MER Today - Winter 2023 Newsletter

MER Today – Spring 2024

This Issue

(Volume 5 / Issue 1)

• CIM MERS Vision and Objectives p. 2 • Pictures from CIM MEMO 2023 p. 3 - 4 • NORDA STELO - “A Second Systematic Look at Preventive Maintenance”, by Sophie Boisvert p. 5 - 9 • AI - Risk-Based Maintenance Strategy p. 10 • Stories of Interest to MER Society Members p. 11 - 12 - “The Electric Future” • CIM MER Society AWARDS p. 13 • CIM MER Society SCHOLARSHIPS p. 14 • CIM MER 2023 Scholarship Recipients p. 15 - 16 • CIM Journal & Paper Submissions p. 17 • Relevant abstracts from C I M J o u r n a l articles p. 18 - 20 - Canmet MINING diesel and BEV field test series: Relay utility vehicle & MacLean Engineering diesel and battery electric cassette truck - H&S “Safety of rope-guided conveyance systems • Calendar of CIM MER Events p. 21 • CIM MER Executives & Newsletter Committee p. 22 • Some CIM MER Society Supporters & Patrons p. 22

1 | MER Today– Spring 2024

MER Today MER Today is our digital publication covering CIM MER Society news and improvements in Maintenance, Engineering and Reliability in mining.

CIM/ICM Vision & Mission Reference: CIM Website

Vision The trusted authority & collective source for advancing mineral industry knowledge, guidelines & best practices

Mission Cultivate knowledge, best practices & innovation to support our members, improve awareness of the minerals industry in society & evolve the industry responsibly

Approved by the MERS Executive Members during video conferencing Meeting on Thursday Dec 21st, 2023.

Chair: Martin Provencher "The Maintenance Engineering and Reliability Society (MERS) in mining primarily focuses on

optimizing equipment performance, reducing downtime, and enhancing safety through effective engineering design and maintenance strategies. Its vision involves promoting best practices, innovation, and knowledge-sharing to improve reliability, reduce costs, and increase overall efficiency and sustainability in mining operations. The objectives include implementing new maintenance strategies such as predictive and risk-based maintenance, fostering a culture of reliability, enhancing asset management, and promoting sustainable practices within the mining

industry."

2 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Photographs from CIM MEMO 2023 (Provided by Paul Labbé / Marie Tota)

Sep 17-20, 2023, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan CONFERENCE CHAIRS Paul Labbé, Co-Chair Brian Fagan, Co-Chair CIM Contacts Marie Tota, Conference Planner 1-514-939-2710 ext. 1330 Nadia Bakka, Sales Manager, Exhibition & Sponsorship 1-514-939-2710 ext. 1360

Conference Topics The theme of MEMO 2023, “The Next Level,” reflects the significant changes to the industry in the past few years.

MEMO 2023 provided a forum to bring together maintenance engineers and mine operators and their allies, to learn from practical experience. Approximately 785 delegates attended MEMO 2023 in Saskatoon for opportunities to network, share knowledge, and enhance personal development. (About MEMO – MEMO 2023 (cim.org) - reference )

Angela Hamlyn, CIM Chief Executive Officer

Angela Hamlyn, introducing a Session at the MEMO 2023 3 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Pictures from CIM MEMO 2023 (cont’d) (Provided by Paul Labbé / Marie Tota)

Sep 17-20, 2023, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Paul Labbé, Conference CoChair , Introducing Day One (D1) Plenary at the MEMO 2023 Conference.

Paul Labbé, Conference Co-Chair, Introducing Day One (D1) Plenary. Seated to his left a r e Dr. Kevin Ansdell and Martin Provencher, CIM MERS Chair

Dr. Kevin Ansdell presenting at D1 Plenary

CIM MERS Executive members (RHS), Dick McIvor & Martin Provencher, chatting with Conference participants.

4 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Martin Provencher, CIM MERS Chair addressing participants at the D1 Plenary

MEMO 2023 Speaker: Marine Echternach-Jaubert

Article provided by:

Norda Stelo for CIM MER Today Newsletter

A Second Systemic Look at Preventive Maintenance

By Sophie Boisvert, Eng, Vice President, Resources and Industry, Norda Stelo Quote from the Article, Next Steps: “However, while preventive and prescriptive maintenance strategies have been particularly successful for production equipment such as rotating machinery, predicting the most at-risk assets remains a challenge. These assets are not always limited to rotating equipment but may also include fixed assets such as a tank or a pressure vessel.

Mining Plant with fixed assets

Therefore, the next step is to implement a riskbased maintenance strategy to identify the most critical assets to address. This approach relies not only on operational data but also on their actual condition and the consequences associated with a failure.”

Preventive maintenance remains the preferred maintenance type for mining and metallurgical organizations. It is well known as a proactive strategy for industrial asset management aimed at preventing downtime.

It relies on a logical sequence of planned and scheduled maintenance tasks based on equipment usage, operating hours, or the calendar. Tasks may include inspection, cleaning, lubrication, adjustment, replacement of parts, testing, and other routine activities designed to keep the equipment in good working condition and extend its useful life. This method, usually applied to critical production assets, is considered more cost-effective, safe, and efficient when the program is properly followed.

