New Mining Technology 2013 by The Northern Miner Group

3M Mining & Metallurgy Solutions

Protecting your workers. Maintaining your power grid. Enhancing your operations. You face these challenges all day, every day. With our world-renowned technologies, expertise and service, we can help. In today’s mining world, productivity equals profits. At 3M Mining, we get it.

• WORKER SAFETY • SITE SAFETY • ELECTRICAL • MAINTENANCE • CORROSION PROTECTION • LOCATING & MARKING • GROUND SUPPORT • and more Let’s start the conversation today. Contact Ian Gillespie at 1 800 265-1840 x2249. www.3m.ca/mining

www.3m.ca/miniere

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The next generation of ground support 3M’s Polymeric Composite Membrane will provide new, superior reinforcement By: Alex Isings, Mining, Oil and Gas Leader, 3M Canada

round support is one of the most important safety considerations when operating in underground hard rock mines. However, a common ground support – shotcrete – has gained widespread acceptance despite issues with brittleness and reliability. So, to improve the safety and performance of mine sites, 3M applied its technology and innovation to create a new sprayable mining liner that will be much more effective. Development of the sprayable liner first began when a mining company approached 3M Canada, recognizing that an alternative ground support membrane was needed in order to safely and efficiently operate in more challenging ground conditions. Tasked with their customer’s problem, 3M Canada began to develop an innovative solution: the Polymeric Composite Membrane. Ground Support Made in Canada The mining industry continues to use shotcrete for ground support; however, shotcrete has drawbacks, including a significant amount of rebound, where large aggregates, sand and cement bounce off the mine’s wall resulting in wasted material. “Even the most skilled shotcrete application can see as much as 30 per cent rebound,” said James Bradley, Technical Leader, Mining, 3M Canada. “Thickness can range from one-to-fourinches, even if the operator was aiming for a layer of two-inches.” Developed in the 3M Canada lab, the 3M Polymeric Composite Membrane is a two-part coating that can complement or replace the use of wire mesh or shotcrete for ground control in many areas of underground hard rock mines. The membrane forms a tack-free layer within seconds, and cures quickly to provide a tough and flexible coating that provides superior safety. “The liner can be used as the sole solution or in conjunction with shotcrete,” said Bradley. “The liner can be sprayed manually to reinforce shotcrete, an inherently brittle material, where shotcrete has missed or to reinforce areas where shotcrete requires improved stability.” Testing the liner As ore bodies are depleted, mines are forced to extract deeper deposits that are under dynamic moving ground. Miners need a ground support system that will yield with ground movement and conventional systems are challenged under such conditions. Working with a mining consortium and a mining company, 3M Canada tested the Polymeric Composite Membrane, and found the membrane is successful in holding more than two tonnes per square metre. The polymer’s high tensile strength, elongation and bonding properties are areas where materials like shotcrete and wire mesh fall short. Unlike shotcrete, Polymeric Composite Membrane has the ability to elongate in excess of New Mining Technology

250 per cent. Furthermore, 3M has found applying four-millimetres of the thin sprayable liner overtop of shotcrete can improve the peak load up to 50 per cent and provide up to 400 per cent greater elongation. Together, 3M’s Polymeric Composite Membrane offers greater stability and an additional layer of protection to surfaces, helping to prevent injuries to miners in the case of falling debris, such as rocks or dust. Impacting the bottom line With quick drying times of the Polymeric Composite Membrane, cycle times on mine sites can be decreased, offering a direct benefit to the speed at which a mine site can safely operate, enhancing productivity and impacting the bottom line. With deep ore bodies, logistics is also a concern. Transporting dozens of tractor trailer loads of cement through several kilometres of underground tunnels on demand is costly and difficult. The Polymeric Composite Membrane material is stored in steel drums and mixed in the spray tip. The very thin coating reduces the amount of material used and the associated logistical costs. The next generation of ground support The 3M Polymeric Composite Membrane is available now for manual applications. Robotic applications of the thin sprayable liner are in testing and development. This latest innovation from 3M offers a new and enhanced level of support in underground mines, helping to reinforce current ground support methods and control falling debris, allowing miners to dig deeper and overall make mining safer. See www.3M.ca/mining Summer 2013 3

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Tools Engineered for Demanding Applications • Mine Infrastructure • Heavy Vehicle Maintenance • Heavy Mobile Equipement Founded over 110 years ago, Chicago Pneumatic has a strong history of constantly looking for new ways to meet your needs, today and tomorrow. In 1889 John W. Duntley realized that construction workers, in particular, had a need for many tools that were not yet available. For this reason, he founded Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company. This was the beginning of his lifelong mission, to develop and provide all industries with the tools necessary for their success. Over the years Duntley grew the company through product innovation, always insisting on product quality and reliability. The name Chicago Pneumatic became known and appreciated by workers around the world for durable, reliable tools that made tough jobs easier and were designed to meet specific needs. Today, Chicago Pneumatic is a global brand that offers products for almost every industry and countless applications. We are proud to say Chicago Pneumatic still stands for reliability, durability and customer value.

www.cp.com

Heavy Machinery Maintenance

NEW

MINING TECHNOLOGY Published by

Canadian Mining Journal 80 Valleybrook Dr., North York, ON M3B 2S9 Tel. (416) 442-5600 Fax (416) 510-5138 www.canadianminingjournal.com

