Tag Archives: mining equipment

XCMG debuts new excavators and truck at Mining Indonesia 2019

Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

XCMG brought all-new mining equipment to Mining Indonesia 2019, last month, as it went on the charm offensive in one of the major markets for mining trucks and shovels.

The company debuted three large-tonnage mining products as a complete solution set at the show, from September 18-21.

This included the “efficient expert” XE900D mining hydraulic excavator, the “energy-saving expert” XE1250 mining hydraulic excavator and “motor-driven warrior” XDA40 articulated dump truck.

During the show, XCMG also hosted a technology and production promotion conference of large-scale open-pit mining equipment that was attended by more than 100 mining and construction companies across Indonesia, it said.

XCMG signed multiple strategic collaborations with notable Indonesia mining companies, including orders that totalled $50 million, the company added.

Zong Li, Vice GM of XCMG Group, said: “XCMG’s market share in Indonesia is growing year-by-year, the series of events in Indonesia further enabled XCMG to expand its services in the Southeast Asian market as well as local support.”

A key member of China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative, Indonesia has a plethora of mining machinery from XCMG, which have delivered excellent performance in mining projects across Indonesia, aiding the local infrastructure and economic development, the company said.

Austin Engineering commissions Australia’s ‘biggest water tank’

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , ,

Austin Engineering says it has commissioned the first of its high-performance truck-mounted water tanks which, the manufacturer claims, is the biggest water truck in Australia.

The result of a significant re-design process, the new Stairway Access Tank (SAT) includes several features to improve efficiency, operator safety and truck stability, Austin said.

Custom-built to suit most haul trucks, the new SAT starts at 14,000 litre capacity and includes all spray equipment along with the company’s “Water Wise” system.

The first tank off the production line has a 198,000 litre capacity fitted to a CAT 793C haul truck and is claimed to be the biggest water truck in Australia.

The most obvious external feature of the Austin water tank is a stairway from the top of the tank structure down to a large (137 cm x 259 cm) access port for easy entry and exit for personnel and maintenance equipment to the tank interior. The fill port is located behind the water dam to ensure any overflow flows away from the cab and deck to the rear of the truck, Austin says.

Inside the tank, the design of the new Austin SAT directly tackles the safety concerns surrounding the confined workspace in mine site water tanks, addressed by a recently-completed 10-year study by the US-based National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Part of the NIOSH study looked at operator access to the tank and ease of movement once inside, according to Austin.

“Traditional access inside the tank has been through a series of semi-circular portholes in the baffle system which, although adequate, slowed access and movement, especially in the case of an emergency,” the company said. “The diameter of the portholes – generally 600 mm wide x 740 mm high – also restricted operator manoeuvrability and the physical size of any equipment that could be used inside the tanks.”

The new SAT from Austin features a series of oversize rectangular access ports – 630 mm wide x 1,550 mm high – throughout a unique baffle system to replace the traditional portholes and significantly improve operator safety and comfort inside the tank, it said.

The engineered corrugated baffle system, which interlocks the baffles for increased structural integrity, controls both transverse and longitudinal water surging and reduces the overturning forces by 19% to improve truck stability, according to Austin. Maximum overturning force is delayed by about one second – providing an increase in the time to react to any side force, it explained.

The design of the corrugated baffle system also allows for a lighter-weight tank, which translates to additional payload and lower operating costs. Additionally, the alignment of the oversize access ports, combined with the horizontal baffle system, gives unobstructed movement within the tank, Austin claims.

To improve the worksite environment inside the tank during maintenance periods an air exchange system has also been developed for the tank.

Metso Outotec planned combination wins Finnish FSA approval

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Water management, , , , ,

The planned combination of Metso and Outotec has received approval from the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority, the two companies have reported.

The approval is tied to the Finnish language demerger prospectus relating to the combination of Outotec and Metso.

Outotec and Metso announced on July 4, that the boards of directors of Outotec and Metso had approved a combination agreement and a demerger plan that would see Metso Outotec Corp created.

As part of the deal, Metso Flow Control, which was recently split off from the Metso Minerals division, will become a pure-play listed entity under the name of Neles.

The combination of Metso Minerals and Outotec is highly complementary and will create a unique company in the industry, according to the two companies. “Metso Outotec will leverage the strengths of both companies, including technology and R&D, product and process excellence, scale and global service offering footprint. The combination will deliver significant benefits to all stakeholders,” they said.

