NARROW VEIN & LOW-PROFILE MINING
t truck suitable for narrow-vein operations.
This narrow-vein load and haul offering is
complemented by Overprime’s Mini Scaler
XSC517, which is specifically designed to scale off
rocks in applications where existing machines
cannot operate due to size and manoeuvrability
constraints.
GHH Group also provides Mine Master drills
and bolters for the low profile and narrow-vein
market. The Face Master 1.4 is a mechanised drill
rig for ultra-low seams, while the Face Master 1.7
comes in different configurations depending on
market demand.
GHH Mining Machines provides bolters to
Southern Africa and Mine Master, together with JH
Fletcher, provides roof bolters with a rotary dry
drilling system with dust collection, for ultra-low
and low seam mining specifically to Poland and
Estonia.
The Roof Master 1.4 mechanised roof bolter is
designed for bolting hanging and side walls at a
minimum height of 1.6 m, with a maximum reach
of 3 m and a bolt length of 1.6 m.
For narrow-vein applications, Mine Master has
the Face Master 2.5NVDR and its modified version
Face Master 2.1.
The FM 2.1 is successfully working in
Uzbekistan, at Navoi Mining and Metallurgical
Combinat (NMMC), having improved the rate of
advance and raw material extraction at NMMC’s
Karakutan gold mine by around 20%, according to
the company.
The machine is characterised by the reliability
and performance of the drifter, having separate
hydraulic tanks, an electric compressor drive and,
overall, extreme versatility, the company says.
Both the FM2.5 and FM2.1 are used for
development drilling (coverage of 5.6 m width x
5.1 m height), production drilling of veins, as well
as long hole drilling.
A simple change of the boom feeder
configuration uses ‘snap on’ hydraulic couplings
and the loosening of 16 bolts gives a flexibility no
other rig in this class can provide, Mine Master
claims.
“The FM 2.5 has a powerful, 72.5 kW tramming
system with excellent off-road traction and
excellent stability due to a lower centre of gravity
and lockable central oscillating bearing, making it
a unique solution to the market,” the company
said. It also has a FOPS- and ROPS-certified
canopy.
“This machine is simple to use and easy to
maintain with extended maintenance periods,
long lifetime and excellent reliability with higher
vibration resistance,” Mine Master said. “For
narrow-vein mining, this reliable, powerful and
versatile rig, with larger coverage compared to
competitors of the same class, is definitely a game
changer.”
Battery technology design in the drilling and
bolting product offering is also underway within
the GHH Group: a battery-driven single boom
drilling rig FM 1.7LE and a single-boom bolting rig
RM 1.8KE are undergoing testing, the company
says.
The battery on board these prototype Master
Mine vehicles can be recharged by using the
existing mine power network in the 500-1,000 V
range and an on-board battery charger. These
units also have the capability of regenerative
battery charging while tramming downhill.
The machines still have the lowest height
clearance in their class with a tramming height of
1.65 m and have been adapted for heavy-duty
mining excavation in room and pillar operations,
traversing slopes of up to 15°, Mine Master says.
In addition, the operator’s air-conditioned closed
cabins come with a filtration system for hydrogen
sulphide gases and derivatives.
“Overall, GHH Group have a strong foothold in
the underground low profile and narrow-vein
mining market with their portfolio of products, and
through constant development and improvements
with strategic partnerships and key customers,
experienced engineering and technical services,
GHH continue to provide the most reliable, fit-forpurpose
and safe offering for the industry,” GHH
says.
Keeping a low profile
The sedimentary seam mining that is required to
extract potash deposits also requires specialty
fleets of underground mining vehicles that can
perform in a low-profile underground
environment.
MacLean has been manufacturing purposedesigned
production support vehicles for the
potash industry in Canada’s prairie province of
Saskatchewan for over to a decade.
The latest unit to come off the production line
at the company’s main manufacturing facility in
Collingwood, Ontario, is a service lube truck. This
specialty mining vehicle meets potash mining’s
application specifications by providing an
engineered design with a maximum height of six
feet (close to 2 m) and, a dual (bi-directional) cab
to meet the tramming requirements of potash
mine design in which continuous miners tunnel
and excavate in multi-kilometre, linear grids where
turning radius is either limited or non-existent.
Additional features of the MacLean low-profile
mining vehicle include:
n Multiple tank sizes and configurations to meet
customer requirements (FLp);
n Customer preference of hose reels, nozzles, and
pumps (FLp);
n Available powerpacks to support customers’
needs (all models);
n Multiple low-profile models (Cassette System,
Scissor Lift, Crane Truck, Personnel Carrier, Fuel-
Lube, Deck Truck, and custom application
ends); and
n Onboard suspension system designed for
reducing up to 30% whole body vibrations
while travelling at high speeds (all models).
The company concluded: “All low-profile
models are designed and manufactured with the
signature Maclean-quality ruggedness and
reliability to ensure application requirements are
met with ease, providing high speeds, safety, and
comfort in low-heading mines.”
A light load
Still within Canada, RDH-Scharf, a member of the
SMT Scharf Group, has recently added a new unit
to its range of Muckmaster LHDs.
The 1.5 cu.yd (1.4 cu.m) Muckmaster 150D is
equipped with a 129 HP (96 kW) engine and a
spacious operator compartment for comfort.
Built for narrow-vein mines, the company has
already recorded several Muckmaster 150D sales
since launch, with six units having been sold to
The latest unit to come off the production line at MacLean’s main manufacturing facility in Collingwood,
Ontario, is a service lube truck destined for the potash sector in Saskatchewan, Canada
58 International Mining | JULY/AUGUST 2020