Each year we celebrate excellence in the mining industry by inviting our readers to nominate people, companies, groups or projects that they feel have demonstrated outstanding commitment to advancing the state of play in mining over the past 12 months.
The list of shortlisted finalists is below. Final voting closes December 20. Please vote here.
The winners will be announced in the January/February print issue of Mining Magazine, and on miningmagazine.com on January 16, 2023.
Fleet & Equipment
Liebherr - Assistance System OHT - Trolley Guidance System and Crusher Guidance System
Liebherr developed two Assistance Systems—the Trolley Guidance and Crusher Guidance systems—to help to simplify two of the more delicate and complicated activities on a mine site. Both semi-autonomous systems help improve operator efficiency, reduce fuel consumption, increase operational safety, and reduce the risk of damage to the machine. Both Assistance Systems have been successfully validated in a mine this year. The Trolley Guidance System aims to maximise the benefits of using truck fleets on trolley. This system automatically raises and lowers the pantograph to connect and disconnect the truck as it enters and leaves the trolley line. The Trolley Guidance System also takes control of the steering while the truck is attached to the trolley line to ensure the truck maintains a consistent travel path. The Crusher Guidance System automates a truck's movements as it reverses into the fixed, narrow structure of a crusher. The system achieves this in two separate motions: the forward motion, where the Crusher Guidance System aligns the truck with the crusher; and the reversal motion, where the system directs the truck back into the crusher and notifies the operator when it is safe to dump the truck's load.
MaxMine Productivity
MaxMine Productivity is a technology platform that revolutionises how mining operators at open pit mines utilise data to optimise their operations. Through operator behaviour change, MaxMine improves multiple aspects of load and haul activities and has achieved the following improvements at mine sites: - 13% Payload increase - 16% Increase in total material moved - 12% Increase in haul speed of the vehicles, within safe limits - 12% Reduction in vehicle breakdowns - 24% Reduction in non-productive travel on site - 16% Reduction in haul truck queueing times - 8% Reduction in fuel consumed - 40% Reduction in tyre expenditure These improvements, whilst increasing tonnage in a safer manner also reduce the environmental footprint of mine sites via reduced fuel usage and more efficient use of consumables, such as tyres. MaxMine achieves these outcomes using proprietary algorithms that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning that automatically detects critical operational activities from sensors embedded in mining equipment.
Hexagon Mining division - HxGN MineOperate
The HxGN MineOperate Fleet Management System reduces downtime and increases production above and below ground with integrated solutions for trucks, dozers, shovels, and drills. The MineOperate portfolio comprises fleet management, machine guidance, operator assist, semi-autonomous solutions, machine and asset health, and fragmentation analysis. Hexagon is constantly innovating in the material movement space.
Mehrzad Ashnagaran & Nic Beutler at ABB
Piloting the first Mining EV fast charging solution called FastCharge set to become the world's fastest and only fully automated charging system for mining trucks, offering up to 600kW of power
Nikolaos Petropoulos - LKAB
The LKAB team is moving their mining operations to the future by leveraging technology like Spot for autonomous and remote inspection of tunnels. Spot can autonomously inspect portions of the mine, collecting data for review to identify cracks or evidence of seismic activity. Spot accelerates digitalisation by making data collection even easier and more frequent, giving engineers more information about the condition of the mine.
Operations & Safety
Torex Gold
Torex partnered with researchers at Laurentian University to design and undertake a 6-month field evaluation of the acceptance and usability of a novel, wearable, fatigue detection device. With support from the National Syndicate of Mining Industry Workers, Iron & Steel Workers, Metallurgical and Workers in Similar Context of the Mexican Republic (CTM) union, the study engaged willing Torex employees that operate off-highway haul trucks - as this sector of the workforce is known to be at risk for passive fatigue due to the relatively sedentary nature of driving, in combination with the effect of extended work shifts and exposure to environmental uniformity (driving the same route consistently). The fatigue detection technology, LifeBand by SmartCap ensures comprehensive coverage for fatigue risk protection for open pit mine operators. Torex is the first industrial organization to-date to experimentally evaluate the LifeBand by SmartCap in a field setting, as only two prior validation studies have been conducted in clinical settings. This technology combines a headband worn inside the Torex employee's hardhats and uses electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors and Bluetooth technology to wirelessly transmit the fatigue status of users to small dashboard-mounted monitors, and to dispatchers and supervisors in the control tower.
