Tag Archives: mining equipment

Komatsu Mining puts down roots in Western Canada with $40 m facility

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

Komatsu Mining has announced plans for the construction of a new facility to support the growth of its mining business in Western Canada, a region known for the oil sands industry, as well as significant coal operations.

The company plans to invest approximately $40 million to construct a 85,000 sq.ft (7,897 sq.m) sales and service facility in downtown Sparwood, British Columbia (artists impression shown), where the company has been operating for more than 30 years, it said.

Komatsu plans to break ground at the new site in early August, with construction to conclude by the end of 2020.

Steven Droste, Komatsu’s Regional Manager – Western Canada, said: “This facility will be a great new place of work for our employees while enhancing our capabilities, so we can continue to provide our customers unrivalled service delivery.”

Komatsu will continue to operate out of its leased facility in Sparwood until the new building is complete. The company purchased the 15 acre (6 ha) parcel for its new facility from the District of Sparwood and is working to prepare the land for development, it said.

Metso to establish new service centre in Lithuania

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

Metso has decided to establish a new Metso Business Services (MBS) centre in Vilnius, Lithuania, initially offering services for the company’s finance operations before moving into logistics.

The investment supports the company’s profitable growth strategy by improving operational excellence and scalability of business services, Metso said, with the opening of the new centre expected to take place during the December quarter.

“The objective is to centralise the related services to the new centre and thus gain benefits from process harmonisation, standardisation and digitalisation,” Metso said.

The centre will employ some tens of experts, but the number of personnel is expected to grow in the coming years, according to the company.

As part of the initiative, employee negotiations have been held at Metso Minerals in Tampere, Finland, to review the possible employee arrangements and implications, with the company deciding to transfer its Financial Services operations entirely from Tampere to Vilnius.

As a result, 28 permanent positions in Metso Financial Services in Tampere will be discontinued in 2020, after a transition period. Metso will support the affected personnel, for example by offering re-employment services and possible relocation support, it said.

Metso’s CFO, Eeva Sipilä, said: “In the past couple of years, Metso has invested in its Tampere operations by, eg strengthening its R&D and manufacturing activities. Currently, we are also exploring options for a new, modern facility in Tampere. However, the best location for the new service centre turned out to be Vilnius, which has a strong service centre culture supporting international companies.

“With this new centre, we aim to improve the efficiency of our business services and increase digitalisation to support Metso’s growth,” she said.

Metso is in the middle of trying to complete the acquisition of fellow mining OEM Outotec.

Sandvik makes mechanised cutting, autonomous equipment sales in Q2

Automation, Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining services, Mining software, , , , ,

The performance of Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology continued to stand out in Sandvik Group’s June quarter results as orders for mechanised cutting and autonomous equipment helped revenues jump.

Order intake from Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology of SEK11.9 billon ($1.27 billion) represented a historically high level, slightly shading the SEK11.4 billion posted a year earlier. Revenues and operating profit, meanwhile, were 3% and 13% higher, year-on-year, at SEK11.8 billion and SEK2.1 billion, respectively.

This compared positively with lower year-on-year order intake from the Sandvik Machining Solutions and Sandvik Materials Technology divisions, which led to overall group order intake falling 5% and adjusted operating profit dropping 2% for the quarter.

While Sandvik noted the mining market remained stable during the quarter, it also said “somewhat protracted decision-making among customers” became apparent over the three months.

Orders for equipment remained at a high level, positively impacted primarily by the mechanical cutting and automation divisions, Sandvik said, while orders for underground mining equipment declined against high comparables from last year.

Aftermarket orders increased at a “mid-single-digit pace”, both for parts & service as well as for consumables, the company said, adding that the aftermarket business accounted for 62% of revenues with the equipment business accounting for 38%.

BELAZ and ZYFRA enhance mine automation and AI ties

Automation, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , ,

Equipment manufacturer, BELAZ and ZYFRA, a company which specialises in industry digitalisation, have agreed to jointly develop “robotisation technologies” for the mining industry and set up a research centre at BELAZ’s facilities for innovation in the fields of artificial intelligence and autonomous transport.

