Australian Mining - July 2018 by Prime Creative Media

QME 2018 DIGITAL MINING VOLUME 110/6 | JULY 2018

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QME 2018 DIGITAL MINING VOLUME 110/6 | JULY 2018

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COMMENT

QUEENSLAND MINING TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE BEN CREAGH

Ben.Creagh@primecreative.com.au

AFTER FACING CHALLENGES IN MANY OF ITS MINING REGIONS DURING THE COMMODITIES DOWNTURN, QUEENSLAND LOOKS TO BETTER TIMES.

he 2018 Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition (QME) in Mackay this month will demonstrate the positive steps taken in the state over the past couple of years. Mining is again poised for growth in Queensland and the anticipation for QME has reflected this optimism. From an operational perspective, momentum has been building in Queensland since the revival in prices for metallurgical and thermal coal in late 2016. The state’s metallurgical coal sector has been particularly busy in 2018, activity that has been underpinned by Rio Tinto’s long-awaited exit from the industry, which is delivering a series of new mine owners in the Bowen Basin. A rebound in base metals prices has also accelerated this gradual revival for Queensland mining. Copper and zinc have enjoyed their best market conditions in many years, with the latter even hitting 10-year highs. The base metals mining sector has provided North Queensland, in particular, with a muchneeded boost. Glencore has been a key player in this department, announcing a series of plans to bolster its operations around Mt Isa. New Century Resources is another company that is contributing to the buzz as it edges closer to restarting the Century zinc mine. For the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector this emerging marketplace has been welcome. The line-up of these companies that plans to be at QME gives an indication of their buoyancy. The biennial event is set to showcase its largest and strongest supplier and speaker

MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN MURPHY EDITOR BEN CREAGH Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ben.creagh@primecreative.com.au JOURNALIST EWEN HOSIE Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: ewen.hosie@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER NATASHA SHEKAR Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: natasha.shekar@primecreative.com.au

presence in years when it returns to Mackay on July 24–26. A free trade event, QME will bring together mining personnel, leading suppliers and renowned speakers, to discuss the latest in strategies and technologies driving productivity, profitability and safety initiatives. The event has been forecast to feature 35 per cent more exhibitors than in 2016, with more than 200 leading companies confirmed to deliver the latest in industry technologies through live demonstrations and product launches. The supplier line-up will include industry heavyweights like Panasonic, Hastings Deering, GE Mining, Downer and Flender. In support of QME, the Bowen Basin Mining Club will again host the 2018 Queensland Mining Awards, an event that has been strengthened by a partnership with the Queensland Resources Council (QRC). To recognise QME 2018 in this issue, Australian Mining has included a special feature that profiles several companies that will be in attendance in Mackay. We look forward to seeing these companies and everyone else at this year’s event.

FRONT COVER

In this edition of Australian Mining, we profile several of the companies that will be exhibitors at the Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition (QME) this month. This issue also continues our series of features that focuses on Deloitte’s annual Tracking the Trends report. In a special feature, we review the digital mining sector, with in-depth articles on companies that are providing services in this area. This issue also looks at how the next generation of workers views the mining industry through a survey conducted across Australia. And as usual, we review the latest mining technology and equipment in our regular Product Showcase spread. Cover image: MacKellar EPSA / Hastings Deering.

Ben Creagh Editor

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CONTENTS

MINING EQUIPMENT

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

EPIROC’S AUTONOMOUS JOURNEY How Epiroc is delivering an autonomous future

HEAVY DUTY CRC’s Shona Fitzgerald discusses Brakleen NF

10-11 FUTURE OF MINING PROSPECT AWARDS

12-14

RAISING AWARENESS A survey of young Australians reveals surprising attitudes

36-37

MAGOTTEAUX TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS We catch up with a 2016 winner

TRACKING THE TRENDS PLEASING STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders want more accountability from miners

16-18

GOLD

CHANGE IS ON THE WAY In-depth coverage of the latest report from the World Gold Council

MATERIALS HANDLING

20-21

CHUTE REPLACEMENTS Flexco’s FlowFirst designs improve material transfers

MATERIALS HANDLING

MINING SERVICES (RE)BUILDING THE FUTURE Sandvik’s rebuilds ensure a longer life for equipment

ALWAYS ON GUARD A look at Nepean’s conveyor audit solutions

22-24 INDUSTRY COMMENT

40-41 SAFETY

A FINE TIME FOR CHILE Austmine reports on the state of Chilean mining

26-27

ESTABLISHING A SAFETY CULTURE Mastermyne builds a safety mindset

QME 2018 MONITORING QUEENSLAND’S MINING EVENT A preview of the event and some of the companies that will be in Mackay

28-29

DIAGNOSTIC AMPLIFIERS Improving machine maintenance with ifm

44-53

MEGATRANS2018

DIGITAL MINING

WHEN MINING MET MEGATRANS Reporting the happenings from the MEGATRANS showfloor

30-32

54-59

A DIGITAL FUTURE Features on companies helping to transform mining through digital technology

REGULARS

NEWS 6-9

PRODUCTS 60-61 AUSTRALIANMINING

EVENTS 62-63

JULY 2018

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GARAGE EQUIPMENT

NEWS

THE LATEST MINING AND SAFETY NEWS AUSTRALIAN MINING PRESENTS THE LATEST NEWS AND SAFETY AFFECTING YOU FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE MINE AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. VISIT WWW.AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. FORTESCUE TO DEVELOP $US1.275 BILLION ELIWANA PROJECT

AUSTRALIAN MINING GETS THE LATEST NEWS EVERY DAY, PROVIDING MINING PROFESSIONALS WITH UP TO THE MINUTE INFORMATION ON SAFETY, NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MINING AND RESOURCES INDUSTRY.

FORTESCUE’S STOCKYARDS AT THE HERB ELLIOTT PORT. IMAGE: FMG.

Fortescue Metals Group has given development of the Eliwana iron ore mine and rail project in the Pilbara in Western Australia the green light. The US1.275 billion ($1.69 billion) project involves 143km of rail, a new 30Mt/y dry ore processing facility and infrastructure. It is expected to create 1900 construction jobs and 500 full-time positions once operations have started. Fortescue expects to launch production at Eliwana in December 2020. The proposed mine will support the introduction of Fortescue’s premium 60 per cent iron grade product in the second half of the 2019 financial year. Chief executive officer Elizabeth Gaines said development of the Eliwana project would maintain the miner’s lowcost status. Gaines explained Eliwana would provide Fortescue “with greater flexibility to capitalise on market dynamics while maintaining a minimum 170Mt per annum production rate over 20 years.” “The project allows us to commence the supply of Fortescue Premium product to the market from existing operations in the second half of FY19 with volumes increased as Eliwana ramps up to full production,” she said.

Fortescue expects the Eliwana project will build on the company’s development and construction capability, using the latest technology, autonomous trucks and design efficiency, while redeploying existing assets to the development. The development costs will be split over the next three financial years, with $US165 million in 2019, $US760 million in 2020, and $US350 million in 2021. Eliwana will be financed from Fortescue’s operating cash flows at a capital intensity of $US42/tonne. Gaines said Fortescue had shipped over one billion tonnes of iron ore in just 10 years, generating strong returns from its position as the lowest end of the global cost curve. “The project is important to Fortescue and the state of Western Australia, creating up to 1900 jobs during construction, 500 full-time site positions once operational and the continued flow of benefits to our communities and the state economy,” Gaines said. Fortescue has completed a definitive feasibility study for the project and is about to launch the detailed design phase. It is also seeking two environmental approvals and one for a mining proposal. AUSTRALIANMINING

MINING SALARIES SET TO RISE Most mine workers can expect a pay rise at their next review, according to recruiter Hays. The 2018-19 salary guide from Hays revealed that 79 per cent of mining, resources, energy and oil & gas employers plan to give workers a salary increase to some degree. More than half (57 per cent) of employers intend to give their staff a pay rise of less than 3 per cent at their next review, the survey found. The guide also showed that 15 per cent of employers would increase salaries by between 3–6 per cent, while 7 per cent would raise pay packets by 6 per cent or more. This leaves 21 per cent of employers that do not intend to give their workers a pay rise. This result is, however, down on the 30 per cent of employers that did not plan to increase salaries a year ago. The plans of employers do differ from the expectations of workers, with 17 per cent of employees expecting to receive an increase of 6 per cent or more. Employees see a pay rise as a priority too. Around two-thirds (67 per cent)

JULY 2018

responded that it is their top priority, while almost half (48 per cent) will request a rise if it isn’t forthcoming. Hays Resources & Mining senior regional director Chris Kent said increasing job vacancies throughout 2017-18 had brought an end to wage erosion for loyal workers who remained in the industry over recent years. “In fact, by early 2018 many jurisdictions began to increase wages in an attempt to lure back those blue collar workers who secured jobs in alternative industries closer to home. This is particularly evident in North Queensland where drive-in, drive-out roles were common,” Kent said. “With employers keen to continue trialling blue collar workers in contract roles and a dwindling pool of experienced people, hourly rates will increase in the year ahead.” The guide is based on a survey of more than 3000 organisations. It also found that around two-thirds of employers are concerned that skills shortages will impact the effective operation of their organisation or department in some way.

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MINING EQUIPMENT

HOW EPIROC IS MAKING AUTONOMOUS MINING A REALITY AS EPIROC LOOKS TO AN AUTONOMOUS FUTURE IN MINING, THE COMPANY REFLECTS ON THE AUSTRALIAN PROJECT THAT HAS SET A STRONG FOUNDATION IN THIS AREA. AUSTRALIAN MINING WRITES.

trial at BHP’s Yandi iron ore mine, during which the drills operated autonomously for more than 15,000 hours, drilling more than one million metres. Epiroc completed the conversion by mid-2017, giving BHP 20 PV-271 autonomous drills operating across five sites — Yandi, Mining Area C, Jimblebar, Mt Whaleback and Eastern Ridge. The deployment has delivered all of the benefits expected: cost savings, a safety improvement and productivity gains. BHP has reported a 16 per cent increase in productivity at the sites using the automated drills. The efficiencies of Epiroc’s autonomous drills have continued to flow, with benefits including a 9.8 per

he benefits of automation continue to be realised at Australian mine sites. For original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Epiroc, no project has demonstrated the power of autonomous machinery more than the conversion of its drill rigs to this technology across BHP Iron Ore’s Pilbara mines in Western Australia. Epiroc, then known as Atlas Copco Construction & Mining, started converting 18 of BHP’s Pit Viper 271 rotary blasthole rigs to fully autonomous operation in mid-2016, adding them to a fleet of two autonomous drills already in operation. This project followed a two-year

THE PIT VIPER PV271 IS NOW USED AT FIVE BHP MINES.

AUSTRALIANMINING

JULY 2018

cent increase in metres drilled per shift and a 22 per cent improvement in drill bit life. Beyond the obvious savings in labour costs, there has also been much greater utilisation of equipment as the drills operate during meal breaks, shift changes, meetings and other events that traditionally result in downtime. According to Epiroc automation manager Adrian Boeing, the ability to generate ideas and implement improvements with these systems has also led to a “massive win” for the miner. By taking a scientific approach to upcoming developments, supported by the collaboration between individuals and teams within

MINING EQUIPMENT

EPIROC PRESIDENT AND CEO PER LINDBERG WITH SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT HELENA HEDBLOM.

the organisation, he has seen big productivity gains. “Not only do the automation team have the ability to talk to one another and share their learnings, they can also talk to the rest of the organisation,” Boeing says. “So, if something is wrong with the drill design or drill planning, they can pass this information directly along to the geology team. Whereas before if they noticed something on the ground they didn’t have the ability to collaborate. “They can now discuss ideas, refine those ideas and then improve operations across different sites. And of course, they have the data stream to back them up and validate the decisions.” Boeing’s statements echo Deloitte research that states mining companies that embrace the convergence of automatic technology and digitisation stand to see productivity benefits of 10–20 per cent. A key feature of an autonomous system is the data it creates, an aspect that is becoming better understood by mining companies. When these autonomous machines generate data, it’s consistent and high quality, and as a result, there are lots of value-added benefits. Boeing says an example of valueadded benefit from the technology is improving the relationships between drilling and blasting. “You can optimise how many explosives you can put in a pattern depending on how hard or soft the

particular ground is – that’s the sort of data you can leverage from an autonomous drill which isn’t too practical to get from a manual drill,” he explains. BHP and other major miners, glean benefits from having a remote operations centre where a plethora of benefits are realised by staff who share information instantly and make decisions and improvements based on the data. This is the real value of the digital mine set up, which not only includes the adoption of autonomous drills, vehicles and equipment, but is operated through a connected network that uses Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to capture this data in real time. While automation is often viewed as a threat to mining jobs, the BHP case found that in fact it harnessed the skills of existing employees better. Where employees were once previously isolated at drill patterns, they are now in an operations centre sharing valuable information and insights. The results of the BHP project have set a strong foundation for the future ambitions of Epiroc, which officially splits from Atlas Copco and will list on NASDAQ from June 2018. As the new entity, Epiroc will aim to add more automation-focused projects to its Australian portfolio, using the experience with BHP as a benchmark. Epiroc AB (Sweden) president and chief executive officer Per Lindberg says the Atlas Copco split AUSTRALIANMINING

will prove beneficial for mining companies and the industry in the long-term, with focus to be added on services and technology. Not surprisingly, Lindberg sees automation as a particular focus in the Australia market. “The big mining houses are here and all of them are looking for productivity improvements and solutions through automation,” Lindberg says. “The industry is looking for new solutions and not the least when it comes to automation AN AUTONOMOUS DRILL OPERATES AT BHP’S YANDI MINE.

