future. These depths present a prohibitive ventilation challenge for conventional equipment of the size we need to meet production demands. We worked closely on a daily basis with the Sandvik experts on site to ensure a seamless implementation.

“Ever since we put the first Toro LH625iE straight into a production environment more than three years ago, these loaders have been the backbone in our production system, exceeding our expectations, and we look forward to incorporating these new automated units into our operation.”

Kiruna was among the industry’s earliest adopters of cable-electric loading, trialling its first Sandvik unit in 1985. The oldest of Kiruna’s Sandvik LH625E loaders was 13 years old and had more than 40,000 production hours when what began as a project to modernise the loader and a side project to enhance its cable reeling system ultimately evolved into a completely upgraded loader model with the latest technology and new components.

Sandvik collaborated closely with LKAB to customise the design of Toro LH625iE to meet Kiruna’s needs. These included better energy efficiency than the original model with the same payload capacity and a larger, more ergonomic operator’s cabin with a turning seat that swivels 180°.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “[The] Toro LH625iE has proven itself at the Kiruna mine, delivering an unrivalled production capacity of up to 500 metric tons per hour. Not only are these automated loaders extremely productive, they improve underground conditions and operator comfort with less heat, fewer vibrations and lower noise levels. Our partnership will create value for LKAB for years to come, and we look forward to continuing to support LKAB’s goals to mine more sustainably and productively.”

The Toro LH625iE is 14 m long and features a 4-m-wide, 9 cu.m bucket and an energy-efficient, IE4 classified electric motor to deliver a low cost per tonne. It connects to Kiruna’s mine network via a 350-m trailing cable that enables an operating range of up to 700 m.

LKAB-DurocRail

LKAB invests in Ore Railway supply chain in northern Sweden

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

LKAB is looking to shore up its iron ore rail operations in northern Sweden by acquiring a stake and investing in new facilities for Duroc Rail AB.

The iron ore company has acquired a 49% interest in Duroc Rail from the Nasdaq-listed Duroc AB group, which retains majority ownership of 51%. The preliminary purchase price is approximately SEK75 million ($6.9 million), with LKAB also agreeing to invest up to SEK200 million to build a new industrial property for Duroc Rail at Hertsöfältet in Luleå.

Duroc Rail is a certified operator with unique expertise in wheel maintenance for locomotives and wagons with experience of the climate in northern Sweden, LKAB says.

The Ore Railway runs between the port of Luleå and the port of Narvik, passing by the iron ore fields in northern Sweden. Almost half of all goods transported by rail in Sweden and Norway is currently being transported on the Ore Railway, with LKAB’s volumes accounting for the largest share.

For LKAB, the Ore Railway is an integrated part of the production system that starts in the mine and ends at the steel and mineral customers via the railway and ports. High capacity and availability of the Ore Railway and rolling stock in the form of locomotives and wagons is therefore business critical.

LKAB said: “The investment is a further step for LKAB to strengthen its capacity and flexibility to meet the growing challenges of the Ore Railway. In the past year alone, LKAB has invested in a new locomotive workshop in Kiruna, ordered 100 new wagons and started major work to modernise and upgrade the IORE locomotives used to transport iron ore, totalling an estimated value of SEK600 million.”

Linda Bjurholt, Logistics Manager at LKAB and CEO, LKAB Malmtrafik, said: “Duroc Rail has unique expertise in wheel maintenance for locomotives and wagons. LKAB is entering into this partnership to ensure that Duroc Rail remains and develops its operations in Luleå. They are part of a larger system and a prerequisite for efficient and predictable rail transport. Rail transport is completely dependent on effective maintenance of the railway wheels. This is important for LKAB and other railway operators today, and in the future.”

The wheel maintenance business was established in Luleå more than 100 years ago. Duroc Rail currently rents premises from SSAB on Svartön, in Luleå, but due to SSAB’s planned transformation from blast furnace to electric arc furnace operations, which requires access to more land, the lease will not be renewed. New buildings, equipment, certifications and other measures mean that the move will be a major investment.

John Häger, CEO Duroc AB, said: “Duroc Rail needs new industrial properties, and with LKAB as shareholder we can ensure development and capacity for the future, where we see that the green transformation that is taking place will require more efficient maintenance of wagon and locomotive wheels. We will therefore continue to invest and develop our offering for all customers in the region. We are pleased that our more than 100-year-old company with 50 employees in Luleå will continue to develop.”

Within Business Area Special Products, LKAB is developing new businesses in addition to the iron ore production, such as industrial minerals for external customers, as well as key services such as concrete, drilling, explosives, rock work, mechanical-engineering services and maintenance for LKAB’s own operations.

