UNDERGROUND DRILLING
Resemin ’ s DUAL success plus battery jumbo
Peru-based underground drilling equipment major Resemin SA is innovating once again in both the development of an all new battery-powered jumbo and its new two-boom DUAL 88 rig capable of three tasks : scaling , roof bolting and face drilling . This is a direct challenge to the Australian technique of two boom jumbos with split feeds which can also carry out the three tasks but not fully mechanised .
Resemin CEO , James Valenzuela , said that five DUAL 88 units have already been shipped and are operating in India , Mexico and Kazakhstan , with more units soon to deploy in Africa . “ The DUAL 88 jumbo is the dream of all miners because it can multitask which means less machines in underground , less people , less CAPEX and maintenance costs , in summary , a game changing machine .”
Another brand new and ground breaking machine is its battery-powered jumbo , the Troidon 55-EV , which is a battery equipped electric powered face drilling rig designed for face drilling up to 39 m 2 . It is equipped with a single 75 kW electric motor for traction and drilling , and three packs of FZSONICK batteries . The batteries will be used only for movement – during the drilling process the equipment is plugged into the mine 380 / 440 / 550 / 1,000VAC power grid allowing the jumbo to drill while charging the electric batteries . This machine is the first in its battery drill line-up but Resemin plans to offer all of its fleet with a battery powered option during 2022 .
The Resemin DUAL 88 jumbo can multitask which means less machines underground
that it handles and installs all four major types of bolts and features a 9-bolt magazine in its base configuration . It can handle two various types of bolts with minimal carousel adjustment needed to modify the bolt diameter . The bolting head for the ZB21 is available in 5- to 8-ft bolt lengths . The 8-ft configuration offers simple adjustability to a 7- and 6-ft overall length to maximise its versatility and accommodate most ground support programs .
The feed system has been reengineered to enhance maintainability and productivity . “ The feeds are lightweight , durable , and cost-effective and are built to deliver exceptional drill performance and reduced maintenance . Here you have more lightweight polyurethane components that also offer flexibility .” The stinger pad , backplate and centraliser have an all-purpose design providing maximum forgiveness and reducing misalignment . The timing ropes are identical lengths with common part numbers and come with a standard ‘ quick attach ’ feature that Komatsu says ensures anyone can change these ropes with ease in an underground setting .
The hose drum has no bearings and is also made of polyurethane , which increases longevity because it ’ s a material that is far less brittle than traditional plastics . The hose drum is graphiteimpregnated , which means that it ’ s essentially self-lubricating . Komatsu stated : “ Even the guide strips have been designed with the maintenance team in mind . They are common from left to right and twice as thick as the competitors , but are made of a slightly softer material to reduce cracking . They are also a breeze to change out , requiring only simple hand tools and one technician .” The feeds are available in up to 16-ft fixed lengths or in a double telescopic configuration that is ideal for bolting .
Finally there is also a new drifter made by Komatsu company Montabert which came up with hydraulic drifter technology back in the 1970s . The components are the result of years of experience in hydraulic rock breakers and drifter design and manufacturing . “ In-depth knowledge of shockwave transmission and percussion mechanism theory has translated into new concepts for hard rock mining , such as hydraulic dampening and progressive blow energy .”
Working closely with Montabert and its
sophisticated manufacturing plant with ultramodern machining tools at it Saint-Priest , France plant , the new hydraulic drifters have been designed to deliver high performance , longevity , long maintenance intervals and low tool consumption . These are described as the “ Komatsu JZD12 and JZD21 , manufactured by Montabert .”
RUC & InSig deploy RC technology on jumbos
Contractors are also working with partners and third parties to advance drill technology . RUC Cementation Mining and its technology partner , InSig Technologies , have successfully deployed their first remote controlled underground jumbo drill from surface .
The achievement , made with an Epiroc S2 Jumbo at the Dacian Gold-owned Mount Morgans underground mine in Western Australia , will provide the contractor with the ability to drill for longer and take better advantage of the dead time over shift change , it said .
“ The technology , combined with long life drill bits and existing OEM technology on the rigs , such as auto drill , will result in massive gains in productivity , predictable drilling and more cuts per week ,” RUC said . RUC believes they could gain up to five extra cuts per week drilling in ideal conditions .
The surface remote-controlled Epiroc S2 jumbo via a retrofitted bespoke control system represents ‘ a first ’, the company added . It follows the installation of a reliable underground Wi-Fi network at the mine .
In addition , InSig Technologies have already started development on conversion packages for the Epiroc Simba S7 and Epiroc Simba E7 platforms , RUC reported .
“ This technology runs on the same universal network that is used for our communications , environmental monitoring , remote loaders and control systems ,” the company explained .
“ RUC would like to thank InSig Technologies for their continued support in advancing RUC ’ s vision of becoming the next-gen leader in digital mines and the most advanced mining contractor in the game ,” it added .
Minnovare technology to be used at Khoemacau
Minnovare has announced its involvement with the Khoemacau Copper Mining Zone 5 underground copper and silver mine in Botswana . Minnovare ’ s Production Optimiser™ technology will be implemented on a drill rig of contract miner client Barminco that is currently operating on site . Full remote implementation and training of the Production Optimiser™ system will be led by Minnovare ’ s Technical
46 International Mining | JUNE 2021