Australian Mining - Nov 2017 by Prime Creative Media

DIGITAL MINING PROSPECT AWARDS VOLUME 109/10 NOVEMBER 2017

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COMMENT

MINING’S ELITE DELIVERS VALUABLE LESSONS BEN CREAGH

Ben.Creagh@primecreative.com.au

THE 2017 AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS WERE A REMINDER OF THE KEY TRENDS THAT HAVE BECOME INTEGRAL TO THE MINING INDUSTRY.

column that has featured in each edition of Australian Mining this year has covered Deloitte’s annual Tracking the Trends report. The Deloitte report, which has been published for the past nine years, serves as a great guide to the mining industry over the previous 12 months and where it’s heading in the upcoming year. This year’s offering from Deloitte pointed to trends like unlocking productivity improvement, operating in an ecosystem, the digital revolution, and creating healthy and inclusive workforces. Encouragingly, trends such as these were notable themes at the 2017 Australian Mining Prospect Awards in October. It was remarkable how many award winners or finalists at this year’s event were shaping their operations with these strategies in mind. For example, look at Anglo American’s Morandah North coal operation, winner of the MMD Australian Mine of the Year. Moranbah North’s journey to this honour started at the beginning of this decade after the operation was restructured to improve performance at the site. Anglo’s strategy at the mine quickly lifted Morandah North’s productivity and output of coal, but management didn’t become complacent and has continued to push the boundaries to unlock further efficiencies. The miner, knowingly or not, has also ticked many of the boxes when it comes to Deloitte’s recommendations in its trends report Firstly, the constant focus on productivity improvement has seen the mine increase its output of coal year after year, with Anglo

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

focusing on identifying increases beyond the ‘low-hanging fruit’. To achieve this growth, Moranbah North management pursued innovation by implementing several new technologies, while also collaborating with its workforce to develop a more inclusive environment and culture that urged employees to contribute to the process. Today, Moranbah North finds itself as a standout coal operation for Anglo American in Australia, with it on track to reach record output in 2017. It’s a promising sign to see that operators like Anglo and the advisors that support companies of its ilk are on the same wavelength. And I must say, this also shows that the Prospect Awards are more than just an opportunity to honour the industry’s best, but also to learn from them – like we have with Moranbah North’s story.

In this edition of Australian Mining, we profile equipment manufacturer BELAZ, its strategy in the Australian marketplace and which products it will introduce for the local mining industry. This issue also reviews the 2017 Prospect Awards, including profiles of each winner and why they were recognised at this year’s event in Sydney. We look at the gold exploration sector in Western Australia and the projects that are set to boost the ounces mined in the Goldfields region in the coming decade. This edition also covers the digital mining endeavours of Schneider Electric and how the company is collaborating with miners to transform their operations in Australia. And as usual, we review the latest mining technology and equipment in our regular Product Showcase spread.

Ben Creagh Editor

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CONTENTS

MINING EQUIPMENT

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

A MANUFACTURER RETURNS BELAZ looks to make a machinery comeback

12-13

A NEW RUSH Gold exploration is on the rise in WA

44-45 PROSPECT AWARDS

TECHNOLOGY

14-32 CELEBRATING THE BEST OF THE INDUSTRY A review of this year’s Prospect Awards in Sydney

SCHNEIDER AND AIROBOTICS Schneider’s four pillars and Airobotics’ drone game changer

46-49 AUTOMATION

EQUIPMENT FOCUS

50-52

STAYING ON TOP OF BIG DATA Rockwell Automation’s digital transformation effort

NATIONAL PLANT AND ALBION Operational synergy and industry auctioneers

TRACKING THE TRENDS

MEASUREMENT & MONITORING

DIVERSITY AND WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT Deloitte stresses the importance of inclusivity

PLANT CONTROL AND AUTOMATION On the importance of encoders

DIGITAL MINING

SAFETY

THE ANALYTICS OF MINING Snowden discusses the importance of big data

ENWARE IMPROVES SAFETY Enware’s emergency eye washes and showers showcased

MEGATRANS2018

MAINTENANCE

AUTOMATION AND OPTIMISATION A look at mining’s key logistics trends ahead of MEGATRANS2018

42-43

CRC INDUSTRIES Australia’s leading lubricant supplier

REGULARS

NEWS 10

PRODUCT SHOWCASE 56-57 AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2017

EVENTS 58

intelligent trucking safer. stronger. smarter. introducing sandvikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iseries tH663i and tH551i trucks - the smart solution for intelligent mine productivity. The new iSeries is safer, more efficient, more reliable, and easier to maintain, enabling trucking to be more productive than ever before. Find out more about the iSeriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; improvements, new features and automation capabilities at mining.sandvik. Imagined by customers. Engineered by Sandvik.

NEWS

THE LATEST MINING NEWS AND SAFETY AUSTRALIAN MINING PRESENTS THE LATEST NEWS AND SAFETY AFFECTING YOU FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE MINE AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. VISIT WWW.AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. RIO COMPLETES FIRST FULLY AUTONOMOUS RAIL JOURNEY IN PILBARA

A RIO TINTO TRAIN IN THE PILBARA. CREDIT: RIO TINTO

Rio Tinto is a step closer to its goal of having a network of driverless trains in the Pilbara after undertaking the first fully autonomous rail journey at the Western Australian iron ore operations. The company is aiming to fully commission the AutoHaul driverless train project by late next year. The nearly 100km pilot run was completed

without a driver on board, according to Rio, making it the first fully autonomous heavy haul train journey ever completed in Australia. Rio, with representatives from the National Rail Safety Regulator, monitored the journey in real time from the company’s operations centre in Perth. The miner regards the pilot run from

Wombat Junction to Paraburdoo as a significant step towards full commissioning of AutoHaul, which will depend on it meeting safety and acceptance criteria and obtaining regulatory approvals. Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Chris Salisbury said the pilot run put the company firmly on track to meet its goal of operating the world’s first fully autonomous heavy haul, long distance rail network. “Gains from AutoHaul are already being realised including reduced variability and increased speed across the network, helping to reduce average cycle times,” he said. “Rio Tinto is proud to be a leader in innovation and autonomous technology in the global mining industry which is delivering long-term competitive advantages as we build the mines of the future. “New roles are being created to manage our future operations and we are preparing our current workforce for new ways of working to ensure they remain part of our industry.” Rio originally launched the driverless trains project in 2012, and had plans to have the program fully installed by 2015.

ADANI SELECTS TOWNSVILLE AND ROCKHAMPTON AS CARMICHAEL FIFO HUBS

CENTURY ZINC MINE ON TRACK FOR 2018 RESTART New Century Resources has secured $US45 million ($58 million) in funding for the restart of the Century zinc mine in Queensland. Perth-based New Century is reviving the mine at a time when zinc prices have reached 10-year highs as global supply of the base metal has tightened. The company has signed a term sheet for the three-year debt facility with global resources fund, Sprott Resource Lending. It will use the funds to progress development of the Century operation towards the planned restart. New Century said the funding put the company on track to become a “globally significant zinc producer” in 2018. The company, through contractor Sedgman, expects to release a feasibility study for the Century restart next month. New Century executive chairman Evan Cranston said the debt facility was secured on attractive terms. “The facility will allow the team to expedite its activities for the targeted restart of the Century zinc mine, with the funding used for the commissioning process and achievement of first production in 2018,” Cranston said. ASX-listed New Century owns a 70 per cent share of the Century operation, with an option to lift its ownership to 100 per cent. The company said it intended to pursue Century Bull’s 30 per cent share in the operation to take complete ownership. AUSTRALIANMINING

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

India’s Adani has chosen Townsville and Rockhampton as the Queensland cities to host the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) hubs for the Carmichael coal operation in the Galilee Basin. Adani, which last year named the two cities on a shortlist for the FIFO hubs, approved development of the $16.5 billion operation in June. The company said the two cities delivered strong individual business cases to “fly solo” as Carmichael’s FIFO hub, but would instead be the twin marshalling points for the project. Adani Australia chief executive Jeyakumar Janakaraj said the FIFO decision had been difficult, describing both cities as winners. “Rockhampton and Townsville put in commercially strong and competitive bids to be the single FIFO hub for the Carmichael project,” Janakaraj said. “The bottom line for Adani was the size of the workforce needed, both in the construction stage and the operational stage, as well as our commitment to generate jobs across regional Queensland. “The construction and operational stages will trigger 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in central and north Queensland over the life of the mine.” Adani recently launched pre-construction works at Carmichael, including refurbishment of the mining camp. It has named Downer as Carmichael’s mining contractor and has also awarded contracts worth more than $150 million for rail lines and sleepers. Janakaraj also declared the Carmichael project officially under way.

