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Longwall shearer designed for low- and medium-height seams

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The latest Cat shearer model, the EL 1000 Longwall Shearer, is designed specifically for low- and medium-height seams.

Preliminary specifications for the EL 1000 shearer indicate that the new model will accommodate seam heights from 63 to 126 inches (1.6 to 3.2m), will deliver an estimated cutting power of 1,600 horsepower (1 000kW), and will provide haulage power on the order of 2 x 134 horsepower (2 x 100kW).

Reflecting the basic design of proven Cat longwall shearers, the EL 1000 will feature massive, one-piece-mainframe construction, exchangeable modular components, advanced automation, and Ethernet communication.

For more information, visit mining.cat.com/longwall

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Plant purifies soils contaminated with zinc and cadmium

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Scientists from Wageningen (NL) and Lavras (Brazil) have found the first South American plant that can be used for purifying South American soils contaminated with the heavy metals zinc and cadmium.

Native plants are strongly preferred over exotic plants for this purpose as they reduce the risk of introducing an invasive species that can turn into a pest.

The plant, Gomphrena claussenii, easily grows on contaminated soil near zinc mines and takes up large amounts of heavy metals in its leaves and stems. This makes it quite suitable for the purifying of South American soils.

There are soils all over the world polluted with heavy metals – often through human activity. Cadmium in particular is very harmful to humans and animals and can cause cancer in high concentrations. By growing plants that take up a lot of heavy metals, the contaminated soil can be cleaned in an eco-friendly way known as ‘phytoremediation.’ An important condition is that the plants used are able to grow well in the relevant soil, and are not themselves poisoned by the heavy metals.

Plants that can withstand heavy metals are most easily found by studying what already grows on contaminated soils, where plant species that can resist the pollution will win out over more sensitive plants. However, a plant that is capable of growing in contaminated soil is not automatically a plant that stores heavy metals.

The scientists, led by Mina T Villafort Carvalho from Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre), discovered many plants of the species Gomphrena claussenii near a zinc mine in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. They examined the plants in the lab, comparing them to the closely related Gomphrena elegans.

"Our first question was to check that the G. claussenii plants did not suffer from high concentrations of heavy metals," Carvalho remembers. "The claussenii plants were indeed found to grow well, while G. elegans plants wasted away completely at high concentrations of zinc and cadmium."

Out of the two species, the G. claussenii plants were also observed to be better at taking up heavy metals than G. elegans plants – up to thirty times better for zinc and twenty times better for cadmium. The leaves of the plants ultimately contained almost 1 per cent zinc and more than 0.1 per cent cadmium. The G. claussenii plants store the heavy metals proportionately more in the leaves and stems, and less in the roots, than the G. elegans plants. Carvalho: "This is important as only the leaves and stems can be harvested. In other words, when the G. claussenii plants are removed much more zinc and cadmium is removed with them."

If the concentrations of heavy metals in the Gomphrena claussenii plants are compared with those in other plants suitable for the purification of contaminated soils, for example in Europe, then Gomphrena claussenii is not necessarily the best.

However, the plant grows fast and creates much more biomass than any other plants that take up zinc or cadmium – and therefore absorbs the most metal from the ground per plant.

Scientists estimate that removal of about 5-15kg of cadmium per hectare per year is entirely realistic. This would cause many contaminants to be brought below minimum safety levels within five years.

According to the scientists, it would therefore be worthwhile to conduct practical research into the purifying effect of Gomphrena claussenii in South America. In addition, further research might provide insight into the mechanism by which the plant absorbs the heavy metals without poisoning itself.

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Level meter for liquids and solids

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KROHNE Inc's new OPTIFLEX 2200 C/F level meter for liquids and solids features software-based Dynamic Parasite Rejection (DPR) technology that eliminates false reflections caused by environmental disturbances and product build-up.

The two-wire device is the newest addition to KROHNE’s Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) guided radar level meters.

OPTIFLEX 2200 C/F is a cost-effective device for tank and silo applications in the chemical industry, as well as in the oil and gas, energy, waste water, mining or pulp and paper sectors.

It is suitable for replacing traditional level meters that require higher maintenance, including displacer, RF capacitance, conductive and pressure level meters.

Available with a variety of probes to measure liquids up to 130 feet (40 meters) and solids up to 66 feet (20 meters), the OPTIFLEX 2200 C/F can handle process temperatures up to 570°F (300°C) and pressures up to 580 psig (40bar).

Unlike other level meters, the OPTIFLEX 2200 C/F provides a remote convertor that can be installed up to 328 feet (100m) from the probe. The snap coupling system permits removal of the housing under process conditions. The level meter complies with the requirement of the safety integrity level SIL 2 (according to IEC 61508) and can be used for switch or transmitter function in safety-related systems.

For more information, visit www.us.krohne.com

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Encoder now even more robust for extreme operating conditions

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Johannes Huebner Giessen has taken the series 40 and 60 of its absolute encoders to the next level and modified them to withstand use under extreme operating and ambient conditions - as can be found in steelworks and rolling mills, mining, ports, and crane systems.

Compared with current models, the new series are equipped with larger ball bearings with a higher dynamic load rating and so the absolute encoders are less affected by wear and damage during prolonged heavy use.

Huebner has also expanded the range of available interfaces - now, there is a parallel output additionally to familiar interface types such as Profibus, Profinet, Devicenet, Ethercat  and SSI.

Parallel outputs facilitate very rapid information transfers as data can be communicated via connections that run parallel to each other - unlike bus technology, which requires data packages to be sent in succession. In addition, the series 41 from Huebner is an absolute encoder that comes with SIL3 / PLe safety certification in accordance with the IEC 61508 / EN 13849 standards. Profibus and Profinet interfaces are already available and others are currently being planned.

Thick aluminium casing and the sealed interior guarantee that the encoders remain absolutely reliable even in the most ex-treme ambient or industrial conditions. All devices are equipped with secured bolt connections to protect against vibration, together with feather keys and keyways for form-fit shaft connections. The new series are also constructed to attain protection classes IP 66 / IP 67, making them suitable for use in saline environments.

The series 40 is available in two versions. One has a solid shaft (11 or 14mm in diameter) for mounting the encoder using a coupling, while the other has a hollow shaft (20 mm in diameter) for direct mounting of the encoder on the drive shaft. Single-turn resolution reaches 16 bit max. (65,536 steps), while multi-turn resolution reaches 12 bit (4,096 revolutions). If requested, ie for additional attachments, Huebner can also supply a second shaft end for the solid-shaft device. This permits an encoder to be designed so it is capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -40 °C and shocks of up to 450g.