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and the digital space. This is what we have to provide – we do it already but we also have to continue to develop more so in that area.” Epiroc continues to upgrade its range of autonomous equipment with incremental improvements and new features, such as drill rig models like the top-hammer SmartROC T45 and larger Pit Viper 316 drill. The manufacturer’s base digital platform — the real control system (RCS) — is continually evolving along with these product lines. “The growth in the new generation equipment primarily occurred with drilling contractors buying DML, SmartRig ROC F9 and SmartROC D65 rigs and with the introduction of the Pit Viper 270 to the major mining companies,” Epiroc Australian regional manager in the Pilbara Chris Clewes explains. As the achievements of Epiroc, have shown, automation in mining is not just a passing fad, but a phenomenon that is already changing the industry. From Boeing’s perspective, “the more equipment you have automated, the more synergies you have, which translates to increased productivity and better operations.” With Epiroc and BHP showcasing the proven benefits of automation in the mining industry, it won’t be long before the rest of world catches up, adds Boeing. “Automation is the way it’s done now. The world’s biggest mining company [BHP] is using this technology. It’s proven. It’s reliable. And it’s a bit of a wake-up call for the rest of the mining players to get moving,” he concludes. AM

FUTURE OF MINING

RETHINKING WHAT MAKES MINING ATTRACTIVE AS A CAREER A SURVEY OF YOUNG AUSTRALIANS HAS A TRIO OF INDUSTRY BODIES NOW CONSIDERING DIFFERENT APPROACHES FOR HOW TO MAKE MINING A CAREER CHOICE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

YOUNG AUSTRALIANS DO RECOGNISE MINING IS IMPORTANT TO THE COUNTRY.

echnology’s expanding role in mining was meant to be one of the key lures that would attract the next generation of workers to the industry. Think again. For today’s young people, it seems that technology has become so commonplace in their lives that it is taken for granted when they consider a future career. This finding is a key outcome of a survey of young Australians backed by METS Ignited, the Minerals Council of Australia and the AusIMM. The survey, by research agency YouthInsight, asked 1061 senior high school students and first-year university students aged between 15 and 20 a series of questions about

the mining industry. For the trio of industry bodies, it revealed that Australian mining and mining supply companies need to do more to raise awareness of the industry amongst young Australians to build the workforce of the future. The research shows that knowledge of mining careers is extremely low, with 59 per cent of young people knowing nothing at all about mining careers. In addition, only 30 per cent of students have an interest in a career in mining or the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sectors. METS Ignited general manager – education and leadership skills, Sarah Boucaut, says the survey findings provide a “wake-up call” for several AUSTRALIANMINING

reasons, including the importance of technology as part of a career for today’s youth. “We thought the fact that mining and METS were heavily technologydriven nowadays, where we use data analytics, robotics and automation, would be a big drawcard,” Boucaut tells Australian Mining. “But that actually has a very low level of importance, which represents a huge gap from people in their 50s and above, who are always saying ‘wow, look at how technology enabled the industry is.’ “Students that are 18 to 20 are instead saying ‘of course it is technology enabled, it’s 2018, everything is technology enabled.’” Boucaut says the revelation about

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technology has the industry bodies reconsidering how its role in mining is being marketed to young people, if it needs to be at all. Instead, Boucaut believes young people are better off being educated about the role mining plays in creating modern-day technologies, such as smart phones, electric vehicles (EVs) and home appliances. “There was a low level of connection between how mining links into things like iPhones, fridges, bicycles and houses … there was just a lack of personal relevance,” Boucaut says. The research found that mining’s high incomes generated the most interest (48 per cent) in a career from students. The number of jobs and opportunities in mining was

FUTURE OF MINING

CAREERS IN MINING ARE A LOT DIFFERENT FROM THE PAST.

also attractive to some students (20 per cent). Boucaut says job security is another aspect of a career that young people are looking for, something that is also a surprise. “We expected students to be looking for flexibility, but what we found in terms of importance when we asked them to rank this, was that job security was the highest ranking criteria, followed by a fun working environment and roles for graduates,” Boucaut says. “It was a long way down until we got to having flexible working conditions — we found that surprising.” The low consideration the respondents have of a mining career is driven by a lack of knowledge, according to the survey, with many saying, “It’s not an industry I’ve ever thought about” (45 per cent), and, “I don’t know anything about mining” (40 per cent). Despite the high percentage of students having low knowledge about mining, Boucaut says this represents an opportunity that the industry needs to seize. “That is actually quite good,” she says. “When you think about how you are going to attract people into the industry, and if you have 60 per cent saying I will never work in that industry because of what it ethically means to them, then you would have a much harder battle than if you are dealing with people that don’t know anything about it.” Encouragingly, Australian mining

and mining services employers are described as “important to the Australian economy” by 63 per cent of respondents. More than half of the students believe mining is “important to Australia’s future” (52 per cent), while a good portion recognise the industry uses leading-edge technology (35 per cent), provides lots of opportunity (35 per cent) and is innovative (34 per cent). The research achieved so far represents the quantitative part of the investigation into mining careers for the industry bodies; they plan to deliver a qualitative report on the findings later this year. The survey results were released at the MCA Minerals Education Summit in Melbourne during May, which brought together leaders from industry, academia and government, as well as students and graduates, to consider the future minerals workforce. MCA minerals tertiary education council executive director Gavin Lind says the survey helps them understand the career preferences for the future workforce and address the misconceptions about a career in the industry. “Our industry has a great story to tell – our high-skill, high-wage workforce is younger, better-paid, better trained and has a much higher share of apprentices than other sectors, with average full-time weekly pay of $2610, 67 per cent higher than the allindustries average,” Lind says. “We need to tell our story better to AUSTRALIANMINING

make young people and their parents aware of the tremendous opportunities on offer, including world-leading innovation.” Australia’s METS are well positioned to take a lead in this area, with SMEs like Dingo (see p58) demonstrating the innovative and high tech opportunities being offered by companies in this sector. METS Ignited chief executive officer Ric Gros says it’s time for the industry to work smarter to make

young people aware of the exciting and rewarding careers on offer in Australia and around the globe. “Australia’s world-class METS sector will need many highly-skilled young people to fill the jobs of tomorrow including drone pilots, environmental and social scientists and engineers,” Gros says. “The jobs are there – areas of the METS sector such as information and communication technologies and professional and technical services saw 164 per cent job growth between 2005 and 2015.” As a representative body for 65,000 professionals working in the resources sector, the AusIMM recognises the importance of education in the industry, according to CEO Stephen Durkin. The AusIMM has established the Education Endowment Fund, which provides students with the support to study towards a minerals industry career and build the professional workforce of the future. “The future of the resources sector relies on students continuing to be attracted to the immense opportunities for professionals in the minerals industry,” Durkin says. “As the employment needs of the sector change with ground-breaking innovation, selling the diversity of careers and pathways available is a key priority of the AusIMM. “From finance students to those studying software engineering, this study will help inform and position the mining industry as a desirable career option.” AM

TODAY’S YOUTH AREN’T KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT MINING’S ROLE IN CREATING THESE TECHNOLOGIES.

JULY 2018

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TRACKING THE TRENDS

MINING COMPANIES TRANSFORM STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS THERE ARE A SERIES OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT MINING COMPANIES NEED TO DELIVER SOCIAL OUTCOMES TO. DELOITTE’S IAN SANDERS TELLS AUSTRALIAN MINING HOW THEY CAN ACHIEVE THIS.

ustralian mining’s key stakeholders, including governments and local communities, expect companies to deliver measurable social outcomes. The modern-day industry requires companies to identify ways to provide local employment opportunities, be more transparent financially, and meet community infrastructure and environmental demands. According to Deloitte’s fifth chapter in the 2018 Tracking the Trends report, Transforming stakeholder relationships, this imperative will only heighten in the digital age. Game-changing developments, such as automation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), have provided undeniable benefits for mining companies, but have also left the public concerned about how they will impact workforces and local communities. Governments and industry organisations are frequently raising

this alarm, making mining companies accountable as they move further in this direction. Deloitte Australia national mining leader Ian Sanders says the move towards digital mining operations is forcing a shift of the social requirements expected of mining companies, something they are fortunately working to satisfy. This transformation has to be used to the advantage of the country and communities, he says, by creating new education models, by improving communication, and to enhance supply chains. Sanders points to an increased focus on collaboration between miners and these stakeholders to identify ways companies can deliver outcomes. “We continue to see more local mining operations get more and more invested in the community,” Sanders tells Australian Mining. “It just works – spending time, making investments, retraining people. Mining companies aren’t

running away from this as a way to improve productivity.” In Australia, companies are increasingly becoming active in their efforts to satisfy social expectations of local communities. A company like Fortescue Metals Groups has been a regular contributor in this way since it was founded 15 years ago, providing grants to local communities in the Pilbara. The miner’s initiatives have continued in recent months, with focus on projects that embrace education and training, improving quality of life, encouraging healthy living, and other qualities. Also in Western Australia, Northern Star Resources last year launched plans to invest $50 million in underground gold mining to expand skills and develop innovation in the Goldfields region. Sanders backs the focus of these miners to find innovative ways to benefit communities. “More than ever they are looking to

share information and share data — it is not just about owning a company asset anymore,” Sanders says. “It is about becoming more available to these local communities. It can even be small things like measuring weather patterns and sharing that data with the local communities, or even local farmers.” As mentioned, collaboration with key stakeholders is at the core of progress in this area. An industry-wide collaboration that has emerged is the Mineral Exploration Cooperative Research Centre (MinEx CRC), which has received $215 million in funding from mining companies and the federal government. The MinEx CRC plans to discover and define mineral deposits by pioneering cheap, safe and environmentally-friendly coiled tubing drilling to build a 3D picture of the subsurface. Mining companies, including BHP, South32, AngloAmerian and Barrick Gold, have committed $165 million to

COMMUNITIES LIKE MOUNT ISA RELY ON THE MINING INDUSTRY FOR JOBS AND CONTRIBUTIONS.

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JULY 2018

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TRACKING THE TRENDS

the initiative over the next 10 years, while the federal government is providing $50 million. Research organisations that are involved include Curtin University, University of South Australia, Adelaide, University of Newcastle, University of Western Australia and the CSIRO. Rio Tinto, meanwhile, joined forces with the Western Australian Government and South Metropolitan TAFE last year to pioneer a curriculum required for the mining industry’s jobs of the future. The miner and TAFE are preparing for opportunities created by advances in technology and innovation. “There are now examples of major mining companies in Australia getting together with local governments and local universities (to achieve this),” Sanders says. “Forming an alliance and getting involved in how they can as a wider group or ecosystem benefit first and foremost the STEM education and the image of mining within young people. “Second, they are bringing new and innovative ideas into the supply chain. If you have got local governments or state governments investing with large mining companies it is a really positive thing for the industry when we look two or three years out.” From an environmental standpoint, Australian miners are increasingly looking at ways to introduce renewable energy projects to their sites in an

effort to reduce their footprint. Driven by favourable economics and the benefit of carbon reductions and social licence, Australian mines are adopting renewables in regions around the country. South32 is working with SunSHIFT to introduce a 3MW solar farm at its Cannington mine in Queensland. Once complete, the farm will be the second largest solar project for a remote, off-grid Australian mine. Also in Queensland, New Century Resources is investing in SunSHIFT’s portable and scalable solar system to supply power for the refurbishment of its Century zinc mine. In Western Australia, Image Resources is investing in a 3–4MW solar farm adjacent to its Boonanarring mine and processing plant. OZ Minerals, meanwhile, plans to build a solar and battery storage facility at the Prominent Hill mine in South Australia, and is looking at further investments in renewables to support other projects in the region. Sanders says there is also potential to look at renewable projects in other Australian regions by collaborating together and with key stakeholders. “If you look at the Pilbara as a region, could the miners within that region get together and work with the government to form a solar energy town?” Sanders asks. “Should they all get together and form a public-private partnership. Something like this could be done

together innovatively so it looks fantastic for the industry, but is also economically beneficial for all involved.” The demands of stakeholders in mining continue to evolve but as these examples demonstrate companies are committed to the cause. Deloitte’s strategies for ‘Transforming stakeholder relationships’ include:

Move beyond financial transparency:

Many regulators and NGOs now demand enhanced disclosures, prompting organisations to heighten their financial transparency in an effort to demonstrate the contributions they are making to governments and communities. As numbers alone don’t tell a compelling story, companies should provide more concrete examples of how their investments and activities translate into measurable social outcomes.

Provide communities with equity stakes:

To encourage communities to be more vested in local operations, it may make sense to provide them with equity stakes. In addition to strengthening companies’ social licence to operate, this approach allows communities to realise long–term financial advantages.

Strengthen local supply chains: Local businesses often lack the scale to deliver on large procurement

TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED IRON ORE MINING AND IMPACTED WHAT JOBS LOOK LIKE. IMAGE: FORTESCUE.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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contracts, putting them at a competitive disadvantage. To overcome this, some organisations focus on helping local partners gain the skills needed to participate in the procurement process through business development training, mentoring and formal suppliers development programs.

Enable community–led evaluations:

Traditionally, organisations monitor their behaviours to ensure legal compliance and determine their impact on communities. Now, however, some companies are democratising this process through the use of community–led evaluations. By focusing on greater transparency between the mine and communities, companies can empower communities to select and track the metrics that matter to them most.

Collaborate:

Collaboration, both among adjacent mine operators and through public– private partnerships, can help companies meet critical public and community needs while also enhancing operational performance. While collaborative approaches will hinge on project goals, success factors commonly include building a multi–disciplinary team committed to working closely with industry stakeholders. AM

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MATERIALS HANDLING

FLEXCO TRANSFERS PRODUCTIVITY INCREASES WITH FLOWFIRST DESIGN FLEXCO USES THE TASMAN WARAJAY TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR MINING COMPANIES REQUIRING TRANSFER CHUTE REPLACEMENTS. AUSTRALIAN MINING WRITES.

roductivity improvements are critical for mining companies that want to remain competitive in today’s environment. From a materials handling perspective, two common ways to increase productivity are by raising throughput or removing barriers that affect consistent performance. Materials handling specialist, Flexco, regularly delivers transfer chute replacements that aim to lift throughput or eliminate concerns, such as blockages, spillage or dust issues. One of Flexco’s clients at a port, for example, required a 25 per cent increase in throughput from a transfer, but requested no changes to the supporting structure. Flexco was able to meet this request with its FlowFirst conveyor transfer system, a solution based on the proprietary Tasman Warajay

CHUTE REPLACEMENTS CAN LIFT THROUGHPUT OR ELIMINATE PERFORMANCE CONCERNS.

Technology that has been designed, manufactured and supplied by the company since 1984. After using FlowFirst to develop an initial design, Flexco presented a model and video of the discrete element modelling (DEM) at the new design rate to the client. Using the DEM as proof of design, it provided the port operator with the confidence to proceed with the project without costly structural changes being needed. It is cases like this that provide the experience and expertise behind Flexco’s FlowFirst designs, which are optimised to increase productivity while decreasing dust generation, blockages, spillage and wear. The FlowFirst approach, based on the Tasman Warajay Technology software, is continually being developed and enhanced by Flexco. The company develops FlowFirst’s optimum material flow path first, before AUSTRALIANMINING

the physical transfer chute and ancillary equipment are designed around that flow path. The geometry of the flow is optimised to meet the material and operational needs of customers, according to Chris Hair, Flexco Australia’s product manager for transfer systems. Hair says Flexco is committed to enhancing its understanding of material transfers, and the design requirements to deliver the best transfer possible, by developing software that complements the existing technology. “Flexco has developed a system that combines the latest Air Flow Science with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and DEM, which allows the company’s personnel to understand and validate not only the flow of the material throughout the transfer, but also the dust generated during the transition as well,” Hair tells Australian Mining. Flexco transfer systems feature

JULY 2018

several standout characteristics, including reduced transfer chute component wear for minimal ongoing maintenance and operating costs. This aspect of the transfer helps companies with materials handling equipment to deliver high year-on-year return-on-investment for the life of the plant. The transfer systems also significantly reduce blockages; deliver low levels of dust generation, spillage and material degradation; soft and central loading on the receiving belts to lower belt wear; and low noise levels. Flexco transfer chutes are designed to perform under varying operating conditions for free-flowing bulk materials, including variances in moisture content and flow rates that are normal and expected in bulk materials handling operations. “Severe conditions that impact flow properties and/or create excessive build

MATERIALS HANDLING

up on flow surfaces and materials, which are not as free flowing, may require additional consideration and add complexity to the designs, but there is usually a solution we can provide to solve the issues,” Hair says. Quality is, of course, a critical consideration for Flexco in the development of FlowFirst. Hair says Flexco transfer chutes are renowned in the mining industry for the quality of the end product that is delivered, as well as the ease that retrofit replacements are made on site during the plant shutdowns. “To ensure this, once the decision has been made by our customers to replace an existing transfer chute with a Flexco Transfer Chute, we conduct 3D scans of the existing structure the chutes will be installed into,” Hair adds. “This guarantees our engineers and designers are working with the most accurate data available and avoid costly clashes during installation.” Flexco further utilises 3D scanning technology by conducting scans of the internals of existing chutes on site. By conducting 3D scans of the internals of the existing chutes, Flexco is able to identify problem areas, including high wear areas. Flexco can accurately provide tailored solutions to rectify the problems once these areas are identified. Flexco also delivers these outcomes Projekt2 08:19 Seite 1 for miners 08.05.18 and materials handling

companies that require a new transfer for a greenfields operation. With early involvement on a greenfields site, Flexco’s engineering and design team for preliminary chute designs helps achieve numerous benefits. The company’s engineering and design team will advise whether the existing geometry of the transfer chutes, particularly head height, is suitable to apply the technology and will provide recommendations on modifications. Flexco’s specialist team will also suggest suitable wear liners for each application and provide preliminary blocked chute loads for structural checks. Hair says mining companies are well placed to achieve optimal performance through the application of the FlowFirst technology when Flexco is engaged from the beginning of a project. “This has been proven again with our supply of transfer chutes to the second stage of the mine development after three years of operations of the first stage,” Hair says. “At this stage our transfer chute design has helped to reduce the head height of several conveyors, helping to lower both initial build and operational costs.” Evidence of Flexco’s successful methodology and products is backed by miners and other companies with materials handling requirements, most of which have numerous transfers. AM

AUSTRALIANMINING

CHUTE SCANNING IS A KEY PART OF THE PROCESS.