Editor

Russell Noble 416-510-6742 rnoble@CanadianMiningJournal.com

Art direction Mark Ryan

Production manager Steven K. Hofmann

Print production manager Phyllis Wright

Circulation manager

Cindi Holder 416-442-5600, ext. 3544 cholder@bizinfogroup.ca

Publisher

Robert Seagraves 416 510-6891 rseagraves@CanadianMiningJournal.com

Sales

Western Canada, Western U.S.A. Bonnie Rondeau 416-510-5245 brondeau@canadianminingjournal.com

CONTENTS Editorial Index

Big crusher company breaks into smaller market........................................ 6 Nickel plant features new water treatment system...........................................10 Microseismic system helps make mining safer..................................................18 Screens help increase profits at mines and quarries.............................................21

ADVERTISERS INDEX Atlas Copco..............................20.....................................www.atlascopco.ca 3M .................................................2....................................www.3m.ca/mining

Athabasca Basin Development.............................8.............................www.athabascabasin.ca

About the cover

Athabasca Basin Security....8...............................www.basinsecurity.com

In keeping with what Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield showed us on his recent space journey, The World is a spectacular planet filled with interesting shapes and colours. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a place where technology brings contents closer together and where new ideas help make life easier for all mankind. This edition of New Mining Technology takes a look at just a few of those new and innovative ideas.

CANADIAN Mining Journal New Mining Technology

Bestech.......................................21.......................................www.bestech.com Chicago Pneumatic.................4.............................................. www.cp.com Henkel........................................15.........................www.henkelna.com/mining Hitachi.........................................17............................. www.hitachimining.com Metso...........................................13......................................... www.metso.com SRC...............................................24.................................www.src.sk.ca/mining

Summer 2013 5

Feature

BIG MARKET Thinking small for a

Heavy machine manufacturer starts making a portable crusher By Russell Noble

6 Summer 2013

New Mining Technology

reative thinking is often hard to find on the shop floor but at PR Engineering Limited of Oshawa, ON, that’s exactly what Company President Linda Grieco says has resulted in the company launching a new and much smaller product than its workers are used to building. Unlike the massive jaw crushers and other heavy components the company has been manufacturing and repairing since 1965, Grieco says that ‘imagination,’ plus a thorough understanding of crusher technology, inspired the staff to look beyond their traditional products and study the crusher industry closer to see what was missing? PR Engineering’s designers and technicians, like almost every other manufacturer of mining equipment, has heard the word “downsizing” in recent years and with that in mind, they decided to downsize their thinking too, and that’s what they did by ‘miniaturizing’ some of their massive product line to produce a portable, tow-behind crusher. Using their technical knowledge and understanding of their main product line of Birdsboro Buchanan crushers, PR Engineering took those same design elements from the much larger equipment and scaled them down to make its PREMAC 1 machine, a mobile crusher portable enough to tow behind a pick-up truck .

Three views showing the size (compared to PR Engineering’s normal equipment, background) and the portable PREMAC 1 crusher. New Mining Technology

Summer 2013 7

Feature

Field samples of rock are easily loaded into the new crusher, resulting in a finely ground and manageable product (right) ready for testing.

8 Summer 2013

New Mining Technology

A close look at the compact PREMAC 1 crusher. The new machine is small by comparison to some of the larger pieces of equipment (background) that PR Engineering Limited of Oshawa, ON, specializes in building and repairing, but it’s equally well designed and engineered and the company is confident that it will be a welcomed addition to the crusher world.

Gary Robinson, PR Engineering’s General Manager, says the PREMAC is a departure from what they’re used to producing in terms of size and strength, but from a sound engineering and performance standpoint, he thinks the new crusher is one of the more innovative designs to hit the mining market in many years. In fact, he says the “lab-sized” crusher is so well engineered and built that it’s in a class of its own thanks to a unique doubletoggle action that results in better crushing performance, meaning a more consistent final product with less effort to crush the same amount of rock and reduce wear on moving parts. “And what’s more,” says Robinson, “is that it can easily be towed behind a pickup truck or even larger car because it weighs just 2,300 pounds, which makes it easy to haul to sampling stations in the field, exploration sites, or anywhere else in adverse conditions where smaller lab crushers would be ineffective.” As mentioned earlier, the design of the new machine came from “the floor up” and that means the basic idea started on the shop floor and was eventually presented to upper management when most of the design elements were worked out. Starting on June 30, 2011, PR Engineering’s employees had to think ‘small’ because most of them have only been involved with the big Birdsboro New Mining Technology

Buchanan machines and to envisage a crusher so small was a challenge. To some, in fact, the proposed size of the crusher was “questionable” because of what it was expected to do in terms of productivity and crushing power, but as the design progressed, everyone was on board and confidence grew as tests showed the machine’s capabilities. For example, a reversible manganese steel jaw was used for extended life and roller bearings are also included throughout the machine to add further strength and reliability to the crusher. Furthermore, a six inch by 10 inch material inlet at a 290

rpm toggle rotation enable the crusher to produce two tons per hour of ¼ inch material and three tons an hour of ½ inch rock. Adding to the compact and simplicity of the design, the crusher is powered by a 10 hp TECO/Westinghouse, 575 Bolt/3 phase motor that Gary Robinson says is a perfect match with the advanced rollerbearings to provide reliable operation with minimal maintenance. “It’s a high-production machine in a small frame but we’re confident that the engineering built into the Premac One will make it a hit with the mining and exploration industry,” says Robinson. NMT Summer 2013 9

Feature

CUSTOM FIT Arc-flash relays help mine reduce accidents By Mervin Savostianik*

A graphic illustration of how the system works.

