UNDERGROUND LOAD & HAUL
operated machines are a thing of the past ; it just means that we have more tools in the toolbox . Many parameters have to be taken into the equation for our loading operations to deliver an even flow of ore to the processing plants .”
This summer , the Konsuln mine will take delivery of its first batterypowered loader , the 14 t ST14 from Epiroc . Epiroc says it will also deliver a Minetruck MT42 Battery for use at the main Kiruna iron ore mine for production , and in the Konsuln test mine .
Preparations were underway earlier this year for the ST14 Battery ’ s arrival at Konsuln , from planning of the drifts where batteries will be exchanged , to risk analyses and simulations , LKAB said .
During 2021 , three of Sandvik ’ s larger 625IE electric loaders , which have a 25-t payload capacity , are also being delivered to LKAB in Kiruna . The company took delivery of a “ renewed ” Sandvik LH625iE electric loader for field testing in 2020 .
Lindgren said : “ LKAB has been running loaders with electric power cables for more than 20 years , both manually operated and with remote control . Now we are going to test the new generation of electric loaders . These tests will begin in the autumn .”
Anita Oraha Wardi , Project Manager for autonomous , smart and carbondioxide-free machines at LKAB , said the company was participating in development work early on , so it can understand and influence performance , loading capacity and , not least , the safety aspects .
“ We are going to test to see how battery-driven and electric loaders compare with diesel-powered machines , and how remote-control machines function in comparison with manually-operated loaders ,” she said .
“ One of several objectives is that operators , regardless of the make or model of the vehicle , should be able to run remote-control vehicles via the same system and in the same production area . Then , we will be approaching a world standard .”
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JCHX develops battery LHDs in home Chinese market
After several years of development and testing , leading Chinese mining contractor and mine development company JCHX Mining Management displayed for the first time its new all lithium battery electric 2 m 3 and 3 m 3 underground LHDs at the 2020 Bauma China show in Shanghai . The machines were developed by its JCHX Hubei division .
JCHX says the machines use high-energy-density liquid-cooled lithium batteries as the power source , with ultra-high-efficiency switched reluctance motors and hydraulic control gearboxes . “ The wet brake axle with spring brake and hydraulic release constitutes the transmission system of the whole vehicle , which has the characteristics of advanced transmission system and strong power . The unique working curve of its switched reluctance motor enables the vehicle to have strong power and high driving speed , and its operating efficiency can be increased by more than 10 %.”
The 3 m ³ 7 t class machine has undergone more than a year of industrial tests in multiple scenarios and different conditions at the test minesite . JCHX states : “ The test results are outstanding . It is a pure electric LHD with reliable quality , strong power and long-lasting battery life .”
The newly developed and produced 3m ³ lithium-battery-driven LHD from JCHX has been trialled since the end of November 2019 at the Shouyun iron ore mine in the Miyun District of Beijing , where JCHX is the contract miner and underground developer . JCHX says the unit has achieved a long working duration , with continuous loading of 65 buckets at a working temperature of 0 ° C which is compatible with the site requirements ; a short charging cycle , with double-port design full charging only requires half an hour ; plus a high breakout force and easy manoeuvreability . The robust bucket boom enables easy mucking plus of course there is less noise & zero emissions .
At Bauma China , JCHX said on this machine : “ It can be used for more
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JUNE 2021 | International Mining 31