However, the discourse among researchers, experts, and technology companies on various platforms is exclusively focused on predictive and even prescriptive maintenance based on the real condition of assets. The claim of this discourse primarily revolves around better equipment availability for improved annual performance. Preventive maintenance methods based on the real condition of the asset, powered by suitable instrumentation, could reduce the frequency of maintenance activities by 10 to 20% from the schedule. Additionally, predictive maintenance is undoubtedly less costly in terms of manpower and materials.

A legitimate concern arises regarding the risk of undertaking unnecessary interventions. Despite requiring a higher initial investment in monitoring technology, predictive maintenance can often contribute to long-term cost reduction by avoiding unnecessary interventions and enabling more efficient use of maintenance resources. This efficiency depends on several factors, including the type of equipment, the complexity of operations, available resources, and how each approach is implemented.

5 | MER Today– Spring 2024

At the moment, this argument does not seem to resonate widely. Companies typically choose preventive maintenance because it is simple to implement and manage, considering the specific characteristics of the equipment and operations to determine the most suitable approach. Thus, most organizations strive to adhere to their production plan at all costs.

Many prefer to shut down more frequently for planned maintenance, preventing unforeseen downtimes that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour in revenue. These frequent shutdowns are calculated in yields deemed satisfactory, providing a relative sense of security and better control.

Nevertheless, there is consensus among superintendents and maintenance managers that a broader adoption of condition-based and risk-based maintenance methods is inevitable to systematize data analysis and have the agility needed to adjust the maintenance program based on actual needs. The adoption of technology-assisted techniques and methodologies is expected to grow to enhance productivity and address major industry challenges.

Moreover, many managers have been dreaming of using artificial intelligence (AI) for maintenance since the current technological boom. To achieve this, several actions must be taken to centralize, structure, and categorize data to give this dream a chance to materialize. It should be noted that there is often a significant capital investment required to enable the use of AI for maintenance purposes. Equipment is not always equipped with the necessary sensors to gather sufficient data to change the maintenance mode.

In this article, we explore three lines of thought in favor of adopting technology-assisted methods:

•

A second look at maintenance;

•

Digitized inspection: aids in prioritizing actions;

•

Creating collective intelligence.

Maintenance Maturity There is a significant disparity between mature organizations and those striving for maturity when strictly comparing them from a maintenance perspective in mining and metallurgical organizations.

In a mature organization, the maintenance program is well established and strictly adhered to. Maintenance managers are familiar with their equipment, emergencies are less frequent, and production exhibits better predictability regarding annual tonnage. In most cases, operations and maintenance teams work collaboratively, greatly facilitating production.

In contrast, in an organization seeking maturity in the mining sector, the maintenance program is not as rigorously followed. Maintenance activities related to the operating hours of certain assets may be stretched or set aside due to emergencies elsewhere on the site. Despite significant efforts to regain relative stability, maintenance teams often act as firefighters, addressing issues as they arise. It is challenging to regain control in such situations, and the risk of catastrophic breakdowns and accidents may be higher.

Clearly, the motivations to integrate modern computer-assisted practices with mathematical models are not the same.

Let’s explore the nuances.

A Second Look at Maintenance Undoubtedly, the vast majority of industrial maintenance personnel are highly skilled. They must design and follow a robust, efficient, and comprehensive maintenance program in a context where every minute of downtime is extremely costly.

Being human, individuals may overlook certain adjustments to the program, which can be crucial or catastrophic depending on the perspective. Humans cannot analyze anomalies in real-time or detect every degradation trend in an asset portfolio. There is too much data to track, digest, and process, especially as these data are scattered across multiple software programs or systems. So, can we really blame them? No, obviously not.

In this context, digitized analysis methods based on best engineering practices in integrity and reliability are necessary additions to determine the health condition of a fixed, rotating, or rolling asset. Tools like APM+ enable the detection of situations, anomalies, or micro-events that would otherwise go unnoticed in preventive maintenance.

Most importantly, these detections occur at a faster pace, providing more time to adjust the maintenance program and mitigate abnormal wear.

6 | MER Today– Spring 2024

To a lesser extent, detecting anomalies or signs of aging may not generate additional actions in the preventive maintenance program. However, during regular maintenance activities, personnel can pay special attention to additional or simply different elements. Thus, equipment instrumentation and comprehensive asset documentation provide vital assurance to the maintenance team. By taking a systemic approach to the condition and health of the asset, it is possible to cover blind spots in so-called traditional maintenance. This allows for the consolidation of information from various data sources.

For organizations striving for maturity, technological assistance is even more necessary. Analyzing trends or events reported by sensor or inspection data helps prevent unperformed maintenance from turning into bigger fires to extinguish.

There are numerous stories of systems capturing situations that could have resulted in major issues. In various organizations at different levels of maturity, where projects have been initiated, the detection of anomalies has proven to be critical. Serious integrity issues were discovered when the program did not specifically address certain aspects.

This was the case for critical rotating assets like a mill but also for fixed assets such as highly damaging sulfuric acid pipelines. The averted incidents saved workers’ lives and prevented significant losses for the organizations.

The second digital look enhances the maintenance program. The results of mathematical analyses can indeed become a crucial source of information for daily and operational decision-making, translating into tangible gains. While sometimes challenging to calculate for an external firm, the return on investment from avoided accidents and the assurance of annual production are undoubtedly real.