NOVEMBER 2017

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MINING EQUIPMENT

BELAZ OFFERS EQUIPMENT FLEXIBILITY FOR AUSTRALIAN MARKETPLACE BELAZ BELIEVES THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR THE COMPANY TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN AUSTRALIA WITH ITS MINING MACHINERY. BEN CREAGH REPORTS.

ining equipment manufacturer BELAZ is plotting its reemergence in the Australian

market. The Belarusian company, which offers the world’s largest dump truck at 450 tonnes (pictured below), scaled back its presence in Australia during the commodities downturn. With market conditions rebounding,

however, BELAZ believes this year has presented the opportune time for the company to re-establish its equipment on Australian shores. BELAZ has grown into one of the world’s leading mining equipment manufacturers since it was founded in 1948, now manufacturing around 145,000 machines annually for distribution to more than 70 countries. It has, however, not had a huge impact in the Australian marketplace despite this global expansion.

AUSTRALIANMINING

BELAZ aims to change this by offering an extensive, and growing, range of dump trucks for open pit and underground applications, such as the 75602 360-tonne machine that is powered by an MTU 20V 4000 series diesel engine. The company is confident its range of purpose-built dump trucks, available in a variety of different payloads, will deliver significant value in the Australian mining industry as optimism continues to gather

NOVEMBER 2017

momentum. BELAZ also plans to entice the Australian market towards its equipment by providing cost and maintenance advantages that benefit the entire fleets of miners. The manufacturer’s major advantage, according to BELAZ head of commercial, overseas, Vasili Shostak, is that it can offer operators the lowest total cost of ownership for their fleet, including the initial cost and ongoing servicing.

MINING EQUIPMENT

THE BELAZ 75603 CARRIES UP TO 360 TONNES

“Unless the servicing or maintenance (of the equipment) isn’t done correctly, we can guarantee our total cost of ownership will be less than any other truck or dump truck,” Shostak told Australian Mining. “We are the only company that produces this kind of equipment on an assembly line – this is one of the ways we optimise the initial cost. “Apart from cost optimisation, this also gives us flexibility in the output volumes and with the help of the assembly line we can also optimise lead times with the manufacturing.” Shostak believes the company’s manufacturing model also leads to increased “freedom of choice” for mining companies that are more particular about the specifications of the equipment they require. This covers both the engines and drive systems of the trucks they manufacture, he said. “We use engines from well-known manufacturers like Cummins or MTU, and also in Russia we have projects at the moment where we use Scania or Liebherr engines in the trucks,” Shostak said. “We also use electric drives from Siemens or GE and there are a number of Russian companies that have proven themselves, in our experience, which also supply electrical drive systems. We offer a lot of flexibility - the client can build the truck they want specifically for the application.” Shostak said the company’s trucks

with a capacity of 90 tonnes and higher were designed to perform well in Australian conditions and have been tested in the harshest mining environments. He revealed the company was planning to introduce a 290-tonne truck to its range and was also exploring certain modifications to several existing machines, including an expansion of its range of electric and autonomous models. BELAZ is supplying its equipment to the Australian industry through Perth-based representative, Australasian Pacific Engineering Group (APEG) – a company it established a partnership with earlier this decade. APEG is responsible for the marketing of BELAZ’s equipment in the region, as well as for providing servicing and maintenance activities to users. Shostak said the relationship between the equipment manufacturer and APEG offered a lot of potential for the Belarusian company. “We believe in strong collaboration with the local representative, and for them to do all of the servicing and to provide the local support,” Shostak explained. “From our experience the end user always likes to deal with the local companies that have the experience and knowledge here in the (local mining) conditions.” BELAZ is hopeful of developing AUSTRALIANMINING

relationships with Australia’s major mining companies as well, with the likes of BHP, Rio Tinto and other transnational miners in the company’s sights. The company will also make modifications to its newer models so they satisfy safety regulations in Australia. Shostak said there were notable differences in safety requirements between Australia and other markets where the company’s equipment was being used. However, he is confident BELAZ’s

trucks will be well suited for Australian conditions, like they are in these other areas of the global mining industry. “We believe all of our mining trucks are ready to be operated here,” he said. “Starting from the 90-tonne truck and moving higher, we think that there will be demand here for those trucks, and we are sure that with the proper maintenance it will be much more cost effective to operate these trucks here in Australia compared to competitors.” AM

BELAZ MARKETING DIRECTOR VASILI SHOSTAK

NOVEMBER 2017

PROSPECT AWARDS WINNERS

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MINING CELEBRATES RENEWED OPTIMISM THE 14TH EDITION OF THE PROSPECT AWARDS SAW THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY COME TOGETHER TO ENJOY QUALITY FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT AND TO REFLECT ON A MORE POSITIVE YEAR FOR THE INDUSTRY.

Australian Mine of the Year sponsored by MMD Coal Mine of the Year sponsored by SEW-EURODRIVE Anglo American - Moranbah North mine Hard Rock Mine of the Year sponsored by Atlas Copco St Barbara Limited - Gwalia Gold Mine Contract Miner of the Year sponsored by Atlas Copco BCG Contracting Contribution to Mining sponsored by BGC Contracting Gina Rinehart, Hancock Prospecting Excellence in Mine Safety, OH&S - sponsored by Flexco YUMARR Automation JumboGuard Minerals Processing of the Year sponsored by VEGA Australia Grange Resources & Metso Savage River Mill Upgrade

he 2017 Australian Mining Prospect Awards was proof of how far the industry has come over the past year. Now in its 14th year, the Prospect Awards has spanned the recent cycles of the industry, from the mining boom to the commodities downturn. This year, the mood at the Ivy in Sydney clearly demonstrated that the cycle is on the way up. However, this attitude of renewed positivity was matched by a belief that the industry has learnt from the challenges of recent years and it would continue to focus on strategies around safety, productivity and efficiency. There are several reasons for the market improvement, with the increase in most commodity prices delivering an obvious boost. The tough decisions many companies had to make to restructure their operations during the downturn have

also paid off. Miners today continue to pursue productivity and safety improvements across their operations. But it’s how they are achieving these goals that shone through at this year’s awards. Companies are more than ever implementing digital technologies, they are collaborating to solve industry problems, and they are using innovative methods to manage their workforces. It was encouraging to see so many of the award winners and finalists showcasing these qualities. Anglo American’s Moranbah North coal mine in Queensland – winner of the MMD Mine of the Year Award – is an operation that has improved its performance significantly over the past six years. Moranbah North general manager Craig Manz said it was fantastic for the workforce at the mine to be recognised for this improvement. AUSTRALIANMINING

“To win what we have (at the Prospect Awards) has made the evening sensational. It has reinforced everything we have done and we can’t speak highly enough of what has gone on tonight, it has been so good,” Manz told Australian Mining. “Without a doubt, everyone from the coal face through to the leadership team puts in such a big effort. They are all committed and they want to make the mine successful.” Morris Corporation national resources manager Jay Jepsen, who accepted the MEGATRANS2018 Community Interaction Award, said the industry had moved on from a quiet period. “What we are seeing now is more buoyancy and I believe people are changing their focus now from the old boom days,” Jepsen said. “Everybody has moved on and has accepted that the boom is over. They are looking at what they have and

NOVEMBER 2017

Innovative Mining Solution sponsored by Austmine Centennial Coal - Myuna Herringbone System Excellence in Environmental Management - sponsored by Metso COLUMBUS Group - Carob: Renewable Mining Power Community Interaction Morris Corporation - PreEmployment Work Readiness Program making the best of that.” Jepsen said the Prospect Awards reflected the positivity that had returned to the industry. “Everyone has been reflecting on their years – they are reflecting on the hard times but they are also reflecting on what they have been able to achieve and they are looking forward,” Jepsen said. Hopefully this positivity continues until next year’s Prospect Awards and beyond. AM

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MORANBAH NORTH SCOOPS TOP AUSTRALIAN MINE HONOURS A FOCUSED APPROACH TO IMPROVING THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF ANGLO AMERICAN’S MORANBAH NORTH COAL MINE HAS PROVEN REWARDING FOR THE MAJOR MINING COMPANY.