WATER CONDITIONS By Marianne Dupla & Dave Oliphant

hile it was rigorously testing a customized use of hydrometallurgical technology to assure commercial viability for its mammoth nickel-mining project, Vale Canada Ltd. was also testing a comprehensive effluent treatment program that incorporates new high-rate softening and clarification technology to help protect the environment. International mining company, Vale, is nearing completion of its US$3.7billion nickel processing plant at Long Harbour, on Newfoundland’s Placentia Bay. The Brazilian mining company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Vale Canada Limited, formerly known as Vale Inco, is directing the construction of the processing plant, which began in April 2009. Start-up of the plant is scheduled for August 2013. Once fully operational, it is expected to annually produce 50,000 metric tons of nickel, 4,700 metric tons of copper, and 2,500 metric tons of cobalt. The mined ore will first undergo a 10 Summer 2013

PEN

CCD5

mg/L Ca

400-540

580 - 620

mg/L

8.5 to 11.5

10.5

Testing raw water RW Total Calcium RW TSS RW pH

concentrating process at the Voisey’s Bay mine site in Labrador before it is transported by ship to the processing plant at Long Harbour. By processing ore concentrate at the plant, Vale anticipates achieving higher metal recoveries while also eliminating the time and expense of shipping to Ontario or Manitoba for refining. The processing plant will use an innovative hydrometallurgical (hydromet) processing technology researched and developed by Vale in Canada. Although several Canadian operations use hydrometallurgical processes, Vale has tailored this processing technology specifically to treat the nickel-cobalt-copper sulphide deposits at Voisey’s Bay. The overall flow sheet, patented by Vale in 2000, results in an efficient and cost effective integrated process that makes high quality finished metals.

Hydromet Technology Commercially Viable Because Vale had never used hydromet processing technology on the type of ore present at Voisey’s Bay, the company invested $200-million on a 10-year R&D feasibility program to test the technical, economic, and environmental viability of the process. Hydromet testing was conducted in three stages. The first involved benchscale testing, which proved that each separate chemical process worked individually at laboratory scale. The second stage featured the operation of a 1:10,000 scale pilot plant at the company’s Mississauga, Ontario, research centre. The third stage involved the design, construction and operation of a 1:100 scale demonstration plant in Argentia, Newfoundland The objective there was to confirm New Mining Technology

technical and economic viability and to assist engineers in the selection of the most appropriate construction materials and specification of major equipment. Results at the Argentia demonstration plant confirmed to Vale that the technology would be technically, commercially and environmentally viable for this project. Use of the water-based hydromet technology will enable the plant to process the nickel concentrate directly to metal products without first having to smelt the concentrate. It also will allow Vale to process higher yields of the nickel and valuable cobalt, both of which are lost to a great extent in traditional smelting processes. Water Supply & Treatment Challenges With water being a crucial resource in all steps of the process, Vale was also challenged with determining how to effectively manage water usage and treatment to meet the process and potable water needs of the facility as well as regulatory and environmental discharge requirements. Following performance testing of a proprietary water treatment technology at the 1:100 scale demonstration plant, Vale contracted Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies to design, supply and manufacture a complete effluent treatment package for the facility’s process effluent prior to discharge into the environment. Vale also contracted Veolia for a water treatment plant to provide process and potable water for the entire complex. The processing plant’s raw water treatment plant will include ACTIFLO® sandballasted clarification, a proven high-rate settling process that combines the advantages of ballasted flocculation and lamella clarification. The ACTIFLO process operates with microsand as a seed for floc formation. The microsand provides surface area that enhances flocculation and also acts as a ballast to aid rapid settlement, resulting in a high-rate settling process with a very small footprint. For treating the facility’s process effluent water, the treatment system will include the ACTIFLO Softening process, a new technology developed by VWS Canada initially for pilot testing at Vale’s Argentia Demonstration Plant. Process Overview At Vale’s Long Harbour facility, slurry from the Process Effluent Neutralation New Mining Technology

(PEN) system will go into the treatment plant’s residual storage area (RSA) pond. Overflow from this storage pond or, if necessary, the plant’s site settling ponds, will be directed to the system to capture metals and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). Pilot testing at Vale’s Argentia Demonstration Plant demonstrated the system’s effective high-rate desaturation capability, if it’s ever required at the Long Harbour facility. The system has a single treatment line that includes: 1) a dynamic mixing zone stage that creates rapid mixing conditions to destabilize anions by adding metallic salts, if necessary; 2) an enhanced precipitation reactor designed to improve the reaction of lime and carbonate ion with the hardness and natural alkalinity of water to form insoluble compounds; 3) an accelerated flocculation stage to provide rapid development of large settleable flocs; and 4) a settling unit providing both gravity and enhanced lamella clarification. Sludge is recirculated and reinjected into the precipitation reactor to improve the precipitation kinetics and optimize chemical consumption. Testing Veolia performed two series of jar tests for the Vale project, beginning in 2006, to initially validate the efficiency of the process in treating different water qualities. After successful jar testing, Vale requested Veolia conduct pilot tests at its Argentia demonstration plant. Before these tests could proceed, however, Veolia was first challenged with designing and building a miniature pilot unit that could properly demonstrate the technology at the 1:100 scale demonstration plant. The then-current technology with pilot units required a minimum flow rate of 720 m3/d (30 m3/hr) of raw water. The miniaturized version required for operation in Vale’s demonstration plant had to efficiently operate at flow rates as low as 24 m3/d (1 m3/hr). Veolia developed a unit with a “lab capacity” flow rate in order to demonstrate the applicability of this technology to the Vale demonstration plant’s raw water of limited stream capacity. This innovation, the “ACTIFLO Mini,” treats water with a flow rate 20 times smaller than the flow rate required for the standard ACTIFLO pilot unit.