Digital Inspection: Assistance in Prioritizing Actions The instrumentation of assets is undoubtedly an important factor in monitoring the vital signs of assets. However, to effectively guide the maintenance program and ensure effective asset management, inspections are of paramount importance.

What is confirmed is that the digitization of inspections is not yet a given for all mining sites, even for mature maintenance organizations. However, it could serve as a gateway to digitizing operations, a transition that is relatively easy to make. Those who have made it have mostly done so using form tools that are not adapted to the complexity of engineering of asset integrity and reliability.

A generic form creation tool, even if the results are transferable to CMMS, Power BI, or an ERP, is far from sufficient.

This can be easily explained. On the one hand, there is significant pressure on employees to create comprehensive and effective forms, and this task requires a lot of time. On the other hand, there will always be a significant lack of vital features for tracking data over time.

It is necessary to implement forms dedicated to each type of asset, created from an analysis of failure modes, their effects, and their criticality, including a severity grid to qualify defects and an evaluation of the risk associated with each asset. It is important that these forms be backed by an inspection plan structured by an engineer to guide the work of inspectors. This plan directs the work of both internal resources and subcontractors, ensuring comparable data during computer-assisted or non-computer-assisted evaluations.

The chosen product must also be capable of reading, displaying, and analyzing data of various types, such as photos and quantitative and qualitative data, in addition to thickness measurements (non-destructive testing). Above all, this type of tool should not be an empty box where all filling efforts have to be carried out by the organization. Forms and health index calculations must be included. The latter must be based on engineering expertise in asset integrity and reliability assessment. It must demonstrate a certain level of intelligence to reduce the workload of existing resources rather than perpetuating a trial-and-error approach.

Finally, a tool of this kind must provide data traceability, enabling the comparison of results with past data and the observation of trends. These results should be displayed on a dynamic dashboard for better visibility into the health of assets and the risks they pose, leading to improved prioritization of interventions. Even mature organizations can expect improved performance. Better predictability results in better cost control. By focusing on the right priorities, the risk of unforeseen emergencies is reduced, and unnecessary investments in lower priority tasks are avoided.

7 | MER Today– Spring 2024

For organizations striving for maturity, unfortunately, emergencies often dictate daily tasks. Attention to static assets is practically nonexistent. Nevertheless, plants are aging, and static assets such as tanks, pipelines, chimneys, and buildings approach the end of their lifespans. These assets are frequently inspected and analyzed by external firms that must inform the organization about the health status of assets and the associated risks. These expert reports are often shelved due to attention being focused elsewhere, but also because of the challenge in cross-referencing information and prioritizing the interventions to be implemented. This lack of visibility inevitably creates latent emergencies that will sooner or later jeopardize production.

Yet, these are the organizations who are least involved in the implementation of assistance tools. The reason is simple: even if they wanted such a tool, time is a constraint. They are aware that implementation cannot happen magically without the involvement of internal resources. The consideration is valid, but many APM+ integration teams, like those of Stelar, bring together teams of engineers, reliability specialists, maintenance technicians, and IT professionals.

This collaborative effort allows them to achieve gains without the perceived mountain of efforts, especially since they can benefit from the support of an engineering firm with the required knowledge to implement the models.

Creating a Collective Intelligence Over the past few months (2023), we have witnessed implausible situations in organizations that are otherwise mature in maintenance. To adequately analyze the integrity of critical assets within an organization, external integrity and reliability experts had to reach out to retirees for information regarding construction plans, materials used, installation dates, Tmin, etc. What is most disconcerting is that these situations are not isolated occurrences.

The metallurgical plants were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Many critical systems are naturally reaching the end of their lifespan. We addressed this in the article “The Relationship Between CMMS and Stelar”: investments to replace or rebuild certain critical and major assets are imposing and sometimes illogical from an economic and ecological point of view.

But how can we hope to extend the life of assets if we don’t have basic information about them? How can we expect to prolong the life of assets if we don’t have records of studies, inspections, failures, repairs, expansions, or any other events throughout their lifecycle? Asking the question provides its own answer, and it creates headaches.

Over the past decades, organizations could rely on the knowledge of their best employees who remained with the organization for years. They knew the site inside out, and the assets held no secrets for them, especially as the equipment was always in the later stages of their lifecycle curve. This briefly explains why there was hardly any urgency to digitize information about the life of assets. The situation is catching up with organizations.

The challenge is exacerbated by the workforce situation. This is well known; the available and skilled workforce is becoming scarce, and employees stay for much shorter periods. They are required to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously due to the shortage, and many retire. The loss of information is vast, and the associated training costs are enormous, with trial and error due to lack of knowledge, and prolonged downtime due to inexperience.

Additionally, there are growing risks of breakdowns affecting health, environment, and production of the organization.

It would be unwarranted to sound the alarm, but it is essential to recognize and be aware of the risk. Organizations must regain control of their data to reclaim the intelligence of key individuals. They must be able to collect new relevant information about the life of assets in a centralized and structured manner. This information is crucial to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible, independent of the talent or knowledge of a handful of people. We can call this organizational intelligence.