The new series 60 models are hollow-shaft devices with a bore diameter of max. 50 mm and feather keyway. This series of absolute encoders is particularly suitable for attaching additional devices. Thanks to its B14 flange it offers a stable basis for further attachments.  

For more information, visit www.huebner-giessen.com

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Crane specific motor series

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The Marathon KS series of slip ring motors from Regal is rated for crane duties and based on a cast iron/fabricated body, integral feet design.

A slip ring motor is a wound rotor induction machine in which the coils of the rotor are terminated in slip rings to which external impedances can be connected. The stator is similar to that of a standard squirrel cage motor. Varying the impedance in the rotor alters the speed/current and speed/torque curves of the motor.

Slip ring motors provide high torque at start up and throughout their full speed range by varying the resistance in the slip ring starter. This technique can also be used to provide variable speed. They are compact, lightweight, low maintenance and long life, making them ideal for crane duties.

The Marathon KS series has been design optimised for best performance in crane applications. For instance, its feet are extra thick to ensure that mounting is safe and secure for long term use. Also contributing to its long term reliability, it has a separate compartment for the slip rings which is generously dimensioned for easy access. It is rated as IPW55 protected and has high performance ventilation to make it tolerant to less than suitable environmental conditions. It is also provided with thermistor protection.

The stator frame is of fabricated steel construction, while the insulations options are Class F/F as standard and Class H for use in demanding applications. While thyristor control is also provided as standard, the KS series is also suitable for electronic control and is available in Frame sizes from KS112M to 560 LX and provide outputs from 2kW, 6 pole to 860kW, 10 pole.

For more information, visit www.rotor.co.uk

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'Augmented reality' for the mining industry

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Maptek PerfectDig software brings together 3D modelling, laser scanning and handheld communication devices, allowing operations to effectively monitor excavation progress by comparing actual surfaces against designs.

PerfectDig automatically combines mine plans and design information from Maptek Vulcan with laser scans of working areas. Detailed 3D visual and spatial analysis information is provided in near real time, directly to production managers and mine crews. This streamlines communication between surveyors, mining engineers, supervisors and equipment operators.
 
Pit or shift supervisors can access PerfectDig via smartphone, tablet or laptop, creating a real-time decision support and quality control system for mining. Adjustments can be made before problems arise to ensure efficient overburden removal and maximum mineral recovery.
 
A Maptek I-Site laser scanner captures surfaces while mining continues - there is no need to stop equipment to scan an area. PerfectDig automatically determines the location and registers the scan data against the mine survey grid. The data is geospatially accurate and up-to-date.
 
The user then pulls up PerfectDig on a tablet and compares scanned surfaces against the design imported from Vulcan. Different layers can be selected for display so the user can instantly view detailed sections, photos, volumes and other data. Based on specified tolerances, the degree of conformance to plan can be assessed, the excavation can be adjusted and the design updated.  
 
Overlays showing the conformance to plan parameters are then made available via secure online server to others in the organisation - production operators, pit designers, managers and more. In less than 10 minutes the visually rich spatial feedback is conveyed to mine production.
 
There are immediate safety benefits with PerfectDig. First, there is significantly less need to access working areas by foot for survey and set out of planned works. Second, the high level of detail and measurement accuracy will help ensure wall design batter angles are met and any non-conformities are managed during construction - reducing the risk of problems later.
 
"PerfectDig is a solution to a universal challenge,’ said General Manager for Maptek in Australia, Peter Johnson. "How can the accuracy and understanding of mine operations be improved, and conformance to mine design assessed so that production efficiency is optimised from the first cut?
 
"This product closes the loop and provides all stakeholders with the detailed information required to track the excavation design conformance at each stage. Better decisions can then be made, when and where they will be most effective
 
"PerfectDig makes it easy to quickly review critical data in the field and act in a timely manner to keep mining operations on track. Without PerfectDig, the information to achieve this is either not available, or requires a lot of effort and time to prepare and is presented too late for effective decision making."
 
Extensive field trials at major Australian mines have provided hard evidence of the measurable benefits of the system, according to Johnson. ‘The advantages of PerfectDig were immediately apparent.’

"When told that all they need is to install software allowing the laser scanner to talk to field devices, people were excited by the possibilities, and impressed by how easily they were achieved," said Johnson.
 
Presenting the information on a handheld device, in virtual real time, puts the evidence in front of operations staff in the pit. The augmented reality of PerfectDig allows them to choose what information they see - layers, depths, overdig or underdig, with volumes and measurements at the touch of a button. They can immediately see what needs to be done to conform to design, or where to change the design.

For more information, visit www.maptek.com

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Rubber/metal grates for gold mine

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Faced with weekly emergency cleaning maintenance when its Metso 32’x32’ SAG mill suffered severe pegging problems, including up to 95 per cent of the passing area blocked by balls, a gold mine in Peru turned to Weir Minerals for help. In extreme cases, a torch was needed to burn the material caught in the grates.

The materials experts at Weir Minerals developed a solution that featured a Vulco rubber/metal grate and achieved approximately 60 per cent longer life than metal grates during field trials. Jointly owned by Newmont Mining Company, Buenaventura Group and the World Bank, the Gold Mill project at Yanacocha is the largest gold mine in South America.

With two plants, the operation extracts gold utilizing the Merrill Crowe process, using two refineries, three plants with carbon-in-column (CIC) processing and one concentrator plant to process the sulfide gold ore.
The Gold Mill project started in April 2008, with an estimated production of 14,000 TMD and its initial layout included: two grizzly and jaw crushers, one SAG mill 32’x32’, one cyclone feed pump (Warman MCRTM), one cyclone cluster with nine Cavex hydrocyclones, six leaching tanks and eight Warman AHPP high pressure multi-stage pumps.

The materials experts at Weir Minerals developed a solution that incorporated a Vulco rubber/metal grate. As part of the design, a metal core which was embedded into a rubber moulded body and reinforced with steel inserts for additional wear resistance. The Vulco rubber provided flexibility so the balls could pass through the slots unencumbered.  

In designing a solution, the Weir Minerals engineers faced several challenges. The new hybrid design needed the same overall dimensions so it could be installed on the pulp lifter vanes with the extremes of the grate plate remaining in cantilever.

An innovative metal core was designed by combining structural steel with high chrome steel; a mill model was developed and the design was submitted to a finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the mechanical integrity and structural strength it possessed.

Due to the composite grate design, along with the insert reinforcement existing in the central lifter bar, the fastening system was changed from bolting through the grate to a new system that screwed studs into the back of the grate. The nuts that support the studs on the back have adequate freedom so that the grate installation, with the studs in position, is accomplished without any risk of blockage or interference.