Martin Engineering N2® Position Indicator
The Position Indicator automatically monitors belt cleaner blades, tracking and reporting remaining service life without having to physically inspect the cleaner. The device eliminates the need for manual inspections by giving technicians precise information, delivering critical real-time intelligence and reducing exposure to moving conveyors, improving both efficiency and safety.
Senseye via Axora
Senseye is a predictive maintenance platform that monitors sensors on most industrial machinery and provides actionable advice. The platform's advanced Al algorithm uses sensor data to learn what normal operations look like and then uses automated condition monitoring analysis to predict potential issues before they arise. This enables the smooth running of operations by preventing unplanned maintenance and reducing costly repairs. Senseye enables proactive maintenance, cuts unplanned downtime by up to 50% and maintenance costs by up to 30%, and boosts productivity by up to 55%. Leading metals and mining company Alcoa has already reduced unplanned downtime by 20% and saw ROI in six months after adopting the technology.
Rockmass
The RockMass solutions suite Mapper enables users to scan rock faces from up to 7 meters away from the face in 3D, and up to 30 meters away in 2D. This allows users to scan at a further and therefore safer distance. Users also have the added benefit of reduced geotechnical and geological mapping time at the face, meaning they spend less time in hazardous areas. Additionally, with RockMass' solutions users can flag hazards and notify team members immediately to reduce hazard risk related to rehabilitation. Finally, RockMass users can capture q/rmr data at the face for ground support calculations while underground which can help improve support decision making.
Orica's WebGen™ - Mine Schedule Flexibility
Orica's WebGen™ is a wireless initiating system used to initiate bulk explosives in both the open cut and underground mining. It uses magnetic induction to transmit encrypted arm and fire codes from an antenna to the primers located in the blastholes. The technology removes the in-hole and surface wires, or signal tubes used by conventional initiation systems to transmit firing signals. Eliminating physical connections opens a whole new range of possibilities, including the safe passage of mining equipment over loaded blastholes.
Production & maintenance
Aspen Mtell - Aspen Technology
Powered by AI, AspenTech's predictive and prescriptive maintenance solution Aspen Mtell, avoids unplanned equipment outages by identifying the earliest possible indicators of potential equipment damage using machine learning. Aspen Mtell notifies maintenance teams of specific sensors contributing to the issue and leverages in-built reliability methods to highlight potential mitigating actions thereby providing a structured approach to improve maintenance efficiency, and equipment reliability as well as reduce future risks.
Aspen Mtell has been implemented at different processes and commodities throughout the metals & mining value chain from haul trucks and shovels to crushers and ball mills and processing plants. By reducing equipment downtime, product loss, and energy inefficiencies, Mtell has created significant business impact and has helped our customers run efficient, safer, and more sustainable mining operations.
CR Mining, Jaws, and Whitehaven Coal
Collaboration to develop a new bucket, lip and GET combination for 800 tonne excavators. Using data on payload and dig energy, plus scale testing and engineering modelling software, the companies worked together to develop a new bucket/lip combination that increased bucket payload by 2.6% and improved fill factor while reducing dig energy by 14%. Reducing dig energy lower emissions (less fuel used per tonne of payload) and reduces fatigue through the front of the machine.
KETOS
Mining companies can automate water quality testing with KETOS to track over 30+ parameters - including heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and selenium - to ensure water used or returned to the environment meets regulatory compliance requirements.