Furthermore, younger workers expect new methods. They have grown accustomed to technology filling certain aspects of their lives, especially their knowledge. If they have previously worked for modern companies, they have had access to tools that assist them in their work. Failing to support young workers with relevant tools hinders their integration into a world where shutdowns must be avoided at all costs.

In addition, mining organizations benefit from organizational intelligence for the accelerated implementation of mining projects based on historical data; quicker learning for younger workers; smoother transition between rotating teams streamlining corporate service operations; and facilitating information sharing among different divisions within an organization for data analysis.

8 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Next Steps The transition to a predictive maintenance approach focused on asset condition, with the accumulation of centralized and structured information in an "asset medical record" has been a significant step in supporting the business objectives of companies.

However, while preventive and prescriptive maintenance strategies have been particularly successful for production equipment such as rotating machinery, predicting the most at-risk assets remains a challenge. These assets are not always limited to rotating equipment but may also include fixed assets such as a tank or a pressure vessel.

Therefore, the next step is to implement a risk-based maintenance strategy to identify the most critical assets to address. This approach relies not only on operational data but also on the actual condition of the assets and the consequences as- sociated with a failure.

Reference: Norda Stelo website, Mining and Metals - Norda Stelo

9 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Article produced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) relevant to CIM MERS Members, and under the Direction of the Editor-in-Chief, MER Today

RISK-BASED MAINTENANCE STRATEGY A risk-based maintenance strategy is an approach to maintenance management that focuses on prioritizing maintenance activities based on the level of risk associated with equipment or assets. Instead of following a fixed schedule for maintenance tasks, regardless of the equipment's condition, a risk-based approach tailors maintenance efforts to address the most critical issues first.

The key components of a risk-based maintenance strategy include: 1. Risk Assessment: Conducting a thorough risk assessment involves evaluating the likelihood of equipment failure and the potential consequences of such failures. This assessment often considers factors such as the criticality of the equipment, safety implications, environmental impact, and financial consequences.

2. Criticality Analysis: Identifying and classifying equipment based on its criticality to the overall operation is a crucial step. Criticality is determined by the impact of equipment failure on safety, production, and other key performance indicators. High-criticality equipment requires more attention and proactive maintenance.

3. Condition Monitoring: Instead of relying solely on time-based maintenance schedules, a risk-based approach often incorporates condition monitoring techniques. This involves regularly monitoring the actual condition of equipment through methods such as vibration analysis, oil analysis, thermography, or other predictive maintenance technologies.

4. Prioritization of Maintenance Tasks: Once the risk assessment and criticality analysis are completed, maintenance tasks are prioritized based on the level of risk associated with each piece of equipment. Highrisk items receive more frequent and proactive maintenance, while lower risk items may have less frequent or reactive maintenance.

5. Resource Allocation: Resources, including time, manpower, and budget, are allocated more efficiently by focusing efforts on high-risk equipment. This helps organizations optimize their maintenance budgets and manpower while minimizing the likelihood of critical failures.

6. Continuous Improvement: A risk-based maintenance strategy encourages continuous improvement by regularly reviewing and updating risk assessments. As equipment conditions or business priorities change, the maintenance strategy can be adjusted to reflect these changes.

Implementing a risk-based maintenance strategy can result in cost savings, increased equipment reliability, and improved safety. It allows organizations to target their maintenance efforts where they are needed most, reducing the likelihood of unplanned downtime and minimizing the impact of equipment failures on overall operations.

10 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Ryan Bergen, Editor-in-chief CIM Magazine

Construction began in 2023, and Artemis Gold plans to begin commissioning the plant in the second half of 2024. It is planned to be in use for 22 years.

Challenges of plant electrification

The processing plant area at the Blackwater mine in May

The electric future Sedgman details how it designed a fully electric gold processing plant for Artemis Gold’s Blackwater mine in central British Columbia By Lynn Greiner Mines looking to decarbonize their operations often focus on the fuel used in their vehicle fleets.

However, eliminating the use of fossil fuels in mineral processing plants can also help in achieving companies’ net-zero emissions targets.

The mineral processing solutions provider Sedgman took on that electrification challenge in its design and construction of the six million tonne per year plant at Artemis Gold’s Black-water mine, which is currently under construction in central British Columbia, a jurisdiction with access to affordable, renewable hydroelectricity.

The idea, said Karl Haase, director of engineering at Sedgman, was a collaborative one between his company and Artemis Gold.

“They really had a strong environmental focus,” he explained. “When they were building the [Blackwater] mine and when they went for consultation, it was one of the key things that they really wanted to be on top of—essentially working with us on a mandate for best environmental practices.”

The plant will consist of a three-stage dry crushing circuit and a 14-megawatt single-stage ball mill and gravity gold comminution circuit, combined with a carbon-in-leach circuit processing 16,000 tonnes per day. Sedgman’s plant design included electric elution heating, an electric kiln, and electric smelting, instead of the typical use of natural gas or diesel as a heat source.

11 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Going all-electric was not straightforward, however. As any cook knows, while heat from the burning of fossil fuels stops as soon as you turn off the burner, electric elements cool down gradually. That, Haase said, presented some operational challenges.

For example, Artemis Gold decided it wanted a prilled sulfur burning system to create the sulfur dioxide to detoxify the reagents used in gold extraction.