Leif Boström, Senior Vice President Business Area Special Products, LKAB, said: “LKAB’s long-term strategy is to secure key services and products for efficient, safe, and sustainable operations. We work with partnerships and subcontractors, but also by developing or acquiring companies that have specific expertise, for example in managing supply risks. Duroc Rail is an important investment for us, it is a well-managed company with good development potential in several areas and will be an important part of LKAB.”

The transaction is formally subject to the completion of the property transfer for the new industrial property, which is expected to take place before the end of the year.

Sandvik secures SSAB fossil-free steel for loaders and trucks

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions and SSAB have signed a letter of intent to secure fossil-free steel for use initially in the production of Sandvik’s loaders and trucks.

SSAB aims to deliver fossil-free steel to the market on a commercial scale during 2026, and the letter of intent ensures Sandvik secures its required volumes within the company’s production capacity. As a fossil-free partner to SSAB, Sandvik can also apply for early fossil-free sample deliveries of, for example, a prototype frame, loader bucket or truck box to be used in a demo or concept product.

“Sustainability is at the core of our business strategy,” Mats Eriksson (pictured on the left), President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said. “As the market demand for fossil-free products increases in the years ahead, this partnership will enable us to offer our mining customers solutions with a drastically reduced CO2 footprint.”

Johnny Sjöström (pictured on the right), Head of SSAB Special Steels, said: “We’re excited about supporting the sustainability journey of our customers in the mining industry. Fossil-free steel has the same high quality as traditional steel but with but with hardly any environmental impact. It will help to reduce our customers’ carbon footprint and offer a competitive advantage in the market.”

SSAB delivered the first steel made of hydrogen-reduced iron in 2021. The steelmaker works with iron ore producer LKAB and energy company Vattenfall as part of the HYBRIT initiative to develop a value chain for fossil-free iron and steel production, replacing coking coal traditionally needed for iron ore-based steelmaking with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. This process virtually eliminates carbon dioxide emissions in steel production.

Epiroc equipping LKAB Kiruna personnel with new Mobilaris safety solutions

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

LKAB is further increasing its safety capabilities by implementing several solutions from the Mobilaris Mining Intelligence platform at its Kiruna mine in northern Sweden, Epiroc says.

The platform, now 100% incorporated into Epiroc following the consolidation of its ownership in Mobilaris MCE AB in 2021, allows all employees to receive alarm and crisis information and confirm directly on their mobile phones in an emergency situation, Epiroc says. Employees can also obtain position support and the ability to navigate faster to rescue chambers with the help of applications on their mobile phones.

This means rescue personnel will now have the tools and means to manage emergencies better and faster, according to the OEM.

Joel Kangas, LKAB’s Kiruna Mine Manager, said: “We want to shorten the time from when an alarm goes off to when everyone is safe, and we believe this digital solution can help us with that.”

Hans Wahlquist, Global Director of Product Management at Epiroc, said: “LKAB already has a high level of safety, but now there are new technologies and new opportunities, and they have the infrastructure required for this installation. This project will give everyone in the mine more information about the situation in real time.”

LKAB is setting a new world standard for mining where digitalisation forms an important step towards easier, safer and more efficient work in the mine. The mobile safety solution project is a collaboration between LKAB and Epiroc, involving both existing products from Epiroc and new developments. The project began in the autumn of 2022 and the goal is to start rolling out the solution in the spring of 2023 at the Kiruna mine.

Andreas Ericson, General Manager Epiroc Mining Intelligence, said: “Collaborations with customers are crucial for finding innovative solutions. This project demonstrates the potential for digital transformation in the mining industry, bringing us one step closer to a smarter and more efficient future.”

The following four modules from the Mobilaris Mining Intelligence portfolio are included within the project:

  • Location of people with the ability to receive alarm and crisis messages on their mobile phones through Mobilaris Situational Awareness and Mobilaris Virtual Tag;
  • Distribution of emergency messages and support provision for getting people to safety through Mobilaris Emergency Support;
  • Three dimensional map in vehicles for navigation assistance, increased traffic safety and the ability to quickly find the nearest rescue chamber through Mobilaris Onboard; and
  • Three dimensional map on the employee’s mobile phone for navigation assistance and the ability to quickly find the nearest rescue chamber through Mobilaris PocketMine.

Epiroc makes the ‘impossible possible’ with launch of Boltec ABR

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

Epiroc has taken another significant step forward in its rock reinforcement automation journey with the release of the Boltec Auto Bolt Reload (ABR).

Combining the company’s ground support nous with its mechanisation and automation knowledge has resulted in a solution able to remove operators from the front end of the bolter – where personnel are most at risk of rock falls from unsupported ground – and increase bolting productivity, especially in poor ground conditions.

