UNDERGROUND LOAD & HAUL
Intelligent Control System and My Sandvik
Digital Services Knowledge Box™ on-board
hardware as standard, providing product health
monitoring and faster troubleshooting, according
to the company.
The equipment has been designed automation
ready, enabling the installation of Sandvik’s
AutoMine® installation as a retrofit in just a few
days. To improve comfort and productivity in
manual operation, improvements have been
made to the operator’s compartment, as the
Sandvik LH621i features a more spacious and
ergonomic cabin with increased visibility and 7 in
(17.8 cm) touch-screen colour display.
“In the engine compartment, a fuel efficient
352 kW Stage II/Tier 2 engine deliveries powerful
thrust for fast bucket filling and high-speed
tramming for high productivity. A new, more
powerful 375 kW Tier 4 Final/Stage IV low
emission engine option is available with the use of
ultra low sulphur diesel fuel,” the company said.
The diesel engine brake in the Stage IV/Tier 4
Final engine provides better control of vehicle
speed downhill, minimising brake and
transmission overheating and brake wear.
Further, SHARK™ ground engaging tools are
available on a wide range of bucket sizes,
optimised for loader productivity and extended
bucket service life.
Olli Karlsson, Product Line Manager, Large
Loaders, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology,
said: “The new Sandvik LH621i competes in a
space of its own. This new 21-t capacity loader
truly represents a new breed of productivity and
emphasises Sandvik’s capability to develop
robust and efficient underground load and haul
equipment.”
Sandvik’s i-series loader and truck family now
includes two loaders and three trucks – the
Sandvik LH517i, Sandvik LH621i, Sandvik TH545i,
Sandvik TH551i and Sandvik TH663i.
Sandvik has also developed a Proximity
Detection System Interface for its underground
LHDs and dump trucks. The feature allows
installation of a third-party proximity detection
system (PDS) to a Sandvik underground loader
or dump truck to meet legal requirements and
improve safety in underground operations.
“PDSs help to improve safety at mine and
construction sites where risks of collision may
occur,” Sandvik said. “The PDS is generally
designed to slow down and/or eventually stop
the equipment in case the system detects a
person or an object carrying a tag inside a
predefined zone. The exact operation of the PDS
always depends on the selected system and the
local conditions, which vary from site to site.”
Marjut Seppälä, Product Safety Manager, Load
and Haul, said: “A PDS is a legal obligation in
South Africa, which is an important market area
for Sandvik. We have developed the interface to
meet these requirements and, at the same time,
to improve safety on our customer sites. As we
want to provide the same opportunity for all our
customers, regardless of the market area, the
interface now becomes globally available for our
loaders and trucks.”
She continued: “But even though PDSs help to
improve safety, they shall never be used to
replace normal safe and sound operating
practices.”
The PDS interface comes together with
another safety enhancing feature, Speed Brake
Interlock, which is used to prevent excessive
speed during driving. When the Speed Brake
Interlock functionality is in use, it monitors the
equipment speed and guides the operator to
slow down by means of visual and audible
messages on the system display.
Finally in project news Sandvik says it is to
automate and digitalise Codelco’s underground
copper operation at Chuquicamata, in Chile,
creating one of the “most efficient and advanced
underground mines in the world”.
Sandvik’s AutoMine ® and OptiMine ® solutions
will allow Codelco to operate its new fleet of
Sandvik LH621 loaders in fully autonomous
mode, the mining equipment maker said.
Codelco is converting Chuquicamata from an
open pit to underground mine as part of a 10-
year strategic project to prolong its existing
operations. It is due to start up in 2019.
Sandvik said: “The open system integrates
manual operations and autonomous equipment
into one powerful solution with AutoMine and
OptiMine, enabling full transparency and real-
time control over the parallel production and
mine development activities.”
Andrés Avendaño, Operations Manager,
Chuquicamata Underground, said: “Using our
mines to full effect is part of our focus on
sustainability and a key driver for our business.
Automation and optimisation are critical to
getting the most from our mines and keeping our
people safe while we do it.”
Sandvik and Codelco started their automation
journeys together with the first-ever AutoMine
loading system installation at Codelco’s El
Teniente copper mine, in 2004, Sandvik said.
Riku Pulli, Vice President, Automation, Sandvik
Mining and Rock Technology, said: “Codelco has
been an important partner for us from the
beginning. It’s fantastic to continue the
partnership as our visions are well aligned. We
look forward to working with Codelco to deliver
even smarter, safer, more productive mining
through digitalisation.”
Codelco is the number one copper producer in
the world and is owned by the Chile government.
It controls about 19% of the world’s copper
reserves and is also the second producer of
molybdenum worldwide, with 24,000 t produced
in 2018.
A leading global supplier of unique system solutions for the mining industry
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JUNE 2019 | International Mining 17