An extraordinary general meeting of Outotec and Metso shareholders was expected to convene on October 29 to approve the demerger plan, with the registration of the completion of the demerger with the trade register maintained by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office expected to take place in the June quarter of 2020, subject to other approvals.

METS companies readying product releases for IMARC

Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Explosives and blasting, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With just over a month to go until the IMARC event in Melbourne, Australia, mining equipment, technology and service (METS) companies are preparing for several product launches across the 12,000 m² expo floor.

According to organisers of the International Mining and Resources Conference and Expo (IMARC), October 29-31, attendees will be the first to see the latest technology and innovations shaping the mining industry.

3D-P will be taking advantage of the 2019 event to promote its latest product, a hybrid LTE/Insta Mesh client, designed to be installed on-board a mine’s heavy mobile equipment.

This hybrid solution solves some of the LTE performance challenges encountered in the mining environment through extended coverage and seamless roaming, according to the company.

Bata Industrials Footwear, meanwhile, will be exhibiting its updated Helix Range with the release of its Beta Industrials Helix safety work boots, styled for the toughest Australian working conditions in multiple leather options and colours, it said.

Bata Industrials is launching its new safety innovation footwear, the PU/RUBBER Mining Gumboot, which combines the benefits of PU with the established slip and heat resistant qualities of a rubber sole.

BlastMovement Technologies is readying its official commercial release of the new Flight Enabled Detector at the 2019 expo. This is a hardware option that offers an alternative to mine operations having to walk the muckpile, post-blast, to retrieve data, the company says.

Electric Vehicle Systems & Technology will be showcasing its newest electric drive system for the first time at the event. The system is installed in a light utility vehicle intended for general mine-site duties, it says.

A global leader in measurement instrumentation, services and solutions for industrial process engineering, Endress & Hauser will be exhibiting the world’s first ever loop powered radiometric density gauge – the FMG50, according to IMARC organisers.

The Gammapilot FMG50 will be one of the most innovative Gamma detector in the market and, as the world’s first true two-wire loop powered Gamma Compact transmitter, has been developed according to the latest SIL standard IEC 61508 (SIL2/3) with Heartbeat Technology being implemented as a differentiator.

MIDECO will be launching the Bat Booth®, a personnel de-dusting system for mines and quarries helping prevent silicosis, black lung and other dust-related diseases.

And, XLM will be launching the Auxiliary Power Unit, which has been built to reduce fuel burn of major mining assets to under one litre per hour while idling, extending service intervals and maximising asset life.

With a showcase of augmented and virtual reality, robotics, AI, autonomous machinery, and sustainable innovations, people looking to attend should take advantage of the free expo pass that is on offer for those who pre-register before 28 October, IMARC organisers said.

For more information please visit https://imarcmelbourne.com/

International Mining is a media sponsor of the IMARC event

Weir Minerals goes big with new Aspir fine coal dewatering centrifuge

Coal technology, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Weir Minerals has announced the expansion of its coal dewatering solutions with the launch of the Aspir™ WFH1730 jumbo horizontal basket fine coal dewatering centrifuge.

The new Aspir WFH1730 jumbo centrifuge is engineered and sized to process 100 t/h of fine coal product. It uses a proven scroll/basket design, combined with high quality wear components, and maintenance friendly wet end, specifically designed to handle varying feed densities, the company says.

Paul Jerks, Product Manager for Weir Minerals Aspir, said: “The design of the inlet/effluent arrangement is such that when the centrifuge is presented with a dilute feed, the jumbo simply centrifuges the effluent directly out of the bottom of the machine eliminating any potential of effluent splashing over into the product chamber. The product chamber is further protected by a labyrinth seal between the effluent and product chamber.”

Central to the Aspir range are the coarse and fine coal centrifuges engineered to deliver outstanding performance and availability in the most arduous coal dewatering applications, Weir says. The WFH 1730 jumbo centrifuge is the world’s first high capacity horizontal fine coal dewatering centrifuge designed around proven principles, such as G-force and basket angle, according to the company. This ensures maximum throughput with highest dewatering efficiency at minimal operating costs.

“Simply put, the Aspir WFH 1730 jumbo centrifuge’s robust design works smarter and longer than other centrifuges on the market to optimise your coal processing capability,” Weir said.

The unit features a cyclone inlet (patent pending) that aids in the process of separating solids and water prior to the fine product being introduced to the basket. Additionally, this inlet assists in bringing the product up to basket speed thereby reducing coal breakage and increasing fines and moisture content.

