SOUTH AFRICAN SUPPLIERS
To meet mines’ WiFi requirements, the company uses the MCOTECH range of products underground and on surface, including wireless access point networks, intrinsically safe Android tablets for use in fiery mines and VoIP wireless handsets. It also offers various fit-for-purpose fire suppression products to address fire hazards that could jeopardise the functionality of the communication system.
Underground mechanisation
The NEWGEN Mini UV, is Fermel ' s latest evolution of the extremely popular Mini UV( an underground utility vehicle), originally launched in 1999. The latest machine is a completely new product development that shares little with the previous model. The glass fibre moulded panels that made up the body have been replaced with steel, in a four part structure: chassis, front grill and mudguards, cockpit and load-body.
The first vehicle was purchased by Styldrift mine where it is used for supervisory personnel and general transportation.
Special attention was given to safety, ergonomics and importantly the inclusion of Fermel’ s latest CAN technology, for an avant-garde offering that meets the demands of current mining operations.
It has a FOPS / ROPS, enclosed cockpit, with a 30 % increase in volumetric displacement to improve comfort and ease of ingress into and disembarking from the vehicle, while noise exposure within the cabin has been reduced to < 85 db.
Fermel’ s latest hydraulic circuit is embedded in a single manifold, resulting in a reduction of up 80 % of the original hydraulic connections, while the cabin is now an oil-less enclosure, providing an additional safety feature.
Improved ride comfort has been achieved with an upgrade to the suspension, by adjusting its geometry.
The machine includes the latest MI controller backbone with features such as collision avoidance, automatic speed control, brake performance diagnostics, access control, electronic pre-start check listing and Wi-Fi connectivity for a modern platform suited to current requirements.
Fermel describes its 18 Man E-Shuttle as“ a first of its kind – a true zero-emission vehicle: a battery powered variant of the diesel LP shuttle.” This is a sustainable and competitive offering addressing total cost of ownership, diesel particulate matter emission, noise emissions, ventilation and heat requirements. The vehicle has a tested 30 km range, measured operating at GVM on repetitive ramps of 10 °.
Surface mine specialists
Gary Bell, Group Chief Executive of Bell Equipment reports“ our E-series generation of articulated dumps trucks( ADTs), and in particular the new
“ Bell prides itself on the philosophy of providing the lowest cost per tonne equipment solutions, and after the first two months of use Schiewe Steinbruchbetriebe reported an average fuel consumption of just under 20 litres / h for a calculated payload of about 275 t / h with its B60E”
concept B60E and the B20E LGP units, continue to garner positive reviews from users around the globe and build on the Bell brand and reputation for‘ strong reliable machines’.”
Bell reports that the first B60E to go into operation in Europe is proving that bigger is better by delivering great flexibility and high cost efficiencies in Germany for Schiewe Steinbruchbetriebe, which is using the truck to extract shell limestone at Lemgo / Kirchheide.
Before the arrival of the two-axle B60E, the operation made use of 40-t ADTs to move large volumes of overburden and material. However, after three passes of the 7.7 m ³ bottom dump shovel the smaller trucks were only averaging payloads of 35 t of material, even with raised sides. In addition, the three axles gave the trucks limited manoeuvrability on the 30 m wide berms and necessitated costintensive maintenance of the narrow bends on the haul route due to the curve characteristics of rear double axles that also resulted in increased tyre wear.
These issues have been successfully negated by introducing the B60E, which takes only four passes with the same shovel to achieve an average payload of 54 t thanks to the traditional flat bottom dumper shape. This allows for a much better filling level for the coarse material without the need for timeintensive manoeuvring. The operation also makes use of the automatic tailgate to avoid losses on slopes. This has been found to increase the dumper capacity by 2 m ³, so when loading the free-flowing overburden the standard on-board weighing system is particularly useful.
Bell further reports that“ during operation the B60E delivers high standards in performance, driver comfort, safety and fuel economy. The truck, with its active front chassis, is powered by the EU4 / Tier 4 Final certified 430 kW Mercedes- Benz / MTU inline six-cylinder engine combined with Allison’ s seven-speed transmission.
“ Braking and retardation of the 42.5- / 97.5-t 4x4 is assured by wet brakes on all wheels in combination with powerful Jacobs Vehicle Systems ® engine braking while the suspensionstrut supported 70-t rear axle, with 24.00 R35 twin tyres, delivers a nominal payload rated at 55.0 t.
“ Supporting the driver and promoting safe driving practices is Hill Hold, Safe Tip, downhill speed control and auto 4x4 traction control. Other standard features include auto grease systems,
rear-view camera, on-board diagnostics, and Bell Equipment’ s Fleetm @ tic ® telematics with full production data reporting.”
Versatile bushings
Hydraulics solutions provider Rite Hydraulics advises heavy equipment users to plug up their easing points and switch to Vesconite bushings on the pins on hydraulic cylinder rod clevises. The rod and base clevises are the mounting sections of the hydraulic cylinder. They yoke to the piece of machinery that is required to be moved by hydraulic means and, as such, the good working order of the pins and associated bushings is necessary for the hydraulic movement.
However, hydraulic solutions are often employed in conditions where dust and grit are common, including on wheel loaders and haul trucks used in mines and, where these applications use bronze bushings and grease, a grinding paste is formed that wears down bronze bushings.
“ It is better to use Vesconite without lubrication so that the bushings last much longer,” reports MD Andre Jacobs.
Rite Hydraulics has been replacing hard bushings with Vesconite bushings since 2009, and says that clients report extended life with the Vesconite bushings.
An order for a Spillminator with Vesconite bushings at the pivot points was dispatched by Lani Service Centre to a South African gold mining company in September. A Spillminator is a piece of equipment that lies within a standard bulkhead installation and attaches to the hanging wall overpass chute opening to control the flow of ore onto hoppers or conveyors in underground mines. It comprises two doors, including a primary and a secondary back-up door, which are pneumatically driven and manually operated.
The primary door allows the required ore to pass through the chute, while the secondary door ensures that the chute remains closed in the case of a mud rush. In the case of a door jam, the secondary door serves as a backup to avoid any ore or mud
54 International Mining | JANUARY 2018