CANADIAN TECHNOLOGY
utilised at ever increasing depths . Fresnillo ’ s underground silver mine in Mexico has been hoisting ore from a depth of 400 m with an FKC- Lake Shore vertical conveyor for over three years . Much greater depths are now under consideration . For deeper mines , two vertical conveyors operating in tandem with a small transfer conveyor in-between would be utilised .
FKC-Lake Shore , a division of Frontier-Kemper Constructors Inc , has been designing and manufacturing hoisting systems and related equipment for over a century and has now installed a number of vertical conveyors globally . The company has a presence in various locations across the United States and recently opened a permanent office in New Liskeard , Ontario . Steve Hill , the Business Development Manager - Canada has indicated that one further feature of vertical conveyors is that no infrastructure is required between the loading station underground and the discharge zone on the surface . The belt free hangs in tension . “ This leads to a greatly reduced ongoing operational maintenance requirement . The continuous production provided by vertical conveyors as opposed to the batch production of skips or trucks is an extra consideration .”
He adds : “ The maximum depth has been expanding incrementally since our earliest installations in the mid 1970s at 76 m . The maximum depth that we are currently comfortable with in a single lift is around 800 m . For deeper shafts we would recommend two conveyors in tandem / series , with a small interconnecting transfer conveyor . Fresnillo ’ s installation is at 400 m and is rated at 200 t per hour . We have supplied a system to a coal mine in Carmi , Illinois , which had a capacity of 2,000 t per hour . That particular mine has exhausted its underground resources and has ceased operation .”
He reiterated that its vertical conveyors utilise a belt which freely hangs in tension . No structural support or rollers are required between the loading and discharge stations . He also added that there are potential applications for high angle inclines and surface open pit operations .
Some of the largest Direct Reduction Iron ( DRI ) plants in the world are using FKC-Lake Shore vertical conveyors to convey iron pellets up to the furnace for steel making . A vertical conveyor in this application is currently being commissioned in Toledo , Ohio .
Big mining truck maintenance with state of the art jacks
Specialised Maintenance Equipment ( SME ) is part of North Bay ’ s Nordic MineSteel Technologies offers the patented Titan220e jack , a self-propelled battery powered hydraulic jack designed to keep operators safe by using remote
The SME self propelled battery powered hydraulic jack Titan220e
control to easily position it under the chassis of a haul truck ( up to the largest 400 ton models ) utilising the OEM certified lifting points to elevate and stabilise a complete axle of a large haul truck . The company says it can interchange the power module for a diesel engine , however , encourages the battery option and is seeing most end users request this option . Units are operating as an example at large open pit mines in Chile and Peru .
SME told IM of the machine benefits versus other market options : “ First it is battery powered so is safe in a shop environment . Its safety is also visible with a mechanical locking feature giving visual confirmation that the locks are engaged . Its low profile and dynamic shape means it also adapts to mixed fleets without using double lifts .” The Titan220e also features remote diagnostics , now more important than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic , while SME has the ability to communicate and do software updates for the Titan220e virtually . A virtual training program also means there is no need to travel to get the best training and commissioning available . Finally the company emphasised equal opportunity as it allows for any technician regardless of age , gender of physical ability to lift and secure the complete axle of an ultra class haul truck in only three minutes .
Over in Sudbury , B & D Manufacturing ‘ s latest version of its Superjack is the Evolution Jack model EJ200 , also suitable for the largest ultraclass trucks , which uses a very low emission Kubota diesel engine that is also available in a high-altitude version . B & D has been manufacturing the Superjack line of equipment since 2006 and has over 50 units working globally at surface mining companies . The company told IM : “ We have investigated battery versions but feel battery technology has not reached scale enough to be of use in surface applications , mainly because of the weight we are lifting , that depletes the batteries very rapidly . When longer battery life has been achieved in this new field we would look at battery as an option . We use a solid hydraulic ram design that can withstand the extreme side shear forces that are created when a tyre is removed from the truck while the truck is elevated . Tyres are often stuck or jammed and need force to remove them .”
Redpath ’ s record bore for Niobec
The Redpath Group reached a milestone recently , as the company completed an 875 m by 6.3 m diameter raise at the Niobec underground niobium mine in Québec , Canada . The raise is the largest by volume ever completed in the Americas and in the northern hemisphere . It is also the third biggest globally .
The Redbore 90EX raisedrill , manufactured by Redpath in North Bay , Canada , was selected as the most appropriate drill to undertake this project . The remarkable achievement was a team effort that started in 2019 when Niobec approached Redpath Canada . “ Having worked together previously , Redpath ’ s project team understood Niobec ’ s needs for achieving a fully integrated process ensuring the lowest possible end cost , coupled with the highest standards of safety and productivity . The engineering and construction teams of our two companies worked in partnership to achieve this goal . The project finished safely and ahead of schedule ,” said Johan Davel , General Manager , Redpath Raiseboring .
The Niobec mine is located in the municipality of Saint-Honoré in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region , approximately 200 km north of Québec City . It is the only underground niobium mine , and one of the three main niobium producers in the world . The mine uses open stoping . Current production accounts for approximately 8 to 10 % of the world ’ s production which varies according to the shifts in global supply and demand from year to year .
The Redpath Group reached a milestone recently , as the company completed an 875 m by 6.3 m diameter raise at the Niobec underground niobium mine in Québec , Canada
40 International Mining | APRIL 2021