Paul Emerson, Terra Nova Technologies Inc., USA, discusses how flexibility and versatility can be added to an IPCC system using mobile conveyors.
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hilst in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) systems have the logical advantages of conveyor haulage when considering the environment, safety, water usage, carbon footprint, dust abatement and the life of mine OPEX, there are also some practical complexities when considering IPCC as an alternative to traditional truck haulage, particularly in deep opencast mines at large capacities. This discussion explores some of the issues, concerns and perceptions related to IPCC systems, as well as the potential to overcome these issues by utilising Super Portable® mobile conveyors, which are integral to the IPCC system.
IPCC challenges One of the main challenges for the successful deployment of an IPCC system in deep opencast mines is the mobility and
flexibility of the system when compared to truck haulage. These mines are dynamic, and mining faces are continuously moving in multiple dimensions, due to advance rate sensitivity, sequencing phase geometry, and selectivity. The flexibility of the trucks provides inherent shovel efficiency and the ability to adapt to the mine dynamics. Generally, the largest OPEX component in a mine is the truck haulage cost from the pit, which is where an IPCC system can add value through reduced OPEX. The traditional approach to IPCC in opencast mines has remained relatively unchanged for several decades, relying primarily on truck haulage followed by primary size reduction on ROM material and conveyance. To add to the difficulties, most mine plans are designed around traditional approaches at early study stages, before crushing and conveying is properly considered.
Figure 1. Terra Nova Technologies Super Portable® fully mobile ramp conveyors at a 7000 tph copper operation in the US.
global mining review // October 2021
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