Australian Mining July 2024

GENDER DIVERSITY

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

A DIGITAL REVOLUTION

UNLOCKING THE MINE OF TOMORROW

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A MODERN MINING INDUSTRY

Technology is revolutionising the mining sector, with new solutions improving the synergy of the mining value chain, driving higher safety standards, and creating new environmental opportunities.

The beauty of digitalisation is that while a product might have advanced to the point that is delivering tangible benefits for a mining operation, there is often still scope for continued development.

This is where a mining company plays a key role, providing the local knowledge and data to tailor and smarten systems, with the potential to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to further augment a solution.

The July edition of Australian Mining celebrates the mining sector’s digital proponents, with innovators offering new ways to unlock competitive advantages on mine sites.

Whether it’s Brennan, which is helping miners enhance decision-making through its data and AI offerings, or Orange, which is changing the way mines communicate for the better, or Dendra, which is harnessing technology to help miners rehabilitate land at scale, there are endless options for miners to digitalise and optimise their operations.

This edition also showcases robotics, blasting technologies, next-generation collision avoidance, and end-to-end mineral processing offerings, to name a few solutions.

The Queensland Mining Expo (QME) also takes centre stage in this edition, with more than 300 exhibitors and countless more attendees set to descend on Mackay from July 23–25 for the 30th edition of the event.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

JOHN MURPHY

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER CHRISTINE CLANCY

COVER IMAGE: Image Source Trading Ltd/shutterstock.com

MANAGING EDITOR

PAUL HAYES

EDITOR TOM PARKER

Email: tom.parker@primecreative.com.au

ASSISTANT EDITOR

ALEXANDRA EASTWOOD

Email: alexandra.eastwood@primecreative.com.au

Alongside the exhibition floor, QME features a free-to-attend Seminar Series sponsored by Komatsu, a series of masterclass workshops in the 500 Pavilion, live demonstrations and presentations, plus exclusive industry events including the QME Opening Party sponsored by Hastings Deering and the prestigious Queensland Mining Awards Gala Presentation Dinner.

Turn to page 54 and find our QME showguide, where you can find the event floorplan, a list of all the exhibitors, and a series of company profiles to get a taste of what’s in store.

Elsewhere in this edition, we spotlight Australia’s emerging rare earths industry, where the likes of Arafura Rare Earths, VHM, Hastings Technology Metals and Iluka Resources are aiming to join Lynas as Australian rare earths producers.

We also profile Liontown Resources and its much-anticipated Kathleen Valley lithium project, as well as Spartan Resources, which is aiming to brings its Dalgaranga gold project back into production.

FRONT COVER

Since its foundation in 1969, ifm has empowered businesses to see the benefits of automation through the development of sensors, controllers and full-scale digital solutions. The family-owned company lives by its commitment to make “technology for everybody”, while protecting what’s important to each customer. This is embodied in solutions such as ifm’s digitalisation platform, moneo, which gives mining companies a simple-to-use means of accessing data analytics from machinery to improve the maintenance, safety and lifecycle of assets.

As part of ifm’s strategy to make technology accessible, the moneo platform is OEM- and vendor-agnostic. This is complemented by a customised service from ifm, whose specialised engineers ensure solutions are tailored to suit a mine’s specific needs.

Tom Parker Editor

JOURNALISTS

OLIVIA THOMSON

Email: olivia.thomson@primecreative.com.au

KELSIE TIBBEN

Email: kelsie.tibben@primecreative.com.au

TIM BOND

Email: tim.bond@primecreative.com.au

CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER

JANINE CLEMENTS

Tel: (02) 9439 7227

Email: janine.clements@primecreative.com.au

SALES MANAGER

JONATHAN DUCKETT

Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Mob: 0498 091 027

Email: jonathan.duckett@primecreative.com.au

ART DIRECTOR MICHELLE WESTON michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

SUBSCRIPTION

9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au

Cover image: ifm

THE DIGITAL AGE HAS TAKEN HOLD OF THE MINING INDUSTRY, BRINGING SAFER AND MORE EFFICIENT WAYS OF OPERATING.

Rare earths enter the spotlight

Australian Mining sat down with some of the biggest players in Australia’s rare earths sector to discuss where the industry is heading.

18 COMPANY PROFILE

Kathleen Valley: Poised for success

With its first production set for mid-2024, the Kathleen Valley lithium project is shining brighter than ever.

22 DIGITAL MINING

Blast modelling in minutes

Amid increasing demand for minerals key to the clean energy transition, mining technology companies like Orica have a critical role to play.

34 DIGITAL MINING

Leveraging the record gold price

Molycop’s processing optimisation services are improving mining operations on a

A tenacious tech-trio Global network and digital services giant Orange Business is helping to revolutionise the mining industry, changing the way mines communicate for the better.

54 WELCOME TO QME 2024

The 2024 edition of the Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition marks three decades of Australia’s largest regional mining event.

67 INDUSTRY INSIGHT

A future built on equality Gender diversity has become an essential

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FOLLOW THE LEADERS: THE LATEST EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS

KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST EXECUTIVE MOVEMENTS ACROSS THE MINING SECTOR, FEATURING TRUE NORTH COPPER, SIBANYE-STILLWATER AND IGO.

True North Copper appointed a new managing director in June, following Marty Costello’s resignation from the position in May.

Bevan Jones began his tenure as managing director on June 10. Jones has nearly 30 years of experience in mine operations and management across a wide range of commodities.

True North said Jones has a proven track record in directing business improvement initiatives and operational transformation.

“These enhancements to our executive team reflect an exciting phase of transition for True North Copper,” True North Copper executive chairman Ian McAleese said.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bevan as managing director and are confident that his extensive operational experience will be a tremendous asset going forward.

“With our focus now fully on restarting mining at our Cloncurry copper project, we are excited to have Bevan on board and believe he has the experience and skill to help us achieve this.”

Jones said he was excited to join True North during what is a pivotal time for the company.

“I am eager to work with the board and team to realise the potential of our prospects, particularly as we set our focus on restarting mining operations at Cloncurry,” Jones said.

Nicholas Curtis resigned as executive chairman of Northern Minerals in May. Curtis will act as a strategic advisor to the company for at least 12 months to provide the company with valuable rare earths and project development expertise.

Adam Handley, a Northern Minerals non-executive director since December 2021, will replace Curtis as executive chairman.

Based in Perth, Handley is a partner of global law firm HFW and was previously president of the Australia China Business Council WA.

He specialises in advising north Asian investors and their Australian counterparts to bridge successful business relationships across a range of sectors including resources, mining and project development.

As Handley joins Northern Minerals, he will primarily focus on fostering strategic stakeholder engagement across state and federal governments and with Iluka Resources, Northern Minerals’ key strategic partner for the Browns Range project in Western Australia.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the board of Northern Minerals as we advance our vision to deliver Browns Range as a globally significant, Australian-based producer of dysprosium and terbium, two key ingredients in the worlds’ decarbonisation efforts,” Handley said.

May was a big month for moves at the top, with IGO appointing two new leaders to its executive team.

IGO appointed Marie Bourgoin as its chief development officer – lithium, a new role the company created to lead its investment in Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia.

Northern Minerals finance director Shane Hartwig was also promoted to managing director and chief executive officer, where he will carry out functions previously completed by Curtis.

“With the full support of my fellow directors and our new managing director Shane Hartwig, Northern Minerals is well positioned to execute our business strategy, including supplying Iluka Resources’ proposed integrated rare earths refinery at Eneabba, and delivering value for all shareholders,” Handley said.

Sibanye-Stillwater appointed additional members to multiple committees in May.

Harry Kenyon-Slaney and Peter Hancock have joined the audit committee, while Elaine Dorward-King and Philippe Boisseau have been recruited for the remuneration committee.

Boisseau has also joined the investment and risk committees, as well as the social, ethics and sustainability committee.

Like Boisseau, Hancock has joined the investment and risk committees and will also be a member of the safety and health committee.

Bourgoin has over 15 years’ experience working in the resources industry, with previous roles at BHP and Rio Tinto. She will begin her role at IGO in August.

Brett Salt has been appointed as chief growth and commercial officer, where he will be accountable for IGO’s exploration, business development and commercial functions.

Salt has extensive experience working in public and private resources businesses such as iron ore pellet exporter Ferrexpo, Rio Tinto and its subsidiary, Turquoise Hill Resources. He is currently managing director and chief executive officer at Redivium.

Salt’s role at IGO will begin in July.

“I’d like to warmly welcome Marie and Brett to our leadership team and look forward to their contributions as we build on IGO’s outstanding platform for the next stage of growth,” IGO managing director and chief executive officer Ivan Vella said.

“Their initial focus will be on maximising value from our interests in Greenbushes and the Kwinana refinery via the TLEA joint venture. I believe they will bring fresh ideas and energy to these critical assets as we continue to unlock their full potential.” AM

THE LATEST MINING AND SAFETY NEWS

AUSTRALIAN MINING PRESENTS THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE BOARDROOM TO

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One of the “world’s largest” historic diamond mines in Western Australia may soon be shining again after its owner was awarded a round of key mining leases in May.

The Ellendale diamond project, nestled in the Kimberley region of WA, hasn’t been touched since 2015 – but new owner Gibb River Diamonds (GIB) has plans to get the mine up and running again.

Since GIB re-assumed 100 per cent ownership of Ellendale from Burgundy Diamonds in 2023, the company has been working towards re-establishing diamond production.

GIB said Ellendale has been one of the world’s largest diamond producers in the past, with previous operators reporting a combined market capitalisation of over $690 million in 2006 on leases now held by GIB.

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project execution for the full-scale Stage Two facility having already advanced several key elements of the project’s implementation.

“Construction of the 10-hectare, state-of-the-art, full-scale facility will commence mid-2024, on the existing HPA First project site at Yarwun, near Gladstone, where the company’s Stage One facility is already in small-scale production of its high purity alumina and aluminium materials product range,”

“Stage Two will encompass fullscale production of up to 10,000 tonnes of high-purity aluminium materials per year creating 120 ongoing local jobs on top of 300 jobs

Ellendale’s production included the annual supply of over 50 per cent of the world’s Fancy Yellow diamonds, which were the subject of a special marketing agreement between former operators and Tiffany & Co.

Following the granting of M04/475, M04/476 and M04/477 mining leases, GIB has continued to make progress at the mine.

A heritage clearance survey was scheduled to commence in early June, which is another major step towards recommencing mining.

GIB is also not ruling out any financing options for the project, with debt, equity, earnin partner, joint venture partner, a North Australian Infrastructure Fund partnership, or other government funding schemes on the table.

IMAGE: ALPHA HPA

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ALL EYES ON QUEENSLAND COPPER

Carnaby Resources recently hosted a delegation from the Queensland Government at its Greater Duchess copper-gold project at Mount Isa.

The Queensland Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals Scott Stewart was in attendance, as well as Department of Resources Director General Warwick Agnew and Critical Minerals Queensland executive director Paul Holden.

Carnaby said Stewart discussed potential rail haulage options with the company’s managing director Rob Watkins.

“The Carnaby team was delighted to welcome the Resources Minister, Mr Stewart MP as well as Mr Agnew and Mr Holden to the Greater Duchess Project,” Watkins said.

“This visit marks the second by Queensland Government officials in as many weeks.

“Their interest in Carnaby and the wider Mount Isa region is an encouraging endorsement of the potential of the project and its significance as a key development opportunity at a time when battery and critical mineral expansion is required for the energy transition.”

REVIVED NSW SILVER MINE GETS STRAIGHT TO WORK

Carnaby is currently progressing the Greater Duchess project to production, with a scoping study set to be released this month.

The Mount Hope, Nil Desperandum, and Lady Fanny major discoveries are standout prospects within the project, where broad high-grade copper mineralisation has been intersected at all three locations.

The tenement package also includes the historical Duchess copper-gold mine which produced approximately 205,000 tonnes at 12.5 per cent copper from 1900–1940.

“Carnaby remains on track to deliver the Greater Duchess scoping study in May 2024 against a backdrop of robust copper and gold prices and continue to advance the project towards development,” Watkins said.

The interest in Greater Duchess comes as Carnaby recently announced a $20 million deal to acquire Hammer Metals’ interest in three sub-blocks at Mount Hope.

The blocks are located at Hammer’s Mount Hope South tenement and adjoin Carnaby’s Mount Hope Central discovery near Mount Isa.

Polymetals Resources has been hard at work since it officially acquired the out-of-action Endeavor silver–zinc–lead mine near Cobar in New South Wales in May.

The company completed a 21-hole due diligence surface drilling program of the upper north lode (UNL) prior to securing the mine, which showed promising mineralisation in all drill holes.

Polymetals has now locked in a geotechnical drilling campaign set to

commence in June and is closing in on a mine plan optimisation study.

“Polymetals has continued its mine plan optimisation work since the release of its initial mine restart study (MRS) in October last year,” Polymetals executive chair Dave Sproule said.

“With the recent strategic investment by Metals Acquisition Limited (MAC), the company is now funded to complete its final optimisation work program, being

geotechnical drilling of the high-grade silver zinc UNL for mine planning optimisation purposes, as well as providing improved resources to reserves conversion.”

Polymetals announced it had formed a non-exclusive strategic alliance with Metals Acquisition Limited on May 27.

The aim of the alliance is to advance the Endeavor mine and MAC’s CSA copper mine, also located in the Cobar Basin.

“We are confident that the planned drilling might generate an uplift in the UNL ore reserves which are planned to be mined over the first two years of production,” Sproule said.

“The high grade and high margin silver and zinc UNL is shallow and has existing mine development allowing immediate access for accelerated mining.

“Results from the drilling will be included along with the additional tonnes identified from within the main orebody in our optimised study.”

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A TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION

SOME OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY TO HIT THE RESOURCES SECTOR WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE WA MINING CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION IN OCTOBER.

The WA Mining Conference and Exhibition (WAME) aims to integrate the innovation and research ecosystem, while addressing the social and environmental standards driving a more sustainable industry.

The significantly expanded exhibition will showcase the technical and digital innovation across the entire mining value chain, while the highly targeted conference will illustrate the economic importance of Western Australia and its contribution to the industry.

WAME will provide mining professionals with the technological insights set to shape the future of the mining industry in WA.

With digitalisation and automation pushing the industry into new frontiers, new technologies will be front and centre, with cyber security managers, technology heads and chief technology

officers in attendance as they look to discover the technological step-change.

WAME show director Siobhan

Rocks said the event is set to feature an impressive number of companies offering advanced technology focused on innovation and decarbonisation.

“The industry has a real appetite for these technologies that are supporting many of the leading mining companies’ goals on decarbonisation and offer costsavings through the latest technological advances,” Rocks said.

As industry and stakeholder engagement is paramount to the success of the mining industry, the conference will also look at the social license to operate and the most effective way to limit the environmental impacts of mining in WA.

Environmental managers, stakeholders, and community engagement managers will hear from industry and government experts.

The conference will also be held in conjunction with the Australian Mining Prospect Awards, which recognise those in the industry who are excelling and going above and beyond.

Last year’s WAME was one of the most successful to date, with almost 5000 visits across the event.

Rocks notes strong attendance among engineers at the last event, representing 20.4 per cent of visitors.

Another 16.1 per cent of visitors identified as senior management.

Major miners were also well represented at the 2023 event, including key personnel from BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, South32 and Newcrest.

“This really is a great event for key industry decision-makers to see what innovative solutions are available on the market,” Rocks said.

“Engineers have also expressed a strong interest in the 2024 event, not only as visitors but also as exhibitors.

“Following popular demand, WAME launched ‘engineering companies offering advanced solutions to the market’ as a new product category for 2024 – and the uptake has been impressive.”

Other new industry categories being launched at this year’s event include Mining 4.0, renewables and circular economy.

WA has long been considered the mining capital of Australia, a veritable cornucopia for the resources industry, where juniors and giants alike come to play.

WAME brings all of this exciting potential together in a single event. AM

The WA Mining Conference and Exhibition will be held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 9–10. Visit waminingexpo.com.au for more information.

WAME WILL FEATURE A NUMBER OF COMPANIES OFFERING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.

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RARE EARTHS ENTER THE SPOTLIGHT

AUSTRALIAN MINING SAT DOWN WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST PLAYERS IN AUSTRALIA’S RARE EARTHS SECTOR TO DISCUSS WHERE THE INDUSTRY IS HEADING.

Rare earths aren’t such a rare phenomenon anymore.

With industry majors and minors alike keenly invested in the future of Australian rare earths, there’s never been a better time to lift the lid on what’s going on in the sector.

Leaders from VHM, Hastings Technology Metals, Arafura Rare Earths and Iluka Resources offered up insights into where the industry’s at and where it’s heading.

But first, what are rare earths? And why is this commodity group becoming such an industry hot topic?

A set of 17 nearly indistinguishable metallic elements with names that can only be described as a mouthful, rare earths have diverse applications in everything from electronic components to magnetic materials.

The most well-known and currently sought-after rare earths are neodymium and praseodymium, affectionately dubbed NdPr.

The products created from the NdPr mix are a crucial part of our renewable energy future. Every electric vehicle (EV) drivetrain requires up to two kilograms of NdPr oxide, whereas a

three-megawatt (MW) direct-drive wind turbine uses 600kg.

It’s an undoubtedly useful cocktail, one the world is going to need more of as the race to net-zero intensifies.

So, who is sourcing rare earths for Australia – and the world’s –critical future?

VHM

One prospective producer set to make an impressive debut into the rare earths sector is VHM.

The company’s flagship Goschen project in a premier mineral sands province in north-west Victoria boasts a proved and probable ore reserve of 199 million tonnes (Mt).

The scalability of the project is underpinned by a significant mineral resource inventory of 629Mt comprising measured, indicated, and inferred resources with further resource expansion potential.

Having recently completed the bilateral government public hearing process for the project’s environmental permitting assessment, Goschen is

“Based on just the expected future sales of EVs, the global market is heading into a period of under-supply where producers like VHM will be well positioned to step up and meet demand,” Douglas told Australian Mining.

Of course, any industry has its challenges, and Douglas said the rare earths industry is facing one major trial ahead.

“Right now, the industry is dominated by China,” Douglas said. “It’s hold on the supply chain can change supply and pricing quickly, requiring nations around the world to ask the question: how can we create diversity in supply chains?”

Douglas said the Federal Government is working to shift the ball out of China’s court – a mammoth task for Australia’s nascent rare earths sector.

“The industry is changing,” he said. “One example is we are seeing more detail being provided about pricing mechanisms in offtake agreements.

“There isn’t a handy index for rare earths in China, so the more we participate, the easier it becomes

the benefit of dual commodities, with Goschen set to produce both rare earths and mineral sands products.

“The chance of both our commodities experiencing economic lows at the same time is small,” he said. “It puts the rare earths industry in a great position to operate with stability, especially given rare earths and critical minerals are having their moment in the sun.”

“The timing is perfect for VHM to debut, now we just have to grab the opportunity and deliver.”

Hastings Technology Metals

Hastings Technology Metals’ Yangibana project in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia it touted to contain a rare earth oxide ratio of up to 52 per cent in some areas.

The company is currently progressing the construction of a beneficiation plant at the project, expected to produce up to 37,000 tonnes of rare earth concentrate per year.

The project is well underway with production set to begin in the second

IMAGE: VHM

INFIELD DRILLING UNDERWAY AT VHM’S GOSCHEN PROJECT IN VICTORIA.

in the supply chain for rare earth materials, the market for rare earths remains challenging in the short-term,” Gilbert told Australian Mining

But Gilbert agreed with Douglas that the long-term outlook is bright, with technologies like EVs and wind turbines likely to drum up rare earths demand.

“We believe the Yangibana project is well-timed to begin production in line with the growing supply gap, which is expected to grow to the size of around 13 Yangibana projects by 2032,” Gilbert said.

In 2024, Gilbert said Hastings will continue putting the building blocks in place to commence construction of the beneficiation plant at Yangibana.

With a 17-year mine life under its belt, Hastings has a long-term vision to unlock the value of Yangibana through downstream processing opportunities.

“Most recently, we announced a multi-stage processing and offtake agreement with Baotou Sky Rock –a privately-owned Chinese magnet manufacturer – which will allow Hastings to realise higher value rare earth oxide pricing for our concentrate

HASTINGS TECHNOLOGY METALS’ YANGIBANA PROJECT IN WA.

ARAFURA’S NOLANS PROJECT IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.

product and deliver attractive project economics,” Gilbert said.

“The increased payability for our rare earth concentrate secured through the offtake with Baotou Sky Rock provides a strong basis from where we can advance project financing discussions.

“We remain focused on ensuring any financing agreement will not only provide for our current and future funding requirements but will be agreed upon in terms that most benefit our shareholders.

“The team will continue to review opportunities to further de-risk the project execution schedule and enhance economic returns.”

Arafura Rare Earths

Situated 135km north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Arafura’s Nolans project is fully permitted and construction-ready, aiming to become Australia’s first ore-to-oxide rare earths processing facility.

The project has an initial life of more than 38 years, which Arafura managing director Darryl Cuzzubbo said could be extended even further.

“Nolans is one of the few large, hardrock projects in the world that has the potential to help address the significant supply gap forecast to emerge in the global rare earths market over the next few years,” Cuzzubbo told Australian Mining. Cuzzubbo is another rare earths leader all too aware of the challenges facing the industry.

“The key challenge for the rare earths industry – and it has been this way for some years – is establishing a global supply chain beyond China,” he said. “Currently, China processes 90 per cent of the world’s NdPr. That has

led to a very fragile situation around supply security.”

Cuzzubbo said from a risk management perspective, US, Korean and European car and wind turbine manufacturers are eager to support the development of alternative sources of rare earths.

“This is evident in the support Arafura has garnered from car makers Hyundai and Kia and wind turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa RE, all of which have signed up as offtake partners for Nolans,” Cuzzubbo said.

“It is also evident in the support the company has received from government agencies Export Finance Australia, Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and Export Development Canada.”

These agencies have conditionally committed a combined $US525 million ($785 million) in senior debt for Nolans development.

“Reducing Chinese dominance in the rare earths sector won’t be easy on account of the processing capacity and expertise that reside there, but you can see other countries are motivated,” Cuzzubbo said.

“Arafura looks forward to playing an important role by introducing Nolans as another alternative source.”

Forecasts from the likes of Wood Mackenzie have rare earths supply needing to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 6.9 per cent out to 2032 to meet projected demand.

Cuzzubbo believes Arafura is ready to meet that demand into the future.

“The primary objectives for the company this year are to finalise financing for Nolans and begin full-scale construction of the project,” he said.

“From there, we want to ensure that construction and ramp-up to nameplate capacity goes as smoothly as possible and that the company develops into a sustainable, reliable and globally significant supplier of rare earths.

“We want to be able to provide our customers with confidence that the rare earths they are using have been sourced responsibly and in accordance with best-practice mining and processing principles.”

Iluka Resources

Since the 1990s, Iluka has strategically stockpiled monazite, a rare earths-rich mineral produced from the Narngulu mineral separation plant that forms part of the company’s Eneabba operations in WA.

Now the miner is building a fully integrated rare earths refinery at Eneabba, which has been fully funded under a risk sharing arrangement between Iluka and the Federal Government.

Iluka managing director Tom O’Leary reflected on the future of the rare earths industry at the company’s 2024 annual general meeting.

And like Douglas, Gilbert, and Cuzzubbo, O’Leary is familiar with the challenge posed by China.

“China’s influence over the global rare earths market is pervasive, including through pricing indices such as the Asian Metals Index,” he said.

“For rare earth oxides, China accounts for approximately 90 per cent of all production, and for key heavy rare earths, effectively 100 per cent.”

O’Leary said Iluka has taken a number of concrete steps to catalyse an Australian rare earths industry that is genuinely independent.

“We have entered into a concentrate supply agreement with Northern Minerals that ensures that, upon the development of the strategically significant Browns Range deposit, rich in heavy rare earths, those minerals will be refined in Australia,” he said.

“Discussions with other potential third party concentrate suppliers are ongoing.”

Iluka is progressing key mining developments at Balranald in New South Wales and Wimmera in Victoria, and is commencing a feasibility study into metallisation – the next stage of the rare earths value chain.

O’Leary’s hope is to spread the opportunities provided by Eneabba beyond Iluka to emerging mining companies.

“The principal purpose of these initiatives is to secure the longevity of the Eneabba refinery,” he said.

“But they also serve to spread the opportunities provided by Eneabba beyond Iluka to emerging mining companies, beyond Western Australia to other states, and even beyond Australia producing rare earth oxides for our allies and partners, which is itself a game changing step.”

A strong Australian rare earths industry is steadily coming to fruition every day as operators commence or ramp up production at new mining projects and processing facilities.

While all four of these leaders are keeping a level head when it comes to the future of the industry, there’s no doubting the growing rare earths demand trajectory, with prospective producers like VHM, Hastings, Arafura, and Iluka ready to reap the rewards. AM

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KATHLEEN VALLEY: POISED FOR SUCCESS

WITH ITS FIRST PRODUCTION SET FOR MID-2024, THE KATHLEEN VALLEY LITHIUM PROJECT IS SHINING BRIGHTER THAN EVER.

Despite the lithium downturn affecting various current and emerging Australian operations, Liontown Resources is only going from strength to strength.

Led by chief executive officer Tony Ottaviano, Liontown has the potential to be a powerhouse of battery minerals production, currently accelerating its flagship Kathleen Valley project to meet growing lithium demand amid the global energy transition.

Located about 60km north of Leinster and 680km north-east of Perth, Kathleen Valley holds a mineral resource estimate of 156 million tonnes (Mt), with over 80 per cent of the mineral resource classified as measured or indicated. Backed by a 23-year mine life and an expected production rate of 500,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate per annum, Kathleen Valley is well on its way to achieve first production by mid-2024.

Australian Mining looks at some of Kathleen Valley’s most significant achievements over the past 12 months.

Operations

Liontown successfully fired its first blast at the Mount Mann open pit in February 2023, signalling the beginning of mining operations at Kathleen Valley.

“Completion of the first blast and commencement of open-pit mining operations at Kathleen Valley is a significant milestone for Liontown, signifying our transition from explorer to mining operator,” Ottaviano said at the time.

“Achieving this milestone ahead of schedule is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Liontown and Iron Mining Contracting (Liontown’s open-pit mining contractor) teams.”

The first blast area predominantly contained waste rock that was used as bulk fill for construction of the run-ofmine (RoM) pad. A small quantity of the ore blasted was also used to sheet the RoM pad when finalised.

Open-pit mining at the Mount Mann pit concluded in September 2023, paving the way for underground mining to commence in November 2023.

The first blast firing was carried out by Byrnecut and created underground portals at the Mount Mann pit. Liontown said the pit will eventually have six portals to support one-way truck movements and ventilation drives.

The underground mining contract awarded to Byrnecut in August 2023 is the largest for Kathleen Valley, with an approximate value of $1 billion over four years.

“The on-schedule commencement of underground mining at Kathleen Valley is a testament to the dedication and high-quality planning work of our mining team, underground mining contractor Byrnecut, our open-pit mining contractor Iron Mine Contracting, and many others,” Liontown said.

Other companies providing works and equipment to Kathleen Valley include Zenith Energy, Sandvik, Monadelphous, GR Engineering Services, Mid-West LNG, and MidWest Ports Authority.

Funding

Liontown launched a $365 million equity raise in October 2023, with proceeds going towards the construction and ramp-up of Kathleen Valley.

That same month, the miner also refinanced an existing $300 million debt facility with Ford Motor

Company, which involved the offtake of up to 150,000 tonnes per annum of spodumene concentrate across an initial five years.

“The launch of the equity raise is a critical achievement in de-risking the development of the Kathleen Valley project,” Ottaviano said.

“This initiative ensures we are funded to first production and beyond.”

The funding included commercial lenders such as Clean Energy Finance

Corporation (CEFC) investing $110 million and Export Finance Australia (EFA) committing $220 million.

“The significant involvement of both EFA and CEFC is another big endorsement for the project and speaks to its global importance,” Ottaviano said.

The equity raise was successful, with 203 million new shares issued to institutional shareholders. Liontown also raised $13.8 million in a share purchase plan.

LIONTOWN PLANS TO INITIALLY DELIVER ABOUT 500,000 TONNES OF SPODUMENE CONCENTRATE PER ANNUM FROM

KATHLEEN’S CORNER IS ONE OF TWO OPEN PITS AT KATHLEEN VALLEY.

KATHLEEN VALLEY.

Federal Resources Minister

Madeleine King welcomed EFA’s commitment to Kathleen Valley, which was provided through an export credit agency facility alongside a group of commercial banks and funds.

“Australian critical minerals projects are vital to ensuring the world has a stable, reliable source of materials to power the energy transition,” King said.

“Global demand for critical minerals needed for electric vehicles and battery technologies is increasing as the world moves to decarbonise, and Australia is key to meeting this demand.”

After Liontown’s $760 million debt funding package fell through in early 2024 amid falling spodumene prices, the company entered into a $550 million debt facility agreement in March to secure the final construction stages needed for Kathleen Valley.

It also ensured the project was funded through first production and the planned ramp-up to 3Mt per annum.

“Having this funding in place provides strong endorsement for our project and a platform of financial certainty from which to move forward,” Ottaviano said.

The $550 million package saw CEFC commit $110 million and EFA $120 million, with the remaining amount coming from other commercial lenders.

Gina Rinehart

Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has been eager to acquire WA lithium assets in recent years. And it was amid this frenzy in 2023 that Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting snapped up a 7.72 per cent stake in Liontown.

