MINEXPO PREVIEW II
Vermeer ’ s T1255III Terrain Leveler surface excavation machine features GPS steering and grade control , as well as a cutting head attachment that can create an 80 ° highwall
money on permitting . By integrating our surface excavation technology with their drill and blast program the mines have the ability to extract those reserves that otherwise may be left behind .”
The machine features a patented tilt-head milling attachment with top-down cutting action that can dig up to 533 mm deep and 3.66 m wide in a single pass . As it travels forward and the drum rotates , the teeth on top of the drum advance over the top of the mineral surface . Operators can also control material sizing by increasing or decreasing the tooth penetration to produce a -203 mm product . Uniform product size also allows more efficient settings on secondary and tertiary crushing systems .
The Vermeer T1255III direct drive SEM features a fully hydrostatic motor mounted to the side of the cutting head , providing direct drive power to the cutting drum . This design delivers more horsepower to the cutting drum , resulting in enhanced efficiency when working in hard rock conditions . In addition , the direct drive drum allows the operator to cut an 80 ° highwall , providing slope stability . Vermeer also offers a chain drive drum which allows the cutting of a 90 ° high wall and is also designed to work in hard rock conditions .
On many mine sites , dust is a challenge due to urban encroachment and air quality concerns . An optional dust suppression system features an enclosed cutting head with two large vacuums pulling dust from the enclosed cutting head into baghouses . The collected dust is dropped beneath the machine , helping to reduce the amount of dust entering the air . This also diminishes the need to source water to control dust during the mining process .
The T1255III also features an optional GPS technology that can also be used to create a mine-by-line plan . A mine plan can be uploaded to the GPS system and the machine will automatically cut to the plan .
“ Machine steering is controlled by the GPS technology , helping remove human error for
cutting head overlap and maximising efficiency of the machine ,” says Robinson . The GPS system provides an overlap cutting of only 152 mm .
A patented tilt cutting head tied to GPS technology allows the operator to control the cutting head depth and pitch . This feature allows the operator to cut to the mine plan — producing a flat , almost road-smooth surface ; a grade for drainage ; or a sloped haul road . The technology also eliminates rapid changes in cutting depth , which can impact productivity , and can provide more precision cutting than an operator-controlled system .
The T1255III is equipped with Vermeer SmartTEC control software that assists operators with adjustments to machine operation to help maximise machine performance .
“ Our SmartTEC system displays the status of the many critical elements of machine performance , with prompts providing visual cues to the operator for recommended control adjustment ,” says Robinson . “ The software also monitors and records various machine operation attributes for future analysis by the machine owner or fleet manager .”
The cab features an operator presence system that disengages the ground drive and cutting attachment if the operator leaves the seat . The machines are available with a rollover protective module ( ROPM ) and a falling object protective structure ( FOPS ) for working near a high pit wall . The machine ’ s low centre of gravity helps maintain machine stability .
In addition , the pressurised cab with filtered air system provides increased operator comfort . The SEM can also be equipped with an optional full-function wireless remote , which allows the operator to run the machine from a safe distance if the project requires the machine to cut against a highwall .
Flanders claims to repair more dragline motors than anyone else in the world , and has developed numerous repair processes and component upgrades to provide quality dragline motor repairs . Backed by 65 years of experience in electric shovel motor repair , Flanders engineers offer high performance , ‘ drop-in ’ OEM-replacement shovel DC motors with higher RMS ratings , improved commutation , and greatly reduced maintenance .
Its newly developed , award-winning SureTrip™ motor and drive combination “ make dipper trip issues virtually disappear .”
The revolutionary ARDVARC ® ( Advanced Rotary Drill Vector Automated Radio Control ) drill automation system can help improve safety , fragmentation and productivity and enhance machine life cycle management . ARDVARC is a premier drill-rig control system offering multiple levels of autonomy for multi-pass , vertical , angle , hammer and rotary drilling applications now celebrating its tenth anniversary .
In 2006 , a large surface mining customer requested repair and troubleshooting of its electric drill motors . It was concluded the shortened motor life was due to the improper control of the motor drive system . Flanders proposed a solution to upgrade the drives , resulting in a custom solution providing better overall drill productivity . The upgrade of the drive converted the use of monitoring the RPM ( varying levels of drilling speed ) to the use of monitoring torque ( varying levels of drilling pressure ). This upgrade ultimately became a primary feature of the current ARDVARC One- Touch drill system . This collaboration resulted in a 20 % increase in productivity for the mining customer .
Based upon the increase in productivity , the following year Flanders was engaged to develop autonomous technology for all of the mining company ’ s drills . Using the ARDVARC One- Touch , the operator simply positioned the machine over the desired drilling target , and with a touch of a button , the machine completed the remainder of the drilling process : levelling the machine , collaring the hole , drilling to desired elevation , retracting the drill string and resetting the jacks in preparation for the next propel cycle . The One-Touch drill control system provided the status of the machine , allowing the machine operator to simultaneously evaluate drill functionality and drilling elevation . As a result , the first iteration of the autonomous effort was the completion of the ARDVARC One- Touch drill control system .
In addition to converting the drills from manual operation to a One-Touch drill system , Flanders also provided high precision GPS for the operator by integrating the drill ’ s existing GPS system into a guidance screen for the HMI ( Human Machine Interface ). When full data collection and data transport features were added , designed hole pattern information could
32 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2016