The Aspir WHF 1730 jumbo centrifuge has a horizontal orientation to allow for a reduced number of gears and shafts within the centrifuge and offers in-situ replacement of the modular drive assembly. Together with the ceramic lined working faces and hinged effluent chamber providing ample clearance of parts providing unfettered access to wet end components, the centrifuge is not only one of the most technologically advanced fine coal dewatering centrifuges available today, but is also one of the easiest to maintain, the company says.

The horizontal basket design with its hinged door arrangement and container lock securing mechanism makes for quick and easy access to the wet end for any maintenance inspections; once open the service technician has direct access to the basket and high capacity scroll.

Paul Jerks added: “The horizontal basket design, unlike a vertical basket centrifuge, uses centrifugal force and gravity to its advantage in that effluent naturally wants to pass through the basket aperture thereby enhancing the centrifuge’s dewatering effect.”

FLSmidth notes sustainability and digital mining developments in Q2 results

Automation, Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , ,

FLSmidth’s June quarter saw an improvement in revenue and profitability as the company’s Mining and Cement divisions continued to perform strongly.

The company’s order intake for the June quarter amounted to DKK5 billion ($752 million), down 2% from the same period a year ago. Mining order intake, specifically, declined 7%, mainly due to a lower capital order intake, the company said. This included an order of around DKK375 million from Rio Tinto for its Koodaideri iron ore project.

During the quarter, the company also completed the acquisition of IMP Automation.

FLSmidth’s order backlog stood at DKK16.8 billion by the end of June, up 16% from the same time last year.

Revenue increased 16% year-on-year in the quarter to DKK5.5 billion on high activity level, while earnings before interest taxes and amortisation came in at DKK487 million, up 28% year-on-year.

FLSmidth Group CEO, Thomas Schulz, said: “The second (June) quarter showed a strong performance with improved revenue and profitability, driven by both Mining and Cement. Following a slow start to the year, we have been successful at converting backlog to revenue in the second quarter. In close cooperation with our customers, we have continued to deliver on our vision to provide sustainable productivity enhancement.”

Schulz continued: “Our success with both service and capital orders, demonstrates our customers’ confidence in our ability to enhance their productivity. This is supported by an increased push for sustainable solutions that ties in well with our position, capabilities and track record.”

In the company’s Mining division, Schulz said the company saw increased interest for new technologies such as dry stack tailings, but also a general need to reduce water consumption in the production process. The company said the mining market remained robust.

The company added on the mining market: “Equipment demand continues to evolve around replacement and brownfield projects, with select greenfield opportunities. Miners are attentive of rising global issues and remain cautious on large and high-risk investments. The long-term pipeline for larger projects is encouraging, but most projects are currently not reaching further than the engineering/prefeasibility stage.”

It continued: “Customers across regions and commodities are increasingly demanding digitalised solutions to improve performance, reduce operating costs and maximise safety in operations. Similarly, customers show increased interest in technology to obtain a more sustainable production, not least our effective solutions for tailings management given the latest issues with tailings dams failures and the related environmental impact.”

Stephan Kirsch gets top mining job at Metso

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining people, Mining services, Water management, , , ,

Stephan Kirsch, as of August 1, will become President of Metso’s Mining Equipment business area, replacing Victor Tapia in the process.

Kirsch, who joined Metso in 2018, and currently works as Senior Vice President, Business and Product Management in the Mining Equipment business area, will also become a member of Metso’s Executive Team from August.

The current President of Metso’s Mining Equipment business area, Victor Tapia, will take on another internal assignment before leaving the company, Metso said.

Metso President and CEO, Pekka Vauramo, said: “I want to express my warmest thanks to Victor for his contribution in developing Metso’s Mining Equipment business and wish him the best of success. At the same time, I wish Stephan most welcome in his new role and to the Executive Team.”

Cat cuts electric rope shovel downtime

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , , ,

Caterpillar says it has developed a propel drive system upgrade for Cat® 7495 and 7495 HF electric rope shovels that improves maintenance access, decreasing downtime by days.

The upgrade, which has operated successfully for thousands of hours in field validation, reconfigures the crawler undercarriage to allow drive shaft and tumbler replacement from the outboard side, Cat says. Improved component design, meanwhile, extends durability and increases component life to further reduce costs.