“Typically, [sulfur burning] is started on fossil fuels, and then the sulfur will actually be burnt itself,” Haase said.

“We had to approach a partner to get a design that would be fully electric for the startup. There has to be a standby electric system to keep the refractory brick hot [at all times], so that it doesn’t crack or cause any damage to the system while you’re not burning sulfur.”

To address this problem, he said, Sedgman designed two separate backup heating systems. But, Haase noted, that meant a lot of heat was being created that was not always needed to burn the sulfur. As a result, Sedgman also created ways to use that excess heat to, for example, fuel steam jackets around the piping to keep the molten sulfur at the proper temperature prior to the sulfur burner or to heat the water going to the lime silo so its reaction would occur properly. The team also looked at ways to supplement the building’s heating with waste heat from the burner.

Another area that needed special attention was the electric kiln used in carbon regeneration, which needs to reach temperatures of around 700 degrees Celsius. The kiln rotates so that the carbon gets evenly heat treated; however, if the power goes off and rotation ceases, because the electric coils do not instantly cool, the internal vessel could warp as some spots sit on the heating elements and others cool rapidly. This meant that battery backups for rotating components were critical, Haase noted.

But the biggest challenge, he said, was the size of the equipment and the size of the cables needed to power it.

A model of the processing plant under construction at the Blackwater mine. No fossil fuels will be used in any of these buildings or areas.

“Typically, diesel-fired elution heating is a very small burner and that system maybe takes up a couple of square metres of floor space. It’s very easy to fit in,” he said.

“With this [electric elution heating] system, it’s three sets of water heaters stacked together with a lot of electric junction boxes—it all has to be low voltage, because you’re basically forcing resistance to create the heat. To create that resistance, everything is done at 600 volts, rather than at a higher voltage,” Haase explained.

“There are 18 electric cables connected in, and they’re quite thick. Getting those [set up] in a sensible way, not restricting access, and then being able to put them into the same junction box was a challenge for both us and our suppliers.”

The electric elution system alone requires 4.2 megawatts of installed power, and the electric kiln needs another 700 kilowatts, he noted. This is about 15 percent of the total power at the Blackwater mine plant. “Between those two, having almost five megawatts of low-voltage heating is a significant challenge to get engineers on board and then also make sure that it’s all safe. Low-voltage electrical cable is large, harder to install, and has safety risks if not done properly mostly around getting large cables into junction boxes. Fossil fuel systems don’t have these electrical challenges and are typically smaller and more cost efficient.”

Haase said that power outages are the largest safety concern in electric equipment. “With fossil fuel-based burner management, [if] you cut power, the fuel and heat stops nearly instantly,” he explained. “With electrical induction heaters, the actual elements can stay hot for some time, while other parts that were previously pumping or rotating are now stationary.”

However, he pointed out, the electric elution system should be “a pleasure to operate” compared to a fossil fuel -powered system because even the best of those systems have some leakage in their ducting, which makes them smelly and dirty. This all-electric installation, he said, will be “amazingly clean” to operate.

12 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Power consumption: The processing plant at the Blackwater mine will consume a lot of power. To supply it, Artemis Gold is building a 140-kilometre grid extension to the site.

Haase’s team is still working on calculating the number of tonnes of CO2 that will not be generated thanks to the cleaner processes at the plant, but the carbon emissions savings are expected to be significant.

Haase advised companies that are considering electrifying a gold processing plant to be aware when budgeting that there will be additional capital expenses upfront compared to plants powered by fossil fuels.

“However, assuming that your power generation is cheaper than the fossil fuels you would buy, which it typically is, you will regain that capital in operating costs,” he said. “How you treat that as an NPV [net present value] is going to be the tricky thing for some junior miners, where they might feel, ‘I’m never going to make that money back’ in terms of project value, NPV, or ROI [return on investment]. That’s, unfortunately, where some of these things don’t get pushed forward.”

The biggest thing to remember is that, in this case, affordable, renewable hydroelectricity is available in BC, he noted. In other locations that do not have a good hydroelectricity base, questions need to be asked before proceeding.

“We also need to look at—where does the power come from, how can we generate that cleaner and how do we get reliable baseload power for these projects in an affordable way?” he observed. “I know there are a lot of projects that are not going to be able to get hydropower. For them, going all-electric would sound great, but it’s not really; you’re just pushing the problem further down the line.

That’s probably the biggest missing piece: how do we get affordable, renewable, on-site power generation for these facilities?”

CIM MER Society AWARDS 

McParland Memorial Award

For Excellence in Maintenance, Engineering and Reliability 

CIM Distinguished Service Medal

For meritorious service to the Institute or the mineral industry 

CIM Distinguished Lecturers

For accomplishments in scientific, technical, management, or educational activities related to the minerals industry 

CIM Fellowship

For outstanding continuous contributions to CIM and/or the mining, metallurgical, and petroleum industries 

CIM MER Graduate Student Research Excellence Award

To provide a platform for the dissemination of innovative thinking of benefit to the mining industry from the Society’s brightest new minds and to provide a means to allow such contributions to be recognised

The CIM MER Graduate Student Research Excellence Award The aim of the award is to provide a platform for the dissemination of innovative thinking of benefit to the mining industry from the Society’s brightest new minds, and to provide a means to allow such contributions to be recognised.