The strategic partnership agreement was signed on July 10 at the Innoprom-2019 International exhibition, in Yekaterinburg, Russia, by Petr Parkhomchik, CEO of BELAZ-HOLDING, and Igor Bogachev, CEO of ZYFRA.

“The main goal of our partnership is to understand better the current and future digital needs of the mining industry and to offer vehicles that fully meet these needs so that customers do not have to waste resources and time upgrading them on their own,” Parkhomchik said. “Identifying these needs will be the object of our joint research activities with ZYFRA and all our future projects will be based on these studies.”

The companies are already taking their first steps together in the areas highlighted in the agreement. For example, VIST Group, a subsidiary of ZYFRA which develops solutions for the mining industry, and BELAZ have launched production of robotised dump trucks.  The vehicles are being successfully used, in particular, in open pits operated by SUEK, according to ZYFRA.

“Experience shows that thanks to accurate tracking of the geotechnology parameters, fully-autonomous and remotely-controlled equipment improves transport efficiency by 20%, while removing drivers from hazardous work zones,” ZYFRA added. “The company expects the solution will be highly demanded by the markets of Sub-Saharian Africa, Chile, Peru and India.”

The collaboration between BelAZ and ZYFRA will have a focus on AI-based technologies, with the companies planning to conduct joint studies of customer needs and an analysis of the global market for digital AI-based products in the mining industry. This will act as a foundation for creating and improving their own developments in this field.

Immediate plans include working on a predictive analytics system for quarry equipment to help predict breakdowns by analysing historical data and carry out predictive maintenance, ZYFRA said. “In parallel, the two companies have mapped out joint steps in the development of industrial safety solutions. In particular, they are planning to test a driver fatigue tracking system using computer vision technologies.”

The companies also plan to develop an environment scanning system for autonomous dump trucks already equipped with artificial intelligence. The system will be able to not only to perceive and react to objects located around the dump truck, but also build a 3D model of the rock mass to be loaded, determine its sequence of actions and correlate its movements with the dump truck’s position.

Bogachev said: “With such a powerful mining technology business unit as VIST Group, ZYFRA is seeking to work closely with the global leaders in the production of quarry equipment.

“I’m convinced that this combination of competences will benefit all parties. For us, it will mean a stronger presence on the global market, a deepening of our expertise and the opportunity to create products equipped with the most advanced technologies, while the mining companies will be able to order their equipment from the plant with their chosen digital features ready installed.”

The agreement includes partnership in the promotion and commercialisation of digital technologies for mining companies and joint training of personnel for the implementation of digitalisation projects, according to ZYFRA.

AZIZE Equipment showcases Sunward drilling rigs, excavators at South Africa event

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

AZIZE Equipment says it has secured the sole rights to supply, service and support the full line of Sunward drill rigs and excavators to South Africa and surrounding countries.

Listed on the Shenzen Stock Exchange in China, and a top 50 global construction equipment manufacturer that produces over 11 000 excavators and drilling rigs a year, Sunward Equipment Group is a highly reputable and experienced partner for AZIZE, the South Africa based company said. The extensive Sunward offering was unveiled during a launch event in Carolina, Mpumalanga, South Africa on June 7-8, “laying a solid foundation in Southern Africa’s surface drilling industry”, AZIZE said.

Pascal Mbambo, Managing Director of AZIZE Equipment, said: “We are extremely excited about the birth of a 100% black-owned AZIZE, a Level 1 company, and our partnership with the globally renowned Sunward Equipment Group. The name AZIZE is of Afro-Asiatic origin meaning powerful and valuable, which is a perfect representation of our company, products and services as well as how we perceive our customers.”

Mbambo is supported by a team of experts including Company Director Basie Roelofse, who brings a wealth of engineering and drilling expertise to the AZIZE table. The AZIZE team boasts a strong operational background in and deep knowledge of the surface drilling sector and can meet the challenges faced by this complex industry, the company says.

Roelofse said: “Our hands-on experience with a variety of drilling rigs has given us a unique insight into the key success elements enabling us to equip customers with the right tools to manage their drilling operation.”