Martin Engineering CleanScrape® Primary Conveyor Belt Cleaner
Unlike conventional belt cleaners that are mounted at a 90 degree angle to the belt, the CleanScrape Cleaner is installed diagonally across the discharge pulley, forming a three-dimensional curve beneath the discharge area that conforms to the pulley's shape. A key advantage is that it needs tensioning just once after initial installation, reducing maintenance time and a potential safety hazard. The unique design has been shown to remove as much as 95% of potential carryback material, and has been so effective that in many operations, previously crucial secondary belt cleaners have become unnecessary, saving further on belt cleaning costs and maintenance time.
Thiess
Thiess has worked with developers to produce two new digital solutions: a mobile warehouse application (app) and mobile maintenance app.
The mobile warehouse app replaces manual paper-based processes with a handheld device operated via a cloud network, digitising the way we manage warehouse inventory. The android-based app is linked directly to the Computerised Inventory Management System and is run on a Zebra handheld mobile computer with built in RF scanners.
The mobile maintenance app will also streamline processes and drive efficiencies. Current processes require tradespeople to manually complete a handwritten job planning sheet (JPS) which is then entered into our internal online system by a Leading Hand, Supervisor or Planner.
The android-based app is also linked directly to the Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS), replacing paper-based processes and duplication of work by allowing tradespeople to create work orders and add parts directly via their handheld device.
Emissions reduction & monitoring technology
Lynx Global Intelligence ESG Platform
Lynx's platform allows users to upload data with no Wi-Fi connection. One point of entry allows for reporting on many global sustainability standards at once.
MineLCA of Minviro
This solution makes product-based full Life cycle assessment achievable. All actors in minerals and metals supply chains can quantify and created mitigation scenarios and action plans for their environmental footprints in 16 different environmental impact categories (not only GHG Emissions).
B2Gold
B2Gold's Otjikoto operation maintains a fully autonomous hybrid power plant, which was commissioned in 2018 and consists of 6 MW solar and 24 MW heavy fuel oil (HFO) components. Following the success of the Otjikoto hybrid power plant, the company commenced the construction of a similar hybrid power plant (consisting of 30 MW solar and 64 MW HFO and diesel components) at our Fekola operation in 2020, which reached full capacity in Q3 of 2021. The Masbate Gold Project uses an HFO/diesel power plant to generate electricity on site. Prior to 2022, one production generation set (of the six that comprise the power plant, corresponding to 5.5 MW of 35.9 MW total capacity) operated solely on diesel fuel and the other sets operated on HFO.
Indigenous and Community relations
Sentient
Sentient has developed, deployed and launched their "MAVI" Stakeholder Engagement Tools over the past year. MAVI is a new product, using gaming technology to create interactive and highly visual presentation tools that support the heritage and environmental approvals process required throughout Life of Mine planning, operations and closure. The tools present complex mine planning data that can be viewed dynamically; GIS mine planning data is shown over satellite imagery, drone footage is used to orient the users on heritage sites and custom content such as 3D animations and explorable models of the terrain let users get down to ground level and see how infrastructure that is yet to be built will interact with the land. Designed with a simple user interface, the tools are supporting Traditional Owners and other stakeholders to understand the shared data better and thereby make more informed decisions. MAVI is encouraging further transparency from mining organisations and has received highly positive feedback from the community. The tools are strengthening relations with the public by making important data accessible to everyone involved.
Nature Metrics via Axora
Water and biodiversity are precious to the local communities and indigenous groups that often live near mining operations. Nature Metrics' comprehensive biodiversity monitoring technology allows mining companies to efficiently monitor the effect of their operations on local water sources. The technology measures biodiversity by analysing traces of DNA in water, powered by world-leading Environmental DNA technology. It allows anyone with minimal training to take water samples easily. The water sample is captured on-site and passes through a special filter which traps the DNA. The sample is then returned to Nature Metrics and analysed within weeks. This approach requires 90% less effort than conventional sampling - just one sample can give access to data on hundreds of animal and plant species. Global mining companies such as Anglo American have already benefited from the technology across their operations to streamline their water monitoring efforts.