The award will permit a current or recent graduate student to attend the MER Society’s MeMO conference to present their findings. The winner of the award will be recognised by having the opportunity to submit their paper for peer review and possible publication in CIM Journal. The award is expected to be made annually. It is open to graduate students currently enrolled at a university or those who have obtained their postgraduate qualification no more than six months prior to submission.

More details

13 | MER Today– Spring 2024

CIM MER Society SCHOLARSHIPS 1.

CENTENNIAL SCHOLARSHIP

2.

KEN HILDEBRANT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

3.

EDWARD MELVILLE (Ed) PATTON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

4.

J.D. "PAT" PATTERSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

5.

MER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

For description of all the CIM MER Scholarships click HERE to access the CIM MER Website.

MER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP The CIM Maintenance, Engineering and Reliability (MER) Memorial Scholarship was created in 2017 and is awarded each year in remembrance of one or more of the Society’s individuals who have attracted prominence and recognition for contributions and service to the activities of the CIM MER Society.

In 2016 the CIM Diversity and Inclusion best practice guidelines articulated the goal that Diversity become an ingrained value systemic of the CIM and the mining industry as a whole. Consequently, in 2017 the MER Society decided that MER Memorial scholarship should be used to strengthen the opportunities for access and inclusion to the industry, via a post-secondary education pathway for awardees so that diversity within the Canadian mining industry and associated industries is improved.

Type of Scholarship: Access and/or maintenance scholarship for academically excellent postsecondary students, non-renewable Value of Scholarship: C$2,500 payable in 2 equal portions in December and the following February of the academic year for which the award is made. In order to receive the second installment, the recipient must provide an official communication from their institution confirming successful completion of the fall semester.

Eligibility: This scholarship is open to any CIM National member (including student members) or the child or spouse of a CIM National member, enrolled full time at any Canadian post-secondary institution, following a program of relevance to the Canadian mining industry.

Application form

14 | MER Today– Spring 2024

CIM MER 2023 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS CONGRATULATIONS!

MER Memorial Scholarship

unique insight into the mining industry. After graduating, she intends to work as a process engineer for a mineral processing plant or a mining engineering consulting company. Outside the classroom, she enjoys getting involved in the community.

Currently, she serves as the vice-president of the Laurentian Women in Engineering Club. Additionally, she has volunteered with local organizations such as the Good Neighbour Project, Acclaim Health, and Meals on Wheels. Community service has been a constant in her life, and she intends to keep it that way as she advances her professional career. Her dedication to education and community service is highlighted by several scholarships she has received, including the CMIEF Scholarship, Stantec Equity and Diversity Scholarship, STEM TC Energy Scholarship, faculty nominated Sheridan College Academic Award for Excellence (consecutive), and Sheridan College Engineering Scholarship.

Centennial Scholarship

Brianna Hynes Grace Bingham Brianna Hynes is a Process Engineering student at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), with expected graduation in April 2024. Through the Cooperative Education program, she completed two work terms with Vale at their Long Harbour Processing Plant in Long Harbour, NL, where she discovered her passion for mineral processing. She was intrigued by the entire nickel production process and took the initiative to improve operational efficiency throughout her work terms. Brianna was selected to attend the 55th Annual Canadian Mineral Processors Conference in January 2023 through the Sponsored Student Program. To expand her knowledge and become more involved in the mining industry, Brianna later joined the CIM NL Branch and MUN MetSoc Student Society. Brianna hopes to work in the mineral processing industry during her future career as a Process Engineer.

MER Memorial Scholarship Raiyana Umar Raiyana is a third-year chemical engineering student at Laurentian University with an advanced diploma in the same field from Sheridan College. She recently completed a 16-month co-op as a process engineer with Hatch's high-pressure metallurgy group.

The co-op provided her with valuable practical experience and a 15 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Grace Bingham is currently in her second year of the Electrical Engineering Dual Degree/Diploma program at Lakehead University. She is passionate about her studies, particularly in power and control systems. Having grown up in Northern Ontario, Grace has always been intrigued by the numerous career opportunities offered by the mining industry.

After completing an electrical engineering internship with Silver Lake Resources at the SugarZone Mine this past summer in White River, Ontario, Grace is even more compelled to continue pursuing a career in the mining industry. During the school year, Grace volunteers with the Lakehead Engineering Student Society to organize and execute various events on campus, engaging the student population and fostering a sense of community in the department. She also enjoys sharing her passion for learning with the youth in her community by volunteering to tutor students through United for Literacy.

Grace's lifelong career goal is to participate in designing reliable power systems and providing innovative and effective electrical control systems for the many remote mines in her home of Northern Ontario.

Centennial Scholarship

Ken Hildebrant Memorial Scholarship

Quinn Jackson

Luis Urena Tejada

Quinn Jackson is a second year undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa. During his studies in computer science, he has utilized data analytics, Python, and ArcGIS to explore the environmental impacts and benefits of mining operations in communities. Quinn's interest lies in developing algorithms and data-driven approaches to enhance the efficiency and safety in the mining sector, showcasing his potential as a future leader in sustainable technology. He is passionate about getting involved and fostering strong communal bonds and loves community gardens and growing your own food. He still thinks orienteering is "lots of fun," despite getting lost multiple times.

