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SURFACE LOADING autonomous option . The company makes the well known WK rope shovel range including the WK-20 , WK-27A , WK-35 , WK-45 , WK-55 and the largest in the world , the WK-75 with a 75 m 3 bucket .
The company told Paul Moore , IM in 2020 : “ We can confirm that we have developed remote operation for electric rope shovels . Moreover , the intelligent project we aim to develop will be completely unmanned . It will be carried out in two stages : the first stage is to realise remote operation . At present , the application of teleremote operation on an electric shovel has been tested successfully in the factory . It will be put into practical use in a mine in Inner Mongolia in December 2020 . In the next stage , the positioning , perception and decision system will be tested on the prototype and the integrated unmanned operating system will be developed , after which the trial production of unmanned large-scale shovel prototype will be completed .” Since then , the first remote control shovel – a WK-20A electric model , has been commissioned in Yiminhe opencast coal mine .
Remote control PC3000 at Polyus Gold Olimpiada
A rare example of a remote control mining excavator already being in place working for some time is in Russian gold mining . In early 2019 , RCT said it had successfully completed its biggest surface mining related project to date at the time for Caterpillar dealer Vostochnaya Technia which saw eight automation solutions deployed at Polyus ’ Olimpiada surface mine in Krasnoyarsk region , Eastern Siberia , Russia . The company ’ s bespoke department , RCT Custom successfully designed , manufactured and installed ControlMaster Teleremote solutions tailored specifically for this project for a fleet of five Caterpillar 777F trucks , a Komatsu 1 PC- 3000-6 hydraulic shovel and D-275A-5 dozer and an Atlas Copco DML drilling rig . Given RCT ’ s success in underground mining with applying its ControlMaster technology , represents a huge untapped market .
Polyus Gold told IM in November 2020 on the project : “ Polyus operates remote control systems for mining equipment at Olimpiada . This system is in place in order to improve employee safety in the most dangerous areas of the mine . The mining fleet is controlled using two mobile units with workplaces and server equipment installed . The mobile control units are safely located near to the location where haul trucks and drilling rigs operate , inside the mining pit itself , and the technology is currently in use at the most dangerous pit sites and ensures safe operations by the company ' s personnel , as well as increasing efficiency .”
Monitoring sensors are placed on all pit walls at Olimpiada to track potential movement of rock mass . Polyus developed a digital model of the deposit , which reflects the displacement of fixed sensors as well as the level of rock stress . The company uses the data from the monitoring system to decide on pit areas for further mining using the remotely controlled machinery . “ The mining fleet is equipped with a remote control system , and an on-board computer communicates wirelessly with a remote server , enabling remote control of the equipment using joysticks and tracking monitors .”
The company plans to construct a control room beyond the pit site . A separate control centre will be built outside the open pit , near to the minesite . In addition , Polyus says it will upgrade the data transmission system currently in place and upgrade the remote-controlled machinery by adding cameras and special equipment , as well as expanding its remotely controlled mining fleet .
Cat upgrades 7495 rope shovels
Caterpillar has updated its 7495 and 7495 HF electric rope shovels with the result it says being an up to 10 % increase in operating efficiency . Drawing from more than a century of rope shovel innovation , the 2021 Cat ® 7495 and 7495 HF Electric Rope Shovels ( ERS ) combine multiple standard feature upgrades to improve machine productivity , while component enhancements , increased frame durability and improved serviceability help reduce cost per tonne of material moved by as much as 15 %. A new propel gear case for the 7495 and 7495 HF models nearly doubles the life of propel gearcases in some extreme operating conditions , Cat claims . Precise adjustments to gearing geometry and advancements in tooth hardening enhance gear case durability and productivity . The result is lower total cost of ownership of as much as $ 8 / h when the drive system is replaced at one scheduled time . Additionally , an ecology drain simplifies oil draining and enables kidney-loop flushing , which reduces abrasion-causing contaminants and oil change frequency . Updates to the 7495 AC electric drive system deliver greater reliability , improved maintenance access , enhanced safety , and expanded high altitude and temperature capabilities , the company says .
The standard Operator Assist – Enhanced Motion Control simplifies machine operation to promote high production while protecting the machine . This system is designed to yield more reliable crowd rope replacement schedules , full design life for hoist ropes , reduced wear on crowd brakes and longer life for hoist gear case components , according to Cat .
The first 2021 Cat 7495 mining shovel will be operating in October 2021 and the second in Q1 2022 . The elements of the 2021 machine that are retrofittable are currently operating successfully in the field . These elements include the outboard propel shaft and the improved propel gear case , Operator Assist - Enhanced Motion Control technology , improved hoist gearset , updated HydraCrowd cylinder , improved saddle block , and the fast propel transfer switch . In reference to the integration of the Enhance Motion Control ( EMC ) technology , data from a Chilean copper mine indicates significant improvements to shovel operations . In one year , the software detected 779,309 anti-swing in bank events across the mine ’ s fleet of shovels . Anti-boom jack year-over-year comparison indicated 60 % fewer incidents thanks to EMC . In addition , crowd
MARCH 2021 | International Mining