Tag Archives: Western Australia

National Group’s NPE delivers Cat 994K wheel loader to Rio’s Marandoo iron ore site

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

National Group says its National Plant & Equipment (NPE) subsidiary has delivered Australia’s first rental Cat 994K wheel loader to Rio Tinto’s Marandoo iron ore mine in Western Australia.

After arriving in Perth from the Caterpillar manufacturing facility in Decatur, Illinois, USA, the wheel loader began pre-assembly on February 17 by WesTrac at its Reid Road facility, in WA. From there, the oversized load was disassembled for transportation from Perth to the Pilbara, where final assembly took place on site at Marandoo before being handed over to Rio Tinto to begin work in early May.

Marandoo is one of Rio’s Pilbara iron ore assets to feature autonomy. Back in 2017, Cat and Rio Tinto signed an agreement to retrofit 19 Cat 793F mining trucks for autonomous operation at the site, making it the first fleet of Cat autonomous trucks deployed by Rio Tinto.

National Group said Cat large wheel loaders are well known as the ‘top of their class’ due to their sheer size and durability that ensures maximum availability through multiple life cycles. “The 994K doesn’t disappoint, with a net power of 1,297 kW, an operating weight of over 240 t and a bucket capacity range of 19.1 – 24.5 m³ for hard-rock conditions (up to 43.6 m³ for soft rock), making it the largest wheel loader currently manufactured by Caterpillar,” it said.

Mark Ackroyd, National Group Managing Director, said: “With optimised performance and simplified serviceability, the 994K allows mine sites to move more material efficiently and safely at a lower cost per tonne.

“They are the ideal machine for large mining companies such as Rio Tinto to maximise their efficiency and productivity and reduce the level of ongoing maintenance required.”

Geoff Bailey, WesTrac Executive General Manager of Sales, said: “WesTrac have worked closely with NPE for more than seven years and we’re proud to continue to support the business with industry-leading equipment and technology.

“The 994K can handle large payloads even in tough conditions, loading a matched Cat 789 or 793 haul truck in five to six passes, respectively. It’s a highly efficient option for our WA mining customers.”

Ackroyd said there was currently less than 10 994Ks in Australia, “so we are very excited to own a brand new model and to see it go to work with one of our key clients”.

As many businesses and industries come to a halt due to COVID-19 restrictions, National Group says it is preparing to deliver a range of other machinery to mine sites around Australia in the coming months.

thyssenkrupp reaches new milestone on Rio EII facility

Bulk handling, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Just over a month after declaring the first ore aboard a new stacker at the bulk handling facilities of Rio Tinto’s East Intercourse Island (EII) facility, thyssenkrupp says it has achieved another milestone at the sustaining capital project in the Port of Dampier, Western Australia.

First ore has now arrived on Stacker ST2EN, according to the company, with two of the three stackers now installed as part of the project, which involves the manufacture, installation and commissioning of three replacement stackers and associated equipment as part of an almost A$70 million ($39.8 million) upgrade.

When the upgrade was announced back in August 2017, Rio said design and fabrication work was expected to commence in 2018, with installation and commissioning anticipated in late 2020.

Rio also said at the time that thyssenkrupp Australia would manufacture, assemble and fabricate the stackers required for the refurbishment before transporting the 1,860 t of stacker weight to the Pilbara.

BHP consolidates digital project offering with new Brisbane facility

Automation, Coal technology, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , ,

BHP, to more effectively ramp up its use of digital technologies, has opened the first of its ‘digital factories’ in Brisbane, Australia.

Instead of having digital projects delivered by multiple parts of its business, the factory will create a unified ‘community of practice’ among technical roles, according to Rag Udd, BHP Acting Chief Technology Officer.

“The new hubs will abandon the traditional hardware-centric approach to innovation and will help us maximise the use of cloud technologies for rapid digital development in an enhanced digital environment,” he said.

An example of that comes from the company’s coal business where it is launching its “first digital factory”.