“(Kathleen Valley) is a prospective high quality hard-rock lithium deposit in its development phase, which whilst still having a number of significant risks including resource conversion, construction execution and metallurgical recovery, has the potential to operate at scale,” Hancock said.

“Hancock can contribute to Liontown’s future direction alongside other Liontown shareholders, including in relation to potential investment opportunities for downstream value add in WA.”

October 2023 saw Hancock work its way up to becoming Liontown’s largest shareholder, holding a 19.9 per cent stake.

“Hancock now looks forward to having a prominent influence on Liontown’s future, as its largest shareholder,” Hancock said.

Looking ahead

Construction at Kathleen Valley had hit the 85 per cent completion mark by the end of the first quarter of 2024.

“The March quarter saw tremendous progress across all major work fronts at Kathleen Valley, with construction of the process plant, the critical path to first production, being 90 per cent complete on an earned value basis,” Ottaviano said.

“We are within touching distance of first production and in a very strong position financially with $358.1 million in the bank, together with the undrawn commercial debt facility, providing us sufficient

funding through to first production and beyond.”

To add to the productive start to the year, Liontown crushed first ore at Kathleen Valley in early May.

The milestone was achieved through the company’s crushing circuit at the site, after commissioning of the dry plant commenced in late March.

“The team will now gradually ramp-up the volume of ore through the crusher to build a stockpile of crushed ore,” Liontown said.

“By starting the commissioning process with the crusher, we’re not only testing the equipment but will have clean ore ready for feeding into the wet plant.”

Backed by three foundational offtake agreements with Ford, Tesla and LG Energy Solution, Liontown’s Kathleen Valley project is shaping up to be a leading lithium provider essential to driving a renewable future for Australia and the world. AM

BYRNECUT KICKED OFF UNDERGROUND MINING AT KATHLEEN VALLEY IN NOVEMBER 2023.

LIONTOWN CRUSHED FIRST ORE AT KATHLEEN VALLEY IN EARLY MAY.

ON THE MONEO

MONEO GENERATES NOTIFICATIONS, WARNINGS AND ALARMS BEFORE ISSUES ESCALATE.

IFM’S MONEO PLATFORM IS DELIVERING TAILORED DATA SOLUTIONS TO AUSTRALIA’S MINES.

The digital landscape is becoming as well traversed by miners as a road into an open pit. But navigating this new world is tricky without the proper tools to guide the way.

At ifm, the goal is to get miners on the path to success with easily accessible data at the touch of a button.

The company’s moneo platform tracks the minutiae of a mine – every valve released, every gram processed –and collects the data on one platform.

It can be overwhelming and even unnecessary to launch a full-scale data overhaul at once. But ifm’s approach sees the company work with operators to tailor solutions to specific needs.

“moneo serves as the compass, guiding engineers towards operational excellence,” ifm national internet of things business manager Freddie Coertze told Australian Mining

“Our land-and-expand approach ensures that as engineers experience the transformative power of moneo in solving specific challenges, they naturally expand its applications across their operations.”

Digital self-service tools are becoming indispensable assets in the engineer’s toolkit, but what is this data being used for?

“We don’t just want to collect data to be displayed; we transform it into actionable insights operators can use to troubleshoot, analyse and optimise processes seamlessly,” Coertze said.

“The overall mission is to make customers more successful with stateof-the-art technology.”

With ifm’s ‘technology for everyone’ approach, innovative solutions are readily available to all of its customers, whether they want to completely digitise their operation or gather data from one particular area.

“The platform is all self-service with artificial intelligence already built in, so it makes it easy for operators to deploy the knowledge it gathers without needing to be a data scientist,” Coertze said.

“The implementation of that knowledge is made seamless by moneo’s integration with the rest of the equipment on-site.”

“As an agnostic solution, moneo integrates seamlessly with any site’s legacy technology and equipment so there’s no need to develop anything. Our software links up with ifm sensors and collects the data automatically.

“It means there’s no major upfront investment and operators can keep costs low while they decide how they want to expand the technology.”

ifm national product and brand manager Glenn Thornton told Australian Mining that moneo leverages the latest advancements in sensor technology to provide concise real-time digital information about a facility’s operational status.

“These sensors go beyond basic monitoring, offering predictive insights that enable moneo to generate notifications, warnings and alarms before issues escalate,” Thornton said.

“For instance, vibration sensors can detect early signs of bearing faults and excessive machine vibration, allowing for planned maintenance and the prevention of catastrophic breakdowns.

“This translates into significant efficiency gains and productivity improvements for manufacturers.”

Features like level and flow sensors help to ensure optimal lubrication, reducing the risk of downtime and equipment damage.

“By continuously monitoring critical aspects like system pressure and temperature, moneo empowers facilities to maintain optimal operations and achieve increased profitability,” Thornton said.

moneo is designed to reach into and improve every aspect of an operation, from maintenance to stock replenishment – even sustainability goals.

“By tracking elements like how much oil is being used in certain processes and noting anomalies, operators can make macro decisions about reducing waste and lowering carbon footprints,” Coertze said.

“This proactive approach saves time and money, safeguards production schedules and ensures optimal plant performance, all while helping operators reach new levels of sustainability.”

No matter the size of the operation, Coertze said the benefits of using the moneo platform are hard to overlook.

“We’ve had countless operators come to us with feedback saying they’re increasing efficiency across the board,” he said. “And ... with the benefits of remote monitoring, workers are being kept out of sticky situations.

“If there’s a problem, workers know exactly what it is without having to step on-site; they can simply fix it remotely.”

With the future of mining shifting towards autonomy and cloud connectivity, it’s solutions like ifm’s moneo platform that are helping operators take the next step on the journey to fully optimised processes.

“Our goal is to empower organisations with innovative solutions tailored to their unique needs so they can move confidently into the future of mining,” Coertze said. AM

OREPRO™ 3D PREDICT

PREDICT BLAST RESULTS BEFORE THE BLAST FIRES

safety

ore recovery Improve visibility of blast outcomes

OREPro™ 3D Predict generates blast prediction video that allows you to see the effect of the blast on your grade, and how blasting can maximise recoverable value.

Created using Orica’s blast movement expertise and OREPro™ 3D’s vast blasts database, OREPro™ 3D Predict is a software application that predictively models blast movement without hardware or surveys, enabling iterative blast design for outcomes and improved grade control.

To learn more about OREPro™ 3D Predict and how it can support your operations today, please contact your local Orica representative, or visit orica.com/orepro3dpredict

BLAST MODELLING IN MINUTES

AMID INCREASING DEMAND FOR MINERALS CENTRAL TO THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION, MINING TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES LIKE ORICA HAVE A CRITICAL ROLE TO PLAY.

Orica has been involved in the Australian mining scene since its earliest days.

Founded in 1874 to supply explosives to the Victorian goldfields, the company has grown to become one of the world’s pre-eminent mining and infrastructure solutions providers.

This year marks 150 years of Orica, and as the company reflects on its proud history, it’s simultaneously compelled to drive the continued evolution of technology and mining smarts.

While deposits are getting deeper and harder to delineate, the demand trajectory for many minerals is surging higher amid an accelerating clean energy transition.

Independent drill and blast solutions are important, but the Australian mining industry is increasingly in need of interconnected, end-to-end solutions that drive improved productivity and safety across a number of operational pillars.

Only then can miners and contractors look to achieve the production targets put to them by boardrooms and greater global demand.

Orica’s 150th anniversary coincides with the 35th anniversary of SHOTPlus, one of the company’s pioneering innovations for blast design and modelling.

“Many of Orica’s significant technological advancements occurred with SHOTPlus,” Orica digital solutions senior manager for technology Matthew Craft told Australian Mining “SHOTPlus has led to and underpinned current products like BlastIQ and OREPro 3D. These fundamental products support our core services but also stand alone as independent products themselves.”

While SHOTPlus has proved to be a revolutionary solution in the design and modelling of blasts, BlastIQ

enables operators to have full control of their blasting process, delivering quality control management of blast design implementation.

OREPro 3D leverages Orica’s rich background in blast movement and dynamics to provide what is the mining industry’s first solution that optimises grade control in 3D.

According to Orica digital solutions product manager Alfred Tsang, OREPro 3D was developed to meet the mining industry’s demand for a digital solution that ensures safe, precise, costefficient and optimised grade control.

“OREPro 3D enables production geologists to create instructions which help an operation deliver maximum ore value recovery,” Tsang told Australian Mining.

“The technology is not unique to a specific type of deposit. It is used across the industry in multiple commodities, including gold, copper, iron ore, zinc, lithium, nickel and platinum, to name a few.”

The in-situ definition of the ore resource is disrupted when a blast occurs, which means operators cannot

IMAGES:

ORICA

ORICA IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S PREEMINENT MINING SOLUTIONS PROVIDERS.

rely on their predetermined assessment of the orebody when recovering the ore and the commodity within that.

OREPro 3D gives operators greater control of the process.

“The OREPro 3D team recognised that there could be a modern blast modelling solution that takes readily available mining data, uses intelligent algorithms to replicate blast movement dynamics, and applies that to the insitu blast volume so operators have an accurate representation of their postblast muck pile,” Tsang said.

“Since OREPro 3D Predict was launched in 2021, there have been some incredible advancements around how we model blast movement and how we optimise the delineation of economical ore in the post-blast space.”

Beyond delivering more accurate post-blast ore recoveries, OREPro 3D helps to achieve better safety and efficiency outcomes.

“With OREPro 3D, we eliminate the need for workers to traverse postblast muck piles,” said Tsang. “It allows operators who would normally conduct in-field measurements to make faster and more accurate assessments from the safety of their office.”

OREPro 3D is automatically calibrated on every blast with the help of topographic surveys, which can be taken by spatial datacapture technologies such as drones, photogrammetry, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR), all of which keep operators out of harm’s way.

Then there’s the efficiency piece.

“Paired with modern computing advancements, the OREPro 3D Predict physics engine is an implementation of Orica’s deep knowledge of blast dynamics,” Tsang said.

“What wasn’t possible a decade ago is now proven.

“In the early 2010s, using the same methodology of blast modelling, where we need to understand material that is broken up into, for example, 10,000 individual rock fragments, this type of processing would take upwards of 24 hours.

“We’re now able to do that same modelling on a blast that’s segmented into hundreds of thousands of fragments in a couple of minutes.

on a production scale, which is important to be able to describe the change in material position from in-situ to post-blast.”

One of OREPro 3D Predict’s key value propositions is its ability to model blast movement ahead of time.

“Once a certain level of calibration is achieved, the OREPro 3D Predict physics engine enables customers to model the potential blast movement and recoverable value before it happens,” Tsang said.

“This is achieved by pairing our OREPro 3D Predict physics engine with a dig line optimiser – an intelligent algorithm that uses modern computer processing power to design and delineate economical ore in the post-blast space.”

St Barbara’s Touquoy mine in Canada reported the benefits of OREPro 3D as a significant reduction in dilution and ore loss.

These numbers are even more impressive when considering that Touquoy is a mill-limited operation.

Reducing waste by 6.5 per cent through the crusher means St Barbara was able to feed additional material from the stockpile, increasing revenue by another $1.1 million.

The ability to conduct accurate pre-blast and post-blast modelling means operators can approach blasts with a multi-dimensional strategy that enables improved ore value recovery and ensures downstream operations can continue at pace.

“Leveraging the speed of the OREPro physics engine and the speed of the dig line optimiser, OREPro 3D can deliver powerful and sophisticated outputs with simple inputs,” Tsang said.

“Because of that drastic improvement in speed, we can afford to have really accurate and granular modelling of that blast movement

Having used OREPro 3D on 33 blasts over 12 months, the mine increased grade by seven per cent and decreased dilution by 6.5 per cent when compared to previous systems. This boosted St Barbara’s revenue by $1 million across the 33 blasts.

“Ultimately, OREPro 3D enables production geologists to meet production pressures and ensures they are no longer the bottleneck in the mine-to-mill process.”

OREPro 3D is made even more intuitive by it’s easy-to-understand workflow, which brings greater functionality and predictability to any mine site. AM OREPRO

Center Sizers are typically used in applications where fines need to be limited, and are often the ideal solution for processing difficult materials such as clays. Due to its design and open passage system, which allows all fines to pass very quickly, sizers can be very compact but still achieve very high capacities.

• Trouble-free operation with sticky and moist materials

• Also applicable for adhesive feed material

3D GRADE CONTROL WITH FLITCH MODELLING USING OREPRO 3D.

A DIGITAL TRAILBLAZER

FLSMIDTH HAS BECOME A CRITICAL PARTNER FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY AS THE SECTOR EMBARKS ON A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION.

FLSmidth (FLS) has been a digital forebearer ever since the earliest computers were invented, with its cement origins necessitating the adoption of pioneering technologies.

In 1969, the same year Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, FLS developed a digital solution to automate quality assurance in cement production.

The small computer could store up to 16 kilobytes (kB). For context, the computer that transported astronauts to the moon in 1969 had a maximum capacity of 72kB, while a modern-day smartphone has a memory of at least 64 gigabytes.

More than 50 years on, FLS continues to harness its digital ingenuity to boost productivity and efficiency in the mining industry.

While digitalisation isn’t new to the Australian resource sector, it is an everevolving landscape.

“Digital is not new, but it is new when it comes to the relationship between the supplier and the user,” FLS Asia–Pacific regional product line manager – digital Julio Rodriguez told Australian Mining. “In this case, the mining companies and FLS as the technology provider.

“The way in which the user and the supplier interact is new, and therefore we are often asking, ‘How do we structure ourselves internally to best interact with and meet customer needs?’”

For digital offerings to enjoy the greatest uptake, providers need to understand the digital maturity of their clients, while ensuring their digital products are complimentary to a given customer.

As it continues to build out its digital portfolio to match technological advancements in the mining sector, FLS continues to evolve how it supports its customers.

between the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and the customer, where we are continuously working together to find improvements to a solution.

“This lends to our MissionZero mine, which is focused on efficiency, water management, and licence to operate from a customer perspective. We use digital to achieve this.”

Through the MissionZero mine, FLS has set itself a target of achieving zero-emissions mining through its solutions by 2030. The OEM wants to help miners produce more with fewer resources to create a smaller footprint and reduce operational expenditure.

“One solution that fits into the MissionZero flowsheet is PerformanceIQ, a consultancy and service support program for the adoption of digital technologies,” Rodriguez said.

“We analyse customer data and provide insight into how an operation is performing and whether there are potential pain points that could cause downtime. It is also about ensuring a mine site is operating as efficiently and productively as it can be.

“We jointly adopted PerformanceIQ with Tier 1 miners in North America and South America to great success.”

PerformanceIQ leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to achieve continuous performance

PROCESS CONTROL AND OPTIMISATION FOR FLOTATION AND ATTRITION.

FLSMIDTH HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF DIGITAL INNOVATION FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS.

optimisation. It aims to plug the gap between current performance levels and the ambitious operational targets miners set themselves to meet increasing boardroom expectations.

The PerformanceIQ solution starts with a bottleneck analysis. FLS looks at the various inputs to a mining process, from materials to process control technologies and people, and completes comprehensive audit and technical analysis of operational and maintenance processes.

The OEM then workshops solutions with its customers and identifies opportunities where meaningful improvements can be made. This could see the adoption of FLS’ LoadIQ smart sensor solution, which ensures operators are making the most efficient use of their grinding mill, or the implementation of remote conditionmonitoring services.

Alternatively, PerformanceIQ could determine that an equipment upgrade is needed to avoid breakdowns and downtime in the future.

Opportunities are prioritised based on financial impact and delivery time, and then the lessons are implemented backed by guidance and training from FLS’ PerformanceIQ experts.

The service doesn’t stop there, with FLS continuing to work with its customers to monitor results and make adjustments where necessary.

With a strong international PerformanceIQ customer base, FLS is eager to expand the solution’s presence in Australia.

“In Asia–Pacific, particularly in Indonesia and Australia, we’re starting to see more and more customers enquiring about PerformanceIQ,” Rodriguez said.

“Tier 1 miners have historically completed their technical analysis inhouse, but even they are starting to the see the advantages of partnering with third parties.

“A unique perspective can help operators avoid sophisticated maintenance challenges, particularly when advice is coming from the OEM of their equipment.”

The best operational results are achieved when a miner and OEM lean on each other to get to the root of a problem and develop the best action plan.

“You need the pure OEM perspective because they know every bolt in the system, but you also need the customer because they know exactly how and why they are using a piece of equipment,” Rodriguez said.

“When you’ve got that marriage of the customer bringing their operational knowhow and then the OEM brings their knowhow of the machine, that’s when you see the success stories.” AM

FLSMIDTH’S LOADIQ SMART SENSOR SOLUTION ENSURES OPERATORS MAKE THE MOST EFFICIENT USE OF THEIR GRINDING MILL.

BRENNAN IS ENHANCING RESOURCE OPTIMISATION ON MINE SITES BY USING AZURE AI, A PLATFORM WITHIN MICROSOFT AZURE.

DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING

BRENNAN IS HELPING MINING COMPANIES ENHANCE DECISION-MAKING THROUGH ITS DATA AND AI OFFERINGS.

It’s one thing for a mining company to have a wealth of data. But understanding and interpreting that data to achieve key project objectives is a different ballgame entirely.

It’s a situation Brennan understands very well.

With over 27 years of IT experience, Brennan is among Australia’s leading and most trusted systems integrators.

“Key for us is understanding what a company’s objectives are first, then using technology to facilitate those goals,” Brennan Digital director Mal Shafi told Australian Mining.

“In this tight, constrained economy, technological initiatives have to move the business forward while making a return on investment. And that’s what we do.”

One of Brennan’s key portfolios is data, comprising of an extensive range of services and solutions to designed help organisations flourish.

With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), data has quickly become an area of increased focus.

One key example is where Brennan is enhancing resource optimisation

on mine sites by using Azure AI, a platform within Microsoft Azure.

“By looking at the large scale of mining, we analyse data from multiple sources to provide a single comprehensive view,” Shafi said.

“From there, mining companies can enhance decision-making around resource allocation, optimising machinery usage, labour and raw materials to avoid downtime and unnecessary spend.

“As one of Australia’s leading Microsoft partners, we use Azure to automate tasks like equipment monitoring and maintenance schedules. This means we can reduce equipment downtime and operational costs through predictive maintenance.

“Using data to predictably, rather than reactively, enhance operations saves time and money in the long term.”

Brennan’s support of AI solutions harnesses and optimises data to identify and analyse potential hazards so companies can ensure they are complying with workplace safety and environmental regulations.

“We can use Azure to improve geological data analysis to enrich exploration by identifying promising drilling areas, increasing the likelihood of discovering new deposits and optimising production planning,” Shafi said.

“An old friend of mine is a geologist and they spend so much time in remote parts of the world collecting huge tranches of data and research to find the next productive mining spots.”

“But if you automate that, you’ll save time and won’t impact the ground as much because identifying higheryielding drill spots are tailored.”

Brennan is deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem, allowing it to deliver unified, scalable and highly efficient platforms tailored to specific customer needs.

“To ensure ease-of-use and immediate value, Brennan has developed Quick Starts, pre-packaged, fixed-price and fixed-outcome solutions that can be rapidly deployed,” Shafi said.

Brennan’s data portfolio has many success stories. One case study involved Brennan building a predictive

maintenance solution to predict the lifespan of a company’s critical assets.

“We have also managed data estates for mining companies by right-sizing and orchestrating the data to ensure its optimised,” Shafi said.

“Previously, people would spend significant chunks of time carrying out database management; by automating that process, those people are able to focus more on business-lead activities. Customer feedback has told us it’s the equivalent of gaining extra headcount.”

Brennan prides itself on improvement and modernisation, ensuring each digital solution it designs, builds and deploys is right for its customers.

“This proactive approach allows us to remain connected with our customers to meet their evolving requirements,” Shafi said. “One of the things they appreciate is our transparency, as well as our ability to look at trending data and go, ‘Hey, this is a common problem in the market. How can we improve it?’

“Brennan wants to be a strategic partner. For every project, our goal is to deliver the outcomes our customers want, providing them with real value.” AM

FUTURE-FOCUSED SOLUTIONS

WHEN A LARGE COAL MINE IN VICTORIA NEEDED HELP MONITORING THE TEMPERATURE OF CONVEYOR BELT BRAKES, MADISON TECHNOLOGIES WAS READY WITH A SOLUTION.

An Industry 4.0 enablement partner, Madison Technologies specialises in operational technology solutions architecture, collaborating closely with system integrators and organisations to support deployment.

So when a large Victorian coal mine sought assistance in monitoring the temperature of its conveyor belt brakes, Madison Technologies knew it had the answer.

“Overheating brakes can affect operation of the machinery and lead to breakdown or failure,” Madison Technologies industrial IoT/AIoT program manager Luke Kavanagh told Australian Mining.

“The conveyer belt processes millions of dollars in coal each day and overheating brakes is an early indicator

of potential failure or interruption to service.”

Kavanagh explained the problems faced by the coal miner.

“The purpose of these cameras is to monitor the conveyor brake systems for excessive temperatures as an early warning to prevent fires caused by the ignition of coal dust,” he said.

“Typically the brakes are engaged during the last five per cent of a conveyor slow-down/stop event, however there have been cases of failure causing the brakes to engage while at full speed, thus starting fires due to excessive friction and heat.”

To fix the problem, Madison Technologies turned to Mobotix’s thermal cameras, driven by advanced radiometry artificial intelligence (AI).

While it may seem a simple idea, these cameras do more than just capture images; they also monitor, detect and

prevent fire hazards in real-time.

The coal miner had previously managed the monitoring itself through camera deployment and experienced issues such as false alarms, affecting the accuracy and confidence in the solution.

“Because each camera is covering a large area in order to monitor multiple brakes, false alarms were being generated due to other heat sources in the scene such as vehicles or over exposure due to surface reflection,” Kavanagh said.

“To help with false alarming, we recommended a specific Mobotix AI app that supports monitoring of up to 20 individual areas simultaneously within the camera image.

“By implementing this edge AI, we set up rules to monitor the brakes individually, which improves specificity, performance and reliability.”

An expert in camera solutions, Mobotix is continuously developing

unique solutions for the mining industry. Its new thermal validation app uses machine learning to identify benign heat sources, in turn reducing false alarms.

THE PURPOSE OF THESE CAMERAS IS TO MONITOR THE CONVEYOR BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR EXCESSIVE TEMPERATURES AS AN EARLY WARNING TO PREVENT FIRES CAUSED BY THE IGNITION OF COAL DUST.”

“Our thermal cameras can monitor up to 20 detection zones with custom temperature settings, enabling early fire detection, preventive maintenance, and human exclusion zones within the same field of view,” Mobotix vice president sales APAC Ryan Philp told Australian Mining.

“With modular design, edge processing, in-house app development, key AI partnerships and various communication protocols, we can create tailored solutions for the most complex requirements.”

Mobotix holds five unique certifications for early fire detection using its thermal cameras, including internationally recognised standards. This adherence to safety was one of the main reasons Madison Technologies recommended the Mobotix app to the coal miner.

“Preventive maintenance and early fire prevention through our technology detects anomalies before they are visible to the human eye, potentially saving companies millions in production, but also in lives,” Philp said.

“Additionally, these measures significantly enhance worker safety, a critical priority for companies aiming to protect their employees and maintain their reputation.”

The further benefits of deploying Mobotix thermal cameras are far-reaching.

On top of receiving real-time monitoring and alerts, the coal miner also saw enhanced safety metrics and regulatory compliance, operational

efficiency and predictive maintenance, and increased sustainability and energy management.

The role of technology in the mining industry is constantly evolving, transforming the way the sector protects its workers and its profits. And Madison Technologies is constantly working on developing new and innovative ways technologies can be used to help the sector achieve its goals.

“Robust communication networks ensure seamless connectivity across mine sites, enabling real-time data access and sharing,” Kavanagh said.

“This is crucial for remote-monitoring and immediate hazard response, and boosts safety standards significantly.

“Strong communications networks bridge the physical with the digital,

underpinning every aspect of modern industrial operations, from basic device communication to the complex orchestration of entire operational networks.”

In addition to these networks, Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) play a vital role in optimising mining operations.

“Traditional sensors have provided necessary data for monitoring and control, but as demands for accuracy, integration and real-time analysis increase, the industry is pivoting towards more advanced solutions,” Kavanagh said.

“By leveraging predictive analytics, these technologies enable timely maintenance, reducing unexpected downtime and ensuring equipment

WITH MODULAR DESIGN, EDGE PROCESSING, IN-HOUSE APP DEVELOPMENT, KEY AI PARTNERSHIPS AND VARIOUS COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS, WE CAN CREATE TAILORED SOLUTIONS FOR THE MOST COMPLEX REQUIREMENTS.”

reliability. They also allow for real-time monitoring of environmental conditions and machinery health, providing actionable insights that enhance operational efficiency.”

Camera-based sensors are just one example, but this relatively simple technology has saved the Victorian coal miner thousands of hours of work.

“These sensors not only capture images but also collect rich visual data that can be analysed to inform and enhance decision-making processes,” Kavanagh said.

“The multitude of connected devices in operational environments drives safer, more productive and sustainable mining operations by enhancing data access, connectivity and intelligent decision-making. AM

A LARGE COAL MINE IN VICTORIA NEEDED HELP MONITORING CONVEYOR BELT BRAKE TEMPERATURE.

MOBOTIX’S CAMERAS MONITOR, DETECT AND PREVENT FIRE HAZARDS IN REAL-TIME.

IMAGE: MADISON TECHNOLOGIES

MOBOTIX’S THERMAL CAMERAS ARE DRIVEN BY ADVANCED RADIOMETRY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

SOARING THROUGH THE CLOUDS

2MG SOLUTIONS IS FUTURE-PROOFING BUSINESSES WITH NEXT-GENERATION ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SOLUTIONS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

The ‘80s hardly bring to mind cutting-edge digitalisation.

But in 1983 a digital seed was planted when global software solutions provider IFS debuted its first enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for a Swedish nuclear power plant.

Nearly 40 years later, IFS has put its years of experience into the latest iteration of its ERP solution, IFS Cloud.

By taking advantage of emerging technology and the changing market landscape, IFS Cloud is designed to maximise the efficiency and agility of mining operations.

It brings together a depth of industry knowledge and embedded innovations like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning as well as functionality to support environmental, social and governance (ESG) decision-making.

After seeing great success across Europe and the US, 2MG Solutions is bringing IFS Cloud – and its myriad of benefits – to Australian mines.

Australian-owned and operated, 2MG specialises in project and asset intensive industries such as mining. As an IFS partner, 2MG supports

customers throughout their entire digital transformation journey.

From initial business requirement workshops, solution design, implementation, and ongoing support after the system goes live, 2MG founder and managing director Martin Vestby said the company is fully committed to ensuring its customers maintain an optimal business solution.

“Our close working relationship with IFS ensures 2MG is fully across all the latest functional and technological updates within the IFS Cloud platform. This allows our clients to utilise IFS best practice solutions along with the latest embedded technology,” Vestby told Australian Mining.

IFS Cloud is a complete solution for the mining industry that incorporates and enhances the management of critical

areas such as assets, projects, financials and procurement.

“The solution comes with over 100 inbuilt dashboards known as lobbies, which provide the necessary day-to-day real-time data that mine sites and senior management require,” Vestby said. “With a single source of truth, customers can make well-informed decisions.”

As an alternative to other mining enterprise solutions, IFS Cloud offers a modular, scalable, and functionally rich platform for running a mine site.

“Using the IFS implementation methodology, which combines bestpractice project management principles with focused industry-specific expertise, 2MG ensures that an IFS rollout is tailored to customer requirements, runs smoothly, and delivers on their business objectives,” Vestby said.

This is an ethos 2MG employs when finding the right solution for organisations in the mining sector.

2MG has another ace up its sleeves: 2MG Essentials, an optimised, prepackaged business solution for small to mid-tier miners.

This is a revolutionary introduction to the Australian ERP market where customers benefit from not only the capabilities of a top-tier ERP product but also from the vast industry experience of 2MG solutions, leading to significant time and cost savings.

“The Essentials solution will scale with our clients as they grow and diversify,” Vestby said. “2MG works closely with its customers to ensure they continue to operate with an optimal IFS solution, meeting their ongoing business requirements.”

IFS Cloud enterprise asset management can be implemented as a standalone solution which integrates nicely with customers’ other business systems.

For 2MG, it’s all about finding the best solution for the customer, which Vestby said is the driving force behind all 2MG endeavours.

“We prioritise collaborative partnerships based on trust, cooperation, and result-driven outcomes,” he said. “Whether it is navigating challenging business requirements or integrations with other systems, nothing is too difficult for 2MG.” AM

IFS MAKES PROJECT AND ASSET LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT HASSLE AND HEADACHE-FREE.

INTELLIGENT END-TO-END POWERTRAIN SOLUTIONS

With an increase in tonnages and declining conveyors with several hundred metres of drop, the installation of intelligent soft braking systems to address the starting and stopping requirements under various load conditions is an imperative.

Svendborg Brakes’ unique SOBO® soft braking control provides a range of safety and durability benefits in harsh mining applications. Decelerating and stopping heavy conveyor loads is critical, and controlled braking is essential for a significant reduction of torque peaks, preventing belt and mechanical component damage.

SMARTSHEET FACILITATES REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION, DOCUMENT SHARING AND TASK MANAGEMENT.

MAKING THE SMART CHOICE

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN 2005, SMARTSHEET HAS GROWN TO BECOME ONE OF THE WORLD’S

LEADING ENTERPRISE WORK MANAGEMENT PLATFORMS.

When the Smartsheet platform was first created, the vision was simple: empower companies to define which areas needed to be tracked and organised to foster greater efficiency.