JULY 2018

MINING SERVICES

A REBUILT LH517 LOADER.

SANDVIK GIVES MINING EQUIPMENT A SECOND PRODUCTIVE LIFETIME AN EQUIPMENT REBUILD OFFERS MINING COMPANIES A SOLUTION TO SUSTAIN RELIABILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OVER THE MACHINE’S FULL ENGINEERED LIFECYCLE. AUSTRALIAN MINING DISCUSSES THESE ADVANTAGES.

o maintain a productive, yet low cost operation it is critical that a mine’s machinery performs to its designed potential. When this isn’t the case, mine operators react quickly to rectify the situation and may even consider replacing machines before the end of their engineered lifetime. However, when equipment components and major systems show signs of failure as assets near the end of their initial productive life, it doesn’t necessarily mean they need to be replaced. It is increasingly possible to return this equipment to its original glory through a rebuild, and the benefits of this strategy make it an attractive opportunity for mining companies. The scope of Sandvik’s rebuild solutions focus on delivering the best return on investment, the fastest

turnaround, boosting productivity, maintaining a high level of safety and providing the warranty of a new machine (subject to the level of offering selected). Reducing operating costs remains a priority for mining companies, making a rebuild appealing when compared with investing in new machinery too early, as this strategy is completed at a fraction of the cost. Sandvik’s rebuild solutions, when performed at the optimal rebuild interval have also been known to double the average service life of mining equipment, reinforcing this superior return on investment. The manufacturer’s rebuilds are completed using efficient methods, utilising Sandvik’s systematic, globallyrefined processes to ensure faster turnaround times than those offered by non-OEMs. Once rebuilt, the refurbished AUSTRALIANMINING

equipment will be as productive as a new machine. Sandvik’s original, new and manufacturer parts improve reliability and productivity, while reducing the risk of future failures. Sandvik’s rebuild offerings contain a high content of new and original manufacturer parts to restore ‘as new’ reliability and productivity over a target extended lifetime. This also supports the mine to increase predictability and reduce risk within its operation. Every rebuilt unit is backed by updates, parts books and information manuals, as well as a 12-month, 2000-hour extended OEM warranty and ongoing support for added peace of mind. The manufacturer’s service team restores every piece of equipment according to the latest safety standards, ensuring it returns to the mine safer than ever.

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Solutions tailored to customer needs

Sandvik offers rebuilds for all its major products, from mass mining haulers and narrow vein loaders, to development and production drills. The company has more than 50 service centres delivering these solutions around the world. In Mexico, alone, the manufacturer rebuilds around 45 machines each year. Despite up to 7000 parts being changed on some rebuilds, such as those for mass mining loaders, the average lead time is as low as six weeks for a complete rebuild. Sandvik sales manager – parts, John Ward, says miners should not, however, view the manufacturer’s rebuilds as one-size-fits-all solution for ageing equipment. He explains that Sandvik, instead, works closely with each mining customer to tailor a rebuild solution to

28,000 3,700 2,000 1,000 90 17

MINING ENGINES WORKING HARD AROUND THE WORLD. TRAINED TECHNICIANS SUPPORTING OUR CUSTOMERS. MINING ENGINES MANUFACTURED EVERY YEAR. SUPPORT ENGINES READY TO MAINTAIN HIGH AVAILABILITY. YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP PROVEN EXPERIENCE IN THE MINING BUSINESS. MASTER REBUILD CENTERS EXTENDING EQUIPMENT LIFE.

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MINING SERVICES

A GRAPHIC REBUILD MODEL.

suit their maintenance strategies and to reflect the condition of each piece of equipment. “What we want to do is offer different solutions that can either give a new lease of life to the equipment or even double the average age of the machine to achieve the maximum number of hours possible,” Ward tells Australian Mining. In partnership with mine production and maintenance teams, Sandvik offers lifetime support and product insights to identify a proactive fleet strategy that allows operations to remain in line with the operator’s plans. Ward believes Sandvik’s rebuilds are achieved at the fastest rate in Australia, up to 30 per cent quicker than generic part suppliers and repairers. “We achieve that with effective job scoping and extensive planning of what we will actually do on the job. When we replace parts with new it actually eliminates the refurbishing part and the components that are required,” he says. “This is how we achieve the productivity of a new machine through the rebuild — we give it a new lease of life.” For example, a complete loader rebuild has been known to add 14,500 hours of operating life, while saving up to 40 per cent in costs.

What are the levels of rebuild offered?

Sandvik’s rebuild solutions are split into four categories — Life Extension, Life Extension Plus, Reborn and Reborn Plus. A Sandvik Life Extension is a partial yet scalable scope rebuild, using a flexible, modular approach. The rebuild scope can be defined based on the condition of the equipment or target a series of specific systems. A Life Extension Plus solution builds

on this by adding further upgrades and/or custom engineered solutions. Both Sandvik Life Extension and Life Extension Plus are offered with standard parts and services warranty. Ward describes both life extension solutions as partial rebuilds that focus on certain system concerns or specific reliability issues. “When we have a Life Extension Plus project the customer may have a partially flexible scope but will also want to do a certain upgrade at that time,” Ward says. “An example of this could be upgrading the axles on a loader from our traditional axle to a newer model.” A Sandvik Reborn solution involves a full scope rebuild that is completed at a fixed price. It aims to deliver second life endurance and as-new productivity, supported by a full asnew warranty. In addition to that scope, the Reborn Plus provides upgrades and/or custom engineered solutions, as well as access to the latest machine performance. “A key part of the Reborn is the owner gets a second life insurance. We also want to return a machine that is as productive as it was when it was developed, with a full warranty for a new machine on the market — that’s our commitment,” Ward says. “The Reborn Plus suits customers that want to upgrade to certain engineered components or those that want something extra on top of the fixed scope of a Reborn.” Ward describes the reborn solutions as more comprehensive options than what’s involved with the modular approach of a Sandvik Life Extension. “A Reborn involves high new parts content for the reason of giving the machine a second life,” Ward says. “This can provide a 40 per cent saving on investment costs, which is AUSTRALIANMINING

obviously a major benefit of taking the Reborn option.” Ward explains that although the equipment’s major systems are replaced the frames and major fabrications are not and are subjected to non-destructive testing and light repairs. Major components such as the powertrain are replaced with Sandvik Exchange components (CEX). Sandvik complements each of the rebuild solutions with updated parts and safety manuals, which can be viewed through MySandvik, the manufacturer’s online customer portal. All four of Sandvik’s rebuild offerings are offered with high level conditional criteria to give customers peace of mind, ability to budget and plan, and a clear and confident expectation.

Australian rebuild success

Sandvik’s rebuild solutions have a strong track record in Australia, including on drill rigs that operated at gold and nickel mines in Western Australia. At the Frog’s Leg gold mine, the operator was increasingly encountering issues with hydraulics, hosing and electrical components on a Sandvik DL420-10C production drill. The concerns had already affected the operation’s productivity and were increasing the cost of the unit for the miner. Desperate for a way to revive the performance of the drill, the operator turned to Sandvik for a rebuild solution.

COMPONENTS ON A REBUILT LH517.

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The rebuild started with a complete strip, sandblast and non-destructive testing of the machine, before repair of the DL420-10C was launched. All articulation and drilling module bores were returned to factory specifications for the owner. Sandvik’s service team provided a completely new drivetrain, covering engine, transmission, driveline and axle assemblies; a complete hydraulic re-hose back to factory specification; a complete drilling and 24-volt rewire back to factory specification; upgraded drilling control modules; and fabrication repairs back to full OEM specifications. At the Western Australian nickel mine, a Sandvik DD420 development drill rig had operated for seven years, but was targeted for a Life Extension for operation on a mine in Queensland. Following a Sandvik rebuild, the drill rig was repurposed for the silver mine where it was expected to remain in operation for another seven years. To achieve this, the drill was completely stripped down to its base chassis and individual components. After thorough crack tests and inspections to detect any fatigue, the specified parts and components were replaced by new or rebuilt versions. This resulted in a completely overhauled and updated unit in compliance with today’s standards. The rebuilt rig is also covered by Sandvik Australia’s 12-month/1500hour warranty. According to Sandvik, the machine’s new operations praised the quality of the rebuild, as well as the performance of the rebuilt drill. AM

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SAFETY

HOW MASTERMYNE INTRODUCED A SAFETY MINDSET SAFETY IS A PRIORITY IN MINING AND MASTERMYNE WANTED TO ENSURE THIS WAS THE CASE AT THE COMPANY. AUSTRALIAN MINING WRITES.

astermyne has taken a relentless approach to improving safety. The company’s recognition as a finalist for The Safety Foremost Award at the Resource Industry Network’s (RIN) 2018 event is a reflection of this strategy. It demonstrates the company’s passion for keeping people safe; as communicated through the core value of: Safety always – we are trained and competent to look after our environment, our workmates and ourselves, to ensure we all safely return to family and friends every day. Mastermyne’s management and employees work hand-in-hand to actively improve safety. After a rise in incidents recorded during January 2015, Mastermyne embarked on a journey to improve the safety mindset of its workforce. The mining services company had already come a long way on this journey, starting with business compliance to the riskbased legislation, development and implementation of safety management systems and tools, followed by compliance management of the number and quality of the tools used. Implementing a system to ensure compliance to safety procedures and processes resulted in an improvement in performance for most of the 2016 financial year. However, once momentum wore off and the system became business-asusual, safety performance started to trend the wrong way. According to Mastermyne’s managing director Tony Caruso, safety performance was not improving at the start of the 2017 financial year, even though company compliance remained steadfast. “We needed to do something different; the momentum of the focus on hazard identification and proactive indicator compliance management had plateaued,” Caruso tells Australian Mining. “Again this had become business-asusual. It was no longer keeping safety at the front of mind of the workforce.”

MASTERMYNE EGM STRATEGY AND GROWTH DAVID SYKES (RIGHT) TALKS WITH A COLLEAGUE.

Mastermyne’s senior leadership team tackled this issue by identifying the desired safety culture and mindset of the workforce to make all employees mindful of their own safety and that of others. The company was determined to ensure that safety was at the top of everyone’s mind. After deciding on a path to change this mindset, Mastermyne faced the challenge of an inconsistent standard towards a positive safety culture across the entire Mastermyne Group, Caruso adds. “Some sites were more advanced on their safety journey than others and the challenge was to leverage the better performing areas of our business and use the ‘what good looks like’ approach across all of Mastermyne,” Caruso says. Mastermyne moved its fiscal 2017 business goals away from compliance to focus on behavioural change, with its leaders agreeing on “what good looks like for a safety leader.” The company rolled out safety leadership across the top 10 per cent of its workforce — the leaders within the business. Mastermyne’s EGM strategy and growth David Sykes says this process delivered a consistent safety message, while exhibiting exaggerated safety behaviours. AUSTRALIANMINING

“Levelling the playing field with this approach ensured that everyone at the company was at the same point in the safety journey,” Sykes says. Mastermyne’s leadership then realised another strategy was required to extend the momentum into the 2018 financial year. To achieve this, the company’s leaders asked each other: How do we continue to influence people’s attitude toward safety, and build that desired safety culture and mindset? The senior leadership team set up a brain science project team to work out how to move from the current mindset to the desired mindset. Sykes says the team engaged a consultant to learn more about how the brain worked and how best to use this knowledge to enhance the mindset of the people in the business. “We learned about how the brain interprets messages, how much the brain can manage at a time and how best to communicate the desired message,” Sykes says. “Learning that the brain can only process five items of information at any one time and filters out what the brain determines is useless or noise … this became the basis of delivering safety messages going forward. We needed simple, short bursts of information, rather than lengthy presentations or communications.”

JULY 2018

The team also learned how the brain prefers to interpret communication, what the brain wants to know and what influences the brain to drive human performance. Mastermyne developed a safety leadership training program to train its leaders in communication and how to exaggerate positive safety behaviours to influence a positive safety mindset. To complement the program, a ‘call out’ campaign was introduced across the company to increase momentum and chatter around positive safety acts, further bringing the focus to the front of mind across the company. “Leaders would initially ‘call out’ positive acts or performance by singling out individuals who had acted out the company values,” Sykes says. “By exaggerating the behaviour it causes a ripple effect across the company. Encouraging others to act in a similar manner and support each other in positive safety performance.” The result of the latest Mastermyne strategy to improve safety culture had the company well placed to finish the 2018 financial year in line with the safety performance targets, setting the business up for continual improvement for future years. AM

MONITORING

OPTIMISING WITH OCTAVIS AUSTRALIAN MINING LOOKS AT IFM EFECTOR’S SUITE OF OCTAVIS CONDITION MONITORING SYSTEMS, WHICH PROMISE REAL-TIME MAINTENANCE AND ANALYSIS OF MINE MACHINERY.

mart maintenance has become an important component in modern mine operations, allowing for real-time data collection and analysis from the production floor. In combination with accelerometers, the diagnostic electronics of ifm’s series of VSE monitoring systems can be used for vibration monitoring and conditionbased maintenance of machines and installations. Rotational unbalances, bearing and gear conditions can be monitored, which helps to prevent machine overload or unexpected downtime. ifm’s diagnostic amplifiers allow users to continuously and simultaneously analyse and evaluate the signals of up to four accelerometers. The unit has two switching outputs; one can be used for the pre-alarm and the other for the main alarm. The pre-alarm allows the user to schedule and perform maintenance actions during regular operation breaks, while the main alarm signifies that a critical machine state is reached; the switching signal can then be used for system shutdown. Alternatively, the user can configure one of the outputs as an analogue output to monitor overall vibration (the two analogue inputs can be used to monitor further parameters such as speed or temperature). In addition, the unit features an onboard, time-stamped memory to store the trend history of all diagnostic characteristics. ifm offers free parameter setting software for configuration of the diagnostic electronics. In total, there are five diagnostic

IFM’S DIAGNOSTIC AMPLIFIERS ALLOW SIMULTANEOUS ANALYSIS OF UP TO FOUR ACCELEROMETERS.

amplifiers. The most common diagnostic amplifier is the VSE100, which differs from sister product, the VSE002 amplifier, in that it has an extra eight solid state outputs that can be switched for each of the accelerometers, so it is possible to have a hard output on ‘warning’ and ‘damage level’ for every accelerometer. In addition to the high functions of the previous units there are three more units that are specifically developed to interface directly with the big three programmable logic controller (PLC) brands, which includes the VSE150 with Profinet interface, VSE151 with

THERE ARE FIVE DIAGNOSTIC AMPLIFIERS OFFERED BY IFM IN TOTAL.

