UTILITY VEHICLES
Timberland ' s Minejack M30 MULE
Timberland Equipment has developed the new Minejack ® M30 MULE , where MULE stands for Multi-purpose , Underground , Lifting and Loading , Emission-friendly ( diesel with Stage V engine or battery electric versions available ). Aaron VanMaanen , General Sales Manager at Timberland Equipment told IM : “ This is a unique machine being small , robust and versatile . It is meant to ensure that scoops are doing their job and not moving around other things or even people in an unsafe manner . That ’ s why we designed this to have a quick connect front end with a man basket attachment , ANFO skid basket , fork lifts or anything that needs moving around .” The articulating head on it allows it to turn tight corners even with an attachment on . Another unique feature is its ability to be radio remote controlled and put into a ‘ creep mode .’ The lift arms are equipped with a hydraulic quick coupler system for connecting the multiple attachment types .
the MP . Both are specialised variants of Titan ’ s Multi-Purpose Utility Vehicle and both variants now come with hydraulic stabiliser legs for operational safety .
The MUV-VK is a crane truck variant of the Multi-Purpose Utility Vehicle and comes equipped with a flatbed on the back and a crane with 1.84 tm lifting capacity . This vehicle has been sold as a smaller , more agile vehicle for lighter applications than the articulated crane truck , the BVK10 .
The MUV-MP is a scissor platform of the same modular base . This Multi-Purpose Utility Vehicle comes equipped with a basket platform . The platform with a lifting capacity of 250 kg and a reach of 3,280 mm , and assists in most overhead installation operations and similarly to the MUV- VK variant , there is also a smaller , more agile and cost-effective option for lighter applications in the form of the BMP2X3 , the BMP2X3 , designed for overhead operations that require a smaller capacity . Both models can also be equipped with various optional equipment , such as a small-capacity compressor for power-tools and a welding machine for installation operations and is essentially customised to suit customers specific needs .
Finally , GHH told IM that its utility partner has also just completed the production and delivery of its first Articulated Cable Stringer , the BCS . This special purpose machine has been designed and manufactured by the request of a mining company . Critically required in mines with heightened amounts of water accumulation , the cable stringer was designed as an answer to the overhead cable installation challenge and offered an effective solution . With special attachments designed specifically for carrying cable reels and guiding cables into installation positions , this machine has the potential to streamline cable stringing operations in mines across the globe .
J . H . Fletcher ’ s solution based approach continues
J . H . Fletcher has a long and proud history , which began in 1937 , supplying rubber tyred tractors and timbering machines to the underground US coal market . IM spoke in-depth to Sean Jackson , its Business Development Manager : “ Since then we have designed and developed many safety features that have now been adopted as standards today . This includes technologies like the Automated Temporary Roof Support ( ATRS ) system on its twin boom bolters plus its walkthrough design machines to protect machine operators from rib hazards and get them away from potential crush zones . Fletcher ’ s vacuum dry dust drilling system was developed and patented in the early 1950s and is still in operation today .” He added : “ We pride ourselves on having spent the last 85 years providing solution-based equipment into the underground mining industry – both coal and industrial minerals as well as hard rock . We offer machines that are tailor made to the customers ’ applications . If they want a highly automated machine , we can do that – but if they want something with high production flexibility , we can offer a more manual design of machine .”
In terms of products and markets it serves , it has a large base of coal customers both in the US and internationally . This primarily involves its production roof bolters of which it is the largest manufacturer in the world . It has produced about 5,500 of these of which over 3,500 are still in operation today . These production bolters can be split into three categories – low seam , mid seam and high seam . For low seam applications , it has the rubber tyred Low Roof Ranger II or Low RRII which can operate in 900 cm to 1.5 m . The RRII , DDR and CDDR are mid seam bolters for 1.5-2.5 m and are offered in rubber tyred or crawler versions . For high seams there are the HDDR and CHDDR machines which will cover 2.5-6 m plus are also available as rubber tyred or crawler machines . “ All of these machines are capable of installing a very wide range of roof anchors and can be easily configured to install the anchors of the customers ’ choice .”
Moving over to industrial minerals , mainly drill and blast with excavation type operations , which includes the large open gallery limestone operations in the US , Fletcher supplies its 3100 series single boom bolters which are suitable for drill and blast production rates while also serving remedial bolting applications such as installing cable anchors and mesh . It offers a 12 m high
reach and very good visibility . “ That machine we would refer to as a man up machine , so the operator is in a basket on the end of the boom and is placed adjacent to the drill , which gives them the best flexibility and operability for installing anchors safely and productively .” It also offers a 3 t powder loader which is also designed to work in large cavern-like 9m high x 15m wide , room and pillar operations in the US but also Mexico where the mines have smaller excavations . This machine is also supplied into low-profile hard rock applications as low as 1.6 m .
Then there is the 3000 series range of single boom remote bolters – referred to as remote as in this case the operator is inside an air conditioned cabin . These machines are supplied with linear or rotary carousels which can hold up to 12 bolts . It also uses a dual indexing mast which allows for single pass drilling – it has a fixed length feed which permits computerisation of the drilling and roof mapping ; this means it is capable of automatic drill and bolting cycles . If the customer requires it , Fletcher can offer resin insertion on these machines as well which is usually pneumatic .
Moving on to scalers , Fletcher offers its 3200 range of articulated scalers , which offer a 10 m wide coverage at a 5.5 m height . These have a maximum reach of 8.5 m and can be supplied with picks , hydraulic breakers or rotary cutter heads right up to a 160 kW capacity . The other range of scalers is the 3300 series which are crawler mounted scalers – plus their chassis spins similar to an industrial excavator . These are for operating in a 2 to 8 m height range .
On the drilling side , J . H . Fletcher also offers a large range of single and double boom face jumbo drills , though these would not normally be classed as utility machines .
Finally moving to hard rock , which Fletcher defines as anything from 200-220 MPa plus , it
J . H . Fletcher has a unique range of utility machines , including for industrial minerals operations with large room and pillar caverns
50 International Mining | MARCH 2024