The prototype was then installed for a field trial. The design was reviewed four times during the trial. In the end, the new patent pending rubber/metal grate design achieved a final life of 235 days, approximately 60 per cent longer than the life of the metal grates.

Other benefits of the newly designed rubber/metal grate over the incumbent metal grate design include:

•  The new hybrid rubber/metal grates can be installed in 14 minutes, less than 50 per cent of the time required to install a metal grate
•  Lower energy costs because the rubber/metal grates are about 45 per cent lighter than metal
•  Increased throughput with unobstructed grate openings.  
•  Lower maintenance costs because no extra mill shutdowns are required to clean the grates, which take about nine hours per month.  
•  Improved operational safety because rubber does not 'impact weld' like metal during regular mill operation so the grates can be removed easier.  As a result, the grates are easier to remove when needed. 

While helping solve specific issues faced by Yanacocha Gold Mine in Peru, Weir Minerals developed an innovative solution that helped reduce a pegging issue while driving customer satisfaction. The new hybrid rubber/metal grates are now offered by Weir Minerals for other applications. 

For more information, visit www.weirminerals.com

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Fully automated SCADA system for water and wastewater treatment

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The Northern Rockies Region of north-eastern British Columbia, Canada, is blessed with a significant wealth and diversity of natural resources, heritage and cultural attributes.

Over the past four decades, the region has experienced its up and down cycles due to the growth and decline of numerous resources and development activities. There have been interesting development proposals such as the Horn River Shale Gas Development, a working partnership that would link the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, Fort Nelson and First Nation communities with the oil and gas industry and provincial government agencies.

In support of this partnership, the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality water and wastewater treatment facilities - comprising of network of pump houses, and other facilities - produces the treated water needed to run operations of the oil and gas patch and forest and mining activities in addition to serving its population of about 5,000 residents. They have a bulk water station that furnishes water for those who are not on municipal water and to the trucks that transport water to operations in the oil/gas patch, such as for fracking.

“Fort Nelson has a fully automated bulk water station, which delivers an average of 400 m3 (14,125.9 cubic feet) of treated water for residential and industrial usage daily.  This station is fully integrated into the municipalities’ SCADA system, which facilitates monitoring of flow totalisation, alarming of heat trace and boiler systems, as well as trending chlorine residual levels in the water being dispensed, etc.,” said Michael Ferguson, Electrical and Automation Specialist for the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality.

According to Ferguson, the municipality recently moved from Siemens’ now-legacy product FactoryLink, to PcVue for use with their SCADA system.  He also mentions that Fort Nelson’s SCADA system includes 22 Motorola ACE RTUs at various pump and lift stations, which communicate over a 900 MHz IP Radio network.

"We have two Motorola IP Gateways (of the Ace3600 platform), which are primary and redundantly configured.  The IP Gateways are the interposing link between the network of field RTUs and the managing Servers (also redundantly configured). Our servers are located at the Municipalities Water Treatment Plant."

Through the help of their value-added reseller (VAR), CTH Systems, they chose the hardware-independent PcVue SCADA package that integrates seamlessly with CTH Systems’ IM-SCADA, an advanced multiprotocol measurement and communication software.  “CTH Systems provided the key component (the IM-SCADA Driver Software) that allowed for a quick transition to PcVue,” said Ferguson. 

CTH Systems used PcVue’s SCADA application builder tool called Smart Generator to port Northern Rockies applications to a more secure and robust SCADA architecture. PcVue and CTH’s IM-SCADA software sit on these servers as well as the historical databases.

This Fort Nelson facility also happens to be British Columbia’s first and only 'Resource Municipality' to service the industry, local residents and businesses.  It covers more than 10 per cent of the Province and includes the majority of the vast Horn River Shale Gas Development. Ferguson manages the electrical systems, process control, automation and communication component of the municipalities’ water and wastewater infrastructure.

Currently Fort Nelson’s SCADA system manages about 8,000 tags. With ongoing capital projects such as a new UV disinfection station to treat wastewater effluent, the system is poised for growth.

Fort Nelson’s water treatment process begins by drawing raw water from the Muskwa River, downstream of the Alaska Highway bridge crossing.  There are several critical processes involved in filling the municipalities’ raw water reservoirs. The initial pumping of the raw water from the Muskwa River requires multi-stage pumping with PID control to overcome tremendous head pressure and control the variable flow rates.

“The process of treating water is not a static process for us. Process variables such as turbidity, colour, and organics are influenced from things such as weather events.  For instance, we once experienced a mudslide where the river we pump raw water from was impacted,” said Ferguson.
 
CTH has provided engineering support to allow the municipality to export data in the form of .CSV files to a report and trend generation service called ‘FlowWorks.’ FlowWorks conditions incoming data with various algorithms such as time-weighted averaging, allowing for the municipalities’ non-operations personnel to view trends, and generate reports.  Additionally CTH has provided real-time and historical trending as an inherent feature of the IM-SCADA driver. This feature presents the data needed to make decisions on how to best optimise operations.

As Ferguson further works to develop the potential of Fort Nelson’s water and wastewater SCADA system, he plans to integrate PcVue with other management applications such as their work order system.  “The goal of our responsible management and preventative maintenance philosophy is to ‘bundle’ systems like SCADA, PDAs, work order application software together,” says Ferguson.

Currently Ferguson is working to have automatically generated work orders based on pump run-times and pressure changes that indicate wearing seals, etc. In addition, he would like having the ability to view system data such as alarms, pressure, and levels from a mobile device such as an iPhone, which is now possible with the use of the latest version of the IM-SCADA driver.

Currently PcVue is configured to have one mimic per site along with configured pop-up windows so that if additional details are needed on a pump house or certain critical values, an operator can just simply click on the icon to open a pop up window to give the information needed.

PcVue will contribute to Fort Nelson’s effort to reduce reactionary repairs, and unexpected equipment replacement. This is achievable by tailoring alarm and reporting functionality to expose issues at their incipient stage.  The use of a fully automated SCADA system is essential in downtime prevention in water and wastewater services provided by this growing municipality.

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X-ray inspection system for diamond processing operation

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3DX-RAY, x-ray inspection specialists, announced today that it has signed a new contract with a major new diamond processing facility in Africa. The deal means 3DX-RAY will supply its fully integrated and high quality AXIS-64 system to help prevent losses from the site.

The AXIS-64 system will be installed at the new facility, currently being built for more than 200 staff, to screen employees as they enter and leave the processing facilities to ensure that diamonds are not removed from the site unlawfully. By providing this additional layer of security the 3DX-RAY system will enable more processing to be undertaken in Africa, rather than at other facilities in Europe.