“Smartsheet provides what spreadsheets cannot: a single version of the truth presented in a common language anyone can understand, with structure that enables reporting, alerts, automated workflows and better data quality,” Smartsheet account executive for large enterprise James Macartney told Australian Mining

“As the user base has grown, Smartsheet has expanded its vision and continued innovating by targeting larger teams, divisions and, ultimately, whole global enterprises.”

Smartsheet is now present in more than 80 per cent of Fortune 500 companies, with over 13.5 million users across more than 190 countries.

The platform is used to facilitate real-time work management, communication, document sharing and task management, enabling teams to coordinate activities, manage resources, and mitigate risks across a wide range of industries; one being mining.

Mining companies can use Smartsheet to improve access to capital and specialised equipment and services, ensure regulatory compliance, obtain land, and leverage technical expertise, among many additional solutions across the mining lifecycle.

“Australian mining companies can struggle with effective collaboration and consistent reporting due to factors like remote work, siloed operations and inconsistent manual systems and processes,” Macartney said.

“Users can spend a significant amount of time updating projects and gathering incorrect data for strict reporting requirements. Before using Smartsheet, our mining customers were knee-deep in spreadsheets and presentations and were flooded with meetings.

“Smartsheet took away that burden while giving executives the reporting they needed at any location, time or date.”

Smartsheet’s project planning capabilities extend beyond the day-today workflow; it can also help users track and manage tasks associated with environmental compliance, monitoring, and reporting.

“Smartsheet can organise data collection, analysis, and reporting on environmental impacts to ensure mining activities adhere to regulations and sustainability standards,” Macartney said.

“The resource allocation features can also help optimise workforce distribution by aligning available skills with project needs, guaranteeing the right people with the right skills are assigned to tasks, minimising the impact of labour shortages.”

Recently, a major Western Australian company’s mine closure and

SMARTSHEET IS RENOWNED FOR ITS EASE OF USE AND BEING ABLE TO INTEGRATE INTO VARIOUS TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS AND SOFTWARE.

rehabilitation team engaged Smartsheet to streamline its workflow.

“Before Smartsheet, the division relied on disparate systems without structure or formal reporting,” Macartney said.

“This created risks around shutdown delays, regulatory fines and potential environmental impacts.

“By deploying Smartsheet, the closures team delivered a structured framework to successfully deliver projects end-to-end, execute required deadlines and provide portfolio visibility to general managers through Smartsheet’s reporting capabilities.”

The WA miner’s closures team said Smartsheet has provided more visibility and insights into its work.

“Smartsheet has helped reduce time spent on weekly and monthly reporting, allowing for timely internal project management meetings,” the company said. “It has also reduced the time required to set up new projects and automated reporting due to its ability to effectively summarise multiple datasets into standardised dashboards.”

Smartsheet is renowned for its ease of use, having the ability to integrate into various technological tools and software such as enterprise resource planning systems.

“This integration enables streamlined data flow and enhances decision-making based on realtime insights,” Macartney said. “It also allows for real-time tracking of expenses, cost forecasts and helps to identify cost-saving opportunities and reduce overruns.”

The platform’s ease of use was further recognised at the 2024 G2 Best Software Awards, where it was rated the numberone project and portfolio management solution for large enterprise.

“Smartsheet’s ease of use at a task management level, all the way up to large and complex projects allows businesses to scale effectively,” Macartney said.

“The level of reporting and ease of collaboration with internal and external stakeholders is also where organisations have seen great benefits.” AM

•

Strata’s

LEVERAGING THE RECORD GOLD PRICE

MOLYCOP’S PROCESSING OPTIMISATION SERVICES ARE IMPROVING MINING OPERATIONS ON A GLOBAL SCALE.

In early April, gold prices hit $US2400 per ounce for the first time ever while copper also recently hit an all-time high of over $US11,000/tonne.

And this metals frenzy doesn’t appear to be slowing down, which is good news for Molycop, a company with a customer base comprising mostly of gold and copper miners.

“Right now, things are going well in the gold industry from a price perspective,” Molycop commercial vice president Australasia Pieter Strobos told Australian Mining. “Miners need to take advantage of the situation by maximising production.

Take Resolute Mining, which operates the Mako gold mine in Senegal, where a combination of Molycop and Orway IQ’s technologies and expertise delivered a 25 per cent reduction in planned downtime.

This has resulted in significant benefits to Resolute’s bottom line.

“Molycop has the technology, skills and expertise to help mining companies boost production by increasing throughput and recovery, while also reducing wastage of energy and reagents,” Strobos said.

As one of the world’s most well-known and trusted mining commodity and technology suppliers, with a particular reputation in the copper and gold mining industries, Molycop is helping companies improve their throughput, recovery and efficiency through its process optimisation technology and services.

“We do this through advanced instrumentation, advanced process control, process modelling and digital twin technology,” Strobos said.

Molycop has more than 100 years of history in the mining industry, with some client relationships spanning several decades, highlighting the company’s enduring commitment to its mining partnerships.

“It’s difficult for mining companies to run their plants optimally, considering they are literally digging rocks out of the ground,” Strobos said. “Mining is variable in nature, and ore doesn’t come out of the ground based on a pre-determined recipe.”

“Plants are invariably subjected to wear and tear and maintenance issues. A lot of these plants are also very remote, and it can be difficult to get skilled personnel out to these sites.”

“By having Molycop as a partner, mining companies are provided with a range of digital tools and services that help overcome these problems and achieve greater efficiency. A lot of the digital solutions Molycop offers can be partially deployed online reducing the need for global travel to remote sites.”

In 2022, Molycop acquired Process IQ, a mining technology company providing a suite of proprietary data analytics and visualisation, instrumentation, and advanced process control solutions.

This acquisition also saw Molycop partner with Orway Mineral Consultants, a subsidiary of Lycopodium. Through this union a new revolutionary process optimisation

technology, MillROC, was developed. MillROC brings the power of people and the latest technology together to deliver a step change in productivity.

Orway IQ chief executive officer Marnu Lombaard said the acquisition has combined a wide range of technologies and disciplines into a single product solution.

“What’s exciting is we have brought together a great deal of expertise to assist our clients in the mineral processing industry to solve their problems in-house,” Lombaard told Australian Mining

Molycop further contributes to these online solutions by integrating the latest measurement and process control technologies, for example MillSlicer, which uses vibration and machine vision technology.

This is supported by Molycop’s consulting and coaching services, which see the company gather real-time customer plant data and interpret it to facilitate continual improvement in production by applying a disciplined process to eliminate bottlenecks.

Within this, MillROC (Mill Remote Optimisation Consulting and

Coaching) is an expert-supported data platform that remotely monitors and models circuits and mineral processing plants while closing the loop through consulting and coaching in real-time.

MillROC provides live performance data and features focus applications to offer deeper insight into what operators can immediately do to address specific problems that may, for example, be constraining throughput.

The solution can also identify opportunities for improvement, giving supervisors the chance to train or upskill their workforce.

MillROC is supported by remote realtime assistance from mineral processing consultants who can view the circuit’s live performance dashboards and provide immediate advice and coaching.

Built on the VIP platform, MillROC is equipped with features such as enterprise-wide data integration and reporting, storage for operational data, intuitive dashboards, graphs and key performance indicators (KPIs). This is truly turning data into information and actionable insights.

“I see MillROC as the platform where all the solutions we offer can be effectively implemented because it also includes the human factor,” Lombaard said.

“MillROC requires the client to onboard their data into our VIP cloudbased data analytics platform, which enables a consultant to engage with the remote team as if they are part of the team. In turn, they become a resource.

“We then use advanced data analytics and the digital twin principle of measuring performance to effectively create positive change within the operation guided by subject matter experts.”

Typically, after the first few months of MillROC being installed on a site, Molycop will install MillROC Focus, a program that continues the platform’s performance and principles by providing continuous circuit performance benchmarking and suggests optimisation actions.

“Most site teams are empowered to run the optimisation platform and process themselves so there’s minimal need for higher engagement levels from the consultant,” Lombaard said.

“It is also a store of critical process knowledge for the site, and a way to sustain performance during inevitable personnel changes.”

Data and analytics are also a significant part of Molycop’s process optimisation services portfolio.

“Data can be integrated from various places, but one of the main sources of data we deal with is what we call ‘time series data’, which is data generated by machines over time,” Strobos said. “We use that information to carry out data analytics, and then we develop KPIs, models and optimisation strategies.

“We not only develop more advanced ways of visualising mineral processing plants but also utilise artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to control the plant.

“The control systems on most plants are based on historical data, so they’re controlled based on what’s happened in the past. Molycop uses models that predict the future based on process dynamics as well as ore characteristics. These models provide a much more robust basis for process control.”

After Molycop deployed a full milling optimisation solution at the Mako mine in Senegal, Resolute referred to the project in their December 2021 annual report.

The company revealed that ore mined at the Mako gold mine increased by seven per cent to 781,000 tonnes – up from 730,307 tonnes in the September 2021 quarter.

Resolute credited this increase in productivity to Molycop’s MillSlicer VIP, which in Resolute’s case combined MillSlicer with the VIP platform. MillROC and advanced process control

solution MillStar were also deployed at the mine.

MillSlicer consists of vibration sensors mounted on the mill shell that measure angular impact intensity, maximum impact angle and centroid of the impacts.

When combined with the VIP platform, MillSlicer VIP improves the throughput and efficiency of semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) and autogenous mills by measuring volume, steel charge per cent, toe angle and liner impacts.

The solution features more accurate and precise mill fill level measurements, helping to enable better mill feed control.

More than 12 months after the initial project was commissioned by Molycop, Resolute said in its December 2022 quarterly report: “As a result of the MillSlicer software that was installed in late 2021, planned downtime for the SAG mill relines has reduced 25 per cent on an annual basis.”

Strobos said a mining company will typically spend $10–15 million on a site shutdown. This translates to thousands of tonnes of lost production.

“If you can reduce your shutdowns from four to three per year, which is essentially what Resolute Mining did, it means productivity will be greatly improved,” Strobos said. “It also means you have to replace one less set of liners which in itself can be a very significant expense.”

A mining company in Resolute’s situation has the potential to save up to $US4 million per annum related to mill relining cost and downtime alone using Molycop’s solutions.

Molycop isn’t just focused on the latest mineral processing technology, but rather building a close working relationship with its clients so they get the most out of their plants.

“We see the project through and help our clients implement recommendations, so value goes to the bottom line,” Lombaard said.

“Mining is essential to the world’s development and is key to achieving a net-zero future, and our purpose is to not only make the mining industry more sustainable and efficient, but also make it a more interesting and rewarding part of the global landscape for generations to come.” AM

MOLYCOP HAS A STRONG REPUTATION IN THE GOLD AND COPPER MINING SECTORS.

DECODING A SOLUTION

DECODA’S TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION BUNDAWARE IS ATTRACTING PLENTY OF INTEREST FROM THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY.

When Australian Mining last sat down with Decoda in March, its technology solution BundAware was being piloted at mine sites across Australia.

Now, just four months on, the company is ready to launch BundAware into the market. Decoda executive general manager George Spink discusses the latest updates.

Can you give us a refresher on BundAware?

Bund walls are a safety measure to ensure dump trucks stop at the correct place at the tip head before dumping where a fall hazard exists. But, like with any man-made object, there is a risk that these walls aren’t up to code; that is, they aren’t high enough to create a safe distance to prevent a truck from going over the tip head edge.

There’s also the human-error aspect, where operators might use the bund wall to stop, resulting in the wall giving way.

We have seen an increased number of incidents on mine sites where trucks have either been close to breaching, or have breached, the bund wall.

We developed BundAware to prevent such incidents from occurring.

How does BundAware work?

It’s important to note that with BundAware, we’ve developed a system that enhances safety without interfering with or over-riding the truck systems.

We provide critical alerts to the driver using sound and vision, similar to a car’s reverse camera. When an object is detected behind a car, the driver receives visual and auditory warnings, prompting them to stop without automatically stopping the vehicle. BundAware operates on a similar principle.

Connected to a sensor unit at the back of the truck, we’ve designed BundAware to deliver verbal and visual warnings to the operator. Depending on customer preferences, we can alert the driver if the bund wall height is insufficient or if operators are approaching the bund too closely or at a bad angle. This enables the operator to take appropriate action, such as stopping short of the bund, choosing a safer dumping location or adjusting their approach angle.

Leveraging advanced light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, we measure the bund wall’s height and monitor various operator indicators, such as contact speed, approach angle and distance from the toe of the bund.

This comprehensive monitoring ensures operators are aware of potential hazards, enabling them to take corrective actions promptly and maintain operational safety.

How does BundAware prioritise safety compliance?

We’ve found that ensuring bund compliance is more likely to be done wrong when done manually, which is because people can’t be in more than one place at a time.

The beauty of BundAware is it relies on an algorithm that has been set to the right standards. It monitors every reversing truck, and every time a truck backs up to a bund wall.

That information is then fed back to a central cloud location, which can be used by supervisors for training purposes, whether they are educating operators on what to do next time or showing trainees how best to approach a bund wall, prioritising safety for future generations of operators.

What other benefits does BundAware bring?

I like to say that BundAware is bit like insurance. No one likes to pay insurance instalments, but the day you make the claim, you’re glad you’ve got it.

Fundamentally, BundAware raises the safety performance of a mine site. It also ensures the productivity and efficiency of an operation remain high.

If a truck goes over, or comes close to going over, a tip head bund wall, a mine could be shut down for a period of time, which is costly.

A mine that installs BundAware is proactive about preventing injury and downtime, leading to better performing operation overall.

How has Decoda advanced BundAware since March?

We’re at a point now where we know the technology works and we’ve had trials with some mining customers. We’ve refined the BundAware algorithm to ensure we don’t get false positives, and we’re close to commercialisation.

We’re now working with customers to determine what they want the change in operator behaviour to be. For example, do they want operators to drop short of the bund or drive

to a different area before dumping? This will be different for every customer depending on the intricacies of their operation.

We are looking to be ready to launch BundAware to the market this year.

What have your test customers said about BundAware?

A common trend we are seeing is customers have been surprised at how often their bund walls aren’t compliant. They also gain insight into operator behaviour on-site around the clock.

They see value in the system because they cannot only realise the immediate safety and productivity advantages of BundAware, but they can also access the camera footage as proof of what they need to train or retrain their operators on.

Customers have been appreciative of the camera feedback because it helps them know exactly how to run future operator training sessions.

What’s next for Decoda and BundAware?

Without giving too much away, our long-term plan is to get BundAware formally into the market and then look at how it could be used on other pieces of mining equipment.

We’ve had customers wanting both our BundAware and RockAware (a similar system that detects large dangerous rocks before a haul truck runs over them) products installed at once, so we are looking for opportunities to roll out both products onto fleets.

The most natural progression for us would be to look at deploying BundAware overseas. You can find us all over Australia but we’re not limited to that; we can help mines become safer all over the world. AM

BUNDAWARE IS A SAFETY MEASURE TO ENSURE DUMP TRUCKS STOP AT THE CORRECT PLACE AT A BUND WALL.

TECHNOLOGY ‘NO ONE HAD INVENTED’

DREDGE ROBOTICS HAS DEVELOPED AN INSPIRED SOLUTION FOR MAINTAINING PROCESS TANKS.

Every mine site undergoes scheduled shutdowns, providing the opportunity for operators to manage pressing maintenance concerns or make equipment upgrades.

But what if sites didn’t have to halt operations to complete maintenance activities?

Enter Dredge Robotics.

Dredge Robotics harnesses the smarts of artificial intelligence to provide mine sites with mission-critical automated cleaning solutions, with the work carried out while operations are still online.

“Many mine sites have wet plants, which essentially add flocculent and wash the ore after it’s been crushed to try and get it to a higher grade,” Dredge Robotics chief executive officer Antony Old told Australian Mining

“The tanks used to wash the ore have overflows that dump into a separate overflow tank, typically referred to as a process tank.

“This can typically accumulate up to three metres of mud in the process tank between inspections and sometimes they can accumulate up to five to six metres in a relatively short space of time.”

Subject to strict inspection regimes to meet statutory requirements, process tanks need to be cleaned regularly

to ensure inspections can be safely completed and tanks remain compliant.

As Old attests, this has traditionally been an onerous job.

“To do the inspection, you have to drain the tanks out and run a magnetic flux trolley across the floor to profile the thickness of the floor to satisfy the requirements of the statutory inspection,” he said.

“This is typically done when the tank is offline, but when a tank has five metres of mud in it you have to clear that first and pumping that out has traditionally been an absolute nightmare of a job.”

During a scheduled shutdown, miners would usually carry out 24hour shifts to remove the mud using techniques “which are really expensive and time-consuming”. Only then can they proceed with their tank inspection.

This is where Dredge Robotics enters the equation.

“We’ve developed a product where, before a shutdown occurs, we send our robotic technology to site while the plant is still running,” Old said. “Our robot – which is capable of seeing in the dark – enters the tank and models what’s around it during volatile highflow environments.

“The robot can land itself on the mud, dig its way to the bottom, degrade the mud and pump it out while the tank

is online and in full service, and it can manage obstacle avoidance and other things it needs to do to preserve the integrity of the tank.”

With the help of Dredge Robotics, miners can enter a shutdown with a clean tank and immediately complete their non-destructive testing without having to conduct time-intensive manual cleaning first.

This enables operations to not only be suspended for a shorter period of time, reducing resourcing costs and boosting uptime, but it also means mine sites can make better use of their personnel.

“Mines want to be shut down for as short a time as possible,” Old said.

“And on-site shutdown resources are quite valuable and fiercely fought over.

“Often there’s accommodation constraints, because you’re trying to deploy hundreds of people onto site in a compressed timeframe.

“It’s quite difficult and expensive logistically to have resources on-site during this time, whereas it’s easier to deploy resources outside a shut window, such as our dredging robot.”

Dredge’s fleet of dredging robots eliminate human entry and downtime while offering the versatility to clean storage tanks containing different types of sediment, from light mud to compacted clays. This includes sediments with high or low pH levels, corrosive liquids, cyanide and heavy metals.

The dredging robots can navigate sediment depths in excess of five metres and diameters from a few metres to over 100 metres. Liner-safe versions of the technology are available, meaning dredging won’t damage HDPE, LLDPE, PVC or other liner types.

Old said Dredge’s technology is an “easy-to-understand concept” that “no one had invented” until the company’s dredging robot arrived.

“As far as we’re aware, we’re the only company globally that offers this process tank service,” he said.

“We’re gaining more and more penetration at mine sites across Western Australia, including with Tier 1 miners, and we’re trying to tap into other companies that have a process tank, particularly in WA, but we’re also actively looking for opportunities in the eastern states.”

Dredge Robotics offers its dredging technology as a service, which means the company can be quickly mobilised to site to carry out its end-to-end cleaning service, ensuring process tanks are ready for inspection when the next shutdown occurs. AM

WITH THE HELP OF DREDGE ROBOTICS, MINERS CAN ENTER A SHUTDOWN WITH A CLEAN TANK AND IMMEDIATELY COMPLETE THEIR INSPECTIONS.

DREDGE ROBOTICS’ DREDGING ROBOTS CAN CLEAN PROCESS TANKS WHILE THEY’RE STILL ONLINE.

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A TENACIOUS TECH-TRIO

GLOBAL NETWORK AND DIGITAL SERVICES GIANT ORANGE BUSINESS IS HELPING TO REVOLUTIONISE THE MINING INDUSTRY, CHANGING THE WAY MINES COMMUNICATE FOR THE BETTER.

LEO satellites, SASE and AIOps may all sound like complicated pieces of technology, but in reality, these simple systems are changing the way mines work, connect and communicate.

For mining organisations, the combination of these can be a game-changer, bringing significant improvements in efficiency, safety, and profitability. This tech-trio is offering a new reality of seamless and secure connected operations, while keeping mining businesses future-proofed.

Orange Business Australia and New Zealand managing director Andrew Borthwick sat down with Australian Mining to explain just how much a mine can benefit from these solutions.

LEO satellites

Low earth orbit (LEO) satellites are just that; satellites orbiting Earth at a lower altitude than traditional satellites, making them ideal for delay-sensitive applications that support mine sites.

Orbiting between 160–2000km above the Earth’s surface, LEO

satellites work as a group, meaning if one satellite experiences an issue, another one is ready to take over to ensure those on the ground receive uninterrupted service.

“LEO satellites are hugely beneficial for the global mining industry because resources are often found in difficult environments that are hard to reach with terrestrial communications,” Borthwick told Australian Mining.

“The use of LEO satellites makes a huge difference for mines from a connectivity perspective, because employees can transmit data from out on the field in real-time.”

With exploration teams having to venture further out to find ore deposits, fast connectivity is paramount.

Using LEO satellites, valuable information on terrain can be fed back to base instantly. From a safety perspective, these satellites also ensure help can be expedited if something goes wrong.

“Occupational health and safety in mining is paramount,” Borthwick said. “If there happens to be an accident, emergency services can respond quicker, and those back at the mine

will know exactly who needs help and where they are.”

Having been in the Australian/ New Zealand marketplace for over 40 years, Orange Business plays a key part in getting new LEO satellites up and running for mine sites across the world.

“The feedback from our customers has been excellent,” Borthwick said. “They love how easy it is to use and how fast it is.

“We often receive feedback from our customers that LEO satellites are improving their production and lowering the amount of time they spend determining if a site is worthwhile to mine at, as they can send that information straight to decision-makers on-site who can say yes or no in an instant.”

LEO SATELLITES ARE HUGELY BENEFICIAL FOR THE GLOBAL MINING INDUSTRY BECAUSE RESOURCES ARE OFTEN FOUND IN DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE HARD TO REACH WITH TERRESTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS.”

SASE

With cyberattacks on the rise across almost all industries in Australia, there has never been a better time for mines to invest in secure access service edge (SASE) technology.

In a nutshell, SASE ensures that people accessing a network’s data are who they say they are. This is done through Zero Trust, a framework based on least-privilege principles. This

ORANGE BUSINESS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND MANAGING DIRECTOR ANDREW BORTHWICK.

means that no user or device should be given access to resources based solely on their location on the network.

“There will never be enough being done with regards to cyber defence,” Borthwick said. “Businesses are spending more on it, but criminals are getting smarter, too.

“Most people think of a mine as just big trucks driving around, but they can be incredibly dangerous places. The crushers alone are crushing over 300 tonnes of rock every thirty seconds to a minute.

“You can imagine the damage a hack could create into an automated machine on a mine; it would be chaos. Cybersecurity is necessary to protect privacy, profits and, ultimately, lives.”

So how does SASE fit into the context of a mine and deliver a more secure user experience while not skimping on operational excellence?

As Borthwick explained, the solution lies in SASE’s simplicity.

“SASE is a very simplified way of securing a network,” he said. “With SASE, you have everything in one location on the end of a router that effectively secures a mine’s entire ecosystem.

“But many mines are legacy sites, which means they have implemented a suite of technology in the past; they have firewalls and routers and cloud infrastructure.

“That’s where we come in. Orange Business can look at a mine’s entire architecture and make the time to understand its technology investment and needs before coming up with a strategy to move the mine into using SASE.”

AT ORANGE BUSINESS, WE’RE USING AI AND IT’S HAVING A SIGNIFICANT AND POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR WORLD. IT’S NOT CREATING CUTBACKS –ON THE CONTRARY, IT’S ACTUALLY HELPING US DO A BETTER JOB FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.”

Because every single mine is different from the last, Orange Business provides a customised approach to each customer to ensure they get what they need from their cybersecurity.

“We always start out by creating a relationship with the customer to better understand their needs,” Borthwick said. “Depending on their needs, we then do a series of workshops with the customer where we provide recommendations.

“We might also do a proof-ofconcept around a particular technology where, after a short period of use, we look at the results to see how things are progressing.

“There’s a lot of time and effort that goes into that from our part, but fundamentally our job is to decomplicate as much of the customer’s environment as possible, and to make it easy and simple to get services from us, while meeting our customers’ business objectives.”

AIOps

Artificial intelligence for IT operations (AIOps) is a service that allows organisations to correlate data from various sources to visualise key performance indicators and any issues.

Or, as Borthwick explained, AIOps is essentially a fabric that stretches across the entire IT service stack.

“AIOps plugs into all of the relevant points inside a customer’s IT environment,” he said. “And AI is a lot quicker than humans at remembering and analysing the environment to determine uptime and downtime.

“It’s always plugged into these points, so it can tell if data starts to leak out from a hack, for example. It can then alert the team so they’re aware, but it can also start to fix the problem itself.

“Or if AIOps notices that a software hasn’t been upgraded in a while, it

can automatically upgrade it, which means teams don’t get bogged down in mundane tasks like updates; they can focus on more important aspects of running a mine.”

It’s these insights that have kept customers coming back to Orange Business for more.

“Our customers in the mining and resources sector have been with us for 10 to 15 years,” Borthwick said. “We have hands and feet on the ground all over the world, ready to spring into action when our customers need us to.

“And though we might be recommending AI to our customers, we don’t see AI as something that will take jobs; in fact, we see it creating jobs and expanding the economy.

“At Orange Business, we’re using AI and it’s having a significant and positive impact on our world. It’s not creating cutbacks – on the contrary, it’s actually helping us do a better job for our customers.”

Orange Business imagines a world where users have ubiquitous access to applications and data, regardless of location, as well as a single, simplified governance and operational model with user experience tracking and guaranteed service levels.

Today, this vision can become reality, seamlessly integrated with a mine’s environment and business policies. AM

NEXT-GENERATION COLLISION AVOIDANCE

TITAN CAS GENERATION 4 EMBODIES EPIROC’S CONTINUED EVOLUTION AS A DIGITAL INNOVATOR IN THE MINING INDUSTRY.

When Epiroc recently released the fourth generation of its Titan collision avoidance system (CAS), it brought with it a suite of enhancements to what was an already advanced technology.

Epiroc Australia digital sales manager Andreas Prill called Titan CAS Generation 4 (Gen4) the company’s “latest and greatest evolution” in CAS technology.

“Besides new architecture, we have introduced a range of new features which will future-proof this system for our customers for many years to come,” Prill told Australian Mining.

“South Africa is currently setting the bar for CAS in surface and underground mining around the globe, so it is critical that we receive certification first to best serve our South African customers and ultimately all customers around the globe.”

refined over 10 years in South Africa’s harsh mining conditions, enabling it to be used on all mining machines across all systems.

Titan CAS does the hard work of detecting collisions while also acting as the central interface, coordinating and sending out information when miners need it most.

Epiroc understands that to provide a robust and versatile CAS solution, it needs to combine the smarts of several technologies.

“As an agnostic solution, Epiroc’s Titan CAS utilises the strength of multiple sensor technologies to solve a very complex problem,” Prill said.

“Some features include CAN FD (controller area network flexible datarate) compatibility, an AI camera, new pedestrian tags for vehicle-to-pedestrian interaction, integration of CAS with Epiroc’s Onboard system, a dedicated processing unit, and much more.

“With Titan CAS Gen4, we have not only delivered increased performance and modularity, but we are also compliant to the latest legislation requirements in South Africa and Australia.

“We have enhanced low frequency, time of flight, GPS, AI vision and subGHz RF technology in our portfolio including a dedicated advisory zone and intervention zone. We can put these together to provide a solution that’s

use case.”

Together with machine interface control (MIC) – from Epiroc company RCT – Titan CAS Gen4 provides a complete agnostic and sophisticated EMERST Level 9 intervention system.

This solution is ideal for machines which don’t have an existing ISO 21815 interface, and sees Epiroc not only provide a CAS system, but also an agnostic machine interface for any make and model. This allows customers to go from Level 7 or 8 alert and advisory control to a CAS Level 9 intervention.

In a situation where the operator would fail to respond to a Level 7 or 8 situation, the MIC would start to take control based on the inputs from the CAS system and then intervene to safely slow down and stop the machine before an incident occurs.

Epiroc can also integrate Titan CAS Gen4 technology with Onboard, its agnostic traffic-awareness solution that monitors all assets in a mine and can track which piece of machinery is moving in what direction.

“Epiroc’s Onboard provides a 3D map on a tablet in the cab without the need for additional infrastructure,” Prill said.

“By using our sophisticated positioning algorithm, we can position

the vehicle with five-to-10-metre accuracy on the map. The operator gets Google Maps-like search functionalities for people, assets and points of interest and can receive turnby-turn instructions as they travel to their destination.

“When we have Wi-Fi or LTE (long-term evolution) infrastructure in the mine, we can also provide the operator awareness of incoming traffic from about 600m ahead and continue to provide vision as the gap closes.

“For customers who already have Onboard, Onboard and CAS can be integrated onto the same screen, giving operators a multifaceted mine awareness and collision avoidance system.”

Titan CAS Gen4 embodies Epiroc’s continued evolution as a digital innovator in the mining industry.

“Epiroc has made significant investments into the creation of a market-leading digital solutions offering alongside our existing OEM offering,” Prill said.

“We develop and provide innovative and safe equipment, such as drill rigs, rock excavation and construction equipment and tools for surface and underground applications.

“We also offer world-class service and other after-market support as well as solutions for automation and electrification.” AM

EPIROC’S TITAN CAS GENERATION 4 IS THE LATEST IN COLLISION AVOIDANCE TECHNOLOGY.

A SOLUTION IN SIGHT

KAL TIRE EXPLAINS HOW TECHNOLOGY, AUTOMATION AND A TEAM OF EXPERTS CAN ENHANCE TYRE INSPECTIONS TO DELIVER A NEW LEVEL OF SAFETY, PERFORMANCE AND FLEET PRODUCTIVITY.

