NARROW VEIN & LOW PROFILE
the machine having an unladen weight of 18.5 t . The batteries are lithium iron phosphate with a voltage of 540 Vdc giving onboard energy of 224 kWh ( 2 x 112 kWh ), allowing the L440B to operate for 4 to 6 h depending on the application . It has an board charger with preheating resistors on each energy module . Electrical power required to recharge is 360 / 530 VAC ; 50 / 60Hz ; 66 kVA with a charging time of 80 % in 3.5 hours . It has two permanent magnet electric motors – a traction motor of 150 kW and a 90 kW auxiliary motor . It uses liquid cooled engines for stability in an environment at high temperature . It is also available with a high altitude adjustment on request . The machine can peform at altitudes up to 4,500 m and at temperatures from -10 ° C to + 35 ° C .
AARD growth Powered by Epiroc
April 3 , 2024 marked South African company AARD ’ s first anniversary as part of the Epiroc group . AARD stated on the milestone : “ Reflecting on our journey , we ' ve achieved remarkable milestones and strengthened our unity . Together , we ' ll keep shaping the legacy of AARD Powered by Epiroc , driving progress , resilience , and shared success .”
AARD , based near Johannesburg , South Africa , designs , manufactures , services and supports a wide range of mining equipment , specialising in low-profile underground machines for mines with low mining heights . The high-quality products include drill rigs , bolters , loaders , scalers , and more .
A recent offering is the AARD Articulated Low Profile Grader . This air-conditioned environmental cab unit comes in just under 2 m , making roadway maintenance more convenient in low profile mines .
Cooperation between AARD and its new owner has been increasing following the acquisition . The first UV100s from AARD Powered by Epiroc were delivered to Trigon Metals Kombat mine by Epiroc Namibia earlier this year . Elsewhere , AARD Powered by Epiroc and Epiroc CC Southern Africa recently identified an opportunity for collaboration on a machine rebuild for a customer in Zimbabwe . Recognising the potential mutual benefits , the decision was made to conduct the rebuild at the AARD factory , leveraging its available capacity while tapping into the expertise and resources of the customer center .
“ We are well on our way towards the mission to establish a competence center within the group for low profile machines . I am excited about the future possibilities for us at AARD and the next step for us is to assemble a Boltec SL from scratch ,” says Martina Ahlborg , General Manager , AARD Powered by Epiroc .
AARD Powered by Epiroc said the successful project not only underscores the collective ability to overcome challenges , but also exemplifies an unwavering commitment to operational
excellence and customer-centricity .
Paus steps up again with scaler and LHD innovation
In the challenging world of mining and tunneling , navigating narrow veins presents a difficult undertaking . From poor ventilation and high temperatures to tight spaces , the demands of such environments are immense . Germany ’ s Paus has a broad product range of machines for narrow vein applications that are up to date with the latest technology and can , therefore , withstand the difficult settings in mining and tunneling operations .
The latest product in this series is a scaler , the Paus PScale 10-T LP , a machine designed for tight spaces . The PScale 10-T LP is based on the other Paus scalers like the Paus PScale 8-T and Paus PScale 10-T . All of these scalers have a 20 ° tiltable cabin . Fast and reliable change of working locations in mines are ensured by the hydrostatic drive . Paus says the PScale “ is a compact , robust and powerful solution for underground mining operations , designed for working heights up to 10m . Substantial safety features complete the performance spectrum of the PScale .”
The Paus PScale 10-T LP comes with various changes to the machine design of Paus scalers but is just as compact and powerful . At just 1.9 m height , the PScale 10-T LP navigates through narrow veins with ease . The cabin is located to
Grecian Magnesite tackles Koutzi with Brokk technology
Mining of magnesite is underway in the Greek archipelago , with the mining company , Grecian Magnesite , deciding to mine a unique deposit in an equally unique way – completely fossilfree and without explosives .
With an electric-powered demolition robot and loader from Brokk , this small-scale mining in the Koutzi underground mine is environmentally friendly , safe and efficient , the manufacturer says .
Having created a 3D model of the deposit – which has been mined as far back as the 19th century – the company saw the potential of starting a tunnel project using narrow-vein mining .
Mine Engineer , George Bourmas , said : “ The high quality of the veins made it a very important project for the company . We saw an opportunity here to extract as pure magnesite as possible with the aid of the right machine in a fossil-free way . We had high ambitions and wanted to create the most environmentally friendly and safest underground mine .”
The solution was a Brokk 500 equipped with a 700 kg BHB705 breaker from Brokk AB , a leading manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition robots . This unit is electrically powered and is suited to narrow-vein mining , according to the company .
Bourmas said : “ We have large veins here and the Brokk robot is the most suitable machine in the world to handle this type of assignment productively . Our only problem is that we are breaking up the rock at such a fast pace that the loader does not have time to take out all the material fast enough . But that ’ s a pleasant problem to have .
“ The alternative would have been blasting , but this would have taken longer and created a large disturbance zone that would have required us to send the material for sorting , but this is not needed . Now we perform the mining with surgical precision and , in this way , we save both time and money on the project .”
To secure the rock , the Brokk 500 is used to drill holes about 2 m deep , into which the operator then pushes in a Swellex bolt which , with the aid of high-water pressure , expands and thus secures the rock . The operator uses the arm system of the Brokk 500 and can stand safely 25 m away from the work zone .
Bourmas said : “ I ’ ve seen all sorts of
Brokk 500 equipped with a 700 kg BHB705 breaker at Koutzi magnesite mine
underground mines and tunnels , and this is the first where everyone feels extremely safe . We are the first fully-electric mine in Europe and perhaps also the safest – we don ’ t have to be worried about anyone using explosives incorrectly , we have no diesel fumes and no rockfalls .”
48 International Mining | JUNE 2024