Ken Hildebrant Memorial Scholarship Rebecca Randall

Rebecca is a third year Mining Engineering student at Queen's University completing a specialization in Mineral Processing and Environment. She is an active member of her community being the Vice-President of the Queen's Mining Society, Co-Chair of the Queen's Conference on Business and Mining, and Co-Chair of the Queen's Chapter of MetSoc. She is also an engaged member of the Queen's Engineering Society and is a Varsity Cyclist for Queen's. She is excited about starting her career in the mining industry and strives to pursue roles focusing in metallurgy while being a part of innovation in mining.

16 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Luis Urena Tejada is a 19year-old, third year student at Laurentian University striving to become a Mechanical Engineer with a Specialization in Mechatronics. In his free time, he enjoys video games, tennis, cooking, weightlifting, and rock climbing. He is a tech-savvy, charismatic individual who excels at working with both customers and colleagues to achieve goals. H is previous co-op placements with multiple mining companies underscore his commitment to continuous learning and acquiring valuable experience and skills through challenging roles. His academic journey has been marked by achievements, including recognition on the Dean's Honours List and the honour of receiving scholarships such as the CMIEF Scholarship and last year’s CIM MER Memorial Scholarship. At Laurentian University, he actively participates in various clubs and holds leadership roles, including the SAE Baja LU Voyageurs Racing Club, LU Mine Rescue Club, and serving as the Vice-President of Finances & Administration for the LU Engineering Student Society.

His ultimate career goal is to be a top expert in mineral processing and automation, improving sustainability, safety, efficiency, and reliability while reducing our environmental impact and giving back to the community.

CIM MER Director Education Dean Millar, PhD, PEng, DIC, FIMMM, CEM - Laurentian University

CIM Journal

As of 2020, the CIM Journal is being published by Taylor & Francis. The editorial process remains the same. CIM National Members continue to have free access to the journal, but new papers are now hosted on the CIM Journal site at Taylor & Francis. Papers published prior to 2020 can be found on the CIM Technical Paper Library or on OneMine.

Paper Submissions CIM Journal welcomes original papers in English or French. Submissions are assigned to Associate Editors or Editors from a CIM Technical Society for doubleblind peer review. Our authors and audience are international in scope.

(Article updated by Janice Burke) The CIM Journal is a quarterly digital publication for Read the instructions for authors then create an peer-reviewed technical papers available to all CIM account at Taylor & Francis. Also consider being a National Members for free and to non-members for a peer reviewer to contribute your expertise to fee. Papers cover all facets of the mining and advancement of knowledge in the mining industry. minerals

industry,

processing,

including

metallurgy,

mining, Please contact the CIM Journal Editorial Coordinator, maintenance, Janice Burke, if you are interested in volunteering to be

geology,

materials,

environmental protection and reclamation, social a peer reviewer (jburke@cim.org). responsibility,

mineral

economics,

project

management, health and safety, risk management, redevelopment, operations, and regulatory practices and issues.

We also publish periodic special-themed issues. The first issue of 2023 was a Special Issue, Innovations in Underground Ventilation, containing

invited

papers from the North American Mine Ventilation Symposium

(Editors

A.P.

Sasmito,

McGill

University and P. Tukkaraja, South Dakota Mines).

A Rock Engineering Special Issue is planned for 2024.

17 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Abstracts from Latest articles peer reviewed by MER & Published by Taylor & Fran-

MER Society of CIM Peer-Review Team Agus P. Sasmito, PhD, Peer-Review Chair, MER; Editor, CIM Journal (agus.sasmito@mcgill.ca) Janice M. Burke, MSc, Editorial Coordinator, CIM Journal Submit an article

Journal Homepage

MAINTENANCE, ENGINEERING & RELIABILITY

CanmetMINING battery electric vehicle field test series: Relay utility vehicle G. Li, J. Le, M. Levesque, E. Acuña-Duhart, E. Tominia, A. Mohsenimanesh, H. Ribberink, and P. Summers Published online: 27 Nov 2023

This paper presents test results normalized by distance, including energy consumed and captured tabulated by inclination grade, speed, and load. The consumed and captured energy ranged from −1.4 to 4.5 kWh/km at 5 km/h and from −2.0 to 3.7 kWh/km at 15 km/h. The battery charging data and

ABSTRACT

variation in state of charge are also presented to

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have been used

describe the energy balance during BEV operation.

increasingly in Canadian mines to replace conventional

A vehicle energy model calibrated against the field

internal combustion engine vehicles due to their high

test data was used to estimate the energy

efficiency, low heat production, and zero emissions

consumption of a utility BEV operated in an

locally. To help understand BEV technology,

underground mine.

performance, and energy consumed under different work conditions, CanmetMINING and CanmetENERGY conducted a series of tests on the Miller Technology Relay BEV at Vale’s North Mine site in Ontario, Canada. The 1.25-km test route comprises uphill and downhill sections with flat (0%), 5%, 10%, and 20% inclination grades. The BEV was driven through the route in both directions to complete multiple 2.5-km laps at 5 and 15 km/h while loaded and empty.

18 | MER Today– Spring 2024

Figure 1- Sample Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) used in U/G Mines [Note: Picture not part of Article.]