Like any equipment on a mine, haul truck tyres need regular inspection and maintenance to keep them moving.

But the sheer size of these tyres can make manual inspection challenging and can lead to weak points being overlooked. This in turn can lead to production downtime and potential safety issues.

Seeing this problem required a smart solution, Kal Tire developed TireSight, a system made up of multiple components, including thermal imaging and artificial intelligence (AI)-based software from Pitcrew AI.

TireSight also includes other data such as a tyre pressure monitoring system; all of this is then filtered and validated by a condition monitoring team to prioritise service work and pinpoint potential tyre problems before they arise.

“The main reason regular tyre inspections are done is to monitor the ongoing condition of the tyres,” Kal

Tire Australia managing director Miles Rigney told Australian Mining

“If you think about what the tyres are subjected to each day, it’s not uncommon for them to become damaged. So first and foremost, we’re looking at the tyres to make sure they are in a safe operating condition.”

According to Rigney, there are many challenges associated with manually inspecting tyres.

“Manual inspections are carried out by qualified and experienced tyre service people who visually inspect the tyre and wheel assembly while the truck is parked,” he said.

“But these tyres are massive, so they’re only seeing about 50 per cent of the tyre at any given time. The vehicles are also unloaded when these inspections happen, meaning inspectors can’t see how additional weight is impacting the tyres.”

Humans also don’t have the advantage of thermal vision, which is useful to see exactly which parts of the tyre are under the most stress.

“TireSight brings together a number of technologies and processes,” Rigney said. “This is then fed into Kal Tire’s Tire & Operations Management System (TOMS) to show a team of condition monitoring analysts a realtime view of the tyre being inspected.”

To inspect a tyre using TireSight, operators simply need to drive past the camera, which is positioned in a targeted location with good visibility. The camera can also be easily moved to ensure the best possible view of the tyres.

“Once the truck approaches the camera, it captures the front tyres first, recording two to three complete revolutions of the tyres,” Rigney said.

“As the truck drives past, the camera does the same with the back tyres and the AI components in the system analyse the images to find any anomalies.”

The information is then fed into TOMS to provide additional analytics and identify potential issues to servicers.

“The real value of TireSight comes from giving the information back to the on-site service team with a hit list of priorities,” Rigney said.

“The system will prioritise any issues so the team can see exactly what they need to look at first to ensure the vehicle is operating safely.”

While TireSight doesn’t do away with manual inspections entirely, Rigney explained how the two can work in tandem to benefit a mine.

“TireSight gives manual inspections a higher degree of efficiency,” he said. “With TireSight, manual inspections can now be targeted to the identified and prioritised issue.”

As with all of Kal Tire’s solutions, TireSight is about putting the customer’s needs first.

“A lot of work goes on before the camera even gets deployed,” Rigney said. “We discuss with the customer what they’re looking for and what they want to know about their tyres.

“Then we establish TOMS on-site and we write site-specific rules into it. That way the system gives the customer the information they want.”

While the technology may sound complicated, Rigney said that at its core, TireSight is a simple solution.

“The primary benefit that TireSight brings to an operation is that it enables the customer to keep the trucks running safely, while maximising the productivity of their site,” he said. AM

HAUL TRUCK TYRES NEED REGULAR INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE TO KEEP THEM MOVING.

Specialists

Who we are

With a history of over 70 years, Hardman Bros operates as a division within the Hardman Group of Companies – an Australian-owned enterprise of distinction. The group is renowned as a premier provider of precision machining and gear-cutting services throughout Australasia.

Having since expanded through two additional acquisitions, Hardman Group now comprises three distinct business units: Hardman Bros, R & I Instrument & Gear, and Marks 4WD.

Our quality endorsements

• ISO9001:2015

• Certification AS9100D (Re-issue : 14/9/23)R & I Instrument & Gear Co

What we do

• We operate a Quality Management System that supports the manufacture of high-precision machined components and gear cutting to leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

• Gear cutting and precision machining, shaping, milling and grinding, CNC machining, and general engineering.

• Assembly and sub-assembly, and on-site production with over 7,500m2 of floor space.

• Manufacture to print, maintenance, repair and overhaul capability.

• Work with customers from prototype to make to print production, including reverse engineering.

A REHABILITATION SUCCESS STORY

A

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN DENDRA AND THE JELLINBAH COAL MINE HAS LED TO THE CREATION OF FOUNDATIONAL REHABILITATION TECHNOLOGIES AND METHODOLOGIES.

Technology has aided the evolution of the mining industry in countless ways. It has improved the synergy of the mining value chain, driven higher safety standards, and created new environmental opportunities, to name a few.

For the Jellinbah mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, technology has facilitated greater environmental understanding and vision of an expansive coal operation.

Through its mission to deliver actionable insights at scale, Dendra has provided Jellinbah the platform and technological smarts to proactively plan and implement its rehabilitation practices.

As Jellinbah environmental superintendent Nigel Ryan explained, the collaboration between the two parties has been one of firsts.

been able to tailor environmental data to what is most beneficial for the Jellinbah mine site and to what is required by the regulator,” Ryan told Australian Mining

“This

then becomes a compliance issue, because you’re not controlling

we can generate erosion insights over the entire site, without needing to

species over very large areas, and because sites have reporting deadlines, we have to capture insights quickly.

“So we need to be very curative about what sensors and technologies we apply to get to the best end result.”

Some erosion lies under vegetation or beneath the surface. By combining Dendra’s drone technology with Jellinbah’s LiDAR imagery, Dendra and Jellinbah have been able to enhance their insights even further.

“Our solutions have evolved with LiDAR, which enables the ion detection of erosion even under vegetation,” Stoker said.

“Different sensors are working together, so not only can we see exactly what erosion looks like with colour imagery, but we know exactly how deep it is; we know the length, the width and the volume of erosion using LiDAR.”

IMAGE: JELLINBAH

REHABILITATED LAND AT THE JELLINBAH COAL MINE IN QUEENSLAND.

LIDAR IMAGERY DEPICTS EROSION AT THE JELLIBAH COAL MINE.

Most importantly, Dendra’s insights have enabled Jellinbah to align itself with regulatory standards, which means mining can continue safely and sustainably.

“We currently have one area submitted for certification,” Ryan said. “This enables the regulator to review the rehabilitation data and assess it against criteria to determine if it meets acceptable rehabilitation outcomes.

“The basic parameters for determining acceptable rehabilitation are, ‘Is it safe? Is it stable? Is it sustainable for a long period of time? And is it non-polluting?’”

By non-polluting, Ryan said, Jellinbah must demonstrate to the regulator that rehabilitation is noneroding, and that sediment won’t end up off-site where it can contaminate waterways or land.

This is where Dendra’s technology has proven to be vital.

“Dendra’s solution gave Jellinbah the ability to identify areas of erosion that may be problematic from both a rehabilitation standard and a compliance standard, and the ability to take corrective action,” Ryan said.

“We looked at the data, identified the erosion, and then developed a program to repair the erosion areas. From subsequent data, we were able to report that remediation repairs had been very successful – the erosion had almost disappeared.

“With Dendra’s help, we can run metrics and identify what a landform looked like before we intervened, and we can put a value on it and quantify it. We can then show regulators Dendra’s imagery and analysis, which demonstrates that it’s now a stable, non-eroding landform with good vegetation cover.

“Now that’s a success story.”

Ryan said Dendra’s insights also have broader applications.

“Through our partnership, Dendra has been able to find out what the market wants, and we’re probably representative of the market, so what we want is really not as definitive as you might initially think,” he said.

“Yes, Dendra’s solution helps us in what we need to do, but we’re very similar to what the rest of the coal mining sector and the broader mine rehabilitation industry needs as well.

“We’re not asking for insights that are only specific to Jellinbah. Many of these products were developed in a very collaborative way, making them more precise but also more widely applicable as we’re solving common problems.”

The Dendra and Jellinbah partnership should encourage any mine operator navigating their environmental quandaries, as innovators are working hard to solve age-old problems for the good of the entire mining industry. AM

Expect more at every stage of tyre life

Making tyre management safer and more productive. Reducing total cost of ownership and putting ESG at the core of our offering. By delivering more than what is expected, we help make a difference every day.

DENDRA’S DRONE TECHNOLOGY HAS ENABLED JELLINBAH TO GATHER ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS AT SCALE.

MINE DIGITALISATION IS A BROAD AND COMPLEX AREA, SO KNOWING WHERE TO BEGIN CAN BE A CHALLENGE.

DESTINATION DIGITAL

AUSTRALIAN MINING SAT DOWN WITH ACCENTURE TO LEARN HOW COMPANIES CAN SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE AN EVOLVING DIGITAL LANDSCAPE.

Alike consulting and technology. As the company’s global mining lead, Marco Ribas has seen how digitalisation can transform a resources operation.

But the area is broad, so knowing where to begin can be a challenge.

Leverage and save

In its 2023 forecast, global intelligence and data provider International Data Corporation predicted that by the end of 2024, 50 per cent of the world’s top mining companies will utilise cloud-based operational planning and simulation tools.

These kinds of enterprise resource planning (ERP) technologies help organisations manage their day-today in applications such as finance, procurement, and transactional human resources.

ERP systems also help strengthen a business through decision support, greater analytics and improved optimisation capabilities.

Ribas said these technologies are well-advanced, so rather than trying to build new systems, mining companies would benefit from leveraging existing products.

“There is a lot of maturity around business processes,” Ribas said. “If you look at procurement for example, the mining industry can benefit from a wealth of professionals on the service side who understand how to procure materials and platforms that are very advanced.

“Mining organisations should try to reap the benefits of the learnings of others in this area without trying to reinvent the wheel.”

Ribas said that while ERP technologies are generally not considered a key source of differentiation for mining companies, when implemented at scale they

move fast as an industry,” he said.

“The resources industry has enough challenges attracting talent for their critical functions, so why compete on talent in an already established area?

“Leverage what you can and save your energy for areas really in need of focus in the coming years.”

Start small, think big Mining companies operate globally. Rio Tinto and BHP are a prime example, but it is not uncommon to find junior explorers with projects across multiple jurisdictions like Australia, Canada, and South America.

While different mines require different approaches, Ribas said it is critical that operators start developing digital solutions with scalability in mind.

“We’re seeing operations where the level of digital adoption is very high, and others where the level of adoption is very low, all within in the same company,” he said.

This has resulted in a compartmentalised approach to digital technology. Solutions are engineered from the ground up for a site’s specific requirements, and often the architecture becomes so rigid that it cannot be applied at other sites or jurisdictions.

In some cases, other operations within the same company may not even be aware of the solution.

“If you look at the integration between mine, rail, and port, for example, that’s very sensible for Australia,” Ribas said. “The major mining companies now have the ability to remotely operate the supply chain.

“But if you look at the number of solutions that are there, and if you look at these companies’ own operations in different parts of the globe, you

develop with scalability in mind.”

In many cases, digital solutions will be driven by individual site managers, which means that people at the executive level can’t always see the bigger picture. This is another roadblock to implementing scalable digital solutions, but Ribas said it can be overcome with the right approach.

“An internal governance structure will help mining organisations to integrate these systems across different operations,” he said.

“Most of the mining companies that we work with still have gaps in terms of asset management, availability of equipment, safety, and so on.

“Digital is an integral part of that because it connects all points and can be a source of competitive advantage. That’s why the level of digital literacy needs to be improved right across operations.”

Exploration

Ribas said the mining industry has underinvested in exploration in recent years, instead favouring mergers and acquisitions (M&A). But exploration, he said, can put a resources company leagues ahead of its competition.

“In terms of exploration, the mining industry is lagging behind other industries like oil and gas, where it should be a leader in the space,” he said.

“It’s our view that mining would benefit from a more structured and clear capital allocation for developing exploration technologies, rather than relying on M&A as a prime solution for growth.”

According to Ribas, partnering with universities and establishing centres for excellence – where innovative technologies can be developed and trialled – is the best way to go about this.

“BHP is an excellent example of this,” Ribas said. “It has established

a venture initiative which invests in a number of exploration start-ups.”

Don’t go it alone

As one of the world’s premier mining jurisdictions, the level of digitalisation in the Australian mining industry is significant.

“Australia is quite advanced, and I think two factors have driven this: the availability of training and the shortage and cost of labour,” Ribas said.

“However, I think there is a number of areas – exploration is one of them –where companies would benefit from more cooperation.

“We are seeing this in other jurisdictions, where miners are collaboratively working on initiatives such as creating standards for exploration data.”

Accenture is a firm believer that the future of mining is digital.

And while the resources sector in Australia has made strides in implementing digital solutions such as automation and artificial intelligence into operations, there is still a way to go. AM

ACCENTURE GLOBAL MINING LEAD MARCO RIBAS.

EXTRACTING VALUE, REFINING GROWTH

Full-spectrum IT solutions that unlock IT and OT value.

As mine operators continue investing in technology to drive efficiencies, lift safety, build stability, and extract savings across a widening field of operational facets, it pays to invest in partners that consistently unearth value at every level.

With an established national presence, over twenty-five years of IT experience, and pressure-tested exposure across the mining sector, our strategic thinking, proven know-how, and full-spectrum solutions work hand-in-glove across IT and OT footprints.

If you’re looking to unlock new levels of productivity and profitability, including in commonly overlooked fields such as networks, infrastructure, applications, telecommunication, and procurement, let’s talk.

Ready to dig a little deeper?

BRINGING WORLDWIDE HOME

providing them a long-term premium customer experience,” Jones said.

From installing cables to offering discrete data breakdowns, Strata is committed to keeping miners informed of every aspect of their operation, a strategy that has led Strata to work with some of Australia’s largest mines.

“We have an extensive range that enable us to customise our solutions to meet any requirement,” Napier said.

“We can create a bespoke solution or integrate our products with existing infrastructure; it all depends on the customer’s needs and what they want to get out of their system.”

Once a solution has been implemented, Strata strives to keep its customers supported in the long-term with a team of expert technicians.

Jones said customer support and service has always been central to Strata’s practices, going hand-in-hand with its mission to keep Australia’s miners safe.

Tunderground mining communications present.

But with heavy equipment hauling rocks in tight spaces, unreliable connection in an underground mine can have bigger repercussions than hanging up on a family member; in fact, the consequences can be deadly.

This is a challenge with which Strata Worldwide is familiar. The company specialises in taking mine-critical technologies and developing them to function underground.

Strata has a range of communications and networking products it either developed from scratch, brought on through acquisitions, or distributes from its sites across Australia.

One such product is its Vernetzen Wi-Fi over Coax technology, which Strata globally supports and distributes.

This is backed by the Veto range of network analysis tools, which enables a mine’s network to be assessed for operational technology compatibility.

“These products ensure the network performs optimally for remote underground operations, including automated mobile plants,” Strata managing director and chief operating officer Tony Napier told Australian Mining. “It allows operators to maintain throughput on automated vehicles and ensure networks suit the

communications and work together with Strata’s other systems, such as its vehicle-management software suite, to craft comprehensive control across entire mining operations.

One of these vehicle-management software solutions is Strata’s short interval monitoring and control (SIMAC) cloud-based information platform. By installing Strata’s partner Nerospec SK’s data-logging hardware on mining trucks, information is sent from the machines to the SIMAC platform in real-time.

The platform then allows operators to get tailored, on-the-ground data they can use to make immediate changes to boost worker safety and improve machine reliability and productivity.

SIMAC has been implemented at a host of major mines overseas with what Napier said has been resounding success.

“The technology has been proven in other countries and now we’re bringing it to Australian shores,” he said.

“The implications go beyond site safety, with operators seeing an increase in efficiency and productivity as well.”

Strata electronics general manager Phil Jones emphasised the company’s dedication to ensuring all of its staff members are experts in every facet

and development team of engineers, meaning we’re able to be proactive in bringing solutions to our customers and

“When Tony and I started out years ago a big focus was our customer service and support, and that commitment got us where we are today,” Jones said.

“We’re keen to keep ramping up our capabilities and ensuring we offer that ongoing customer support to our growing Australian base into the future.” AM

STRATA HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED A FOCUS ON WORKER SAFETY.

STRATA SPECIALISES IN DEVELOPING MINE-CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES TO FUNCTION UNDERGROUND.

• Smooth, low profile splice with increased tensile strength

• A larger and more durable loop area for longer splice life

• Applicator tools that skip over misdrives without starting over

NEVER NEVER GIVING UP

AUSTRALIAN MINING SPOKE WITH SPARTAN RESOURCES CEO SIMON LAWSON ABOUT HOW HE REBUILT THE COMPANY FROM THE GROUND UP.

Everybody loves an underdog.

When a mining company can overcome production issues and bounce back stronger than ever, it’s something to be proud of. And that’s exactly what Spartan Resources did.

Spartan was originally known as Gascoyne Resources, an ASX-listed gold mining and exploration company based in Western Australia. Its flagship asset was the Dalgaranga gold project in Daggar Hills, where Gascoyne began mining in 2017.

Located about 65km north-west of Mount Magnet, Dalgaranga comprised a fully developed gold mining operation, a carbon-in-leach processing facility, a camp and airstrip, and an extensive landholding with potential for new discoveries.

Unfortunately, Gascoyne began to struggle a year into its operations due to grade and reconciliation issues at Dalgaranga, resulting in less gold production than originally anticipated. By June 2019, the company was in voluntary administration.

“At the time, I was running a small exploration company called Firefly Resources, where I had picked up a gold project called Yalgoo, about 110km away from the Gascoyne operations,” Spartan managing director and chief executive officer Simon Lawson told Australian Mining

Gascoyne’s administrators decided to maintain Dalgaranga’s operations during the administration process to maximise Gascoyne’s chances of continuing its existence. And it worked.

The company did not go into liquidation and exited voluntary administration in October 2020. Less than a year later, Firefly and Yalgoo caught Gascoyne’s eye.

“Firefly was acquired by Gascoyne in June 2021,” Lawson said. “Subsequent to that transaction, I was supposed to come onto the Gascoyne board as a non-executive director to oversee

DALGARANGA HAS ESTABLISHED INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED DURING THE CURRENT CARE AND MAINTENANCE PERIOD.

“As it turned out, the Gascoyne shareholders proposed I become the managing director of the company. After thinking it over, I took on the role in November 2021.”

About two months into Lawson’s tenure, the Spartan geology team made a remarkable discovery within a historical drillhole at Dalgaranga.

“The team drilled eight metres (m) at 3.9 grams per tonne (g/t) from 24m down, which is a pretty outstanding result considering the grade was four times what was going through the processing plant at the time,” Lawson said.

Spartan worked to tighten its balance sheet and brought two reverse circulation drill rigs to the discovery to conduct further exploration.

“We drilled 54m at 6.55g/t from 116m in June 2022, and that’s when our world changed,” Lawson said. “Drilling 54m at 6.55g/t was incredible because it meant we were looking at a deposit that wasn’t the same as ones that had been mined in the area for years.”

Spartan drilled 90 degrees across the 54m at 6.55g/t hole and it returned an eye-watering 59m at 12.5g/t from 139m. Two months later, 32m at 8.58g/t from 167m was drilled.

Spartan was recapitalised in February 2023 and raised $50 million at 10 cents per share, which Lawson said gave the company a clean slate.

And in true celebratory style, the discovery was named after a popular gin made by a boutique gin distillery in South Australia that Lawson had visited: Never Never.

“Everyone thought I was mental, saying ‘Never Never basically means it’s never never going to turn into anything’,” Lawson said. “I said ‘we’re turning something nobody believes in into something that will make us a different company.’ Turns out I was right.”

Since February 2023, Never Never has delivered multiple exceptional highgrade gold intercepts through nonstop drilling.

“We went from 79,000 ounces (oz) all the way to 952,900oz as of December 2023,” Lawson said. “In less than 12 months, we built an almost one million ounce high-grade resource.”

Lawson said the success of Never Never inspired him to change the

SIMON LAWSON HAS BEEN SPARTAN’S MANAGING DIRECTOR SINCE NOVEMBER 2021.

THE HIGH-GRADE NEVER NEVER DEPOSIT SITS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING DALGARANGA PLANT AND MINING INFRASTRUCTURE.

company name from Gascoyne Resources to Spartan Resources.

“We are known as Spartan because we’re a small group of people who took on past perceptions and attitudes and the legacy of our previous iteration,” Lawson said.

“I responded with energy instead of anger. I used my energy to motivate my team to go and find more gold and make Never Never bigger and better, with the benefit of having our own infrastructure already paid for.”

The motivation worked wonders, with Spartan discovering the nearby Pepper prospect in April 2024.

The Pepper prospect sits about 90m south of Never Never and comprises typical Never Never-style mineralisation with similar grades and mineralogical characteristics.

In June 2024, the Pepper prospect recorded an intercept of 25.24m at 16.66g/t, making it the fourth-best intercept ever recorded at Dalgaranga.

“Right before we made the Pepper discovery, we launched a fully

underwritten $80 million equity raising to accelerate development at Dalgaranga,” Lawson said.

“We did this to unlock and grow the reserves at Never Never and find more high-grade gold structures. I went to the market for $80 million and we were oversubscribed to the tune of $300 million, so there’s huge support for what we’re doing.”

Spartan will continue drilling at Dalgaranga for the rest of 2024, with a major resource update scheduled for mid-year. This will feed an ore reserve that will underpin an upcoming feasibility study on the optimal mining strategy for these highgrade deposits.

Reflecting on Never Never’s success to date, Lawson described the deposit as “a once in a lifetime discovery”.

“In my 20 years of doing this, I’ve never seen drill intercepts like the ones at Never Never,” he said.

“For us to consistently get results and then repeat it with the Pepper prospect, it’s been unbelievable to be a part of.” AM

SPARTAN PLANS TO CONTINUE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND EXPLORATION DRILLING AT DALGARANGA THROUGHOUT 2024.

REAL-TIME, AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT OF POLYMER DOSAGE

Metris addlQ RheoScan, the first optical measurement system on the market, detects the actual sludge viscosity 24/7 during thickening and dewatering processes. It is suitable for all types of municipal and industrial sludge processing facilities.

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ENGINEERED SUCCESS

WELCOME TO QME 2024

THE 2024 EDITION OF THE QUEENSLAND MINING AND ENGINEERING EXHIBITION MARKS THREE DECADES OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST REGIONAL MINING EVENT.

The bi-annual Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition (QME) has become a critical part of the diverse and innovative Queensland mining sector and is a must-attend event for local and international mining professionals.

Hosted in Mackay at the heart of the Bowen Basin, QME creates a platform for businesses large and small to showcase their capabilities and connect with new opportunities.

For a regional exhibition, its scale is significant – turning the Mackay Showgrounds into a hub of activity with over 7000 square metres of exhibition space to host thousands of attendees.

The current mayor of Mackay Regional Council, Greg Williamson, was in office at what was then Mackay City Council when the first QME event came to Mackay. He’s as excited about the 2024 event as he was in 1993.

“QME not only brings the latest and greatest technology and equipment to our region, but it also allows us to showcase the capability, innovation, and capacity of our METS sector to the world,” he said.

“As an event, QME provides an important platform for a sector that underpins a significant part of the Australian economy.”

The 2024 exhibition is one of the largest in QME’s history, featuring over 300 exhibitors across multiple indoor and outdoor pavilions. It’s an appropriate way to celebrate three decades of representing the best and brightest in Queensland’s proud mining legacy.

What’s new?

Engineering masterclasses

For the first time, free-to-attend engineering masterclasses are part of the QME program, covering pragmatic

approaches to supervision, practical hazard identification, and optimising belt conveyor systems.

The masterclasses represent different aspects of an engineer’s role. In a session focused on supervision, statutory trainer and assessor Hamish Beattie will speak to the broad number of personnel responsible for safety, welfare, productivity, and compliance.

Beattie will also present a masterclass on hazard identification, including a roadmap for improved hazard identification and perception of risk, with a view to implementing effective and reliable controls.

Priscilla Freire of TUNRA Bulk Solids, a non-profit bulk materials testing lab based at the University of Newcastle, said the masterclasses are

QME HOSTS THOUSANDS OF ATTENDEES ACROSS OVER 7000 SQUARE METRES OF EXHIBITION SPACE.

THE 2024 EXHIBITION WILL FEATURE OVER 300 EXHIBITORS ACROSS MULTIPLE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PAVILIONS.

designed to be practical, engineeringspecific and made to incorporate the new technologies on display at QME.

The TUNRA Bulk Solids two-hour workshop will explore the role of belt conveyor component testing in the design and optimisation of conveying systems, as well as typical issues and how they can be prevented.

Decarbonisation showcase

The pace of industry development in meeting the challenges of decarbonisation is significant.

This year, QME’s new decarbonisation showcase features just some of the sector’s

evidence that it is breaking through barriers to introduce transformative, carbon-efficient technology.

The decarbonisation showcase features innovations from major suppliers like Komatsu, Parker Hannifin, Earthtrack Group, FLSmidth, Commodore Australia, Unique Hire, Danfoss, Remote Energy, WEG and more.

How to best use my time

Whether you’re attending QME for the first time, have an agenda to purchase or research a particular technology or aspect of mining, are thinking of

ways to optimise business outcomes or wanting to connect with your next big customer, QME will provide the platform for productive and potential profitable interactions.

Sourcing

QME is the perfect opportunity to efficiently source new technology, products or suppliers to stay competitive in 2024. Talk face to face with over 300 suppliers, see, learn about and try out products, and source the latest in technological advancements in the mining industry.

Bigger and better than ever, all three pavilions and outdoor spaces will be packed with problem-solving workshops, leading-edge concepts and transformative plans to usher in the mine of the future.

Super-sizing the outdoor component of the expo, Hastings Deering, Komatsu and Hitachi Construction Machinery will display large-scale equipment for attendees to admire firsthand.

QME’s indoor expo, with its largestever floorplan, will feature hundreds of exhibitors, including ATOM, Pirtek, and Flexco, among many others.

See the full exhibition map and exhibitor listing on the following pages.

Networking

Welcoming thousands of attendees from across Queensland, Australia and the world, QME provides a key platform for establishing and strengthening industry connections.

Visit the Mining House Pavilion to meet and network with major mining companies and contractors, including Anglo American, BHP and BMA, Bravus, BUMA, Glencore, MacKellar Group and Whitehaven Coal.

QME is the most efficient way to see and be seen in the Queensland mining industry, making the most of a multitude of industry influencers, prospective customers and suppliers all in one location.

THE 2024 EXHIBITION IS SET TO BE ONE OF THE LARGEST IN QME’S HISTORY.

This is not to mention the many opportunities to reconnect with peers and form new business connections at numerous formal and informal networking functions.

There are plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind with colleagues old and new, providing the perfect balance to the busy conference program.

Don’t miss the QME opening party on Tuesday night, or the highly anticipated Queensland Mining Awards 2024 black-tie presentation gala dinner on Wednesday night.

The Queensland Mining Awards also celebrates a milestone at QME 2024 –their 10th year of shining a spotlight on the Queensland industry’s innovation, tenacity and resilience.

Learning

Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing mining landscape, QME provides a stellar opportunity to stay agile and competitive by providing the latest information through the free-to-attend seminar series, presented by Komatsu.

Across the three days of the seminar series, hear from industry experts on diversification, critical minerals, smart mining technology, clean energy, occupational health and safety, investment outlook, and future trends.

QME’s speakers bring decades of experience from across the globe to help Australian mining companies meet and exceed market needs.

Seminar series

This year’s keynotes and panel sessions will address pressing topics and offer real-time solutions.

From the very first keynote, given by Federal Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia, Madeleine King, through to panel discussions on topics such as

broad range of need-to-know topics for all attendees.

Building on ambitious global and national targets for decarbonisation, Ross Lambie, chief economist at the Minerals Council of Australia, will speak on reimagining the mining landscape to exploit new opportunities through transformation.

Lambie emphasises that the industry’s future as a global supplier requires Australia to have a comparative advantage in mining and minerals processing.

“Productivity-enhancing policies and public investment in multi-user infrastructure present a transformative

“The mines of the future won’t be the mines of the past – and moving along the value chain to processing and manufacturing requires a more sophisticated approach by industry and governments.”

Rick Valenta, director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland, recognises many attendees are coming from parts of the industry being put to the test by the rapid move to cleaner technology.

Valenta will discuss ways of igniting mining innovation to support sustainable exploration in the future.

“The raw materials needed for the transition to clean energy must

“The geological data on hand today is incredibly rich, and ground-breaking research can help the sector move forward, from right here in Queensland to across the globe.”

Focusing specifically on the METS sector in her keynote, Austmine chief executive officer (CEO) Christine Gibbs Stewart will examine new pathways to foster innovation and skills in the mining and METS sector.

With a program representing the industry’s upper echelon, other speakers in the seminar series include:

• S cott Stewart, Queensland Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals

• Dale Last, Shadow Minister for Natural Resources and Mines

• Warwick Agnew, Director-General, Department of Resources

• Ja nette Hewson, CEO, Queensland Resources Council

• Paul Flynn, managing director, Whitehaven Coal

• Tara Diamond, deputy chief executive, Australian Resources and Energy

• T homas Nann, CEO, Allegro Energy

• Tony Fullelove, managing director, development and delivery, Akaysha Energy

• Matt Cooper, CEO, North Star Energy

• A nthony Gibbs, CEO, Sentis

• S cott Winter, managing director and CEO, Critical Minerals Group.

QME 2024 is set to be a jampacked instalment, with plenty of opportunities to be enriched by the latest technologies, methodologies and insights available to the Queensland mining industry.

QME 2024 ATTENDEES WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE MINING MACHINERY IN THE FLESH.

