CANADIAN TECHNOLOGY
Maple leaf marvels
Canadian technology providers are making the most of buoyant sentiment across the mining sector with new solutions and tie-ups that can help them scale their global offering , Dan Gleeson reports
It ’ s easy to see why investors , explorers and developers are keen to set up camp in Canada . Having a progressive regulatory regime , prospective geology and a service and technology sector heralded the world over ,
Canada has all the right ingredients to develop , sustain and grow mining operations .
Building the production support platform
MacLean Engineering benefits from such a
backdrop and on the year it turns 50 is continuing its furious rate of technological innovation .
This year alone , the largest Canada-based mining vehicle manufacturer plans to launch three more 5 Series , next generation MacLean mining vehicles as well as unveiling the 985 Abi- Bolter .
IM caught up with MacLean ’ s Dan Stern ( Senior Product Manager ) and Peter Black ( Technical Sales Manager ) in early November at IMARC in Sydney to talk about one of these upcoming launches – the all-electric , certified elevated work platform vehicle , the ML5 BEV Multi Lift ( featured in IM March 2023 ).
Maarten van Koppen , VP Product Management , even more recently , shed some light on the other two machines due for their 2023 debuts .
First up is the MC5 Mine Charger , which van Koppen says will act as a “ platform machine ” for remote explosives loading .
Building on its vast experience with emulsion loading , MacLean ’ s MC5 Mine Charger will come with full telemetry , updated and ergonomic controls and a platform at the back for easy
switch out of the emulsion plant or ANFO kettles . “ This will prove particularly advantageous for contractors taking the machine from site to site , who will be able to change the charge method with ease ,” van Koppen said .
The MC5 will also be equipped to integrate the new breed of Level 9 collision avoidance systems ( CAS ) into the cab surroundings , be “ automationready ” and come in either battery-electric or diesel drive , he added .
“ Arguably the biggest advance with the MC5 is that it will represent a platform technology for remote explosives loading ,” van Koppen told IM . “ What we are currently up against is the evolution of the blast initiation products . This is not an area we are in – or one we want to get in to – but we are beholden to the roadmaps of the explosives suppliers and what they can do on this front .”
With only a few premium wireless initiation
Ambra says the LTE network it deployed at Nutrien ’ s mines in Saskatchewan supported 21 Mbps over 1.3 km in the tunnels , whereas Wi-Fi could only maintain 8 Mbps over about 300 m
products on the market and no clear path to automating the wired loading process operators are currently carrying out manually , the design considerations towards full automation are still being figured out .
“ At any rate , we are getting our platform ready ,” van Koppen said . “ The idea is that we will get to a point where we can replace the basket on the front of the boom with some sort of assembly to load the detonators and fill it up with emulsion or ANFO – all done from the cab , remotely or eventually with elements of autonomy .”
MacLean has existing experience with remote explosives loading on its Blockholer BH3 where , in 2020 , it carried out teleremote loading of Orica
The all-electric , certified elevated work platform vehicle , the ML5 BEV Multi Lift , will be launched shortly , MacLean says
46 International Mining | APRIL 2023