here has been no room for complacency at Anglo American’s Moranbah North metallurgical coal mine in the Bowen Basin of Queensland. Anglo American has focused heavily on improving the safety and productivity at Moranbah North for the past six years. This constant focus has led to the operation being named the MMD Australian Mine of the Year and the SEW-Eurodrive Coal Mine of the Year at the 2017 Australian Mining Prospect Awards. The metallurgical coal mine’s performance has improved since its management launched an operational review of activities at the mine in 2011. Output at the operation had prior to the review been impacted by a fall of ground in the conveyor drift, which led to significant production constraints. While the incident was a major concern for the operation at the time, it emerged as a significant turning point in the mine’s history, which has spanned since underground longwall mining was launched at the site in 1998. In January 2012, a complete operational restructure was implemented to improve safety and deliver a roadmap to diversify the underground environment and improve the mine’s output each year. The foundation set almost six years ago has formed the basis for a high level of safety, underground and surface standards, production excellence and industry-leading innovation. Anglo American implemented a strategic production improvement program during 2012 that outlined a pipeline of projects aimed at executing a major step change at the site. The modifications included maximising focus on one longwall instead of two, and two development units instead of three. Moranbah North’s output almost doubled from 3.7 million tonnes in 2012 to 6.9 million tonnes in 2013, clearing the way for record-breaking returns in the following years. Since 2013, Anglo American

has also embraced longwall bidirectional cutting practices, as well as equipment automation, to deliver additional production increases. The improvement in output and safety at Moranbah North has been supported by operational and engineering suggestions that have been offered by all levels of the business, leading to an engaged and motivated workforce. Anglo’s initiatives at Moranbah North have it on track to deliver another production record in 2017, with the company forecasting output of 8.05 million tonnes. The company is confident of reaching this mark, having already surpassed 5 million tonnes in the fewest number of production days in the mine’s history. Moranbah North general manager Craig Manz said the team at the mine was planning to improve its performance even further in the coming years.

“We are on a journey. We are on track for 8 million tonnes this year and we will get that through,” Manz told Australian Mining. “Our next journey is to get to 10 milllion tonnes and to make that sustainable in the longer term for the operation.” The positive turnaround in focus at Moranbah North has been instrumental in developing an operation that consistently pushes the boundaries for the coal industry. Moranbah North constantly embraces equipment, emerging technologies and processes that improve the productivity and efficiency of the site, as well as enhancing the working lives of its employees. Anglo has introduced equipment such as VVVF face conveyor drives and LED lighting throughout the mine, and the workforce-initiated and award-winning Dust Gutter System for respirable dust reduction

MORANBAH NORTH MINE GENERAL MANAGER CRAIG MANZ AND SEWEURODRIVE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING MANAGER NSW GREG SMITH

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2017

on the longwall. The company is also investing in processes such as shotcreting and wet stonedusting travel roadways, pumpable cribs for standing tailgate support, and trialling leading-edge rib bolting technology to further improve the overall safety of the operation. Moranbah North management is driving technological advances like a customised visual strata hazard management system and underground tablets for livestreaming communications. In addition, workers at the mine have pioneered the use of the PDM3700 personal respirable dust monitor in Australia and are spearheading an effort to use them in greater capacity underground. Moranbah North is 88 per cent owned by Anglo American, with its minor stakeholders including Japan’s Nippon Steel (5 per cent) and Mitsui Coal (4.75 per cent). AM

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GWALIA GROWS OLD GRACEFULLY THE HISTORIC GWALIA GOLD MINE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA IS SET FOR THE NEXT STAGE IN ITS 120-YEAR LIFE AFTER ST BARBARA LAUNCHED AN EXTENSION PROJECT AT THE SITE THIS YEAR.

he Gwalia mine in Western Australia, winner of the Atlas Copco Hard Rock Mine of the Year, is a gold operation that keeps on giving. Since Gwalia was established in 1897 by Herbert Hoover, who later became the 31st President of the United States, the mine has produced 4 million ounces of gold. The foundations have this year been set by owner, St Barbara, for Gwalia to add significant ounces to this already impressive achievement. Gwalia, the cornerstone of the Leonora operations with reserves of 1.9 million ounces of gold at 7.9 grams a tonne, has re-emerged as one of Australia’s standout producers of the precious metal over the past decade. The journey to this strong position started in 2008 when first gold was poured from the mine after two years of redevelopment. The 100,000-ounce milestone at the upgraded operation was reached a year later. Gwalia is now preparing for its next

era almost a decade later, with St Barbara approving funding for a $100 million extension project in March this year. The mine’s main decline, called the Hoover Decline, was developed to 1600 metres below surface in 2016 to allow for production from a range of ore sources. The latest extension project, which will take two-and-a-half years to complete, aims to expand the operations to at least 2000 metres below surface, guaranteeing future production at the mine until 2024. Gwalia’s expansion involves two main components: a ventilation upgrade and a paste aggregate fill (PAF). The additional ventilation will come through raise bore intake and exhaust ventilation shafts, as well as associated power and cooling infrastructure needed to mine between 1800 and 2000 metres below surface. The PAF involves mixing paste from surface with waste rock crushed underground for stope fill. By disposing waste underground,

truck and ventilation resources are able to focus on ore production, increasing efficiency and production. It also enables faster stope filling and reduces stope cycle times. St Barbara expects the project will generate a higher financial return and increase the potential for further extensions. St Barbara managing director and chief executive officer, Bob Vassie, said the extension project’s approval launched a new phase in the Gwalia mine’s history. “Gwalia started in 1896 and it just keeps going,” Vassie said. “The project will ensure Gwalia can continue delivering strong, high margin gold production until at least 2024, with the foundation laid for further extensions to the mine life beyond this, as well as potential for increased production.” In January, St Barbara’s board approved a $6 million investment for project readiness and early works, including engineering, hiring project staff, contracting vendors and beginning underground works. These

BEN CREAGH (ON BEHALF OF ST BARBARA) WITH ATLAS COPCO MINING ROCK & EXCAVATION CFO CLAUDIA LEDESMA

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2017

activities now form part of the overall $100 million budget for the extension. If major resources are identified deeper than 2000 metres, the feasibility study indicates that additional infrastructure could extend ventilation to enable mining at 2200 metres. Gwalia’s processing plant is a conventional CIP circuit with capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per year of hard rock, or up to 1.8 million tonnes per year when softer material is blended. The mine’s other infrastructure includes a gas-fired power station, a paste fill plant and a refrigeration plant to cool the underground environment. A central part of the mine ventilation system is a 5.5-metre ventilation shaft, which at 800 metres long is the largest raise bored shaft ever drilled in Australia. Gwalia’s accommodation village was significantly upgraded in 2008 to incorporate energy efficient and environmentally-friendly initiatives. The camp received a certificate of merit in the 2009 Golden Gecko Awards for environmental excellence. AM

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RINEHART RAMPS UP CONTRIBUTION TO MINING AT ROY HILL THE SUCCESS OF THE ROY HILL IRON ORE OPERATION HIGHLIGHTS A LONG LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS IN MINING FOR HANCOCK PROSPECTING CHAIR GINA RINEHART.

ina Rinehart’s contribution to mining spans decades. The recipient of the 2017 BGC Contracting Contribution to Mining award has become one of the most well-known mining identities in Australia for her relentless commitment to grow the industry over this time. Rinehart, as the chairperson of Hancock Prospecting, has led the development of major mines around Australia and has helped ensure these operations provide benefits for the country’s economy and the local communities where they are based. It is a challenge to single out the most significant contribution Rinehart has made to mining, but the progress made at the Roy Hill iron ore operations headline her most recent achievements. Roy Hill hit a significant milestone this year by reaching its targeted 55 million tonne per annum monthly rate, making it the fastest iron ore operation to achieve this. Rinehart explained that Roy Hill, which has been in production since 2015, would also soon celebrate becoming the single largest iron ore mine in Australia. But as Rinehart told Australian Mining, the significance of the $10 billion operation extends much further than these production milestones, with more than 50,000 people being involved in its development. “Such highlights have brought benefits to many related industries that depend on mining and has certainly seen benefits during construction and ramp up for the West Australian economy, and will keep delivering benefits for years to come,” Rinehart said. “It has been a privilege to work on such a mega project and to see it from inception when Hancock found the ore at Roy after another company dropped the tenements, believing of little value, not having located the deposits Hancock’s exploration has.” Rinehart said Hancock started “very small, with very little money to spend” when exploring in a remote area to find the deposits that now

form the Roy Hill operations. “We studied and progressed towards development despite all the thousands of government approvals, permits and licences and other significant risks and roadblocks placed in front of us, we brought in at the end of the bankable feasibility study, minor partners who are very proud of where our mega project is today,” Rinehart explained. “We did this maintaining an above Pilbara and above West Australia industry average safety record and female participation rate, we have launched Australia’s first fleet of pink mining trucks, which we believe is also a world first, together with staff fundraising to assist breast cancer.” Prior to the emergence of Roy Hill, Hancock’s major achievement in the iron ore industry was Hope Downs, which became a joint venture with

