UTILITY VEHICLES
Last month’ s article on battery powered vehicles underground examined RDH Mining Equipment’ s advances in that technology. Pictured here working underground the Servicemaster 600EB is a powerful, battery electric, scissor-lift, ideal for operations trying to minimise ventilation costs. RDH now offers a battery electric powertrain on its complete line of equipment
Versatile utility
John Chadwick looks at some of the latest additions to mine operator’ s choices for lifting, maintenance, personnel transport and all those other utility tasks
Last year, Normet, an innovative underground technology company and a leader in the provision of utility vehicles, and JCHX Mining Management Co Ltd set up a joint venture to manufacture and sell underground mining equipment in the Chinese market. The joint venture will initially focus on manufacturing and sales of multipurpose mining vehicles and related accessories in the Chinese mining market. This is an important milestone in the company’ s plans to expand in the growing Chinese mining market.
The joint venture company has been established in Daye, Hubei Province in China.“ With this joint venture we aim together with our partner to provide state of the art mechanised mining equipment which will improve productivity, safety and efficiency for our Chinese customers. This joint venture agreement is in line with Normet strategy to develop even stronger foothold in China and with an experienced industrial partner like JCHX this will happen faster” said Robin Lindahl, President and CEO of Normet Group, at the time.
“ We at JCHX Mining are excited to partner with Normet for this joint venture and value specially the long experience and quality of Normet technologies as well as their strong process know-how” said Zhanmin Li, President of the JCHX Mining Group.
Last year also, Normet won several new orders from Hindustan Zinc, India’ s only and a world leading producer of zinc-lead-silver. HZ, for whom Normet has been a preferred partner for several years, plans to substantially increase production, productivity and safety in its zinclead-silver mines.
The orders include the latest technologies in equipment for explosive charging, concrete spraying and transport, personnel transport, lifting and installation, scaling and underground logistics, and total close to € 15 million. Normet’ s service teams will support and maintain the ordered fleet of Normet equipment according to a separate comprehensive long-term fleet maintenance agreement.
Enhancing safety by design
As digitalisation and automation revolutionise the mining industry, Getman Corp identifies the need for continued advancements in safety, efficiency, and autonomous operation of its equipment. The Getman vehicle line, which includes scissor lifts, logistic support vehicles, lubrication trucks, concrete spraying and transport vehicles, scalers, multi-application pallet handlers, and custom-designed support vehicles, has evolved with the nature of the industry. Though Getman has been heavily involved in the production of mining support vehicles for over 60 years, it recognises that its equipment must meet the demands of a rapidlychanging landscape, both logistically and technologically.
Among the projects in which Getman is involved, it is highly invested in the development of remote vehicle control. Answering the request of a customer, Getman has begun designing a teleremote truck that will allow the operator to guide the truck remotely from a safe location, removing the operator from potentially unsafe mine conditions. Technology such as this will play a critical role in the accessibility of dangerous mining areas that may have been previously underutilised because of the hazards they pose to mining personnel. Getman plans to release the first inception of its teleremote truck in mid-2018 and
hopes to offer the technology to global customers soon thereafter.
Getman is further embarking on a path to remove the operators from mining danger zones by developing and implementing automated hose management systems that will allow the operator to load blastholes at a safe distance. The system will be capable of feeding the charging hose into holes of all orientations, including development loading, and will retract at a rate required to ensure efficient blast performance based on the specifications of mining engineers or explosive suppliers.
One of the key components to safety is the ability of the operator to complete tasks without impediments. This means designing equipment to reduce exposure to risks and user fatigue and improve ergonomics and access. Getman has begun to trial a Proximity Detection Interface( PDI), which pairs with third-party systems to detect hazards within specified zones and slows the truck to a stop. This system, which is being used presently in South Africa, helps avoid injuries and offers operators added assurance that their safety is of the utmost importance. Finally, another emerging enhancement currently being field-trialled at Getman is the Active Suspension System.“ The Active Suspension System is designed with the operators and passengers in mind. We want to optimise the comfort and safety level of those that drive and ride in our vehicles,” says Getman’ s Director of Product Management, David Lehane. When fitted to the truck, the system will improve personnel safety and comfort and reduce fatigue, thereby augmenting productivity and reducing equipment downtime.
Getman is developing automated hose management systems to allow operators to load blastholes from a safe distance
50 International Mining | MARCH 2018