EQUIPMENT

YOUR LEADING PROVIDER OF LUBRICATION & REFUELLING EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS

A-FLO Equipment specialises in fuel storage solutions - designed and engineered by our highly qualified team. Our tanks can withstand the extreme Australian weather conditions whilst meeting standards across the globe. We have solutions for your all your fluid storage needs, including Diesel tanks available in self bunded or single skin, ULP tanks available in self bunded tanks and AdBlue tanks available in self bunded or single skin. With custom design and complete turnkey solutions, our team works with you to deliver the best refuelling solution for your requirements. Our tanks are manufactured to Australian standards.

TANKS & SYSTEMS ON DISPLAY AT QME:

STAND DISPLAY NAME STAND ID

@ THE COALFACE A363

4PS SOFTWARE (MACKAY SAFETY) A812

A CLASS BUSINESS FINANCE A810

ADVANCE ROCKHAMPTON A234

ADVANCED SPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES A563

AIRESAFE A564

ALCOLIZER TECHNOLOGY A144

ALEMLUBE A238

AMPHENOL AUSTRALIA A304

ASSA ABLOY AUSTRALIA A760 ATOM A216

AUSPROOF A460

AUSTART AIR STARTERS A326

AUSTDAC A168

AUSTRAL INTERNATIONAL A544

AUSTRALIAN DIVERSIFIED ENGINEERING A670

AVK INDUSTRIAL AUSTRALIA A462

BATA INDUSTRIALS (BATA SHOE COMPANY) A130

BHARAT WIRE ROPES LIMITED (BWR) A860

BISALLOY STEELS A676

BLACKROCK MINING SOLUTIONS A108

BRADY AUSTRALIA A328

BRAY CONTROLS A176

BRONTO SKYLIFT AUST/NZ A162

CCG CABLE TERMINATIONS A712

CHESTERTON A226

CIRLOCK A512

CMA CONTRACTING A764

COATES A450

COERCO A772

CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY A556

COREHESION A308

CQUNIVERSITY AUSTRALIA A624

CR POWERED BY EPIROC/CQ RESCUE A560

CRC INDUSTRIES (AUSTRALIA) A612

CS GAS A174

DANFOSS PACIFIC A256

DREDGE ROBOTICS A548

DRIVE SYSTEMS A434 DYNAPUMPS A160

E-PLAS A246

EAST COAST LUBES A722

EATON ELECTRICAL AUSTRALIA A112

EATON ELECTRICAL AUSTRALIA A428

ECO SOLAR LIGHTING A104

EMERSON A774

ENDRESS+HAUSER A208

ENMACH A562

EQUIPMENT PLACEMENT A300

FIELD SOLUTIONS GROUP & MAXHUB A340

FIRE PROTECTION INDUSTRY (ODS & SGG) BOARD A146

FLEXCO AUSTRALIA A400 FORM DIRECT A872

FULTON HOGAN A766

GOUGH PLASTICS/NORTHERN PLASTICS A763

GRAPHEX GLOVES A128

GRYDALE A264

HARNESS PRO AUSTRALIA A800

HAWK MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS A306

HENAN NAICERAM GRINDING MATERAILS A142

HILLCOCK

NORMAN G. CLARK (A/ASIA) A312

OLIVER FOOTWEAR AND HONEYWELL SAFETY PRODUCTS A504

ONE INDUSTRIES A240

ONTOTO A900

ORIGINAL MATTRESS FACTORY A628

ORIX AUSTRALIA A804

PATHTECH A148

PEDDERS SUSPENSION & BRAKES A834

PIRTEK FLUID SYSTEMS A420

PORTWEST A116

PRONTO SOFTWARE A464

PROREMAN A663

QML PATHOLOGY A152

QUEENSLAND HYDRO A728

RADICAL TORQUE SOLUTIONS A126

RADICON TRANSMISSION AUSTRALIA A746

RAPID CRUSHING & SCREENING CONTRACTORS A364

REVIZTO A852

RICHIE’S ENGINEERING SERVICES & ETT A864

SAFEGAUGE A648

SANDVIK ROCK PROCESSING AUSTRALIA A244

SCANRECO A908

SCHAEFFLER AUSTRALIA A904

SEAT SHOP AUSTRALIA A408

SEDGMAN A362

SGS AUSTRALIA A762

SHEFFIELD GROUP A100

SIME DARBY INDUSTRIAL SERVICES A816

SITECH CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS A634

SIXT AUSTRALIA A662

SKYLOTEC AUSTRALIA A734

SKYTRANS A262

SLINGCO AUSTRALIA A808

SMC CORPORATION (AUSTRALIA) A138

SOFT RIGGING SOLUTIONS A106

SOIL REHABILITATION INPUTS A463

SOURCE PUMPS A826

SOUTHERN CROSS INDUSTRIAL GROUP A820

SALARY PACKAGING AUSTRALIA A608

SSAB

SULZER AUSTRALIA A902

SUTTON TOOLS A228

SYNC LIFT ENGINEERING A770

TECHKING

FLUKE AUSTRALIA C418

GLOBAL WATER GROUP C200

HAIAN AUSTRALIA . C110

HENGTONG CABLE AUSTRALIA C222 LIVE TEST C332

M&Q EQUIPMENT C214

MAMMOTH EQUIPMENT & EXHAUSTS C310

METABO POWER TOOLS C410

SIGNAL

WILLCOX MP, HON. MICHELLE LANDRY MP AND SENATOR SUSAN MCDONALD OS256

HYDRAULICS

BOSCH POWER TOOLS AUSTRALIA

BROOKS EQUIPMENT SALES

4X4

A-FLO EQUIPMENT

STAND NO: OS118

A-FLO Equipment has over 30 years’ experience designing and implementing fluid handling solutions across many diverse market sectors, making it an ideal lubrication and refuelling partner of the mining industry. Renowned for its exceptional customer service and product offering. A-FLO’s products have been carefully selected and produced to strict quality standards to meet and exceed the harsh demanding conditions in Australia.

A-FLO specialises in fuel storage solutions, including self-bunded, containerised, and single-skin bulk diesel tanks. The company’s range includes the Lubestore container module. Designed as a portable workshop, Lubestore ensures easy mobilise and demobilise capabilities, providing a flexible alternative to permanent infrastructure at a fraction of the cost. Its customisable nature allows for tailored solutions to meet specific operational needs, including the integration of top-of-the-line equipment from Graco and RAASM.

With custom design and complete turn-key tanks and systems, A-FLO’s team works with customers to deliver solutions for all requirements. Alongside its Lubestore solution, A-FLO also offers lube skids, fueltainers and diesel trailers.

aflo.com.au

NICE ABRASIVE

STAND NO: A142

With over 20 years of experience, Nice Abrasive is a leading supplier from China known for its high-quality products and industry innovation. In 2014, Nice Abrasive launched Sanxin New Materials Co., Ltd in Jiangxi Province, China.

Backed by a research team that continuously innovates to meet the highest performance, safety, and environmental standards, the company’s extensive range includes industrial abrasives, ceramic grinding beads, wear-resistant ceramic liners, pipes, and structural components.

Focusing on the Australian mining sector, Nice Abrasive offers customised solutions such as wearresistant ceramic liners, pipes, and grinding beads, enhancing mineral grinding processes and reducing costs. The company also provides ceramic structural components known for their hardness and corrosion resistance, which help lower equipment wear and maintenance expenses.

Additionally, Nice Abrasive offers solutions for rust, corrosion, and residue removal, ensuring a clean and safe working environment. With a customer-first approach and comprehensive service support, Nice Abrasive ensures a seamless experience for its clients.

niceabrasive.com

COERCO

STAND NO: A772

Coerco brings over 30 years of expertise to liquid management challenges across civil, mining, industrial, and commercial sectors.

Through Coerco’s project delivery pathway method, the company designs, engineers, manufactures, and customises liquid management solutions to de-risk and reduce costly downtime, while meeting projectspecific requirements. Some of Coerco’s recent projects include work with McConnell Dowell and John Holland (the MDJH joint venture) at the Kidston hydro project in far north Queensland – the first pumped hydro project in Australia in over 40 years and the first to be developed by the private sector. Coerco will showcase its cutting-edge solutions at QME 2024, including its robust and high-quality flotation products such as its heavy-duty pontoons and the Multi Float cable float. The company will also have a comprehensive range of engineered and innovative liquid management solutions on display.

ISO-certified and Australian-owned and -operated, Coerco provides expert advice and can meet your project-specific requirements. Whether you’re seeking to enhance efficiency, reduce downtime, or explore the latest resources for your liquid management projects, Coerco’s QME booth is a must-visit.

coerco.com.au

PORTWEST

STAND NO: A116

For over 120 years, Portwest has possessed an unrelenting ambition to produce the world’s most trusted and requested protective wear. Through the decades, the company has continuously proven its dedication to quality, producing worldbeating safety garments, foot protection, hand protection and PPE, while pushing the boundaries in protection technologies.

Harnessing more than a century of experience, Portwest’s product designers have developed a deep understanding of the safety needs of workers across many industries.

This understanding helps Portwest to develop industry-focused safety wear solutions in response to specific risks faced by professionals across a multitude of industries. The company always works with the latest fabrics and component technologies. Portwest pieces together styles that balance comfort and durability with the highest level of protection achievable. Owning and managing its own factories, Portwest has full control over the manufacturing process, giving the company complete confidence that its products are manufactured to the highest quality, guaranteeing exceptional products that perform to the highest standards. portwest.com.au

DREDGE ROBOTICS

STAND NO: A548

Designed and built in Australia for the harshest of conditions, Dredge Robotics’ proprietary robotic dredging technology is a genuine game-changer for the mining sector.

Eliminating the need for human entry, these machines allow maintenance tasks to be performed outside of shutdown windows, delivering significant savings, and reducing asset downtime.

Dredge Robotics’ capabilities include the safe removal of mud, weeds and aquatic plants from lined ponds, the removal of deep compacted mud from process tanks, cooling towers and tailings dams, and operation in corrosive and extreme pH environments (pH 1 to pH 14).

Subject to strict inspection regimes to meet statutory requirements, process tanks need to be cleaned regularly to ensure inspections can be safely completed and tanks remain compliant.

Dredge’s fleet of dredging robots – which the company offers as an end-to-end service – can clean process tanks while tanks are still online, enabling miners to enter a shutdown with a clean tank and immediately complete statutory testing.

dredgerobotics.com.au

STAND NO: A648

In 2019, SafeGauge embarked on a mission to eradicate the possibility of anyone being endangered during live testing of heavy machinery.

At the core of the company’s values is an unwavering prioritisation of safety, steering it towards the development of innovative safety tooling and rigorous testing protocols.

SafeGauge’s dedication to safety has been acknowledged by prestigious awards such as NSW Mining Small Business of the Year, the Good Design Award, the HMA Excellence in Production Award, and the Hunter Safety Awards.

As SafeGauge’s authorised calibration and service partner, Torc Tight understands the importance of reliable and accurate tool calibration in maintaining operational efficiency and safety standards.

Torc Tight provides on-site testing and calibration services through its fleet of fully equipped mobile trucks, employing a comprehensive approach to ensure tools are always maintained to the highest standards.

As a full-service provider, Torc Tight not only excels in calibration and repair services but also sells top-quality tools from leading distributors, including SafeGauge.

safegauge.com.au

SMC PNEUMATICS

STAND NO: A138

Back by popular demand, SMC Corporation will once again be exhibiting at QME.

Speaking to the success of last year’s show, SMC regional sales manager – QLD Glenn Ricks described QME as “the ideal platform to showcase the company’s heavy-duty range”.

“We remain ever committed to the evolving needs of the heavy-duty sector and continue to invest in R&D to elevate our robust range of products built for harsh environments,” he said.

SMC’s hero product for the heavy-duty sector – the IN777 air servo cylinder series – will be front and centre at this year’s show.

With its integrated servo valve and controller, the IN777 air servo cylinder provides greater installation and process control. It also delivers fast response rates and high levels of position repeatability of more than 0.5mm, together with 10-level speed settings. It’s ideal for harsh conditions, features an IP67 rating and can be used in ambient temperatures from 20ºC –60ºC. It’s also particularly suited for the gate opening and closing of flotation tanks. smcanz.com

SSAB

STAND NO: A848

SSAB is a highly specialised global steel company that, driven by close relationships with its customers, develops high-strength steels and provides services for better performance and sustainability.

SSAB is a leading producer in the global market of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and quenched and tempered steels (Q&T), strip, plate and tube products, as well as construction solutions. SSAB’s steels and services help to make end products lighter and increase their strength and lifespan. One premier SSAB product is Hardox, which is turning 50 this year. Often referred to as “The Beast”, Hardox wear plates are a leader in the wear steel industry. What makes Hardox unique is the combination of hardness and toughness. The wear plates are hard from the surface and deep into the material, extending service life in real applications compared to other abrasion-resistant materials. Toughness means it can also take heavy blows without denting or cracking. The steel has seen constant development over the years, leading to new state-of-the-art grades such as Hardox 500 Tuf, Hardox HiAce and Hardox HiTemp. A Hardox ‘In My Body’ logo on a product verifies that it has been manufactured using Hardox wear steel and not an inferior imitation.

ssab.com

TESTO

STAND NO: A866

Testo is setting the standard in emissions analysis, thermal imaging, maintenance and technical facility management with state-of-the-art digital instruments engineered and made in Germany.

The company’s measuring instrumentation range includes emissions and flue gas analysers, professional thermal imagers, airflow and climate monitoring instrumentation, data-loggers, and gas leak detectors.

Testo’s products are innovative, highly precise and very easy-to-use.

Testo’s local service centre is well equipped with special diagnostics equipment to take care of all your service and calibration needs.

The company can conduct a comprehensive analysis and provide regular software and firmware updates to stay compliant and keep your Testo or other instruments working at their full potential.

Testo is an innovative measuring solutions company celebrating over 65 years of leading measuring technology, based locally in Croydon South, Victoria, and with its global headquarters in Titisee, Germany.

testo.com.au

Celebrating 30 years of designing and developing high and low voltage cable coupler solutions for both domestic and international markets, AusProof remains committed to increasing safety, creating long-term customer savings, and reducing downtime. Much of what has been achieved over the past 30 years would not have been possible without the support of our customers.

AUSTRALIA’S ‘COAL CAPITAL’

AUSTRALIAN MINING LOOKS AT SOME OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN COAL MINES IN THE BOWEN BASIN REGION.

Mining and the Bowen Basin have gone hand-in-hand since 1845, when German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt first discovered coal in the area.

By the 1960s, large-scale exploration in the Bowen Basin had begun in earnest, paving the way for the region’s eventual fame as the “coal capital” of Australia.

Now, this iconic region in central Queensland is home to over 40 active coal mines and is showing no signs of slowing down.

BMA

Perhaps the most well-known name in the Bowen Basin is the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).

This major miner is Australia’s largest producer and supplier of seaborne metallurgical coal and operates five Bowen Basin mines: Goonyella Riverside, Broadmeadow, Peak Downs, Saraji, and Caval Ridge.

The Peak Downs mine is particularly famous in the region as one Australia’s biggest coal mines by recoverable coal reserves. In 2023 alone, the mine produced around 29 million tonnes (Mt) of metallurgical coal.

BMA also owns the Hay Point Coal Terminal, capable of handling more than 55Mt of coal for export every year.

But it’s not just the Bowen Basin’s coal mines that BMA is invested in. In November 2023, the company set up its Bowen Basin Bright Minds program to ensure the students of today are fit for the jobs of tomorrow.

The program sees over 7300 students learning to fly drones, operate 3D printing software and hardware, as well as getting involved with robotics, amongst many other things.

“Our young people are the future of work in our communities, and to be successful, the youth of our communities need to be engaged in STEM curriculum areas (in particular automation and robotics) so they are better prepared and ‘future proofed’ when entering the workforce,” coordinator Rebecca Huggett said.

“BMA is already utilising VR (virtual reality) in the FutureFit Academy, where trainees and apprentices go to develop the skills needed for a rewarding mining career.”

Pembroke

Pembroke Resources operates the newer but no less well-known Olive Downs coking coal complex.

Officially opened in April of this year, the $1 billion mine boasts major infrastructure including a coal handling and preparation plant.

“We’re thrilled to have achieved this significant milestone at the world’s newest steelmaking coal mine,” Pembroke chair and chief executive officer Barry Tudor said in April.

“Our strategy remains centred on collaborating with stakeholders to establish sustainable and lasting economic prospects by generating jobs, economic diversification, and providing direct support to the community, all while showcasing a fresh approach to environmental standards.”

Speaking at the official opening of the mine, Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the project has the potential to generate more than $10 billion for the state’s economy.

“I was here two years ago as we turned the first sod on the Olive Downs project and it’s great to be here today to see the mine officially open,” he said. “The Bowen Basin is the engine room of Queensland’s resources sector, supporting nearly 44,000 people in jobs along the supply chain.”

Olive Downs is expected to produce up to 15Mt of steelmaking coal each year over the next 80 years.

Glencore

With over 7Mt of saleable product produced in 2022, Glencore’s Hail Creek open cut mine is another iconic coal operation in the Bowen Basin.

Glencore became the operator of Hail Creek in August 2018 after acquiring a majority interest in the mine and adjacent coal resources.

The major miner is committed to making a positive environmental contribution in the region, bringing in a comprehensive environmental management system (EMS) for the mine. The EMS provides a framework for dealing with environmental management issues across all areas of the mine in a systematic way.

The EMS also serves to ensure that activities at the mine site are controlled and prevent or minimise any environmental impacts associated with the operation.

With its rich history and exciting future, it’s no wonder the sector continues to flock to the Bowen Basin.

From being home to the iconic Queensland Mining Expo (QME) to shipping premium Australian coal all over the world, the Bowen Basin truly is the heart of the Queensland mining sector. AM

THE BOWEN BASIN HAS BEEN DUBBED THE “COAL CAPITAL” OF AUSTRALIA.

.SAFE-GAUGE:

- WDllK SMAllT • STAY SAFE -

SafeGauge is the global leader in live testing solutions for heavy mobile plant machinery.

Our innovative product range offers wireless, precision testing -removing technicians from the 'line of fire'; elevating safety and delivering significant productivity gains.

Tore Tight QLD specialise in onsite tool calibration, repairs, and sales.

Our team ensure convenience and cost savings by eliminating the need to send tools away. Our fully equipped mobile trucks handle a wide range of tools efficiently, maintaining optimal performance and safety standards.

A FUTURE BUILT ON EQUALITY

The Australian mining industry certainly has its fair share of hard jobs. Historically, these jobs were seen as too tough for women to handle.

In 2024, more mining businesses than ever are breaking down this stereotype, proving women are just as capable of contributing to one of Australia’s largest industries as men.

But many barriers to women entering and staying in the mining industry persist, with material challenges impacting their employment and retention – including work–life balance. Despite vast changes in the way modern families operate compared to a few decades ago, much of the caregiving responsibility still falls on women’s shoulders.

This means even when women actively pursue work in the mining industry, mothers in particular are in

need of a degree of flexibility in their working arrangements.

Parents at Work chief executive officer

Emma Walsh said it’s not an easy fix for an industry largely defined by remote sites and fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) work.

“I think the mining sector has realised this and is trying to improve how it attracts and retains women, particularly after parental leave,” Walsh told Australian Mining

“We need to see that effort put into structural change around job design, so there’s more ability for families to be thinking about how their caregiving responsibility factor in.”

Walsh said there needs to be greater collaboration between the industry and its workforce to tackle these challenges.

“It’s a great opportunity to improve, and the industry can’t afford not to,” she said. “I would suggest that the mining industry come together to think about how it could be more family-friendly.”

With a skills shortage becoming a pervasive issue facing the mining sector, operators need to create more balanced workplaces that attract both men and women.

One organisation committed to bridging the gap is FORACO Australia.

Founded in France in 1962 and entering the Australian market in 2009, FORACO Australia today runs 25 drill rigs and employs over 250 people.

The company provides deep hole directional coring, reverse circulation, large diameter flooded reverse water well, geotechnical, and other drilling related services such as grouting, instrument installation and well servicing.

According to FORACO eastern Australia manager Nathan Kunst, gender diversity is a key pillar of the company as it aims to draw on the full scope of the Australian workforce.

“We have always lived by employing the best person for the job,” Kunst told Australian Mining. “Our values are integrity, innovation, and involvement.

“They are the foundation of our culture, the driving force behind our innovation with equipment, and our commitment to listen and act upon what our employees are telling us.”

Kunst said the drilling industry is cyclical by nature, oscillating between periods of boom and bust.

“In the last market upturn in 2018, all companies struggled to find suitable workers through the traditional channels, which were ignoring 50 per cent of the population,” he said. “So part of our decision to improve gender diversity in the business was self-serving, but we had seen the benefits females bring to the role.

“Mixed crews generally seem to have more spring in their step, sites are usually more organised, and respect is a given.”

FORACO IS INNOVATING SOLUTIONS TO BRING MORE WOMEN ONBOARD.

Curtin University’s Centre for Transformative Work Design recently released its landmark Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) study.

Over 2550 Western Australian mine workers were surveyed for their perceptions of mental health awareness, respect, and safety in the workplace.

The study found 41 per cent of female mining workers reported the experience of being put down or condescended to while at work, while 34 per cent reported receiving sexist remarks.

It’s a sobering figure that requires serious attention from the industry. Women need to feel safe and respected in the workplace, which is why Kunst emphasised that when it comes to attracting and retaining women to work in the mining industry, actions speak louder than words.

“You need to show that you respect people’s choices to join your company and show them that you take their safety and well-being seriously,” he said.

“Quality people will not stay long at a company that doesn’t have respect, structure, systems, training, career progression opportunities and equipment that can help them do the job efficiently and safely.”

Kunst said a pivotal moment for the company was when it experienced a drop-off in the number of female staff on its roster.

“This led us to look at how we could innovate to make our drilling operations more appealing to female employees,” Kunst said.

FORACO tackled this challenge on a few fronts, one of which saw the company develop remote-controlled rigs with automated rod handling and breakouts, which decreased the level of physical effort required from drilling operations.

“Once we had remote-controls, we could put the driller into a climatecontrolled cabin away from the rig which provided a much more comfortable work environment when compared with traditional hydraulic-controlled drill rigs,” Kunst said.

“It is a well-proven fact that people make better decisions and are more productive when working in a stressfree environment.

“Our remote-controlled rigs and driller cabins removed the issues associated with thermal stress and exposure to noise, dust, heat and vibration. Our crews were less stressed and fatigued, and more productive.”

Such innovation has seen the company increase and retain more female employees; currently, more than 20 per cent of its workforce is made up of women.

“It goes back to the adage that ‘if you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same outcome’,” Kunst said. “Being short-staffed leads to missed shifts by workers, role fatigue, incidents, and a narrow, often jaded acceptance of reoccurring issues.

“Providing avenues to improve gender diversity opens a whole different set of solutions to what is possible with some different viewpoints and thought processes.”

When offering advice to mining businesses looking to put in the work to make their workplaces more hospitable to women, Kunst had a clear message.

“Get your culture right first, otherwise you will struggle to keep anyone and be plagued with turnover, lower productivity, poor morale, and incidents,” he said.

“When you think you have the cultural building blocks in place to recruit and keep quality employees, the rest will come naturally.”

It takes a lot of effort and patience to turn ideas into reality, but Kunst agreed with Walsh that the industry needs to come together to collaborate on the workforce of the future.

“Tap into the knowledge and insights of your teams,” he said. “Just because something has been done a certain way over time doesn’t mean it can’t be improved or changed.

“It just takes a different mindset to see an alternative solution.” AM

WOMEN MAKE UP MORE THAN 20 PER CENT OF FORACO’S WORKFORCE.

WHEN IT COMES TO IMPROVING GENDER DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

Following on from 50 plus years of Tray and Canopy design and fabrication, Norweld is applying their expertise to the Fleet sector. These decades of experience, design excellence and superior customer service make Norweld the right choice for customers who value future-proofed,

START WITH THE END IN MIND

IN A WORLD-FIRST, A NEW COURSE ON

MINE CLOSURE

AIMS

TO MEET

THE INDUSTRY’S NEEDS FOR TRAINING AND UPSKILLING, ENHANCING THE WAY THE RESOURCES INDUSTRY REHABILITATES ITS MINES.

Mine closure and rehabilitation has come a long way from the days of old.

After the mining boom of the mid-1800s, many disused sites were left just as they were during operation, with large pits in the ground and machinery left to rust.

Today, that couldn’t be further from the case. Modern companies must adhere to stringent legislative requirements when closing up shop, ensuring the land is rehabilitated for future use.

But opportunities remain to further upskill the industry in mine closure, and a new university course is seeking to fill this gap.

The Foundation of Mine Closure and Sustainable Transitions course – run in partnership with the University of Queensland and Curtin University and developed for the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME) – is a firstof-its-kind course that seeks to help the industry meet the various challenges associated with mine closures.

The course received extensive support from government and industry with funding through CRC TiME’s mining research partners including Iluka, BHP, Rio Tinto, Alcoa, Fortescue, South32, and Newmont, and as well as the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources

through the Cooperative Research Centres Program.

“Mines are needed, there’s no doubt about it,” course lead George Barakos told Australian Mining. “But every time you open a mine, you also have to think about closing it and rehabilitating it.

“We found that there is a gap in knowledge between the exploration team and the operation team, and the Foundation of Mine Closure and Sustainable Transitions course seeks to close that gap.”

Course lead and Sustainable Minerals Institute learning coordinator Rosemarie Tapia told Australian Mining that a lack of understanding of what will happen when a mine closes is usually to blame for this knowledge gap.

“You need to be thinking about the end of the mine from the very beginning,” Tapia said. “And it’s not just the mine’s operators that should be thinking about this; there are many stakeholders affected by mine closure, with communities being a very important example of them.”

Tapia, Barakos and the facilitators recently helped guide a cohort of 406 participants through a beta version of the course. While most participants were industry professionals, the cohort also included regulators, policymakers and postgraduate students seeking further knowledge in this area.

“We valued our beta participants’ diversity, number, and insights, highlighting the essential role of post-

mine processes throughout the mining lifecycle,” Tapia said.

“This joint effort could support practices that benefit post-mine scenarios and communities globally.”

Though the cohort came from different backgrounds and countries, Barakos explained they were united in their drive to better the practice of mine closures.

“When we think of project stakeholders, we might just think of those sitting in a boardroom,” he said. “But everyone is a stakeholder when it comes to mine closure, because everyone is affected.

“Mines create jobs and the salaries from those jobs usually get fed back into the communities around the mine. So after a mine closes, we need to keep feeding money into these communities.

“How do we do that? We ensure that a site is rehabilitated to such an extent that the rehabilitation process and the post-mining use of the land both create ongoing jobs.”

Tapia also explained the advantage of ensuring diversity in mine closure.

“Indigenous peoples have a lot to contribute, as their perspective of thinking seven generations ahead, among other factors, provides valuable insights,” she said.

“They have rich knowledge of the land, and of what it can withstand, and will be thinking about how it will hold up 50 or 100 years from now.

“It can be difficult for us to think 100 years ahead, but if every generation is in charge of seven future generations, we can accomplish better outcomes and sustainability for those future generations.”

The beta course also found women are keener than ever to drive responsible mine closure, with 53 per cent of the course cohort identifying as female.

“I was very happy that we had that diversity in the cohort,” Barakos said. “It was a nice surprise, and it demonstrates how much women are getting involved in this space.”

As a woman working in the field herself, Tapia was also overjoyed by the representation.

“There are lots of very capable women out there, and it was great to see them take up space in this course,” she said.

“It can be difficult for us to get a foot in the door sometimes, but everyone’s point of view concerning mine closure is needed and valid.”

As Barakos and Tapia reflect on the success of the beta course, they are both eager to explore how they can improve the upcoming paid certification version.

“We will be optimising the structure for the next cohort and including more case studies,” Barakos said.

“But we won’t just optimise it once and leave it to its fate. Mine closure is an area that is constantly expanding, and to keep up, we must expand with it.” AM

MODERN MINING COMPANIES MUST ADHERE TO STRINGENT LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS WHEN CLOSING UP A MINE.

TRACKING TRUE

ESS ENGINEERING HAS LAUNCHED A NEW RETROFIT KIT TO ENHANCE CONVEYOR BELT TRACKER SAFETY IN AUSTRALIAN MINES.

Conveyor belt mistracking is a common issue across Australian mine sites.

Contributing factors that may cause mistracking including idler misalignment, belt condition and off-centre material loading.

Once a conveyor belt excessively mistracks, other issues can start to occur, including material spillage, environmental hazards, safety hazards, and damage to the conveyor structure, components, and the belt itself.

The associated cost with these issues can be enormously high, especially if belt misalignment results in an unexpected shutdown.

“There’s a lot involved in getting a belt back online when mistracking triggers a shutdown,” ESS sales and service technician Jerome Reid told Australian Mining

This is why belt trackers are an important tool for ensuring belt alignment in conveying processes.

“At ESS, our aim is to keep belts aligned and operating smoothly, reducing the need for shutdowns,” Reid said.

ESS trackers accomplish this by using durable guide rollers which run along the edge of the belt to sense misalignment. These rollers are linked to a mechanism which pivots a roller frame and guides the belt back into its central position.

The tracker does this on a continual basis, providing smaller corrections and requiring less force.

ESS was recently contacted by a major iron ore customer after it began having trouble with trackers from other suppliers.

This prompted the customer to update its safety design standards, which resulted in the need for upgraded components that could be retrofitted onto existing trackers.

The client had procured several trackers from different suppliers. Among these, ESS was chosen to make these changes due to its track record for product reliability and client collaboration.

