CONVEYORS
of the hard rock cuttings from the back end of the RMDS( Rapid Mine Development System) to the mine’ s fixed conveyor system. The Sandvik PM100F, a Continuous Haulage system( CHS) is a remote-controlled device that does just that.
Current equipment in use, either shuttle cars( SC) or LHD fleets, are limited in capacity and do not allow for an efficient mining method. The PM100F is based on a closed-belt system which is mounted on several traction modules. The traction modules will allow the conveyor belt to be mobile. The closed conveyor belt can transport the material around small vertical as well as horizontal turning radii.
The Sandvik PM100F has just completed Proof of Concept testing at Anglo’ s Twickenham platinum mine in South Africa, having successfully demonstrated improved rates of throughput( 100 t / h) and ability to navigate intricate 90 ° bends underground and slopes up to 15 °. It is now being prepared for production trials behind the RMDS.
Also in development with Sandvik, and another in a suite of continuous mining vehicles currently underground at Twickenham, is the Sandvik MN220 Reef Miner. This remotely operated machine incorporates cutting, materials handling and roof bolting and is designed for mining narrow mineral reefs in hard rock. It is up to three times faster than conventional drill & blast methods and, of course, also removes people from harm’ s way. Anglo is optimising it specifically for platinum mining.
Continuous conveyor haulage is an important facet of PBE( Penetrated Block Extraction), the name of the‘ patented’ underground mining system developed by Underground Extraction Technologies Pty Ltd( UXT). UXT holds several patents applying to the PBE methodology and exclusive rights to the underlying‘ enabling’ technologies which PBE utilises – ie guidance and remote ops. UXT aims“ to commercialise the PBE technology and oversee its introduction in all coal basins globally to realise the benefits that it can achieve for the industry.”
PBE is a remote controlled underground mining technology that uses military standard inertial navigation and guidance systems integrated with advanced positioning and situational control systems. Coal is remotely mined in an environment where personnel are not exposed to the mining hazards of rock fall, dust or gas emissions.
PBE requires much lower capital investment than other mining methods and is a high productivity system with much lower mining costs than other methods, UXT states. It“ is therefore vastly superior in overall outcomes to all open cut mining and other underground mining methods.
“ PBE will make mining safe and low cost to develop and mine – it will reduce GHG emissions from mining and leaves no large environmental liabilities.”
The flexible conveyor system has‘ follow the leader’ control capability. It allows for the continuous evacuation of coal from the cutting face via linked conveyors directly to the surface of the mine and permits the continuous miner to mine coal without having to stop for coal transport. It also enables mining around the corner of the plunge cut entry.
In another recent example, a customer needed to convey mined ore from the end of its Flexiveyor to the mainline belt. To solve this specific issue, supplier PMP developed a floor conveyor to cover this gap.
The entire length of the conveyor is open, providing access for the Flexiveyor to dump onto it. This conveyor configuration is 100 m long, consisting of one tail section, 14-equal base sections, one transition section, and one discharge section. The discharge section drives a
1,067-mm wide belt at a speed of 150 m / m. Safety features include pulley guards, and an E- stop cable along the length of the conveyor.
Belt system components
Martin Engineering has introduced a new family of heavy-duty conveyor belt cleaner designs, engineered so the blade cartridge can be pulled away from the belt for safe access and replaced by a single worker. Safe to Service( STS) blades secure both primary and secondary cleaners rigidly to the conveyor mainframe, while offering more versatility and easier access, the company states.
Initially available on the Martin ® QC1™ Cleaner HD, Martin QC1 Cleaner XHD and SQC2S™ Secondary Cleaner, external servicing reduces confined space entry and eliminates reach-in maintenance, while facilitating faster blade replacement. The result is greater safety and efficiency, with less downtime.
“ Routine maintenance and replacement of blades that require reach-in or chute entry is an
The Flexiveyor continuous haulage system for Penetrated Block Extraction is manufactured and supplied by PMP of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
52 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2018