HIGH PROFILE
Affecting industry change
The battery-powered SS5 shotcrete sprayer is one of the latest machines released in MacLean ’ s EV Series
but my experience is that , in terms of forecasting and budgeting , these systems can become onerous to administer and difficult to model out accurately without encountering a bias around expected machine utilisation rates .
Having sat on both sides of the mining ‘ fence ’, Maarten van Koppen is one of the more qualified OEM product representatives . IM gets to the bottom of how he and MacLean are using this expertise to further the adoption of electric , automated and digitalised mining equipment
MacLean Engineering has been a fast mover when it comes to leveraging battery-electric equipment , having announced an EV Series platform back in September 2016 and rolled out electrified machinery across its production support offering in the five-and-a-half-years since .
A family-owned company with roots in Canada ’ s mining technology heartland – Sudbury – MacLean is continuing to innovate with new solutions that leverage not only electrification , but the latest in automation and digitalisation too .
IM spoke to Maarten van Koppen , VP Product Management , ahead of his presentation at The Electric Mine 2022 , in Stockholm , Sweden , to find out how these three industry trends are converging in line with the company ’ s Application Intelligence philosophy .
IM : As a mine engineer with experience integrating both battery-electric and autonomous equipment into mining operations ( at the Borden operation , among others ), what new perspectives have you brought to MacLean since you joined in 2020 ? MvK : It ’ s a little atypical for a mining engineer from a mining company to join an OEM . Mine engineering graduates do join OEMs , but the typical route is to head there straight from school .
In terms of electrification and automation , the perspective that I brought to MacLean was an acute awareness of what is ‘ on the other side of the fence ’. Having that knowledge has slightly changed the way we interact with customers . I made a point of preparing material for consultants and study managers that could be very useful in preparing tradeoff studies and inspiring more discussion . We now have an overview for consultants that lists the budgetary prices – based on an ‘ average ’ MacLean vehicle – for both electric and diesel equipment in an apples-to-apples comparison . We also have crude
cost models that can be customised with different energy prices , labour rates and a couple of other key drivers . That really helps consultants with these early tradeoff studies .
Having been a study manager at Borden , I can appreciate what it takes to make consultants and study managers ’ lives easier . We are now getting positive feedback from industry that speaks to that .
The good news for me and MacLean was that there was a solid team with Stuart , Anthony and others already doing this work . They understood what the industry was looking for and our key strengths as an OEM .
Since coming in , I have also taken over the static simulations for our EV Series offering . A lot of customers still have range anxiety and I have been able to help with that by customising these simulations for their own sites factoring in , for example , their ramp grades , lengths , etc . Through those simulations , you can outline different scenarios and explain the opportunity charging philosophy in a way that is specific to their operation .
And , finally , MacLean was already on this track , but I reiterated that our battery rental arrangements were very simple and needed to remain so . It is typically just a fixed rate , single number per month . Other OEMs use other arrangements that are a little more complicated ,
IM : At the same time , what was it that attracted you to a company like MacLean ? MvK : First and foremost , my dad , until he retired , was a heavy-duty mechanic who was promoted up the ladder in the company he worked for . This was primarily in the Port of Rotterdam where he helped maintain the big forklifts that operate there – these can be quite complicated from an operational point of view . In that regard , I have always had an affinity and interest in equipment , something that has carried through to my siblings , all of whom are involved in engineering .
Second , joining a family-owned company with three generations of MacLeans involved is a sign of long-term commitment . That was also very attractive .
On a slightly different note , I felt that joining an OEM would allow me to affect the greatest amount of change across the industry . In my role , I get to talk to customers all over the world with a wide range of projects , enabling me to explain where electric machines might make most sense for them in terms of generating increased shareholder value , improved working conditions for employees , etc . That also had a bearing on my decision to join MacLean .
Then , of course , there was an opportunity to embark on a steep learning curve – learning about powertrains , drive trains and all the mechanical and electric bits and pieces that go into our machines . It has been very rewarding so far .
“ We don ’ t blanket everything with one solution at MacLean – there is a niche for every solution when it comes to batteries and charging ,” Maarten van Koppen says
FEBRUARY 2022 | International Mining 63