Rio Tinto last decade. Hope Downs, which produced its first ore in 2007, also continues to grow as an operation, with the joint venture now developing the site’s fourth mine – Baby Hope. Rinehart’s focus on developing operations like Roy Hill and Hope Downs is matched by her passion to maintain the global competitiveness of the Australian mining industry. A notable passion of Rinehart’s is to help ease the regulatory burden that exists around securing approvals for new mining projects and extensions. Rinehart said Hancock had to secure more than 4000 approvals, permits and licences before construction of Roy Hill could even start. “Our mining industry cannot operate sustainably if we are not

internationally competitive,” Rinehart said. “One area that has not improved and significantly hampers our international competiveness is government red tape and the costs of this and the compliance burden. “Time-consuming and expensive government regulation and tape, and uncertainty of policies, uncertainties of extra government caused costs, such as whether a carbon tax in some unknown form or some form of emissions tax will be introduced, increasing taxes, such as in West Australia, make it very difficult for mining projects to be financed and to be able to proceed.” “It’s important and should be a priority that we speak up for our industry and its need to be internationally competitive.” Rinehart’s extensive contribution to the industry continues. AM

SUNG WON YOON, BGC GENERAL MANAGER PAT KELLY, HANCOCK PROSPECTING EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN GINA RINEHART, HANCOCK PROSPECTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JAY NEWBY, MARUBENI AUSTRALIA, REGIONAL CEO FOR OCEANIA & MANAGING DIRECTOR SHINICHI KOBAYASHI, EGM GLOBAL INSTITUTIONAL BANKING AT NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK SPRIO PAPPAS

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Beyond a mine. When you partner with BGC Contracting, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just partner with Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Contract Miner of the Year. You partner up with every person on the job. You get their collective experience, their knowledge and their work ethic. You get 110%.

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COLLABORATIVE CONTRACTOR WINS SECOND STRAIGHT AWARD BGC CONTRACTING STANDS OUT IN AUSTRALIA’S COMPETITIVE CONTRACTING ENVIRONMENT WITH A FOCUSED STRATEGY THAT IS BENEFITTING MANY MINERS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

GC Contracting’s reputation for delivering substantial and sustainable operating efficiencies for mining companies continues to grow. The Perth-based, privately-owned company, a back-to-back winner of the Atlas Copco Contract Miner of the Year, has been awarded six mining contracts worth a combined $1.5 billion since July 2016. BGC is an attractive partner for mining companies because of its award-winning collaborative contracting model, which has proven to deliver improvements in operational efficiencies, while also setting industry-benchmark safety standards. The company’s reputation for this model was a key reason behind it winning significant contracts with Arrium and Idemitsu Australia this year. BGC was awarded a $720 million,

five-year contract by Arrium for mining services at the Iron Knob and South Middleback Ranges iron ore projects near Whyalla in South Australia. The contact, which extended a four-year relationship between the two companies, involves drilling, blasting, hauling, loading, dumping and train load-out services. BGC was awarded a $700 million, five-year contract by Idemitsu for mining and equipment maintenance services at the Boggabri coal mine in New South Wales. The Idemitsu contract win was BGC’s biggest in NSW, demonstrating the company’s growth around Australia. BGC chief executive Greg Heylen explained to Australian Mining how the collaborative model worked earlier this year. “This collaborative model allows the client and the contractor to have meaningful discussions on what the client is actually looking for. It is a

commercial model that incentivises the contractor to reach those targets – whatever they are,” Heylen said. “It’s more about the model that we implement that rewards the contractor for achieving the targets the client has, whether that is improved productivity, lower costs or to produce a certain range of product.” BGC’s collaborative model has delivered tangible production and cost improvements for mining companies. The contractor has been instrumental in implementing strategies in a challenging market to improve Arrium’s operating efficiencies and production rates, delivering a 38 per cent saving in cash costs at the iron ore operations. Arrium executive general manager Matt Reed said the collaborative approach to the iron-ore price challenge in the past few years had resulted in significant improvements for both parties. He cited the major role BGC played in working in partnership with

BGC CONTRACTINGGENERAL MANAGER MINING PAT KELLY AND ATLAS COPCO MINING ROCK & EXCAVATION CFO CLAUDIA LEDESMA

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Arrium’s operations team to bring down mining costs. BGC’s collaborative model has also benefitted Cliffs Natural Resources at the Koolyanobbing iron ore operation. The model helped further improve on the 41 per cent reduction that was achieved in Koolyanobbing’s costs in the 2016 financial year, with another substantial cost reduction bringing its costs down by 60 per cent by September this year. Heylen said it was important for BGC to evolve with its clients’ requirements and as market conditions changed. “Over time client requirements change – if commodity prices continue to improve for example, clients may then want more product to port, opposed to the pure focus at the moment, which is generally around lowering costs,” Heylen said. “If the client has a change of focus two, three or five years from now the model allows those targets to be changed – that incentivises the contractor to reach those targets.” BGC is now servicing mining clients across a range of commodities, including iron ore, coal, gold and phosphate, with contracts in Western Australia, SA, NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory. The company’s expansion around the country has been reward for a diversification strategy aimed at lessening its reliance on Australia’s iron ore sector and extending its geographical presence. In 2016, BGC opened new offices in Sydney and Brisbane to support its east coast expansion efforts. It also acquired engineering and manufacturing firm, DIAB Engineering, to extend its capability and service offering to clients to include mining maintenance services, and asset maintenance. These investments have paid off, with BGC now having contracts in every Australian state or territory except the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania. BGC is also a significant employer. In the past year, the company has increased its tender win rate from one-in-eight to one-in-three, which will see the company employ an additional 1000 people before the end of 2017. AM

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TECH START-UP IMPROVES UNDERGROUND SAFETY YUMARR AUTOMATION HAS DEMONSTRATED WITH ITS JUMBOGUARD SAFETY SOLUTION HOW TECH START-UPS CAN MAKE THEIR MARK IN MINING.

olstering the frontline of an underground mine is a critical part of every operation. The risk of inadvertent contact with moving booms and entanglement in rotating drill steels continues to be an industry-wide problem for people working underground with drill rigs. Safety procedures have been implemented to manage this hazard, but due to human factors, incidents still occur. YUMARR Automation, a technology and innovation start-up focused on the development of safe automation systems, set out to improve these conditions by developing JumboGuard, which has won the company the Flexco Excellence in Mine Safety, OH&S Award for the company. The underground safety solution, now installed at mines in the Northern Territory, New South Wales and South Australia, is a laser scannerbased assistance system that protects the operating crew of the mobile underground drill rigs known as Jumbos. YUMARR, which was founded in 2016, designed the system to be retrofitted to all types of underground drilling equipment, such as rock and cable bolters, and face drill rigs. JumboGuard integrates into existing drill infrastructure and hydraulic control as an additional layer of protection. The system observes the machine surroundings and monitors the movement of workers. This ability helps with the installation of anchor bolts and steel mesh to support the tunnel walls, which requires personnel to enter a danger zone and work in direct proximity of moving parts. JumboGuard detects the hazard if anyone enters the danger zone and automatically stops the boom’s hydraulics, blocking the rotation of drill and movement of the boom. It continues to prevent the reactivation of the machine if someone is in the danger zone. This lifesaving feature of JumboGuard is possible due to an intelligent person-counting algorithm guarding the danger zone entry and exit.

