BATTERY AND ELECTRIC MACHINES
OEM says , has been proven in field by the Scooptram ST14 SG . This drivetrain provides outstanding acceleration , manoeuvrability and responsiveness for the operator . It combines this battery-electric driveline with Epiroc ’ s Rig Control System ( RCS ) while being prepared for 6th Sense functionality , both of which provide further levels of automation and remote control , Epiroc added .
Sandvik on the new productivity leap
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is also expected to embark on battery-electric and autonomous loading operations in the near future , thanks to the rollout of its 18-t-payload Toro™ LH518iB .
Building on its predecessor , the Sandvik LH518B , the Toro LH518iB features several design updates and significantly improved field serviceability . The latest version of Sandvik ’ s intelligent control system enables AutoMine ® readiness , while Sandvik ’ s patented selfswapping battery system , including the AutoSwap and AutoConnect functions , benefits from improvements to the operator ’ s controls to facilitate battery swaps , Sandvik says .
Although the battery swap process on the LH518iB can ’ t yet be fully automated , one operator can run the entire cycle from a surface chair , including tele-remote battery swapping . Human involvement underground is only required for connecting and disconnecting batteries from chargers , according to the company .
Alongside this , Sandvik is working on battery management systems to enable operators and supervisors to see what level of charge the onboard battery has and the expected time to full charge of spare batteries to enable critical decision making around when to swap the onboard battery .
“ The LH518iB will be the first battery machine that will be automated , compatible with our AutoMine Lite and AutoMine Fleet offering solution as well as our Manual Production Monitoring system ,” Ty Osborne , Product Line Manager Underground Automation at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions , told IM recently .
AutoMine Lite is an automation system for a single Sandvik loader or truck and a more advanced alternative for AutoMine Tele-Remote , while AutoMine Fleet – as the name would suggest – is an advanced automation system for a fleet of Sandvik underground loaders and trucks sharing the same automated production area .
Having delivered AutoMine automation systems since 2004 and accumulated a footprint of about 800 automated and connected units , the automation of Sandvik ’ s growing batteryelectric fleet was always on the cards , according to Osborne , predating the launches of the
“ The LH518iB will be the first battery machine that will be automated , compatible with our AutoMine Lite and AutoMine Fleet offering solution as well as our Manual Production Monitoring system ,” Sandvik ’ s Ty Osborne told IM recently
AutoMine Concept Underground Drill – in 2022 – and the AutoMine Concept Loader – in 2020 – both of which are fully autonomous and batteryelectric .
The changes involved with automating the battery-electric LH518iB mainly relate to “ industrialising ” the machine for autonomous capabilities and switching over to the iSeries platform for the added intelligence , he said .
Sandvik already has mine sites lined up for field trials of this machine in North America and northern Europe . This is on top of a planned deployment of six LH518iBs over 2023-2024 in South Australia and 11 loaders to Torex Gold Resources ’ Media Luna project in Mexico .
David Hallett , Vice President , Automation at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions , said the combination of battery-electric propulsion , automation and digitalisation could see these loaders become the most productive LHDs on the market .
“ Automation and electrification go hand-inhand ,” he said . “ The experience we are getting with the battery-electric equipment in the field shows that the performance of those automated machines versus those powered by diesel is already at a higher level .
“ Going from drive lines to direct drive onto the wheel ends with battery-electric machines gives us a greater capability to control the equipment compared with what we had in the past . This should allow us to improve the automation of the equipment going forward .”
Bucket filling , as an example , should benefit from the integration of electrification and
automation , with the two technologies allowing greater accuracy and consistency of bucket fill times and levels over the diesel-automated equivalent .
Caterpillar ’ s AutoDig capability grows
Caterpillar is also integrating automation into its electric offering , with AutoDig functionality set to be offered on its R2900 XE diesel-electric loader and its batteryelectric R1700 XE .
This year is set to see the commercial release of the R2900 XE diesel-electric loader , previewed at MINExpo 2021 in Las Vegas , USA .
The R2900 XE offers an 18.5-t payload for a three- to four-pass match with the Cat AD63 truck . The diesel-electric drive system delivers 52 % faster acceleration and improved machine response compared with its predecessor – the R2900G – while reducing fuel consumption by more than 30 % in many applications , according to the company . The redesigned lift arm and components geometry , combined with load-sensing hydraulics and new bucket geometry , increase the R2900 XE ’ s breakout force by 35 %.
The Cat C15 engine powering the R2900 XE alongside a Cat switched reluctance electric drive system comes in configurations to meet a range of emissions regulations , including EU Stage V and US EPA Tier 4 Final . The diesel-electric design enables the engine to operate at a lower 1,600 rpm to reduce fuel burn , heat generation and exhaust emissions , while increasing power .
AutoDig , available on this loader , automates the dig cycle , using hydraulic sensors to ensure the bucket is properly loaded and the weight is correctly distributed . The operator positions the machine in front of the pile , engages AutoDig , and applies the throttle , with AutoDig carrying out the rest of the process . The system controls the bucket through the digging process , resulting in a properly filled bucket every time , Caterpillar claims . Once the dig cycle is complete , the operator reverses out of the pile as normal .
One of the biggest benefits of AutoDig , Caterpillar says , is its integration with Caterpillar ’ s wider autonomy offerings . The digging portion of a LHD cycle is renowned as being the most complex to automate and is a pivotal requirement for successful underground autonomy .
The AutoDig algorithm is the result of significant investment in time and operator characterisation studies . For operators using line-of-sight or non-line-of sight remote control , AutoDig offers the same benefits available to incab operators – a safe , easy way to achieve proper bucket loads on every cycle . Remote
34 International Mining | MAY 2023