3DX-RAY’s system underwent an extensive validation-testing programme with the customer to ensure that it could deliver very high reliability at very fine resolutions to ensure that even the smallest stones cannot be taken out of the facility.

Initially one AXIS-64 system is being installed as part of a long term development program with more equipment to be installed over time as the processing operation ramps in scale across the region.

Vincent Deery of 3DX-RAY, said: “In particular the AXIS-64 system offers exceptionally high resolutions to ensure that security operatives can see even the finest details in smaller packages and bags that is just not possible with other equipment.”

3DX-RAY’s AXIS-64 system is a fully integrated stand-alone x-ray inspection system, ideally suited to small package inspection. The system provides excellent image quality, materials discrimination, powerful image enhancement and processing functions for rapid and accurate interpretation of images - increasing throughput and decreasing the incidence of false alarms.

For more information, visit www.3dx-ray.com

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Production record set at copper mine

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Swedish mining company Boliden has set a new production record at its Aitik copper mine in Sweden. On July 14, 2013, 144,912 tons of ore passed through the plant, and thanks to a steadily increasing average production, July 2013 ended up being Aitik's most productive month to date with 3.5 million tons of ore.

The mine is now operating at an annual rate of 45 million tons. Boliden's official target for 2013 is to produce 38 million tons of ore in Aitik.

The new record marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between Metso and Boliden. Metso is responsible for all maintenance in the grinding mill circuit in the Aitik concentrator, and has supplied most of the equipment, including two gigantic, 11.6m by 13.7m AG grinding mills. In September 2012, the two companies signed a three-year extension of their comprehensive Life Cycle Services contract. The contract is cost-per-ton based, meaning that Metso gets paid based on Aitik's production. The higher the output, the more both parties benefit.

The higher-than-expected production rate is a result of the common efforts of both Metso's Life Cycle Services team and Boliden. Metso's service experts have a strong culture of always doing their best to work together with the customer to continuously improve their process.

"Metso has a unique way of not only maintaining, but constantly improving and developing the equipment in collaboration with our customers. This is the reason why Boliden initially chose Metso as its key supplier for both equipment and service in Aitik", says João Ney Colagrossi, President, Services Business Line, Metso Mining and Construction.

The two companies have been working together since the 1930's under various services agreements. This one-of-a-kind history has made Metso an expert in maximising mill uptime, a key factor in breaking production records at Aitik.

"Thanks to our experience, we know when to run the mills a little bit longer and just how to get a bit more out of the mill linings. At the moment, we are at 97 per cent mill availability, meaning that only 3 per cent of hours are spent on maintenance annually; everything else is production", says Christer Brännström, General Manager, SBL Operations, Sweden, Metso Mining and Construction.

For more information, visit www.metso.com/miningandconstruction

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Power generation: the demise of coal still has a long way to go

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Coal-based power generation seemed to be in terminal decline in Europe. However, during the past couple of years coal plants have been working hard and burning coal has suddenly become popular once again. This is happening despite the EU’s aim to reduce carbon emissions to 80 per cent of their 1990 levels by 2020.

A number of factors have combined to make coal the most popular thermal fuel under current conditions.

"Firstly, the North American shale gas revolution had a direct impact on the coal market," explains Frost & Sullivan Energy Industry Director Harald Thaler. "Rising shale gas output has made the US independent of gas imports and has led to a dramatic decline in the price of natural gas. As North American utilities started to switch away from coal towards cheap natural gas, a growing amount of coal was exported rather than consumed locally. Rising American coal exports also came at a time of slowing Chinese demand, which in combination prompted declines in coal prices. It is not surprising, therefore, that lower coal prices make the fuel much more attractive for European utilities."

The second point to note is that natural gas prices in this part of the world remain stubbornly high. As European gas is still largely supplied through long-term contracts where the price is linked to the price of oil, the price difference between coal and gas in the European market has become ever larger, making European utilities eager consumers of coal.

The third point is the failure of the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which essentially was not able to penalise coal-burning plants.

"High coal usage is still expected to continue for several more years, though to a lesser extent, as some ageing coal plants get decommissioned," predicts Mr Thaler. However, there is considerable coal capacity under construction, in particular in Germany and the Netherlands, with most of this new capacity coming online in late 2013 and 2014. Beyond the EU, new plants are also under construction in Turkey and the Balkans. In addition, two coal plants have just been completed in Germany.

Beyond what is currently under construction, however, the future projects pipeline looks fairly weak. The key German market, which is seeing substantial capacity additions due to the projects currently under construction, still suffers from overcapacity despite the looming gradual phase-out of nuclear power. German winter peak demand is typically below 88 GW, compared to 77 GW of conventional thermal power station capacity alone. There is also little need to new thermal capacity in other Western European market, which are suffering from a deadly combination of rising renewables output and weak or falling electricity demand.

The prospects for coal plant orders in Western Europe over the next few years are therefore extremely limited, given existing thermal overcapacities, weak industrial demand and strong opposition to coal plants. However, in Europe as a whole, there will be a few hotspots of activity amidst a generally depressed European outlook. The EU country with the best outlook for new coal plants is Poland, although the story even there is one of slowing down investment. In the longer term, there could be a challenge to coal’s dominance in the Polish power sector from shale gas but only over the next few years will it become clearer how much gas is actually realistically extractable.

The other large European market for new coal plants will be Turkey. Driven by a rapidly expanding economy and a desire to reduce its reliance on imported natural gas, the country is seeing significant coal investments. Turkey has seen higher order numbers in terms of units, but the size of these plants is smaller and they have tended to be of the subcritical variety.

Apart from Poland and Turkey, there are also expected to be opportunities in the Balkans. Countries such as Serbia, Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina will offer the best prospects. The region does not participate in the EU’s carbon trading scheme (though recent developments make this increasingly less relevant) and there is less opposition to coal plants compared to Western Europe. Moreover, there is the potential for power exports as the region as a whole has fairly tight reserve margins and governments are keen to utilise abundant local coal reserves.

The overall picture in Europe is therefore mixed. Business is currently good for operators of existing coal plants, with high utilisation of such plants also expected to give a boost to providers of service and maintenance solutions for several more years. On the other hand, near-term developments in coal plant new-build are effectively limited to parts of Central & Eastern Europe and Turkey. Over the longer term, only a successful commercialisation of Carbon capture and storage (CCS) will reignite coal project development in the core markets of Western Europe, but this is not expected before 2030.

For more information, visit www.frost.com

Unmanned aerial vehicles for mining applications

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The Aibotix Aibot X6 and SwissDrones Dragon 35 are the new generation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from Leica Geosystems Mining.  

