UTILITY VEHICLES
aftersales support . When a GHH utility vehicle is sold , a customer can be sure that spare parts and technical support will be available for the lifetime of the machine . Utility vehicles from both our UVB and Titan partners come with the opportunity to have mini- or complete rebuilds allowing them to have extended life for minimal capital investment .”
Paus and the latest on Scale Sense
An innovation project between RWTH Aachen University ’ s Institute for Advanced Mining Technologies ( AMT ) and mining machine manufacturer Hermann Paus Maschinenfabrik GmbH known as ScaleSense was recently completed , which was focused on in-situ detection of loose rock during the scaling process . The approach was successfully tested in the Clara underground fluorspar and barytes mine of Sachtleben Bergbau GmbH & Co KG and the project results presented at Bauma 2022 in Munich in October , where IM met with Alexandra Radl , AMT Research Assistant & Franz-Josef Paus , Hermann Paus Maschinenfabrik GmbH President & Owner , to discuss the project .
Radl stated : “ Scaling is vital both as part of the drill and blast cycle but also for drift maintenance , to remove loose rock in a controlled manner to help create a safer working environment . But to remove it you first have to detect it . For a miner that is quite difficult – he or she looks for cracks and weak points to identify an area where the rock is potentially loose – they are using their best judgement but it is highly subjective . If they are very experienced in using mechanised scaling then they can still be effective but it remains difficult and still generally results in either too much or too little scaling .”
The idea behind ScaleSense Radl says was to develop an operator support system to detect loose rock . It uses two sensor technologies – Long Wave Infrared Thermography ( LWIR ) and Acoustic Emission Technology ( AE ). Using two technologies makes for a more robust sensor solution in case of failure of one system , with higher reliability and a more complete detection of loose rock . LWIR is a technique to detect thermal radiation – if there is loose rock , the heat flow within the rockmass is interrupted . The piece of rock is therefore more sensitive to the air temperature than the solid rock and can be detected . AE looks at transient elastic waves generated in materials due to rapid release of strain energy for example due to impacts . Loose rock can therefore be detected indirectly based on the behaviour of the scaler .
The LWIR sensor results are enhanced in near real time using image processing and presented to the operator as highlighted areas which they can then begin scaling . In the case of AE a traffic light system is used to indicate if they should
Paus scaler equipped with ScaleSense technology at Bauma 2022 in Munich
continue to scale that area or if they should move on to a new area .
At the Clara mine , two underground tests were carried out . “ These have shown that the system works well and was successful as a proof of concept . They also showed that there are a lot of factors that have an impact on the sensor detection – for AE it might be the rockmass or the behaviour of the machine itself ; for LWIR there is an effect from the environmental conditions . So overall we were able to get real mine experience to make the system more effective and help us when considering the future commercialisation roadmap .”
The next step is a follow up real mine test program and a key attribute is that it is a retrofittable technology . FJ-Paus commented : “ We know it is working now , and we are now talking to potential trial customers . The system can be retrofitted to existing scalers we have operating so actioning this will be relatively easy . We just have to choose the right customer and application to maximise the value of the data we will be getting from it . So it also needs to be a customer that is willing to share the data with us . The more experience and real mine data the system gets , the more accurate it will become using machine learning .”
Ultimately the aim Radl and Paus said was for
it to be available as a commercial option on Paus scalers in 2023 / 2024 . FJ-Paus : “ Of course our
scalers will still function as before but there will be this option to enhance that with this operator assist technology , giving the operator more guidance on where they should scale but also more feedback as they progress the scaling task . We are also looking eventually to be able to produce a final scaling map for a particular area that has been scaled to show that it has been done successfully .”
There is also a sustainability element to ScaleSense . Operators will now only scale areas that need scaling therefore you are not wasting fuel and power and time in unnecessary scaling work . Also it avoids any potential damage to the roof from overscaling . ScaleSense can also be seen as a small but significant first step in the automation of mechanised scaling .
Elphinstone ’ s robust WR810 platform
Burnie , Tasmania-based Elphinstone introduced the highly configurable WR810 ( 10 t ) underground base platform to the mining sector in 2019 . This unit is engineered to withstand the rigours of the harsh underground hard-rock environment . One of the biggest challenges with any new product is seeding it into a mine to enable the customer to evaluate the benefits gained by their operation . But Elphinstone told IM that it took things to another level with the WR810 , offering the machines to customers in Australia to trial and test the results for themselves . This approach proved successful , resulting in machine sales and a marked increase in Elphinstone ’ s global machine footprint .
Each machine is integrated with a proven Caterpillar powertrain and reinforced structurally with a larger , more robust chassis . “ If you were to compare our machines to others in the market , our larger , more robust chassis provides greater structural reliability . Combine this with a highly configurable platform with component commonality means simplified maintenance , less parts stocking and a lower cost of ownership ." Elphinstone Global Sales and Marketing Manager Tim Mitchell said .
Component commonality across all platforms and applications provides a high level of reliability and durability . When combined with exceptional parts availability through the worldwide Caterpillar dealer network , it all adds up to contribute to a reduction in the total cost of ownership . “ Each machine is designed and manufactured to be safe , reliable , productive , ergonomic , and easy to service , maintain and rebuild ,” Mitchell said .
Integrated into the WR810 operator station is a ROPS / FOPS – a roll-over protective structure and falling object protective structure for greater
54 International Mining | MARCH 2023