Tag Archives: MC51

Komatsu MC51 gets cutting at Hillgrove’s Kanmantoo copper project

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The world’s first portal cut using “transformational continuous mining technology” is now underway with the help of Hillgrove Resources’ team at the Kanmantoo copper mine in South Australia and Komatsu’s MC51 machine, powered by DynaCut tech.

The underground decline at Kanmantoo commenced last Friday, just over a month after Hillgrove announced that the South Australian Government had awarded it a A$2 million ($1.5 million) grant to trial the new underground mining technology.

The continuous mining technology, which is also being tested at Vale’s Garson mine in Ontario, Canada, and has previously been trialled at Newcrest’s Cadia mine, removes the need for blasting, providing the potential to transform the traditional underground development process and result in improved safety and operational performance, Hillgrove said.

On top of this, the Komatsu MC51 technology is 100% electrically powered, providing a mine development option for companies pursuing zero-emission mining.

The Komatsu MC51 will be used to develop a portal and a circa-500 m underground decline at Kanmantoo, a former-operating open-pit mine that is transitioning to underground operations. This transition is permitted and benefits from having all existing infrastructure in place, including an operational 3.6 Mt/y processing facility and tailings storage facility, Hillgrove said.

The continuous cutting trial will focus on demonstrating the commercial viability of the machine and trial new materials handling and ground support processes. Ground support assistance is to be provided by PYBAR Mining Services.

“The underground decline has multiple benefits to Hillgrove, including the development of underground drilling platforms which reduce drilling cost as Hillgrove continues to expand and infill drill the existing Kanmantoo Underground resource,” the company has previously said.

It could also help bring forward potential first copper production and reduce future development costs, Hillgrove added.

Hillgrove CEO and Managing Director, Lachlan Wallace, said the development of the underground decline and establishment of underground drilling platforms was a key milestone in the Kanmantoo Underground development program.

“We are also excited to advance the mine development in a way that leads the industry towards zero-emission mining, which is without question the way of the future,” he said.

On top of the A$2 million grant from the South Australian Government, Hillgrove says it has secured favourable payment terms from Komatsu, which sees no payments until funding for the mine development is secured. The deferred and contingent nature of the agreement and grant funding results in minimal cash outflow to Hillgrove while the company focuses on the drilling program.

Komatsu’s MC51 hard-rock cutting tech up and running at Vale’s Garson mine

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Vale and Komatsu’s mechanical rock excavation (MRE) collaboration has moved into another gear, with the Komatsu MC51 machine featuring DynaCut mechanical cutting technology now operating underground at Vale’s Garson nickel mine in Sudbury, Canada, Vale’s Dino Otranto confirmed at MINExpo 2021, in Las Vegas, today.

Speaking at the ‘Creating value together: Special one-time presentation with Vale’ event on Monday, Otranto, Chief Operating Officer of North Atlantic Operations and Asian Refineries for Vale, said the machine was in operation, 2.5 km underground at Garson after recently being assembled.

The machine is scheduled to carry out a 1,400 m initial test run at the mine, according to Komatsu, with the exercise seen as a way to bring the technology to market quicker for Vale and other customers, Rudie Boshoff, Director of Hard Rock Cutting systems at Komatsu, said during the presentation.

Andy Charsley, a Principal Mining Engineer at Vale, says this trial is the largest hard-rock cutting trial Vale has ever committed to.

Through more than 10 years of research and development, Komatsu says it has determined how to break rock continuously and precisely through a fully electric system that outputs zero emissions. By automating and controlling processes so the machine can be operated remotely via line of site, Komatsu customers have the opportunity to move their operators further from the cutting face and from harm’s way leveraging DynaCut technology and the MC51 machine. DynaCut technology, which has previously been tested at Newcrest Mining’s Cadia underground mine in Australia, is billed as offering cutting accuracy of within 50 mm to plan.

Otranto says the partnership with Komatsu is the first step to “really prove and understand the technology, while meeting our high standards for safety”.

Last year, Charsley and colleague Luke Mahoney spoke to IM about this partnership, which is part of the mechanical cutting demonstration within the CMIC (Canada Mining Innovation Council) Continuous Underground Mining project.

Vale said back then that the trial planned to demonstrate the ability to cut rock in excess of 250 MPa; cut at a commercial rate of more than 3.5 m/shift; quantify the cost per metre of operation and start to look at the potential comparison with conventional drill and blast development; assess the health, safety and environmental suitability of the MRE process; and gain insight into the potential of an optimised MRE process.

Charsley says the integration of the MC51 with bolters, trucks, scoops and other equipment at the operating mine will be included within the company’s assessment of the technology.

Since announcing this collaboration, the South Australian Government has awarded a A$2 million grant to Hillgrove Resources to trial the new underground mining technology being progressed by Komatsu.

Komatsu and Vale’s DynaCut Garson collaboration to be highlighted at MINExpo

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Komatsu and Vale are set to reveal more about their underground hard-rock mechanised cutting technology collaboration at the upcoming MINExpo 2021 event next month.

The companies, through the Canada Mining Innovation Council, have been engaged on a project to advance the future of underground hard rock excavation through optimising use of Komatsu’s DynaCut mechanical cutting technology.

The technology was previously tested at the Cadia underground mine in New South Wales, Australia, operated by Newcrest Mining, which IM revealed last year as part of an exclusive interview with Vale’s Luke Mahony, Head of Geology, Mine Engineering, Geotechnical and Technology & Innovation for the Global Base Metals Business; and Andy Charsley, Project Lead and Principal Mining Engineer, Technology & Innovation.

Vale and Komatsu will start trialling DynaCut’s capabilities on Komatsu’s new MC51 machine at Vale’s Garson Mine in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, shortly, working together to increase the pace at which the innovative technology will be available to the larger market.

The machine is set up at Garson and expected to start cutting in the next month, IM understands.

“True innovation requires effective collaboration between the end user and suppliers to ensure the technology meets the needs of the industry,” Dino Otranto, Chief Operating Officer of North Atlantic Operations and Asian Refineries for Vale, said. “This partnership is that first step to really prove and understand the technology, while meeting our high standards for safety.”

Through more than 10 years of research and development, Komatsu says it has determined how to break rock continuously and precisely through a fully-electric system that outputs zero emissions. By automating and controlling processes so the machine can be operated remotely via line of site, Komatsu customers can move their operators further from the cutting face and from harm’s way leveraging DynaCut technology and the MC51 machine, it said.

Rudie Boshoff, Director of Hard Rock Cutting Systems at Komatsu, said: “We’re excited to be trialling this new machine and technology because it offers the potential to really change the way our customers mine. Not only does the DynaCut technology provide a very controllable way of cutting rock – within 50 mm accuracy to plan – the machine itself, the MC51, is designed to advance more sustainable mining methods by reducing the amount of equipment required to get to the orebody.”

Komatsu and Vale will be co-presenting about their partnership to drive innovation on September 13, 2021, on stage at the Komatsu booth in Las Vegas.

Just this week, Hillgrove Resources said it was set to trial the DynaCut technology on an MC51 machine to develop a portal and underground decline at the Kanmantoo mine in South Australia following a A$2 million grant from the South Australia Government.