The UAVs provide various safety and productivity benefits for both mining and non-mining scopes of work.

The Aibot X6 hexacopter features advanced, multi-sensor, intelligent guidance systems that make it the safest and easiest to operate commercial UAV currently on the market. Aibotix GmbH, the maker of the vertical take-off and landing Aibot X6 UAV, announced in March 2013 that Leica Geosystems and their partners had been awarded worldwide distribution rights for the Aibot X6.

AIMEX 2013 also heralds the Australian announcement of the Leica SwissDrones dual-rotor UAV.  

Known as the SwissDrones Dragon 35, this streamlined synchropter as seen at MINExpo 2012, Las Vegas, Nevada, caused a buzz in the mining market by setting an entirely new standard for UAV technology. The Dragon 35 has superior payload capacity and flying time endurance whilst tightly integrating Leica Geosystems’ multispectral metric camera and imaging technologies. SwissDrones AG in Switzerland has granted Leica Geosystems the licence for worldwide distribution of the Dragon 35.

UAVs are becoming increasingly important in many of the applications served by Leica Geosystems’ solutions. The clear safety and productivity benefits when UAV technology is used for aerial mapping and imagery in mining has become a much sought-after alternative to the costly and time-consuming piloted aeroplane and helicopter solutions currently used. Unrestricted positioning of various measuring technologies on the UAV platforms will spawn a plethora of new applications as the full potential of this transformative UAV technology unfolds.

“For many critical applications, access is risky, impossible or simply too time consuming using conventional methods or platforms,” said Rüdiger Wagner, General Manager of Solutions at Leica Geosystems’ Geospatial Solutions Division. “We chose the Aibotix Aibot X6 because it is one of the best aerial platforms available for safe, reliable maneuvering of important payloads, not only in tight spaces,” he added. “This UAV mirrors the high standards for which our brand is known, making it the right choice for global distribution now. Going forward, I am confident that Aibotix with their strong product roadmap and skilled team are well positioned to keep leading the market with true innovations. That’s just what we need as we continue to think forward.”

Joerg Lamprecht, Managing Director of Aibotix GmbH, said, “Leica Geosystems is synonymous with spatial information products, and an ideal partner for distribution of our UAVs. This is exciting teamwork from two companies that deliver pioneering solutions to difficult problems, especially when one has been doing so for nearly 200 years. Existing segments will be benefit and new markets will be discovered as great products from Leica Geosystems reach new heights in more places on Aibotix UAVs.”

For more information, visit www.leica-geosystems.com/mining

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Dealing with deeper drainage

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Designs of modern drainage pumps and associated equipment are aimed at increasing life through robust drives, linings resistant to abrasion and corrosion, and seals resistant to chemical attack. Maurice Jones reports.

Water in mines has often been troublesome ever since the Romans discovered that drainage adits became ineffective for deeper mineral deposits and interfered with the business of mineral extraction, and mechanical means of lifting water was needed.

The size of the problem represent a major logistical challenge in many mine projects where the tonnage of water that has to be moved, and disposed of safely, can be greater than that of the mineral and waste rock being excavated.

Ideally a main mine pumping system would be an ‘install and forget’ operation, but such are the demands placed on pumps and associated equipment, this is usually an objective that will never be attained; only aspired to. In addition to the necessary location of pumping stations, factors such as acidic water, hard solids, and viscous sludge with clay can conspire to increase wear through erosion and corrosion. Chemical reactions can also produce incrustations in piping, screens and valves.

Thus the designs of modern drainage pumps and associated equipment are aimed at increasing life through robust drives, linings resistant to abrasion and corrosion, and seals resistant to chemical attack. Essentially these requirements are the same whether the mine is underground or open-pit, although there may be more need for underground pump stations to deal quickly with emergency situations such as inrushes.

Depending on the volume of water to be handled, a series of small, interlinked, pumping facilities may be adequate, but for deep mines with large water ‘makes’ it may be deemed necessary to invest in a custom-design solution such as those offered by Siemens Water Technologies. These solutions can be linked with facilities for mineral processing and the treatment and/or recycling of water before environmentally acceptable discharge. The Company’s Siminecis Services provided comprehensive life-cycle support covering acid mine rock drainage, containment and treatment.

Pump designs for handling mine water are usually of centrifugal design, perhaps with multiple stages, with adequate internal space to accommodate expected solids sizes.

Solids handling

The Weir Minerals centrifugal pump range covers a wide range of solids handling capabilities and resistance to corrosive, chemical-laden water. Its Multiflo self-priming chassis- or skid-mounted dewatering pumps can be adapted to work in the largest open pits with the harshest water conditions.

Models range from the MF-90V high-flow version to the MF210MV high-head unit with diesel drives. In addition to its wide range of pumps, Weir Minerals will custom-engineer pump flotation systems (or barges) for open pit sumps, lagoons, water intakes, etc to carry single or multiple pump units.

Sludge

Sludge, such as left in sumps and filters, requires a different approach to pumping or other clearance. Common designs employ positive displacement rotors and/or compressed air suction. Holywell Engineering produce sludge pumps as skid- or wheel-mounted units with no moving parts and therefore requiring low maintenance.

Mitsubishi Mars high-pressure slurry pumps for major needs with high lifts and high solids concentrations have a design that overcomes the limitations of both piston/cylinder pumps and diaphragm pumps. All parts, except valves, are free from contact with the abrasives slurry.

Submersible pumps, with electric or hydraulic drives, are the ubiquitous solution the drainage problems in harsh conditions and with rough handling. Different styles are designed for drainage water, sludge and slurry. Often intended to clear intermittent water makes, the pumps can be run dry without damage. Grindex drainage pumps will handle abrasive particles and have capacities up to 330 litre/s and a maximum of 110m pressure head.

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Mine dewatering in Slovakia

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Water plays an integral part in virtually all mining operations and consequently the importance of carefully managing it has been long understood by the industry. Dr Richard Coulton reports. 

Water is expensive to pump and treat. In arid regions such as Australia its conservation is critical in ensuring the financial viability of the mine and as result techniques such as paste tailing disposal have been developed to minimise evaporative losses. In less arid regions, the problem is not one of water conservation but the disposal of excess water. In these regions the adoption of measures to minimise inflow is the first line of defence, but where this not possible the only option is pumping and disposal off site in an environmentally acceptable manner.

In these less arid environments the industry is faced with the challenge of balancing the cost of water treatment with ever tighter discharge standards.  Historically these standards focused on toxic heavy metals (such as cadmium, lead and zinc) but now also include iron, manganese, sulphate and chlorides.