Torex
Torex is currently the second-largest gold producer in Mexico, with operations in Guerrero State, a socially complex area to operate. The Company places a priority on local employment and local procurement and, as a result, Torex's operations are a key economic driver for the State. Currently 99% of the workforce at site is from Mexico, with more than 60% from State of Guerrero. In 2021, almost US $75 million of total procurement spend was in Guerrero, strengthening the region's economy, and creating financial stability for families, business partners, and local and regional suppliers.
Torex partners with host communities through innovative Community Development Agreements called CODECOPs (Convenio de Desarrollo Comunitario Participativo) established with 11 local communities. Under the Agreements, community projects are defined according to local needs and priorities through CODECOP committees established for each community, with committee members selected by each community assembly. This was done to empower local communities on decision-making processes related to community investment, with the community deciding how and when to spend the funds available. Typical projects include infrastructure development and improvements, water and sanitation projects, education and healthcare initiatives, and cultural initiatives. In 2021, approximately $4.1M USD was spent on direct community investments, with the intention of creating healthy, prosperous and sustainable communities.
ESG and the transition
The Northern Goldfields Solar Project
Presented by TransAlta, Stantec and BHP
The 48.2MW Northern Goldfields Solar Project, currently under construction, comprises two solar farms and a battery energy storage system to be integrated into TransAlta's off-grid Southern Cross Energy North network supplying power to BHP Nickel West's Leinster and Mount Keith operations. Once complete, it will constitute one of the world's largest hybrid energy networks servicing the mining industry.
Built, owned and operated by TransAlta and developed in collaboration with BHP and Stantec, the project will reduce emissions from BHP's electricity use at Mount Keith and Leinster by 12% (the equivalent of 23,000 combustion engine cars removed from the road every year), reducing fuel costs and improving the reliability of electricity supply. The project contributes to BHP's medium-term target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions from its operated assets by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. In addition, the project will improve BHP's position as one of the lowest cost carbon nickel miners in the world, reducing emissions from electricity use at TransAlta's Southern Cross.
Liebherr
Thirty-eight units of Liebherr's ultra-class T 284 mining truck make up the world's largest fleet of ultra-class trucks operating on a trolley line. These trucks, located at a copper mine in South America, all run under Liebherr's Trolley Assist System. The Trolley Assist System helps to reduce total fleet CO2e emissions by 52% and well-to-wheel CO2e emissions by 49%. The Liebherr Trolley Assist System uses an overhead pantograph to connect the trucks' electric-drive systems to the mine's electrical network, powered by the customer's energy source of choice. The Trolley Assist System offers increased truck fleet productivity, and the potential for a reduction in fleet size while maintaining yearly production, when compared to standard trucks. The potential for significant reduction of diesel fuel consumption and carbon footprint by decreasing the truck fleet's CO2 emissions, demonstrates the Trolley Assist System as an effective first step on the road to zero emission mine sites of the future.
ABB
ABB successfully supplied haul truck trolley assist infrastructure to help Copper Mountain achieve a reduction in carbon intensity by more than 50% in medium-term with a final target of zero by 2035
Safety
Drillco's Quickbits Automated System
Drillco has launched Quickbits, a system that is welded into the drill rig to allow for automated replacement of tricones and / or down the hole hammers and bits. This solution noticeably increases safety for the operators, as it removes personnel from the line of fire. The solution was developed upon customer's requests for safer bit exchange processes, after one mine (Antamina in Perú) suffered from a fatality while exchanging tricone bits.
