NORDIC TECHNOLOGY
Officer and VP, Explosives, and continues: “With
the agreement, Forcit's position as the leading
explosives operator in the Nordic countries will be
further strengthened, while enabling us to ensure
quality service and availability for our other
customers as well. It is also important to consider
the employment impact of this type of contract.
With the agreement, we will secure our position as
a domestic employer in Finland and Sweden.” The
agreement is a continuation of the cooperation
that began in 2011 and it covers a total of six
mines.
For 127 years, Forcit Explosives has grown from
a small dynamite supplier to a comprehensive
explosives service provider and industry leader. It
says the starting point for operations based on
Nordic values is seamless co-operation with
customers to achieve common success.
Nokian widens Mine King tyre
applications
The Nokian Mine King E-4 underground mining
tyre from Finland’s Nokian Heavy Tyres is one of
the of the most specialised products of its kind.
Designed in collaboration with the end-users as
well as one of the leading drill rig manufacturers,
the company says it has a carefully balanced set
of features to match the challenges set by
underground mining environment. Now, it is
available for a wider range of mining vehicles.
“Underground mining sets special demands on
the tyres. Not only is the environment physically
demanding with its sharp, slippery stones, but the
limited machine size in tight spaces and high
safety demands must be taken into consideration.
When a tyre is designed from ground up for these
demanding conditions, it complements the
machine perfectly, enabling safer and more
efficient work.”
“One of the starting points for designing the
Nokian Mine King E-4 tyre was the compact size
combined with a good load capacity,” says Eva-
Leena Varpe, Product Manager at Nokian Tyres.
Bergteamet to operate Epiroc Easer L at LKAB Konsuln
The Sustainable Underground Mining (SUM) project is LKAB’s move to develop the mining
methods of the future, allowing it access even deeper iron ore deposits at in Kiruna and
Malmberget from 2030 and beyond. The focus for technology testing is Konsuln, located in the
southern part of Kiirunavaara – effectively a small. almost separate, section of the Kiruna mine.
Konsuln currently produces approximately 0.8 Mt of iron ore annually. as well as functioning as a
test zone for the SUM project.
Within the framework of SUM, the expert drilling team at contractor Bergteamet has been
commissioned to operate the new Epiroc Easer L rig at Konsuln. The Easer L is a mobile
raiseboring machine for medium to large size drifts that has previously been used in Australia, but
this is the first time it will have been used in northern latitudes. The Epiroc Easer L is a versatile
and powerful rig that can drill at multiple angles and not just straight up, but also straight down
and sideways.
The Bergteamet team is managing the rig with four operators working in shifts. Bergteamet
employees are used to drilling with other types of rigs from Epiroc and they are looking forward to
running a brand new
machine and being trained
on how to work with it,
says Mats Johansson,
Bergteamet Site Manager
for Kiruna.
LKAB said last year that
the drill rig will initially be
used at level 436 in the
Konsuln mine, which is the
first level that has an
increased sublevel height –
of a total of 40 m. With an
increased sublevel height,
LKAB has to be able to drill longer opening holes than its existing rigs can handle. A number of
different tests will be carried out to check LKAB’s quality and productivity requirements. Only after
an acceptance test has been performed will a decision be made on whether Easer L can be used in
production at Konsuln.
“This way, the tyre actually helped to optimise the
size of a new drill rig model, enabling a more
efficient use of space.”
Besides drill rigs, the Nokian Mine King E-4 tyre
lends itself well to other underground uses. “The
tire has features that will benefit any utility
vehicle,” Varpe says. “Grip, safety, puncture
The Nokian Mine King E-4 underground mining tyre is now available in additional sizes giving it
potential applications across many types of equipment
resistance, long operating life – we have carefully
listened to the needs of the mining industry and
created a product to match.”
The tyre’s sturdy structure enables an operating
pressure of up to 10 bars, which improves the
load-capacity. The sharp shoulders and large
contact area improve the grip on slippery, wet
stones. Another important feature is the cut and
puncture resistance. According to Varpe, it is a
sum of two parts. “You could say that half of the
durability comes from the tyre design with thick,
sturdy pattern and good self-cleaning properties.
The other half would be our mining rubber
compound, which I think is superior to anything
else in the market.”
The initial size for Nokian Mine King E-4 was
14.00-20, but in H2 2019 the range was
complemented by the sizes 12.00-20 and 14.00-
24. This makes it possible to have the same tyres
with known, predictable features in most of the
types of underground mining machinery. “The new
sizes will also replace some of our older tyres that
will be discontinued,” Eva-Leena Varpe says, “as
the Nokian Mine King E-4 is a real upgrade to
older models.” IM
MAY 2020 | International Mining 47