While the regulator’s principal concern is the quality of the water discharged off site, the mine operator has to take a more holistic view taking into account the capital cost and on-going cost of reagents, power, manning and sludge disposal.

On large mine water treatment projects, the least costly solution invariably involves the construction of a bespoke water treatment tailor to the site specific water chemistry and flow rate.

However on smaller projects the use of containerised packaged water treatment plants can provide the least cost solution, particular for those projects where time is of the essence.

Siltbuster Process Solutions (SPS)  has recently developed such a solution. It was approached by UK-based mining consultants SRK who were working on behalf of Canadian-based Global Minerals to provide a treatment plant to allow the reopening of the Bana Maria mine near Roznava Maria in eastern Slovakia. 

Recent diamond drilling undertaken on behalf of Global Minerals had identified additional silver and copper reserves that had not been exploited before the state owned mine was closed and allowed to flood. Based on these results Global Minerals were keen commence mining as soon as possible.  However to do this Global Minerals needed to pump and treat over one million cubic metres of mine water contaminated with up to 270mg/l of dissolved iron and 90mg/l of dissolved manganese.

As the dissolved metal concentrations were relatively high, we recommended of a high density sludge plant and designed a modular plant based on the dimensions of a standard 20ft high-cube shipping container.  This enabled us to build and test the plant in the UK before dispatching it to Slovakia on six articulated lorries. Once on site the plant was installed, tested and commissioned within a month.

By adopting this approach the whole process from contact award to commissioning the plant took less than 5 months to complete.

Since commissioning in February 2012 the plant has successfully treated 700,000m3 of water removed in excess of 600 tonnes of heavy metals allowing Global Minerals access back into the existing workings from which they can drive new cross cuts to allow further exploration and eventually exploitation of the additional reserves.

Dr Richard Coulton is CEO Siltbuster Ltd, Monmouth, Monmouthshire, UK. For more information, visit www.siltbuster.com

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Twin drivers to productivity

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Remote-control of a wide range of mining equipment can be adopted correctly at various levels of sophistication, with the twin benefits of both improved safety and productivity. Maurice Jones reports.

At the basic level a hand-held panel can be used within line-of-sight of the plant being used, mainly so the operator can work from a safer location. This is obviously easier in an open mine than underground.

At higher levels full automated or remote operation is performed from a central position. In underground mines this may be located on the surface using appropriate communication routing.

Fully computerised mines have been talked about for many years but never fully achieved. However, where operation can benefit from the economies of scale, and/or where operator wages are relatively high such as in Australia and North America, automation involving computerised intervention is being gradually improve.

Automation systems

The best automation systems have been set up within a broad philosophy that caters to the needs of mine operators. They are not just a ‘bolt-on’ that leaves scope for interface failures and mis-matches.

Fabian Dechant, now Director Global Engineering for Joy Mining Machinery, has commented that his company’s objective is to integrate Joy’s control technology and open industry standards to make it possible to interface with today’s data gathering and management systems. This will bring about the transformation of an equipment operator into a process surpervisor. In the case of underground equipment, each plant item has a series of ‘black boxes’ housing the control and data monitoring functions.

Dechant comments: “What our customers are buying is the combined functionality of the ‘black boxes’, not the technology buried within those boxes.

It has tended to be the loading and transport functions that have been the main subjects of remote-control and automation measures. Loaders, including LHDs, can often work in hazardous locations such as open stopes and caving zones, so remote-control removes the operator from these possible danagers. In open-pit mines, driving large dump-trucks at a relatively slow speed up ramps can be a soporific activity, so removing the operator can only help in reducing poteniial collisions or run-offs.

Remote-control and automation is now being applied to much more than these load and haul functions. Sandvik offers drilling, process management and general monitoring within its AutoMine range. The AutoMine rotary drilling system utilises GPS receivers, cameras and geofencing for independent drilling and tramming throughout a mine. Claimed benefits include increased drilling accuracy, and more holes in less time as well as reduced risk.

Remote Control Technologies (RCT) of Australia is one of an increasing number of retrofit and oem suppliers of remote-control and automation solutions for mining equipment, principally in its ControlMaster range. The company says: “RCT guarantees less damage and greater tons moved than conventional teleremote operations.”

This highlights a potential problem for inexpert remote- or central-control operators in that inaccurate guidance can result in more damage, mainly from collisions with the walls of drives. Conversely, accurate guidance can allow the increase of tramming speeds in LHDs and trucks.

The RCT ControlMaster Surface Solution for underground mining allows the operator to work from an ergonomic and clean office on the surface using a reliable fibre-optic link to an antenna systems in the underground mine drives.

Video 1: Sandvik AutoMine offers a variety of products for different applications, AutoMine can significantly raise productivity, improve safety, enabling smooth flow of rock solid surface and underground operations

Video 2:  Atlas Copco Scooptram operation using radio remote control (RRC)

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Continuous checks for continuous production

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Remote monitoring of the condition and location of equipment and workers is an integral part of mine automation and control, but in any efficient operation it is important to know the activities on important assets. Maurice Jones reports.

If the mines and equipment are working in isolated areas it becomes even more important, for safety and rescue reasons, for the mine controller and management to be aware of unusual occurrences. This article concentrates on monitoring equipment rather than geotechnical, environmental and personnel matters.

In addition to ‘breakdown’ warning, regular monitoring of machine condition can provide valuable data for the planning of plant replacement and the best allocation of maintenance resources. The data can even be collected and analysed at a centre remote from the mine itself, perhaps with the assistance of the equipment manufacture as part of a service contract.

Trolex’s approach is to combine machine conditioning monitoring with its more traditional gas monitoring, the latter obviously having an effect on whether machines can operate in potentially hazardous atmospheres. Both fixed and mobile applications are covered. The company’s remote monitoring systems not only on collects data maintenance and performance issues, but Trolex is also working on clearer figures on how it produces a demonstrable cost saving through improved productivity.

For example, it is estimated that the Trolex Commander monitoring longwall coalface electrical gear has produced a 20 per cent improvement in productivity by data collection from motor starter gears. The aim is to keep coal cutters working continuously.

Typical sensors, protected against harsh environments, include those for vibration (to indicate deteriorating bearings), temperature and pressure (oil loss etc.). These are matched to audio and visual alarms both on the machine and for remote warning.

The efficiency of remote monitoring methods depend heavily on the type of communications used by the whole mine and whether the monitoring is active or passive. The wider installation of fibre-optic systems has increased the reliability of personal monitoring, largely because it eliminates many problems associated with radio signal transmission underground.

