AUSTRALIAN TECHNOLOGY
Australia’s global offering
Again following the ‘Innovation is
Imperative’ central theme of the
forthcoming AUSTMINE
conference on May 22-24,
Paul Moore looks at how more
Australian mining technology
companies are pushing the
envelope with new solutions
lobal technical centres and hubs are
increasingly being used as centres of
excellence by leading equipment and
technology suppliers to the mining industry. It
has been one year since the opening of the Weir
Technical Centre (WTC) in Melbourne, and Weir
Minerals says the facility has enhanced its global
tailings solutions capability considerably. “The
technical centre based in Australia has become a
global hub of tailings expertise for Weir Minerals,
providing innovative and sustainable tailings and
pipeline solutions for its global customers.”
Tailings are a critical consideration for the
design of slurry transportation systems. Mine
operators are continually looking for solutions
for the safe transport, storage and disposal of
tailings, as well as converting tailings into
construction materials and mine backfill.
“At the WTC, we are dedicated to designing
site specific transport systems for mining
operators using our proprietary pipe loop test
facility and extensive experience in mining,
tailings and backfill markets,” states Evert
Lessing, Director of Engineering and Product
Development at Weir Minerals.
“The centre is equipped to test pipeline and
tailings solutions for our customers before they
are installed on site. This allows our Weir
Minerals engineers to create de tailed proposals
and flow sheets to minimise risks and solve
problems for mine operators.”
The pipeline transport system solutions
designed will specify the correct pump and pipeline
to be utilised for a customer’s specific application.
This is significant because it helps mine operators
to minimise power and water consumption as well
as the risk associated with design.
G
From the technology centre in Melbourne, Weir
Minerals says it can help customers to improve
their tailings disposal in a safe and stable
manner, as well as present alternative tailings
options.
There are opportunities for mine sites to
utilise tailings-based products such as shotcrete,
concrete and grouts, to assist with construction
of infrastructure such as buildings and roads.
“We have validated development of tailings
based products up to Ultra High Strength
capabilities in excess of 150 MPa. In one
example, we have assisted a mine operation to
cast a section of road that is subjected to
monsoon rains which wash away the dirt road on
an annual basis. This road has now been in use
for well over six months and sees trucks carrying
35 t loads on a regular basis and, more
importantly, these roads have not washed away
with monsoonal rain,” Lessing concludes.
Not just suited for the minerals processing
sector, the WTC specifies systems for handling
surface tailings, concentrates, ore and water, as
well as the production and transport of concrete
for the construction industry, for applications all
around the world.
Keeping the fuel flowing
A familiar name in mining circles; Banlaw is an
Australian OEM of fluid management hardware,
enterprise software and site services to the
hydrocarbon market. Believing there is always a
market for new solutions that deliver safety,
productivity, and cost efficiency; Banlaw says it
has tackled the mining market by focusing on
product innovation and service excellence.
Banlaw LubeCentral™ couplings are known
It has been one year
since the opening of
the Weir Technical
Centre (WTC) in
Melbourne, and Weir
Minerals says the
facility has enhanced
its global tailings
solutions capability
considerably
The Maptek I-Site XR3 laser scanner is an extra-
long range survey system combining fast
accurate sensing, high resolution digital
imagery and powerful modelling software for
improving overall productivity and site safety
for their ability to avoid fluid contamination and
spillage, along with excellent flow rates. New
additions to this product family include a Bulk
Fluid Transfer Coupling for unattended fluid
moves, the Banlaw Evacuation Coupling (BEC) for
rapidly removing waste fluids and reducing
service times, and the Grease Transfer Coupling
(GTX) which is easy for operators to use,
significantly safer than open-bore connectors,
and offers a full 40% increase in grease transfer
rates.
Elsewhere, modern common rail diesel
engines have much smaller internal tolerances.
Banlaw has developed an Ultra-Fine Filtered Vent
(UFFV) to extend equipment life. The filtered
tank vent is 3 μm (absolute) and prevents
damaging airborne contaminants from entering
fuel tanks, whilst also enabling high speed
refuelling processes. The filter canister lasts up
to 2,000 machine hours, allowing maintenance
teams to optimise the time between services.
Banlaw’s UFFV is of particular relevance in areas
where emissions must be controlled to Tier 4
levels.
Banlaw’s ‘FillSafe’ is a pressure-less overfill
protection product family. The innovation in this
space is FillSafe Zero, a mechanical system
suitable for storage tanks and diesel-powered
machines. Designed for easy install on the
widest possible range of mining equipment; the
solution supports flow rates between 200 lpm
and 1,000 lpm (53 gpm and 264 gpm). Pressure-
less overfill protection, backup overfill
protection, anti-spill ‘rollover protection’ and
tank venting features are all integrated into just
two pieces of hardware.
Finally, a range of Banlaw Fluid Transfer,
Refuelling, and Overfill Protection products have
undergone extreme cold temperature testing to
MIL-STD-810 at Dayton T. Brown (DTB), a highly
respected and experienced testing laboratory in
the US. This is the first time any company has
achieved Milspec ‘Cold (C2)’ and ‘Severe Cold
(C3)’ ratings for hydrocarbon management
equipment on mine sites. It has been proven that
Banlaw Arctic Range products can operate from -
51°C all the way up to 55°C.
Bill Clifton, Group Managing Director, Banlaw
Pty Ltd, told IM: “We made a strategic decision
to invest heavily in NPD and innovation across all
of our product families. The team has been
bringing a new product to market every three
months, and it’s paid off… we’re in a great
position. Just in the past couple of months we’ve
picked up a HSE Innovation Award from a Tier 1
mining customer, and secured a High
Commendation for ‘FillSafe Zero’ at the
APRIL 2017 | International Mining 69