AUSTRALIANMINING

Ethernet IP interface, and finally the VSE153 with Modbus TCP interface. With the advent of this development, it means that with the right module, and the addition of a downloaded add-on instruction (i.e. GSD, EDS), any of the diagnostic functions that are programmed into the amplifier will be available to the PLC that it is networked to. “This in essence, means that the parameters in the Octavis diagnostic amplifiers become registers in the parent PLC,” explains Chris Dicker, condition monitoring specialist at ifm. “Once this occurs it is then possible to use them in a pre-existing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system without the use of other tools like open platform communications (OPC) servers. “Virtual setpoints can be set as per normal SCADA and the best part is that no analogue modules are required as by using this method every diagnosis will be treated as an analogue register.” The new units now look a little different to the old, being totally redesigned with a new format — immediately noticeable is that there are three RJ45 ports: one for standard programming, and two protocol ports where the amplifiers can be linked together as an Ethernet switch.

JULY 2018

In this way it is easy to connect multiple units together in a plant with simple jumper RJ45 Cat 5/6 cables. Whatever is programmed in the VSE will emulate in the PLC, with each diagnosis parameter and the value and memory size associated for that point in the Ethernet IP. Even the order of these parameters can be altered to best suit the way that the SCADA is set up. In other developments there is a software package called VES004, which is available for free from the ifm service download website. The next generation in ifm software, it incorporates many new features to assist in the online monitoring process. It will work with the latest models and is also backward compatible up to Version AI Amplifiers. Now as standard there are onboard history functions that can span over years depending on the log rate such is the capacity of the internal memory. Ifm may have a gamechanger on its hands “There is full time waveform, FFT and HFFT spectra and numerous ways in which to display ‘Damage Levels’,” says Dicker. “It really is the next step for ifm’s VSE series in terms of memory capacity.” AM

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MEGATRANS

THE EVENT SAW A GOOD TURNOUT.

WHEN MINING MET MEGATRANS IN MELBOURNE AUSTRALIAN MINING LOOKS AT THE HAPPENINGS FROM THE LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN-FOCUSED MEGATRANS EVENT IN THE VICTORIAN CAPITAL.

he Megatrans event, dedicated to the supply chain, transport and logistics industries, took place at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC) in May. The inaugural event went off without a hitch, in spite of typically inclement Melbourne weather, delivering a showcase of industryleading companies in the logistics and materials handling sector. Organised by Australian Mining parent company Prime Creative

Media, the three-day showcase saw nearly 200 exhibitors take to the 30,000m2 show floor. And while the event concentrated primarily on supply chains, logistics and transport, many companies taking part would be familiar to mine operators, being an industry in which the three mentioned areas often intersect. At the opening ministerial breakfast on the first day of the event, several speakers emphasised the importance of logistics and materials handling to Australia, whether it be road, sea or rail.

AUSTRALIANMINING

Michael Kilgariff, managing director and chief executive officer of the Australian Logistics Council (ALC), stressed the importance of supply chain efficiency from an economic standpoint, especially with regards to Australia’s rapidly expanding population, which is expected to reach 40 million people by 2050. “If [the supply chain] is inefficient, the people who pay that cost are the consumers and the economy,” he says. “Policy makers and consumers need to understand how it works and why it is important.“

JULY 2018

Other topics broached by speakers included the need for freight growth, new approaches to safety management, and Australia’s increasingly ageing road fleets, with the average age of transport trucks in the country being nearly 15 years old. Transport in particular is a vital facet of the mining industry, covering everything from haul road optimisation to FIFO to export shipping. Even something as simple as getting from A to B at the often vast mine sites in Australia can come under the banner.

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MEGATRANS

AN IFM EFECTOR EMPLOYEE HOLDS ONE OF THE COMPANY’S MAGNETIC-INDUCTIVE FLOW METERS.

TENNANT WAS IN ATTENDANCE WITH ITS LATEST CLEANING MACHINES.

On this note, Mercedes-Benz, one of the bigger names at the event, showcased its recently unveiled G-Class Professional truck, for example, which, having been displayed at the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) conference last year, has been positioned as a potential competitor to the eponymous Toyota HiLux and LandCruiser as a light mine spec vehicle. Telematics, another increasingly prevalent element of modern mining operations, saw several standees well represented, with companies such as Global GPS Tracking, Virtual Fleet Solutions and Caltex Telematics displaying their latest wares. Despite the logistics and material handling focus of Megatrans, several notable mining suppliers from various sectors were nestled among the impressive displays of the latest road trucks, from the likes of Isuzu and Hino. Sensor technology companies such as ifm efector and Sick, wellknown in the mining industry for safety- and process-focused products, shared floor space with

the likes of fleet safety and cabin air quality-focused company, LSM Technologies; lubrication specialist, CRC Industries; industrial cleaning company, Tennant; and control systems innovator Backplane Systems Technology. Even cloud services companies such as Consultel Cloud (whose recent hyperconverged infrastructure integration via NetApp was featured in last month’s issue), Vivid Industrial and Carton Cloud decided to get in on the action. “The people that come here really want to be here, and they’re looking for improvement in processes,” Glenn Thornton, ifm efector regional manager tells Australian Mining from the Megatrans show floor. “We’re looking at improving efficiency and productivity — people are looking for better control over what’s happening within their factory, whether it’s logistics, warehouse, manufacturing, vehicles, or whatever else. Customers are actually looking for something that’s going to be quality, so they

know when they approach the stand that they’re going to get a decent conversation.” “It’s definitely impressive,” adds Dan Buzata, product manager, networking & controls, ifm efector, who was also in attendance with Thornton. “It’s something unique for Melbourne.” SICK Australia, a fellow sensor intelligence company well-known for its process automation solutions in the Australian mining industry, agrees. “There’s been a lot of interest from customers,” says Sick product manager Sean Carter. “Primarily the focus here is on logistics and materials handling [rather than mining] so we do have some other technologies at the show such as RFID (radio frequency identification) and dimensioning and weighing applications, but there’s still been a lot of interest, especially regarding our guided vehicles. “We offer products for safety purposes, generally with regards to collision awareness for mobile vehicles and mobile drilling rigs, and

SICK HIGHLIGHTS ITS CONNECTION TO INDUSTRY 4.0 WITH ITS SENSOR SUITE.

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if you look at some of the bigger haul trucks and articulated underground mining vehicles, or stackerreclaimers, they are usually fitted with SICK LiDAR sensors.” LSM’s managing director Peter Woodford, who says he has been coming to such events and tradeshows for more than 40 years, says Megatrans’ Friday showing was good even with the heavy rain taken into account. “Today [May 11] has been good despite some horrible weather,” he tells Australian Mining. “There’s large walkways, lots of space between stands, and it’s clean and fresh. The spacing is fantastic and I like the single access — it’s a good show.” Overall, the impression from the show floor was that the experience was a largely positive one, teething issues notwithstanding. With some of mining’s best and brightest suppliers in attendance, albeit not directly in a mining capacity, signs point to an even more positive showing from the next Megatrans event, which is set to take place in 2020. AM

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

REIGNITING THE INDUSTRY CRC INDUSTRIES AUSTRALIA MANAGING DIRECTOR SHONA FITZGERALD TALKS TO AUSTRALIAN MINING ABOUT THE COMPANY’S LATEST ADDITION TO THE BRAKLEEN FAMILY, BRAKLEEN NF.

RC Industries prides itself as being the leader in product quality, performance and regulatory compliance for professional quality aerosols and bulk lubricants. The company’s innovative research and development team continually develops new and improved products to make clients’ jobs faster, easier and safer. Within the mining and oil and gas industries, in particular, CRC is noted for its range of multi-purpose lubricants, sealants, zinc-rich topcoats and flagship 5-56 product, referred to by CRC as the “original toolkit in a can”, all of which are available in aerosol form. Collectively, these products can help to improve machine lifespans, reduce unwanted downtime, guard against corrosion, dirt and moisture, and provide long-lasting protective coating, whether it is via a zinc-rich topcoat or insulating urethane seal. CRC, whose Australian office is

based in Castle Hill, New South Wales, is particularly stringent when it comes to quality control; by offering onsite manufacturing of products, it allows for control of all production processes. Raw materials and finished good are subject to stringent testing by the company’s quality control department, while lot sampling guarantees the customer consistent quality and performance. When specifying CRC’s products, each customer can be assured that they surpass all maintenance and repair industries’ highest standards of environment, performance and safety. CRC has expanded its range of heavy-duty mechanical maintenance products with the addition of a nonflammable brake and parts cleaner to the Brakleen family. The new CRC Brakleen NF is a powerful, heavy duty cleaner and degreaser for brake, clutch parts and general mechanical equipment. CRC Australia managing director, Shona Fitzgerald, says that Brakleen NF has been formulated to quickly and safely dissolve and flush away

grease, oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, hardened deposits and other contaminants. “It can perform these functions without the need for disassembly, thereby reducing maintenance costs,’’ Fitzgerald says. “CRC Brakleen NF is also perfect for degreasing components prior to reassembly, especially prior to thread locking. “When sprayed, the break up in the liquid stream assists cleaning by providing surface agitation and maximum wet-out. It is also rubber safe and safe on most automotive plastics. “Being non-flammable, Brakleen NF also brings obvious safety benefits to heavily operational health and safety (OH&S)-regulated industries.” Other features of Brakleen NF include being quick cleaning, quick evaporating, non-staining, noncorrosive and silicone free. With its excellent penetration, CRC Brakleen NF helps brakes last longer and perform better, eliminating brake squeal and clutch chatter, while

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also safely settling and removing potentially hazardous brake dust. As such, Brakleen NF is considered a perfect fit for mining and other heavily regulated industries where safety is of major concern. Available in 20L bulk containers as well as traditional aerosol spray cans, CRC Brakleen NF joins the trusted Brakleen family in delivering superior parts-cleaning technology. It sits comfortably alongside its sister products, including the original Brakleen, as well as Non-Chlorinated Brakleen, designed for applications where chlorination could prove a problem, and BrakleenForce, which utilises power jettechnology for superior application. “The launch of CRC Brakleen NF is an exciting development for the company as we remain focused on adding customer value through extensive research and development, anticipating demand and delivering the right solutions in an ever-changing market,’’ concludes Fitzgerald. AM

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PROSPECT AWARDS

MAGOTTEAUX IS AN EXPERT IN THE USE OF HIGH-CHROME GRINDING MEDIA FOR PROCESS OPTIMISATIONS.

MAGOTTEAUX READIES PROCESSING TECH FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET MAGOTTEAUX’S PULP CHEMISTRY MONITOR MADE A BIG IMPRESSION AT THE 2016 PROSPECT AWARDS, WINNING THE MINERALS PROCESSING OF THE YEAR AWARD. MAGOTTEAUX’S DR CHRISTOPHER GREET TELLS AUSTRALIAN MINING ABOUT HOW THE TECHNOLOGY HAS DEVELOPED SINCE.

agotteaux is a company with a lot of history, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020. In that time, the company has seen massive transformations in technology and business practices, and has continually reinvested itself to meet the relentless and changing pace of industry. Over the past decade, the significance of the mining industry to Magotteaux’s business has increased markedly with the largest portion of its income coming from this sector. This means the business must move with the changing dynamics of the industry. Winning an Australian Mining Prospect Award for its pulp chemistry monitor (PCM) in 2016,

a system that allows for realtime, online measurement of key pulp chemical parameters (pH, pulp potential, dissolved oxygen, temperature and oxygen demand), has illustrated how Magotteaux is investing in an innovative business pathway as a process optimisation service provider. According to Magotteaux Australia manager minerals processing research Dr Christopher Greet, winning the Prospect Award was well received within the company. “There was quite a bit of excitement at the head office in Liège in Belgium,” he tells Australian Mining. “They saw this as a tremendous positive, and vindicated its investment in technology to improve our Chemillurgy approach — a real feather in the company’s cap.” AUSTRALIANMINING

Since winning the award, Magotteaux has continued to develop PCM, making it ready for the international market. Greet says since the mining industry’s pick up over the past 12 to 18 months there has been a cautious optimism in the air. Mining companies, he says, are still reluctant to spend capital, but are very interested in improving their processes. They are, however, exploring new technologies that can improve productivity, albeit slowly. “The mining industry doesn’t like change — it’s very conservative,” Greet explains. “But the reality of falling feed grades, the need to be more energy and water efficient is forcing the industry to seriously investigate new technologies for crushing and grinding, ore sorting and coarse particle flotation.

