GROUND SUPPORT
Peter Bray introducing the Epiroc Boltec E10S ABR prototype at the company ' s World Expo in June 2023
Safe and secure
From autonomous to battery electric bolting and shotcreting to some important acquisition activity , Paul Moore reviews development in the underground ground support market
Amilestone in the world of battery electric ground support equipment was reached in Canada earlier this year when Tantalum Mining Corp of Canada ( Tanco ) near Lac Du Bonnet , Manitoba , working with Sandvik Mining & Rock Solutions Key Account Manager Ivan Magdic , deployed Canada ’ s and North America ’ s first battery electric Sandvik DS412iE bolter .
It enables zero emissions operation including while tramming , thanks to its electric driveline including a battery package and electric motor , reducing thermal load and therefore requirements for ventilation capacity underground .
The world-famous Tanco underground operation has mined a LCT pegmatite ( lithium , caesium and tantalum ) commercially for over 50 years . Scott Rankmore , Tanco Mine Operations Manager told IM : “ The DS412iE was delivered in early February 2023 . With the assistance of Sandvik ’ s technicians and trainers , the miners
selected to run the bolter have done an exceptional job of learning the machine and becoming proficient in a short period of time . It has operated without any major downtime and the production rate has been excellent .”
Rankmore added that the DS412iE runs off a cable while bolting and has the ability to charge the battery while it is plugged in and drilling using Sandvik ’ s patented charging system . “ The battery is used for tramming purposes but can also drill many holes while using the battery only and not plugged in . For example , we have had the Sandvik bolter still working while the power
The Sandvik battery electric DS412iE is now operating in Canada at TANCO ' s mine in Manitoba was cut off in the mine for other reasons .”
Sandvik adds that beyond the driveline , the DS412iE is a bolter for 4 m x 4 m size headings combining a safe , ergonomic working environment with high levels of automation . Equipped with a completely new carrier , a high frequency rock drill , an intelligent control system and an ergonomic cabin , the DS412iE offers high levels of safety and efficiency providing peace of mind for all types of rock reinforcement operations . With different bolt lengths , it enables wider bolt selection . Automatic resin shooting and cement mixing system ensure a high quality rock reinforcement process .
It offers up to 35 % high penetration rate than previous models plus up to 90 % automatic bolt installation . The i-Class platform also allows integration with Sandvik ’ s digital offering including iSURE ® , MySandvik Remote Monitoring Service , OptiMine ® and AutoMine ® .
But what led Tanco to invest in a battery electric machine – what were the main drivers and priorities ? Rankmore : “ To put an electric vehicle in our mine where we are mining for ore that supports the electric vehicle market was an obvious move . I feel it is partly Tantalum Mining ’ s responsibility to prove that electric vehicles can be a viable option in all types of settings .” He added that Tanco going forward in terms of its fleet evolution intends to do everything it can to support the electric vehicle market .
In terms of maintenance and service to help support the machine , Tanco has an agreement in place where Sandvik has a technician on site on a one week on , one week off schedule . Tanco has also invested in Sandvik ’ s battery as a service agreement that has it covered if for some reason the battery on the unit fails and needs to be maintained or changed out in short order .
Normet launches battery-electric Spraymec
Normet has launched the latest addition to its broad concrete spraying equipment offering , the completely new battery-electric Spraymec MF 050 VC SD , specifically tailored for the needs of underground mining . Combining the proven Normet SmartDrive ® battery-electric architecture with state-of-the-art spraying technology , it says the MF 050 VC SD offers “ unrivalled concrete spraying results , superior operator ergonomics and excellent serviceability – with zero local emissions .”
Normet ’ s latest innovations and features are a direct result of spending thousands of hours in the field listening to customers and gathering operator feedback and improvement proposals .
International Mining | AUGUST 2023