NARROW-VEIN & LOW-PROFILE MINING
Custom and compact
Mining companies continue to eye narrow-vein and lowprofile deposits in their quest to retain and build their production profiles . In turn , mining equipment providers and designers continue to innovate . Dan Gleeson looks at the latest from the sector
The true innovators in the narrow-vein and low-profile mining equipment space have made the most of the constraints imposed on them by creating equipment that can effectively navigate all sorts of underground environments .
Whether it is manufacturing narrow-width loaders loading and tramming material underground , or low-profile dozers operated remotely in areas too small for miners to access , these specialised companies ensure mineralised material continues to be extracted regardless of deposit geometry .
Built for efficiency
France-based Aramine is known for its technological expertise and innovative mining product offering , with much of this reputation based on the development of equipment for narrow-vein operations .
More recently this narrow-vein equipment has started to become electrified ; a process that started in 2015 with the design of a “ true battery loader ” that was safe , reliable and efficient .
The introduction of the miniLoader ® L140B in 2017 was the result . This machine , which has a 1.3-t payload , was aimed at operators with smalland medium-section operations . It used a LiFePO4-based battery system with cylindrical cells able to generate 24 kWh of power and operate for some 2-4 hours depending on the application . The batteries could be fully charged at 220 V in five hours . The ingenious and heavyduty QRS system allows a safe and fast battery replacement that offers unlimited autonomy to the L140B owners by replacing the energy module , according to Aramine .
Since developing this battery-electric machine , the company has made many L140B sales to mine sites all over the globe .
Other models have come to the fore that leverage the battery-electric platform , but the company has also sought to refine the existing design of this compact loader .
“ The new L140B can now run for 1.6-times more when compared with the first generation ,” Arnaud Paul , Key Product Director – Capital Equipment at Aramine , told IM . “ This provides an opportunity to drastically reduce the operating cost as two energy modules are sufficient for use over three shifts versus three energy modules before .”
The second-generation L140B comes with 42 kWh of power , the same battery chemistry with prismatic cells , can be operated for 3-6 hours on a full charge depending on the application and comes with a battery charging time of 3.5 hours at 230 V .
The company carried out tests on this new generation machine last year and into the early
The second-generation , battery-electric L140B from Aramine comes with 42 kWh of power and can be operated for 3-6 hours on a full charge depending on the application
parts of 2022 , and the feedback has been very positive , Paul commented .
It has also laid the groundwork for a new battery-electric machine that should be launched on a commercial basis by the end of this year .
The L440B is a 4.2-4.4-t-payload machine that leverages the battery system of the L140B and the architecture of Aramine ’ s diesel-powered L350D .
“ We initially wanted to make a L350B ( B for battery-electric ) first , but , as there were some improvements on the L140B coming in terms of the battery technology , we wanted to wait and make the most of the more powerful battery technology ,” Paul explained . “ The requests from the market for a 3.5-t loader were coming fast and we had diesel engines and hydrostatic transmissions ready , so , as a result , we went straight to a diesel version two years ago .”
What this wait has done is allow the company to benefit from not only a new and improved battery-electric system able to work for longer and charge batteries quicker , but machine architecture that has been proven in the field .
“ It is the same frame and the same cabin as the L350D ; it is practically the same machine ,” Paul said , adding that the original design of the L350D included an up to 4-t payload capability . This model is suited to narrow-vein operations with a machine width of 1.5 m and comes with an incomparable “ size to capacity ” ratio , according to Aramine .
The L440B will be even more powerful – in
8 International Mining | JULY 2022