Udd explained: “The coal mined from Caval Ridge needs to go through a processing plant. Typically, for every 100 t that enters the plant, around 58 ts of sellable product comes out the back-end. In our digital factory trial, we set the team a challenge of improving this yield using just 12 months’ worth of historical data.”

The team quickly created an algorithm that told the company what the optimal setting for the plant was, based on the blend of coal coming from the mine, according to Udd.

“There is more to do, but this will help us improve our yields and increase the utilisation of our processing facility,” he said. “This is the very definition of productivity: a low cost way to markedly improve an output.”

In the future, BHP hopes to see much more of this type of innovation, according to Udd.

“Our sites are expected to benefit from the rapid deployment of reliable solutions that make their lives easier, minimising variability and unplanned outages,” he said. “The factory will focus on projects that can be delivered quickly, where minimal onsite infrastructure is required and where the return on investment is many multiples of the initial outlay.”

While BHP has started in coal in Brisbane, it plans to also launch digital factories in Chile, North America and Western Australia, according to Udd.

“They will partner with our operations to help solve asset-specific problems,” he said. “Struggling with a well performance issue in the Gulf of Mexico? Speak to your local factory and see if machine learning can provide some insight. Conveyor belt reliability issues in Chile? Let’s see if your ‘digital foreman’ can run some advanced analytics over data from the sensors.”

He concluded: “Other industries have shown us that this model works. With the right people and the right operating model set up, I am confident that we can bring an exciting new element to the way we solve operational problems, and in doing so rapidly create real and lasting value for BHP.”

MICROMINE mobilises a new mine optimisation plan

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

Upgrading from a voice-based fleet management system to an automated mobile solution enables mine managers to gain critical efficiencies across their site, resulting in a positive effect on their operations’ bottom line, according to MICROMINE.

Nickel-copper-cobalt miner, Independence Group (IGO), recently upgraded to Pitram Mobile at its Nova operation in Western Australia. Nova is one of a growing number of sites across the globe choosing to upgrade from Pitram Voice to the Pitram Mobile solution, MICROMINE says. IGO deployed the mobile software following the successful installation of Pitram Voice in 2018.

Touchscreen tablets were installed in vehicle cabs and integrated with the Pitram software to facilitate data transfer between on-board computers and the Pitram control room, which provides full fleet management insights and analytics functionality.

IGO implemented Pitram Mobile to capture data and insights electronically from its underground mining fleet at Nova, according to MICROMINE. Upgrading to Pitram mobile has assisted the mine to more effectively:

  • Manage safety – by controlling access to dangerous areas and replaying locations and states for incident analysis;
  • Integrate its fleet management system – providing a better picture of situational awareness and vehicle positioning;
  • Decrease mine radio traffic – enhancing safety and operational activities through automatically transmitting critical data from equipment;
  • Apply automated business rules engines;
  • Execute its shift plan – sending tasks to workers from the plan, receiving notifications of completed tasks and facilitating plan compliance;
  • Identify areas of improvement;
  • Increase productivity;
  • Reduce manual data entry and paperwork; and
  • Optimise fleet and personnel.

MICROMINE’s Pitram Account Manager, Tyler Raleigh, said the upgrade was completed in early March 2019, with Pitram specialists spending time on site to assist the IGO Nova team with technical support.

“The mine control and dispatch facilities are designed to provide an increased level of shift data accuracy, which will improve operational efficiencies through effective management of mining operations based on high-quality data,” Raleigh said. “The system provides improved response to emergency situations and greater control in hazard management, as well streamlines administrative tasks through real-time data capture and validation.”

IGO’s Nova Mine Manager, Peter Christen, said improvements are already starting to be seen across the Nova site since the implementation.

“We’re pleased with the results achieved so far since upgrading to Pitram Mobile at Nova,” he said. “The implementation was well managed by the MICROMINE team, with quick uptake and acceptance by our IGO and Barminco site personnel.

“It’s enabled our people to be more in control of the data generated and that means we are seeing greater ownership and uptake of the system. It also allows our mine control operators to validate information quickly and they spend less time on the radio.