Sunward is not new to the African continent; outside of South Africa, numerous Sunward machines operate in Namibia, Zimbabwe and the DRC, according to AZIZE. “Having owned, operated and maintained various different brands of drilling rigs, including Sunward machines, and having drilled in all typical geologies, we were highly impressed by Sunward’s holistic capabilities,” Roelofse said.

Sunward machines are significantly less complex than many other options on the market, according to AZIZE. “This straight-forward no-frills package signifies ruggedness, reliability, simple and easy operation and serviceability for improved uptime and enhanced profitability at the lowest total cost of ownership,” the company said. “Through these perfect fit-for-Africa machines, AZIZE has the potential to further grow the Sunward footprint across the continent.”

 AZIZE is targeting surface drilling companies engaged primarily in blasthole drilling in all geological formations across the mining, quarry and construction industries. The Sunward range is ideally suited to mine owners, drilling contractors, and drill and blast contractors looking for modern, safe, efficient and reliable surface drilling rigs that positively impact their bottom line, AZIZE says.

The company offers three distinct Sunward surface drilling machines; two crawler-type top hammer models (from 64 mm up to 115 mm diameter with hole depths up to 25 m) and a range of down the hole drilling rigs (from 90 mm up to 255 mm diameter with hole depths up to 36 m). Rounding off the product portfolio is the Sunward excavator range with 105 mm to 165 mm diameter and up to 36 m hole depths.

“Powered by Tier 111a engines, the fuel efficient, low emission Sunward machines uphold standard ergonomics and safety designs, featuring cab air conditioning, radios as well as LED lights,” AZIZE said.

The AZIZE launch last month showcased several Sunward machines including the SWDE165A drilling rig (pictured above) with fully automatic hands-free carousel, ROPS/FOPS, a cyclonic dust suppression system as well as rod lubrication system, a compliant FOGMAKER automatic fire suppression system and a 20 bar compressor, all fitted as standard. “Also generating a great deal of interest at the launch was the SWDR138H excavator rig, currently the only drilling rig to have a full OEM certification that covers the full rig, from tower to compressor and everything in between,” AZIZE said.

The extensive product suite is supplied from AZIZE’s Carolina head office, which houses a 12-strong sales and service team in a 2,500 sq.m facility for administration, service and parts.

AZIZE says it has invested substantially in training, a key element to ensure the correct and safe operation of Sunward machines for optimal and reliable performance. Three factory-trained engineers have moved to Carolina to train and transfer skills to the service and commissions team. Plans for substantial expansion include a training centre and test site that will offer a turnkey solution for its drilling customers. The training centre will also accommodate trainees during conversion and training on machines.

FLSmidth responds to north Chile mining demand with opening of new service centre

Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , ,

FLSmidth says it has launched a new service centre for customers in the north of Chile focused on timely delivery of mining equipment to customers and component maintenance.

The opening event, held last week, was attended by a number of key customers and representatives from local authorities, according to FLSmidth.

The 8,000 m² facility, in Copiapó, is geared towards meeting the high demand for mining service and technical support in the region.

FLSmidth said: “The service centre has a primary emphasis on supplying solutions that extend the asset’s life cycle, such as repairs and rebuilds; equipment and components upgrades; parts and consumables strategic stocking programs; tailored training programs; technical assistance; and customised service packages.”

The facility ensures customers receive the required knowhow to optimise their operations, as well as support when it comes to inspections, process audits and technical issues, the company added.

Andrés Costa, President FLSmidth South America, said: “This is a significant milestone for the company, since Copiapó represents an important part of our operations in Chile. The huge mining industry potential in the area and our large installed base requires an infrastructure like this so we can work closer with our customers, get to know their challenges and deliver sustainable productivity solutions to their operations.”

Carlos Sagredo, Plant Manager North Chile, said: “This new service centre will deliver extra availability and reliability to our customers, improving their productivity and uptime, reducing total cost of ownership and extending their equipment lifespan.”

Copiapó Service Center joins other FLSmidth service facilities in South America region, such as São Paulo (Brazil), Arequipa (Peru), Iquique, Antofagasta and Santiago (Chile).

RCT on the importance of autonomous technology training

Automation, Careers in mining, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , ,

As an OEM-agnostic facilitator of autonomous solutions, RCT has vast experience in training up personnel and companies on how to best use this technology. Training Coordinator, Sunil Kumar, shares his thoughts on the subject.