“We received feedback that our products have become a go-to solution thanks to their superior performance and reliability, in some cases replacing a competitor’s unit.” ESS engineer Mitch Stone told Australian Mining

“We worked extensively with the customer to create a solution which best suited the new requirements.

“It was important to make the solution easily retrofittable because of the large number of ESS trackers already installed and the high cost associated with complete replacement.”

The resulting kit improves existing features and adds extra security by tethering major parts of the tracker assembly together, reducing the chance of falling objects in the unlikely event of a failure.

THE ESS HD UPPER BELT TRACKER SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY SENSES AND CONTINUOUSLY CORRECTS BELT TRACKING.

The kit gives customers even more peace of mind about an already widely used and well-proven product.

If a guide roller seizes while the belt is moving, it can eventually be severed in two, introducing a fall risk from the loose portion and potentially posing a risk to workers below. The revised design ensures a severed roller is still tethered to the frame.

Stone said the kit adds a layer of protection on sites with particularly demanding conditions.

“ESS can tailor its solutions to the needs of any site,” he said. “This allows us to remain dynamic in our approach and help customers receive the best solution to suit their individual requirements.”

Whether it means making adjustments to an existing product or designing something entirely new, the ESS team has the knowledge and experience to make it happen.

A LIGHT TOUCH OF THE BELT AGAINST THE GUIDE ROLLERS CREATES PRECISION CORRECTION.

With manufacturing and service facilities around Australia, ESS gives its expansive client base confidence that whatever solution they require can be made a reality.

Being equally focused on creative and efficient manufacturing gives ESS well-rounded capabilities when it comes to serving customers of various sizes and industries.

“Our customer focus is what drives us towards being an industry leader,” Reid said. “Every application is different, and we really thrive off meeting customer challenges head-on and delivering solutions they can rely on.

“There are a variety of trackers on the market, but at ESS we go above and beyond, working with our customers to provide products which outperform on a consistent basis.

“Our reputation for superior solutions continues to grow, and we’re eager to grow with it.” AM

BUILDING BETTER OUTCOMES

MACKELLAR GROUP BELIEVES IN PROVIDING MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE WELLBEING OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.

Australian mining companies and contractors have been working hard to improve their relationships with Traditional Owners through mine co-management agreements and Indigenous joint ventures.

This includes MacKellar Group, one of Australia’s leading heavy equipment solutions providers and a key partner to the local mining industry.

“MacKellar has been involved in the Australian mining industry since 1966,” MacKellar general manager –business development Dave White told Australian Mining

“Alastair MacKellar founded the business in central Queensland. He started with smaller trucks and loaders and completed everything from civil works on mine sites to building dams.

“As the company grew, we started operating larger equipment including dry hire with maintenance support. Over the last 15 years, we’ve evolved into providing full mining services directly within mine sites.”

Aside from its ability to provide civil earthmoving, mining services and large-scale equipment hire, MacKellar is renowned for its commitment to providing employment and ongoing

learning opportunities for local Indigenous talent.

“Traditional Owners have a builtin connection to where we operate,” White said. “They’ve allowed us to have business success in their region by mining their land, and it’s good to be able to give back to those communities.

“There are some passionate Indigenous elders and it’s been a good fit working with them to make things better for everyone.”

Alongside ongoing career opportunities, MacKellar plans to implement two Indigenous joint ventures (JVs) in Queensland.

The JVs will be dedicated to local job creation and sustainable initiatives, enabling clients of both parties to expand project prospects while fostering meaningful, positive, and enduring impacts on Indigenous communities across Australia.

“Both JVs would be 50:50 partnerships that involve us and the Traditional Owners looking at job opportunities such as contracts for dry hire including maintenance, wet hire or full mining services,” White said.

“Every project is considered independently based on the region in which it exists and the people that may best fit that project.”

The first JV is expected to be focused on land rehabilitation, mining services, traditional bush medicine and food cultivation.

The arrangement envisions the establishment of an industrial greenhouse for native medicinal plants, investing in community facilities, education, and local businesses, all while offering training programs such as apprenticeships, operator training, and career pathways to those new to the mining industry.

“It’s not exclusive to that, though. If there are other opportunities in their region that make sense, we will look at those together.”

Arguably the most important aspect of the partnerships is that MacKellar will look to Traditional Owners to scope out greenfield sites for any Aboriginal artifacts and items before any mining activity commences.

“They play a big part in making sure we rehabilitate the land to the natural flora and fauna requirements,” White said. “We lean on one another’s expertise to achieve this.”

The second JV is set to be focused on large equipment hire, maintenance, mining services, civil project earthmoving, transport, and logistics.

This arrangement sees investments in education, business growth,

MACKELLAR

HAS RECRUITED ABOUT 80 NEW INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS TO WORK AT THE CARMICHAEL COAL MINE IN QUEENSLAND.

mentorship, and sporting sponsorships. Like the previously mentioned MacKellar JV, this one aims to provide job opportunities, apprenticeships, operator training, upskilling, and career pathways in mining.

“This JV won’t be exclusive to just large equipment hire,” White said. “We look at all opportunities that come across the desk and see which best fits each group, based on geographical area, the region and its Traditional Owners.”

Both companies MacKellar is looking to joint venture with are family-owned Indigenous businesses that are aware of each other’s relationships with MacKellar, making it a transparent process.

“We have been working towards these JVs for over 12 months already,” White said. “Implementing both agreements involves having discussions with Traditional Owners about different responsibilities and scenarios and getting to know each other’s clients, all in a bid to build trust.

“Not every opportunity that comes across the desk we’ll tender for and not every opportunity will fit one of the JVs. However, when we find the right opportunity, we’ll go into it together and bid for it.

“If we’re successful, we’ll sit down with our Indigenous JV partners and work out how to best deliver that project.”

In February 2022, MacKellar formed a strategic partnership with Western

Plant Hire (WPH), a plant hire and fleet provider which has Indigenous JVs in place in the Pilbara and Goldfields regions of WA.

“WPH has some mature agreements and arrangements in place with Traditional Owners,” White said.

“We learnt a lot about WPH’s journey and the time it took to develop trust on both sides. We learnt how you can work together to create prosperity for Indigenous families and Traditional Owners.

“We also learnt from our new owners, North American Construction Group, a publicly listed company that has several Indigenous JVs in and around Canada.”

MacKellar is also committed to providing career pathways to those new to the industry, regardless of their background.

The company has recruited about 80 new industry employees over the past 12 months to work at Bravus Mining & Resources’ Carmichael coal mine in Queensland.

“Providing training and mentorship to those who have never operated equipment before has been a big positive for us,” White said.

“We also offer a four-year apprenticeship program, which gives apprentices a broad range of experience and exposure to life on different mine sites, resulting in well-rounded trades people. The first 60 apprentices of this program will be graduating soon.”

Forming greater connections with Traditional Owners is a key component of ESG (environmental, social and governance), as is providing job opportunities to those starting their careers.

But MacKellar isn’t stopping there, with a specific focus on the environmental aspect of ESG that envisions less diesel-intensive solutions.

“We’re looking at different technologies that enable us to use less diesel,” White said. “We own a fleet comprising 500-plus machines in Australia, so we’re keen to limit our carbon footprint wherever possible.

“We’re also looking at battery technology and alternative fuels for equipment, while working alongside OEMs (original equipment

manufacturers) to develop more environmentally friendly technology.” Through its Indigenous JVs, employment and apprenticeship programs, MacKellar is committed to fostering diversity, inclusivity, and community wellbeing, ensuring both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can make a career in the mining industry. AM

ONE OF MACKELLAR’S JVS IS FOCUSED ON LARGE EQUIPMENT HIRE.

MACKELLAR IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING CAREER PATHWAYS TO THOSE NEW TO THE INDUSTRY.

WEATHERING THE STORM

JOHNSON INDUSTRIES’

INDUSTRIAL BRAKES ARE KEEPING RAILYARD OPERATIONS RUNNING SMOOTHLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

Since the start of the 2023–24 financial year, more than half a billion tonnes of throughput has moved through shipping ports in Western Australia.

The Pilbara Ports Authority reported a total throughput of 67.5 million tonnes (Mt) in the month of March alone, a nine per cent increase from March 2023. Of this figure, 50.1Mt were iron ore exports coming out of Port Hedland, bound mostly for China.

As an island nation with a global trading presence, Australia’s ports are vital to its economic wellbeing. Cranes and other railyard machinery play a key role in this equation, loading and onloading materials en masse.

That’s why companies go to great lengths to ensure this machinery is reliable, safe, and sturdy.

Johnson Industries has over a century of expertise when it comes to manufacturing industrial brake systems. When it comes to a port or railyard, the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) brake systems can be found in rail-based ore transport systems in the form of wheel grippers and rail clamps, and in many general crane applications.

Storm brakes

Cranes, stacker-reclaimers, and shiploaders commonly found at ports are enormous.

In a place like Australia, which is subject to tropical conditions and the odd extreme weather event, these towering pieces of equipment can act like sails, catching wind and leading to uncontrolled movements. This is a danger for people, equipment, and productivity.

Johnson Industries’ storm brakes firmly secure rail-mounted equipment, ensuring port machinery remains stationary even in adverse weather.

“Our rail clamps provide a robust grip by squeezing the rail from both sides, offering excellent stability,” Johnson Industries chief executive officer Lawrence Johnson told Australian Mining

“Their design is often more intricate than pushdown brakes but offers the advantage of evenly distributed clamping force.”

of holding force. Mounting options include truck-end, sill-beam, and flange mounted designs.

Johnson Industries also offers a variety of custom mountings, coatings, match-drilled mating flanges, dusttight or custom enclosures, and hand pumps for manual release.

Additionally, power units can be separate or integrated into the rail clamp enclosure, which affords sites a great deal of customisation with their brakes.

“Our rail clamps are especially adapted to resist wind and other external forces on track-mounted equipment such as bulk material stacker-reclaimers and all types of bridge, gantry, and container cranes,” Johnson said.

“Our standard assembly includes the floating yoke clamping mechanism, manual release bolt, stainless steel pins, spring actuator, enclosure support structure, limit switch, and flowcontrol valve.

Wheel grippers

Johnson Industries also offers a range of wheel grippers, which are used in mining to securely hold and stabilise rail car wheels during the dumping process.

The company’s wheel gripper system is a complete field-ready package, used to quickly and reliably secure rail cars at both ends of a car dumper. This system also has applications in other types of track-mounted equipment such as bulk material stacker reclaimers, and any type of bridge, gantry, and container crane.

Johnson Industries manufactures three sizes of wheel grippers, rated at 5.6 tonnes (55kN), 11.3 tonnes (110kN) and 15.8 tonnes (150kN) of holding force.

Intelligent design makes the wheel gripper systems safe and reliable.

“Special machined steel shoes provide positive clamping on the sides of the wheel rim,” Johnson said.

“A yoke assembly beneath the rail accommodates minor lateral movement of the rail car wheels and truck with respect to the rail. The yoke assembly houses the actuator and supports the mechanism when the gripper jaws are in their retracted position.

“One or more limit switches in each mechanism indicates gripper release, set and wear, and may be interlocked with other equipment, which prevents rail car movement when the gripper is not fully released.”

Johnson Industries makes a variety of other brakes for railyard applications, such as brake systems for hoisting applications. With so many options, and so much at stake, its best to consult the experts when it comes to choosing the right brake for the job.

“When deciding on a brake, it is crucial to consider the application, torque requirement, and operating environment,” Johnson said.

“Johnson Industries has a deep knowledge of industrial brake systems and stands ready to support the Australian mining industry.” AM

A JOHNSON INDUSTRIES WHEEL GRIPPER.

BUILDING BRIDGES

FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Fostering sustainable mining and promoting partnerships through Indigenous Joint Ventures are crucial steps towards creating positive change for Indigenous communities.

MacKellar Group believes in providing meaningful opportunities for Indigenous Australians and contributing to the wellbeing of their communities.

Discover more about how MacKellar is

BRIDGING THE GAP

THE PROOF IS IN THE PERFORMANCE

TEST SUBJECT

Mining Excavators

P582923

8 ISO CODES

SUSTAINABILITY

With improved machine efficiency, hard components and consumables last longer, requiring less frequent changeout resulting in reduced waste.

The Trusted Choice in Mining Filtration

FILTRATION EFFICIENCY

Reduced 4 micron particle count by over 99%

OPTIMISED PERFORMANCE

Improved machine availability and productivity

2x

DURABILITY

Doubled element service life from 500 to 1000 hours

Reduced preventive maintenance costs OTHER BENEFITS

Lower overall cost of ownership

Enhanced asset operation value

A POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP

A NEW MAJOR MINING PARTNERSHIP IS READY TO ROCK THE CENTRAL QUEENSLAND MINING SECTOR – BUT THE HARD WORK IS JUST BEGINNING.

Komatsu has become a household name across the mining industry thanks to its years in the game and reputation for quality equipment. And few understand this better than the team at Coronado Global Resources, a leading international producer of metallurgical coal.

Coronado and Komatsu have been working together in the US for years, and that history that has carried over to Coronado’s Australian operations, where Komatsu has been a steady supplier of surface mining equipment.

Coronado is now heading underground for an expansion at Curragh, its open-cut coal mine in central Queensland.

The new operation, named Mammoth Underground Mine – a reference to the coal seam that was discovered over a century ago and is now being mined – is Coronado’s first foray into underground mining in Australia.

Komatsu has been selected to supply the fleet of underground mining equipment for the expansion, including three 12CM27 continuous miners, nine 10SC32BC shuttle cars, three UFB14 feeder breakers, and three 2337 multi-bolters.

Mammoth Underground will be mined using a bord-and-pillar method, whereby a series of tunnels is cut to form pillars underground that are then mined through targeted extraction.

“The equipment we will be supplying is state-of-the-art bord-and-pillar mining equipment,” Komatsu regional general manager – north Greg Anderson told Australian Mining Mining is scheduled to commence at Mammoth Underground Mine from December.

Komatsu has developed and committed to an equipment manufacturing and delivery schedule that enables Coronado to achieve its ambitious production start and ramp up timelines.

But Anderson isn’t concerned; he believes the company’s well established global footprint is more than up to the task of getting the equipment together in time.

“Coronado’s production is dependent on our ability to deliver,” he said. “That’s why we’re using a range of locations and methods to manufacture the equipment and get it delivered within the timeframe.”

Once mining is underway, Komatsu will continue to provide ongoing support and services as part of its commitment to ensuring the success of the project.

“A big part of our strategy is an ongoing partnership with Coronado,” Anderson said. “We will build and supply all-new original equipment, and then provide parts and services to ensure industry leading production support and uptime is achieved.

“We’ll have people on-site to assist the mine to operate and maintain the equipment to get industry leading production and reliability that we know this equipment can deliver.”

With production set to boom at the site, Anderson highlighted the influx of jobs the expansion will bring to central Queensland.

“There will likely be more than 200 new full-time mining positions at the mine, including full-time Komatsu workers,” he said. “And the benefits for nearby communities will be extensive.

“Komatsu’s Parkhurst workshop anticipate maintenance and rebuild work will be generated from the partnership.”

Some of the major fabrication of the continuous miners is being done at Komatsu’s commercial facility in Tianjin, China, from where the machines will be sent to the company’s Parkhurst facility for assembly.

Anderson said the shuttle cars and

fabricated and assembled in China, while the multi-bolters are to be manufactured and assembled in Moss Vale, New South Wales.

“We’re very invested in making sure we can get the machines to Coronado on time and make sure they operate at their optimum potential,” he said.

Komatsu has mobilised a team and additional resources to support the project over the next few months to bring all the pieces of the puzzle together which, according to Anderson, is all part

“We don’t just want to be there for the sale of equipment, we want to be part of the operation going forward.”

With Coronado’s expansion plans expected to go beyond Mammoth, such an approach is set to prove fruitful well into the future, a process Anderson said will become a blueprint for the way the Komatsu brand operates.

“With a proven track record of over 100 years, Komatsu is in a prime position to use our premium equipment and comprehensive support network to take

THE AUSTRALIAN AND CHINESE KOMATSU TEAM IN TIANJIN, CHINA.

A SHUTTLE CAR BEING MANUFACTURED AT KOMATSU IN CHINA.

NORWELD UTE TRAYS AND CANOPIES ARE BUILT TO WITHSTAND THE HARSH CONDITIONS OF MINING.

LEVEL UP YOUR FLEET

NORWELD IS TRANSFORMING MINING FLEETS WITH ITS RELIABLE UTE TRAY AND CANOPY SOLUTIONS.

Norweld, a certified Australian Made and owned company with over 50 years of expertise, is revolutionising the fleet sector with its commitment to manufacturing excellence, superior quality and nationwide customer service.

As mining companies seek durable, future-proofed fleet tray and canopy solutions, Norweld has emerged as a premium choice.

Understanding a fleet’s unique needs

Recognising the individual challenges of each fleet, Norweld prioritises understanding the specific demands and requirements of its customers.

Norweld national fleet manager Shannon Moyle told Australian Mining that the company has a customercentric approach.

“Norweld is committed to its discovery process to understand our customer’s needs,” Moyle said.

“Whether discussing fleet build specifications or strategies to reduce vehicle downtime in case of mishaps, we understand the importance of maximising operational efficiency.”

Norweld’s existing fleet customers have played a pivotal role in shaping their current fleet range, instilling confidence that their solutions meet both current and future requirements.

One of their valued customers shared how Norweld’s fleet solutions have been instrumental in addressing their recruitment challenges, giving them a competitive edge.

According to the customer, the highquality Norweld builds enabled workers to better conduct their work, which bolstered staff retention.

“This showcases just how valuable Norweld fleet builds are across different industries,” Moyle said.

Unmatched durability and reliability

“With over 50 years of fabrication experience, Norweld’s heavy-duty utility vehicle (ute) tray and canopy solutions come with a lifetime guarantee against faulty workmanship, surpassing typical vehicle changeover cycles fivefold,” Moyle said.

In a harsh environment like a mine site, durability is everything. That’s why Norweld builds its ute trays and canopies to hold fast against weather, heavy loads, and all the bangs and scratches of everyday business on a mine site.

Tray and canopy solutions

Norweld fleet tray packages are available to suit most common fourwheel-drives in the Australian market including dual-cab, extra-cab and single-cab variants.

“Featuring fully welded, onepiece floor and independently engineered mounts, Norweld trays are renowned for their ruggedness and ability to withstand years of off-road corrugations,” Moyle said.

“Norweld can also relocate factory fitted on-board technology which makes for a turn-key, trouble-free start to your Norweld fleet experience.

“Whether you require a full-time canopy solution or need the flexibility to remove and change your canopy to accommodate work requirements, Norweld has you covered.”

For those needing secure yet accessible storage, Norweld half canopies provide dust and waterresistant storage along with open tray space, ideal for supervisors and mine workers during longer transits between job sites.

Norweld also offers its heavy-duty fleet gullwing toolboxes which provide versatile storage solutions. These feature a unique back wall design that maximises space, excellent for the

hands-on workers requiring adaptable modular or heavy-duty fixed drawer storage options.

Local support, national reach

Durability, functionality and quality are three of the four principles driving Norweld. The last piece of the puzzle is national reach. With eight branches in key locations around the country, the company provides local service backed by national support to keep busy fleets on the roads.

“At Norweld, our commitment doesn’t end with the sale,” Moyle said. “We believe in building lasting partnerships with our customers, supporting them every step of the way.

“From initial consultation to ongoing support, we’re here to ensure your fleet operates at peak performance, driving your business forward.”

As mining companies seek durable fleet solutions, Norweld emerges as a top choice. The company’s expertise, high-quality manufacturing, and versatile range of ute tray and canopy solutions for vehicle fleets are helping to keep industry wheels turning.

“More than just a tray and canopy manufacturer,” Moyle said, “Norweld is your partner in success.” AM

Save money, work smarter and drive safer with Geotab’s telematics technology

By David Brown, AVP, Geotab, Asia Pacific

Australia’s mining industry is currently grappling with a labour crunch and increasing regulatory and political challenges, which means managers need to be more cost-conscious than ever.

Your vehicles are an obvious place to start. Geotab’s innovative open platform for fleet and asset management helps project managers track assets, increase equipment uptime and lower operating costs seamlessly. Here are three reasons why Geotab’s telematics technology can benefit your mining operations.

Track and locate equipment, while ensuring maximum utilization

Effective cost control in mining operations begins with clear visibility of your equipment. Mining sites are bustling environments and the use of telematics enables data collection from any vehicle on-site. Our technology connects directly to the vehicle’s computer, monitoring metrics like fuel consumption and engine hours. This ensures each piece of equipment is optimally utilised and cost is accurately measured. Knowing the precise location of your equipment at all times helps avoid unnecessary leasing of additional machinery due to misplacement. Furthermore, real-time equipment tracking, which seamlessly switches between cellular and satellite networks, guarantees continuous monitoring and cost tracking, even on remote sites.

Enjoy Fuel Tax Credit Rebates with our data automation

Fuel Tax Credit Rebates can offer substantial savings for mining businesses, especially if they use a lot of fuel. However, those savings could be far less if an accountant had to spend valuable hours collecting and untangling the data in order to get the payment processed. Geotab’s solutions can make the process much easier. Our telematics technology can accurately measure on and off-road usage, which is essential data used to claim fuel tax credit rebates. On mining sites, where the focus is on engine hours rather than distance travelled, our devices effectively tracks fuel usage and economy, even when vehicles are stationary and idling, ensuring you can maximise your rebate claims.

Access everything seamlessly on our single platform

Geotab offers the greatest possible flexibility for any kind of project. Our device can be attached easily to any vehicle—regardless of manufacturer—and send the data to the same platform. Installation is simple, giving you visibility over the whole project and enabling you to track fuel efficiency, fuel burn, RPM, battery oil, engine health, and other key indicators.

Furthermore, through the multi-streaming function, contractors can be granted access to a database for a fixed duration. When the contract ends, their visibility to the site will cease, and the contractor can reassign it to someone else.

Our devices are built to withstand tough conditions on work sites. They are ideal for heavy mining equipment, construction, utilities, powered assets and trucks. Also, selected models are IP68 and IP69K rated with impact, water and humidity-resistant housing.

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A SPARK OF INNOVATION

A SINGLE ELECTRICAL SPARK CAN HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES ON A MINE SITE. AUSPROOF HAS A QUICK, EFFECTIVE SOLUTION THAT COULD SAVE LIVES.

Putting ‘coal mine’ and ‘danger’ in the same sentence is practically cliché. With coal dust and hazardous gasses like methane filling the air, one spark is all it takes is to potentially cause serious damage.

But AusProof, having landed on Australian shores 30 years ago, has brought a wealth of knowledge gained from over 20 years’ operational experience in South Africa to significantly decrease this risk.

Prior to AusProof’s establishment, couplers connecting 300–400m multitonne electric cables to power sources were either female or male.

It can take weeks to line these multimillion-dollar cables up to where they need to go, so getting to the end and realising the coupler and the power source are both male, for example, creates bigger issues than a simple headache.

“It was a known problem that meant hundreds of hours in downtime coming at significant cost to operators,” AusProof managing director Aston Marks told Australian Mining.

Under AusProof’s design, these essential cables are all male, connected to power sources by a double female mechanism known as a phase connector.

This set-up means cables can be connected to any power source, with AusProof introducing the concept of the genderless coupler to the Australian market.

“The double-female mechanism sits within the male unit on the cable, meaning it’s a much lower profile than alternatives,” Marks said. “Suddenly operators are able to save on capital investments and scheduling, completely fixing the issue of interconnectability.”

AusProof further enhanced the benefits of this genderless design, while also increasing site safety, with the release of the company’s Ex118BSSRF stainless steel coupler in 2015.

Featuring a removable flange, Marks said the coupler is now a household name in the mining sector.

“Our specifically designed coupler is used in 99 per cent of Australian operations today,” Marks said. “It changed the game when it comes to safety and cost savings when it was launched, and nothing has been able to rival it since, save for our own innovations to optimise it further.”

But how does the removable flange feature increase site safety, while further enhancing efficiency and cost-savings?

Even the slightest scratch on the surface of the coupler can potentially cause a spark to bleed through. In a coal mine, that could mean igniting any gas in the vicinity with explosive consequences.

Traditionally, a scratch means operations need to be halted, the heavy-duty cables extracted from the underground mine, and the entire coupler replaced before the cable can be taken back down.

Some coupler designs allow for the face to be removed and replaced without extracting the whole cable, but Marks said this approach risks damaging the delicate insulation materials inside the coupler.

AusProof’s removable flange means anyone with an Allen key and a spare few minutes can re-fit a new flange as soon as a scratch is detected,

keeping the system flameproof while operations continue running.

“Operators can simply swap out a $200 removable flange rather than taking the whole face of the coupler off, which can cost thousands,” Marks said. “With two minutes and four screws, the damaged coupler is suddenly safety compliant again.”

But AusProof isn’t content to stop there, with Marks suggesting more innovations are in the pipeline for the near future.

“Historically, the higher the volts, the larger the coupler,” he said. “But we’re working on a smaller, lighter, easier to handle plug that packs a punch without compromising safety.” Whether redesigning the way flameproof path maintenance is done or working on slashing its lead times, Marks said AusProof is putting its customers first.

“There’s no smoke and mirrors when it comes to the benefits of our solutions – the flameproof coupler dramatically reduces costs just as much as it boosts safety and allows operators to have a new level of autonomy in implementing a quick and effective solution,” he said.

“It’s an obvious choice for Australia’s coal mines.” AM

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BRAKING SOLUTIONS PICK UP SPEED

REGAL REXNORD IS BRINGING THE MINING INDUSTRY TO A STANDSTILL WITH ITS TWIFLEX RANGE OF BRAKES AND ACCESSORIES.

It all started in the 1940s when a flexible coupling business launched on the streets of Twickenham in the UK.

Now a global advanced braking pioneer and part of Regal Rexnord, the Twiflex name continues to honour its origins.

Twiflex offers a range of pneumatically, hydraulically, and mechanically applied industrial disc brake callipers, along with a full line of thrusters, disc brake systems, flexible couplings, and shafts clutch couplings.

According to Regal Rexnord New South Wales state manager Daemon Flack, Twiflex complements Regal Rexnord’s dedicated mining brakes brand, Svendborg.

“We have the mining sector covered with Svendborg Brakes,” Flack told Australian Mining. “But we see major potential to bring value to the Australian mining sector by growing Twiflex’s presence.”

Twiflex braking systems boast applications ranging from grinding mills to conveyors and can also support machinery such as overhead cranes in preparation plants.

Flack highlighted the unique ‘parked-off’ position of Twiflex’s modular callipers, meaning there is no stored energy left in the brake calliper.

“When it comes time for maintenance like pad replacement, brakes without a parked-off position contain stored energy that can cause sudden movements and leave technicians at risk of losing fingers,” Flack said. “Twiflex’s modular callipers remove that risk altogether.

“It’s a feature unique to Twiflex that significantly boosts safety.”

Flack said safety is a priority for Twiflex, both in practice and product quality.

“There are some instances where the organic material of competitor brake pads can contain asbestos,” he said. “Twiflex is strictly compliant with Australian certifications, ensuring the quality of our products and the safety of the workers that use them.”

It’s this dedication to quality, Flack said, that’s been a pillar of Twiflex’s growth both internationally and in the Australian market.

“The Twiflex name is renowned for its sustainability and reliability,” he said. “Brakes come back to our service division after five years or more. They’re then refurbished and sent back into commission for another five years.”

Twiflex’s turn-key products are also part of a range of hydraulic packages customers are coming to rely on.

“We continually look for bespoke applications where Twiflex products can help customers reach a new level of efficiency and productivity,” Flack said. “We can fit the bill of any application with custom brake packages and hydraulic power packs.”

Twiflex brake packages combine spring applied, hydraulically released calliper brakes with the state-of-the-art LCS hydraulic power unit mounted on a custom fabricated base.

“These compact units feature a small footprint enabling them to fit into applications with limited space available,” Flack said.

“Complete, ready-to-install brake assemblies from Twiflex provide time-saving convenience while ensuring component compatibility and optimised performance.”

Twiflex engineers routinely configure custom brake package solutions to meet individual original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications.

“A range of Twiflex spring applied, hydraulically released brake models can be incorporated into the design to achieve specific braking requirements,” Flack said.

“Certain size dual brake configurations can be utilised for higher braking torque applications.” No matter the challenge, Twiflex, through its parent company Regal Rexnord, isn’t far away with service centres and distributors across Australia ready to launch into action with engineering support for its mining customers.

“We have national coverage for servicing customer brakes,” Flack said. “From engineering backup to sales support, we’re here to help Twiflex customers level up their operations one brake at a time.” AM

TWIFLEX HAS A RANGE OF DISC BRAKE CALLIPER SOLUTIONS ON OFFER.

THE TWIFLEX VKSD DISC BRAKE CALLIPER.

Acontributed 5.7 per cent to Australia’s gross domestic product during the 2023–24 financial year, cementing its place as a significant contributor to the country’s economy. By manufacturing products and goods in locally, more jobs will be created to further fuel the economy and keep industries performing optimally.

A company that understands this is Hardman Bros, a renowned supplier of gears and gear boxes suited to several Australian industries, with mining key among them.

“The Hardman group of companies is a distinguished Australian-owned enterprise that stands as a premier provider of precision machining and gear-cutting services for leading original equipment manufacturers,” Hardman Bros Group of Companies chief executive officer Simon Bell told Australian Mining.

“Boasting a rich legacy spanning over 70 years since its inception in 1953 by the visionary brothers David and Ronald Hardman, the company now thrives in its third generation of operation.”

including gear manufacturing, computer numerical control (CNC) machining, and general engineering.