With mining operations steadily going deeper as they develop existing and newly discovered orebodies, the rock stresses associated with mining these orebodies are typically increasing, too. This often results in more challenging rock conditions with fractured rock mass, rock burst and squeezing ground, requiring more regular rehabilitation work. The Boltec ABR, with improved operator safety, flexibility and productivity, is the obvious choice for such conditions, Epiroc says.

Epiroc claims the Boltec ABR is the first ever underground rock reinforcement drill rig designed in such a way that the bolt type and machine work together in synergy to deliver optimal safety, performance and quality. The machine can also be equipped with a mesh delivery system.

This synergy also leads to improved accuracy in bolt installations and a reduced need for re-bolting, according to Peter Bray, Global Product Manager, Rock Reinforcement at Epiroc’s Underground division.

“By using a Boltec ABR, you are better able to install bolts and mesh correctly with high quality, reducing the need for re-bolting, re-meshing…and rehab work in the future,” he told attendees of a webinar announcing the product launch today.

The mechanisation of the bolting process – in tandem with the use of self-drilling anchors (SDAs) and pumpable resin – should provide operations with the comfort to follow recommended bolting patterns, reducing the need for the installation of additional bolts that go above and beyond optimal industry practice.

The main design feature of the Boltec ABR is the fully mechanised bolt reloading system. The system automatically feeds bolts from a large carrier magazine – able to hold 44 bolts in 2.4-m or 3-m lengths – to the feed magazine – able to hold eight bolts – all while the operator remains safe inside the cabin. This innovation removes the need for manually reloading the feed magazine, thereby reducing the associated risk to the operator.

The fast auto reloading sequence speeds up the production cycle, with a total of 52 bolts able to be installed in a heading before manual reloading of the carrier magazine. The carrier magazine is mounted on a swing arm that lowers the magazine to ground level for easy reloading behind the machine’s front support jacks – where ground support should already be in place.

Productivity can be further boosted with the operator carrying out the reloading process when bolting is being carried out in multi-bolt auto mode, according to Bray.

The Boltec ABR opens the door to other safety and productivity-enhancing autonomous functionalities previously not compatible with underground bolting machines, according to Epiroc. Tele-remote control and the aforementioned multi-bolt auto are now available options that can provide bolting potential during shift changes or when conditions preclude having an operator physically on the machine. The machine is also available with a battery-electric driveline.

Bray said the development and integration of SDAs and pumpable resin on conventional Boltec machines have been integral to achieving this new functionality.

“If you think about our face drills and long hole production rigs, they have had automation for many years,” he said. “There hasn’t been a mechanical reason why we couldn’t automate a bolting machine; the stopping point has been the type of legacy rock bolts used.”

SDA bolts, which, according to Epiroc, offer faster bolting times and higher quality installation, are not sensitive to varying conditions and will achieve consistently fast installation. This provides easier scheduling accuracy for mine planning and forecasting.

The pumpable resin, developed to address inconsistent and unreliable bolt installations as mines go deeper and rocks become less competent under added pressure, offers fast setting times and full bolt encapsulation, ensuring speed and quality of installation, the OEM says. An added plus is the resin’s insensitivity to wet ground conditions, which can be a desirable characteristic for many deep underground operations.

“Given that it is much cleaner and easier to use than traditional cement, the pumpable resin reduces hours spent on cleaning the machine,” Bray said. “Hence, it is increasing productivity by providing more bolting time.”

Like other Boltecs in the range, the Boltec ABR comes with a boom-mounted bolting system, providing flexibility in terms of coverage and bolt installation angles, according to Bray.

“It’s very rare that you have perfect straight drive profiles in underground mining,” he said. “The boom-mounted bolting system offers the flexibility to address this.”

LKAB, along with the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, have been key partners in the development of this machine, with the prototype tested out at both the Kiruna and Malmberget mines in northern Sweden.

Kiruna suffered a significant seismic event during May 2020 where several areas underground were adversely affected, providing a good test case for the new machine.

These affected areas required rehabilitation with bolts and mesh to make them safe for production again, according to Bray – a process the iron ore miner is continuing to carry out at Kiruna with the prototype Boltec ABR unit.

“The Boltec ABR was the perfect machine for the challenge; it has proven to allow safer operation and significant productivity increases when compared to LKAB’s conventional bolting fleet,” he added.

Epiroc said that up to double productivity gains were achieved in a trial with the Boltec ABR in LKAB’s Malmberget mine when compared with the miner’s conventional bolting fleet.

Bray concluded: “This solution has made the impossible possible. We can now install bolts where it used to be extremely difficult. Giving some relief to the bottleneck that rock reinforcement had become.”