FEATURE
Underground mining support vehicles
Vehicles of Greener , Safer , More Cost effective and Productive Underground Operations
While OEMS of underground support vehicles are pulling all the stops to address current and urgent needs of mine operators in the area of reducing emissions , improved safety , low operating costs and productivity , clearly , ‘ constant innovation ’ is the operative word for their products to remain relevant and meet demand .
Mining activity is migrating deep level -even ultra-deep - in search of valuable ore-bearing rock , as far as recent projects in African precious and base metals sector go . And so , to excel in this environment , mining companies require the most appropriate equipment to ensure safe , productive and cost-effective operations . And , as critical equipment in underground mining environment , mining support vehicles are no exception . Commonly , underground support vehicle categories include but may not be isolated to the following - agitators , motor graders , personnel carriers , delivery trucks , service trucks , water cannons , water tanks , among other specialised equipment .
Product relevance Underground support vehicles is one arena where OEMs are going all-out to deliver the more relevant products to mine operators , who are very particular about their needs . Of course , the question is whether or not they are rising to the challenge . Thus , in a bid to establish this , recently , First Mining DRC-Zambia conducted a survey amongst select OEMs to establish contemporary preferences for underground support vehicles used in different mining applications . The OEMs are involved in the design , engineering , manufacturing and support of equipment for the global underground mining market .
An interesting trend has emerged from the exercise . Though they produce a wide range of brands for mining companies , the OEMs declare that , through their vehicles , mine operators would be able to improve safety and productivity , reduce emissions as well as minimise operating costs , which in recent years have been skyrocketing .