Abstracts from Latest articles peer reviewed by MER & Published by Taylor & Fran-

MER Society of CIM Peer-Review Team Agus P. Sasmito, PhD, Peer-Review Chair, MER; Editor, CIM Journal (agus.sasmito@mcgill.ca) Janice M. Burke, MSc, Editorial Coordinator, CIM Journal

Journal Homepage

Submit an article

Mine surface ramp at 5 and 15 km/h and loaded MAINTENANCE, ENGINEERING & RELIABILITY

with the same weight. The controlled 2.5-km test

CanmetMINING diesel and BEV field test series: MacLean Engineering diesel and battery electric cassette truck

route comprised 10 sections of 0, 5, 10, and 20%

J. Le, M. Levesque, E. Acuña-Duhart, E. Tominia, A. Mohsenimanesh, H. Ribberink, and A. Griffiths

uphill and downhill inclination grades. This paper compares DCT and ECT performance in terms of ability to maintain the target speed under different

Published online: 06 Dec 2023

operational conditions and fuel and energy

ABSTRACT

consumption. The energy captured through

In light of Canada’s goal of achieving net-zero

regenerative braking and charging information

emissions by 2050 and conditions in increasingly

was also evaluated for the ECT. An energy to

deeper mines, the trend in Canadian mines is to move away from conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and toward battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

fuel ratio (kWh/L) was calculated for various operating conditions. Furthermore, the data were used in a hypothetical duty cycle to estimate DCT and ECT availability within a work shift.

However, the limited driving range and the longer time required to recharge a battery than refuel a tank could reduce BEV availability and negatively affect production targets. Understanding the differences between these two technologies is critical when designing a new mine or transforming an existing fossil fuel-based fleet into an electric fleet. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to compare diesel cassette trucks (DCTs) and electric cassette trucks (ECTs) in terms of net fuel and energy consumption, respectively. MacLean Engineering heavy-duty DCTs and ECTs were field-tested at Vale’s North 19 | MER Today– Spring 2024

CIM Journal Latest articles

Abstracts from Latest articles peer reviewed by MER & Published by Taylor & Fran-

MER Society of CIM Peer-Review Team Agus P. Sasmito, PhD, Peer-Review Chair, MER; Editor, CIM Journal (agus.sasmito@mcgill.ca) Janice M. Burke, MSc, Editorial Coordinator, CIM Journal Submit an article

Journal Homepage

HEALTH & SAFETY

on the boundary of these constraints. Following precedents for a lower rope FOS, it is proposed that,

Safety of rope-guided conveyance systems M. E. Greenway & S. R. Grobler Published online: 11 Dec 2023

ABSTRACT

if adopted, this reduction is made with the obligation to meet a code of practice for guide rope installation, inspection, and maintenance.

The guide rope factor of safety (FOS) currently set in regulations in various countries is unduly conservative and constrains the maximum attainable depth for shafts using rope guides. It limits the amount of guide rope tension that can be imposed, which is important for controlling the lateral motion of conveyances. A lower FOS would lead to more constraint of lateral conveyance motion and therefore safer winding, but this implies a design trade-off of apparent rope safety versus conveyance guidance safety. This paper considers the safety of rope-guided shaft systems and questions whether the above tradeoff is appropriately set. Rope safety, the role of guide ropes, and constraints on increasing guide rope tension are discussed. Precedents for review of rope FOS are recalled. The paper provides a motivation for reducing the regulated guide rope static FOS, which will give designers more flexibility in configuring rope-guided systems and will reduce capital costs—potentially significantly if the design is

20 | MER Today– Spring 2024

CIM Journal Latest articles

Calendar of CIM MER Events



CIM CONNECT May 12-15, 2024 | Vancouver Conference Theme “Brand Canada - Our Critical Advantage” Registration is now Open!





CIM Awards - Nominations already submitted

CIM Health & Safety Conference

“Collaborating Towards a Safe and Healthier Future” October 6-8, 2024, Toronto, Ontario Marriot Downtown, Toronto [Note: Registration will open May 2024]

21 | MER Today– Spring 2024

CIM MER Society Website: https://societies.cim.org/mers/en Email: MERS@cim.org CIM MER Executive Committee 2023 - 2024 Chair, Martin Provencher Immediate Past Chair, Dominique Privé 1st Vice Chair / Chair Elect, Lee Weitzel 2nd Vice Chair, Paul Labbé Treasurer, Dick McIvor Administrator / Recording Secretary, Jean Vavrek Director— Membership, Ted Knight Director—Communications (News), Marcel M. Djivre Director—Peer Review Chair (Publications), Agus Sasmito Director—Education (Scholarships / Student Liaison), Dean Millar Director—Energy, Michelle Levesque

Newsletter Committee Members: Editor-in-chief: Marcel Djivre (mdjivre@gmail.com) Copy Editor: Janice M. Burke, MSc (jmburke@cim.org) Contributors: Paul Labbé, Martin Provencher, Dean Millar

Directors: Brad Kingston, Mustafa Kumral, Glenn Lyle (H&S), Tom Shumka, Bill Wright, Alan Cajueiro, Nikolaisen Brandon, Don Brough, William Quinn

SOME CIM MER SOCIETY SUPPORTERS & PATRONS

22 | MER Today– Spring 2024