West Hall Booth 12359
MINE AUTOMATION three fully autonomous Cat drills and achieved a first of simultaneously operating the three Cat autonomous drills – a multi-pass MD6250 and two MD6310s equipped with Auto Multi Pass – with one operator .
The close teamwork between Caterpillar , WesTrac and Thiess is driving the success of the full autonomous system at Thiess ’ s operation . And it is through this collaborative effort that Thiess was able to successfully drill 1 million metres with Command for drilling .
Beyond the operational benefits of improved and consistent drilling performance , increased utilisation , and lower rework costs , Trent Smith cites the significant people benefits gained with the autonomous drill program . “ It improves safety for our operators , helps to reduce fatigue by allowing them to take short breaks without interrupting drilling operations , and presents more attractive opportunities for upskilling to work with the latest technologies ,” Smith said .
To date , Thiess has upskilled more than 30 of its people at Mt Arthur South from traditional drill controllers to autonomous operators , and a range of other support functions during the million-meter journey . And more broadly , it has invested in autonomous mining systems training for more than 500 employees .
Both the Cat MD6250 and MD6310 drills share common platforms , parts , components and technologies to help Thiess maximise lifecycle value , streamline operator training and lower operating costs . Every drill component and subsystem are matched to work together as a system for increased uptime , greater efficiency and low cost-per-metre drilling .
The MD6310 drills hole diameters from 203 to 311 mm ( 8 to 12.25 in ) with single-pass bit loads reaching 42 149 kg ( 92,922 lb ). Single-pass hole depths reaching 13.7 m ( 44.9 ft ) and 17.5 m ( 57.4 ft ) are achieved when equipped with the 13.7 and 17.5 m mast , respectively . Multi-pass hole depths with the 13.7 m mast reach 74.6 m ( 244.9 ft ), while the 17.5 m mast drills down to 48.0 m ( 157.4 ft ).
Reaching bit loads of 32 655 kg ( 71,993 lb ), the MD6250 drills hole diameters from 165 to 200 mm ( 6.5 to 9.88 in ). It can be equipped with either an 11.2 m ( 36.7 ft ) or 13.6 m ( 44.5 ft ) mast . Multi-pass drilling depths reach 53.9 m ( 176.7 ft ) with the 11.2 m mast , while the 13.6 m mast offers up to 37.9 m ( 124.6 ft ) multi-pass depths .
To improve safety and prevent potential failures or misuse , both models are built with proven Cat electronics and interlocks . Electronic compressor regulation boosts productivity while reducing fuel burn . The Cat Electronic Technician provides onboard health monitoring for Thiess for fast troubleshooting to increase drill uptime availability .
“ The impressive results achieved with Thiess can be replicated with other miners to improve their operations with drilling autonomy ,” concluded McGinnis . “ We look to continue collaborating with Thiess and WesTrac and look forward to the millions of meters to come .”
Onwards and upwards at EACON Mining
EACON Mining has once again demonstrated its expertise in the field of opencast coal mining with its 6th AHS contract . The latest project is the Shitoumei coal mine in northwest China with reserves of 10 billion tons and an annual production capacity of over 15 million tons . EACON deployed more than 20 hybrid and diesel trucks and says it achieved a fully operational autonomous fleet in just 17 days .
EACON has deployed a total of 23 autonomous mining trucks in the initial phase , which are organised into three shovel truck fleets . These fleets consist of 13 hybrid EL100 trucks with a payload of 90 tons and 10 diesel-powered trucks with a payload of 70 tons , which are used for
Surface
and Underground Excellence
EACON Mining has once again demonstrated its expertise in the field of opencast coal mining with its 6th AHS contract
West Hall Booth 12359
SEPTEMBER 2024 | International Mining 31