YUMARR AUTOMATION DIRECTOR NICKY GUENTHER, FLEXCO MANAGING DIRECTOR MARK COLBOURN, AND YUMARR PROJECT ENGINEERING MANAGER EVAN CARDINAL

YUMARR, which has more than 15 years’ experience in the application of laser scanners, radars and 3D cameras, had a vision to develop systems that significantly reduce the risks for people working underground. With laser scanners forming the “eyes” of JumboGuard, the challenge was to develop the “brain” – a software that could perceive and interpret the complex interactions of humans, the machine and the environment. “We decided to develop a turnkey system which increases the safety of miners and operates under the harshest conditions. Our challenge was to design a solution able to perceive and interpret the complex interactions of humans, the machine and the environment,” YUMARR’s Nicky Guenther told Australian Mining earlier this year. “For the solution to be successful it had to work with consistent AUSTRALIANMINING

accuracy in all conditions, build trust with operating staff and blend in seamlessly with existing operations.” The company considered the elements of the real operating environment during development, including the challenges that mud, dust, water spray, multiple operators, high temperatures and long working hours presented. YUMARR focused on teaching the software to recognise and overcome these challenges. It also put an early version of JumboGuard in real working conditions, which provided a short feedback loop for system performance and upgrades. YUMARR regarded this insight from operators as essential for it to reach such a high level of situational awareness and to exceed the expectations of mining companies. Impressed with the performance of JumboGuard, mining services

NOVEMBER 2017

company Downer decided to roll out the YUMARR system across its fleet of development drills following a trial. JumboGuard has since been developed into an out-of-the-box product that can be installed to any kind of underground drill. This has been an important step enabling the mining industry to retrofit JumboGuard, making underground mines safer. As part of a corporate safety initiative, mining services company Pybar were the first to install the off-the-shelf system on their drill rigs at OZ Minerals’ Carrapateena mine in SA and Auctus Minerals’ King Vol Mine in Queensland. JumboGuard has been an exciting launching pad in mining for YUMARR, which is aiming to lead the way in sensor fusion, image processing, feature extraction and the reduction of large data sets down to relevant control signals. AM

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GRANGE UPGRADES SAVAGE RIVER MILL TO DRIVE EFFICIENCIES GRANGE RESOURCES, WITH THE HELP OF METSO, HAS SECURED THE FUTURE OF ITS SAVAGE RIVER INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH A MINERALS PROCESSING UPGRADE PROJECT.

range Resources has successfully reduced costs and boosted the efficiency of its Savage River iron ore operation in Tasmania through a mill upgrade project. The miner, winner of the 2017 Vega Minerals Processing of the Year award, owns and operates Australia’s largest integrated iron ore mining and pellet production facility on the state’s west coast. Savage River required a mill upgrade to improve the site’s operational performance and to ensure its future. Grange engaged Metso to work with the company on the project. An overview of the “from mine to metal” process at Savage River starts with the crushed, stockpiled magnetite ore being transported via a tunnel and fed into the concentrator. Here, the ore is initially ground in two Hardinge 9.75 x 3.66 metre autogenous (AG) mills, followed by two Nordberg 8.84 x 3.96 metre ball mills. Magnetic separators then isolate the magnetite from the gangue (valueless adhering rock), with the fine-particle gangue being pumped to tailings dams. The rich iron concentrate slurry is pumped via an 83km pipeline to the pellet plant. Grange ranks the reliability of product supply, quality, and volume, combined with aggressive pricing, as vital interdependent ingredients to successfully operate in the competitive iron ore market. The two Hardinge AG mills were installed in the late 1960s, and by 2005 maintenance personnel noticed cracks starting to appear in their shells and cones. The mills required ongoing repairs, which resulted in plant down time and the risk of catastrophic failure. With the mine’s operations expected to extend until at least 2034, Grange’s management decided that to ensure reliability and improve output efficiency, these mills would need to be upgraded. In 2011, Metso was awarded an $8 million contract to engineer, supply, install, and commission the first of two new mills. The project scope involved

increasing production volume with a new rotating element that would accommodate a charge weight of 344 tonnes, but with the requirement to use the existing footprint and some of the components from the original 1966 mill. A high level of detailed analysis was needed to assess the impact of increased stress due to the new larger rotating element thats was required. Key to the project was the review of the bearing housing structure and ensuring adequate lubrication. The original mill was based on a single shell design, and although it lasted more than 45 years, the new design had to be stronger to ensure troublefree operation beyond the mine’s expected lifespan of 2034. In the first instance, Metso’s new design replaced the single cone-shell with a two-piece structure that was 3.6 metres wide (distance from feed to discharge) and featured long-life Polymet rubber liners. To provide sufficient space for these liners, the new mill had to be 10 metres in diameter, 30cm larger than before. The larger shell, together with thicker stronger steel construction, meant the new mill was 20 per cent heavier than the old one.

The new mill had to be installed in the same position as the old one to avoid the need for additional civil works and to keep costs down. To ensure the existing structure could accommodate the extra weight and size of the new mill, Metso performed extensive finite element analysis and carefully considered alternate designs. Key to the successful design of the new mill was the ability of the mill’s bearings to cope with the increased weight. A simple overview of the bearing components helps to explain how important this aspect was. Starting from the centre and working outwards, first is the trunnion, the shaft that extends out on both sides of the mill and which passes through its axis. The trunnion rests on a bronze bush, which is supported inside the bearing housing by the rocker. As no civil work could be considered, stiffening the bearing could only be achieved by thickening the rocker and the brass bush. The increase in load and reduction in bearing clearance meant that the force per unit of area increases. The additional weight also had to be considered.

Metso grinding product manager John Aran explained: “Making it strong enough was the easy part, next we had to design a lubrication system that would keep the trunnion suspended above the bronze bush with a 0.4mm thick oil film. “There are no off-the-shelf designs for this, so designing an effective and reliable lubrication solution that included a custom-built cooling and filtering system involved input from Metso’s experts across the globe.” The base plates that the mill’s bearings sit on also presented a challenge; they had a flatness tolerance of 0.13mm over the entire surface, with a 0.025mm tolerance over an area of 300 x 300mm. The parallelism tolerance between the top and the underside surface was just 0.13mm. Metso QA engineer Brian Bunch commented: “The attention invested into these fine details by the project team resulted in an almost effortless installation. Once the sub-sole plates were aligned correctly, the base plates were lowered into position and there was no need for any shimming or additional ‘tweaking’ to attain the required flatness.” AM

METSO’S ENGINEERED SERVICES PRODUCT MANAGER – AUSTRALIAN MARKET AREA JOHN ARAN, GRANGE RESOURCES SENIOR ENGINEERING MANAGER FRANK LOVELL, AND VEGA AUSTRALIA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER NSW TONY SCARBOROUGH

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NOVEMBER 2017

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A STRATA-SPHERIC COMEBACK MYUNA COLLIERY WAS FACING CLOSURE UNTIL CENTENNIAL COAL STEPPED IN WITH ITS MYUNA HERRINGBONE SYSTEM.

entennial Coal’s Myuna Colliery was facing an uncertain future. An underground mine at Wangi Wangi on the western shores of Lake Macquarie, Myuna, which uniquely mines three coal seams, has supplied Eraring Power Station, and currently employs 200 people. The Myuna operation was facing certain closure unless a new mining system was identified to ensure longterm sustainability of the mine and its employees. The Myuna operation supplies coal directly to Eraring via an overland conveyor. Coal from Myuna’s Fassifern seam was previously mined to higher ash B Ply with place change mining,

a process that produced a suitable product when blended with low ash from the Wallarah seam. When mining at the Wallarah seam ceased, however, Fassifern seam place change operations had to mine to the lower ash C Ply, leading to higher costs and lower productivity due to the increased difficulty of supporting the C Ply mining horizon with the place change method. Over 35 years of consistent operation, the geological conditions of the region had been affected to the extent that place change mining had become a less viable option for the Myuna project. Place change mining is reliant on suitable geology and since the mines had become increasingly denuded, a change was needed to cement the project’s future success.