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“I was at the Comminution 2018 conference in Cape Town recently, and there were some very interesting technologies discussed as alternatives to conventional crushing and grinding like the VeRo Liberator and Vertical-Roller-Mill, which reportedly have remarkable size reduction capacity and are conducted dry. It is suggested that these machines offer considerable savings in energy and water consumption.” However, Greet says other technologies, such as the rejection of gangue minerals through ore sorting and the introduction of coarse particle flotation, will significantly alter the characteristics of the feed entering the flotation circuit. “It is probable that gangue rejection in the mine will increase feed grades, which in base metal sulphides means pulp chemistry will

PROSPECT AWARDS

MAGOTTEAUX HOPES TO TEST ITS PULP CHEMISTRY MONITOR (PCM) AT A NUMBER OF SITES.

become increasingly more important in achieving a saleable concentrate grade,” Greet says. “PCM is well placed to assist in this space. Coarse particle flotation means that the concentrate produced during rougher flotation will require significant size reduction to liberate the valuable minerals from the waste prior to cleaner flotation so that a saleable concentrate can be produced. “That is, regrinding often the forgotten part of the flotation plant will gain more importance and Magotteaux have expertise and products that fit into this space.” Sustainability is also important to Magotteaux and the company is wellplaced to meet the present needs of the mining industry. It is also looking beyond to see how we need to adapt to these new technologies and flow sheet designs, Greet adds. “For this reason Magotteaux is the only grinding media supplier who can supply forged steel, high chrome and ceramic grinding media to the mining industry,” Greet says. “We also know our customers are looking for something beyond the commodity we sell – they are looking for a partnership where we can help improve their process with our solutions and products. “PCM is one of the technologies

we are working on that can be used to understand the chemistry of the system and optimise the separation process. We think that the pulp chemistry can be used to better utilise reagents in flotation and leach circuits, which should offer cost savings as well as improvements in metallurgical performance.” Magotteaux is in discussion with a number of sites where it hopes to test PCM’s capabilities. For example, the Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea; Magotteaux hopes to use chemistry to optimise the cyanide consumption at the 95 per cent-owned Barrick Gold operation. Other mine sites are also apparently keen to utilise PCM in unison with a change from forged to high-chromium grinding media, Greet continues. “We can actually start monitoring changes in pulp chemistry, which is a positive thing because quite often companies just look at wear, they don’t look at the chemistry and subsequent metallurgy,” he explains. “This will give them the ability to see changes live as they convert from one media to another.” Overall, Magotteaux is a technology-based company and PCM is a good fit, as well as positive way forward, for the industry in the future. AM

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GOLD

WORLD GOLD COUNCIL PREDICTS MASSIVE CHANGE THE WORLD GOLD COUNCIL’S GOLD 2048 COLLECTION OF ESSAYS FORECASTS BIG CHANGES FOR THE GOLD INDUSTRY OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS. AUSTRALIAN MINING TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT ITS FINDINGS.

he World Gold Council (WGC), in the Gold 2048 collection, claims an expanding middle class contingent in countries like China and India will drive increased demand for gold in the coming decades. The lengthy report collates several contributions from various experts in finance, international relations and the gold sector, who have come together to discuss potential developments over the next 30 years of the gold industry, which is seemingly as malleable as the metal itself. According to a foreword by WGC chief executive officer Aram Shishmanian, “the gold mining industry is going to be challenged to produce as much gold in the next 30 years as it has done during recent years”. An emergent middle-class population in large countries such as China and India, in combination with broader economic growth, are expected to have a significant impact on gold demand. Environmental, social and political issues are also expected to prove important in reshaping the gold mining industry; global gold production hit its seventh consecutive all-time record in 2016. David Byers, interim chief executive of the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), comments on the WGC’s report, saying that Australia needs strong governmental support

to meet new challenges within the gold industry, particularly regarding tech sector applications. “The recent risk of increased gold royalties in Western Australian and the Northern Territory shows a short-sighted approach to encouraging a world-class Australian industry at a time when production costs are growing,” he says. “Australia has already missed an opportunity in the past decade. The report shows much of the recent growth in global gold demand has been supplied from new emerging gold regions and mines in other parts of the world. “Both federal and state governments must support Australian gold miners with stable royalty and tax systems, sound environmental regulation and a commitment to exploration programs if Australia is to make the most of the next phase of technology-led growth in gold demand.” While gold exploration budgets continue to rise within the gold mining industry, new gold discoveries have actually decreased. Contributor Mark Fellows, head of mine supply at Metals Focus, estimates a consistent gold price of $US1500/oz will be required to maintain global production levels at their current standard, subject to certain conditions. Currently, Canada and Australia possess the world’s largest gold exploration budgets among mining companies, but it is expected that the industry will become increasingly

diversified over the next 30 years. Shishmanian admits that some changes, whether it involves the gold mining sector, or gold industry at large, will be hard to predict. “The next 30 years will no doubt bring significant changes — some we anticipate, some that none of us predict,” explains Shishmanian. “I am delighted that in Gold 2048 we have brought together a stellar set of contributors — economists, investment managers, leaders in the mining industry, as well as our own specialists — to consider the global trends and dynamics that will drive this fascinating market forward.” Away from mining, the demands of new technologies are also expected to provide a significant impact on gold demand. Gold 2048 contributors Chen Daofu and Sun Fei from the Finance Research Institution of the Development Research Centre of the State Council, refer to China’s economics transformation as “one of the most influential global trends of the past 30 years”, and points out that China’s economy is expected to grow by 4.8 per cent per year between 2020 and 2035, with technology likely to account for around half of China’s economic growth by 2030. In addition, China’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) will increase to $US160 trillion by 2050, around 30 per cent of gross world product (GWP). In India, the second-largest consumer of gold in the world after

THE REPORT STATES THAT THE GOLD MINING INDUSTRY WILL BE CHALLENGED TO PRODUCE AS MUCH GOLD IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS AS IT DOES AT THE MOMENT.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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China, the middle-class are expected to become by far the dominant social and economic class by 2048. Gold 2048 contributor Dr Rajesh Shukla, managing director and chief executive officer of the People Research on India’s Consumer Economy (PRICE) explains in his essay, The great Indian middle class: a force to reckon with, that India has the potential over the next three decades to become the world’s fastest-growing economy (5–6 per cent annual growth). According to PRICE research, the current population of deprived and aspiring Indians will fall from the current 1.1 billion to 150 million by the 2040s, a massive increase in the middle classes from around 19 per cent to over 70 per cent of the country. “Gold is especially popular in India and China, where the average family has more faith in the physical asset as a store of value than financial securities,” explains Rick Lacaille, executive vice president and global chief investment officer of State Street Global Advisors in his report, The investment market in 2048. “However, the incentive to switch from physical assets to securities will depend on stability and confidence in financial markets, which in turn will depend on broader political stability,” he adds. “We may also see the emergence of new commodities and stores of value, either as components of new products or as cheaper, more effective and resilient materials.” AM

MATERIALS HANDLING

DOES YOUR GUARDING COMPLY WITH THE NEW STANDARD? WITH OVER 30 YEARS’ OPERATING IN THE MINING INDUSTRY NEPEAN CONVEYORS HAS THE EXPERIENCE AND PEOPLE TO AUDIT EXISTING CONVEYOR GUARDING.

epean Conveyors is more than a conveyor system manufacturer, but also one of the world’s largest OEMs and industry leaders in conveyor products. The company designs and manufactures modular guarding systems for use on all bulk materials handling conveyors, with its ergonomic designs meeting or exceeding all relevant Australian standards. Nepean Conveyors’ range of products means that customers can rely on the company for more high-quality conveyor solutions at better prices, reducing the amount of vendors they need to be in contact with on a day-to-day basis. With the recent change in the Conveyor Guarding Standard there is an increasing emphasis on safety around conveyors and moving machinery. Equipment guarding acts as the

ultimate personal protection, providing entanglement protection, pinch point protection and impact protection. The challenge associated with designing guarding is adequately protecting personnel from the hazards of moving parts without interfering with the operation and maintenance of the plant. Nepean has over 30 years’ experience in the mining industry and the required engineering capability, allowing it to provide qualified people to audit existing installations, to offer sound practical advice on level of compliance and provide cost effective solutions to rectify non-compliance issues. The company’s safety guarding systems can be direct machine mounted or totally free standing designs. The totally boltless systems are standardised to improve efficiency, and are rapidly assembled and dis-assembled to minimise any impacts on maintenance

or production down time. All structural components are manufactured to exacting standards from galvanised material powder coated in either safety yellow or black to suit specific requirements. The company’s purpose designed and manufactured latching system is manufactured from stainless steel to last

the test of time in the harshest of mining environments. All of the company’s guarding is designed with the end user in mind ensuring ease of handling, installation and transport — saving time and money. Nepean Conveyors is a materials handling partner for robust mining solutions. AM

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INDUSTRY COMMENT

CHILE – OPEN FOR INNOVATION THE AUSTMINE TEAM SPENT A FEW WEEKS IN CHILE EARLIER THIS YEAR EXPLORING THE MINING INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY. HERE IS WHAT AUSTMINE DISCOVERED.

here is no doubt that Chileans are some of the best miners in the world. The size and scale of mining operations, combined with the pride the Chileans take in their mining history, ore deposits and overall economic contribution reflects just how important mining is to the country. After spending a few weeks in Chile, getting a feel for the mining landscape and visiting several mining operations, it is clear that Chilean miners are open to new thinking, new ways of doing things and new partnerships. In other words, the innovation and collaboration focus which has been prominent in Australia is also alive and well in Chile.

Key challenges

Chile, like most mining countries, is facing many challenges and key amongst these is declining ore grades and the need therefore to mine to

deeper depths, which puts massive pressures on the cost of operations. Mining is also moving closer to communities and impacting more on the population centres as new deposits are sought. To tackle these challenges,

to ensure stronger partnerships. With its new innovation focus, priorities for CODELCO is adding value through integrated operation centres which provide a single view of the mine from thousands of kilometres away.

A KEY FOCUS FOR CODELCOTECH HAS BEEN ON WATER AND RENEWABLE POWER, INCLUDING SOLAR THERMAL POWER FOR COPPER SMELTING AND THE RECOVERY OF OTHER MINERALS BEYOND COPPER. CODELCO, the world’s largest copper miner has a new focus on innovation, and has put in place an innovation management system, which takes the concept of innovation from simply creating knowledge to a focus on adding value. Part of this involves scouting for new technologies around the world, and looking at new supplier arrangements AUSTRALIANMINING

Open innovation is also a focus which is currently involving work with autonomous trucks, semi-automated LHDs, electric vehicles and big data. And, in everything the company is doing, there is a strong emphasis on the people to ensure young engineers, in particular, are engaged and are well taken care of. Specific challenges which

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CODELCO has identified for the next decade are: technologies to transform their large resources inventory into reserves; large open pit productivity; underground mining: development and caving at new depths; chalcopyrite leaching; recovery of additional metal; remote control of operations through automation and big data; and sustainable cathodes.

Where innovation happens

CODELCOTECH is where innovation projects are happening. CODELCOTECH is a fully-owned subsidiary of CODELCO and is focused on re-inventing the mining industry. As a subsidiary, CODELCOTECH has more freedom to develop partnerships and be more agile, while leveraging CODELCO’s name and brand. A key focus for CODELCOTECH has been on water and renewable power, including solar thermal power

INDUSTRY COMMENT

for copper smelting and the recovery of other minerals beyond copper, which includes deriving more value from tailings. Digital transformation and how to use data to better manage operations is also a key focus. CODELCOTECH, which employs 180 people, is working on 68 projects, which are in all different stages of development. Some of the main projects include: identification of processing options to extract and recover lithium carbonate; Cu/Zn separation in final concentrates; Cu (Energite) removal from OxMo concentrates without using cyanide; removal of ultrafine particles from water in the tailings thickeners; use of electric pulses to split boulders and large size rocks without using explosives; bioleaching application for Cu extraction from low grade primary sulphides; identification of potential uses of Cu in the dairy industry; electromobility; LHD autonomous operation; and recovering more value from tailings. Projects under development cover all stages of ore processing, from extraction through to the plant, and the identification of new uses for copper. CODELCOTECH is looking to establish models of open innovation to bring the company, suppliers and research institutes together.

The company also has an investment fund that can be used to develop new technologies or develop current solutions to an industrial scale. Key challenges CODELCOTECH faces include: how to speed up the lifecycle of innovation projects (currently taking seven years to implementation); identify and establish collaboration agreements in digital transformation area; provide solutions for the mineral processing of low-grade primary sulphides; identify mechanisms or processes to remove arsenic from the final concentrates; and improve and develop current processes to create a more sustainable mining industry. This last issue is critical as mining moves more towards communities. CODELCOTECH is thinking about how we create an invisible mine which creates no waste, has no impact on water, and has no impact on the landscape. CODELCO is not the only mining company in Chile looking to do things differently. Other companies are seeking to improve their operations as they all face common challenges regarding grade, depth, environment and community concerns. Antofagasta Minerals has launched an internal innovation program that

challenges its employees to come up with new solutions, and then funds the best ideas. The company has also embarked on a business improvement to achieve business excellence.

What this means for AustralianÂ METS

There are about 150 Australian METS operating in Chile either directly or selling their products or services through an agent or distributor. Australian METS have been operating in the Chilean market for more than 20 years, and have developed a reputation for unique solutions, the latest technologies and innovative practices. That is why Australians are so warmly welcomed in Chile, and why the Chilean Government has tried to emulate what we have done in developing our METS sector. Currently only two per cent of CODELCO purchases are from Australia. While this number is low, it is not surprising given that Australian companies do not tend to provide large capital equipment, but rather more niche products and services. This is where Australian companies can excel as it will be the targeted, more niche applications and services where Australian companies can fill demand.

To be successful in Chile, Australian companies must establish a presence in the market for both sales and servicing. Customers will want you to visit them often and be able to provide support for your products or services. Getting your first order from CODELCO is not easy, and can take months, if not years. A reference site in the country is often needed before CODELCO will do business with you. Once however, an order is placed CODELCO can become a very good customer. A number of initiatives have been established to help Australian METS into the market. The METStech Passport is an initiative between Fundacion Chile and METS Ignited to give a few selected companies an opportunity to learn more about both the Chilean and Australian markets and accelerate market entry. Other services through Austrade can help identify partners, and Austmine, with our range of contacts and regular missions, can support your growth into the market. For more information on opportunities in Chile, contact Austmine at info@austmine.com.au. Austmine has a range of resources available to help you make informed decisions, develop a strategy and connect into Chile. AM

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QUEENSLAND MINING & ENGINEERING EXHIBITION

RECOGNISING THE QUEENSLAND MINING INDUSTRY’S FINEST BOWEN BASIN MINING CLUB DIRECTOR JODIE CURRIE TELLS AUSTRALIAN MINING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF AWARDS AND RECOGNITION IN THE MINING INDUSTRY. public policy and business development, across minerals, coal and gas. This means all submissions are assessed with a well-rounded view to industry trends and existing best practice — there’s no award that won’t be earned.

QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL CEO IAN MACFARLANE AND BOWEN BASIN MINING CLUB DIRECTOR JODIE CURRIE.

he biennial Queensland Mining Awards will be held this month, co-hosted by the Bowen Basin Mining Club (BBMC) and the Queensland Resources Council (QRC). Peer-judged by leaders in the mining industry, the Awards assess mining industry producers, suppliers and contractors across categories including: Collaboration; Safety; Cost saving; Time saving; Project innovation; EEO, Community and staff engagement; and Product launch (for QME exhibitors). The Collaboration category, aimed at uncovering stories of cooperation between producers and suppliers, is new this year. Australian Mining discusses this year’s event with BBMC director Jodie Currie. AM: How are the Queensland Mining Awards shaping up in 2018? JC: The Awards are designed to

celebrate the spirit of innovation and excellence that is fostered within our highly competitive industry. So far, the calibre of entries in the 2018 Awards is far above anything we’ve seen in previous years, with a recordbreaking number of entries across all categories. The Awards are held in Mackay, the heart of the Bowen Basin, in collaboration with the biennial Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition (QME). This was a strategic decision from the start, to gather together the industry’s key decision-makers and showcase our finalists. The networking and name recognition that comes with the Awards is reason enough to enter. AM: But why awards? JC: The Bowen Basin Mining Club first created the awards in 2014 as a way to recognise contractors — who were often overlooked in industry awards that focused on the big end of town, rather than the smaller contractors, who were doing things AUSTRALIANMINING

faster, smarter and more efficiently just to stay in the game. The peer judging means real feedback and real exposure for these contractors, on innovations that had the potential to save significant time and money. For the Bowen Basin Mining Club, Queensland’s largest networking organisation for the mining industry, it made sense to create a program that put the hard work of contractors up in lights for a change. It’s the BBMC’s mission to ‘open the pipeline of communication’ between site, supplier and senior executives. While we do consistently achieve this with our bi-monthly networking luncheons, the Awards were a way to highlight the achievements of our members as assessed by their industry peers. AM: Who is judging the Queensland Mining Awards? JC: The 2018 Queensland Mining Awards judging panel includes senior executives from the C-suite, procurement, production, planning,

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AM: How do the Awards help business? JC: It’s all well and good to espouse the benefits of awards when you’re running them. For a business to enter, it takes effort, coordination and precious resources. In the years we’ve run the Awards, businesses of all shapes and sizes have entered — no matter the climate of the industry, there’s always innovation, creativity and best practice to share around. Mackay-based TEAM Group were named the Contractor of the Year in 2016, for their project management and engineering-based solution to a complex transport problem. They have since leveraged this win into work with major mining companies, with the Contractor of the Year title as a unique differentiator in the market. Further back, SMW Group were the 2014 Contractor of the Year, by completely redesigning the heavy haulage tray rebuild process with savings of 25 per cent in cost, as well as breakthroughs in quality, safety and speed. The SMW Group workforce has since doubled, with expansion into several new areas of business. Both these companies put their time and effort into a submission, and it has more than paid off. AM: How does the industry get involved? JC: By the time people from the industry read this, it will be too late to enter, and tickets to the Gala Presentation dinner may have sold out (if not, they’re available at www. bbminingclub.com/awards). So how can you be involved? If you attend QME, come by the Queensland Mining Awards stand to find out about our finalists, and watch this space to hear the remarkable stories that we uncover in 2018…and beyond. AM

QUEENSLAND MINING & ENGINEERING EXHIBITION

TED DELIVERS SAFER MINING NIVEK INDUSTRIES’ TRACKED ELEVATED DEVICE, KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS TED, HAS DEFINITELY MADE AN IMPRESSION SINCE FIRST APPEARING IN 2011. AUSTRALIAN MINING WRITES.

aving been inspired by a near-miss onsite while removing a belly plate, mining fitter Kevin Cant endeavoured to find a solution to make such operations safer for workers. Finding no similar products on the market, Cant developed a tracked, remote-operated machine capable of removing belly plates easily and without the requirement that the fitter expose themself to possible unnecessary harm from crushing. Developed out of a farmhouse shed in the Hunter Valley, the initial prototype of the Tracked Elevated Device (aka TED) was developed from 2008 to 2011. Following consumer interest, Cant expanded on this initial phase and turned TED into an official business, calling it Nivek Industries. The company has been expanding ever since. “Kevin was working out of his family shed in Bulga until about last November, so the business has grown a lot,” explains Rachel Fraser, marketing and sales manager at Nivek. “Along with the growth of the business there have been a lot of upgrades to the original TED — the idea remains unchanged but facets such as the radio control system and hydraulics are now a lot more advanced.” Powered by a rechargeable battery that can last for a whole shift with optimal use and capable of lifting up

to 800kg, TED is compatible with a number of attachments designed for various jobs. These include front-facing attachments, attached via two frontfacing pins, and top-fitted attachments that are secured via a Lazy Susan-style turntable. Most of the attachments can be swapped out by a single person, though some of the heavier ones are two-person jobs. Front-facing attachments available for TED include a standard frontal blade for clearing a safe working area under broken-down vehicles; a track roller carrier for the replacement of track rollers; a stand locating tool to aid in the placement of heavy axle stands; and, in a recent addition to the range, adjustable fork tines. “There are currently 13 different attachments available for TED,” Fraser explains. “You can use them for moving stands around, changing ground-engaging tools (GETs) on lots of machines, changing track rollers, pumps, and all sorts of other things. These attachments make lots of those heavy jobs a lot easier.” Top-set attachments include the likes of a steel cylinder cradle for assistance in replacement of steel cylinders and tie rods; a slope jig designed to accommodate components with sloping bottoms, such as sumps. TED provides several safety benefits for users as well. Having been inspired by a safety incident, TED’s primary safety function is

the prevention of life-threatening crushing injuries. Due to TED’s remote operation, fitters can remove themselves from danger zones when lifting and lowering heavy components, so that even if there is an uncontrolled slip, they won’t come to harm. In addition to this, making use of TED can also lead to less wear and tear for operators in the long term as well. “A fantastic thing about TED is that because a lot of fitters do end up with back and knee injuries from long-term lifting and twisting — often in really tight places that aren’t optimum for safe footing — if they’ve got a machine that can take the weight of components up to 60kg, it’s definitely going to have fantastic, long reaching benefits,” explains Fraser. TED can also save time and money too. The company has received reports from fitters that because they fatigue less quickly when using TED, and can remove and replace components without manual handling, their work can maintain a better quality and be completed more quickly. Another way TED can save money is by decreasing float costs. “With some small maintenance issues on machines that have broken down in the pit, if the mine has to float that machine, they are going to have a lot of downtime from the operators who aren’t using it,” says Fraser. “There’s going to be some very big float costs that will really add up. If you can get TED out there with a fitter

and get that small emergency repair done in an hour or two (or even less, in some cases) you could potentially save a shift or two of downtime.” Nivek will showcase TED at the Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition (QME) in Mackay this month. In addition to displaying TED itself, the team plans to introduce a number of new attachments for the system as well. Having recently won an Excellence in Innovation award at the 2018 Singleton Outstanding Business Awards, the company is naturally looking forward to further showcasing the product to the public. “We’re really excited to meet with some of the mines in North Queensland that have been enquiring about a TED over the past year, so if they want to head down and see us we can let them check out the latest attachments and answer any questions that they might have,” she says. “We’ve had a lot of really good customer feedback, from fitters right through to superintendents, on everything from safety, to ease of use, to efficiency. The only real negative feedback we receive sometimes is that people can’t get a hold of one.” AM

Tracked Elevating Device

• • • • • •

The safest way to remove and replace belly plates AUSTRALIANMINING

All-Terrain Self propelled Remote controlled Safe Efficient See TED at QME, stand #A530 @Nivekindustries @TrackedElevatingDevice

www.nivekindustries.com.au 45

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QUEENSLAND MINING & ENGINEERING EXHIBITION

BUILT FOR MINING PANASONIC’S TOUGHBOOK RANGE IS PROVING ITS WORTH AT MINE SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AUSTRALIAN MINING INVESTIGATES THIS MODERN MINING STAPLE.

PANASONIC TOUGHBOOKS CAN WITHSTAND THE HARSH WORKING ENVIRONMENTS EXPERIENCED IN MINING.

anasonic Toughbooks are built from the ground up to deliver high reliability in extreme environments and are extensively used throughout the mining sector. The tech company will be showcasing its Toughbook line at the Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition (QME) at the Mackay Showground in July. Toughbooks feature a 100 per cent magnesium alloy casing and are certified to the MIL-STD-810F standard to ensure that the notebooks withstand drops, shocks, vibration and extremes of temperature. The latest in Panasonic’s longrunning Toughbook series is the FZ-G1 Toughpad, an ultra-thin, lightweight, and fully rugged tablet. It has become a key component of Queensland company Global Tech Group’s Portable Vehicle Training System (PVTS), providing live remote training feedback and communication between single-seat vehicle trainees and their instructors. Featuring a rugged, detachable clip-on keyboard, four individual

TOUGHBOOKS FEATURE A 100 PER CENT MAGNESIUM ALLOY CASING.

cameras for HD video capture during training, optional integrated whole body vibration (WBV) analysis and a rugged headset (which fits under safety helmets), the FZ-G1 is well-suited to the tough conditions faced by the mining industry. As Richard Vorias, managing director of Global Tech Group explains, “the Toughbook is up to the task”. “It’s ruggedised and well-suited for use in the mining industry — with IP ratings, an all-weather vibration, drop, dust and water-resistant design, a rugged keyboard and anti-glare screen, and fits into a compact case for carrying.” Global Tech Group, a Brisbane-based company specialising in the delivery of leading-edge technologies to market, has successfully sold the PVTS to various mining industry customers, and has received positive feedback. “Once a system is installed, there’s minimal maintenance, and customers can spend much more time training in live environments,” explains Vorias. “It’s also possible for a single trainer to direct a number of vehicles.” Panasonic Toughbooks are built to military specifications for harsh AUSTRALIANMINING

working environments. These fullyrugged notebooks are used worldwide for demanding applications by heavy industry, emergency services, utility field service, the military, and mobile professionals. In addition, they are sealed and rated at IP54 (Ingress Protection) level for dust and water resistance. The notebooks include sealed keyboards and ports, flexible internal connectors and shock-mounted screens and hard drives. Another company that has seen extensively used Panasonic’s Toughbook is Byrnecut, a contract mining company that employs more than 1000 people and has a multimillion dollar fleet of specialised underground mining equipment. Byrnecut operates on sites around the world, including Telfer, one of Australia’s largest gold mines. At Telfer, the company uses centrearticulated vehicles that resemble large dump trucks to remove the coarse ore from the stope to the surface. This can be a long journey with the deepest mines in Australia being up to 1800m below the ground. Panasonic Toughbooks are built

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from the ground up to deliver high reliability in these environments. Byrnecut has been so impressed with the performance of the Toughbooks that it is now using them at mine sites throughout the world, including Kazakhstan and Indonesia. In fact, the company has also extended this use outside of underground operations, bringing them into repair workshops and even providing them for auditors who visit site for inventory work. Byrnecut IT manager Jeff Knuckey says the company turned to Panasonic after amassing a “graveyard” of notebooks not built to withstand tough mining conditions. “At one point we were going through a notebook every couple of weeks, with everything from broken screens to seized drives,” says Knuckey. “We were buying up six new notebooks a month and they really weren’t up to it. “For us the big positive was the total return on investment. There were other models that were initially cheaper, however over the following 12 months the Toughbooks easily came out in front in terms of value.” AM

WHEN FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION! Designed to Survive. Built to Last. Remote locations. Unforgiving conditions. Long stays. Mining is no oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idea of easy. To make your operations run as smoothly as possible, rely on our range of rugged notebooks, tablets and handheld devices for your communications and computing challenges. For the past 20 years, Toughbooks have been engineered from the inside out, designed to provide unfailing performance in hazardous mining environments. Passing the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most brutal tests to protect your valuable data, our rugged devices can withstand accidental drops and shocks, extreme temperatures, dust and water spray, and incorporate daylight readable displays allowing technicians the freedom to work in any location. Panasonic Toughbook. Redefining rugged for over 20 years.

SEACO CONTAINERS EFFICIENTLY GUIDE MINERS FROM PIT-TO-PORT THE CONTAINER LEASING COMPANY HAS ADDED VALUE TO VARIOUS INDUSTRIES OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS. NOW, IT IS TARGETING GROWTH IN THIS REGARD WITH MINING COMPANIES. AUSTRALIAN MINING WRITES.

eaco Global owns the world’s largest container leasing fleets, ranging from standard dry van, refrigerated, flat rack and open top containers to more specialised equipment, such as half heights, bulkers, powder and liquid tanks. The company is targeting the mining industry with the latter category of equipment and plans to add value with other various equipment types. Seaco has supported mining companies for several years, according to Richard Fedden, Seaco regional vice president for Oceania. He says the company supplies equipment such as the cement tanks for the construction and maintenance phase where concrete is needed, through to liquid tanks for fuel in the mines, and half heights to move the product from pit to port. “Due to the often-remote locations of mine sites, Seaco’s cement tank units are perfect for storage and discharge of powdered cement products on site. The half heights enable the mines to transport efficiently and economically and shortly after the mine goes operational,” Fedden says. Seaco has the largest specialised container fleet in the world and is essentially a one-stop shop for customers looking for container solutions, Fedden continues. “With an expert team with many years of experience we look to add real value to our customers and help them improve their bottom line,” he says. Seaco’s containers proved to be the answer for Red River Resources when the miner needed a reliable and cost-effective solution to transport its zinc and lead concentrates from the Thalanga mine in Queensland to port. Red River wanted to maximise returns from the operation with an efficient method for carting its product to the Port of Townsville. In preparation for export, the concentrates would be trucked 200km from Thalanga to the Port of

Townsville, before being shipped to customers. Benjamin Lowry, Seaco Oceania marketing manager, says Red River identified the BK2, a 20-foot halfheight container, as the perfect turnkey solution for this activity. Seaco supplied more than 400 BK2s to accommodate Red River’s processing rates, with the miner realising several benefits by using the containers. “BK2s offer a controlled and safe solution for carting mineral concentrates from mine to port,” Lowry says. “They also incorporate a removable lid with the cargo more secure for transport and ease of stevedoring services completed by NSS Port Logistics, Townsville. “BK2s also offer superb dust control. With strict environmental controls in place, dust must be contained, something that the BK2s provide, along with reduced maintenance and repair costs.” The BK2 is a standout example of a Seaco container that is proving popular in Australian mining. In addition to a robust design, the BK2 is rotatable, with lids removed from the half height. The BK2 also minimises

double handling in most cases. While the BK2 thrives as a controlled and safe solution for carting mineral concentrates from mine to port, Seaco offers several container solutions for mining. Another container suitable for the movement or storage of commodities is the 20ft bulker. The 20/40ft dry and flat rack containers offer solutions for the transport or storage of goods and equipment. For the storage or transport of chemical and cement products Seaco recommends its specialised ISO/ cement tanks. “These containers offer the mining company cost-effective turnkey solutions; the containers used are fully intermodal and ideal for storage purposes, carting commodities from pit to port. and are also safe/secure pieces of equipment that can be left out in the middle of nowhere at mining sites,” Lowry says. Seaco’s range of containers is attractive to mining companies of all sizes, from major miners carting bulk commodities, to smaller companies focusing on a single operation. The bigger miners may require thousands of containers to satisfy their

RED RIVER RESOURCES HAS WORKED WITH SEACO AT THE THALANGA MINE.

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needs, while the smaller companies often use between 10 and 100. Mining services companies generally use the containers for storage or to transport equipment. Mitch Furness, Seaco WA marketing and container sales manager, says there are signs of increased demand for the company’s containers. “General increases in activity have been growing demand for units in Western Australia in the past six months and this is expected to continue in the near future,” Furness says. “Containers fulfil needs across all facets of the mining cycle, from exploration to research and development, to start-up, construction and finally production.” In mining, Seaco has often worked with third parties that supply services, however, it is now focused on working more directly with its major operators as partners. “We are here to let mining enterprises know that the opportunity now exists for them to deal directly and partner with us to realise the obvious benefits that offers,” Furness adds. AM

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QUEENSLAND MINING & ENGINEERING EXHIBITION

WHEN PRODUCTIVITY IS PARAMOUNT AND ACCURACY COUNTS LOADSCAN TELLS AUSTRALIAN MINING ABOUT HOW MINING COMPANIES CAN KNOW IF THEIR HAULING ACTIVITIES ARE AS PRODUCTIVE AS THEY SHOULD BE.