Once developed and validated, the unit was performance tested at the Vale demonstration plant in 2007 to treat PEN water, with the goal of reducing TSS and heavy metals. The resulting data showed that the technology could meet or exceed the effluent quality criteria, producing a good clarified water quality and respecting regulation for each different stream. For PEN overflow, for example, turbidity was reduced from 50 NTU to below 1 NTU in the clarified water, corresponding to a removal of 99%. Nickel was reduced from an average of 50 mg/L to 0.2 mg/L in the clarified water, corresponding to a removal of 99%. Iron was reduced from an average of 1.4 mg/L to 0.2 mg/L in the clarified water, corresponding to a removal of 86%. Additional tests were performed to verify the reproducibility of the results and showed clarified water quality with the same metal concentration ranges and same turbidity. A pilot test at the 1:100 scale plant was conducted the following year using softening technology to treat CCD5 (counter current decantation) and PEN water. The main objective was to demonstrate the efficiency of the softening process in removing calcium and magnesium to reduce hardness. Tests were conducted both with and without sludge recirculation at various water qualities and flow rates. Results showed the combination of softening and sludge recirculation achieved the water quality treatment objectives of TSS and calcium (Ca) concentrations lower than 15 mg/L and 300 mg/L as Ca, respectively, in the final effluent. Utilizing sludge recirculation in the softening process reduced chemical requirements by approximately 10 per cent. The performance of the clarification and softening process was highly robust throughout the pilot trial and the technology reacted quickly to major changes in raw water quality and in TSS loading with sludge recirculation up to 3,000 mg/L. Treated water quality (turbidity, Ca concentration) was not affected by variations of inlet water quality. A High-Rate Process The precipitation reactor is a critical component in the high-rate process because it allows for complete homogenization of Summer 2013 11

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Continued from page 11 water and chemicals. The design of TURBOMIX™, a proprietary draft-tube reactor, combines the advantages of plug flow and complete mixing. It reduces the reactor tank volume by suppressing dead zones and decreases reagent loss by preventing short-circuiting. Sludge is re-circulated in the draft tube reactor so that large crystals form quickly and retention time is reduced. Recycling the sludge also increases the sludge waste concentration and thus reduces the volume of sludge for disposal. With the addition of a draft tube into the system’s maturation tank, mixing and reaction kinetics are improved such that crystallization can occur more efficiently, requiring shorter reaction times and lower chemical demand. When this is combined with softening chemistry, calcium, magnesium, and other constituents may now be removed rapidly from water at high rates within a much smaller footprint. The reactor immediately downstream from the precipitation reactor slowly mixes the precipitated particles with a flocculating polymer to promote the formation of large flocs. This stage includes the introduction of microsand to act as a nucleus for the flocs. The ballasted flocs settle rapidly and provide the system with its high rising velocity. The final stage includes a clarification tank providing lamella-enhanced settling. Surpassing Standards Based on the results of the demonstration trials, Vale selected two full-scale ACTIFO Softening units to treat the Long Harbour processing plant’s RSA decant water prior to discharge into the environment. It also selected three ACTIFLO high-rate clarification units to treat raw pond water to provide process and potable water for the facility. Vale has stated that, through continuous investment in technology and processes, it aims to surpass international sustainability standards for its global operations. The water treatment systems currently being installed at its new Long Harbour processing plant will further help Vale meet this goal. NMT Marianne Dupla is Technical Services Commissioning and Piloting Supervisor, and Dave Oliphant is Director of Industrial Project Development, Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Canada Inc.

12 Summer 2013

ith more than 70 locations around the world, Metso is your local partner for any service need, including life cycle services, spare and wear parts replacement, field services, preventive maintenance, advanced performance materials, automation solutions, plant diagnostics, equipment refurbishment, and a broad range of training courses. Our solutions are powered by ever-expanding global resources and an industry-leading OEM parts inventory. We also offer engineered-toorder equipment and custom rebuilds and retrofits – all based on OEM specifications and developed with our advanced knowledge of process technology. Metso understands that your success depends on consistent, efficient operations, so we offer performance-based contracts and extended protection plans to help you reach those goals. And whether you require emergency support or scheduled/regular maintenance, one of Metso’s 1,700 field service technicians is always accessible. Our team is expertly trained to diagnose, maintain and repair Metso equipment, but their knowledge and capabilities extend to every aspect of your operation.

Our approach to service is forward looking: Metso’s Process Technology and Innovation group (PTI) works tirelessly to develop solutions that provide extended wear life and maximum performance for your equipment, as well as the development of custom automation solutions for plants. Services like these – along with training courses to ensure your workforce is well versed in the technology – save our customers time and money and increase efficiency without the need for replacing equipment. No matter what your particular needs, every service project and contract we engage in is supported by our commitment to health and safety. We go above and beyond industry standards and regulations to ensure we contribute to a safe and healthy working environment. When you choose Metso as your service partner, you can rely on support that is in line with your HSE goals and requirements. NMT

Contact Information:

Email: minerals.info@metso.com www.metso.com New Mining Technology

We define performance the way you do.

