GERMAN TECHNOLOGY
technology, ERLAU’ s SIDEFLEX adapts sophisticated memory polymers to bring the first cost-effective sidewall protection for haul-truck tyres. Embedded within the TPC’ s sidewall, SMARTLINK’ s RFID records and shares your TPC’ s service life. Downloaded to a PC, this information not only provides valuable management data but also emphasises ERLAU TPC’ s total confidence in its products.”
Siemens engineers are currently working on developing a highly efficient electric drive system portfolio for UG mining vehicles
in April / May 2018 the truck will be transferred to the underground gold mine in Western Australia for a six month field test. September 2018 will see the end of the testing phase, and commercial availability of the truck, and the start of Siemens’ serial production of electric drive systems for 60 t UG trucks.
75 years of ERLAU tyre protection
A small drawing registered by ERLAU TPC in 1943 marks a pivotal moment in the history of bulk materials handling. At that time, mining methods were changing as the lumbering steam shovels, rope operated excavators and horse-drawn rail tubs which had, themselves, superseded the pick and shovel, were being replaced by wheeled hydraulic loading shovels and tipper-bodied trucks.
Based on the technology that had been recently developed for agricultural tractors, the new highly-manoeuvrable, multi-tasking machines were already being used in operations such as sand and gravel extraction. Over the decades these loaders became larger, more sophisticated and standard equipment at many sites. Initially, because pneumatic tyres were easily damaged by abrasive or sharp materials, hard-rock miners found that, due to unacceptably high tyre replacement costs, they were denied the advantages of their soft-rock cousins.
With new compounds and steel cords, tyre technology advanced to accommodate ever larger machines but the tyres’ necessary flexibility continued to make them vulnerable to harsh conditions. Already well-known for their round-link industrial chains, ERLAU TPC was inspired to adapt its snow-chains to overcome the problem of premature tyre loss from heavy abrasion and sidewall damage and, thus were born the first, albeit crude, tyre protection chains.
Patent application, 04.01.1943, describes the very first chain link designed for tyre protection. ERLAU’ s R & D team worked closely with their tyre protection chains users to overcome the
challenges of geology, environment and machine applications. Over 500 patents followed- registering refinements in link design, mesh geometry and advanced metallurgy.
“ Today, celebrating 75 years of tyre protection, ERLAU TPC offers TPCs made from lightweight, energy-efficient, cost-effective alloys that are tough enough to absorb the most aggressive attrition and strong enough to repel sidewall piercing flints and slate. Once tyre protection chains were established as a cost-effective solution, other applications quickly followed. Nowadays, when ERLAU TPCs can extend the working life of tyres by as much as ten times and bring operators the added bonuses of assured plant availability and greatly reduced costs per loaded tonne, all but the most sceptical owners are fitting ERLAU chains to their wheeled loaders- from the smallest to the industrial giants.” The company says its attention to quality and service has been rewarded with over 65 % of the world tyre protection market.
Ongoing investment in state-of-the-art production and assembly facilities( three in Europe, one in South America) enables ERLAU TPC to promptly fulfil large, whole-mine orders while the R & D department continues to create components that speed TPC installation and provide comprehensive protection for wheeled loaders, dozers, graders, scrapers, pipe-layers and haul trucks.
“ EASYLOCK, with its simple, patented, oneturn closure, re-invents the omega ring fastening to make TPC installation and removal fast, safe and economical. In a departure from their chain
Herrenknecht boxhole and shaft boring continued success
For the excavation of vertical and inclined slot holes in underground mines, Herrenknecht developed the Boxhole Boring Machine( BBM) in 2011. It drills faster, safer and more economically than previous methods and equipment. In 2011 the BBM prototype was tested. Three years later, five BBMs were successfully operating in mines in Australia and Chile. Due to the industry demand and the need for such equipment, Herrenknecht is currently developing more BBM types.
There are two models, the BBM1100 which came first and has seen much success in Australian mines, followed by the BBM1500. For the drilling of ventilation shafts in the world’ s largest underground copper mine, El Teniente in the Chilean Andes at 2,000 m above sea level, in 2013 Herrenknecht supplied one BBM1500 each to the drilling and contracting companies Gardilcic Ltda and Mas Errazuriz Ltda. The BBM1500 is a further development of the BBM1100 with a larger drilling diameter( 1.5 m) and greater torque( 135 kNm). In the course of developing the BBM1500, efforts were made to standardise as many assemblies as possible across the BBM1100 and BBM1500 types. In only a year from July 2013, over 30 slot holes were drilled by the two BBM1500s which excavated a total of around 1,200 m. Best performances of up to 2.7 m per hour and 17 m per day were achieved. The maximum distance excavated was 60 m.
In addition, a next generation BBM1500 was developed and manufactured by the end of 2015. It incorporates technical improvements to further optimise excavation activities. The drilling capacity was raised to drill holes up to 70 m. Furthermore, the machine’ s dimensions were reduced to increase its mobility and flexibility.
The BBM technology is based on the proven principle of mechanised pipe jacking. The boring unit at the head of the pipe string is pressed forward from the starting point. More thrust pipes are successively installed and pushed forward into the pipe string, moving the cutterhead further into the geology. The length of the advance increases accordingly. The BBM can be used in
16 International Mining | MARCH 2018