A viable system – the Myuna Herringbone System – was developed by the Centennial management team, in consultation with the workforce, after significant research and review. The Myuna team selected the dual bolter miner super panel as the optimum mining method. It designed a herringbone layout involving unsupported cuts for improved strata control, lower costs, increased productivity, reduction in manual handling and musculoskeletal injuries. Centennial improved productivity and efficiency in several ways, including a reduction in strata control costs. The herringbone layout of the Myuna system was optimised for three-way intersections rather than the previously used four, eliminating the requirement of cable bolts and

MYUNA MINE MANAGER MAL YULE AND AUSTMINE CEO CHRISTINE GIBBS-STEWART

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increasing unsupported cuts. This allowed for a much faster workflow due to the time saved by not having to bolt the roof. As an added bonus, floor conditions also improved, as less time bolting led to reduced machine movement on the mine’s soft floor, and less time on road repairs as a result. This also allowed miners to perform a second pass, allowing for increased hauls of highquality floor coal. Altogether, the system has reduced associated costs of cable bolt supports by up to 85 per cent. The Myuna Herringbone System has increased productivity at the mine by a massive 80 per cent, rising from 5000 tonnes per year to 8930 tonnes per year overall. The new system has also allowed production to shift from five days to seven, allowing for a 50 per cent increase in maintenance time. To be recognised throughout the mining industry as a finalist for the Prospect Awards is a great honour,” said a Myuna spokesperson. It shows that the industry encourages innovation and collaboration and that a wider audience has acknowledged the efforts of our workforce.” “This is an opportunity to showcase all the hard work that the workforce and management have undertaken to make Myuna a sustainable operation moving forward. The workforce has embraced the change in operations at Myuna with outstanding results and this deserves to be recognised on a national stage.” On the safety side, the Myuna Herringbone system uses auxiliary fans and vent tubes, decreasing risk of dust exposure to workers, replacing the previous brattice ventilation. Total recordable injuries have decreased due to improvements in respiratory conditions, improved floor conditions (leading to fewer trips and falls), and less bolt cable handling thanks to the introduction of an efficient monorail system. The combination of these factors has seen an overall improvement in workplace culture. “The current state of the mining industry is very positive with opportunities for growth and expansion not only for Myuna Colliery but the industry in general,” the spokesperson said. “Compared to this time last year, Myuna sees this current state in the industry as a move in a positive direction for Australian mining.” AM

Connecting Australian METS with opportunities around the world. Austmine is the leading industry body for the Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector in Australia. We strive to deliver value and opportunities for our members, creating meaningful relationships, conversations and opportunities through our network of METS, miners and researchers, whilst driving innovation and collaboration through the industry.

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AUSTMINE? n Raise your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile and brand awareness within the wider mining industry n Network with the key players in the mining and METS sectors n Connect into the strategic conversations shaping the future in trends and technologies for your industry n Increase your sales through stronger relationships, new connections and an increased participation in the mining industry n Gain new skills for career and organisational success n Stay on top of opportunities, insights and changing trends that can affect your business

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COLUMBUS GROUP INNOVATES WITH RENEWABLE CAROB FUEL THE FIRM BELIEVES CAROB TREES COULD BE A SOLUTION FOR INDUSTRY ENERGY NEEDS IN THE FUTURE.

ustralian engineer Columbus Group is no stranger to the Prospect Awards; this storied industry innovator won an Innovative Mining Solution award in 2014 for its high-pressure, positional jet drilling system. Columbus Group’s 3-D ‘down-the-hole’ drilling system is not the first water drill, but innovated greatly for its precisely manoeuvrable, digitally controlled head, conferring great freedom of choice for the end-user in terms of directional control, and as a result, both increased mining efficiency and

eliminated dust generation. And now they are back in 2017, this time winning in the category of Metso Excellence in Environmental Management for a similarly snazzy piece of research and development; the autonomous harvest of carob tree pods for the purpose of methanol conversion. As it turns out, carob tree pods aren’t just handy as a healthier, high-fibre alternative to chocolate; their inherent sweetness (57 per cent sugar) makes them prime material for conversion to fuel, and with 80 per cent of Australian freight operations conducted by train, fuel is in demand.

Columbus researchers used zymomonas mobilis — a bioethanolproducing bacterium that, via a process of scientific know-how, was able to extract methanol from the pods. Further methanol was extracted from waste greenhouse gases (a byproduct of the fermentation process), resulting in liquid methanol ready for storage and transfer. The discovery has some overlap with the use of coconut oil as a form of biodiesel, and has potentially wide-reaching implications for industrial renewable production. Although palms are among the

METSO HEAD OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS PETER NEWFIELD AND PHOENIX GREEN CAPITAL CEO CLIFF ATKINSON (ON BEHALF OF COLUMBUS GROUP)

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longest-lived trees — studies have shown cells from the trunk can live for 700 years — carob trees are more resistant to harsh and arid environments, and thus better suited for conditions inherent to the Australian mining industry. Trees are easy to maintain and can live for over 100 years. Columbus also cites a positive environmental benefit not just in terms of renewable fuel production, but territory as well; 100 carob trees planted in a hectare can provide notable nourishment, resulting in a benefit to surrounding flora and fauna. AM

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MORRIS DELIVERS A STEP UP FOR INDIGENOUS WORKERS MORRIS CORPORATION’S WIN IS RECOGNISED FROM THE GROUP’S WORKFORCE RETENTION AND TRAINING EFFORTS.

orris Corporation has always stood out in the world of hospitality and facilities management, having established itself in the six decades since its inception as Australia’s largest privately-owned company in the sector. Morris is dedicated to workplace sustainability at an employee level, serving remote and rural locations, with a particular focus on FIFO workers in the mining and construction industries. The company employs 1100 people and has annual revenue of $200 million; Morris has the resources to deliver results in difficult environments. Having recently entered its 50th year of service, there was surely no better way for the company to celebrate its golden anniversary than with the Community Interaction Prospect Award for its pre-employment work readiness programs. Morris’s sterling delivery of a four-to-six week training program for Indigenous workers has seen great success, with 90 per cent

of participants moving on to full-time roles at the end. Having been a finalist in the same category at last year’s Prospect Awards, and now this year’s winner, Morris was naturally extremely pleased to receive its award. A Morris Corporation statement to Austraian Mining said the team was proud to even be nominated, and that to be declared the winner was a tremendous boost to the team. Morris stressed the importance of employment sustainability was at the heart of the company’s success. “Morris realised through experience that just offering employment opportunities was not sufficient, the more crucial factor was sustaining employment,” the company said. “Just one of the ways our work readiness program was customised to facilitate sustaining employment was to include a fitness component delivered by a fitness trainer to ensure participants are in good health and work ready.” “For Morris, issues of health and overall wellbeing has influenced almost every aspect of our business over the past year and will continue to do so

into the future. The wellbeing of our workforce is just as important as the wellbeing of our customers.” The team at Morris understood that in order to sustain employment levels and reduce turnover, it was essential that the right skills be taught at an early stage; Morris entered into a collaboration with VTECs (vocational training and employment centres) to help provide Indigenous jobseekers in Perth, Meekatharra and Port Hedland with improved opportunities through a TAFE-delivered program that includes modules such as food safety and interpersonal and teamwork skills. Following graduation from Morris’s pre-employment course, candidates then proceed on to the next stage of the recruitment process and receive further hands-on training at Morris facilities post-hire; the process is thorough, extending beyond the remit of most job applications, and has seen a markedly positive response from applicants so far. Morris believes the industry is more optimistic now when compared with this time last year.

“There is much more optimism,” the company said. “Rather than just green shoots, we are seeing new projects. We have just mobilised three new camps for Australian projects. “We are positive and confident about the future — but we don’t want to repeat the sins of the boom. We must keep a focus on driving costs down continuously and becoming more efficient every year.” The numbers speak for themselves; Morris’s borderline holistic approach to pre-hire prep has resulted in the training of 67 graduates, 54 of whom have since moved on to full-time employment — such statistics are indicative of the program’s great boost to work prospects. The preemployment readiness program also includes a fitness test — overseen by a trainer — and medical checks to ensure sufficient operational vigour. These are not blanket tests, but are tailored to the specific industries candidates are applying to work for. Morris prides itself on not taking shortcuts, and this is a trait recognised by the judges at this year’s Prospect Awards. AM

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AUTOMATION

STAYING ON TOP OF BIG DATA ROCKWELL AUTOMATION MINING SPECIALIST GEOFF IRVINE DISCUSSES HOW RESOURCES COMPANIES ARE APPROACHING THE EXPLOSION OF BIG DATA AT THEIR OPERATIONS. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

ow to effectively manage big data can be baffling for mining companies. An explosion of new technologies is being offered to the industry, giving mining companies the opportunity to analyse operations and equipment like they never have before. But with the tech opportunity comes a new challenge: how do mining companies manage the data generated by these technologies to benefit the business? Certain mining companies are overcoming this challenge better than others, according to Geoff Irvine, Rockwell Automation strategic account manager, Rio Tinto. Irvine believes that, despite varying success managing big data to this point, the industry has become more open to exploring ways it can capitalise on the information being created by operations “The most common projects for us (at the moment) centre on big data. Once the companies have their big data set up then it is about analytics for them,” Irvine, who was previously the Rockwell Automation mining industry leader, told Australian Mining. “Getting the data is one thing but then analysing what it actually tells

ROCKWELL’S GEOFF IRVINE

the company about their plant is another thing – it’s like a two-phase project.” He said major mining companies were significantly more advanced in how they manage big data in comparison to smaller miners. It was a necessity for major mining companies to be ahead of the big data curve as they moved first to introduce remote operations centres or autonomous equipment to their sites, he explained. Irvine said moving to the analysis phase of a big data project had been the industry’s biggest challenge, but the major miners had showed how this could be achieved through their transition into a digital environment over the past decade. Many smaller miners, however, continue to grapple with the process, Irvine continued. The commodities downturn, in many cases, was the cause of their lag, with the economic impact of this period forcing companies to postpone or suspend big data projects. “The smaller miners have struggled with ‘how do we get this started?’ or ‘what do we want to do?’ – that is the issue for them,” Irvine explained. “I think the value of this for them becomes evident when they do some analysis, particularly on reducing downtime or unexpected failures.