Sustainable is smart.

Optimize your circuit with energy-efficient technology from Metso

From high-performing cone crushers, to the low-consumption design of vertical stirred mills, and the revolutionary HRC™ – Metso offers energy-efficient comminution technology for every stage of your circuit. With the right Metso equipment, you’ll benefit from more sustainable, less-costly operations. And you won’t sacrifice performance: Our equipment always delivers high availability, minimal maintenance and beyond-standard safety. metso.com – email: minerals.info@metso.com

Advertorial

High Odour Products Impair Productivity Low Odour Maintenance Products Promote Healthy, Productive Work Environment

he profitability of a mine is dependent on its ability to reduce downtime, and improve productivity. Unscheduled downtime is expensive and any reduction in downtime can pay dividends to the bottom line. Increasing productivity is a never ending struggle in the resource mining sector and can often involve confusing and difficult to implement solutions. If the introduction of a product involves both reduced downtime and increased productivity, the entire mining industry listens. Henkel recently introduced a new generation of Nordbak crusher backing compound that promises exactly that; reduced downtime, and increased productivity. Loctite Nordbak PC 9020 is a new low odour, high performance backing compound formulated with the use of new advanced epoxy technologies to achieve high compressive strength, high impact resistance and low shrinkage. Due to the low odour, low VOC formulation maintenance crews can work faster and with fewer breaks, reducing downtime and increasing productivity. Also due to the increased compressive strength, higher operating temperature, and high impact resistance, PC 9020 will likely last longer in service and require less frequent servicing of crusher cone surfaces. Henkel has truly listened to its customers and delivered a unique product that truly helps increase profitability in the resource mining sector. Loctite Nordbak PC9020 is available in 2 and 5 gallon pail sizes with participating distributors. NMT

PRODUCT

ITEM #

CONTAINER

COVERAGE CUBIC IN. @1/4” THICKNESS

LOCTITE® PC 9020TM NORDBAK® BACKING Compound

1694850

2 gallon

340

1694859

5 gallon

850

NEW

14 Summer 2013

MIXED COLOUR

MAX. OPERATING TEMPERATURE (F)

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH (psl)

Hardness shore D

WORKING TIME AT 77˚F (minutes)

Functional cure at 77˚F (hours

Blue

220

19,000

New Mining Technology

Low odour crusher backing You asked...we delivered Make your work environment safer and more pleasant by using our new Loctite® PC 9020™ Nordbak® low odour Crusher Backing Compound. Henkel R&D has created a high performance version of its traditional crusher backing compounds with the exclusive benefit of low VOCs and low odour. Help ensure the safety of your workers and your crushers using Loctite® PC 9020™ Nordbak®. Features: • Low VOCs, increased safety • Low odour, low shrinkage • High compressive strength • High impact resistance Blue colour change technology ensures product is fully mixed • Blue • Consolidates product selection for different applications

To arrange direct factory support for your applications, or to learn about additional Nordbak® wearing composites and Fixmaster® epoxies, call 1.855.436.5354, or visit henkelna.com/mining.

All marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere. ® = registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. © Henkel Corporation, 2013. All rights reserved. AD-152-13.

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Hitachi’s SkyAngle camera monitoring system provides comprehensive “bird’s-eye-view” to operators

itachi’s SkyAngle system is making it easier for operators around the world to monitor the area around their machines. The new technology, which was developed in conjunction with Clarion Co., Ltd, takes synthesized images from several wide-angle cameras mounted on the truck and displays them in the cab. This results in a comprehensive “bird’s-eye-view” of the surrounding machinery. In addition to the proximity of machinery, the operator can switch to a “zoom display” or “wide display” mode, enabling more comprehensive monitoring of a wide area. “The safety benefits of the SkyAngle system are tremendous,” said Ryan Blades, Division Manager, Hitachi Mining. “It allows operators to quickly grasp what is occurring around the machinery, such as position of other equipment, service vehicles or people.”

16 Summer 2013

The technology is yet another example of how Hitachi’s exclusive focus on shovels and haulers is enabling it to produce highly efficient and productive machinery for mining operators across the world. “By specializing only on shovels and haulers, we are able to concentrate on producing highly efficient products,” said Blades. “This is unlike other manufacturers in the marketplace that produce numerous different product lines for different industries.” The SkyAngle system has initially been equipped only on mining haulers – such as the company’s brand new EH5000AC-3 – with plans to gradually expand the application to Hitachi’s line of mining excavators. The new overview monitoring system is Hitachi’s latest development in a slew of initiatives designed to enhance on-site safety. In 2001, the company was the first in the competitive landscape to launch a

monitoring system that featured a rearview camera and display as optional equipment for hydraulic excavators. And in 2006, Hitachi Mining was the first company to introduce this type of monitoring system as a standard feature on all hydraulic excavators that are 6.5 tons or larger. The SkyAngle system consists of:

• Four cameras (front, rear, right side, left side) • Image synthesis controller (inside operator’s compartment) • Display (inside operator’s compartment) For more information about Hitachi shovels and haulers in North and South America, visit www.HitachiMining.com or visit your local Hitachi dealer. NMT

New Mining Technology

At Hitachi, we’re not distracted by building every kind of mining equipment. We focus 100% on shovels and haulers. By specializing, we give you exactly what you want. Better reliability, higher productivity and bottom-line efﬁciency.

hitachimining.com

THAT’S ALL.

