UTILITY & ANCILLARY
MINPROVISE upgrades Dugless
MINPROVISE’s commitment to the continuous
improvement of their products & services has
seen the company upgrade its popular Dugless
900 automated mini-loader in response to the
feedback of clients. The need for innovation
stemmed from feedback received from clients
specifically on the performance of the Dugless 900
Air Intake System while working in confined and
dusty spaces. The digger often works under mining
conveyor systems and around spillage build ups,
meaning the air filter cartridges required regular
change outs due to the amount of dust being
collected. Excess dust coming through the engine
could also lead to ‘dusting of the engine.’
In response to client feedback, the Minprovise
Quality Control, Engineering and Dugless teams
put their minds together to develop a new system
which could successfully filter dust particles more
efficiently, optimising the Dugless machine’s
operation times and reducing the number of
required filter change outs.
Initially, the research team found that the use of
a single cyclone assembly could successfully
remove dust particles before they even reached
the dual filtration system. The first prototype of
this design was based on a single cyclone, but had
no consideration in terms of its placement within
the machine due to its larger size and shape. The
prototype yielded good filtration results but
created a new dilemma for the design team – how
to build a cyclone system which could fit within
the uniquely compact Dugless frame.
Advancing from the external single cyclone
system, the team at Minprovise needed to
manipulate this design so that the system could
be successfully integrated into the current
Dugless air filtration compartment of the machine.
Subsequently the engineering team designed a
single layer, multi-staged cyclone that was retrofit-
able with the current Dugless shape and design.
Now that phase 2 had created a cyclone air
intake assembly complimentary of the compact
Dugless shape, the engineering team needed only
test and optimise the new design. The final result
was an 8 Chamber, Single Layer, Multi-Cyclone
assembly. By experimenting with the number of
chambers (starting at 10 and working down to 7)
the design team concluded that the 8 port, multi-
cyclone provided optimum results for the amount
of dust particles collected, whilst fitting within the
Dugless design envelope for retrofitting.
Once the Minprovise engineering and research
team confirmed through extensive testing and re-
testing that the 8 chamber air intake system was
the optimum design, final tests were conducted to
reach the greatest efficiencies of this design.
A 3D model of the 8 chamber system was
block run through an airflow analysis program to
determine and remove any inefficient airflows in
the design that could be engineered out. The
DOK-ING has
successfully completed
testing of its XLPD
platform in a narrow
reef uranium mine in
Russia
chamber design was
fine-tuned to maximise
the vortex effect,
ensuring maximum
particle extraction. The
final assembly is now
made up of 16
components and hugely reduces the number of air
filter change outs, thereby decreasing
downtime/maintenance.
DOK-ING XLPD dozer proven in Russia
DOK-ING has successfully completed testing of its
new XLPD dozer platform in a narrow reef uranium
mine in Russia. The tests were performed in Mine
No 8 of PIMCU PJSC. The demonstration results
proved the applicability of this equipment for the
conditions of Mine No 8 due to reduced dilution,
improved safety of mining operations, decreased
volumes of both mined and processed ore keeping
the metal production at the same level.
The main XLPD advantage – its very low profile
– becomes particularly noticeable during
operations in narrow reef mines where tunnel
height is up to 1.8 m. Since the width of uranium
veins is very tight, the application of a low-profile
loader, such as XLPD platform, provides significant
increased dilution (up to 43%) in narrow bedded
ore bodies, ensures higher level personnel safety
and makes extraction process more effective and
efficient. In addition, the said testing allowed
DOK-ING to make small design modifications onto
the XLPD bucket increasing its loading capacity.
Since 2005, the DOK-ING's diesel-run XLP, fitted
with various exchangeable tools (ie bucket, dozer
blade and sweeper), designed for safe ore
extraction and cleaning of narrow-vein production
panels, has been used in various mines, including
platinum in South Africa, copper in Chile and for
oil sands operations in Canada.
Based on the demonstration test results the
XLPD multi-purpose robotic complex proved its
efficiency in mining of flat-dipping ore bodies. Its
actual capability matches the stated technical
specifications and the effective performance is
comparable to the capacity of the LHDs currently
used in the mine, while the ore dilution in the
stopes was decreased by 33% while the
operational safety was also substantially
improved. The PIMCU PJSC commission that was
responsible for the capability demonstration test
has recommended the application of the XLPD at
the company’s mines.
Normet continues to expand global
reach
Global major in mine utility vehicle and rock
reinforcement solutions, Normet, recently opened
a new Service Centre in Santiago, Chile. The
Service Centre will enhance the capabilities to
support Normet customers in Latin America with
equipment rebuilds and process training. “The
Service Centre is an important milestone for
Normet to support the growing Normet fleet in
Latin America and to enhance our capability to
deliver refurbished machines to our customers
more quickly”, says Juan Albanece, General
Manager, Services Normet Latin America. In
addition to enhanced capabilities with rebuilds,
process training is another key function of the new
centre.
“Process training will help our customers to
improve the competence of their staff on key
processes. For example, with sprayed concrete we
have proven that training will improve productivity
and reduce rebound, reducing CO2 emissions as
well”, says Marcelo Anabalon, Senior Vice
President, Normet Latin America.
Elsewhere, NORCAT, a global leader in the
development and provision of skilled labour
training and development services, has
announced a strategic partnership with Normet to
offer shotcrete simulation training as part of
NORCAT’s world-class Simulation Training Centre
located in Sudbury, Ontario. Launched in 2014,
NORCAT’s Simulation Training Centre has provided
state-of-the-art equipment simulation training as
part of a broader integrated training platform for
equipment and machinery operators across the
mining, forestry, and construction sectors.
Through this partnership with Normet, NORCAT
adds a shotcrete spraying simulation training
program that enables operators to gain practice in
concrete spraying and scaling machines, control
and measurement systems, concrete spraying and
scaling process planning, working methods, and
troubleshooting. With this program addition,
NORCAT remains one of the largest mining
equipment simulation training centres in the world.
“The partnership with Normet demonstrates
MARCH 2020 | International Mining 53