BATTERY AND ELECTRIC MACHINES
Caterpillar is integrating automation into its electric offering , with AutoDig functionality set to be offered on its R2900 XE dieselelectric loader ( pictured ) and its batteryelectric R1700 XE
operators engage the system the same way they would using the in-cab controls and , just like incab operators , they retain full control of the machine the entire time .
AutoDig also enables fully-autonomous operation when used in conjunction with Cat MineStar Command for Underground , allowing machines to tram , dig and dump with no operator at the controls , providing major increases to efficiency and safety on site , Caterpillar says .
GHH sticks to electric loading philosophy
GHH continues to put the operator and operation at the forefront of all its electric loading developments , with its line of cabled and tethered loaders offering easy-to-implement electrification options for miners .
The company , which is currently the subject of a takeover from Komatsu , has developed a number of machines over the years that can plug into the mine grid and , with the help of flexible and lengthy cables , navigate the average underground mine site . The use of a vertical coiling mechanism – as opposed to the horizontal equivalent some other manufacturers have elected to use – helps here . The controlled spooling reduces tension forces significantly compared with uncontrolled spooling mechanisms found on other competitive machines in the field , GHH says . With the parallel groove system , rope wear is considerably reduced in multilayer spooling and , although this is a more intricate design , the cable is guided into the right place to minimise stress on the cable and remove the safety risk associated with miners getting injured from whipping cables .
The latest machine to join this line up is the SLP-14E , a brand new , fully-tethered 14 t LHD that will be deployed at an underground mine in Europe .
At 11.77-m long and 2-m high – along with a width at the cabin of 3.83 m – the SLP-14E is suited to deposits with low seam heights in need of flexible and emission-free feeder breaker dumping . The 170 kW , 7,000 Nm loader has been designed for soft-rock applications .
It features an innovative electric drivetrain expected to form the baseline for other future developments . The implemented drivetrain has significantly fewer components than other units in its class , GHH claims , resulting in less maintenance , fewer breakdowns and , ultimately ,
At 11.77-m long and 2-m high – along with a width at the cabin of 3.83 m – the SLP-14E is suited to deposits with low seam heights in need of flexible and emission-free feeder breaker dumping reduced costs .
In the larger size class , the LF-19EB , a 19 t LHD designed specifically for feeder breaker loading in the soft rock , salt and potash mining industry , continues to win admirers . This battery-electric loader has a 32 kWh on-board battery for ease of panel-to-panel movement ( generator free ), with a tractive effort force of 380 kN and an average of 250 kVA under permanent load and 315 kVA peak . It has a maximum cable length of 250 m , which provides loading flexibility when plugged into the mine grid .
While initially designed for soft-rock applications , GHH has recently secured an order from a hard-rock mine in Europe looking to test out its credentials at a major underground operation .
At Mine Master , also within the GHH Group , the offering of battery-electric drills and bolters continues to expand .
Mine Master added two battery-powered machines to its product line – the Roof Master 1.8KE bolter and the Face Master 1.7LE drilling rig . Both machines are working at the ZG Lubin mine owned by Polish copper producer KGHM . The first machine , the Roof Master 1.8KE bolting rig with a transport height of 1.8 m , is designed for roof bolting in mine headings at a minimum height of 3 m and maximum height of 5.9 m ( for bolts with a length of 1.8 m and a diameter in the range of 25-38 mm ). This machine has successfully passed its annual tests and is currently being operated as a production machine in a four-shift pattern across the day at ZG Lubin , Mine Master says .
The Face Master 1.7LE drill rig , with a transport height of 1.65 m , is designed to drill blast holes with a 12-ft-long ( 3.7-m-long ) single rod and hole diameters in the 45-64 mm range of workings within a 5.5-m high by 8-m wide footprint . The machine is currently undergoing tests at the mining sections of KGHM ’ s ZG Lubin mine , Mine Master says .
The first impressions of the battery-powered machines in the extremely difficult conditions encountered at KGHM ’ s operations – high temperatures , humidity and salinity , alongside very low headings – show that working with such machines is more comfortable for the operator , Mine Master says . The electric drive used is characterised by quiet operation and does not generate vibrations perceptible in the cabin during driving .
Mine Master said : “ It should be noted that these are among the first in their class of such low-profile drilling and bolting machines , which are battery powered . The challenge for the designers was to position and configure the additional components of the battery system so as not to increase the dimensions of the machine , as they had to travel in the same low headings .”
36 International Mining | MAY 2023