UTILITY VEHICLES AND PERSONNEL MOVEMENT
Manitou ’ s Special Solutions
As a handling , personnel lifting , and earthmoving specialist , Manitou Group says its know-how sets it apart , allowing it to create custom machines and attachments .
Its “ Special Solutions ” department offers a multitude of adaptations to base machines to meet the specific needs of its users .
Manitou telehandlers , for instance , have several applications , some of which require pull force to be measured as pipes 70-650 mm in diameter , with a weight of 70-500 kg / m , are unrolled and rolled up . To meet this specific demand , the Manitou team designed a jib crane with a load cell .
As well as customising attachments , Manitou adapts existing machines for use on challenging terrain such as mines . This sees several options added directly to the machine to make it more robust and enhance operator safety .
Laurent Cuvelier , Special Solutions Manager , explained : “ What our team is trying to do is offer our clients a bespoke service by meeting all their needs . We can satisfy many niche markets by offering comprehensive and innovative solutions that allow operators to work in complete safety .”
The fixed telehandler MT 1335 HA is a prime example . Protection grilles are placed over the lights , the engine hood and the cab to safeguard the components . Many of the controls accessible inside are now on the outside , such as two emergency stop buttons , emergency steering and access to the batteries . For safety purposes , the integration of a green and red indicator lamp indicates the machine ’ s direction of travel , while the platform basket has been reinforced to withstand potential impact with walls .
All these options have been designed at Manitou ’ s Ancenis site in France thanks to the combined skills of the design offices in France and Italy ( where the Mining Competence Center is based ).
Chuquicamata test
Putzmeister , a member of the SANY Group , has established a solid niche in the field of concrete transportation with hundreds of its machines out in the field in mining and tunnelling applications .
In 2020 , the company launched its new higher capacity low-profile mixer , the Mixkret 6 , which offers a mixing and concrete capacity of 6 cu . m and a top speed of 25 km / h .
“ Like the entire Mixkret family , this equipment is characterised by its robustness and manoeuvrability , making it ideal for mining projects where conditions are very tough ,” the company said .
Since launch , the machine has been put to the test at Codelco ’ s Chuquicamata copper mine in Chile , completing a series of demanding trials over a period of several weeks in 2021 . On this occasion , Polpaico , one of the main concrete suppliers in Chile , was commissioned to assist Putzmeister in these tasks . Retention tests were mainly carried out on the long downhill slopes at the mine , testing different slope angles , with the machine both loaded and empty . The Putzmeister Mixkret 6 also performed front-end discharges on the robotic shotcrete equipment .
The Mixkret 6 retention system has various “ automatic modes ”, thanks to its continuously variable hydrostatic transmission , configured with an ICVD motor and electronically controlled a hydraulic pump . The speed , slope and mode the equipment is in are displayed via the control panel in the cab .
Carrying a load
Concrete transport is just one of the applications Finland-based Normet has designed vehicles for , but its latest launch is a battery-electric personnel carrier .
Discussed at The Electric Mine 2022 Conference , the Utimec MF 205 PER SD is part of the company ’ s expanding SmartDrive range .
It comes with zero local emissions , up to 50 % energy recovery during downhill driving and lower total cost of ownership , Samu Kukkonen , Technology Director at Normet , told attendees at the event .
Maximising charge time
IM recently spoke to Getman ’ s Mario Tremblay , Principal Product Line Engineer- Explosive Chargers , for some insight into what makes ProCharge MAXX unique on the market today With ProCharge MAXX , Tremblay says Getman focused on safety and productivity . “ We have maximised the amount of emulsion that you can actually bring to the workface . By doing that , you limit the amount of time spent on the ramp with charging equipment – so you reduce underground mine traffic , which reduces accident risk . Plus , you minimise wasted time . The machines that deliver explosives to the boreholes are most efficient when they are in the stope and loading holes . Keeping that machine in the stope and not mobilising and demobilising with multiple set-ups is much more efficient .”
The ProCharge MAXX aluminum tanks are also very safe , with screens on both the fill ports and in the top hatch . Additionally , the truck is operable with explosives supplier systems , making it a fully integrated solution . Getman products , including explosives companies ’ IP components , are 100 % made at one of its two locations . The machines are delivered to the mine ready for commissioning without the need to go to multiple shops for additions . Two ANFO versions , the ProCharge ANFO 3000 and 4000 , also are available to customers .
The emulsion tank onboard the ProCharge truck is big enough to avoid repeated reloading . “ We have sized our truck to match capacity , so if you don ’ t need the large capacity , you can still get a substantial capacity on a smaller truck - for example , the ProCharge MAXX 3000 . But for bigger mines , we offer the ProCharge MAXX 4000 ,” Tremblay notes . “ Both units offer higher emulsion capacity than equivalent models on the market , as they have more space to separate out different components . When you get an emulsion ready truck and bring the explosive company ’ s equipment to
The ProCharge MAXX emulsion machines are complemented by ANFO versions , the ProCharge ANFO 3000 and 4000
put on the truck , everything must be within that frame ,” he comments . “ We ’ ve redesigned our machine so the water and gassing equipment can be placed elsewhere on the truck , allowing more room for the main emulsion tank .” Getman successfully installed a unit at a customer ’ s silver operation in Alaska , where it operated for three or even four days without refilling the emulsion tank , as compared to refilling it every day .
Complementing ProCharge MAXX is a new , purpose-built 1,000 gal emulsion cassette or the 1,500 gal emulsion transport truck for replenishing charging units . This machine is operating at a site in the northern US , where they maintain explosives storage on surface , requiring trucks to come out of the mine to reload and return underground . Getman also sold a 1,500 gal emulsion transport truck to a customer for a project in South Africa , where they will benefit from reduced trips to refill their emulsion chargers .
14 International Mining | MARCH 2022