Hexagon Mining division - HxGN MineProtect
HxGN MineProtect Collision Avoidance System (CAS) brings protection to mining vehicle operators, vehicles, and assets in open pit mines via a smart antenna and an unobtrusive cabin display unit. The safety solution provides operators with 360-degree awareness for surrounding vehicles and selected assets and offers a technology-led collision avoidance function based on path prediction. MineProtect CAS notifies operators to avoid accidents to keep them and other mine personnel on-site safe. Protecting mine workers in the pursuit of zero harm helps keep mining organisations safe, productive, and profitable.
Lance Karlson and the BHP WAIO Geoscience Operations team
Safety campaigns in the exploration industry have typically been reactive, with focus given to the last major event that occurred. In 2019, Lance Karlson and the BHP Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) Geoscience Operations team decided to approach their safety efforts differently by commencing a multi-year "Taxonomy Program". This involved analysing hundreds of historical injuries, near misses and fatalities from both internal and external sources, as well as collaboration with drilling, earthworks and geophysics contractors. The results showed surprising and consistent trends in the time of year, tasks, energy sources and locations in which safety events in the exploration industry occur.
Maptek
Maptek's VisionV2X is a proximity detection and collision avoidance system for underground mine safety. VisionV2X assists operators to work safely with all vehicles and personnel in their area of interest with no blind spots and with no need for additional mine infrastructure.
Mineral Processing
Haver & Boecker Niagara, XL-Class Elliptical Vibrating Screen for High-Moisture Applications
Haver & Boecker Niagara engineered a new, elliptical motion Niagara XL-Class vibrating screen for a Brazilian iron ore producer. The new technology is ideal for screening applications challenged with high-moisture content and can easily handle capacities up to 3,500 tons per hour while minimizing water usage. The vibrating screen runs in an elliptical motion of up to 6g in a high-moisture iron ore screening application to ensure stratification in all phases of screening. It also features a robust elliptical exciter drive that offers a bearing life up to 75,000 hours.
Vinca Technologies
Developing a zero-harm non-toxic non aqueous metal extraction technology, which repurposes dry solid inert tailings as construction aggregate
MAJOR, FLEX-MAT Modular PLUS
Modular PLUS is specially designed to withstand harsh screening conditions with the most abrasive materials, such as granite and basalt. The efficiency-enhancing characteristics of all FLEX-MAT screen media, including the modular PLUS series, are created by bonding OPTIMUMWIRE®— the industry's longest-lasting wire — with distinctive lime-green polyurethane strips rather than weaving them. This allows wires to vibrate independently from end to end under material contact. The high frequency of the wires — 8,000 to 10,000 cycles per minute — adds to the vibration of the screen box — 800 to 900 cycles per minute — to speed up material separation and passing. The increased screening action improves material throughput while virtually eliminating near-size pegging on the top decks and fine material blinding and clogging on the bottom decks, resulting in a lower cost of production per ton.
Honeywell: Scenario-Based Advanced Process Control Approach for Non-Linear Mining Process Responses
In industrial processes, changes in process variables often result in highly non-linear results. One example of this non-linear behavior is sedimentation rate in thickener tailings. In some cases, a given mineralogy may result in a high sedimentation rate, producing a high level of clarification, whereas under another condition it is not possible to recover enough water due to a low sedimentation rate. Therefore, the effect of a change in flocculant dosage on thickener response variables such as clarified water level, torque, or bed pressure varies depending on the type of ore fed into the thickener process. In the aforementioned example, plant dynamics vary according to the input conditions, meaning that both the gain and the settling time of the mathematical model of the dynamics change. This non-linearity greatly hinders correct control of the process. Accordingly, an advanced controller with time-varying tuning is required to solve the problem.
In answer to this problem, an Advanced Process Control (APC) application used in conjunction with a scenario-based approach was implemented. The APC application was developed using a range control algorithm, minimising the effects of model uncertainty while determining the smallest process moves required to simultaneously meet control optimisation objectives. Range control algorithms make the use of traditional approaches, such as adaptive control, difficult due to the minimisation of actuation energy.