Across the global mining industry there is an ever increasing take-up of smart technology. Gone are the days where miners worked in isolation, digging up earth and hoping to strike pay dirt. Now every stage of the mining process is jam-packed with technology designed to improve the mining process and safeguard mining personnel.

With the inevitable uptake of smart technology, advanced communication infrastructure and autonomous machinery, comes the need to ensure employees are suitably trained and confident in utilising this technology. At RCT, we categorise employee training needs into two streams; equipment operators and maintenance personnel.

Our comprehensive operator training is focused on functionality and designed to impart all necessary knowledge to get the most out of mining equipment. Our maintenance training goes a little bit deeper into the underlying technology of RCT’s proprietary products. We offer a regular maintenance package which teaches mine site personnel to replace components and conduct other minor maintenance works.

We also have an advanced maintenance package for select customers, which teaches suitably qualified mine employees to service individual components and carry out the type of activities that RCT’s specialised Field Service Technicians would carry out on a site visit.

Personal safety has been one of the key drivers behind an uptake of training programs in the global mining industry. Most countries that RCT works in have stringent laws governing people working in hazardous environments. Further to this is a cultural shift inside mining companies, which want to protect their workers and safeguard their operations.

Use of autonomous technology in this sort of hazardous environment is a no-brainer because a lot of the work involves people coming into contact with dust, smoke, extreme weather, chemical particles and long working hours often in confined working spaces such as underground operations.

Therefore, in order to use autonomous technology properly, they need to be informed about the standard operating procedure otherwise it can result in serious incidents involving machines and people. Properly trained personnel contribute significantly to operational efficiency and productivity because technology is only as good as how it is used. Most people underutilise the technology that they possess.

The most common example is the smart phone which can improve personal productivity multi-fold if used optimally, however most people only use about 10-15% of the features and capabilities. The same principle applies to autonomous technology in the mining industry, which, if properly used, will enable the mine site to increase productivity multi-fold, which in turn increases profits.

Training is equally essential for both younger workers who are traditionally more technologically savvy and older workers who are adapting to new technologies in the mining industry.

Autonomous technology is going into every mine so the technology is becoming part and parcel of new mine infrastructure. Therefore, it is important that the entire workforce be upskilled so they have some level of understanding of autonomous technology.

Going forward, RCT will continue to offer face-to-face training packages delivered on mine sites or in our offices. This will be complemented by an online training portal which will enable us to reach very remote mine sites that are difficult to access physically and will focus more on repeat trainings and refresher modules.

Quartile One helping Emeco improve equipment fleet reliability

Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

In its 2019 financial year update presentation, contractor Emeco Holdings flagged up a partnership with Quartile One that has seen the company improve the component life and reliability of its expanding equipment fleet.

The contractor has grown in recent years, adding, in 2018, rental specialist Matilda Equipment to the portfolio. It also recently bolstered its fleet with “strategic core assets” comprising mainly 240-t haul trucks and Cat D10/D11 dozers.

This has seen the company’s focus on Australia coking coal operations increase to around two-thirds of the overall business, with the remainder coming from Australia thermal coal.

The reliability of its fleet, which it characterises as young compared with the average across the industry, is crucial to its overall success in winning and retaining mining business.

During the update today, Emeco said it maximises component life within its fleet through centralised planning and a reliability engineering ability to rebuild components in house. Much of this is enabled by an asset management solution from Quartile One.

Quartile One, which is expected to be acquired by Aurecon next month after a deal was announced in April, is a key player in the data analytics space, helping companies manage physical and other infrastructure assets to meet “the performance and pricing challenges of the commodity markets”, Aurecon said.

According to Emeco, the Quartile One industry database contains 85,000 years of mobile equipment industry comparisons with assets on 150 sites globally. This enables benchmarking with best practice owners globally to drive improved performance alongside a valuable reference for optimised decision making.

Emeco said Quartile One’s “reliability engineers” monitor the performance of all components on its equipment fleet for signs of distress or abuse, while advanced financial and engineering analytics ensure data-driven decisions. This is backed up by asset telemetry, which provides real-time data on components.