“Overall, our experience at Nova has been a positive one and we would definitely recommend Pitram Mobile to other mining companies.”

What is the difference between Pitram Voice and Pitram Mobile?

For those already using Pitram Voice, upgrading to Pitram Mobile offers the following benefits, according to MICROMINE:

  • Automatic detection of load-haul-dump events;
  • Integration of autonomous mining fleet with the rest of the Pitram solution;
  • Integration between Pitram and other on-board payload management systems;
  • Summaries of manually and automatically captured production data to aid in generating draw plans;
  • Increased accuracy of time sensitive data, providing greater visibility of availability bottlenecks; and
  • Removal of reliance on radio communications.

A Pitram automatic upgrade from voice data capture requires a simple upgrade process, MICROMINE says. Pitram uses the same production and reporting database for Pitram Voice as it does for Pitram’s automated solution, so all the work invested in implementing Pitram is retained when upgrading to the more advanced Pitram solution.

Pitram Mobile tablets

Optimise operational performance

As Pitram Mobile allows equipment operators to capture production data through automated on-board systems, or via touchscreens in cabs. Rather than calling in through radios, the solution frees up personnel time and effort, radio airspace and alleviates potential data entry errors.

The tablets or onboard systems capture equipment data, like location, pre-start, status and activities, which is automatically uploaded to servers as soon as vehicles are in range of a wireless (or LTE) network. Pitram Mobile’s automatic data transfer then allows that data to be passed to the Pitram Control Room where analysts and operators can monitor results and refine mine operations.

Utilising the latest technology, automated data capture minimises disruption to primary activities, provides near 100% data accuracy, automated task management, integrated shift planning and can provide live information short interval control for in-shift decision-making.

“By using integrations across communication platforms, Pitram greatly reduces call volumes across the radio network,” MICROMINE says. “Through automatically transmitting key data from equipment, personal and operations, the automated solution revolutionises the mine control room, providing an adaptable user interface for low-level data entry roles as well as for higher-level administrators and in-shift mine managers.”

Pitram Mobile being utilised at IGO Nova

Other key features and benefits include:

  • Ruggedised touchscreen tablets, with various models available to best meet the requirements of individual mines, including dust and water protection;
  • No requirement for additional proprietary hardware, so companies save costs and time in installation if they have existing tablets and network infrastructure;
  • Run using Windows operating systems;
  • Compatible with various underground data collection technologies, including Wi-Fi and Ethernet over leaky feeder;
  • GPS tracking capabilities for surface mines;
  • Speed warning and alarms;
  • Material mis-dump alarms;
  • Payload indicator to minimise overloading or underloading, plus integration with third-party payload monitoring systems;
  • Task allocation and real-time tracking of tasks;
  • Portable data for managers & shift boss – finger on the pulse;
  • Improved accuracy;
  • Reduced two-way traffic to Mine Control; and
  • Operator accountability.

Mining demand sees Flender set up shop in Western Australia

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , , ,

Flender, a global supplier of mechanical drives and a subsidiary of Siemens, has announced plans for an expansion into Western Australia.

Its new state-of-the-art facility in Tonkin Highway Industrial Estate, in Bayswater, will allow the company to grow in the region, helping it meet increasing customer demand especially in the wind energy and mining sectors, Flender said.

The investment will include a new purpose-built 3,500 sq.m facility set for completion in September. When complete, the new premises will be the only OEM facility on the West Coast with a 1.5 MW test bench capable of testing complete drive systems up to a voltage of 6.6 kV, it said.

Kareem Emara, CEO and Managing Director of Flender Australia, said relocating to Tonkin Highway Industrial Estate will allow Flender to centralise operations and get closer to customers in Western Australia.

“Flender has been renowned for high performance, innovation, quality and reliability of mechanical components for over 120 years,” he said. “We have been growing exponentially the last few years and now have the biggest installed base in mining and wind turbine gearboxes compared to any other OEM in Australia.”