“In a strategic collaboration, Hardman Bros and R&I Instrument & Gear have united to amplify the scope and excellence of customer services, extending our expertise from precision gear cutting to CNC machining and general engineering,” Bell said.

Hardman Bros can gear cut up to 1.5m and gear grind up to 850mm in diameter. The company can also carry out CNC simultaneous five-axis milling and CNC machining, with CNC lathes up to 1.15m in height and 950mm in diameter.

“We possess the capability to fulfil any additional needs for machining, fabricating, and industrial mechanical assembly,” Bell said. “We are also specialists in general engineering techniques such as turning, milling, grinding, honing, slotting and keyseating. We do it all.”

Hardman Bros has significantly grown since its early days and now operates with an extensive capacity, boasting over 140 machines.

years, increasing capacity and capability to ensure Hardman Bros remains at the forefront of the industry.

“Hardman Bros has built a strong reputation through the dedication and expertise of its skilled personnel,” Bell said. “The company consistently reinvests in quality plant and equipment, ensuring that our manufacturing capabilities remain at the forefront of industry standards.”

Hardman Bros also credits its growth to building strong relationships with other like-minded companies, such as Eilbeck Heavy Machining.

With an Australia-wide presence, Eilbeck Heavy Machining is a fourthgeneration family-owned manufacturing and engineering company that specialises in CNC machining, gear cutting, fabrication, painting, refurbishment and reverse engineering, assembly and turn-key solutions.

Eilbeck has a gearing capacity of 500mm to 5000mm. Hardman Bros recognised the strength of Eilbeck Heavy Machining’s offerings and reached out to work with the company in February.

“Hardman Bros and Eilbeck Heavy Machining share parallel visions as to what they want to do and achieve within the Australian manufacturing space,” Eilbeck Heavy Machining head Charlie Eilbeck told Australian Mining.

“Both companies sell Australianmade products for a wide range of industries and possess similar capabilities and turn-key solutions.”

While the companies share many similarities, they also complete each other’s knowledge and skill gaps.

“Hardman Bros has some capabilities that we don’t have, and vice versa, so by collaborating we can fulfil the needs of larger projects together,” Eilbeck said.

Both companies also believe in adopting a modernised, high-end approach to manufacturing.

“Hardman Bros’ main objective is to expand our high-value offering to likeminded partners and developing growth for the industry as a whole,” Bell said.

“The company is investing heavily in new equipment geared towards expanding capability, quality and speed to market. This is opening new doors across the mining, rail and energy sectors, where we can use our scale to penetrate and build our presence.” AM

HARDMAN BROS BUILDS STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH LIKEMINDED COMPANIES SUCH AS EILBECK HEAVY MACHINING.

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SETTING HIGH VENTILATION STANDARDS

AUSTRALIAN MINING SAT DOWN WITH SMART-VOD TO TALK ABOUT ITS INCREMENTAL APPROACH TO VENTILATION FOR UNDERGROUND MINING.

While technology in the mining industry has evolved significantly over recent years, most underground mining vehicles being used today are still powered by diesel motors.

This means forced air ventilation is required to remove the diesel exhaust and blast gases, and to reduce the ambient temperature for underground operators.

A ventilation system is used to solve these issues by providing fresh air for workers, removing contaminants such as dust, diesel fumes and blast gases, and by controlling the temperature.

Underground mines have primary fans located above ground, drawing fresh air underground and working in combination with secondary fans to force fresh air into the working face of blind headings.

The energy cost of each secondary fan is substantial – often higher than the fan’s purchase price.

To help address this challenge, SmartVOD’s ventilation on-demand system for underground mining minimises power usage and associated costs while complying with underground mining ventilation standards.

“There are various approaches to ventilation on-demand, most of which are whole-of-mine approaches and involve a centralised control function. The whole-of-mine approach has substantial capex (capital expenditure) and a single point of failure,” SmartVOD told Australian Mining.

“By comparison, Smart-VOD is an incremental approach to ventilation ondemand, capable of being rolled out one fan at a time.”

Smart-VOD’s ventilation ondemand solution uses radio-frequency identification to track vehicles entering and exiting a ventilation zone and provides demand control signals based on vehicle locations.

“By understanding the mix of vehicles in the ventilation zone, the system can adjust the fan speed to supply the required air volume, reducing energy and air usage,” SmartVOD said.

“Additional benefits include accelerated clearance of blast gases, allowing for an expedited return to mining after a blast and a reduced demand on upstream ventilation and power-generation infrastructure.”

According to Smart-VOD, its ventilation on-demand system has delivered 54 per cent in energy savings over the last 100,000 hours of operation.

A contributing factor to the significant savings is the fact the system has been designed to operate autonomously, without the need for continuous network connectivity. This also grants operations a higher level of efficiency due to the elimination of human error.

“Each zone unit is independent of one another and can operate fully autonomously,” Smart-VOD said.

“This is useful in the case of fault in the communication network. The zone unit will continue to function autonomously providing ventilation on demand.”

Starting with one Smart-VOD zone unit can provide ventilation on-demand in a single blind drive, leading to savings from the moment it is installed.

“With this incremental approach, the set-up process has minimal impact on mining operations,” Smart-VOD said. “Another benefit

SMART-VOD

SMART-VOD’S VENTILATION ON-DEMAND SYSTEM USES RADIO-FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TO TRACK VEHICLES.

is the low costs associated with trying ventilation on-demand. Once a customer is comfortable with the technology, additional ventilation zones can be established to form a network of ventilation.”

Implementing more Smart-VOD zone units will mean further benefits:

• Coordination of fan control with other zone units and primary fans at a site during clearance of blast gases

• Configuration updates to detail zone and site-wide settings, mine vehicles and updates to business rules

• Each zone unit advising others of vehicle sightings, allowing for an

ensemble of zone units to autocorrect any location errors that might occur

“An incremental approach to ventilation on-demand is proving to be efficient,” Smart-VOD said. “Energy savings are realised as soon as the first ventilation zone is established. As the network is further established, those energy savings grow.

“This technology is helping underground mines to not only save significant amounts of energy but also to significantly reduce their emissions and carbon footprint.” AM

SUPPLIER OF PROVEN POWER EQUIPMENT

Australian Power Equipment is a leading provider of low, medium and high-voltage power equipment across the Power Generation, Infrastructure, Renewable Energy and Resources sectors.

As the agents for Üntel cables, B&D transformers, Leistung Energie switchgear, CAB cable systems and WE Walter substations, they can supply new equipment to specification.

With a strong commitment to sustainability, the company also provides repurposed and refurbished equipment including substations, transformers and switchrooms.

They can provide immediate solutions to unplanned outages with their in-stock equipment or their critical sourcing solutions.

Australian Power Equipment is dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service and electrical engineering support, ensuring businesses can make best-practice decisions for their operations.

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WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR BHP AND ANGLO?

M&A DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN BHP AND ANGLO AMERICAN FELL THROUGH IN MAY. WHAT NOW? AUSTRALIAN MINING INVESTIGATES.

BHP is no stranger to mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

Just last year, the Big Australian acquired OZ Minerals for $9.63 billion, pocketing three significant copper assets in South Australia: Olympic Dam, Carrapateena and Prominent Hill.

BHP has been vocal in its hunger for copper, which it sees as a kingmaker commodity as nations turn to net-zero technology and a green economy.

And it seemed Anglo American agreed when it launched the structural overhaul of its portfolio in May with a strong focus on the base metal.

Copper mines such as Quellaveco in Peru and Collahuasi and El Soldado in Chile drove an 11 per cent increase in copper production for Anglo during the March 2024 quarter, seemingly catching BHP’s eye and leading to the major launching its first takeover offer in April 2024.

However, after weeks of back and forth, BHP decided not to proceed with a formal offer for Anglo.

But how did we get here?

BHP put forward its first takeover offer on April 16. Under the almost $60 billion proposal, Anglo shareholders would receive 0.7097 BHP shares for every Anglo share.

“The combination would bring together the strengths of BHP and Anglo American in an optimal structure,” BHP said on April 25.

But Anglo seemed to disagree, swiftly rejecting the offer.

“The BHP proposal is opportunistic and fails to value Anglo American’s prospects, while significantly diluting the relative value upside participation of Anglo American’s shareholders relative to BHP’s shareholders,” Anglo chair Stuart Chalmers said.

“The proposed structure is also highly unattractive, creating substantial uncertainty and execution risk borne almost entirely by Anglo American, its shareholders and its other stakeholders.”

BHP was undeterred and tabled a second offer on May 13 worth about $64.4 billion, valuing each Anglo share at 0.8132 BHP shares.

Despite the 15 per cent increase from the first offer, Anglo also rejected this proposal, citing BHP’s stipulation of demerging Anglo subsidiaries Kumba and Anglo Platinum as being “highly unattractive”.

“The latest proposal from BHP … leaves Anglo American, its shareholders and stakeholders disproportionately at risk from the substantial uncertainty and execution risk created by the proposed inter-conditional execution of two demergers and a takeover,” Chambers said.

On May 20, BHP took its third shot, offering a $74 billion deal valuing each Anglo share at 0.8860 BHP shares.

Anglo remained unimpressed and rejected this offer, too, saying the proposal didn’t address concerns about the deal’s “highly complex” structure.

BHP had until May 29 to propose another offer. The Big Australian said it put forward several socioeconomic measures to address Anglo’s concerns but Anglo felt the proposed demergers could take as long as 18 months to complete and carried “significant

execution and completion risks relating to both value and time”.

“The requirement to pursue two contemporaneous demergers of publicly listed companies alongside a takeover and the inter-conditional nature of the three transactions is unprecedented,” Anglo said.

“Undertaking a takeover in parallel with two demergers would result in additional material approvals … (with) material conditions being imposed that would disproportionately impact the value of Anglo American Platinum and Kumba.”

BHP requested an extension to the May 29 deadline, but Anglo said BHP’s proposed measures didn’t “sufficiently address” its concerns and concluded there was no basis for further extension.

As a result, BHP did not make a formal offer.

Despite this round of M&A discussions not amounting to an official deal, this doesn’t necessarily mark the end of the tale. BHP will have to wait six months if it wants to make another tilt under UK takeover laws.

However, one thing remains certain: copper will remain at the heart of both companies’ strategies amid the global energy transition. AM

OLD-SCHOOL SERVICE ALIVE AND KICKING

IN ADDITION TO ITS RANGE OF TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, SAFETY GEAR AND WORKWEAR, TOOL KIT DEPOT OFFERS QUALITY REPAIRS AND SERVICES TO THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY.

Tool Kit Depot is focused on delivering old-school service to the mining and resources industry.

Rather than having an account manager dealing with hundreds of customers at once, Tool Kit Depot has its account managers take on handful of accounts at a time, so each receives the attention – and understanding – it deserves.

“Our commercial account managers have a strong understanding of the range of products our mining, resources and engineering customers require,” Tool Kit Depot commercial manager Chris James told Australian Mining

“We regularly engage with our suppliers to ensure our customers are receiving the best possible solutions and advice regarding their project, in turn ensuring efficiency improvements, the best value for money, and the safest operation for the end user.

“We offer a variety of options and focus on keeping these products in stock as needed to ensure rapid fulfilment. Our commercial team also works with our in-house repair and servicing team to look after any product-related issues our customers may have.”

It’s a simple but important reality of the mining industry: when a tool stops working it can lead to unfavourable impacts such as loss of productivity and increased costs and downtime.

To reduce these risks and keep tools running optimally, Bunnings-owned Tool Kit Depot carries out in-house tool repairs and services.

“We help by reducing the costs associated with continual replacement of damaged and faulty tools by repairing the items for less than the cost of replacement,” James said.

“We can help with preventive maintenance by scheduling regular cleaning, maintenance and repairs for high-turnover items.

“We help reduce ‘tools down’ time by keeping the tool in-house and having parts in stock at our workshops to turn over repairs faster.”

Tool Kit Depot offers servicing and repairs to a range of gear, including cordless and 240V power tools, airpowered tools, petrol outdoor power equipment, and test-and-tag services for electrical items.

“We are qualified technicians for our brands and offer warranty work for 95 per cent of the 200-plus brands

we stock,” James said. “Tool Kit Depot’s service and repair network means the tools don’t need to be sent to the supplier or another repair agent, reducing time spent waiting for transit between interstate companies.

“Repairing the tools we sell also provides insight into how certain tools respond to differing environments and work types.”

Tool Kit Depot works with its suppliers to provide tools to customers so they can try them before they purchase, saving costs and ensuring people are paired with the right product.

“This means our customers have a fit-for-purpose product that meets the safety requirements of the business, getting the right tool for the job the first time,” James said.

“Often in these situations, we will visit the site with our suppliers to work through the application and appropriate solution. This approach brings us and the tool manufacturer into the fold to understand the project or use case as best as possible before recommending the best options to trial or purchase.”

Tool Kit Depot also creates customised kits for various industries, including mining, which are held in

stock and sent to site the same day or the next, ensuring customer needs are met right away.

“In designing these kits, we will work with the customer to guarantee best value and ensure the products are fit for purpose, often engaging the supplier to achieve better value or additional features required by the customer,” James said.

Tool Kit Depot is highly regarded for its ability to implement tools on existing sites.

“Because Tool Kit Depot has access to many key brands and products already in use across the industry, we are able to seamlessly integrate into our customers’ supply chain, often improving efficiencies by ensuring rapid quoting and fulfilment by our dedicated account managers,” James said.

“Our customers have said they appreciate having a single point of contact and a relationship where they can rely on us to look after them efficiently when they need us.” AM

TOOL KIT DEPOT HAS STORES IN SA, WA, QUEENSLAND, VICTORIA AND THE ACT.

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TOOL KIT DEPOT ADVOCATES FOR REPAIRING TOOLS INSTEAD OF REPLACING THEM.

SCHLAM BARRACUDA: A RURAL SUCCESS STORY

SCHLAM, A COMPANY RENOWNED FOR MAKING MINING EQUIPMENT MORE PRODUCTIVE, IS CELEBRATING A YEAR OF GROWTH AND MILESTONES.

Schlam is a highly regarded name in the mining industry, and for good reason.

The company’s Hercules dump bodies and Barracuda mining buckets are providing miners all over the country with production advantages, including asset longevity, greater payload efficiencies, and reduced emissions.

Schlam seems to go from strength to strength each year, but 2024 has been a particular highlight for the company.

In April, Schlam produced its 2000th Hercules dump body. This was swiftly followed in May by another landmark: the production of its 100th Barracuda mining bucket in Waroona – a regional town located 100km south of Perth.

But the Barracuda narrative goes beyond milestones; it’s about a regional business delivering top-quality mining attachments to leading mine sites across Australia.

Excellence forged in regional WA

The history of Schlam dates back to 1996, when it was established as Schlam Welding.

Founder Barry Schlam saw a need for high-quality precision welding and

fabrication services in the south-west industrial sector of Western Australia. Schlam Welding quickly established a reputation for outstanding quality and service throughout the area, manufacturing a range of bespoke products for mining and agricultural clients in the region. This is where the first Schlam bucket was built.

In 2010, Barry’s son Ryan Schlam took the reins and formed Schlam Engineering to focus on providing maintenance and bucket refurbishment services for local mine sites in WA.

In the same year, Schlam’s Waroona fabrication facility was built on the edge of the town where Barracuda buckets continue to be manufactured today.

With a reputation for reliability, honesty, and efficiency, Schlam quickly established itself as a key engineering firm in the region and beyond, leading to a growth in employees and manufacturing capabilities.

By 2015, Schlam had broadened its engineering focus to keep pace with industry trends, leading to the acquisition of DT HiLoad in 2016 and the manufacture of dump bodies.

Fuelled by the success of its Hercules dump bodies, and led by Ryan Schlam’s vision, the company commenced the development of its own mining bucket to complement the Hercules dump body.

In July 2017, Schlam built its first Barracuda mining bucket for an Australian mining contractor. The bucket’s performance impressed mining clients, leading to widespread adoption by major mining operations across WA.

Barracuda buckets are now used on leading excavators and loaders operating

The Schlam Waroona team consists of around 40 people who reside in the town and the surrounding Peel region.

In addition to providing employment opportunities, Schlam actively supports various community groups and events in the region.

“This is a testament to Schlam’s commitment to ‘supporting the

THE FIRST MINING BUCKET PRODUCED BY SCHLAM IN 1996.

THE SCHLAM TEAM PROUDLY CELEBRATING YET ANOTHER MILESTONE.

A SCHLAM BARRACUDA BUCKET IN OPERATION IN THE PILBARA REGION.

are limited,” Clancy said. “We support our team to grow together, and to develop their skills with a leading manufacturer, without having to move to the city.”

Engineered to increase payload efficiencies

With the Barracuda range of buckets already becoming popular among miners, Schlam has embarked on developing a new mining bucket to offer additional benefits to miners.

“When it comes to product development, we focus on the principle of developing product solutions for miners, with miners,” Mueller said. “We worked with some of the leading miners, listened to their needs, and developed the Barracuda T2.”

The key feature of the Barracuda T2 is its liner-less replaceable lower shell, which can be replaced between major rebuilds. This enables miners to

save asset downtime and subsequently increase payload productivity.

The replaceable lower shell also eliminates the requirement for heel shrouds and wear packages. This feature not only makes the T2 up to 15 per cent lighter than standard mining bucket products, but also eliminates the hazard of stored energy associated with rolled wear components.

Like its Hercules cousin, each T2 bucket is specifically designed for a customer’s site conditions, with variable thickness lower floor and side wall options available.

The first T2 was released in 2022, entering service on a major iron ore mine in the Pilbara. That first unit, with a payload capacity of 22m3, has since recorded over 10,000 hours of operation, and still has the original lower shell.

With a strong customer demand, there are over 30 T2 buckets operating on major mines across Australia. AM

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THE 100TH BARRACUDA BUCKET IS A T2 MODEL PROVIDING SIGNIFICANT PAYLOAD ADVANTAGES.

MITIGATING ARC FLASH FAULTS

MAINTAIN SITE SAFETY WITH SCHNEIDER

ELECTRIC ARC FLASH PROTECTION SOLUTIONS.

An arc flash is an electrical accident that creates a hightemperature explosion. It can vaporise surrounding metal, set fires, and result in severe burns.

Although rare, arc flashes can have grave consequences, so it is important to ensure workers and sites are always protected.

An arc flash can happen during abnormal use due to corruption of isolation, or in circumstances involving animals, flooding, vibrations, or corrosion. It can also occur during commissioning or maintenance, rendering equipment unusable and forcing costly downtime.

When an arc flash takes place, high voltage current flows through ionised air between two or three live parts or between the live part and the ground.

An arc flash in the bus bar of a distribution panel is an example of the worst-case scenario. In this case, an arc flash heats up surrounding air rapidly, resulting in overpressure within the electrical panel.

An arc flash may be initiated by a component failure or over voltage, such as a lightning strike somewhere in the power system. Unfortunately, it is often the result of human error.

Arc flash prevention

Arc flashes are both dangerous and preventable. It is essential for electrical workers to understand the arc incident energy produced by a potential arc flash. Without this information, the worker cannot properly assess whether the protective equipment and clothing being used are adequate. Therefore, proper signage for arc incident energy should be in place.

If the arc flash risk cannot be eliminated, the arc incident energy is a key aspect in risk control. Energy release can have several manifestations, such as thermal radiation, pressure build-up, or shrapnel. Additionally, incident energy is responsible for potential damage to the installation and the asset.

The arc incident energy is largely determined by the fault current and fault clearance time. The shorter the fault duration, the smaller the arc incident energy. This is where fast power system protection becomes essential.

The practice of power system protection is a well-established science, and the challenges are well understood. To achieve selective protection schemes, delayed tripping is commonly used to coordinate different protection stages.

Unfortunately, using time coordination results in relatively long fault clearing times, which negatively impacts arc incident energy.

Selective protection can be achieved by using more advanced protection methods such as differential protection.

Differential protection is absolutely selective when well designed. The selective property is what makes differential protection fast, as there is no need for time-delayed coordination. However, differential protection tends to be expensive and demanding from an engineering perspective.

Dedicated arc flash protection can provide a solution for short fault clearing to reduce arc incident energy.

The most common form of arc flash protection is the detection of light emanating from the arc flash. Light-detection arc flash protection is selective by nature, so there is no need for time delay coordination. The fault can then be cleared as fast as possible because the sensor only triggers due to light from an arc flash.

Dedicated arc flash protection devices can provide a trip command

as fast as two milliseconds (ms).

The actual fault clearing time depends on the circuit breaker used. Typically, the circuit breaker can clear the fault in 50–60ms. Even faster fault clearing is possible by utilising arc quenching devices together with the arc protection device.

Arc flash protection devices

Light detection technology used in arc mitigation systems can trigger safety measures that contain or extinguish the arc, thereby preventing potential damage or harm. These safety measures may include activating circuit breakers, isolating the affected circuit, or deploying specialised arc quenching devices.

By integrating light detection technology into arc mitigation systems, organisations can significantly enhance the safety of their electrical installation. Detection and isolating the energy source should take place in the shortest possible time to reduce the incident energy.

The arc flash mitigation solution can be installed in new or installed cubicles

without corrupting the isolation of electrical circuits.

The design of arc mitigation solutions should consider:

• electrical installation accessibility

• electrical distribution network understanding: identify sources of energy and current flows in case of an arc fault

• u nderstanding of selective protection deployed in the electrical distribution network.

When an arc flash fault occurs in electrical installation, the consequences can be dangerous. Schneider Electric is helping customers stay safe around electrical equipment with a range of safety solutions. AM

TYPICAL APPLICATION OF SELECTIVE PROTECTION.

AN ARC FLASH IS OFTEN THE RESULT OF HUMAN ERROR.

PIONEERING SUSTAINABILITY

GEAR UNIT AND COUPLING MANUFACTURER FLENDER IS PLAYING A KEY ROLE IN ENABLING SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY.

For 125 years, Flender has delivered highquality mechanical and electrical drive systems that have performance and innovation at the forefront.

“The two product brands ‘Flender’ and ‘Winergy’ offer a wide range of gearboxes, couplings, generators and related services with a focus on key industries such as mining,” Flender Australia chief financial officer Bree Denton told Australian Mining “Traditional machine-builders may be considered old-fashioned, non-fancy and not particularly green; however, Flender has evolved into a modern company – a pioneer in terms of driving industries towards sustainability.”

Flender’s commitment to sustainability is illustrated by its gear

“FLENDER ONE is more than just a new gearbox generation,” Denton said. “It is the successor to the wellestablished Flender standard gearbox series that had become the grey standard in many industries globally.

“With a market that evolves and demands more efficient and faster-todeploy gearbox solutions, FLENDER ONE is as individual as its predecessor, with higher efficiency resulting in lower operating expenditure.”

FLENDER ONE has a variety of benefits suited for the Australian mining industry.

“FLENDER ONE boasts a 30 per cent higher thermal capacity, 80 per cent longer bearing life and lower weight than its predecessor,” Denton said. “FLENDER ONE is available in nearly any configuration and comes as a single-stage and multi-stage gearbox.”

FLENDER ONE also features AIQ smart condition-monitoring out of the box, ensuring greater uptime.

AIQ is Flender’s new gear unit intelligence system that provides customers with diagnostic information on conveyors, mills and other key assets at their mine sites, including how their machines are operating and the lifecycle of the product. It uses intelligence, knowledge, and extensive experience to meet customer requirements for diagnosis, early fault detection and process optimisation. All AIQ solutions are based on gearbox analysis that turns sensor signals into direct information for further analysis.

“With AIQ pre-installed on FLENDER ONE, customers benefit from less unplanned downtime and can expect to cut maintenance costs

significantly,” Denton said. “Our upcoming multi-stage models of FLENDER ONE are best suited for belt conveyors and bucket elevators, whereas the single-stage FLENDER ONE should be used in pumping, water and waste-water applications.”

By utilising AIQ, mine operators can keep an eye on their drives and immediately act when a situation presents unusual data.

“The measurement data is analysed, interpreted, and provides concrete recommendations for action,” Denton said. “The operator has full access to important information at all times.

“This is especially useful when the operator is not in close proximity to their equipment or when plant needs to be visible, resulting in greater transparency around operations, utilisation and necessary maintenance activities.”

Sustainability is the basis of all Flender activity, including the environment, employees, customers, community, and production processes along its delivery chain.

Encompassing this connection between sustainability and market competitiveness is Flender’s 2023 sustainability report, ‘We move the world’, marking the third time the company has released such a report.

“Flender has achieved remarkable milestones in terms of sustainability, notably earning the prestigious platinum medal from EcoVadis –the global standard for business sustainability ratings – placing Flender among the top one per cent of the world’s most sustainable companies,” Denton said.

FLENDER PROVIDES FULL OEM SUPPORT, REPAIRS AND TESTING AT ITS WORKSHOPS.

“Flender was recognised in areas such as environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

“The company also received the 2024 German Sustainability Award in the field of mechanical engineering.

“These external recognitions reinforce our standing as a preferred partner for a sustainable future.”

Last year also saw Flender develop a diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) program and statement to emphasise the significant value diversity brings to the company’s workforce.

“Flender prioritises communication and inclusivity, fostering active employee participation across all levels,” Denton said.

“By setting ambitious goals and challenging the status quo, employees

THE AIQ SENSOR MEASURES TEMPERATURE, SPEED AND VIBRATION FOR CONTINUOUS GEARBOX MONITORING.

are poised to make significant strides towards a more sustainable future.”

Throughout the remainder of 2024, Flender will work towards objectives and measures across its four sustainability strategy pillars:

environmental sustainability; employer of choice; governance and compliance; and health and safety.

“Initiatives include the implementation of an energy management system at Flender’s largest international production

FLENDER ONE IS AVAILABLE IN NEARLY ANY CONFIGURATION.

sites, aligning with ISO 50001 standards,” Denton said.

“A coordinated global program focusing on water and waste prevention will be introduced. Collaborative emission-reduction efforts with key suppliers and the prioritisation of green steel usage are also underway. Flender plans to launch an extensive awareness campaign aimed at reinforcing regulatory adherence and ethical practices throughout operations.

“These targeted efforts underscore a commitment to advancing across all spheres of sustainability.”

FLENDER ONE multi-stage gear units will be available to the Australian

mining industry from July 2024. And Flender continues to expand its local service presence.

“Over the last 45 years, Flender has established that customer proximity is key,” Denton said.

“This has led to the expansion of our service footprint; we now have Flender workshops in Perth, Sydney, Rockhampton and Melbourne that are all equipped to provide full OEM (original equipment manufacturer) support, repairs and testing.

“As Flender grows its footprint in Australia, we have the potential to be a frontrunner and pioneer in enabling sustainable mining operations.” AM

The SMC flotation cell dart valve position control was a key reason a local gold mining operation saw an increase in product recovery.

• Reduction and removal of pinch points by eliminating mechanical feedback.

• One touch calibration process ensuring significant time saving.

• Improved positioning repeatability (+-0.5 accuracy).

• Self diagnostic.

• Increased froth velocity for gold and copper recovery.

• Configurable (pre-set speed: direct-reverse operation: fail safe features).

• IP67-rated and corrosion resistant.

Other benefits of the IN-777 series include: Visit us at QME to put it to the test. 23 – 25 July 2024. Stand #A138.

AMPCONTROL IS INSPIRING THE MINING INDUSTRY’S TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGIES.

REVOLUTIONISING INDUSTRY TO ELECTRIFY

THROUGH ITS SOLUTIONS AND EXPERTISE, AMPCONTROL IS COMMITTED TO HELPING THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY OVERCOME ITS ELECTRIFICATION HURDLES.

The world is in the midst of an energy revolution. Globally, the focus is on decarbonisation to meet net zero by 2050.

More than ever before, the electrification transition is at the forefront of the mining industry as it plays a vital role in meeting the ambitious and required emissions reduction targets set by governing bodies.

Ampcontrol has more than 50 years of experience in challenging the status quo and delivering safe, smart, customised energy solutions.

Solving complex energy problems by developing world-first innovations, Ampcontrol accepts the challenge of electrification.

The electric mine

Ampcontrol research engineer

Thomas Steigler is a respected leader is his field. Developing engineered solutions with a holistic approach for mine site needs, Steigler works with industry and customers, utilising Ampcontrol’s full lifecycle offering to enable progression.

Following his recent presentations at Queensland’s Mine Electrical Safety Conference and Perth’s The Electric Mine, his position and that of Ampcontrol as leaders in enabling electrification of mining operations is respected and endorsed.

“Ampcontrol is working everyday with customers to develop custom solutions to energy management challenges,” Steigler told Australian Mining.

“Balancing expenses due to asset acquisition with operational management, including challenges with site electrical demand, electrical network demand and charge time requirements, is no small task.

“We have a complete view of energy demand challenges and infrastructure needs for mine sites. We work through a process of data analysis, modelling and power studies including renewable power supply, to determine custom solution applications.”

Through many years of experience, Ampcontrol has identified smart ways for companies to take advantage of existing assets to meet their changing needs.

“In many cases, mines can utilise power infrastructure already on site

“This enables sites to holistically consider operational management changes whilst planning for and implementing infrastructure upgrades to meet future targets.”

Being part of the Electric Mine Consortium (EMC) puts Ampcontrol and its solutions in the thick of answering the challenges of the industry. Recent research by EMC looked at two theoretical mines – a large scale and a small scale operation.

“In both cases, while the capital expenditure increased, the operational expenditure decreased,” Steigler said.

