First Mining Drc-Zambia July/Aug 2019 First Mining DRC-ZAMBIA July-August 2019 digital | Page 18

TECHNOLOGY
made of armoured safety glass; the cabin
is tiltable, so that the operator has an
optimal upward view.
In addition, the machine itself is protected
for the typical underground mining and
tunnelling environment, i.e. TML hides
the hydraulic hoses away in a guide
system inside the telescopic boom.
From reduced ventilation infrastructure
to an overall lowering of operating costs,
the potential benefits of underground
battery equipment are already well
known. The Cat R1700 was introduced
in 2018 as a ground up redesign, with an
efficient new electro-hydraulic system,
which can save fuel and provide a 65%
increase in lift force.
According to the manufacturer, the
system can help improve digging
performance in the pile. The new
battery-electric R1700 XE will combine
the diesel loader’s features with a
Caterpillar-developed lithium-ion battery
and charging system.
Epiroc’s Serpent Ventilation Solution
Epiroc launched an integration between
its Serpent Ventilation solution and
Mobilaris Mining Intelligence (MMI) at
Bauma. This aims to help increase safety
and health for operators and improve
energy efficiency in underground
tunnels or mine sites. MMI can monitor
ventilation components and installation
as well as control airflow based on
sensor monitoring.
with the second generation in rigs for
face drilling, production drilling and rock
reinforcement, loaders and mine trucks.
TML Technik Mining Package
One of TML’s mining machines, the
UNIDACHS 740 scaler, comes with a
high-specification ‘Mining Package’.
The UNIDACHS’ 360° rotary, telescopic
boom offers a high range of flexibility, as
well as a long reach, while the height of
the machine is relatively low, allowing
quite large sections to be profiled in a
very safe manner.
The Mining Package adapts the
UNIDACHS 740 scaler to the extreme
conditions underground. In addition to
the unique kinematics of the telescopic
boom, the package offers comprehensive
protection for the machine operators.
The operator’s cabin has a Falling Objects
Protection System (FOPS) installed on
the roof and on the front screen, which is
Sandvik UG equipment works with
third-party proximity detection
Sandvik’s load and haul division
has developed an interface for its
underground loaders and dump trucks
that allows for the installation of third-
party proximity detection systems
(PDSs) In South Africa, for example,
underground mine equipment is required
to have an active PDS equipped. In order
to meet these legal requirements and to
boost the overall safety of underground
operations, Sandvik Mining and Rock
Technology designed its own PDS
interface.
PDSs will minimise the risk of collision,
as they are generally designed to slow
down or stop the equipment in case the
system’s sensors detect a person or an
object carrying an electronic tag inside a
predefined zone.
The exact operation of the PDS, Sandvik
said, naturlly depends on the selected
system and the local conditions, which
vary from site to site. While the PDS
interface was originally developed
for the South African market, product
safety manager for load and haul Marjut
Seppälä said the interface is now
globally available.
The interface also comes with the Speed
Brake Interlock feature, which monitors
the equipment speed and guides the
operator to slow down by means of
visual and audio messages on the
system display.
Epiroc has also focused on sustainability
in mining through battery electric, zero-
emission equipment that can result
in a safer and healthier underground
working environment. After more than
60,000 operating hours, the company
has expanded its proven battery offering
and zero-emission underground fleet
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