El Abra and Bridgestone begin recycling mining tyres at Kal Tire facility
WORLD PROSPECTS
Toyota and Komatsu collaborate on auto LV to run on AHS
Komatsu Ltd and Toyota Motor Corporation have launched a joint project to develop an Autonomous Light Vehicle ( ALV ) that will run on Komatsu ’ s FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System ( AHS ). The partners stated : “ To realise further safety and productivity improvements in mines by running autonomous haul trucks and automated ALV controlled by AHS , Komatsu and Toyota are launching an effort to jointly develop new technologies . Both companies are currently testing a concept ALV at their proving grounds , and plan to have a proof of concept at a customer site by around January 2024 .”
Toyota adds : “ Minerals and energy resources are essential in our lives and industries . Autonomy offers the opportunity to remove people from harm ’ s way and enhance safety . It can allow our mining customers the ability to continue the hard work of providing critical minerals despite the ongoing challenge of labour shortages in the mining industry . It can also provide additional safety measures to mine sites on which multiple pieces of equipment are operated , in an effort to reduce accidents due to human error .”
Since the launch of the world ’ s first commercial application of an AHS in 2008 , Komatsu has established proven performance in various mine environments and has earned a reputation for safety and productivity . Currently , when AHS-enabled autonomous haul trucks and manual light vehicles used for maintenance or
El Abra and Bridgestone begin recycling mining tyres at Kal Tire facility
In order to comply with the Extended Producer Responsibility ( REP ) law , Minera El Abra , a Chilean copper mine and subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan , along with the tyre manufacturer Bridgestone , are starting the recycling process for tyres purchased by the mine over the past year , which will result in three types of by-products : steel , oil and carbon black that are used in various production processes .
The conversion procedure will be carried out at the state of the art Kal Tire recycling plant in La Negra , Antofagasta , which is the most modern in the world , and the one with the greatest capacity in Chile to carry out the pyrolysis process . This method degrades the rubber through a thermal process , separating the components in different stages .
This year Bridgestone will recycle 25 El Abra mining tyres , which correspond to 25 % of what was supplied in 2022 , thus meeting the goal imposed by the REP Law in its first year of validity . The quota of tyres to be recycled will increase each year as stipulated by the law .
El Abra says it is the first mining company in Chile to use the pyrolysis method to process tyres under the REP law which required recycling transport are running on haulage roads at the same time , autonomous haul trucks may decrease their speed or stop when passing light vehicles to avoid possible collisions caused by human error . On the other hand , customer demand for improved productivity in mine operations when it comes to autonomous haul truck operating efficiency remains an issue .
In light of those circumstances and in an effort to solve those issues quickly , Komatsu and Toyota have joined together to accelerate autonomy in mines . Komatsu will develop a new management program for ALVs on its AHS supervisory system , and Toyota will develop ALVs running automatically under AHS control .
By operating Komatsu ’ s autonomous haul trucks and Toyota ’ s ALVs in mine sites utilising a common AHS , the companies say safety and productivity improvements will be realised across the mining operation . The ALVs will be operating safely along haul roads . It will prevent accidental contact caused by driver , as may happen with existing manual light vehicles . It will also minimise speed reductions or brief stops of autonomous haul trucks while passing light vehicles on a haul road .
Toyota ’ s ALV autonomous operation it says will also accelerate further improvements and add functions that contribute to safety and productivity . This includes autonomous transfer of parts for other mining equipment working in the field and autonomous transfer of equipment to begin from 2023 . “ This is a great opportunity to continue improving our social and environmental responsibility practices , also to collaborate with recycling companies and with the community , since apart from creating awareness , it could become a business model with by-products , giving them a new life ,” said the President of Minera El Abra , Boris Medina .
The joint work will make it possible to achieve the recycling of 75 % of scrapped tyres in the fifth year of implementation and 100 % in 2031 , this being an unprecedented and effective process to solve the accumulation of waste derived from mining operations .
“ We are proud to take the first of several steps operators for other machines such as loading equipment or bulldozers .
Komatsu will develop a new ALV management program on its AHS while Toyota will develop an ALV which runs autonomously under the control of the AHS . Since Komatsu launched the world first commercial application of AHS in 2008 , the company has deployed over 650 trucks at 22 sites in five countries as of May 2023 .
The statement continued : “ Komatsu AHS has earned a high reputation for safety and productivity from major global resource companies . Toyota makes safety a top priority and aims for zero casualties from traffic accidents as its ultimate goal . Toyota has been developing safe and automated driving technologies as part of its vision to provide ‘ Mobility for All .’ In this development collaboration with Komatsu , Toyota ’ s automatic driving technologies will be utilised to contribute to the safety of people in their workplace .” www . komatsu . com ; www . toyota . com that are aimed at caring for the environment , with the start of the tire recycling law , long awaited by the mining industry . We are committed to people and everything that contributes to improving the quality of life ,” said Gonzalo Figueroa , Commercial Director of Bridgestone Mining Solutions .
For his part , Carlos Zuniga , General Manager of Kal Tire Chile , said that the company thanks Minera El Abra and Bridgestone , “ who have entrusted us with the responsibility of valuing the first NFU under the REP law . This milestone reinforces the already consolidated relationship of the last six years during which time Kal Tire has provided a comprehensive tyre service to Minera El Abra , together with supporting our work in developing an innovative , sustainable and safe solution that generates products with a lower carbon footprint , which will enter new production processes as raw materials .”
The pyrolysis process is aligned with the circular economy since in the future the byproducts obtained may be used in the manufacture of tyres or other related products . www . elabra . cl ; www . bridgestone . com ; www . kaltiremining . com
4 International Mining | JUNE 2023