“The savings in smaller scale operations were more marginal depending on the operation, but in a bigger mine, the net result made electric equipment economically viable from

Ampcontrol isn’t just talking about how to start the journey to achieve netzero by 2050, the company is already working with industry to get there.

Solutions delivering on innovation

Working with customers to estimate future equipment needs and responding to industry regulations encouraging electrification were the instigators for the innovative technology development of Ampcontrol’s DRIFTEX electric vehicle and the Ampcontrol MegaWatt Charger.

Award-winning battery technology is at the core of DRIFTEX, the world’s first IECEx Group 1 certified electric vehicle.

Using an intrinsically safe traction battery, DRIFTEX was designed and developed in response to growing industry demand for low-emissions technology in the mining industry.

“DRIFTEX is an example of Ampcontrol’s commitment to electrify mining,” Steigler said. “It’s an innovative electrical solution that can be customised to mine site needs and further their journey of decarbonisation.”

Incorporating technology and able to be utilised in various mining environments, DRIFTEX and the Ampcontrol MegaWatt Charger resolve key challenges of fleet electrification.

The Ampcontrol MegaWatt Charger, which was developed and launched to market after recognising customer demand, is a key infrastructure asset providing the charging ability mine sites require.

“Dual, fast and MegaWatt charging are enablers to largescale fleet electrification to support decarbonisation,” Steigler said. “Charge time has been a key barrier to wider acceptance of battery vehicles within the mining industry. This asset removes this barrier.”

Collaboration to solve and remove barriers of electrification: challenge accepted. AM

DRIFTEX IS THE WORLD’S FIRST IECEX GROUP 1 CERTIFIED ELECTRIC VEHICLE.

SAFELY DREDGE PROCESS TANKS, ONLINE

At Dredge Robotics we understand that downtime is costly. That’s why we’ve designed a fleet of globally unique dredging robots that can rapidly and thoroughly clean and inspect water assets while they remain in full service.

Designed and built in Australia for the harshest of conditions, our proprietary robotic dredging technology is a genuine game-changer for the mining sector.

Eliminating the need for human entry, these machines allow maintenance tasks to be performed outside of shutdown windows, delivering significant savings and reducing asset downtime.

Extensively proven in the mining industry, our capabilities include:

• Removal of deep compacted mud from process tanks.

• Safe removal of mud, weeds and aquatic plants from lined ponds.

• Operation in corrosive and extreme pH environments (pH 1 to pH 14).

If you’re looking for a smarter way to manage your water assets, contact the friendly team at Dredge Robotics today.

www.dredgerobotics.com.au info@dredgerobotics.com.au +61 8 9418 5753

6 Sphinx Way, Bibra Lake, Perth, WA, 6163

THE BENCHMARK FOR HYDRAULIC OIL CLEANLINESS

AUSTRALIAN MINING SAT DOWN WITH DONALDSON TO DISCUSS THE CHALLENGES LINKED TO HYDRAULIC OIL CLEANLINESS AND THE METHODS MINING COMPANIES HAVE EMBRACED TO OVERCOME THEM.

Hydraulic fluid cleanliness may not sound glamorous, but it is one of the most vital considerations for machine availability across mining and construction sites. Dirty oil creates havoc for hydraulic systems, causing excessive component wear and higher maintenance costs. In severe cases, contamination can cause catastrophic failure, resulting in costly downtime and repairs.

Mining companies and contractors that proactively adopt advanced filtration methods by implementing high-efficiency filtration systems are more likely to increase machine availability and meet their production targets as a result.

Revered for its filtration systems in mining and construction industries, Donaldson has launched new hydraulic elements that help achieve the fluid cleanliness levels demanded by systems operating at high pressures.

Donaldson found that in some hydraulic applications it was common to encounter cleanliness codes around 22/20/17, meaning that you could anticipate somewhere between two and four million particles at four microns or

that hold thousands of litres of oil. The volume of contamination being pumped through tight tolerance components at extreme pressures can be overwhelming.

High efficiency filtration should be utilised wherever practicable.

By lowering the ISO 4406 cleanliness levels of hydraulic fluid, mine sites can significantly reduce the risk and frequency of equipment maintenance and downtime. This improvement enables them to realise new possibilities with their machinery, enhancing productivity and operational efficiency.

In the absence of an adequate multiflow filter solution, many operators have implemented kidney loop systems or independent filtration units. These systems contain their own motor, pump and filter elements, providing a steadystate low flow of hydraulic oil to help maintain cleanliness levels.

However, these systems can also be problematic and introduce additional issues.

Donaldson has eliminated the need for costly kidney loop additions in most cases by replacing the existing onmachine return elements with filters that incorporate advanced technology media.

During a general meeting at a mine site, Donaldson addressed the issue of

component failures due to high cleanliness codes. These high-pressure, tight-tolerance components are very costly to replace, and their failure leads to significant lost production.

The trial commenced, with the identification of a particular machine deemed the ideal candidate for trials. This older machine had 80,000 hours of operation and was due for a filter and oil replacement at the next service interval.

The goal was to reduce the ISO cleanliness codes and extend the service intervals by replacing the original return filters with Donaldson’s new high-efficiency filters.

In the first thousand hours of the trial, Donaldson observed a significant improvement in fluid cleanliness. Consequently, the decision was made to remove the problematic and costly kidney loop filtration system.

Even after removing the kidney loop system, Donaldson continued to see improvements in the fluid’s cleanliness as the aged system was continually polished.

The mine site now regularly achieves cleanliness levels as low as 14/13/9, meaning Donaldson has reduced the contaminants from between two and

DONALDSON’S FILTRATION SOLUTIONS BOOST MACHINE AVAILABILITY AND MINE SITE PRODUCTIVITY.

translates to a 99 per cent reduction in four-micron contaminants.

It’s common for aged machines to consistently return membrane patch colorimetry (MPC) levels of 50 or more, which is classified as critical.

One unforeseen benefit of the new high-efficiency filters was the reduction of varnish potential. After the first 1000 hours of using Donaldson’s highefficiency filters, the site experienced an unprecedented reduction in MPC values to less than 10.

Due to the reduction of varnish, the machine’s valves are operating smoother, and there has been a significant decrease in contamination alarms.

These improvements have resulted in greater overall machine availability.

This particular machine was only recently parked up due to its age, and the site noted that the machine has never had oil as clean as it does now. Additionally, the varnish potential has never been so low.

Improved machine availability is the key, and Donaldson has accomplished what it set out to do. By providing incredibly clean oil, the company has successfully reduced component wear and ensured parts don’t fail prematurely. Additionally, Donaldson has been able to mitigate the challenges associated with problematic varnish potential.

The site has since implemented highefficiency filtration across its entire excavator fleet and continues to reap the benefits of incredibly clean oil and low MPC values.

The Australian mining industry is fortunate to have a solutions-driven filtration partner like Donaldson at its side. While Donaldson may be one of the world’s best-kept secrets, its global footprint is no accident. Through constant innovation, media development and collaboration with customers, Donaldson has established itself as the leader in filtration.

End dangerous and non-compliant bund walls.

Automated, real-time bund wall safety assessments with BundAware™

Maintaining compliant and safe bund wall heights is essential, but manual visual assessments are labour-intensive, costly, and often not done at a frequency sufficient to ensure ongoing site safety.

BundAware™ revolutionises bund wall compliance at tip heads by automating the entire process with cutting-edge scanning technology. Mounted onto trucks, BundAware™ scans bund walls on approach, providing drivers with real-time, in-cab alerts and footage of the tip head.

Non-compliant bund walls are also flagged and geo-referenced within the Decoda Detect cloud portal and site stakeholders are automatically alerted to the location of the non-compliant bund.

Ensure ongoing bund wall compliance & site safety

Conduct quicker, more accurate & more cost-effective bund wall assessments

Enable proactive & preventative bund management

The future of mining is digital. Explore how BundAware™ is helping avoid truck rollovers and ensure ongoing site safety and productivity. www.decoda.cominfo@decoda.com

Reduce the chances of severe accidents caused by unsafe bunds

ELECTRIFYING AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIAN POWER EQUIPMENT IS POWERING UP THE MINING INDUSTRY WITH A RANGE OF TRIED-AND-TRUE EQUIPMENT.

Australian Power Equipment has been involved in the mining sector since 2020, but the company’s story begins long before that.

Dual directors Abby Crawford and Andrew Cockbain bring 60 years of combined industry experience to Australian Power Equipment, which has a long history of developing some of Australia’s largest companies.

According to Crawford, Australian Power Equipment’s low-, medium- and high-voltage solutions have made a significant impact since their launch into the sector.

“We work with our clients to review their scope of work and provide power solutions that fit their requirements, or frequently create better outcomes for their site,” Crawford told Australian Mining.

These solutions herald from Australian Power Equipment’s partnership with industry brands such as cable manufacturer Üntel, substation leader WE Walters, and switchgear provider Leistung Energie, and B&D Transformer.

As agents of these globallyrecognised brands, Crawford said Australian Power Equipment is well positioned to draw on their expertise to take on any challenge its mining customers may face.

“We recently travelled to Istanbul to meet with Üntel’s cable manufacturing team,” she said. “Our goal was to work together to create an enhanced

cable product with a harder sheath, as well as a flexible conductor that was more suitable to the harsher conditions of a particular mine site in Western Australia.

“The outcome was a superior Australian and International Electrotechnical Commission standard-compliant product with a longer operational cycle that reduces replacement timelines, increases availability to the mine, and is even more sustainable.”

While working to innovate new products is part and parcel of Australian Power Equipment’s commitment to delivering quality to its customers, the company is also focused on extending the life of existing products.

“We have a considerable listing of second-hand and refurbished stock which we can provide in a short timeframe for sale or hire, helping our clients looking to get power back on quickly,” Cockbain told Australian Mining.

When new power equipment is manufactured to specifications, it can understandably have an extensive production and shipping turnaround time, often in excess of 40 weeks.

One of Australian Power Equipment’s key strengths is its ability work with clients that require an accelerated solution through its critical sourcing services.

Whether new or used equipment, Cockbain emphasised Australian Power Equipment’s sourcing as

being invaluable to customers with urgent requirements.

“We have been able to provide a switchroom in 12 weeks by overhauling second-hand equipment,” he said. “This enabled the client to meet their production requirements and significantly reduce operating costs.

“We also utilise our in-stock products to provide a short-term solution while new power equipment is being manufactured and shipped through short-term rental, again enabling an end client to get power on quickly.”

A critical drive breakdown is a major challenge for Australia’s mine sites, with unplanned shutdowns impeding production and coming at huge costs to operators.

“Time and time again, we have been able to source parts and have them delivered to site as an expedited solution,” Cockbain said.

Australian Power Equipment prioritises nurturing shared goals and values with its supply chain, and working with them to create sustainable pathways.

“Our relationships with our supply chain mean we can focus on ensuring products are always of the highest quality and comply with all Australian and international regulations,” Crawford said.

“We also provide ongoing support to customers in developing improvements and solutions for specific site requirements.”

It’s this commitment to ensuring customers’ needs are met into the future that Crawford said is a key pillar of the Australian Power Equipment brand.

“Customer service is our most valued offering,” she said. “We’re an agile team providing intelligent solutions to help our customers meet their goals.” AM

AUSTRALIAN POWER EQUIPMENT DIRECTOR ANDREW COCKBAIN.

AUSTRALIAN POWER EQUIPMENT DIRECTOR ABBY CRAWFORD.

AUSTRALIAN POWER EQUIPMENT’S LOW-, MEDIUM- AND HIGH-VOLTAGE SOLUTIONS HAVE MADE AN IMPACT SINCE THEIR LAUNCH.

In Australia, and all over the world, we help businesses with their digital transformation by integrating their technologies - AI, IoT, Data, Cloud, Connectivity, Cybersecurity.

BACKING THE PNG MINING SECTOR

THE 2024 PNG INDUSTRIAL AND MINING RESOURCES EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE WILL BE SPONSORED BY A NUMBER OF KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS.

When the 2024 PNG Industrial and Mining Resources Exhibition and Conference (PNG Expo) opens its doors in July, attendees can expect a packed program backed by some of the biggest names in the industry.

Hastings Deering

As the gold sponsor of the PNG Expo, Hastings Deering is looking forward to forging more industry connections at the exhibition.

“Hastings Deering PNG is very excited to be supporting the PNG Expo,” Hastings Deering country general manager PNG and Solomon Islands Andrew Dare said. “We have been delivering CAT products, services and rebuilds to PNG since 1949.”

The equipment provider is always looking for ways to advance the Pacific nation’s mining sector.

“From providing the latest CAT machines to training local staff, Hastings Deering PNG is at the forefront of supporting the development of the industry and its people in PNG,” Dare said. “We are not only supporting the resource industry but also contributing to the local communities we operate in.”

BizPrint and Scan

BizPrint and Scan, along with its parent company Remington Group, has a very clear ethos under which it operates: deeds, not words. Putting this principle into practice, BizPrint and Scan has taken on the responsibility of being the PNG Expo’s print partner.

“Remington Group is on the record as being a strong supporter of smallto-medium businesses in PNG and of living loyal to local,” Remington Group chief executive officer Peter Goodwin said. “Being loyal to local is what we’re all about.”

A 100 per cent PNG-owned company, BizPrint and Scan offers a one-stop-shop experience, delivering seamless end-to-end print and business solutions for its customers.

Goodwin emphasised the value the company sees in sponsoring the PNG Expo.

“We see our participation in the PNG Expo as a tangible and valuable opportunity to showcase our commitment to the PNG resources sector,” he said. “We aim to forge meaningful connections with industry players by taking part in events like this, where we can showcase our expertise and innovative business print and scan solutions.

“Our partnerships with local stakeholders further demonstrate our

loyalty and commitment to sustainable development and long-term growth in PNG and the Pacific region.”

Islands Petroleum

As a silver sponsor of the PNG Expo, Islands Petroleum is keen to network with other industry figures when the event opens its doors.

“Supporting the PNG Expo offers Islands Petroleum an opportunity to exhibit our brand, quality products, and dependable services while also fostering connections with key industry players,” Islands Petroleum marketing manager Kavitha Bluett said.

“Most importantly, sponsoring such an event underscores our dedication to both our community and the advancement of PNG’s resources sector.”

As the authorised distributor of Mobil lubricants in PNG, Islands Petroleum has been fuelling the sector for the past four decades. In other words, the company is heavily invested in the success of the Pacific nation.

“Islands Petroleum’s involvement in the PNG resources sector provides a dependable and secure supply chain, maintaining uninterrupted service to our customers,” Bluett said.

“We are a solutions-focused business which, together with our robust supply chain, helps our customers grow and develop their resources business.

“And as part of our PNG heritage, we maintain a strong connection to the communities in the regions where we operate.”

TriCab

As a premium supplier of highperformance flexible cable and accessories, TriCab understands the importance of staying connected.

With a commitment to providing its customers with engineered cable solutions to save time and costs, TriCab has been a provider to PNG markets for several years and is eager to grow its partnership with the Pacific nation.

It’s this very drive that has prompted TriCab to be a silver sponsor at the PNG Expo.

TriCab Queensland state manager Shane Plumridge is especially excited to be involved.

“We look forward to showcasing our products and people at this event, and demonstrating our ability to design, create and supply bespoke cable for specific industry needs,” Plumridge said.

“As the global demand for raw material increases, TriCab intends to grow in trust with PNG by undertaking continuous improvement efforts to deliver quality solutions for mining operations. At TriCab, we listen and respond to a range of customer needs, remaining innovative in our operations to ensure we can meet demands of all markets, existing and emerging.”

Held from July 3–4 at the Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby, the PNG Expo will feature over 100 displays of equipment. The conference will showcase experts from across the resources sector, presenting on challenges and opportunities for the local industry. AM

Next Generation Rail Haulage

Transforming Rail Haulage with New Rolling Stock

Martinus is transforming rail haulage with a full-scale develop, build, own, operate and maintain model. Our new rolling stock boosts operational efficiency, delivering more tonnes reliably while incorporating the latest environmentally-friendly technologies. Additionally, through our partnership with InfraPay, we offer a unique Infrastructure Financing, Construction & Ownership Platform (FBoot Model) that converts capex to opex, releasing capital and enabling build-now-pay-later solutions.

MAKING MINING MAGIC

BULK2024 AND THE AUSTRALIAN BULK HANDLING AWARDS WILL RETURN TO MELBOURNE IN SEPTEMBER. WHAT CAN ATTENDEES EXPECT?

Mining and bulk material handling have always gone hand-in-hand.

Indeed, many facets of a mine site are dedicated to the transportation of ore. Conveyor belts and vertical conveyors might be the most obvious ones, but equipment such as buckets, bucket elevators, vibrating and drum screens, crushers, mills, sand washers and dehydrating machines all play their part, too.

Advancing Australia’s netzero climate commitments will require the production of more minerals, and mines must have the infrastructure in place to transport these much-needed ores.

It’s for this reason that the resources industry will play a major role at the upcoming Australian Bulk Handling Expo (BULK2024).

Held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre from September 18–19, the event aims to spread industrial knowledge, showcase the latest technologies and innovations in the bulk handling and mining sectors, and provide an opportunity to network with like-minded peers.

BULK2024 show director Lauren Chartres said that while the event will bring producers of bulk commodities together, there will be a special focus on how other sectors can learn from the resources industry.

“There is so much happening in the mining industry, and the scale of the technology that’s used creates engineering challenges and solutions that could help other industries,” she said. “Tapping into that wealth of knowledge and expertise can help businesses find an edge.”

The latest in equipment will be on display at BULK2024, including conveyors, silos, motors and drives, belt scrapers, container tipplers, dustcontrol systems, and weighing or levelmeasuring products.

In the dynamic landscape of bulk handling, automation plays a pivotal role in optimising efficiency and streamlining operations. BULK2024 will showcase the latest examples of these solutions.

“The mining industry is embracing innovative new technology,” Chartres said. “Industry 4.0, automation and artificial intelligence have the potential to radically change the way businesses operate.

“Our mission is to equip the industry with the right tools. In line with market feedback, BULK2024 will focus on industry trends such as the future of automation and addressing key challenges currently faced by the industry.”

BULK2024 will be held in conjunction with one of Australia’s biggest transport, logistics and supply chain events, MEGATRANS.

The two events will be hosted in over 30,000 square metres at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, with one-ticket entry for access to both exhibitions.

“We’re inviting everyone to be a part of this game-changing expo – from hands-on decision-makers in the bulk handling industry to chief executive officers, chief operating officers, regulatory bodies, and state and federal governments,” Chartres said.

“We’ve seen how impactful bringing the industry together was at BULK2022 and are excited to see the industry continue to grow.”

The Australian Bulk Handling Awards will also be held in conjunction with BULK2024.

As the only awards program specifically for the bulk handling

industry, the awards are an opportunity to celebrate innovative practices and superior performances across the year.

Engineered solutions supplier Kinder Australia is a sponsor of the awards. Kinder Australia sales and marketing manager Sam Veal said the event program deeply resonates with the company and reflects its core value of innovation, especially in the area of dust control.

“Dust is a by-product for almost all bulk material handling industries,” he said. “Kinder eagerly looks forward to supporting and embracing dust containment and preventive solutions that will further elevate this remarkable industry that we are proud to be a part of.”

Veal said Kinder’s commitment to dust management is ingrained in its values, serving as the driving force behind their innovative solutions.

“With a focus on safety, reliability and performance, Kinder Australia has become a trusted partner to many of the leading players in the bulk material handling industry,” he said.

“The industry holds immense potential for the emergence of exciting new technologies that can drive positive change.”

BULK2024 RETURNS TO MELBOURNE IN SEPTEMBER.

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CREATING CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS

AUSIMM’S 2024 CRITICAL MINERALS CONFERENCE IS BRINGING AUSTRALIA’S ROLE IN REACHING NET-ZERO FRONT AND CENTRE.

As the regional director for IPA’s Asia Pacific region, Sally Glen understands the ins and out of the critical minerals industry.

“IPA is a specialist consultant that does capital project benchmarking and consulting, with a database of over 23,000 projects globally,” Glen told Australian Mining

“A lot of the work we do around the world is in the critical minerals area.”

It’s this experience that has led Glen to become a keynote speaker at AusIMM’s 2024 Critical Minerals Conference. To be held in Brisbane from August 26–28, the event will see the conversation focus on the role of mining in reaching net-zero by 2050.

succeed and what makes them have problems,” she said.

“Critical minerals projects need technological innovation, and that requires time and costs; things that many operators don’t have enough of.”

Glen’s keynote speech will focus on what the broader resources industry can do to help the critical mineral sector succeed.

“One of the key factors for project success is not trying to go too fast,” she said. “If a project is rushed, like if it’s not able to complete its scoping studies properly, then it won’t find its clear path forward to approval and completion.

reviewed hundreds of capital projects. The fact she knows the industry inside and out is evident in Glen’s passion for the sector.

“We’re blessed with incredible natural resources in Australia, and we are an internationally recognised location for mining and minerals,” she said. “Our ore puts us into the worldwide critical minerals space, but also into the renewable space.

“Australia is in an advantageous and unique position and we need to follow the fundamentals that are needed for successful asset development.”

Glen believes one of the main reasons Australia is so well-placed to capitalise on the net-zero transition is its experience.

“We’ve been here before; we’ve seen boom cycles and we’ve seen bust ones,” she said. “Everyone knows they have a responsibility to address the fundamentals of critical minerals mining and come back stronger.”

The central position of the critical minerals industry in this transition is well-documented, but that doesn’t mean the sector is immune to challenges.

Glen described the industry as “boom and bust”, liable to go from high to low quickly in regard to economic output and growth.

“The sector is pretty hot right now, and we know what makes projects

“I’m planning on leaving attendees with a handful of key things that they should be doing or thinking about to allow projects to reach the end stage properly.”

With a focus on collaborating with client capital champions and decisionmakers to manage project risk, Glen has always taken a hands-on approach to her work in mining.

As a previous director and senior analyst at IPA Australia and having started her career as a project manager at Rio Tinto, Glen has personally

Looking ahead to AusIMM’s 2024 Critical Minerals Conference, Glen said she is looking forward to seeing creativity shine.

“It’s a fabulous opportunity not only for career growth and networking but also for sharing all of the exciting things that are happening in the sector now,” she said. “We know that our clients are now incorporating things

like greenhouse gas measures into their development projects, so critical minerals will be the key to helping them further this.

“Along with sustainability, creativity and innovation is going to have to come to the fore both now and in the future. I would encourage everyone to come to the conference, see what’s on offer and bring their whole selves to listen critically and authentically to the content.” AM

KEYNOTE SPEAKER, IPA ASIA PACIFIC REGIONAL DIRECTOR SALLY GLEN.

ACHIEVING OPTIMAL TAILINGS

DEWATERING EFFICIENCY

filter press manufactured in a modular design with unique flexibility for the efficient, responsible, and high-throughput dewatering of coal tailings.

The robust ANDRITZ heavy-duty belt press comprises impressive features such as a reliable belt tension system and a flexible drive (hydraulic or electric). Its efficiency can be further enhanced by integrating the Metris addIQ RheoScan.

The Metris addIQ RheoScan is an AI-powered camera system that automatically adjusts and optimises the polymer dose 24–7. It provides maximum flexibility for remote monitoring, eliminating the need for constant on-site supervision.

The ANDRITZ heavy-duty belt press can achieve up to 50 per cent higher throughputs compared to other comparable competitor machines, low residual moisture of the final product, optimised flocculant consumption with RheoScan, reliable non-stop operation and high availability, and flexible operating parameters. The belt press also has a small footprint with easy access for maintenance.

• andritz.com

THE NEXT GENERATION OF DRILLING POWER

Epiroc has introduced new features to its DM30 XC rotary blasthole drill rig to improve safety and efficiency, all while reducing carbon emissions.

Described as the “next-gen (of) drilling power”, the Epiroc DM30 XC has a single-pass depth of 8.5m and maximum hole depth of 45.1m.

It also boasts a 9.1m drill pipe change and can handle drill pipe sizes ranging from 102mm to 159mm and a weight on bit of 20,000kg.

Now, the drill rig has been enhanced to include advanced lubrication systems, reinforced components like an upgraded rotary head, and improved safety features such as the upgraded jack screw, the tower-locking cylinder reinforcement and the double pump shaft.

The new features intend to extend the work life of the drill rig while minimising maintenance requirements, leading to increased operational efficiencies and reduced downtime and peace of mind for operators.

• epiroc.com/en-au

ECO-FRIENDLY POWER GENERATION

The Atlas Copco ZBP45, also known as the ZenergiZe, is a portable energy storage system designed for clean and quiet power generation. Leveraging lithiumion battery technology, its compact size and lightweight design make it ideal for noisesensitive environments like urban and residential construction sites.

The ZBP45 significantly reduces fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

With a single charge, it can provide power for over 12 hours, making it suitable for applications with variable loads or lowpower needs. The unit can be charged from very low to full power in fewer than 60 minutes, helping to ensure operators don’t experience unnecessary downtime.

The ZBP45 can be used as a standalone source of power or in conjunction with other sources such as diesel, solar, mains power and wind.

Easy to use and maintain, the ZBP45 offers a versatile and eco-friendly solution for portable power needs.

• atlascea.com.au

A LID LIFTING SOLUTION

Sydney-based Container Rotation Systems (CRS) has added an electronically managed lid removal and replacement system to its containerised bulk handling portfolio.

The standalone system is designed to be installed at the processing plant where containers have to be loaded in a fully contained and environmentally safe manner. Containers are places in the lid lifting station where the lids are removed. The container is then filled and weighed to reach the design gross weight required. Finally, the lid is replaced and the container is moved to a marshalling area or direct to transport logistics.

The lid removal and placement system utilises universal mounting points, which means it can easily accommodate different containers. The system can be installed as a free-standing asset or mounted to the building structure.

CRS backs its products and customers with data-logging capabilities. The CRS rotainer remote monitoring software provides 24–7 back up support services in this regard.

Don’t spend more on tailings than you have to.

Weir Minerals’ unmatched technology and expertise means you can find a solution that’s built to your operational and site requirements. We’ve reduced customer energy consumption by 51%, average water usage by 76% and lowered TCO all while safely improving the stability of tailings and reducing the tailings footprint. Plus, we can even help re-purpose waste into useful materials for dam wall construction and backfill that saves valuable resources and increases efficiency.

Now it’s your turn to re-think tailings with a Weir Minerals tailored solution. global.weir/rethink_tailings

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS

EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU

PNG Industrial & Mining Resources Exhibition and Conference

Port Moresby, PNG | July 3–4

The 2024 PNG Industrial & Mining Resources Exhibition will showcase over 100 local, national and international manufacturers and suppliers with the latest innovations in the industrial, mining and oil and gas sectors.

The two-day exhibition is the premier meeting place to connect and network with thousands of industry decision makers across a broad industry reach, including senior management, procurement, government personnel, engineers, contractors and trade technicians.

With extensive support from key stakeholders in government, associations and industry, PNG2024 is a premier meeting place for industry trade and a forum for establishing high-quality customer contacts and conducting business.

• pngexpo.com

QME 2024

Mackay | July 23–25

The Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition (QME) connects leading suppliers and technical experts with those seeking better efficiency, better productivity and increased optimisation for their business and site.

QME will feature over 250 suppliers as well as a free-to-attend seminar series giving you the opportunity to hear from industry professionals addressing the current needs of the industry.

With live demonstrations and topical presentations, QME will be the ultimate destination for the Queensland mining industry.

QME is a key place for the industry to come together to be inspired, innovate and connect over three days.

In one of the world’s most dynamic industries, QME has maintained its relevance and importance within the mining sector. It’s the event you simply cannot miss.

• queenslandminingexpo.com.au

International Future Mining Conference 2024

Sydney | September 2–4

The 6th International Future Mining Conference will explore transformative technologies, champion innovation and push the boundaries of possibility.

The carefully curated 2024 conference program will review the digital leap, mining in extreme environments, future skills requirements, opportunity exploration, energy innovations and a green mining future.

Experience the world of digital transformation, the vast potential of space mining and explore decarbonisation strategies,

circular economy models and waste management in Sydney from September 2–4.

• ausimm.com/conferences-and-events/ future-mining

Australian Mining Prospect Awards

Perth | October 9

Mining has always been part of Australia’s landscape, playing a major part in the development of this nation from its early days.

The sector remains vibrant and innovative, and for more than a decade, the Australian Mining Prospect Awards have been the only national awards program to stop, take a look at what the mining industry is doing, and reward those who are excelling and going above and beyond.

The Awards are the most esteemed and prestigious awards program for the mining and minerals processing industry within Australia.

• prospectawards.com.au

WA Mining Conference and Exhibition

Perth | October 9–10

The WA Mining Conference and Exhibition will integrate the innovation and research ecosystem while addressing the social and environmental standards driving a more sustainably conscious industry.

The largely expanded exhibition will

showcase the technical and digital innovation across the entire mining value chain, while the highly targeted conference will illustrate the economic importance of Western Australia and its contribution to the resource technology sector, its innovation capability, its job creation, and the attraction of capital to the state.

WA Mining is the ultimate event for mining and engineering professionals, showcasing the technical and digital evolution transforming the mining industry in Western Australia

• waminingexpo.com.au

IMARC 2024

Sydney | October 29–31

The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) is where people from across the entire industry come together to deliver ideas and inspiration. Learn from in excess of 500 mining leaders and resource experts throughout seven concurrent conferences with a program covering the entire mining value chain. Attend one of the many networking events or catch up with industry colleagues on the exhibition show floor featuring more than 470 leading companies. There will be endless opportunities to network, brainstorm and share knowledge over the three days at the ICC Sydney.

• imarcglobal.com