AN LVS ALLOWS MINES TO KEEP EVERYTHING IN MOTION 24/7.

o achieve optimal mine productivity Loadscan urges operators to properly understand if they are moving the maximum amount of material as efficiently as possible, shift after shift. If a miner is not accounting for, and getting an accurate measure on, each haul truck payload then they probably aren’t working to optimal efficiency. But how do mining companies ensure each payload is optimised? New Zealand-based Loadscan manufactures load volume scanning (LVS) systems that generate realtime data, including 3D payload profiles, to equip mining companies with the full picture of what’s being extracted or hauled. The LVS system is fully automated and scans trucks in-motion. It’s

mining-specific reporting provides relevant data for every load to maximise trucking factors, manage haul back, and to ensure correct loading on every cycle. Loadscan provides an exact volumetric measure (with +/- 1 per cent accuracy) and is the only payload scanning system with official approvals for trade. Installing an LVS onsite means mines can continue to keep everything in motion round the clock. Drivers and autonomous trucks aren’t required to stop for weighing as the Loadscan scanners measure load after load at eight kilometres an hour, even in the toughest environments. Load volume scanners are relatively quick, easy and inexpensive to install compared to traditional weigh bridges or scales. And, with no wear parts, they don’t AUSTRALIANMINING

require ongoing calibration or routine maintenance.

Tritton mine gains 9.7% in trucking factors

Aeris Resources’ Tritton copper mine in Nyngan, New South Wales, was the first underground operation in Australia to purchase and install an LVS system from Loadscan – a decision that has led to a 9.7 per cent increase in trucking factors. Tritton upgraded to an LVS system after becoming frustrated with the constant inaccuracy of its previous payload measurement system, a combination of paper records and load weight information that was used to track daily ore production. Under the previous system, truck operators were required to fill out time sheets and document their activities, including truck ID, load destination, time loaded, time dumped etc.

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The paper records were combined with load weight information gained from a weighbridge and uploaded to a production tracking database. Now the Loadscan LVS does all of this for the Tritton mine. In addition to the daily workflow gains, Tritton has future proofed and minimised maintenance requirements. Whereas the previous system had limited forward compatibility — trucking fleet upgrades made weighing systems redundant and the weighbridge had limited data compatibility with the production tracking database — the Loadscan system is compatible with any truck. And where the now-obsolete weighbridge required regular maintenance, the LVS is non-contact, with no wear parts, and does not require routine maintenance or ongoing calibration — saving time and money. Tritton’s Matthew Gouldstone says

QUEENSLAND MINING & ENGINEERING EXHIBITION

the scanner receives no wear and tear as it is scanning, as opposed to weighing, and is much more durable given the conditions it operates under. “There have been two major benefits gained from installing the LVS system … one being that immediate, accurate load volume has allowed for real-time feedback to underground loader operators; allowing for informal coaching from the supervisors using the 3D load profiling software,” Gouldstone says. “This has resulted in the trucks being loaded to capacity and has increased trucking factors by 9.7 per cent — ultimately resulting in a lower cost per tonne hauled.” Gouldstone says the second benefit is the data-tracking software. “Cycle time is easy to track and a simple interface allows supervisors to understand loads per shift or day. Training the supervisors how to use this data has meant 10–20 minutes per shift has been saved from reading back through plods and tallying up tonnes moved,” he says. “The level of detail obtained by the LVS is impressive. Overall the return on investment has been extremely quick; within the first full month after installation the LVS had paid for itself.”

Loadscan’s five tips for optimising payloads

1. Get an accurate volume and tonnage measure on each payload Direct, drive-through scanning is the most accurate payload measurement available. Trucks are scanned as they drive below an elevated scan head. The system compares empty scan profiles to loaded scan profiles to compute an accurate load volume – thus removing uncertainties such as moisture content, compaction and

LOAD VOLUME SCANNING IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO IMPROVE HAULING PRODUCTIVITY.

loading variations. 2. Measure payload volume on entry and exit Scanning loads on entry and exit, in real-time, will equip you to calculate to eliminate wasteful haul-back. Haul-back can be identified and removed from the bin and deducted from shift tallies. 3. Give operators direct real-time feedback You can chose to equip trucks with Loadscan’s Overview in-cab console, which allows the driver to enter load details such as truck operator, bogger operator, load

AUSTRALIANMINING

source, load type, destination, etc at the time of loading. This information feeds into the LVS system and load measurement feedback is reported immediately back to the driver after each scan. Understanding this information will generally influence driver/ loader operator behaviour and lead to improved haulage efficiency and increased productivity. 4. Optimise load capacity Once you have an accurate volume measure you can determine the maximum payload capacity of your haulers. Increasing your payload will increase your efficiency

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and output; you’ll move more material for the same cost. Also, once your maximum payload is identified you can educate bogger operators to load to capacity more consistently. 5. Track and trace all loads When you implement a system that accurately tracks material movement totals against performance targets in real-time, you gain a strategic advantage. With insightful information regarding what you’re moving each day at your disposal you’ll make accurate analysis and sound operational decisions. AM

SMC HANDS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE TO MINING AUSTRALIA’S HARSH MINING ENVIRONMENT REQUIRES ROBUST PNEUMATIC SOLUTIONS, SOMETHING SMC HAS FOCUSED ON DELIVERING FOR FIVE DECADES. SOLENOID AND HAND VALVE CONTROL CABINETS ARE DESIGNED AND BUILT TO CUSTOMER SPECIFICATION.

t’s no secret that mining is a capital intensive industry where breakdowns and downtime can prove costly. In harsh mining environments, like what is experienced in Australia, only the best components can out-perform the competition. With a firm understanding of the mining industry, SMC remains a leading supplier to the mines by providing high-quality solutions to withstand aggressive mining environments. SMC Western Australia state manager Chris Tandy says with more than 50 years of experience in Australia there is no solution that the team cannot find an answer to. “The mining industry, despite the downturn in the past, remains a key focus area for us,” Tandy says. “SMC has been providing pneumatic solutions to the resources sector since 1968, including the development of components to withstand some of the most aggressive environments. “Over the years, we have serviced almost every customer in this sector and as such, our offerings are built specific around their needs.” Understanding some of the broader challenges that the mining industry faces allows the team at SMC to provide the best possible support, Tandy adds.

“Current economic conditions, severe global competition, environmental regulations and a continuous focus on safety coupled with zero downtime are just some of the critical factors in this industry,” Tandy says.

Large bore cylinders, air filtration equipment, air dryers and shutoff valves are just some of SMC’s offerings for the mining industry. “In addition, SMC can provide you with the perfect solution for taking components out of harm’s way thanks to our purpose-built cabinets,” Tandy continues. “By taking the solenoid valves and filtration out of harm’s way and make it easy to maintain and increase the working life of the components”. Each cabinet is custom-built based on customer requirements. Prior to build, customers will receive a layout and circuit drawing for approval. “Depending on the application, components fitted in the cabinet includes AW series filter regulators, VHS series pad lockable isolation valves, VP7 series solenoid valves, KQG2 stainless steel fittings or KQ2 standard push-in fittings,” Tandy says. He concludes by adding: “To add to this, all solenoid valves are individually isolated for improved

safety and a long service life. Solenoids can be locked off in the top cabinets while the bottom cabinet is free for the operators to do their isolations free from contact with the electrics.” “Essentially, SMC designs and builds customer centric solutions. As our history has proven, our company has evolved around the needs and requirements of our customers and continues to do so in the mining industry.” Founded almost 60 years ago, SMC operates in 83 countries, employing 19,000 people across the globe. The company has a research and development (R&D) engineering team of 1450 and an 8200-strong sales force, who are experts in their field and enjoy a close working relationship with SMC’s customers. To deliver automation solutions for its diverse customer base, SMC offers more than 12,000 basic products with over 700,000 variations. AM

A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF A SOLENOID VALVE AND REMOTE PUSH BUTTON STATION COVERED SLURRY.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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More green in 2018 Make energy saving your 2018 resolution with SMC’s range of energy saving components. Be open-minded when specifying components for new machines and replacing old components within your production plant to ensure you enjoy significant cost savings, improved productivity and profitability. Get a competitive advantage – whilst helping to save the environment. Meet with our team of experts to conduct a electro pneumatic component assessment on your machines and stored components. This will allow you to understand the real cost of your current specification and identify just how much compressed air and electricity SMC can save you. Why not also use our online energy saving calculator to see just what you can save in 2018? http://www.smcworld.com/select/en/energy/ Contact us to request your SMC catalogue: AU – 1800 763 862 or AUSales@smcanz.com NZ – 0800 1320 762 or NZSales@smcanz.com

DIGITAL MINING

THE LX6 IS IDEAL FOR USERS LOOKING TO TAKE THEIR SKILLS ON EXCAVATORS TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES STRENGTHENS SIMULATOR LINE-UP THE MINING TECHNOLOGY COMPANY VIEWS THE LX6 SIMULATOR AS A NATURAL PROGRESSION ON THE LX3 PLATFORM IT RELEASED IN 2016. AUSTRALIAN MINING WRITES.

mmersive Technologies is building on the success of the LX3 medium fidelity equipment simulator with its latest platform, the LX6. The mining technology specialist released the three-screen LX3 around 20 months ago and it has proven to be a breakthrough for the company in the medium fidelity space. Since its release, Immersive Technologies has sold LX3 simulators to mining companies in Australia, Africa, Europe, North

America and South America in a period of two years. It was, however, the popularity of the LX3 model that prompted Immersive Technologies to design the LX6, which offers mining companies a broader, six-screen platform. Immersive Technologies product manager Ravitha Sukumaran says by developing a six-screen version the company can offer a simulator with a large vertical field of view suited for digging, dozing and grading. “Operators need a larger vertical AUSTRALIANMINING

field of view in these areas because most of the time they are digging into the ground below,” Sukumaran tells Australian Mining. “The three-screen LX3 was optimised for trucks, however, not for digging, dozing and grading. Even though the LX3 could deliver training for digging, dozing and grading, to further develop operator skills they really need to have a larger field of view, which is what the LX6 provides.” Miners using just truck simulation kits do not necessarily require the

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LX6, but those operating simulation kits for shovels, excavators, wheel loaders, dozers and graders will benefit considerably. Many users of the LX3 are still using the three-screen version for this type of machinery, however, they now have an opportunity to upgrade to the LX6 to bolster their skills even further. “With the LX3 and LX6, we are providing a scalable option for budget-constrained companies as well,” Sukumaran says. The platform’s screens are all high

DIGITAL MINING

definition to support the large field of view. LX6, like LX3 still offers a smaller footprint compared to high fidelity simulators despite having a larger vertical view than the LX3. Launched at Expomin in Chile during April, the LX6 is compatible with all surface mining machines simulated by Immersive Technologies and shares the underlying technology of the market-leading PRO4 and IM360 simulators. Sukumaran believes the LX6’s introduction to the global marketplace comes at a good time for the company and industry. “The market is continuing to turn in the right direction. That’s why we felt developing a simulator like this, which adds value to our other products, would benefit the industry,” Sukumaran says. “Many of our customers now have a combination of high and medium fidelity simulators; some were constrained to delivering training for one machine type at a time even though they may have multiple conversion kits (machine modules). By adding an LX3 or LX6 they are now able to better utilise their existing conversion kit assets. “For the mid-tier mining market, in particular, it provides them with a useful platform that can be used for early stage training but also for upskilling training.”

production impact by reducing the time required for in-field training. Compatible with all surface mining equipment conversion kits, the LX6 delivers simulation efficiencies by increasing training throughput by utilising surplus conversion kits that are truly interchangeable across all simulator platforms, maximising use of existing resources. Immersive Technologies’ SimControl software sits at the heart of the equipment simulator, delivering a comprehensive management system that is quick and easy to operate. The software provides the ability to administer trainees, manage multiple machine types and models, review training sessions, configure learning scenarios and build complete training curriculum. SimControl utilises a streamlined graphical interface for management tasks, while providing the ability to customise the simulated environment to meet specific training needs and unique site conditions. Immersive Technologies releases updated versions of SimControl twice a year, allowing users with a customer support package to take advantage of technology and best practice advancements. AM

THE LX6 IS COMPATIBLE WITH ALL SURFACE MINING MACHINES SIMULATED BY IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES.

In summary, the benefits of the LX6 focus on increasing training productivity, safety, cost effectiveness and promoting simulation efficiencies. In terms of training productivity and safety, the LX6 is ideal for early training stages, emergency response, machine and site familiarisation; completing compliance training

for safety; freeing up high fidelity simulators for later stage and business improvement focused training; and for expanding training capacity. As a cost-effective solution, the LX6 efficiently trains large groups at a low cost, while continuing to focus on driving customer safety, profitability and minimising

FEATURES Six Full HD screens for a large field of view Smaller footprint platform compared to high fidelity simulators

THE NEW STANDARD IN COST-EFFECTIVE OPERATOR TRAINING

Ample wide horizontal view for Truck, Shovel & Excavator training programs

A brand new medium fidelity simulator platform perfect for machine and site familiarization, emergency response and compliance training

Large wide vertical view allows clear visibility when Digging, Dozing or Grading BENEFITS

Increase Training Productivity & Safety Cost-effective Solution Promote Simulation Efficiencies

REQUEST A DEMO TODAY Mention: LX6 Demo

Australia: +61 8 9347 9000 Email: Enquiries@ImmersiveTechnologies.com Visit: www.ImmersiveTechnologies.com/LX6

AUSTRALIANMINING

JULY 2018

DIGITAL MINING

SERVICE IN THE DIGITAL AGE IN THE ERA OF DIGITISATION, IT HAS BECOME EASIER TO FORESEE AND AVOID SYSTEM FAILURES USING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. AUSTRALIAN MINING SPEAKS TO GEOFF SHEPHERD, NATIONAL SERVICE MANAGER AT BOSCH REXROTH, ON HOW PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE HELPS MACHINE OPERATORS REDUCE UNPLANNED DOWNTIME.

n an increasingly datadriven world, it is possible to constantly monitor the health of machines, preventing unexpected breakdowns in the assembly line. In a global study report, After The Fall: Cost, Causes and Consequences of Unplanned Downtime, conducted last year by Vanson Bourne market intelligence, as many as 75 per cent of IT and field service decision makers surveyed believed that machines will receive better preventative healthcare than human beings by 2020, thanks to the increasing use of artificial intelligence. In order to reduce the downtimes that incurs huge costs to the operators, can now be easily prevented through remote condition monitoring and predictive maintenance systems. With more electronically controlled machines coming on board in mining industry, the technicians can now monitor the health of the machines remotely and detect the problems before they occur. Geoff Shepherd, national service manager for Bosch Rexroth has been working with the company for over 28 years and has spent a fair share of time in field service. He speaks to Australian Mining about how the role of service technicians has evolved over the years. “With the latest technology in the market, we now have the possibility to transfer the data into the cloud network and generate accurate reports for the maintenance engineers. Hydraulic machines can easily be integrated with electricallycontrolled devices which transcends remote condition monitoring,” Shepherd says.

How does remote condition monitoring work?