GETTING THE DATA IS ONE THING BUT THEN ANALYSING WHAT IT ACTUALLY TELLS THE COMPANY ABOUT THEIR PLANT IS ANOTHER THING – IT’S LIKE A TWO-PHASE PROJECT.” “Anything you can do on the predictive side to avoid impending failure is important – if they do the right thing then there are not a lot of production outages.” Rockwell Automation has worked with major mining companies on the installation of so-called enterprise historian systems, otherwise known as a production intelligence platform, for the management of big data, including at iron ore operations in the Pilbara. The enterprise historian, installed at the end of 2016, uses FactoryTalk Historian Site Edition (SE) software from Rockwell Automation and the PI System from OSIsoft. The combination provides visibility of real-time and historical production data across its integrated supply chain of mines, rail and port facilities. The major miner gains access to reporting and trending tools that provide insight into performance parameters. The miner uses this information to identify opportunities to reduce variability, lower costs and improve productivity in operations and across the supply chain.

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION IS HELPING MORE MINERS WITH THEIR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER017

Many producers are now working on how to best leverage an intelligent automation infrastructure and the big data it produces, according to Rockwell Automation. Irvine believes big data management will continue to grow in importance as modern technologies are implemented and new digital opportunities emerge. Big data management will set the foundation for the application of new technologies as they become available, he explained. “There will be a lot of disruptive technologies that come into play and we have already seen that with the use of drones and autonomous vehicles,” Irvine said. “It looks like the whole business of remote operations is only going to get greater – at the moment it’s either on the iron ore or coal segment. “I believe we are going to see remote operations across all segments. If we can do it for the iron ore operations in the Pilbara then why can’t we do it across all of our operations globally?” AM

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TRACKING THE TRENDS

DIVERSITY DOMINATES WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT TRENDS DELOITTE’S NICKI IVORY DISCUSSES HOW HUMAN RESOURCES STRATEGIES HAVE EVOLVED OVER THE PAST YEAR TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

iversity and inclusion dominate discussion when it comes to workforce management in mining these days. Most resources companies have established strategies that support these trendy human resources considerations in recent years. The diversity pursuits of BHP have so far set the standard, with the company last year famously announcing it hoped to make 50 per cent of its workforce female by 2025. BHP reported in September that its workforce had grown to be more than 20 per cent female after it hired around 1000 women during the 2017 financial year. The miner also nearly halved its female turnover rate to 4.7 per cent during fiscal 2017, while also increasing the number of female leaders at the company to 18 per cent. Deloitte national mining lead Nicki Ivory described the diversity and inclusion push as a rising trend in mining that had continued to emerge since the company released

its 2017 Tracking the Trends report in February. Ivory said the diversity conversation now came up frequently, with companies setting up committees and holding events to promote the strategy. “The hardest part is: are the actions keeping up with the talk (about diversity)?” Ivory questioned. Ivory doesn’t expect that there has been a major change in the proportion of females or Australian Indigenous people at mining companies just yet, but believes most of them are taking the right steps to make a difference. “It is a slow burn,” Ivory said. “It is not possible to change something like this overnight and you have to stay on track with it. “But I have been encouraged with the number of actions that have been taken to set up the appropriate conversations internally (at companies) to have people focused on it.” Several elements of another trend that Deloitte highlighted in 2017 – The Digital Revolution – are helping mining companies build diversity and inclusiveness in their workforces.

Ivory said companies were focused on how they could include their human resources strategies in the digital transformation projects they were undertaking at operations. Miners are now often working with technology companies to not only digitise their company, but also transform how they work, with diversity and inclusion being considerations in this process. South32’s three-year partnership with tech company GE to develop a technology roadmap and activate its digital transformation is an example of this. The companies have been transforming South32’s operations so the miner can make fast, informed decisions, while also identifying how the company can optimise entire operations. South32 chief technology officer Ricus Grimbeek said the partnership provided an opportunity to transform the way the company worked. Ivory said a big part of the digital mining revolution was the impact it would have on people. “Out of that, the whole diversity

and inclusion conversation becomes an integral part,” Ivory explained. “If you want to attract people with digital skills into a mining company you have to go about things very differently. “It is the same if companies want to attract women into the industry – things have to be done differently. You have to restructure shifts and also have a different mindset.” Ivory expects these digital mining and human resources trends to continue their convergence as the strategies evolve. “We are seeing these conversations merge as companies determine the type of people they want to employ and the type of skills they are going to need,” Ivory said. “Some companies that are more advanced with their digital projects are definitely including workforce diversity and inclusion in their digital strategy already.” The next challenge, Ivory added, will be figuring out how to attract these types of workers to the mining industry instead of renowned tech companies like Google or Apple. AM

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DIGITAL MINING

THE FUTURE OF ANALYTICS IN MINING AUSTRALIAN MINING SPEAKS TO SNOWDEN CEO JOHN HEARNE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA AND HIS LATEST PREDICTIONS FOR NEW INDUSTRY TRENDS.

nowden Group is one of Australia’s premier mining consultancy and mining software groups, founded in 1987 by husbandand-wife team Phil and Viv Snowden. The company has been at the forefront of mining technology since its inception, witnessing over four decades of growth, and evolving into a company at the cutting edge of industrial futurism. Current chief executive John Hearne is excited about the future as mining enters a time of disruptive technological breakthroughs that have the potential to transform the industry — if they haven’t already. At the recent 2017 International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne, Snowden partnered with Downer and Microsoft to discuss Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and applications, an industry predicted to reach impressive — and impressively varied — global spending levels of between $US0.4–1.3 trillion ($0.51– 1.67 trillion) by 2020, depending on which think tank you cite (in this case, the Australian Gartner and

American IDC, respectively). But the lower end of this scale is no chump change sum, even for an industry with aggregated net profits of $US20 billion ($25.7 billion) in 2016, according to figures from PWC’s annual Mine report. Hearne cites the value of big data as indispensable to the future of the industry. Mining is, after all, an industry built from big; big trucks, big drills, big plans, big money. It makes sense that the data involved would be equally so. It’s hugely influential,” said Hearne. “The more data you have, the more opportunities you have to optimise your operations. “[At Downer], there’s gigabytes of data collated every day; one truck can have hundreds of sensors uploading endlessly, and you can have perhaps 50 trucks on a site, so there’s just massive volumes of data going up all the time.” The intersection of the rise of truck automation and big data applications is not mere happenstance; the two technologies work in perfect fusion to provide palpable mining efficiency and safety optimisations, bringing a

whole new meaning to ‘data mining’. “As the automated trucks roll through you get more hours; we need to optimise those hours, and the more data you have, the more opportunities you have to optimise your operations,” said Hearne. “The low-hanging fruit to some degree, is that a good mining engineer can optimise a mine, but he can’t be everywhere at all times for all people. “He or she has to push that optimisation requirement down to the foreman, who then has to optimise his operations in turn. Rio Tinto and BHP are two good examples of companies that have minimised their workforce and made use of software packages for the purposes of optimisation — that’s where big data comes into its own.” Data collection is all well and good, and the numbers involved are impressive in scope, but most analysts would probably agree it’s not necessarily how much data you collect, but what you do with it that counts. The volumes of data involved in documenting the mining process can quickly become confusing without an interpreter.