Feature

THE USE OF PASSIVE

MICROSEISMIC MONITORING IN THE MINING INDUSTRY

By Taylor Milne, Andrew Weir-Jones, and Alireza Taale.

ith mine safety being an increasingly crucial topic in many projects today, new technologies are arising to seismically monitor the structural integrity of any mine site which may consist of any number of rock structures or structural discontinuities. Rock masses exhibit extremely complex behaviour, and rock mechanics and ground control have been the subject of considerable fundamental and applied research throughout the world since the 1950s (Beauchamp and Luc; 2011). Ground control requires an understanding of structural geology, rock properties, ground water and ground stress regimes and of how these factors interact. Tools include the methods of site investigation and rock testing, measures to minimize damage to the rock mass caused by blasting, the application of design techniques, monitoring and ground support. Several important developments have taken place in rock mechanics and ground control in recent years, including the development of ground monitoring instruments which record, digitize, and process acoustic emissions produced by micro-earthquakes (pops and

18 Summer 2013

cracks) in order to provide an insight on initiation and evolution of fractures or rock mass failures which is often referred to as Passive Microseismic Monitoring. Passive Micro-Seismic Monitoring (PMM) can be deployed relatively easily and can provide enough reliable data to make decisions about the probability of structural failure within a mine. A proper PMM installation will help monitor the structural integrity of a mine, and avoid induced seismicity events with the potential to put lives at risk and cause substantial damage to equipment and nearby structures. When an applied load causes rock to fracture some of the released strain energy propagates through the surrounding rock mass as vibrations which can be detected by the appropriate sensors. In some cases these are felt or heard by people; mineworkers often hear minor events as snapping or clicking noises; small earthquakes, Magnitude 3.0 on the Richter scale, can be felt near the epicenter by the general population. The fracturing of the rock can be caused by tensile, compressive, or shear forces. The location and energy released by the fracture New Mining Technology

A technician installs a series of microseismic monitors in an open area while the photo on the right shows an individual monitor at a specific location.

can be determined with reasonable accuracy by analyzing the arrival times and characteristics of the vibrations. On a global scale this is how seismologists locate the hypocenters, and estimate the intensities of earthquakes. On a local scale the procedure can be used to locate shear surfaces beneath a landslide, or pillar failures in a mine, and on a still smaller scale, this is how the extent and location of the induced fractures created within a reservoir by a hydraulic-fracture operation can be derived. Every natural or human activity on or in the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crust can cause changes in its state of stress. Under some circumstances these perturbations of the stress field can trigger events which release enormous amounts of elastic strain energy that was stored within the deformed rock mass. An example is the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which was caused by the shear rupture of the San Andreas fault along a length of nearly 500 kilometers, the actual relative movement across the fault reached nearly 9 meters in some locations. There has been a dramatic evolution of technology over the last 40 years. With state-of-the-art digital recorders, tri-axial down-hole sensor packages and real-time data rendering, engineers can monitor geomechanical phenomena at depths of greater than 10,000 feet. In the mining sector, subsurface stress changes and rock fractures can be monitored in near real-time so precisely operators can shut down immediately if a safety or operational situation arises. The optimization of the sensor arrays used to acquire passive microseismic data is dependent upon many factors. These include aspects of the array in relation to the expected acoustic source, number of sensors being deployed, acoustic dampening properties of the surrounding rock, surrounding natural and anthropogenic Secured structures on sites are ideal situations where devices can be installed to monitor ground conditions.

New Mining Technology

noise that could be heard by the sensors, and of course, accessibility, environmental conditions, and work crew safety. In order to understand how the acoustic waves are travelling from the source to the receiver, we must know the physical properties of the rock the wave is propagating through, specifically its density, seismic velocity, and anisotropy. Knowing these factors allows a geophysicist to accurately trace the micro-seismic signal back to its correct source location, with an acceptable degree of uncertainty. Finally, once the locations of micro-seismic events are known, real-time interpretations can be made with regards to mine safety. This translates directly into savings because on-site equipment, manpower and production all benefit from reduced downtime associated with past practices, in particular the need to shut down operations while local geophysicists examined multiple lines of data. There are also a couple of different strategies for deploying sensors: the first is a surface array, usually laid out in a grid pattern. These types of systems suffer from inherent noise problems; they tend to pick up acoustic emissions from everything including road traffic, work-over rigs and pumps. For this reason, the number of sensors deployed is substantially more than in a down-hole array where the inherent noise level is much less. The second type of system is a down-hole system. This type of system is typically designed to be permanent or semi-permanent and it is deployed after an earth model has been developed for a specific job site that will go into production. Alternatively, there may be environmental concerns which need to be monitored over the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Life Of Fieldâ&#x20AC;? (LOF). There is some capital costs associated with the deployment of LOF systems but the major benefits include security, no ambient noise to corrupt the data and reliability. These systems can be deployed and require virtually no maintenance over their useful service life, which can easily exceed 20 or more years. Surface and buried arrays continue to evolve at an exponential rate. Reliability and clarity in the algorithms continue to provide Summer 2013 19

