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UG LOAD AND HAUL
Additionally, GHH offers long term service
contracts. These, for instance, include inspection
or maintenance as well as overhaul. Additional
service options can be agreed with clients on an
individual basis. “We support customers with
special service facilities, so that a 24 /7 service
and an immediate spare parts supply can be
guaranteed.”
On automation, GHH says it carefully analysed
the mining market “and found that automation
systems need to be both lean and robust in order
to work efficiently in a complex, rough and often
dynamic mine environment. Many of the systems
were not designed for that and users find that
already remote operation in combination with
functional automation results in similar safety
levels and productivity with much less cost and
greater flexibility.”
Therefore the company has opted for a twotier approach with two different research projects
based on long-term experience in this field. In a
project titled Accessible automation for a more
efficient and safer underground mining in Chile
funded by Germany’s GIZ, GHH has developed a
simplified automation system with partner AMTC
at Universidad de Chile. “On the other hand we
are part of a larger project network called
UPNS4D+, which will utilise robust radar
scanners from indurad and new navigation
algorithms. The first tests will commence this
year and the goal is full automation of the LHD
cycle. While the first project focuses on simplicity
and ease of use the second focuses on
robustness and highest degree of automation
without time-consuming teach-ins. Furthermore,
we understand that systems need to be as open
and non-proprietary as possible with common
interfaces in order to be widely applicable.”
On electric operation, Riedel states; “GHH
Fahrzeuge is not stuck to the proven electric
technologies with supply from a cable. However,
we have long experience in this field and could
make a real difference by combining the electric
motor with our hydrostatic drive. In terms of
electric drives there is a lot of movement and we
are looking at this closely but it will take some
time for the battery technology to be feasible for
larger LHDs or dump trucks in a production
environment. Therefore, high efficiency electric
mine operations will remain with a cable in
production for now.”
For example, GHH Fahrzeuge has built
underground trucks with trolley in the past but
the market is limited due to infrastructure
requirements. With new exhaust aftertreatment
systems (Stage 4 and approaching 5) ventilation
requirements are dropping drastically which
reduces the need for fully electric machines.
Although the TCO of such machines is lower, the
flexibility is lower as well.
“Electric drives are still a niche although we
have built significant numbers of electric LHDs.
The interest is still there even with the mentioned
low emission engines and low fuel prices.”
In the underground mining industry GHH
believes it made a real difference with its diesel
LHD with hydrostatic drivetrains. This is a
conventional technology that can be serviced
with standard components around the globe
without special training in electronics. “However,
even greater advancements in terms of efficiency
can be reached by means of diesel-electric
drives. For large and high efficiency mine
operations this technology will be the future and
we are following this trend.”
GHH has always been strong in the Super Low
Profile (SLP) market both in soft and hard rock.
Consequently it has the largest product portfolio
of low profile machines. “The market is a niche
but highly selective mining is growing in
importance in the current market environment.
Our approach as a supplier for custom-made
solutions is to adapt the machines to the deposit
not vice versa. A very good example is the new
high-tech LF-21H in its low profile version of
2,300 mm with a payload of 21 t that will be
delivered soon. This development was done in
close cooperation with our customer K+S based
on long experience with 14 t SLPs in highly
demanding environments in German potash
mines. This way our client can maximise the
productivity in narrow seams without dilution.
Besides soft rock we have always been very
strong in southern Africa’s platinum and chrome
mines where we have recently supplied a large
fleet of 21 plain-tech SLP-5 machines to ECM
against an existing fleet. Again we could
demonstrate substantial cost per tonne savings
with our well-proven and continuously refined
vehicles.”
The largest numbers of GHH standard profile
LHDs are still in the mid-size classes (6-14 t).
“Therefore we are completing our portfolio now
with our new LF-14. As we target small to medium
sized mine operations often in new markets and
with adaptions to the machines, most of our
projects are with only a few units. Besides soft
rock this is our core business because our highly
reliable plain-tech machine design often suits
especially smaller and/or very remote
operations. However, we see a trend towards
larger machines and have therefore developed
our new LF-21H to target larger mine operations
where in addition to reliability, highest
performance is key.”
The new LF-21H will be delivered to potash
miner K+S within the next few months and will
undergo extensive testing both on surface and
underground. Riedel states: “It will be tested
against its benchmark where we are certain that
Key large LHD models and projects using them
Model
Sandvik LH621
Capacity
21 t
Atlas Copco ST18
Caterpillar R3000H
18 t
20 t
Example users
Milpo (Votorantim) Cerro Lindo polymetallic, Peru; Glencore Mount Isa, copper/lead zinc/silver,
Australia; OZ Minerals Prominent Hill, gold, Australia; Byrnecut and Byrnecut Offshore (contractor,
various operations in Australia and Africa)
Newmarket Gold Stawell, Australia; Boliden Kristineberg, polymetallic, Sweden
Byrnecut (various such as Sandfire Resources DeGrussa copper-gold mine, Australia); Milpo Cerro
Lindo, Peru; Newcrest Cadia, Australia gold; South32 Cannington, silver/lead, Australia; Stornoway
Renard, Canada, diamonds
Key large underground truck models and projects using them
Model
Sandvik TH663
Capacity
63 t
Atlas Copco MT6020
60 t
Caterpillar AD60
60 t
32 International Mining | JUNE 2016
Example users
Barminco (contractor, used at AngloGold Ashanti Sunrise Dam; Gold Fields Agnew); Randgold Loulo,
gold, Mali); Byrnecut (Jabal Sayid copper m ine, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere)
Acciona Ossa (contractor, used at Chuquicamata Underground, Chile copper); Hindustan Zinc
Rampura Agucha, India; Barminco (contractor, various operations in Australia and Africa); Australian
Contract Mining (ACM, contractor, various operations in Australia); GBF Underground Mining
(contractor, various operations in Australia); Byrnecut (contractor, various operations in Australia)
Byrnecut (contractor, various such as Sandfire Resources DeGrussa copper-gold mine, Australia);
South32 Cannington, Australia; Stornoway Renard, Canada, diamonds