He added: “Regardless of where we are, being close to our customers is the cornerstone of our business model. Western Australia has been an excellent market for us in the recent years. It’s only natural for us to reinvest in this key market and be where our customers are to offer them the combined brains trust of over 50 facilities worldwide through this new state-of-the-art centre.”

Flender says it has the largest installed base of industrial drives in Western Australia. Some installations have been in operation since the 1970s and are still in service today in mine and port locations across the Pilbara and other regions of Western Australia.

The facility will also be designed to cater for projected growth in ‘geared’ wind turbines over the next couple of decades, enabling Flender to combine sales, project delivery, engineering and training in one location, it said.

Emara concluded: “Whilst COVID-19 has presented challenges to Australian economy, we take a long-term view and are confident in our expansion plans to help set up the right support structure for the nation’s critical energy infrastructure and industry.

“We are supporting critical industries such as mining now and are preparing for future growth in other industries.”

This announcement follows the $5 million investment into Rockhampton service centre, in Queensland, in 2017.

BHP studying iron ore export expansion at Port Hedland

Bulk handling, Environmental, Mining safety, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

BHP says it is looking into options to increase its iron ore export capacity at Port Hedland, in Western Australia, with the potential for a 40 Mt/y boost if “market conditions allow”.

The company is currently focused on hitting its 290 Mt/y capacity (on a 100% basis) in the medium term, but it said it wanted to be able to respond to further growth opportunities in the future if conditions allow.

BHP, prior to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, said it expected to ship 273-286 Mt of iron ore on a 100% basis in its 2020 financial year to June 30, 2020.

A public consultation on the expansion plan has begun ahead of BHP submitting an application to the Western Australia Government to gain a licence for this increased iron ore export capacity.

The licence application is the first step in a broader process. The company anticipates submitting the application next month once the consultation has occurred and the process towards the approval taking most of the rest of 2020.

BHP said the move was about “providing future options”, and “should not in any way be construed as a forecast or target”.

This is not the first time the company has talked about expanding capacity beyond the 290 Mt/y mark at Port Hedland. During the last boom when the company was still heading for 155 Mt/y capacity, it tabled an ambitious and expensive Outer Harbour development at Port Hedland. While the project was scrapped as the downturn ensued, it could have seen capacity rise to 450 Mt/y (on a 100% basis).

One area where the company has made a definitive pledge to invest in the Pilbara is around air quality and dust emissions.

BHP said it planned to spend A$300 million ($194 million) over the next five years to improve air quality and dust emissions across its Pilbara operations. This investment, it said, reinforces its commitment to the long-term, sustainable future of the Pilbara region as an economic powerhouse and follows A$400 million in projects already delivered over the past decade to minimise dust emissions across its supply chain.

BHP General Manager Port, Nilson Davila, said: “BHP has reviewed global best practice dust management and air quality control methods and identified new opportunities to further improve our approach. We recognise we have a shared responsibility to address dust issues in the Pilbara.”

The Pilbara air quality program involves:

  • The construction of wind fences at port operations, a method that has been proven to significantly reduce the potential for dust lift-off from stockpiles;
  • Trialling, with a view to “at-scale construction”, of vegetation barriers to capture dust in the West End in Port Hedland, in partnership with Curtin University and Greening Australia; and
  • Implementation of operational dust control projects across its entire Pilbara supply chain, such as moisture management systems, ore conditioning and monitoring infrastructure, and improvements across its existing controls at mines and port.

BHP said individual projects will still be subject to all necessary internal and state government approvals.

“The planned investment signals BHP’s strong commitment to the Pilbara, and particularly to the revitalisation of the West End into a vibrant commercial hub,” Davila said.

BHP said it remained committed to working with government, industry and the local community on the recommendations of the Port Hedland Dust Management Taskforce Report, including the development by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation of best practice guidelines for bulk handling facilities and their implementation.

Redpath Australia to work on Silver Lake’s Rothsay gold project

Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

Redpath Australia says it has been awarded a contract to carry out underground mining services at Silver Lake Resources’ Rothsay gold project, in Western Australia.