“The new design slashes maintenance time and enhances safety by enabling access to drive components without removing the propel transmission,” the mining OEM said. “Additionally, Caterpillar engineered the upgrade to be a direct replacement. No machining of the crawler frame is required for installation.”

The new robust design sees thrust loads evenly distributed on large tapered roller bearings as opposed to bronze thrust plates, while the bearings are sealed and continuously purged with fresh grease to keep them free of contaminants, Cat says. The result is increased durability in harsh environments and alignment with 25,000 h planned rebuilds.

Metso’s Vauramo sees positives in mining equipment pipeline

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, Water management, , , , ,

Metso may not have registered any large mining equipment orders in the June quarter, but President and CEO, Pekka Vauramo, remained upbeat about the company’s future mineral processing sales prospects.

The company’s June quarter results saw healthy market activity in both the Minerals and Flow Control division, Metso said, with orders received increasing 2% – to €869 million ($966 million) – sales up 16% – to €903 million – and operating profit rising to €114 million – from €86 million previously.

Minerals posted a flat year-on-year result, whereas Flow Control orders were up 9%, according to Metso, noting that Minerals orders were positively impacted by strong services and aggregates equipment orders, while Flow Control benefited from oil & gas projects as well as services.

Metso said on the Minerals division’s results: “Equipment orders declined 14%, whereas services orders increased 9%. The lower volume of equipment orders was a result of the lack of large mining equipment orders due to timing.”

When it came to Minerals sales, however, the €735 million number was a 17% improvement on the same period in 2018, with equipment sales growing faster than services in both Minerals and Flow Control segments.

During the quarter, the company completed the acquisition of HighService Service, expanding Metso’s services offering in the mining market of Chile and neighbouring countries. And, after the quarter ended, it announced a proposed acquisition of Outotec to become Metso Outotec. This deal, if completed, would see the combined company become the second biggest process, technology, equipment and services firm serving the minerals, metals and aggregates industries based on 2018 sales. The transaction would also see the company’s Flow Control business spunoff into a separate entity called Neles Oy.

Vauramo concluded on the latest financial results: “We continued to perform well and made good progress during the second quarter. Activity in our end markets remained healthy and is shown in the good order intake for both Minerals and Flow Control.

“The pipeline for mining equipment orders continues to be good even though there were no large bookings during the quarter due to timing. Sales grew at a healthy double-digit rate in both segments. In addition to volume growth, we continue to show higher operational leverage with improving profitability in both segments. This proves that the internal work done across the businesses is generating the targeted results.”

Cat Q2 sales highlight North America mining equipment demand

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, , , ,

Caterpillar’s Resources Industries division continued to perform well in the June quarter of 2019, with the segment registering strong demand from, in particular, North America.

Cat Inc saw sales and revenues of $14.4 billion in the three months ending June 30, a 3% year-on-year increase, while its profit per share was up slightly to $2.83 ($2.82/share in Q2 2018).

Following these results, Cat maintained its 2019 outlook for a record profit of $12.06-13.06/share, but said it was expecting the annual figure to come in at the lower end of this range.

Chairman and CEO, Jim Umpleby, said: “We have the right strategy in place to deliver long-term profitable growth through our continued focus on strategic investments, including growing services and expanding offerings.”

The highlight of these results was a record performance from Cat’s Construction Industries division, with the $6.47 billion of sales reflecting, according to Umpleby, the company’s “strong competitive position globally”.

While this was the headline from the quarterly results, the company’s Resources Industries division put in another good shift in the period.

Resource Industries’ total sales were $2.8 billion in the June quarter, a 11% year-on-year increase, with the jump primarily due to higher equipment demand and favourable price realisation, Cat said.

“Mining customers increased capital spending to support ongoing mine site operations, which drove higher sales. In addition, sales increased for non-residential construction and quarry and aggregate customers,” Cat said.

It was easy to see where, geographically, the boost came from. North America sales were up to $1.06 billion in the quarter, from $804 million a year earlier. Latin America and Asia/Pacific couldn’t match that 32% year-on-year rise, but still saw sales climb 14% higher to $448 million and $759 million, respectively. Year-on-year sales to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, meanwhile, came in 22% lower at $446 million.

Profit was also up in Resources Industries – at $481 million in the quarter compared with $411 million a year earlier. Favourable price realisation was again picked out by Cat as one of the reasons for the 17% year-on-year jump, in tandem with increased sales volume, which was partially offset by higher manufacturing costs.