HEAVY ENGINEERING & WEAR PARTS
THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY is an innovative new semi-automated suspension , guidance and firing system for THUNDERBOLT Recoilless Hammers – including MAGNUM – from Australia ’ s Russell Mineral Equipment ( RME ). These hammers are used for worn grinding mill liner bolt removal : an intensive process commonly referred to by the industry as ‘ knocking-in ’. These difficult-to-dislodge bolts are part of the mechanism that secure the mill liners to the internal shell of the mill .
Traditionally , reline crews would manually guide recoilless hammers into position on the outside of the mill , fire , manually move to the next bolt , and repeat . However , with SKYWAY , hammers are suspended from a gantry system contoured to the shape of the mill , guided into position , and fired by remote control .
Following the recent successful application of the system on a customer ’ s SAG mill , IM , in early-May , got the lowdown on the technology and its potential from RME .
Traditionally , reline crews would manually guide recoilless hammers into position on the outside of the mill , fire , manually move to the next bolt , and repeat . However , with RME ' s THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY , hammers are suspended from a gantry system contoured to the shape of the mill , guided into position and fired by remote control
customers reline to deliver greater safety , predictability and profitability . The overwhelming response from the market is representative of the direction RME ’ s technology is taking . Transforming the way our customers reline and , at the same time , significantly reducing mill shutdown times for mining companies across the globe . RME is pioneering the shift from manual to automated mill relining in mining .
In short , yes , it is representative of an approach that can be applied industry-wide . RME ’ s mill relining technology solutions are customised to fit individual mill specifications . Each piece of mill relining technology is made by our specialist engineers at our Toowoomba ( Queensland ) headquarters and shipped to mine sites all over the world .
IM : Could you spell out what elements of the relining process are automated and what elements still require personnel to make up the semi-automated offering with THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY ? RME : THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY is robotic technology for worn liner removal . The robotic technology effortlessly identifies hole locations for each bolt and then automatically lines up the THUNDERBOLT Recoilless Hammer for bolt removal . User interaction is minimal , ensuring safety excellence during the entire worn liner removal process . This industry first robotic technology is set to deliver a step change in reline outcomes for mine sites across the globe .
IM : Will customers be able to adapt their existing mill maintenance setup to accommodate the new system ? RME : RME has engineered the system to feature standardised interfaces – hammer models are interchangeable – for both practical purposes and reduced total cost of ownership . RME customers will be able to use SKYWAY in conjunction with their existing THUNDERBOLT Recoilless Hammer assets . Additionally , SKYWAY customers will also be able to upgrade to the latest , and more powerful , THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM technology without major modification to their SKYWAY installation .
IM : What size SAG mill was this semi-automated relining process carried out on ? How long did the process take and was this in line with your / the client ’ s expectations ? When is the next project ? RME : It was done on a 40 ft x 26 ft 8 in ( 12.1 m x 7.9 m ) mill . The total time to reline took approximately 97 hours , which is significantly faster than previous recorded reline times of 120 hours . This substantial reduction in time to reline and subsequent total shutdown time is due to the efficiencies RME ’ s THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY provides . Knock-in of bolts and liners averaged approximately 45 minutes . The next THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY reline is expected to be in June at a copper mine in North America .
IM : Would you say the relining process you took for this mill is widely representative of the process you would carry out during other mill relinings ? How much ‘ customisation ’ is involved from one relining to the next ? RME : RME ’ s mill relining solutions are transforming the way our
IM : Can you go into more detail on the key benefits of THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY ? RME : This automation delivers three key benefits .
The first is safety . SKYWAY eliminates the need to manually handle and manoeuvre heavyweight liner removal tools around the mill deck where personnel are exposed to hazards such as suspended loads , slips , trips and falls . Instead , an operator pilots the liner removal tool using a remote control from the safety of an operator pod . In fact , SKYWAY complements an advanced suite of RME INSIDEOUT Technology solutions . These technologies not only facilitate faster relining , but they remove people from risk inside and outside the mill – a safety world-first .
Second is speed . SKYWAY reduces the time required to knock-in bolts and liners compared to conventional methods . This is due to the efficiency of the hammer ’ s path , and the higher-than-human-reach of the system . This higher reach reduces the number of mill-inching movements required ( a time-consuming process ) and , hence , inching time per reline .
Third is reline consistency and predictability . The reason for this is that even skilled human operators have a high degree of variability across individual reline activities . This variability contributes to unpredictability . SKYWAY overcomes these challenges by creating optimally efficient travel paths ( ie reduces the average standard deviation compared to manual hammer handling ) for the hammer as it moves from bolt-to-bolt . Finally , even greater safety , speed and duration predictability benefits can be achieved when THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY is integrated with RME ’ s RUSSELL 7 Model U AutoMotion Mill Relining Machine – the world ’ s first robotic mill relining machine .
IM : Where does the THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM Recoilless Hammer fit into your SKYWAY plans ? I understand you have already sent one of these to an Australian copper / gold mine . Has this already been used ? RME : THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM technology seamlessly integrates with THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY . Due to the undeniable impact it has on increasing productivity and decreasing shutdown times for our mining customers , it is expected to become an essential element of THUNDERBOLT SKYWAY implementations moving forward . The THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM Recoilless Hammer was used in Australia recently with outstanding results due to the extremely high hitting capacity and accuracy it provides .
66 International Mining | JUNE 2021