The contract includes portal and decline development, which is due to commence in the September quarter of 2020, according to the company.

Rothsay is within the Warriedar Greenstone gold belt of the Yalgoo Goldfield in the Southern Murchison Region of Western Australia. The current project plan would see mineralised ore extracted from narrow sub-vertical structures, according to Redpath.

“Rothsay has a rich mining history dating back to the discovery of gold in 1894 and including several phases of mining, most recently by Metana Minerals in the early 1990s,” it said.

Redpath Managing Director, Gavin Ramage, said: “We are looking forward to working with the Silver Lake Resources team in increasing value for their shareholders through safe and efficient delivery of underground mining services.”

In its March quarter results, Silver Lake Resources said pre-development activities had continued at Rothsay, including the commencement of the tendering process for key construction and operational contracts.

It said it expected Rothsay ore to form part of the Deflector mine feed from the September quarter of 2022, “in parallel with the Deflector plant upgrade”.

When the company announced plans to acquire Egan Street Resources – thereby adding Rothsay to its books – last year, it said Rothsay would bring an additional 454,000 oz of gold JORC resources and 200,000 oz of gold reserves to its portfolio.

It also said the addition of Rothsay provided it with a near-term development opportunity to introduce a new high-grade ore source to an upgraded Deflector processing facility.

The Deflector gold-copper mine is around 85 km from Rothsay, and produced first gold in May 2016.

A shallow narrow vein, high-grade gold and copper underground mine, Deflector also has a fit-for-purpose processing facility to enable recovery of gold from a gravity circuit, prior to the production of a copper-gold concentrate via flotation.

Scott Technology signs up Kerman for Koodaideri automated lab build

Automation, Environmental, Mineral exploration, Mineral processing, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Kerman Contracting is to build an automated iron ore sampling processing laboratory at Rio Tinto’s Koodaideri mine site, in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

The contract award from Scott Technology Ltd will see the company start construction on the lab in the June quarter of this year with estimated completion in February 2021.

The scope includes the civil and concrete works, as well as the structural, hydraulic, electrical/communication works and fire protection, Kerman said. The supply, installation and commissioning of robotics equipment will be undertaken by Scott.

Kerman is also working on Rio Tinto’s other major iron ore expansion project in the Pilbara, the Western Turner Syncline 2 (WTS2) iron ore project.

Kerman’s Managing Director, Chris Kerman, said: “We are very pleased to be awarded the design and construction of the Koodaideri laboratory building. Over the last nine months, Kerman and Scott have been working collaboratively on refining the scope and price. We are now looking forward to getting the project underway and establishing a long lasting business relationship with Scott.”

In February, Scott Technology said it had been awarded a significant contract by Rio Tinto to design and build the automated mine site laboratory, adding that the agreement involved the building construction and equipment supply for the robotic sample preparation and analysis laboratory (graphic above).

Koodaideri, billed by Rio as an “intelligent mine”, will deliver a new production hub for Rio’s iron ore business in the Pilbara, incorporating a processing plant and infrastructure including a 166 km rail line connecting the mine to the existing network.

Construction on Koodaideri Phase 1 started in 2019 with first production expected in late 2021. Once complete, the mine will have an annual capacity of 43 Mt, underpinning production of the company’s flagship iron ore product, Pilbara Blend.

PureGRAPH enhanced bucket liners supplied to second WA iron ore miner

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

First Graphene says several new PureGRAPH® enhanced bucket liners have been supplied by its newGen customer to a major iron ore producer in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

newGen uses PureGRAPH high-performing graphene additives from First Graphene to manufacture its ArmourGRAPH rubber wear linings. These linings, the company says, offer outstanding strength and wear characteristics, increasing the life of wear linings and leading to significant productivity benefits for the mine.

This is the second trial of PureGRAPH high-performing graphene additives at iron ore mining operations in the state.