Bosch Rexroth has designed an application named ODiN – short for Online Diagnostic Network– that collect large volumes of data from the machines and analyse them in real time. Sensors, actuators and measuring instruments constantly gather data

MINING COMPANIES ARE ADAPTING TO PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE INITIATIVES.

and send it via cable or wirelessly to a computer using an RFID chip. They measure temperatures, vibrations, loads, and moments of force – and thus provide the basis for a continuous health check, resulting in a system health index. “The health-score provided by ODiN enables the engineers/ operators to accurately predict when the machine or a component will fail, so that we can replace the product in the given time without effecting the machine’s performance,” Shepherd says. “In this way, we can schedule a shut-down and change the component or rectify the issue before it fails which will stop downtime and keep the machines in perfect working conditions. “Because we are predicting when the component will fail, we can also utilise the components for their entire life cycle. In this way, we help the customer save money by not replacing the component too early. “The ODiN application optimises and transfers reports based on the functions of the machine. For example, the pump on your site has 500 hours of life left, the software analyses certain range of anomalies AUSTRALIANMINING

based on performance and working conditions. ODiN will precisely calibrate the total time left on the clock before the product fails, and therefore allows you to schedule a stop and change the pump,” he explains. Despite all measures to prevent failures through remote condition monitoring, there will always be cases when on-site visits are required, either as part of regular maintenance or to tackle breakdowns. With the information gathered from remote monitoring, the site-engineer can be better prepared to address the issue. “The engineer can get a very accurate picture of what’s the root cause before visiting the site. The data also enables us to organise the required spare parts or tooling tasks, if required. We can plan in advance how we are going to rectify the problem.”

Customer expectations and trends

With customers expecting shorter delivery times and constant availability of services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Rexroth’s Original Service guarantees to assist

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with customers enquiry within the shortest possible time. “If there is an urgent requirement by a customer, we can have technicians out on the site within a few hours. We have a large number of technicians around the country, spread out strategically between all states. So, we can be on-site within a few hours,” Shephard says. “We do have a large range of spare parts in Australia and also have access to all of the Bosch Rexroth’s plants around the world. So in the case of urgent breakdowns, we are sometimes required to build pumps, motors, or other products overnight. “Depending on the urgency to the customer, we do have the expertise and resources to get the job done quickly.” Shepherd expects that the trend in preventive site maintenance and remote condition monitoring is set to grow with more and more industries embracing digitisation. “With the adoption and development of new disruptive technologies, the predictive maintenance and remote condition monitoring technology will advance and become easier to adapt,” he says. AM

KNOWING TODAY WHAT TO EXPECT TOMORROW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AND BEYOND

Bosch Rexroth drives and control systems are ready for Condition Monitoring, Predictive Maintenance, and Industry 4.0 including management right from the start. They can be flexibly adapted to the most diverse requirements and manu-facturing environments. A great range of performance equipment such as intelligent sensors, controls and drives form the basis for comprehensive Predictive Analytics. For the ex-tended acquisition of operating conditions Bosch Rexroth offers a wide range of additional sensors as an upgrade solution.

Service Agreements

7/24

75.000 24/7 service available

More than 75,000 spare parts

Bosch Rexroth Pty Ltd Tel: 1800 REXROTH Email: info@boschrexroth.com.

DIGITAL MINING

TRAKKA GOES MOBILE DINGO IS OPENING UP ITS RENOWNED ASSET HEALTH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE TRAKKA TO A WIDER AUDIENCE WITH THE LAUNCH OF A NEW APP FOR MOBILE DEVICES. AUSTRALIAN MINING FINDS OUT MORE. DINGO WANTS TO FIND A BROADER AUDIENCE FOLLOWING ITS EARLY SUCCESS WITH TRAKKA.

ustralian company Dingo is continuing to make its mark on the world of asset health management with the launch of a mobile application for its flagship Trakka predictive maintenance software. Trakka is a premier package for asset health management. Noted for its density, Dingo has endeavoured to design a mobile accompaniment for Trakka that could appeal to a somewhat broader group than the detail-led and engineering-inclined Trakka desktop application. The company felt that while Trakka excelled in its particular function of detecting impending asset faults and recommending corrective actions, in turn delivering lower costs per hour for mine operators, it could still be simplified for users who didn’t want the analytical tools and precise details. Mine managers and supervisors for example, who might be too time-poor to learn the ins and outs of Trakka

desktop, yet still want the opportunity to read and delineate important information about the health and performance of their assets, were identified as a particular focus for Dingo. “It seemed a mobile app was the right way to do that,” says Colin Donnelly, Dingo vice president of product development. “Maintenance managers and supervisors didn’t have time to dig into the detail of our Trakka desktop application. We wanted them to be able to quickly and easily keep a pulse on the health of their fleet and realised that a mobile app was the perfect way to provide this capability. “By giving them a simplified view of their fleet’s asset health, plus the ability to easily drill into sufficient detail to see current status, we knew we’d be providing valuable information to this critical decisionmaker in a very user-friendly way.” The Trakka asset health management app was the result of AUSTRALIANMINING

discussions with mine site managers and supervisors, who by and large wanted an app that would give them quick access to information with ease of visibility and the ability to make decisions. It wasn’t a first for the company. Dingo has been involved with mobile applications since 2014, winning the prestigious Austmine Innovation Award for its groundbreaking Field Inspection App. After starting work on the Asset Health Management App in early 2017, the company delivered its minimum viable product by the third quarter. It was at this stage Dingo put the app in the hands of customers to get real-world feedback and hone its capabilities. This input was crucial in tightening the final product, which has just been released. The app is connected to Trakka desktop, capable of 24-hour monitoring of conditional data; for mine sites this could be as varied as oil

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samples, visual inspections, onboard data, thermography or vibration (especially of fixed plant machinery). It is such a comprehensive solution that Donnelly predicts most mining companies won’t be collecting data on paper within the next five years. “Mobile applications and other technology will improve not only the data collection, but also the capabilities of those collecting the data,” he explains. “Imagine having the ability to walk around a machine — like a reclaimer — and have it guide you to inspection points based on a schematic, using dead-reckoning and proximity sensors; it could show you where and how to take a measurement and announce any safety hazards. “We feel the response will be very positive from our customer base because we’re providing a useful tool that will provide better access to the right information at the right time, while fitting seamlessly into their existing operations.” AM

THE MINING INDUSTRY HAS MOVED TO A NEW PHASE FOLLOWING THE MINING BOOM, ONE WHERE PRODUCTIVITY, INNOVATION AND SAFETY HAVE EMERGED AS ITS KEY PRIORITIES

QME DIGITAL MINING VOLUME 110/6 | JULY 2018

MINING EQUIPMENT

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QUEENSLAND MINING HEADS UP

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PRODUCTS

CUMMINS DIESEL ENGINES Cummins’ diesel engine range spans 2.8L to 95L — 50hp to 4500hp — for mining applications. At the high horsepower end, the QSK60 – a 60L V16 that is offered from 1800hp to 3000hp – is the largest selling Cummins engine in haul trucks, excavators and front-end loaders. Last year, a newly engineered version of QSK60 was released in Australia and is now in service with major mining companies rated at 2500–2700hp. It combines component technology from Cummins’ Tier 2 and Tier 4 final engines, one of the technology keys being its high-pressure modular common rail fuel system (MCRS). The engine delivers major operational and environmental benefits, including a massive 63 per cent reduction in diesel particulate emissions, which means less soot loading in the oil, less visible smoke and reduced particulate exposure. The world’s largest mining companies have also proved that the QSK60 with MCRS technology delivers longer life-to-overhaul, major fuel economy improvements, minimal component change-out at mid-life, and extended maintenance intervals. Importantly, an earlier generation QSK60 with a HPI unit injection system can be upgraded to MCRS at rebuild time. The upgrade is carried out at Cummins’ Master Rebuild Centres in Brisbane and Perth, with no major change to the base 60-litre V16 engine design. Other high-horsepower Cummins engines with MCRS technology include the QSK19, QSK38 and QSK50. The 3500hp QSK78 will be released with MCRS later this year. MCRS is fully integrated with Cummins’ Electronic Control Module (ECM), enabling the engine to continually maintain an optimum balance between load demand, fuel efficiency and emissions control. The system is modular in that each injector has its own integrated accumulator to keep injection pressures constant throughout the system. • www.cummins.com.au

OPTIMA VEHICLE BATTERIES

RST PONGO REDUCES ODOURS

US-based battery manufacturer Optima — a subsidiary of Johnson Controls — is noted for its Spiralcell Technology, which helps afford its battery range up to 15 times the vibration resistance when compared to traditional vehicle batteries. SpiralCell uses two long lead plates separated by fibrous glass mats for acid absorption that are then wrapped into a cylinder and placed in the airtight battery housing. This method lends Optima batteries up to 40 per cent more surface area than conventional batteries. Coming in three primary variants (Redtop, Yellowtop and Bluetop), the batteries can be charged with Optima’s Digital 400 and Digital 1200 12-volt performance chargers. Optima batteries use extremely high purity (99.9 per cent) lead that allows for faster electricity flow and faster recharges. The Optima Redtop battery has the strongest starting burst promising reliable ignition. The Bluetop is well suited to marine applications and the large Yellowtop battery has deep cycle capabilities and is designed with powerful cranking power in mind for modern vehicles. • www.optimabatteries.com • www.centurybatteries.com.au • www.everybattery.com.au

A new highly concentrated odour neutralising and masking agent called Pongo has just been launched to the market by Australian environmental management company Reynolds Soil Technologies (RST). Formulated to neutralise and permanently eliminate a wide spectrum of odours, Pongo is diluted into water at ultra-low concentrations up to 1:30,000 and applied into the air using a fine water spray misting system to provide an effective, efficient and permanent solution to both simple and complex odours on a range of sites. The formula is environmentally friendly and biodegradable, with customisable dosage rates, making it suitable for a variety of internal and external sites. Pongo’s masking agent delivers a natural scent that instantly conceals odours, while active molecules work to efficiently and permanently neutralise odorous residue in the air, resulting in a more pleasant environment and lower chemical consumption. RST operations and technical director David Handel (pictured) said Pongo’s two-step odour masking and eliminating system was developed following industry demand for a versatile and effective deodourising agent. “We formulated Pongo after identifying the demand for a lasting, effective and non-intrusive deodourising solution for onsite environmental issues,” he said. • www.rstsolutions.com.au

AUSTRALIANMINING

JULY 2018

PRODUCTS

OPTIBELT MAINTENANCE-FREE V-BELTS REDUCES SERVICE COSTS Optibelt Red Power 3 is the only maintenance-free wrapped v-belt on the market and is providing up to double the life of standard v-belts. With these belts not requiring re-tensioning between normal servicing schedules it is simply ‘fit and forget’. Advanced production processes and raw materials make it possible to manufacture a wrapped wedge belt, which requires absolutely no maintenance or re-tensioning throughout its life. Following the initial tensioning to recommendations the Optibelt Red Power 3 will never need any further attention. The power ratings of Optibelt Red Power 3 speak for themselves. They are substantially higher than standard wrapped wedge belts depending on section size and pulley diameter. The ratings for the Optibelt Red Power 3 are, in many cases, similar to those of raw edge, moulded cogged belts. The drive efficiency is as high as 97 per cent, thus virtually reaching the same efficiency level as timing belt drives. All Optibelt Red Power 3 v-belts are antistatic according to ISO 1813.

ABACUS TAKE-UP WINCH AND TENSION CONTROL SYSTEM Replete with an automatic tension controller, fixed speed winch panels, variable speed winch control panels, and a two-wire loop-powered tension transducer, Abacus’ range of Complete Tension Control Systems works well with its take-up winches. Abacus take-up winches can be both automatically and manually operated, and the company also provides conveyor analysis to calculate the correct conveyor tensioning system to be used. Other winches by the South African company (which deals internationally) include man riding winches, hydraulic winches, electric winches and mine winches. The company has over 85 years of accumulated experience in the mining industry, guaranteeing quality winches that are fit for purpose. • www.abacuswinches.com

• www.optibelt.com

AUSTRALIANMINING

JULY 2018

EVENTS

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU

DIGGERS & DEALERS, KALGOORLIE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUGUST 6–8 The annual Diggers & Dealers conference combines presentations by listed mining and exploration companies with a large exhibition area housing exhibitors from the sector. A worldclass entertainment program ensures that visitors experience the best of the style and hospitality of the historic gold mining city of Kalgoorlie. The delegation is made up of mining and exploration companies, brokers, bankers, investors, financiers and mining services industries. • diggersndealers.com.au GEOMETALLURGY 2018, LIMA, PERU, AUGUST 16–17 An international congress on metallurgy taking place in the Peruvian capital, this event will focus on areas such as applied and advanced mineralogy, geometallurgical modelling, mineral characterisation, hydrometallurgy, tailings and much more. Participant companies include Cerro Verde, FLSmidth, Volcan and Certimin. Organised by International Metallurgical Consultants (InterMet for short), this will be the first such conference in the region, and will include nearly 30 technical presentations and discussion panels. • encuentrometalurgia.com/geometallurgy-2018 QUEENSLAND MINING HEALTH AND SAFETY CONFERENCE, GOLD COAST, AUGUST 19–22 The Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference is an event dedicated to fostering proactive health and safety management techniques within the Queensland mining industry, and will see up to 700 delegates gathered from across Australia. This year’s event has the theme of ‘Recognising opportunities together’. Those wishing to take an active role in the conference are encouraged to consider presenting a paper during one of the concurrent sessions or to enter the renowned Innovation and Health Program Awards. This year’s conference, which is celebrating its 30th year, will be held at The Star Gold Coast from August 19–22, on the evening of which pro-

ceeding will culminate in a conference dinner and award presentation. Entrants will be acknowledged in the conference’s award programs around ingenuity and advances in systems technology and processes, as well as the practical solutions to personal and occupational health problems. • qldminingsafety.org.au

greatness. Liquid Learning will host the event at the Mercure Brisbane on August 29–30. Reserve a seat via the Liquid Learning website to attend this transformational leadership summit and accelebrate your career. Australian Mining readers can receive a 10 per cent discount by using the code A1. • liquidlearning.com

8th WOMEN IN ENERGY & RESOURCES LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, BRISBANE, AUGUST 29–30

MINING THE TERRITORY 2018, DARWIN, SEPTEMBER 5–6

Liquid Learning is excited to present its 8th Women in Energy and Resources Leadership Summit. In times of continuous change and disruption, exceeding expectations is imperative for leadership success. Liquid Learning is bringing together some of the most accomplished leaders from across Australia to reflect on their greatest achievements. With speakers from BHP, Rio Tinto, Energy Queensland and more, they’ll offer advice and insight to help exceed expectations and achieve professional

The Mining the Territory Conference is one of the leading mining conferences in Northern Australia; dedicated to resources development in Northern Australia, the event is held annually as part of NT Resources Week. Industry experts and leaders will join to debate the state of mining exploration and development within the Northern Territory, and Northern Australia generally. This year the event will take place at the Darwin Convention Centre, where it promises a revamp of the conference format, with deeper

AUSTRALIANMINING

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explorations of key regional areas through newly implemented regional spotlights, bringing further value to this premier networking event from the ‘Top End’. • ntresourcesweek.com.au/miningthe-territory-conference PROSPECT AWARDS, SYDNEY CRICKET GROUND, SYDNEY, OCTOBER 18 Celebrating its 15th year in October, the Australian Mining Prospect Awards has firmly established itself as one of Australia’s premier mining industry events. Nominations are now open for the 2018 Awards, which celebrates the best of the industry. Previous winners have included a large range of companies, from SMEs and start-up ventures to the industry’s biggest hitters, such as Atlas Copco, BGC Contracting and Roy Hill. Last year also saw iron ore mogul Gina Rinehart receive the award for Contribution to Mining. • prospectawards.com.au

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