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solid data so that operators and concerned parties feel comfortable that mining operations are doing everything in their power to mitigate the potential of a catastrophic failure contaminating groundwater, watercourses or human occupied areas. PMM provides a useful means of securing the integrity of a mining operation. Each mine is unique and will have different geomechanical properties, will require different surface or buried array specifications, and will have different fracture characteristics, however the hazards associated with fluid injection remain consistent. NMT Taylor Milne, GIT, is a Junior Geophysicist at The Weir-Jones Group of Companies in Vancouver, Canada. Andrew Weir-Jones is Operations Manager at The Weir-Jones Group and Alireza Taale is Business Development Manager. The company supplies passive microseismic and acoustic emission monitoring solutions to the oil and gas, mining, and heavy construction industries in North America and overseas. Its website is www.weir-jones.com

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Atlas Copco

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Now in its 15th decade, the company known today as Atlas Copco manufactured its first rock drill driven by compressed air in 1898. Mining roots run deep in Atlas Copco even though its product portfolio now includes world-leading positions in prime power generators, compressors, construction equipment, power tools and assembly systems as well as mining equipment. Atlas Copco’s understanding of the mining environment extends to product lines beyond underground vehicles and drill rigs, blasthole drills and drilling tools. In fact, it includes a full line of products that no mine can be without – prime power generators. Atlas Copco has a unique approach to the on-site generator and power generation business. They know that customers don’t need just another piece of equipment. What mine operators and other customers actually need is reliable, risk-free, predictable power. Emphasizing this focus on customer needs at the Bauma 2013 International Trade Fair in Munich in April, Atlas Copco’s Portable Energy division introduced “Predictable Power” as its core value. For Atlas Copco this term signifies both a pledge to customers and a state of mind within the organization. Predictable Power communicates clearly to customers what they can expect from the company’s prime power generation products. Their generators are made for harsh environments, frequent relocation and demanding loads, environments – such as mines – where Predictable Power is an absolute necessity. Reliable performance and risk-free operation support the core value of Predictable Power, resulting in a customer experience that is characterized by peace of mind. And that peace of mind can be understood based on the very definition of the word predictable: “something that can be expected.” In other words, you know, without a doubt, the power will be there when you need it. That’s peace of mind in power generation delivered by Atlas Copco. NMT New Mining Technology

Feature

BLENDING OF

SCREEN MEDIA DELIVERS IN QUALITY AND PROFITS

By Florian Festge, President, W.S. Tyler

hey say good things come in threes. In the case of screening for mining and quarry operations, profit comes in three distinct phases: layered, basic and sharp screening. But how good they are – whether they maximize efficiency and improve the potential for success – depends on having the right screen media on the deck for each of the three phases. A relatively new method for achieving that goal is a blended screen media approach that incorporates the ideal screen media for each phase and the ideal mix of media for the process overall. The goal in implementing a blended solution is to find the optimal combination of open area and durability.

Hit the sweet spot and you’ll maximize product quality and profits by increasing efficiency of classification while minimizing downtime and maintenance costs. Three Distinct Phases and Outcomes During the first phase of screening, the layered phase, a deep bed containing coarse and fine particles hits the screen at the feed end of the deck. In the basic phase, the particles begin to stratify as fine material settles at the bottom and larger material climbs to the top of the bed. The sharp phase occurs toward the discharge end of the deck. It’s during this final phase that the near-size

particles move into direct contact with the screen media and have the last opportunity to fall through the openings. There are typically two scenarios mines and quarries want to avoid when it comes to screening. The first situation is the result of a deck that completes screening too early. In this scenario, particles travel only about a third of the way down the deck until all the undersize material has passed through the openings. While the main mission – classifying the material – is still achieved, the entire deck isn’t being used to its full capability. The results are diminished profits from premature screen media wear.

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Consider this example: An operation produces 400 tons an hour and charges $10 per ton. Due to high abrasion, the media with high open area wears out quickly and needs to be replaced after only two weeks of operation. Replacing the top deck takes two people roughly four hours. At about $4,000 an hour of product not being processed and sold, that screen change-out costs $16,000 in lost revenue alone. The second scenario involves screening that does not finish completely. In this case, undersized particles travel over the discharge end and contaminate the material. This can double a company’s production cost if the material needs to be re-screened, not to mention the lost efficiency and time. And if the material ends up too contaminated to be sold, profitability is lost altogether. In the worst-case scenario a company may not recognize it is producing contaminated product, which can lead to costly warranty claims and negative image. Consider this example: The same operation produces 400 tons an hour and it costs the company $6 per ton to produce the material. Due to insufficient open area at the discharge end of a vibrating screen, the media does not allow the near-sized material to pass. As a result, the final product is contaminated and must be reworked. This means that the company needs to rework its material for a total cost of $12 per ton. With a sales price of $10 per ton, the company is losing $800 per hour until all of the material is re-processed. A possible third scenario, optimal screening, is the ultimate goal of every operation. The bulk of undersized material passes through the openings about two-thirds of the way down the screen deck and the last third of the deck allows all the near-sized particles to find an opening. The final product meets specification and can be sold for top dollar. However, while a company is often satisfied with achieving optimal screening, it seldom recognizes the potential to increase profits even further. Consider this example: The same operation produces 400 tons an hour and charges $10 per ton. Its screening is considered optimal and it is producing high quality product. Due to greater impact at the feed end of a vibrating screen, the screen media at that end wear out sooner than the remaining panels and need to be replaced. Replacing the first section takes 22 Summer 2013