Back in December, newGen confirmed it had provided an ArmourGRAPH bucket liner to a major iron ore producer for a trial containing PureGRAPH20. According to the company, the bucket liner showed no signs of advanced wear or scalloping as would normally be experienced with the liners currently used in industry after 24 weeks of use.

It said the client would continue the trial, with a further inspection to be undertaken in another 12 weeks.

On top of the bucket liners, the second iron ore miner intends to also install PureGRAPH in other process equipment such as conveyor skirting products, First Graphene says.

The company said: “PureGRAPH enhanced wear liners continue to be adopted across the mining industry, due to their extended life, ease of use and enhanced fire retardancy properties. As the benefits continue to be validated, the industry is expected to adopt graphene-enhanced materials as a standard approach.”

Craig McGuckin, Managing Director for First Graphene, said: “Adoption of PureGRAPH enhanced products by another major iron ore producer is evidence of the quality of First Graphene’s products. Only First Graphene has the capacity to deliver tonnage volumes of high-performing graphene to users as they adopt graphene into their products.”

WA gold mine looks for payload boost in Austin Ultima truck body trial

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , ,

One of Western Australia’s key gold mines is trialling Austin Engineering’s new Ultima truck bodies on several of the operation’s 240 t haul trucks as it looks to optimise and maximise its haulage fleet payloads.

The trial has the potential to be converted into a fleet-wide body upgrade, according to Austin, continuing a program that started in 2014 when the engineering company fitted its JEC bodies and increased payload by more than 20 t/load at the operation.

The new Ultima body (pictured on a truck) will take the payload up to 240 t/load and further maximise the haul fleet’s availability and productivity, Austin said.

Going back to the previous payload increase program, the JEC bodies were fitted to the haul fleet after the mine identified a series of production-oriented challenges – including weight of the OEM bodies, the high cost of maintaining the bodies (and subsequent non-availability of the haul truck) and non-achievement of target payloads – impacting on performance and productivity of the load-haul fleet, according to Austin.

Initially 11 bodies were ordered and ultimately the mine’s load-haul fleet was retrofitted.

The customised bodies lifted payload capacity to 230 t/load – an increase of around 20 t/load over the OEM bodies – an outcome of the weight differential between the OEM tray and the JEC body. “Along with increased payload, the body change-out improved haul fleet availability and performance – the result of less frequent unscheduled body repairs, an outcome of the replaceable floor in the JEC body, which eliminated the need for heavy, maintenance-intensive wear line plates,” Austin said.

Now, with the trial progressing, the long-serving JEC units are in line to be replaced by the Ultima bodies which, due to further advances in the payload capacity vs body weight equation, will lift payload to 240 t/load and still meet all OEM dump truck specifications, according to Austin.

“The Ultima haul truck body has the potential to be a significant gamechanger in haul fleet operation due to its advanced steel and design technologies,” Austin said. “A lighter-weight module design, it features improved structural integrity for superior impact and wear resistance, extended fatigue life and lower maintenance costs – all targeted to maximised payload, improved cycle efficiency and significantly reduced total cost of ownership.”

A ‘V’ profile floor, designed to actively channel the load to the centre of the tray, improves machine stability and safety, according to Austin. The floor design also reduces dump cycle times (empty is achieved at 3/4 tipping).

Although the new tray is lighter and stronger than current OEM bodies – which translates to a 10-15% weight saving without sacrificing payload – its design reduces overall tray wear, which significantly increases availability and improves productivity of the mine’s load-haul cycle, Austin said.

The miner’s expectation of the Ultima body is for 240 t/load and, according to the manufacturer, when matched with the appropriate loading tool – such as the 32 m³ bucket on the mine’s shovel excavator – this load figure will be consistently and efficiently achieved.

Just as it did for the JEC units, Austin will maintain a condition monitoring program for the new bodies and advise the mine on any maintenance issues, it said.

The miner is also using Austin bodies in other operations around the world. Specialised hauler bodies have been customised to add significant value and reduce operational costs in underground mining operations, it said.