HEAVY ENGINEERING
“A lot of the time, it may involve changing the
way the customer works in order to get the most
out of your products,” Marin explained. “It will
end up opening some doors that were previously
closed.”
This type of risk-sharing arrangement provides
benefits for both the miner and the manufacturer,
in this case.
The miner benefits from improved performance
through tailored solutions that have been studied
by dedicated team members, while the vendor
reduces the risk associated with creating new
products, knowing the investment is tied to
existing customer demand.
Magotteaux is making it much easier for mining
companies to visualise process improvements
using proprietary models and databases that
model a customer’s flowsheet.
By carrying out ore analysis and feeding certain
data into these databases, the company can
accurately predict grinding media wear, for
example.
“Even with projects that haven’t started
operating, we can project what the wear life will
be by using this data,” Marin said.
“These models can also be changed to see
what impact a change of liner design or reduction
in milling speed will have on the overall operation.
“This brings a lot of value to customers.”
Use of digital technology is helping ME
Elecmetal’s grinding media and mill lining
customers get the most out of its products.
The company’s tailor-made solutions use a
variety of new technologies, including DEM
simulation software to allow its customers to
better understand the downstream effects of liner
design changes, according to the company. “Our
3D simulations and virtual mill and crusher
models help quantify solutions for operational
challenges related to crushing and grinding;
providing energy utilisation, power consumption,
tonnes processed and impact force, among
others,” it said.
ME Elecmetal’s FEA simulations, meanwhile,
make it possible to reproduce the mechanical
behavior of both liners and the mill, under
multiple operating conditions, to avoid unwanted
failures, optimise processes and components. This
also reduces the time required and risk factors
associated with new product development,
according to the company.
When in operation, ME Elecmetal’s Grinding
Media App assists mineral processors in getting
the most out of the grinding media used in their
operations, while its Wear & Performance Tracking
reports provide historical operating parameters
and liner wear profile data to help predict
remaining liner life, compare current wear rates
with historical wear rates and much more,
according to the company.
On the latter specifically, the company said:
“The measurement process utilises 3D laser
scanning technology which can measure up to one
million data points per second and an ultrasonic
device to measure liner thickness.
“Once the information is collected, it is
uploaded to an electronic database, then a timely
report is generated converting data into
information enabling our customers to make
informed maintenance and operational decisions.”
Dump bodies
Extreme wear is not uncommon in highly abrasive
mines such as magnetite iron ore, quartzitic gold
and siliceous waste around diamond mines. In
such conditions GET teeth are changed daily, and
heavy steel-lined dump bodies rarely hit more
than 12-months service life without extensive and
expensive rebuilds.
Duratray suspended dump bodies (SDBs) were
first introduced to the Argyle diamond mine in
Australia in 1988 to solve such extreme wear
problems. Those SDB bodies continued until
2008-2009 when they were sold off to contractors,
with many still operational, according to Duratray.
In 2014, similar conditions of extreme abrasion
emerged at a new magnetite mine in the mid-west
of Western Australia. Caterpillar 793F trucks were
used, initially with heavy 25 mm wear-resistant
liners so that the total weight of each dump body
was 48-50 t, and the period achieved between
overhauls was 5,000-6,000 hours.
Trials of a 140 cu.m Duratray SDB body took
place, which was approximately 10 t lighter than
the steel trays.
“To the absolute surprise of many, the flexible
rubber-floored SDB body achieved double the
wear life of the conventional steel bodies (ie
ME Elecmetal’s 3D simulations and virtual mill and crusher models help quantify solutions for
operational challenges related to crushing and grinding
12,000-13,000 hours),” Duratray said. “There
was a 5% increase in effective payload, meaning
that each truck could carry an additional 120,000
t/y.”
Operator acceptance of the SDB was high due
to less loading shock and impact, the company
said.
From the one trial SDB unit in 2014, the number
of Cat-793F trucks equipped with SDB bodies had
increased to 12 units, by 2020, making up 80% of
the fleet.
Looking at the smaller end of the mining truck
body market, BIA, a Metso distributor in Belgium,
recently delivered the first two Komatsu HD605-8
mining trucks to have been equipped with the
Metso Truck Body innovation.
“This is a real world first on a dumper in this
category and a continental European first for this
type of tipper in general,” BIA said. “BIA is
particularly proud to assist its customers in
reducing operational costs with this unique Metso
product.”
The BIA group is active in the sale and service
of equipment for public works, mines, quarries
and transport.
The Metso Truck Body is defined by a standard
body with a lighter but very resistant design with a
rubber wear coating. Its specific rounded shape
combined with the use of high strength steel,
makes it possible to obtain a 20-30% lighter body
without sacrificing rigidity, according to the
company.
The Metso tipper designed for the Komatsu
HD605-8 rigid truck weighs 6 t less than the
standard version fitted with a liner, according to
BIA. This weight reduction translates into 10%
additional payload and therefore offers greater
efficiency from the first load cycle. Likewise,
during empty bucket journeys, the dumper will
consume less fuel because it is lighter. Finally,
thanks to its rounded shape, less residue remains
in the bucket, avoiding the transport of
unnecessary weight.
Ordered in bare chassis, the trucks were first
prepared at the BIA Service Centre in Fleurus,
Belgium. Metso delivered the bodies direct to the
customer site where BIA technicians took care of
mounting them on the chassis.
The first two Komatsu dumpers with the Metso
Truck Body were put into service at a porphyry
quarry in Walloon Brabant, in Belgium. This very
hard and abrasive rock has a major impact on
conventional tippers, mitigated by a thick rubber
coating.
On a conventional truck body, the high weight
of this protection is at the expense of the
maximum authorised load so as not to overload
the vehicles. On the Metso Truck Body, the weight
of the additional coating is offset by the lighter
construction, allowing the trucks to be loaded to
their maximum capacity. IM
40 International Mining | JUNE 2020