The MineWatch range from Davis Derby incorporates equipment monitoring with control and communications for hazardous atmospheres. The system is flexible with three modules to work with conveyors, pumps, fans, etc. as well as environmental duties. The modules can be reprogrammed on site and the plc ‘ladder logic’ software is user programmable.

The remote ‘health’ monitoring of key plant such as conveyors, main crushers and shovels in surface mining is equally important although, of course, communication becomes much easier. P&H’s PreVail system addresses the problems of increasing plant complexity, and trouble-spot identification, to increase reliability of production.

The on-board data logger collects data from strategically located sensors, and incorporates pre-set alarms for conditions of concern. The date is transmitted by radio to both the mine network (for alarms, etc) and to P&H’s server via the internet.

The PreVail application server analyses data to determine trends and so warn of probable maintenance problems in advance.  P&H claims that use of PreVail remote health monitoring can reduce face shovel downtime for an unexpected event (eg, dipper drop) from one to three days to only six hours due mainly to easier identification of the cause of the problem.

Similar remote health monitoring systems are offered by other manufacturers of key plant such as Atlas Copco for drill rigs

Video: Introduction to the PreVail RHM (Remote Health Monitoring) for face shovels etc. by P&H (Joy Global Surface Mining)

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Get it sorted

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Kai Bartram looks at the use of sensor sorting technology in the mining industry and how it can to 'unlock' additional value from the minerals.

Sensor sorting technology developed in Germany by STEINERT Elektromagnetbau GmbH has been applied in the scrap metal and waste recycling industries for more than a decade.

Now, says, Johan van Zyl, Product Manager of STEINERT Australia, this technology has been adapted and redesigned to suit the mining and minerals industry.

Van Zyl explains: “Ore sorting is a process for upgrading mineral bearing rock at large particle sizes, typically between 250mm and 10mm and involves evaluating the mineral content of individual rocks as they pass through a sensor, then separating them into Accept and Reject fractions, based on pre-determined selection criteria. Ore sorting requires a property specific to an ore to be sensed and then optimised for each application.”

Depending on the particle size range of the material being treated ore sorting machines can operate at throughput rates up to 200 tonnes per hour per machine. It is possible to adjust machine sensitivity and the cut-off grade for the accept/reject split. This fine tuning gives flexibility to operating requirements, for example, high upgrade ratios or maximum recoveries. Then the crushed rock or gravel is screened into size ranges.

A recent example is the installation of a 2m wide x-ray transmission (XRT) sensor sorting system at the Wolfram Camp Mine (WCM) in Northern Queensland for the removal of waste rock after the primary crusher in order to reduce the load on downstream processes. 

Why use sensor sorting?

Van Zyl says: “A sensor sorter does not require water in its operations, therefore eliminating the possibility of acid water. It is also energy efficient as it accurately detects the location of the mineral in the ore and ejects the waste, reducing the amount of material that must be crushed and transported – hence using less energy. By doing this, only the ore containing mineral needs to be transported from site. This contributes to major savings on transport costs.”

This technology has the potential to produce better quality and more consistent coal/mineral product in the industry, adding that the desired product does not need to be seen in the ore by the naked eye as the machine will detect it.

With this in mind - projects can be brought onto the market quicker and junior coal miners and small coal operators have the opportunity for a quick start-up – bringing coal standards up to required specifications.

The STEINERT XSS T can be modified and the software used will be unique to each application.

Van Zyl says this technology is not to be a replacement for conventional technologies. He hopes that the STEINERT XSS T can be seen to work in conjunction with traditional technologies – thereby providing an additional step in the mining process – but also assisting in the reduction of operating costs.

Kai Bartram is Business Development Manager, STEINERT Elektromagnetbau GmbH,  Cologne, Germany.

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High-voltage motors for mine

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About 50 of WEG’s H- and M-line machines have been chosen to drive production facilities at the largest single mine development in Kazakhstan by both volume and value, the Bozshakol Clay Project.

Owned by one of the world’s top copper producers, the Kazakhmys Corporation, the Bozshakol sulphide and clay complex has an estimated annual ore processing capacity of 30 million tonnes and will employ around 1,500 people, with a similar number involved in the construction phase. The enterprise will contribute to Kazakhstan’s long-term industrial development.

WEG’s is based on the joint efforts and cooperation of several WEG branches in Australia, UK and Russia, including the significant contribution of WEG’s local partner in Kazakhstan, the Alpha-Centre company. WEG’s focus on cooperation with world-leading OEM’s, well-timed feed-back from all the markets involved and perfect coordination from the WEG global-projects-team, made it possible for WEG to offer the most competitive solutions including logistics, certification and service issues.

The development phase of Bozshakol Clay Project in Kazakhstan began ahead of schedule, with pre-production mining scheduled for 2014 and the first ore to be processed at the concentrator by 2015. The capital cost for the project is in the region of £1.18 billion.

For more information, visit www.weg.net/uk

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Integrating HPGR into minerals processing circuits

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High pressure grinding rolls technology is now widely accepted for multiple hard rock mining.

Whether extracting copper in Argentina or coal in China, the small, low-tonnage mining operation has virtually disappeared. The mining industry has shifted to high-tonnage, low-grade operations, which require larger equipment to accommodate the operational shift.

Manufacturers of mining equipment, including Weir Minerals, have also needed to keep pace with this operational shift.

One example of the adoption of new technology is high pressure grinding rolls (HPGR), which was first introduced to the mining industry in the processing of kimberlite to liberate diamonds. HPGR technology is now widely accepted for multiple hard rock mining applications in iron ore, copper ore, platinum ore, and gold ore. 

HPGR Basics

The HPGR delivers a finer mill feed and greater efficiency than can be achieved with conventional cone crushers.

High pressure grinding works with an advanced grinding roll. Contrary to conventional crushing rolls, the particles are broken by compression in a packed particle bed, and not by direct nipping of the particles between the two rolls.

This particle bed is created between two choke-fed, counter-rotating rolls. Between these rolls, a particle bed is pressed to a density of up to roughly 85 per cent of the actual material density.

With advancements in wear surfaces and operating practices, the HPGR is capable of continuous production over a long period time without major replacement of wear surfaces. In hard competent materials of typical high abrasion, the grinding rolls have demonstrated a total service life exceeding 8000 operating hours.    

Applications

The HPGR is ideal for hard competent ores with high resistance to traditional methods of comminution, which rely on impact or abrasion for liberation. The HPGR takes on a combined role of preparing mill feed that displaces any option for considering a combination of tertiary and quaternary cone crushers in meeting a comparable product. In soft or high clay content ores, a conventional SAG mill with or without crushing of pebbles by cone crushers is more suitable than a HPGR.

