BATTERY AND ELECTRIC MACHINES
kit will be part of an “ upgrade program ”, the company said .
Avoiding operational disruption
Komatsu is making further steps towards the use of batteries in its underground hard-rock equipment line up through its product development phase , and is also considering the potential for providing a battery-electric retrofit option for clients with existing diesel-powered fleets that have plenty of life left in them , according to Bill Maki , Senior Product Manager , LHDs and Trucks .
The company started with its hybrid LHDs – the WX22H and WX18H – as a transition to electric-drive machines underground , leveraging its experience deploying these on surface .
“[ We ] felt it would be good for those customers to understand the benefits of electricdrive machines without having to change their mining process to suit battery-electric vehicles ,” Maki told IM .
For its drilling products , the company moved directly to battery as the application was very different from LHDs and did not require the same operating philosophy shift .
Its range of battery-electric drills and bolters – the ZJ32Bi , ZJ21Bi jumbos and ZB31Bi and ZB21Bi bolters – only use battery power for tramming to hole locations , with the unit plugged into the grid while operating , charging the battery in the process . This conventional setup , due to opportunity charging , requires much smaller batteries .
Yet , Komatsu signed a collaboration agreement with Proterra last year to electrify next-generation underground mining machines using Proterra ’ s battery technology . Under the agreement , Proterra will supply its H Series battery system technology to Komatsu for the development of battery-electric LHDs , drills and bolters for underground hard-rock mining .
Maki said the company is already developing a battery-powered jumbo equipped with the prototype showcased at MINExpo , and the company is planning to expand that to other drilling machines as the platforms are developed . “ For LHDs , we are starting with our smallest machine , the WX04 , as the narrow vein market is demanding a unit to eliminate diesel in the smaller tunnels ,” he said . This machine is expected to become available some time in 2023 . Newly developed units in larger-size classes
Komatsu is looking to integrate Proterra ’ s batteries on its smallest hardrock loader , the WX04 , as the narrow vein market is demanding a unit to eliminate diesel in the smaller tunnels , according to Bill Maki
will have batteries designed in from the beginning alongside the diesel offering , according to Maki .
Asked how these new generation batteryelectric vehicles will compete in what is becoming a crowded ‘ zero emission ’ drilling and bolting , and loading and haulage space , he replied : “ Komatsu has been in the electric-drive business at various levels for almost 100 years . We feel the knowledge we have gained in various mining applications and markets with batteries and with electric drives will help us provide products that will be among the most efficient in the market .”
Even with this knowledge , Komatsu is weighing up if a recharge or swap solution is best for its battery-electric loading equipment going forward . “ On-board charging and battery swapping both have their advantages and disadvantages ,” Maki said . “ We want to ensure we provide the most efficient and effective way to do it without causing the customer to change their processes significantly .”
‘ Increasingly remarkable ’ demand
To this point , the battery-electric production support and utility vehicle offering Normet has developed has passed the test set by the mining industry .
The company , in April 2019 , heralded the very first launch of the brand-new SmartDrive batteryelectric vehicle architecture and it has not looked back .
In June 2019 , it demonstrated a world-first feat of battery-electric emulsion charging in a production environment underground with a Charmec MC 605 VE SD , at the Pyhäsalmi mine in Finland . It has since used this base metal mine as a testbed for its entire SmartDrive offering .
This same Charmec MC 605 VE SD has gone on to make its way to Australia where it has carried out several multi-month trials including at the OZ Minerals-owned Carrapateena mine in South Australia , in cooperation with Enaex Australia ; and the IGO Nova mine in Western Australia , overseen by Barminco .
Its latest assignment is at the Gold Fieldsowned Invincible mine , also in Western Australia , where a trial started in late 2021 . The feedback from Byrnecut , the mine ’ s operator , has been positive , according to Anssi Mykkänen , Explosives Charging and Lifting & Installations Product Line Director .
These tests have involved different on-board emulsion systems , with the Charmec switching from a Normet ECM system for Enaex Australia to the Orica 1160 MaxiPump underground bulk emulsion unit for the trials in Western Australia .
In Latin America , Normet ’ s SmartDrive machines have also been getting favourable reviews , according to Herkko Juntunen , Logistics and Utility Product Line Director .
An Utimec MF 500 Transmixer SD concrete transport vehicle is now working at Codelco ’ s Chuquicamata underground mine , in Chile . This follows testing at Pyhäsalmi where the machine exhibited good performance in terms of battery regeneration on declines , acceleration from start-up and battery charge when travelling on inclines .
Normet ’ s brand-new personnel carrier , an Utimec MF 205 PER SD , being tested at the Pyhäsalmi mine in Finland
34 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2022