Hence, a different approach has been undertaken in which non-linear changes in process response are characterized in scenarios. Operational information, mineralogy, variable slopes, and variable ranges are used to identify scenarios. Each scenario is translated into different actions that allow complementing and strengthening the APC. Actions include automatic tuning changes such as an increase or decrease of controller gain, changes in optimization objectives (maximization, minimization, and setting a desired value), and changes in controller limits.
This scenario-based approach was applied at a major copper operation in Latin America, and the end user benefited through greater availability, throughput, and standardization of operation. Results included a throughput increase of 9.8% with variability reduced by 22.4%. Torque variability was reduced by 44-45.1%. An increase in clear water reflected greater water availability. Variability of water level in the recovered water tank was reduced by 36.1%. Time out of the control range was reduced from 48.2% to 13.1%, and final tailings slurry solid percentage was increased by 3.8%. Rougher flotation feed variability decreased 27.2%.
Relo Grinding Media via Axora
Relo Grinding Media is pioneering a revolution in grinding processes for mining. The technology has been in development for years following unique academic research which demonstrated that a different shape to the traditional spherical grinding ball could deliver radically more efficient grinding. In both lab and real work tests, the team has measured up to 40% less power used for the same grinding output. Or otherwise, 100% more throughput for the same resource input. No other changes are required to the flowsheet - it's simply a new type of grinding media. This can contribute dramatically to both cost savings and throughput increase but importantly, mining companies' environmental metrics - lower power consumed equates to lower emissions.
Metso Outotec
Working at heights risk has been recognised by the industry for years and although several attempts have been made to reduce the risk, there has not been a real solution in place until now.
Metso Outotec's mill reline equipment engineering team proposed a novel platform design that met multiple challenging conditions and requirements, providing significant risk reduction to personnel accessing the mill. The key feature that makes the new system successful is a pivoting design that gives the strength required to support multiple personnel but makes it easy to erect using a single power tool. Personnel now have a place to stand while performing relining tasks and have access to a ladder that does not interfere with relining procedures so it can remain erected and safely accessible.
Software
Minnovare (part of Hexagon) for Minnovare CORE - Client Online Reporting Engine
This product offers a productivity-boosting alternative to clunky error-prone paper-based drill plans and shift reports (for hard rock underground mining) to capture, share and present drilling data faster and more accurately. It is a secure cloud-based drilling data platform that seamlessly connects leading mine management software (like Deswik and Aegis) with mobile devices (installed with proprietary apps like the Minnovare Production Optimiser Solution tablet app) for drilling operations that so that mining companies can harness the advantages of richer data mining and analytics for better decision-making on the go.
Minviro
Minviro's software solutions enable companies in the technology and raw material industry to lower their environmental impact. Based on the LCA approach developed by Founder and CEO Robert Pell, Minviro is transforming the way mining & material companies work with sustainability. A process that takes months with traditional LCA methodologies has been made available in less than a day with MineLCA.
Dassault Systèmes
Almost everything around us is enabled in some way by Dassault Systèmes. For the past 40 years, working closely with customers and partners, Dassault Systèmes has spearheaded many technology breakthroughs that have had a profound impact on society and on people's lives.
Hexagon's Mining division
Hexagon's Mining division empowers mines to connect all parts of their business with technologies that make sense of data in real-time, while integrating, automating, and optimising critical workflows that deliver a competitive edge. Our mining technologies provide surveying, design, fleet management, production optimisation and collision avoidance capabilities in a single, life-of-mine solution that connects people and processes, reduces costs and improves the safety, productivity and sustainability of mine sites.
Orica's FRAGTrack™ Gantry
Orica has developed FRAGTrack™ Gantry, fragmentation monitoring technology and market-first haul truck measurement solution combining real-time oversize detection alerts and accurate Particle Size Distribution (PSD) of fragmentation on all models and sizes of haul trucks. This pioneering technology uses advanced machine vision and machine learning technologies to enable autonomous triggering and processing, without interfering with the haulage operation.
