UNDERGROUND LOAD & HAUL
how best to optimise the spread of charging
stations and also where there are mixed fleets,
looking at whether batteries can be interchanged
with other brands or types of mobile equipment.
Canada is also a major battery focus in mining.
In 2019, Vale revealed its PowerShift program,
focussed amongst other things on electrification
technologies of mine equipment to increase
productivity while at the same time reducing
emissions. It has stated it will have over 30 battery
machines operating by 2021 (including Epiroc and
other brands). In 2018, Vale had already
successfully trialled an Epiroc ST7 battery at
Coleman nickel mine in Sudbury, followed by
commissioning a battery Epiroc MT42 at Creighton
Deep in 2019.
Sandvik is working on a battery-assisted
version of its highly successful tethered machine
the LH514E which will be known as the LH514BE
(see World Prospects pages for more details).
Sandvik is also preparing to launch a new 3rd
generation 18 t battery loader (LHD) in Q4 of 2020.
The all new loader is the result of Artisan Vehicle
Systems’ innovation and battery system
experience, matched with Sandvik’s decades of
engineering expertise and a global infrastructure.
The model offers battery self-loading swapping as
with the Z50 truck, and has been developed in
close collaboration between Sandvik's Turku
engineering team and that of Artisan in the US.
Barrick recently confirmied trials of a 50 t
battery-electric haul truck it mentioned in its 2019
annual report had commenced at its Turquoise
Ridge gold operation, in Nevada. This trial
involved an Artisan Z50, the largest batterypowered
underground haul truck currently on the
market. A Barrick spokesperson said the trial of
the 50 t payload truck was expected to be
finalised in the June quarter of this year, “with the
option to extend, should the KPIs not be met.”
Automation aspects
Epiroc recently released a new offering for LHD
automation that, it says, brings new standards of
productivity and safety to underground mining.
Scooptram Automation Total allows for multi
machine loader automation, with its Traffic
Management System creating a common
information environment that controls multiple
fleets of loaders, according to the company. “The
Traffic Management system is the core of Epiroc’s
Scooptram Automation Total package,” Epiroc
said. “This system operates the fleet and
eliminates the risk of collisions in common drifts.”
The automation area is fully isolated with safety
barriers that shut off the system if personnel or
unauthorised vehicles accidently enter. Yet, it is
possible to bring new vehicles into the area and
add them to the Traffic Management System
without stopping production, using the checkin/check-out
procedure, the company said.
Vladimir Sysoev, Global
Product Manager
Automation at Epiroc, said:
“This is a great step
forward in our
development of world
leading automation and
information management
solutions. Scooptram
Automation Total is really a
game changer when it
comes to increasing safety
for underground operators
and at the same time
levelling up the efficiency.”
The company says
Scooptram Automation
Total takes safety,
productivity and cost effectiveness “to another
level and makes superior performance a reality”. It
allows operators to control and monitor vehicle
progress throughout the mine from a safe distance
in a comfortable operator station.
In terms of examples, trial operation or full
operation with autonomous ST18 LHDs being
conducted by Epiroc (as opposed to others
running auto using OEM independent systems) is
underway at a number of locations, including
Newcrest’s Cadia East panel caving operation,
Hudbay’s Lalor mine in Canada and in Europe with
Somincor at Neves Corvo. The autonomous ST18
at Neves Corvo is
adding about three
hours of work for each
of the two daily shift
changes. It means that,
during the six nonproductive
daily hours,
the ST18 remains in full
operation, supplying
the primary crusher
installed inside the
mine through
previously defined
loading points. The
automation capacity is
total. The operator on
the surface has only the
task of filling the bucket
and triggering the
automation. From that
moment on, the ST18
carries out the entire
journey to and from,
unloading and returning
without any human
intervention. The
machine has
strategically placed
cameras and laser
vision support.
Due to the growing demand of underground
mining companies for battery electric vehicles
(BEVs), specifically deep mines, DUX
Machinery is currently producing batterypowered
versions of its small-sized LHD’s and
dump trucks, which will all feature an Onboard
Quick Charger. The first DUX BEV to be
introduced will be the DSL-300E compact profile
scoop loader with 3 t tramming capacity,
followed by the DT-5E compact profile dump
truck with 5 t payload capacity, and electric drive
package which will be identical to that of the
DSL-300E. A bigger 12 t model DT-12E with basic
articulated carrier is also being designed. DUX is
known for its flexibility in design and custombuilt
equipment that meets the specific
requirements of end-users worldwide.
UNDERGROUND MINING
EQUIPMENT WORLDWIDE
With 50 years of experience, DUX offers a range of
underground articulated four-wheel drive equipment
designed to meet the needs of mining and tunnelling
projects worldwide.
Contact DUX today for field-proven underground
haulage, utility and scaling solutions.
DUX MACHINERY, 615 Lavoisier, Repentigny, QC, Canada J6A 7N2
(+1) 450 581-8341 I [email protected]
JUNE 2020 | International Mining 11