UNDERGROUND RAIL_proof 24/05/2016 13:27 Page 2
UNDERGROUND RAIL
available technically skilled staff members to
repair sophisticated equipment “so a plug and
play modular approach allows a quick swap of a
card and the locomotive is back in operation.”
In terms of peripheral equipment Battery
Electric also now offers the Maxus system which
combines control and safety functions for
monitoring underground which improves safety,
reliability, ease of use, low cost of ownership,
and future use (automation). The system
includes proximity detection of other
locomotives and personnel, speed monitoring
and control, automatic brake testing and
logging (static and dynamic), Speed Zone based
on Speed Zone tags (active RFID), voice
communication between guard car and
locomotive, drivers licence control, driver data
storage, and remote control from the guard car.
This allows for ‘Double Header’ operation (drive
from either end of the train). The system
includes startup checks forcing the testing of
systems, WiFi integration for surface monitoring
using the Titan control system (control of all
tagged equipment and personnel centrally) and
much more, says Trident.
Fuel cell technology has also made its
appearance in underground rail systems and
Trident and Battery Electric in combination with
Anglo American have several fuel cell driven
locomotives operational in mines today.
Finally, with regard to rail-bound loaders or
muckers, Lewis told IM: “here too a new age has
dawned with the arrival of the electric versions
of this trusted and proven technology. A few
years back Trident introduced the 26H
Rockershovel which using a combination of
electrics and hydraulics replaced the old
pneumatic units at some mines. Gone was the
noise and the competition for compressed air at
deep levels – often the source of inconsistent
performance of the machine – and what arrived
was a quiet machine with predictable and
consistent performance. Compressed air itself a
constant problem when you consider the
plumbing required to get it down the mine at a
usable pressure. The year 2015 saw the launch of
the 12E Rockershovel, a fully electric version of
the 12B - this is a turning point in many ways as
the possibilities for extending a mines’ use of this
technology became a reality, no more considering
expensive diesel equipment when your trusted
old loader now has renewed, electric life.”
In the future with the electric power source,
automation could even be possible of older
equipment. “Sometimes innovation isn't about
replacing the old with something different, its
about making what you have better.”
Monorail in hard rock
Monorails were originally developed for
German, then Polish and other deep-level
underground coal mines to overcome various
problems that came about through floor
heavings. A further advantage is the possibility
to transport men, material and equipment
throughout the extensive infrastructure of a coal
mine. The ability to travel on much steeper
inclinations compared to floor bound rail systems
or rubber tyred vehicles allows transport from the
shaft or surface directly to face without the need
to change the means of transport.
SMT Scharf is the market leader and Key
Account Manager Hard Rock/Tunnelling, Stefan
Meyer told IM: “This is basically where the
monorail technology has come from and where
it has been introduced to various other
countries globally. SMT Scharf started to
develop special monorail systems for the hard
rock industry in the late 1990s. The idea was to
adapt the monorail technology to the changing
needs of the South African hard rock mining
industry. Many mines have already or will in the
future change their mine layout from a level and
sub-vertical shaft system to a decline-based
Secondly, a monorail can also travel along
steeper gradients compared to rubber tyred
vehicles, which also minimises the efforts
needed to maintain rock haulage roadways.
“Our aim has always been to design and layout
a monorail train with the same capacity of a 30
t underground dump truck which we have
identified as the most widely used size of rock
haulage equipment. This is the capacity we
have defined to be our benchmark to compare
our system with conventional load and haul
hard rock mines.” These projects have been
marketed under the headline Go Steeper – It’s
Cheaper!
SMT Scharf has in the meantime received
confirmation that the idea is feasible from
various third parties. “We have discussed this
idea in detail with engineering and design
houses as well as research bodies and
universities in Canada and Australia. The hard
rock and tunnelling industries are the two most
important market segments which we have
defined to be our main targets in short term. We
layout. These mines therefore have the need to
pick up a load on a certain level, and take it
down a decline to a station on a deeper level.
Our customer requests have been from the very
beginning been to have a monorail train with an
electric drive system.”
The answer from SMT Scharf to this is the
Electrical Monorail Train System (EMTS). This
monorail is supplied with electric power via a
conductor bar system and a pure electric system
removing exhaust gases and heating problems
(ventilation) that are commonly faced