Meanwhile, a central planning function accounts for component change out 12 months in advance, enabling the company to streamline maintenance ahead of time. Artificial intelligence tools are also in the mix, which support inventory optimisation, according to Emeco.

All of this adds up to a reduction in downtime, improvement in availability and reliability, visibility on major expenditure forecasts and plans, security of parts supply & lowest life cycle cost position, according to Emeco.

Onsite Rental Group seals Rio Tinto Iron Ore equipment contract

Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto says it has awarded a contract worth close to A$30 million ($21 million) to Onsite Rental Group to provide ancillary and light mobile equipment (LME) over the next three years to the iron ore division’s Pilbara mines and Coastal operations.

Onsite is established in the Pilbara and will provide on the ground support through its offices in Karratha, Tom Price, Newman and Port Hedland, as well as its office in Perth, Rio said.

“The equipment will support maintenance activities across Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s Pilbara mines and Coastal operations and includes access platforms, telehandlers, lighting towers and generators,” the miner added.

Onsite has committed to provide local employment opportunities, boost indigenous engagement, deliver apprenticeships and training, as well as establish diversity programs, according to Rio.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Managing Director Supply Chain Services, Ivan Vella, said: “Rio Tinto’s procurement practices, and those of our contractors, play a significant role in the creation of sustainable and resilient communities, including job opportunities for local people, which ultimately benefits the communities where we operate.”

Onsite Rental Group Managing Director, Mike Foureur, said the company plans to increase local employment, particularly for service technicians based out of Newman and Tom Price, to service this contract.

“We will work closely with Rio Tinto to align, commit and grow local content and indigenous participation through partnering and supplier opportunities within the Pilbara region,” he said.

Russia equipment simulator training demand on the rise, Immersive says

Careers in mining, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , ,

Immersive Technologies says it has seen strong demand from mining companies in Russia for its tailored workforce development solutions as equipment sales have risen in the past six years.

The proportion of global mining equipment being deployed in Russia was 22% in 2018, compared with 9% in 2012, with regional growth of 13% over the past six years, according to Immersive.

“As a result, the industry is demanding more skilled personnel,” Immersive said.

In line with this industry growth, Immersive is experiencing a surge in simulator and service sales, which have been proven to achieve safety and productivity improvements throughout all stages of the mining cycle, according to Immersive.

David Anderson, Executive Vice President – Sales and Support at Immersive Technologies, said: “It is an exciting time for mining in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). We are proud to support this region in delivering the safest and most profitable operators.

Immersive highlighted some results from this growth, with the following four customer case studies:

First, Vostochnaya Technica, a long-time customer, is implementing an Immersive simulator as a key part of delivering “mine assessments” to their customers, Immersive said. It is using a PRO4 Surface Mining simulator at one of the SUEK mine sites to improve truck and excavator operator behaviours. “The simulator will then move to a new mine site to assess truck operators and to make clear recommendations on equipment usage with the expected result of quantified productivity improvements,” Immersive said.

Second, a continuous improvement project aimed at enhancing operator skills is underway at Norilsk Nickel. Upon conclusion, the goal is to increase productivity, decrease cycle times, and reduce operator variability. The initial project focuses on underground LHDs but will likely expand to other equipment including bolters, according to Immersive.

Third, Komatsu CIS, in the Kuzbass region, will be using simulation to train new operators, along with assessing experienced operators to improve their skills. “Immersive Technologies will be providing support via our Training Advisor Team to meet their requirements and tailor curricula to their specific needs,” the company said.

And, finally, KAZ Minerals has engaged Immersive Technologies to deliver a training solution which includes multiple IM360-B transportable simulators, interchangeable modules and supporting products and services like Pre-Start Inspection, Instructor Led Training and Training Systems Integration. “As part of this technology and services solution, the Immersive Technologies’ Training Advisor Team is providing support to facilitate the simulation training process to ensure training objectives are achieved,” Immersive said.

Anderson concluded: “Russia and the CIS will continue to be a key market attracting increased investment from Immersive Technologies, over the coming years. We will be there to support the industry growth and needs of our customers.”