MINING TRUCKS
remains Whitehaven Coal ’ s Maules Creek – where the entire Maules Creek 45-strong 296 t EH5000 truck fleet is planned to be autonomous by FY2023 , and more fleets will be added in the years to come .
In China , the autonomous market has exploded , partly driven by the power of telecoms companies like Huawei and China Mobile who have been rolling out 4G and 5G networks at both underground and surface mines across the country . To give just a few examples of major autonomous truck projects – at the Xiwan coal mine in Shaanxi province , being developed by Shaanxi Shenyan Coal , a new autonomous fleet consists of 32 220 t XDE240 trucks , equipped with MTU 16V4000C23R 2,500 hp engines and Wabtec AC drives . IM understands that while XCMG has supplied the trucks with an automation interface , the tender for a third party supplier to supply the unmanned technology was separately put out to bid in September 2020 and was won by CRRC-owned company Zhuzhou National Engineering Research Center of Converters . CRRC is a huge company best known for its rail equipment and technology but which also makes mining equipment and supplies mining technology .
Leading Chinese autonomous mining vehicle technology group TAGE Idriver is working with leading domestic mining truck manufacturer , Baotou-based Inner Mongolia North Hauler Joint Stock Co Ltd ( NHL ) to partner on the supply a new fleet of ten factory built autonomous electric drive NTE200AT 186 t class mining trucks . The deal is significant as up to now , TAGE Idriver has mainly been involved with retrofitting autonomous solutions onto existing fleets , whereas this tie-up sees it working with NHL on a new truck fleet . The fleet is to be used as part of an intelligent mine project of China ’ s State Power Investment Corporation ( SPIC ), a major national energy producer operating a number of coal mines including three 10 Mt / y open pit mines in Huolinhe , Inner Mongolia , namely the South Coal Mine , the North Coal Mine and the Zhahanur Coal Mine . SPIC has already trialled two retrofitted autonomous XEMC 108 t SF31904 dump trucks developed with TAGE Idriver at its operations . IM understands that the new SPIC AHS NHL fleet has been all assembled , and a TAGE Idriver team started travelling to the mine in April to start commissioning .
Mining truck fire safety with sustainability
In high-pressure environments where the slightest fault or delay can be extremely costly , a reliable vehicle fire safety system can make all the difference - helping to keep essential trucks and machinery operating smoothly and safely . Historically , the main determining factors that shaped mine operators ’ choice of fire suppression solution were system performance , support and cost . But as awareness grows of the impact that certain fire suppression systems can have on the planet , companies must increasingly consider emerging environmental and regulatory requirements . A key aspect of this shift in priorities is the debate around the use of perand polyfluoroalkyl substances ( PFAS ). Commonly added to wet chemical , foam or dry chemical fire suppression agents due to their
VR Steel - proficiency in efficiencies
“ For us , mining production remains a non-zero-sum game – one where VR continues to create a situation where there is a continuous net benefit to the clients ’ system based on the game ’ s outcome ,” says Dr Justin Martens , GM at Van Reenen Steel . He adds : “ While the truck tray market remains infatuated with lower and lower masses for the tray structures , the complexity of the system and importance accumulative nature of related performance inputs cannot be overstated .” Partnering with blue-chip clients like Barrick at its Lumwana copper mine in Zambia to produce highproduction structures is not merely about a lower mass with higher payloads VR Steel argues – it must include sustained performance , fewer human touch-points or interventions , longer mean-time between repairs , and higher availabilities . It is only through coupling these considerations with payload increases that lower life-cycle costs and efficiencies are truly realised . “ Structures delivering consistent payloads while remaining maintenance-free for 20 , 25 or 30,000 hours is the only true efficiency in mining ” says Martens .
Managing Engineer of the VR Tray division , Campbell Bam , continues : “ Quality is not only what we put into our product or service – it is what the customer gets out of it over the life of the tray ." He says his design team ’ s mandate is to match what the market is demanding with regards to tray masses , but a clear differentiator of outlasting the competition . Without compromising on sound structural decisions that steer clear of lap joints and partial penetration welds , the product is able to avoid early interventions by the end-user . Bam says : “ The safety risks , hidden costs for the client and inefficiencies introduced into the system with interventions at 6,000 or 12,000 hours must be a consideration at the time of purchase . Supply chains are not considering what it means commercially to install hundreds of hexagonal or triangular liners very early on in the life of the tray , and yet many tray suppliers are succeeding with this very ploy .” Bam ’ s choice of material grade within the plate patchwork , geometric sections for stiffness and modal characteristics deliver metronomic availability to mine operations . He says the VR trays ’ longevity in the field is well-known and a key feature that sees clients embarking on entire fleet upgrades to reap these efficiencies .
Reliability is at the heart of VR Steel designs and its reputation has been forged in the unforgiving African market – where mines are remote and digging conditions are harsh . Backed by the latest Computer-Aided Engineering ( CAE ) tools , VR Steel can closely simulate real mining applications to reduce uncertainty during the design phase . Bam mentioned : “ All our products are extensively simulated in several multiphysics domains to ensure they adhere to our own high standards . Through rapid optimisation in a simulated environment , we are able to iron out potential issues even before they arise . This enables us to provide our clients with a reliable best in a class solution that can hold their own – even in the toughest mining conditions .”
VR Steel custom designs all its products to suit each client ’ s unique needs . Martens says : “ All our trays are designed to derive the maximum value from the excavating and hauling operation . In some instances , we provide an optimised tray based on a mine ’ s material density , thereby allowing trucks to be loaded at their rated capacity . Some mines adopt a payload matching strategy , requesting that a tray ’ s volume gets matched to several full passes of the loading tool .” Martens concludes : “ By understanding our client ’ s needs enables us to provide them with a solution that fits into their long-term strategy throughout their operational footprint .”
62 International Mining | MAY 2021