HIGH PROFILE
The FMSL can automatically detect the truck class and deliver the correct payload irrespective of the shovel size
this issue ; it can automatically detect the truck class and deliver the correct payload irrespective of the shovel size . Whether it be a 100 t or a 400 t truck , with the FMSL as intermediary , both can be loaded by a large shovel such as a 4100 XPC .
The ability to load a wide range of truck capacities opens up other possibilities . For example , a mine may wish to move away from ultra-class trucks and their associated high costs , towards a swarm of smaller , more flexible trucks , without forfeiting the shovels already in operation . With the rise of alternative fuel trucks , the environmental and economic advantage of these smaller trucks may encourage more mines to move in this direction . The mines of the future will also see more automation with the likes of driverless trucks . The FMSL is fully compatible with driverless trucks and fits comfortably within an automated system ; the shovel operator controls relocation , whilst performance is monitored via cloudbased systems , allowing for quick decisionmaking based on real-time data .
FMSL impact on safety
Safety is a top priority for mine operators , and measures to reduce the number of accidents will always be sought after , especially measures that have little or no impact on production . Accident rates are on the decline , including accidents
specific to loading and haulage . However , implementing alternative haulage routes or ‘ never
Table 2 : Optimising safety with the Surge Loader
to exceed ’ policies have a negative effect on production . Trucks may need to travel longer routes or are frequently under-filled to avoid dangerous loads . Furthermore , these measures only have an incremental effect on accident numbers . It takes step-change technology to make significant leaps forward in mining . The incorporation of a Surge Loader separates the truck from the shovel , and as a result , improves safety in four ways : 1 . Simplified truck manoeuvres resulting in fewer crashes and collisions . 2 . Less aggressive feeding system means truck drivers face less shock loading . 3 . No overfilling of trucks resulting in eliminating dangerous loads . 4 . Supports a fully autonomous system – removing people from harm ’ s way . An independent study * looked at the loading and hauling fatalities recorded in Peru and Chile , and whether utilising a Fully Mobile Surge Loader would have saved lives . The study concluded that implementing a Surge Loader had a profound impact on safety . “ It can be observed that , of the fatal accidents mentioned previously , 27 accidents
Open Pit Mine Accidents Accidents Accidents
in Peru in Chile Truck accidents due to overfill 14 4 Truck and shovel crash accidents 6 1 Avoidable with the use of the Surge Accidents in the process of loading material 7 2 Loader from the shovel to the truck Not avoidable with the use of the surge loader 14 34 Total 41 41 Source : Ministry of Energy and Mines ( MINEM ) Government of Peru , Geology and Mining Service ( SERNAGEOMIN ), Government of Chile in the case of Peru could have been avoided . This represents 66 % of all accidents related to the loading and haulage stage . In the case of Chile , the use of the surge loader would have prevented seven fatal accidents ( see table ). This number can be perceived as low , but , it represents 17 % of the open pit mine accidents .”
The same report also attested to the Surge Loader ’ s positive influence on production : “ Adding the surge loader to the Shovel-Truck system is an innovation that would improve both the productivity and the safety of the loading and hauling stage . The modern surge loader , therefore , represents a potentially new way for future loading and haulage that would be fundamental for the future of open pit mining .” IM
A recent Chile and Peru based study concluded that implementing a Fully Mobile Surge Loader had a profound impact on safety
* Aguayo , I . A . O .; Nehring , M .; Ullah , G . M . W . Optimising Productivity and Safety of the Open Pit Loading and Haulage System with a Surge Loader . Mining 2021 , 1 , 167-179 .
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021 | International Mining 11