Operational needs

When incorporating a HPGR system, mine operators need to consider cost and need for suitable feed preparation.  The high tonnages required for low-grade ore bodies mean that large and powerful cone crushers must be operated in closed circuit with vibrating screens to produce an optimum feed. A fine feed of less than 40mm is preferred but a 50mm feed is acceptable. It is important the incoming feed is 100 per cent finer than the working or operating gap (2.5-3 per cent of the roll diameter) of the HPGR.

In addition, the secondary cone crushers should be operated in closed circuit with vibrating screens to ensure that both the feed top size is properly constrained and that any uncrushable tramp material that passes to the grinding rolls will not be of sufficient size to damage the HPGR.

With a HPGR system, it is imperative that the cone crushers and vibrating screens are of adequate capacity and durability.  For this reason, plant designers have preferred single stages of both crushing and screening and the vibrating screen operates as both a coarse scalping screen and a sizing screen.

While cone crushers have continued to increase with the largest in operation currently operating at 1,865 kilowatts, vibrating screens remained smaller than 4.3 meter wide.  Manufacturers have struggled to successfully develop a 5-meter wide screen capable of operating at required specifications of a HPGR feed preparation circuit.

Screens and HPGR technology

Screens play an important role in a comminution process that employs HPGR technology. A screen built too light for both the scalping and sizing duty will fail prematurely. Conversely, a screen built too heavy may not be able to sustain the necessary G force to prevent blinding of the deck or properly stratify the material for separation.

Besides the screens that are used in the feed preparation process, vibrating screens are required for the final stage of separation following the HPGR stage with the oversize returning to the HPGR feed stream.  Large, single deck multi-slope banana screens or single deck screens up to five meters in width are typically best suited for these applications. 

The next generation

The challenge facing screening technology manufacturers is to design systems that vibrate larger with heavier screens without sacrificing ease of operation and maintenance.

The interdependence of the individual components of a mill circuit requires that all processes are optimized and aligned for maximum capacity, efficiency and utilization.  By carefully designing and integrating equipment, capital investments can be minimized without compromising productivity or increasing maintenance costs to ensure the continued efficiency of mine operations.

Manufacturers of mill circuit mining equipment have recognised the value of HPGR technology and are expanding their portfolios to accommodate the shift in mining production needs.  For example, Weir Minerals is investing in:

* An expanded KHD HPGR platform,

* A new heavy-duty, high-capacity range of Enduron Screens,

* New, longer lasting elastomers, and

* New cone crusher technology.

With advancements in wear surfaces and operating practices, the HPGR is capable of continuous production over a long period time without major replacement of wear surfaces and is ideal for multiple hard rock mining applications in iron ore, copper ore, platinum ore, and gold ore.

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Installing high pressure pump systems made easier by design

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Mike Sherman looks at how the specific design of a pump affects the ease of installation as well as the overall reliability.

The use of efficient, high pressure pumps is becoming more common across many industries; especially mining, power generation and steel processing where there is a requirement for robust and reliable pumping systems to perform crucial tasks. However, just looking at price and specification may not reveal the full range of benefits available from the various manufacturers and the potential costs or savings which could be encountered further down the line.

With rising energy costs across the world, most industries are reviewing applications which depend on high energy consumption, with a view to using more energy efficient equipment. Figures from the steel industry indicate that 20-30 per cent of a steel plant's overall expenditure is on energy, which means that even a modest saving will have a significant impact on overall efficiency.

Within the steel manufacturing process lies the method for removing scale from the rolled steel, which uses water at very high pressure to blast the scale from the hot steel. This process is an exact science and requires carefully controlled equipment to deliver the exact volume of water at the correct pressure to ensure complete scale removal while using the minimum amount of energy.

Meanwhile in the underground world of longwall coal mining, high pressure pumps provide the power source for the critical roof support systems, which provide support at the coalface to allow the shearer to cut the coal from the seam.  Again precise control systems are required and the reliability of these systems must be beyond any doubt, with thousands of hours of testing carried out before any system is permitted to operate at the coalface.

For those involved in the procurement of new, more efficient equipment in these and other industries, the performance and reliability of a potential purchase must be demonstrated.

The use of positive displacement pumping systems can often deliver instant savings over rotary pumps simply by being more efficient and requiring less power to run the process.  By reducing the motor size, improving reliability and overall efficiency, the savings in power consumption can reach 40% with the additional benefit of less down time and maintenance time - all of which help in improving overall profit.

However, understanding the benefits of individual pump designs is also important to ensure that the most suitable plant is installed.  The equipment will not only affect those responsible for paying the bills, but also the maintenance engineers and operators who will be responsible for the day to day running.

One example would be the method of connecting the motor to the pump, which, in the majority of cases, is done using a coupling, with the components mounted on a base plate. This design can result in possible twisting loads in the event of a locked pump, which translates into a requirement for improved fixing security to ensure the pump assembly remains in place.  It is important that the calculations for these twisting moments are made carefully and precisely to ensure that a locked pump does not lead to additional damage.

However, there is a design, by RMI Pressure Systems, that meets the most stringent reliability tests and provides efficient delivery without the need for these additional engineering calculations. The key to this benefit is the design of the solid, centralised pedestal, which supports both the motor and the pump by being bolted directly to the pedestal. This design means that any torque moment transfer to the bedplate anchors will be negligible.

Of course, as with most pump manufacturers, RMI includes a number of safety circuits to prevent a potential locked shaft condition, including a pump safety relief valve, which protects the pump against a potential hydraulic lock. In addition, there are oil temperature and pressure sensing circuits as well as motor overload monitoring all of which can indicate a potential issue with the system and allow the pump to be stopped prior to any potential damage being caused. But additional security in the centralised pillar means that in the event of a locked pump, costly downtime and repair bills can be avoided.

Further benefits offered by RMI's design include the stored energy offloading system, which allows the pump to idle in a pressurised standby condition, while still being able to quickly and efficiently return to full service when required; reducing energy consumption. This alternative to complex by-pass, drain or accumulator systems allows the pump to run without generating further pressure while allowing system flow and pressure to be maintained when required.

Specifying the right high pressure pumping system can help to make significant energy savings, however it is important to understand how the design and operation of each product can affect the costs over the lifetime of the pump in order to calculate savings accurately. The design of any new equipment should be such that the installation process is as simple as possible and the daily operation reliable and efficient. With the ability to create bespoke high pressure pumping solutions, RMI can deliver a system ready to be integrated in to the existing infrastructure and immediately deliver savings to the client.

Mike Sherman is with RMI Pressure Systems, Manchester, UK. www.rmipsl.com

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