MINEXPO PREVIEW
joined the repositioned crushing station with the existing conveyor system ,” TAKRAF explained . “ The crusher was moved away from the orebody to expand the mine , leading to complex greenfield / brownfield site conditions . Portions of the project were carried out in an area with existing infrastructure and the two new conveyors needed to be integrated without interfering with normal production .”
Design specifications required the downhill conveyor to accommodate a slope of 15 ° while being able to adjust to accommodate unique soil characteristics , according to the company .
“ TAKRAF was able to not only overcome the design challenges posed by the site conditions , but also to guide the project through the construction challenges posed by the steep topography ,” it said .
The 4.2 km downhill conveyor uses a high strength ST 7,100 steel cord belt and , to assist idler maintenance , the customer purchased a maintenance cart designed and fabricated in TAKRAF ’ s workshop in Lauchhammer , Germany .
Lastly , notwithstanding challenges posed by the pandemic , TAKRAF is in the process of providing a turnkey solution to a customer in Mexico involving a 6,000 t / h rail-mounted stacker and disassembly / removal of the old machine . This project , awarded in late 2019 , is a follow-on contract from a previous turnkey project with the planned completion date in the September quarter .
TAKRAF was tasked with designing a robust machine that can operate in a hot , humid and corrosive environment . The machine can withstand winds of up to 47 km / h and , in the tied down position , is able to withstand Category 3 hurricane force winds of circa-209 km / h .
A project involving gearless drives at Chuquicamata in Chile , a large in-pit crushing and conveying installation in Russia , a sizeable material handling assignment in Canada , TAKRAF ’ s “ XTREME class ” sizers and wagon unloading station and material handling system in Guinea , a 19 km overland conveyor system for Utkal in India , and a large integrated stockyard handling and ship loader material handling system for a major port in Russia are further TAKRAF MINExpo talking points .
For Rolls-Royce Power Systems and its mtu brand , the booth conversations at MINExpo could be focused on its recent pledge to cut the greenhouse gas emissions of its new products by 35 % to 2030 , compared with its 2019 baseline .
The business unit of Rolls Royce is pursuing a multi-pillar strategy to reduce emissions under its ‘ Net Zero at Power Systems ’ agenda , with new ‘ green ’ products leveraging sustainable fuels and new technologies , such as fuel cell systems , set to be used in energy supply applications from 2025 onwards .
“ The development engineers are also already working on hydrogen and methanol engines as well as concepts for decentralised powerto-X plants ,” the company said . “ Other sustainable solutions such as battery storage , hybrid systems for ships and trains or microgrids for de-centralised , environmentally friendly energy supply are already part of the Power Systems portfolio .”
Rolls-Royce will also present the concept of a hybrid drive system for mining trucks at MINExpo , based on existing mtu technology .
Scott Woodruff , Head of Rolls- Royce ’ s global mining business , said : “ For this project , we and our customers benefit from proven mtu technologies which were originally developed by our engineers for other applications .”
Rolls-Royce envisions equipping mining trucks with battery packs ( so-called mtu EnergyPacks ), allowing for significant CO 2 emissions reductions , less noise and cost savings for the customer .
The batteries can be used to provide additional power to the mining truck when going uphill loaded and , thus , allow for the downsizing of the truck ’ s engine , leading to fuel savings , the company explained . They can also be recharged by recuperating braking energy when going downhill .
Both BEUMER Group and Doppelmayr will be using the global event to make a case for the use of conveyors over truck haulage in certain mining applications .
As an alternative to truck haulage , BEUMER Group believes its open troughed belt conveyors or closed pipe conveyors are more environmentally friendly and , in certain situations , more economical than truck haulage .
It is more than willing to put this idea to the test with a feasibility study and cost comparison .
BEUMER Group will not have to look too far for an example of where the economics and sustainability arguments stack up for conveying .
Knight Hawk Coal ’ s Prairie Eagle mine , in the Illinois Basin of USA , now transports coal over a 7.2 km distance , managing to reduce its longterm environmental impact and become one of the most efficient underground coal mining plants in the US , according to BEUMER .
The overland conveyor features a single-flight curved conveying system that eliminates the
Design specifications for material handling infrastructure project at a US copper mine required the downhill conveyor to accommodate a slope of 15 ° while being able to adjust to accommodate unique soil characteristics , according to the company
cost of tower steel , and greatly reduces the quantity of components and necessary spare parts , the Germany-based company said .
Doppelmayr , meanwhile , will be highlighting the ability of its RopeCon ® conveying system for , among other applications , effective mine and quarry backfilling .
Again , when using truck haulage in such an application , the delivery of backfill material entails significant CO 2 emissions .
“ Conventional belt conveyor solutions are very often heavily restricted in the routing due to existing infrastructure ,” it said . “ Doppelmayr has adapted the proven RopeCon system in order to offer an innovative and sustainable solution for backfilling , which reduces the impact on residents , animals and the environment to a minimum .”
The RopeCon essentially consists of a continuous flat belt with corrugated side walls and supporting axles arranged at regular intervals . Running wheels are fitted to either end of the axles and travel on a track of steel ropes . These steel track ropes are guided over tower structures , similar to a conventional ropeway system . The whole system is , thus , elevated off the ground and can easily cross obstacles or difficult terrain . The belt performs the haulage function and is driven by a drive drum at one end and guided around a return drum at the other end .
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International Mining | AUGUST 2021