Metso Outotec
Metso Outotec Geminex is a metallurgical digital twin that was launched in March 2022. It combines online operational data and expertise, delivering insight-driven performance that gives efficient management of variability in mining, pyro- and hydrometallurgical operations. It enables customers to take a quick digital leap for managing the variability in operations by scenario planning and control while achieving better environmental and financial performance.
Drill & Blast
Drillco's Quickbits Automated System
Drillco has launched Quickbits, a system that is welded into the drill rig to allow for automated replacement of tricones and / or down the hole hammers and bits. This solution noticeably increases safety for the operators, as well as improving efficiency and reducing costs, by speeding up the replacement process and significantly reducing drilling downtimes.
Hexagon Mining division - HxGN MinePlan & MineMeasure
Hexagon offers integrated drill and blast solutions including blast movement measurement (BMM) transmitters as a practical method to measure 3-dimensional rock movement in blasting, machine guidance for drills (as well as dozers and loading equipment), and software that ensures that drilling is performed to the right position and elevation. It provides accuracy and instantaneous feedback, meaning improved loading times across the fleet, less mis-routed material, fewer hours of rework on ramps, roads, and benches, and fewer over- and under-drilled holes.
Orica's 4D™
4D™ is Orica's latest bulk explosives system that enables the real-time tailoring of explosives energy to geology across a blast. The proprietary technology comprises specific blends of emulsion and ammonium nitrate porous prills to suit all hole conditions - dry, wet or dewatered, and can be delivered through both pumped and augered loading methods. The 4D™ bulk explosives system offers an increased ranged of energies that can deliver up to 23% more relative bulk strength for hard rock applications and a 43% reduction in energy for soft rock or technical applications, such as wall control. In softer geology, lower energy can be applied to reduce over-blasting in soft, wet ground resulting in lower explosives consumption and reduces overall blasting cost. Improved vibration control and a reduction in post-blast fume are also expected outcomes through the better matching of energy to rock hardness in wet conditions. Further, by matching energy to geology, mines can achieve a more consistent muckpile with improved excavation productivity.
Load & Haul
CR Mining, Jaws, and Whitehaven Coal
Collaboration to develop a new bucket, lip and GET combination for 800 tonne excavators. Using data on payload and dig energy, plus scale testing and engineering modelling software, the companies worked together to develop a new bucket/lip combination that increased bucket payload by 2.6% and improved fill factor while reducing dig energy by 14%. Reducing dig energy lower emissions (less fuel used per tonne of payload) and reduces fatigue through the front of the machine.
Philippi-Hagenbuch
In 2022, Philippi-Hagenbuch expanded its rear eject engineering capabilities to include the largest articulated haul truck on the market, the Volvo A60H. These trucks feature a body volume of 43.9 cubic yards with a 2:1 heap ratio, making these rear ejects 50 percent larger than the most common rear eject bodies available. Each of these rear ejects features an interior width of 156 inches and a loading height of 148 inches and is built exclusively out of high-strength, abrasion-resistant Hardox® 450 steel for exceptional life and to handle the extremes they are put under within mining environments.
Liebherr R 9600 (hydraulic excavator)
Liebherr's R 9600, its latest 600 t excavator and successor to the well-respected R 996B, provides best-in-class force distribution with the highest digging and breakout forces in the 600 t class. The R 9600 also offers class-leading productivity and optimal power transmission. A production study of the R 9600, designed to evaluate the operational efficiency of the machine when compared to the R 996B, demonstrated considerable gains in productivity over its predecessor. This production study determined the R 9600 to be 19.6% more productive and 19.8% faster than the R 996B located on the same site.