two people roughly one hour. At about $4,000 an hour of product not being processed and sold, that screen change-out costs $4,000 in lost revenue. In all three scenarios, the key to achieving the most profitable screen surface is finding the right balance between wear life and open area - the amount of open space on a screening surface. Increasing open area normally leads to a decrease in wear life while reducing open area usually increases the wear life of the screen media. A Professional Approach Customized solutions that blend screen media types on the same deck ensure the longest product life, limit downtime and maximize profit potential. A professional analysis will determine the right combination of open area and wear life appropriate for each of the three phases of screening. But determining the ideal blended media solution requires much more than trial and error. It requires a trained professional to delve into the numerous intricacies that impact the bottom line. A professional specializing in optimized screen media generally follows five integral process steps, which can be applied to deck types using tensioned screen sections or modular screen panels: Vibration Analysis Using a wireless tool specifically designed for vibrating screens, the professional can detect faults and conduct measurements of the machine’s dynamic operating conditions. Prior to making any changes to the screen media, the measurements are imported to a computer system that uses a tuning wizard to optimize mechanical performance through recommended machine settings. Machine Inspection The results of the vibration analysis also build the foundation for a complete machine inspection of body components, the suspension system and wear parts. Special attention is given to screen media supporting parts such as bar rails, rail liners and tension rails. Screen Media Audit A complete review of the current screen media setup is conducted. Using a consultation guide, the audit will take the phases of screening into account while evaluating

material characteristics and overall product quality. The professional will also examine environmental factors, screen condition, signs of premature failure and any blinding and pegging occurring. Blinding happens when moist granules fill the opening and clog the screen surface, while pegging refers to aggregates mechanically lodged in the opening of a screen. Screen Media Recommendation The results of the vibration analysis and the screen media audit build the framework for the screen media recommendation. Recommendations will be based on the correct balance between performance and durability, while catering to the appropriate phase of screening. The professional will recommend screen media technology based on categories such as anti-pegging and anti-blinding characteristics, open area and wear life. All recommendations should be visualized using computer software that allows for the personalized configuration of a deck. Proof of Profit For a company in Madoc, Ontario, about three hours northeast of Toronto, Canada, implementing a customized blend of screen media positively impacted the operation immediately. Danford Construction Ltd. has been a family business for more than 50 years. Its Aggregates Division handles a variety of materials in a granite quarry, two limestone quarries, a traprock quarry and eight gravel pits. In 2011, Danford called in W.S. Tyler as a consultant to help customize screening for its granite operation. Following vibration analysis, Danford customized its deck with the ideal blend of screens. “We are getting eight times the wear life out of the new screen set-up, adding two weeks production time per year, and have reduced our screening costs by 75% as a result”, said Jamie Danford, owner of Danford Construction, Ltd. Danford and other companies have learned that expert guidance and fully customized configurations can pay for themselves in the short-term and dramatically increase profitability over time. From extended screen life and less downtime for changeouts to a greater amount of a higher quality product, companies that deploy a smart blend of screen media can maximize performance in each phase of screening. NMT New Mining Technology

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Evolving to Meet the Needs of Industry Story and Photos by The Saskatchewan Research Council

SRC’s Geoanalytical Laboratories assists clients from over 50 countries worldwide New Mining Technology

ver the last 30 years, technology has become an increasingly important success factor in the mining industry. Technology improvements have the ability to vastly change the way mineral deposits are explored and developed. With the help of new technologies, ore bodies that at one time would have been sub-economic – due to their grade, mineralogy or location – may become economic prospects. The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) is a leader in that change. Industry demand and client need have required the continuous evolution and addition of new technology, services and expertise. Internationally recognized for its experience, innovation and research background, SRC continually improves the reliability of processes and analyses that contribute to its clients’ success. From exploration to remediation, SRC provides sustainable solutions throughout the mining cycle for maximized production ensuring that leading-edge support capabilities are available for its clients’ success across Canada and around the world. SRC recently announced construction of a new, state-of-the-art Mineral Processing Pilot Plant – the first of its kind in Western Canada. This pilot plant supports the development and demonstration of new and improved methods for processing minerals such as potash, gold, base metals, coal, oil sand, oil shale and especially rare earth minerals. It assists clients by enabling the pilot-scale demonstration of new technologies that increase mining yields and decrease costs, such as the High Tension and Electrostatic Separator used for separating conductive and non-conductive materials.

Earlier this year, SRC responded quickly to growing industry demand with the addition of a new QEMSCAN® service – one of only a handful in Canada. QEMSCAN®, commonly the first phase of any mineral processing program, is a sophisticated electron microscope capable of providing precise quantitative mineralogical analyses that are essential for proving resource deposits that lead to mine development. By understanding what is in an ore sample and how it is distributed, clients will have access to valuable information when developing and testing mineral extraction processes. These new services complement the current testing services of SRC’s Advanced Microanalysis Centre™ and its Geoanalytical Laboratories – which this past year celebrated its 40th anniversary of providing high quality analysis to the exploration and mining industry around the world. Geoanalytical Laboratories also continues to evolve, most recently adding a High Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) to its macro diamond processing circuit. With the addition of the HPGR, this 5 tonne per hour processing facility mimics a full scale mining operation allowing clients to scale up to exploration programs faster and audit existing operations to optimize process flows. With the addition of these new technologies and services, SRC’s integrated approach to tackling industry challenges means clients can bring their operational needs to one location. For a complete list of service offerings or more information. NMT

go to www.src.sk.ca/mining Summer 2013 23

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