Tools of the Trade Winter 2022
EATON’S MINING SPECIFIC ASSEMBLIES
Eaton meets the harsh and demanding environments of the mining and minerals processing industry with reliable products and safe solutions designed to operate in these challenging applications. For over 20 years, Eaton has been building mining panels for severe environments for both surface and underground. These panels include the Dewatering Pump Panels Ventilation Panels, and the Power Take-off Panels.
All of the panels are cCSAus certified, available in NEMA 12 or NEMA 4/4X construction, and include a main breaker or fusible switch. Both the Dewatering Pump and the Power Take-off Panels include Ground-Fault and Ground-Check monitoring to provide protection for trailing cable applications. The ventilation panels are available as across the line or reduce voltage starters. The Dewatering Pump Panels are also available with the Power Xpert C445 advanced motor management relay. This option provides the user with a macro that can quickly and easily be configured during start-up to enable the auto-pumping feature.
The assemblies combine door mounted viewing windows along with Eaton’s family of Visa breakers to provide advanced visibility features for safety and confidence.
PROTERRA AND KOMATSU ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION TO ELECTRIFY UNDERGROUND MINING MACHINES
Proterra Inc, a leading innovator in commercial vehicle electrification technology, and Komatsu, a global leader in construction and mining equipment, have announced a new collaboration to electrify next-generation underground mining machines using Proterra’s battery technology. Under the collaboration, Proterra will supply its H Series battery system technology to Komatsu for the development of battery-electric LHDs, drills, and bolters for underground hard rock mining. Komatsu plans to utilize Proterra’s high-performance battery systems for the development of prototype machines with expected commencement of commercial production in 2022.
Komatsu has helped advance customer options to mitigate environmental impact through product development for many years, through initiatives such as its hybrid hydraulic excavators kickoff in 2008, which marked the world’s first hybrid construction equipment on the market. In 2021, Komatsu also announced its new Greenhouse Gas (GHG) alliance with customers to actively collaborate on product planning, development, testing and deployment of the next generation of zero-emission mining equipment and infrastructure.
BROKK INTRODUCES PEDESTAL BOOM: PLUG-AND-PLAY FOR EFFICIENT BREAKING
Brokk, the world’s leading manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition robots, recently introduced the Brokk Pedestal Boom, a compact, stationary breaker boom system for the mining and aggregates industry. The new machine range allows producers to apply the power and precision of Brokk’s demolition robots to primary breaking tasks that feed mobile crushers, jaw crushers, gyratory crushers, and grizzlies.
The boom offers an unrivaled range of motion, pairing Brokk’s revolutionary three-part arm system with 360-degree slewing for maximum versatility in underground applications. The unit can be operated with either the tethered remote or from a control room. Depending on network configuration, the machine can be maneuvered from 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) away or longer, using video monitoring and operation to increase safety and efficiency. At the same time, the Brokk Pedestal Booms feature a rugged design and compact footprint, continuing Brokk’s tradition of powerful solutions for confined spaces.
BRIDGESTONE MASTERCORE IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE BRIDGESTONE MINING SOLUTIONS PORTFOLIO
The new Bridgestone MasterCore surface mining tires can be optimized for a variety of performance attributes such as faster speeds, increased payload, or improved durability for maximized uptime. Offered in various sizes and patterns to provide customized solutions based on surface and traction conditions, fleets receive greater utilization of their haulage assets to help improve mine performance and achieve a lower cost-per-ton.
Bridgestone MasterCore tires use advanced materials and a proprietary manufacturing process to deliver superior durability with proven resistance to rust and damaged belts from cuts and moisture exposure compared to conventional tires. In addition, MasterCore tires utilize a proprietary process to apply an anti-rust steel coating developed and manufactured by Bridgestone for added moisture resistance and a new rubber compound that reduces crack propagation by 20 per cent for improved belt and casing life.
https://commercial.bridgestone.com
ROSENBAUER AND VOLVO PENTA HIGHLIGHT UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO FIRE SUPPRESSION AT MINE SITES
The Volvo Penta-powered Rosenbauer PANTHER is gaining attention in the mining industry for its speed, agility, acceleration, dependability, and overall performance. A case in point is the recent collaboration with Vale’s Base Metals business, the world’s largest producer of iron ore and pellets, on a new PANTHER fire apparatus for Vale’s Voisey’s Bay mining operation.
While most mining companies rely on standard structural fire trucks to protect their facilities and equipment, Vale will utilize Rosenbauer’s 6×6 PANTHER to safeguard their mining operations in the remote, northern Canadian location. “Our Voisey’s Bay Mine site in Labrador is a remote fly-in/ fly-out mine site. Being a remote site in Northern Labrador, we experience inclement weather, travel on dirt roads, and have limited water supply in certain areas of site, so we need a fire truck that can respond to any emergency in a challenging environment,” said Patrick Boitumelo, head of mining and milling with Vale’s North Atlantic Operations.
The PANTHER is built for off-road use, disperses 9,000 liters of water/foam per minute, and has the ability to extinguish a fire considerably faster than standard over the road structural trucks used at most mining operations.
https://www.rosenbaueramerica.com https://www.volvopenta.com/en-us
HITACHI ANNOUNCES EFFICIENT EX2000-7
Hitachi Construction & Mining Division, an operating division of John Deere Construction & Forestry Company (“Hitachi”) recently announced its latest EX-7 Series mining excavator that provides enhanced efficiency, reliability, and durability.
“With reduced fuel consumption and several hydraulic system improvements, the EX2000-7 provides productivity and efficiency,” said Kendall Mattson, Hitachi mining production system specialist, Hitachi Construction & Mining Division. “Its cutting-edge features also help minimize operating costs while going greener without sacrificing performance.”
With the new Cummins QST30-C, the EX2000-7 features less fuel consumption for significant cost savings and lower environmental impact. Main pump electronic regulators, high hydraulic efficiency regeneration, and a cooling package work together as sustainability technologies that help reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 percent (compared to the previous EX1900-6 model with Cummins configuration).
Additionally, the EX2000-7 simplifies maintenance for increased uptime. A new auto-lubrication system comes with a 200L large capacity grease tank, a new grease pump, an in-line grease filter with breather, a grease level indicator in the cab, and a provision for fitment of a second grease pump in the lubrication tank. These features provide a more reliable system with increased uptime.
CATERPILLAR’S NEW CONNECTED WORKER SYSTEM PROTECTS, MANAGES, AND COMMUNICATES WITH WORKERS TO INCREASE SAFETY
The Connected Worker system combines smart wearable technology with the power of analytics to deliver an added layer of protection against a variety of safety risks at the site. Scalable to accommodate both small and large operations, Connected Worker improves safety by alerting all connected workers of hazardous situations in real-time, delivering up to a 50 per cent reduction in lost-time reportable incidents. The system’s ability to track worker location plus enhanced communications through audio, video, and image transmission also help to increase mine site productivity. A range of safety, productivity, and benchmarking reports, customizable to fit the site’s needs, boosts operational efficiency. The worker safety system consists of three major components: the wearable hardware; software that captures and reports data; and the Internet of Things (IoT) platform that receives reports from the field and pushes out potential safety risks to workers.