SHAFT SINKING
systems , according to Greinacher . “ There is a project we are bidding for in southern Germany that requires the sinking of two shallow shafts , which could give us the chance to use the S20 platform , but with the automated processes we developed for the S100 ,” he said .
The S20 hydraulic shaft mucker , one of which was recently installed at Agnico Eagle Mines ’ Odyssey project in Quebec , Canada , is fitted with a bucket as standard , offering a maximum digging depth of 7.96 m and a bucket volume of 560 litres .
In terms of other projects where the company could test out these new innovations , Greinacher saw a host of upcoming opportunities in the hydropower space , as well as in nuclear disposal projects .
Redpath Canada has been contracted to sink a 6.5-m diameter , 1,800-m deep concrete lined shaft at the Odyssey project in Quebec , Canada
Concurrently with these SBC developments , Redpath Deilmann has been refining its own RD S100 prototype , currently situated at its Dortmund facility in Germany .
The system is designed for the attachment of a shovel , double drill feed , cutting drum or other tools for mucking , drilling , ripping , cutting and cleaning to take place on a tele-remote basis . All these attachments are connected to the galloway within the shaft via a telescopic boom that also reduces the need to continuously lower the galloway during mucking – a process that is timeintensive .
Offering a maximum working range of 6.95 m , bucket digging force of 110 kN , a digging depth ( below the telescopic boom ) of 8.7 m and increased flexibility in terms of boom swing and movement , the RD S100 is part of Redpath ’ s roadmap towards automating the shaft sinking process .
Redpath Deilmann has already successfully tested the semi-autonomous mucking element of the process with a 0.75 cu . m bucket in Dortmund , and is now planning to attach this bucket to a 4-m-long , 1.3-m-diameter telescopic boom .
“ We are building this now , while modifying the testing facility to test this process ,” Greinacher told IM in early August . “ This will allow us to muck one round without moving the galloway , ensuring that the alignment is correct throughout .
“ This is the next phase in proving that the RD S100 will accelerate the shaft sinking process , as well as making the process safer .”
While the RD S100 will be the ultimate platform to showcase this increased level of automation in blind sinking projects , the advancements could also feature on other
SEPTEMBER 2023 | International Mining 25