MINEXPO PREVIEW
pressure blasting of material blockages from a safe remote location . The operator controls the side and rear water sprays for dust suppression of haul roads from the cabin .
The C7.1 ACERT Tier 4 Final engine arrangement is available as an option , adhering to EU Stage V exhaust emission standards . This arrangement is offered in a dual-horsepower configuration and can be set at 151 kW for the higher performance rating or the lower reduced ventilation rating at 129 kW through a simple software change performed by a Caterpillar dealer . The C7.1 ACERT Tier 3 engine arrangement rated at 168 kW is the standard option for deregulated markets .
Other features include a proven Caterpillar power train , all-wheel drive , oscillating hitch , heavy-duty axles , automatic lubrication , fire suppression , mine water supply connection , automatic boom pack and more .
“ All Elphinstone machines are designed with safety first , and the WR810 is no exception ,” the company said . “ The cabin structure features a ROPS certified to ISO 3471:2008 and a FOPS certified to ISO 3449:2005 . Downhill haulage has never been safer , with the electro-magnetic retarder adjusted using the fingertip control mounted to the operator seat . All engine and machine isolation functions are accessible at ground level , incorporating site tag in / out machine isolation processes .”
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Digitalisation , automation and more
The onset of COVID-19 has shifted emphasis onto the digital and autonomous ecosystem available to miners today , with solutions from these companies being highly sought after .
Global technology leader , ABB , celebrates 130 years of innovation in mining technology from the advent of electricity to the data-driven industry of today this year , with its MINExpo 2021 booth paying homage to its roots .
“ Since the commissioning of ABB ’ s first electrical motor for a mine hoist in Sweden in 1891 , ABB has led the way as a pioneer in the integration of electrification , automation and digitalisation in mining ,” the company said . “ At MINExpo this year , ABB will be showcasing new ground-breaking electrification technologies to support customers in their journey to the allelectric and digital mine of the future , and which will impact production targets and sustainability goals for mine operators worldwide .”
The ABB mining team will be sharing learnings from the installation of haul truck trolley assist infrastructure and solutions at the Copper Mountain mine in British Columbia , Canada , where the aim is to achieve a reduction in carbon intensity of more than 50 % in the medium term with a final target of zero carbon emissions by 2035 . A trolley assist system significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions for ultra-class mining haul trucks , which are typically the biggest source of emissions in a mining operation , ABB said .
The company will also be showcasing recent launch highlights including ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring for belts , which collects and tracks data from conveyor belts to enable mine operators to track speed , misalignment , damage , thickness and wear , slippage and temperature of these belts in real time . ABB Ability Condition Monitoring for belts offers a complete overview of the asset ’ s condition through continuous monitoring of belt health , generating alarms and warnings in the event of deterioration , the company explained .
“ By moving from preventative to predictive maintenance , it enables operators to avoid the costly failures that can occur between physical inspections and personnel can be removed from dangerous areas ,” ABB said .
Another key launch is ABB Ability Safety Plus for hoists , which , the company says , has brought the highest level of personnel and equipment safety available to the mining industry . A significant milestone in mine hoist safety and representing a world first for fully certified Safety Integrity Level 3 hoisting , the ABB Ability Safety Plus for hoists offers a suite of products , SIL 3-rated components and selfdiagnostics to ensure high availability of the mine hoist while providing the highest level of
safety . The products include Safety Plus Hoist Monitor , Safety Plus Hoist Protector and Safety Plus Brake System , including Safety Brake Hydraulics .
MINExpo 2021 will represent a “ coming-out party ” for MineSense , according to Jeff More , President and CEO , with the Vancouver-based company having taken a dramatic leap forward in the five years since it first presented itself to the Las Vegas crowd .
“ At the last MINExpo , we were still very much developing the technology ; we weren ’ t yet commercial ,” More told IM . “ Now , we have systems at operating mines that have been running for a period with fantastic results . We ’ ll be able to present real-life results , as opposed to theoretical projections about what our technology can do .”
Indeed , by the end of the year , the company could have commercial systems up and running at more than 10 mines across the globe .
The ‘ clean tech ’ company has developed bulk ore sorting technology that can be retrofitted to shovels , excavators , wheel loaders , LHDs and conveyors for immediate feedback on ore grade characteristics . Leveraging X-ray Fluorescence ( XRF ) sensors and proprietary algorithms , its systems are designed to accurately determine ore from waste , providing operators with the data they need to move the two to designated locations of the mine site .
Use of its ShovelSense solutions on shovels and excavators has already proven valuable at several base metal operations across the globe including Teck Resources ’ Highland Valley Copper mine and Copper Mountain ’ s namesake operation – both in British Columbia , Canada – and the jointly-owned Antamina operation in Peru .
More says the “ black and white economic benefits ” of separating ore and waste and taking both to the correct destination will be highlighted at the event through case studies , but the company is also looking to showcase the value of its solutions beyond this sorting process .
“ The visibility the mine can gain on what is in an orebody , bucket-by-bucket , is very powerful ,” he said . “ These specific grade and other characteristic readings every few metres are real ; they are not interpolated ; it ’ s not guessing from blastholes drilled in the middle of a drill pad . This type of information can help reconcile the geological block model and ensure mine plans are as accurate as possible , for instance .” Alongside ShovelSense , MineSense ’ s onconveyor analysis solution , BeltSense , is also gaining wider recognition across industry – something More and the company are keen to highlight at MINExpo .
Copper Mountain already has plans to fit
36 International Mining | AUGUST 2021