Category: Mining technology

Load-haul-dump (LHD) machines are a mainstay of any underground hard rock operation. Engineered for the most demanding mining environments, the Komatsu WX03 LHD is a 3-tonne diesel-powered heavy-duty machine designed for especially small, narrow vein applications with limited maneuvering space. This solid LHD features simple operation controls and a rugged long-life structure specifically designed for ease of use and ease of maintenance with an onboard self-diagnostic user interface. With an efficient powertrain and hydraulic system designed for improved performance, as well as a modern operator compartment with easy-to-use controls, this… Read More Here

Drones are becoming increasingly popular in the mining industry due to numerous advantages, including better productivity, safety, and reduced costs. They have a range of applications in the sector, all tied to their ability to enhance data collection for various mining tasks. Image Credit: mineronbaystreet/Shutterstock.com Drone Use on the Rise in Mining The consultancy and research organization, GlobalData, recently published the results of four years’ worth of mine site operator surveys for both surface and underground mines. They found that drone use is on the rise across the industry. In 2018,… Read More Here

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. more than doubled planned capital expenditure for its green energy arm as it added a new project in Germany, bolstering a push to deliver cleaner fuels to Europe. The firm’s Fortescue Future Industries unit will invest $130 million with Tree Energy Solutions, known as TES, to become a partner in a gas import terminal and planned green energy hub in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Under the plans, FFI will take a 30% stake in a TES unit, the Perth-based company said Wednesday in a statement. First delivery of… Read More Here

Swedish metal-cutting tools and mining gear maker Sandvik said on Thursday it will book non-recurring charges of about 5.3 billion Swedish crowns ($471.56 million) in the third quarter. A capital loss of some 4.7 billion crowns stems from the distribution of its former subsidiary Alleima to shareholders, which will be reported under discontinued operations. Sandvik distributed and listed its speciality steel business on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange on Aug. 31 of this year, renaming it Alleima. Approximately 600 million crowns of losses stem from Sandvik’s wind-down in Russia and will… Read More Here

Sandvik, with the help of Australia-based mining contractor, Byrnecut, has developed a new and improved Ground Engaging Tool (GET) that, the OEM says, reduces downtime and cost-per-tonne mined. Over a four-year period, Byrnecut has been instrumental in the development of this new system, MAKO™. In underground mining, wear and tear is unavoidable, and nowhere is it sharper than for the buckets and the shrouds fitted to loaders. In the most abrasive conditions, the shrouds can wear out in just a few hundred hours of work. Replacing them – especially when… Read More Here

Roughly nine months after reaching the 4-billion-tonne (4.4-billion-ton) autonomously hauled milestone, trucks equipped with Cat® MineStar™ Command for hauling have now moved over 5 billion tonnes (5.5 billion tons), the OEM says. Cat autonomous trucks are on pace to eclipse previous record totals of materials hauled in a calendar year, projected to be more than 1.4 billion tonnes (1.57 billion tons) in 2022. Currently, more than 550 mining trucks are equipped with Command for hauling, operating across three continents. Over the last nine years, trucks equipped with Command for hauling… Read More Here

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has introduced its AutoMine® Concept Underground Drill, the company’s second technology demonstrator for its future autonomous mining vision. The AutoMine® Concept Underground Drill is a fully autonomous, twin-boom development drill rig capable of drilling without human interaction. The cabinless battery-electric drill can plan and execute the entire drilling cycle from tramming to the face, setting up for drilling, drilling the pattern and returning home to charge for the next cycle. Less than two years after introducing the AutoMine® Concept Loader – the first fully autonomous underground mining machine built specifically for automation – Sandvik has expanded its vision from autonomous mucking to autonomous drilling with its AutoMine® Concept Underground Drill. “We’re continuing… Read More Here

Iron-ore major Fortescue has announced a $6.2-billion investment by 2030 to eliminate fossil fuel use and achieve real zero terrestrial emissions across its iron-ore operations. The miner said in statement on Tuesday that the investment would eliminate Fortescue’s fossil fuel risk profile and enable it to supply its customers with a carbon-free product. The majority of the capital will be spent in 2024 to 2028, and will include the deployment of an additional 2 GW to 3 GW of renewable energy generation and battery storage and the estimated incremental costs associated with a green mining fleet and locomotives.… Read More Here