Exploration
Fleet Space Technologies
Fleet Space have created a solution that helps mineral exploration companies reduce the amount of drilling needed by up to 80% as well as providing rich 3D data within 96 hours of planting sensors. Ultimately Fleet Space only work with critical mineral companies - where these minerals are used to help meet net zero targets.
Drillco - Puma RC5 Exploration Hammer
This new hammer has proven to have superior performance in dry sample recovery under any drilling situation, facilitating the operator's job and improving ore identification.
SRK Exploration
For advancements in exploration in Project Murchison.
Bulk Handling
Martin Engineering N2® Twist (TM) Tensioner
The Twist Tensioner is an autonomous conveyor belt tensioning system that continuously monitors and delivers proper cleaner tension throughout the cleaner's service life. The device saves maintenance time by eliminating the need to physically inspect and adjust the belt cleaner tension, and reduces the risk to service personnel by minimizing the need to work near a moving conveyor. The result is more efficient belt cleaning, increased safety, reduced labor and a lower cost of operation.
Vayeron via Axora
Vayeron is an IIoT predictive maintenance technology for idlers that cuts conveyor downtime, avoids unplanned maintenance costs and increases safety. The sensors are housed within the mechanical conveyor rollers that monitor the temperature, vibration and sound within the conveyor roller and transfer this data wirelessly to a centralised platform. It enables real-time 24/7 autonomous monitoring of key conveyor roller conditions, and predicts and detects conveyor roller failure modes, including bearing failure and shell-wear. Vayeron has already proven itself with top miners worldwide including BHP, Centennial Coal, Glencore, South 32 and Worley.
Mining Services & Support
MAJOR, On-Site Technical Services
This year, MAJOR introduced a new service for its customers. This offering includes MAJOR working closely with its dealer network to offer complimentary on-site technical services for end users. Each program is designed to help producers and contractors to maximize uptime with their screen media and include local screening performance assessments, technical assistance, training workshops and more. MAJOR certified dealers offer screening performance assessments to identify opportunities and offer solutions for improvement to increase plant uptime and screening efficiency.
Mike Jackson/Ramjack
We have been closely partnering with the Ramjack team in multiple opportunities across MEA. The team have a strong relationship and a very good understanding of customers' needs and gaps and with their valuable insights we are able to properly collaborate to provide the right support level with their experienced services team to our customers.
Metso Outotec & Codelco Gabriela Mistral
The project was executed for more than 6,000 hours without accidents due to the leadership of both companies. .After 15 years of operation, Codelco's Gabriela Mistral Division (DGM), aligned with its sustainable objectives and without expanding its footprint, decided to modernize its two cathode stripping machines, an activity that counted with the advice, supply of components and service by Metso Outotec. This service included the installation, commissioning, and start-up of Chiseling (knife unit), Down Ender (downer unit), DDU (deflector unit), and Rejected Unit.
Metso Outotec / Mosaic Cajati
Mosaic Cajati tripled production with 95% of plant availability in 10 months at their crushing plant managed by Metso Outotec with an LCS service contract.
Metso Outotec manages the primary crushing plant at Mosaic Cajati, offering 95% availability for ten months of operation. Mosaic, one of the most important producers of dicalcium phosphate in Brazil, tripled its primary crushing capacity by temporarily outsourcing this step to Metso Outotec under a long-term Life Cycle Services (LCS) agreement. Today, this unit operates with a production of 1,500 t/hour and, at the end of August, it maintained a high 95% equipment availability level for ten months and had been running without preventive maintenance for 90 days. Outsourcing the service work to Metso Outotec, prevented the plant from being shut down with unplanned downtime while Mosaic builds a new primary crushing plant. One major differentiator of the equipment operated by Metso Outotec is the additional remote supervision of the operation.
Nil Vallvé / MTG
For the innovative idea of including in MTG products a QR code which provides the mine site maintenance crew with a landing web page which has updated materials to support their duties related to assembly and disassembly, and welding.