MINING IS EXPERIENCING A DATA EXPLOSION

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2017

Snowden’s in-house big data software, Neuroverse Analyser, is attempting to bridge the gap, unspooling a messy thread of numbers into an easily digestible UX. Further benefits include cost saving and personalisation. Early adopters of the software include the Roy Hill and Commodore mines, a South African iron ore project, as well as others in the proverbial pipeline that Hearne could not yet disclose. The program also includes browserbased visualisation software for 3D data rendering, eliminating the need for expensive specialist software. As we find more uses for Neuroverse, it will evolve and develop with the industry,” explained Hearne. “It’s not a software package; it’s a subscription service/platform with personalised dashboards that users can fine tune to suit themselves. “People don’t want to buy a $100– 200k software enterprise package that they’ll only use for a few tasks. The subscription is based on how much data goes in or out as that is where the cost lies for us as a distributor.” Despite palpable excitement for Neuroverse’s potential applications, Hearne admits that it’s still early days for big data adoption within the mining industry. “At the moment there’s too much data and people are not using it,” he explained. “They’ve got a clunky end interface that the user needs to do more work to interpret; [with Neuroverse] we can set the dashboard up for each end user personally depending on what they want to see. The advantage of our system is that we can tailor it to what you need.” Moving away from technology, another trend Hearne has identified within the industry is a return to a more cautious brand of optimism, following what he refers to as last year’s “overextension”, as well as more junior-end optimism for gold, lithium and graphite diggers, the latter two on the uptrend in particular due to the expanding material demands of the renewable technology sector. “It’s a spread of commodities,” Hearne said. “There’ll be a point where it’ll peak, but then will fall again and hit the Goldilocks price where everyone’s happy — not too high and not too low — as long as no-one pushes the button on another 100 million tonnes.” AM

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MEGATRANS

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD HAUL ROAD OPTIMISATION IS CRUCIAL FOR THE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY OF ORE TRANSPORTATION. WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW AUTOMATION AND BIG DATA ARE BUILDING NEW ROADS IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE BUSINESS. EWEN HOSIE REPORTS. COULD CABS BECOME A THING OF THE PAST?

ransportation is one of the most crucial steps in the mining industry. All the gold in the world is worth next to nil with no place to go, so an expedient and extensive road network is imperative for success. Mining haul roads are not engineered and constructed in the same fashion as standard tarmac commuter roads, such are the stresses placed on their surface by the sheer weight of the haulage vehicles and their loads; a typical Komatsu 980E-4 Ultra Class haulage truck, for example, weighs over 260 tonnes on its own, and over 600 tonnes when fully loaded. As such, the slightest variations in

road surface can lead to considerable maintenance issues for trucks over time due to the strains placed on the vehicle’s tyres, hydraulics and other associated parts. Minute road degradations that lead to even a 1 per cent rolling resistance (i.e. the percentage of frictional pull against the vehicle’s direction of movement caused by the weight of the truck’s vertical load pushing down on the axle), can cause a sizable increase in fuel consumption, haulage time and maintenance costs.

PLANES

Traditionally, specified engineers are used to survey and inspect road quality, but with the advent of

automated drone technology, this may become a thing of the past. Drones can fly overhead and scan roads with the use of highly advanced digital elevation models that are detailed with a precision invisible to human perception. Yahel Nov, vice president of business development for Israeli drone firm Airobotics is currently expanding operations into Australia. His company has produced a pilotless UAV, the first of its kind to receive certification from an aviation authority (in this case, the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel, aka CAAI). He explains that drones will become increasingly important within mining for OH&S and efficiency purposes. “They are great for haul road optimisation, providing frequent reports to the mine operators about those specific areas where haul roads have deviated the most from the design model because those are the roads that have a direct impact on diesel costs and repairs,” he explains. “They are also great for automated inspection of slurry lines, conveyer belts and tailing dams; it’s the dangerous and dirty jobs we’ve been able to replace. “The people who you’d think we are replacing are actually championing this technology.” Since inspections can be carried out speedily and with greater accuracy, structural problems can be resolved more quickly than ever before. Automated drones may also

serve further potential applications beyond haul road maintenance, such as deployment in the expedient assessment of leaks, spillages and other such accidents. Use of automated planes as a haulage option is a different story however, and largely held back by the insurance industry.

TRAINS

Automated haul trains are another form of transport experiencing a surge of interest within the mining industry, although integration varies from company to company. Rio Tinto is a notable early adopter of automated train investment, having recently completed a successful 100km pilot test from Wombat Junction to Paraburdoo in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), another of the ‘big four’ Australian mining companies, has taken a somewhat more reticent approach in its adoption of the technology, having instead settled on a cruise control system it expects to provide a greater ROI than complete automation. Fortescue’s approach is an example of investor reluctance, due to the typically high upfront costs associated with bleeding edge consumer technology, though it is believed automation will hold much greater cost benefits down the line once the kinks are ironed out and the technology is perfected.

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Currently though, the most prevalent use of automation tech in mining is the now-omnipresent trucks themselves. Rio Tinto’s remotely operated Automatic Haulage System, comprising a fleet of Komatsu trucks, has become an industry standard since its inception as part of the producer’s Mine of the Future program 9 years ago. Now in 2017, one of the newest trucks — Komatsu’s recently unveiled Innovative Autonomous Haulage System (IHAS) — doesn’t even have a driver cab. This omission isn’t merely a futuristic aesthetic concession. Since the cab is removed, the front and rear of the vehicle look essentially identical, which results in more even weight distribution on the vehicle’s tyres and therefore less stress. This, in addition to high-performance 4WD shuttling, allows for the effective elimination of three-point turns, which boosts productivity in confined or hazardous spaces. Cabless machines are not altogether new to the industry; Rio Tinto first tested cabless drills in 2010, with overall deployment following in 2014; BHP Billiton followed this with a rollout of 20 Atlas Pit Viper 271 rotary blasthole drill rigs in 2016. Currently, tramming is controlled manually, but designers at Atlas intend to fit future drills with a bevy of technological

tricks, such as GPS receivers, automated inclinometers, anti-jam detection facilities, and LiDAR sensors to track the vehicle’s surroundings. According to BHP automation engineers, the autonomous drills possessed 20 per cent additional utilisation, were up to 16 per cent faster per hole, and had one-third additional drill capacity. Tramming automation via GPS technology can also allow for improved expediency and safety as it negates visibility issues caused by intermediary dust generation and allows for equivalent performance levels in day and night conditions.

ON THE ROAD

Australia is a world leader in the use of automated trucks, but haul road infrastructure can still see improvements. “Technology has taken the guesswork out of our clients’ decisionmaking process, allowing them to make scientifically supported implementation decisions to protect one their biggest assets, haul roads,” explains David Handel, Technical Director for environmental specialist company Reynolds Soil Technologies (RST). RST are experts in the field of road treatment, including water and sediment, soil erosion and dust control. The company has seen several hightech, spray-on solutions; haul road

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dust suppressants; liquid polymer road stabiliser (for increased grip and traction); sediment and erosion controls; and liquid concentrate sediment treatments. Its second-generation suite of products includes nano-polymer technology allowing for ultra-low concentrations with dosages up to 90 per cent lower than before. Proof Engineers, specialists in haul road, dust suppression and auditing systems, has also developed a road condition monitor (RCM), a bolt-on device that measures road conditions in a colour scale format; different colours indicate different levels of damage and dust across the road, providing an easy way to maintain operational compliance. “The RCM concept has been around for a number of years, but what’s actually becoming more relevant these days is the pressures on mines to look for ways of saving costs,” explains Jordan Handel, civil engineer at Proof. “[RCM] is an easy, automated process that supplies information on the condition of haul roads to somebody in mine control (or a construction foreman) who can then look at how the roads are performing and identify the sections that need remediation.” International trade event MEGATRANS2018 will shine a

NOVEMBER 2017

light on all these technologies and more when it runs at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 10–12 May. Connecting the Australian and international supply chain, the threeday expo, delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government, will bring together those who plan, implement and control the efficient and effective forward flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and consumption. A number of sections comprise the show’s 30,000 square metres of space – Logistics & Materials Handling/Warehousing & Storage; Road Transport, Air, Sea & Rail; and Infrastructure; with a strong emphasis on technology throughout. The Port of Melbourne is a Supporting Sponsor of the show, with Isuzu backing the event as Platinum Sponsor and DB Schenker as the official Logistics Partner. MEGATRANS2018 is also supported by a range of Association Partners, including the Australian Logistics Council (ALC); Victorian Transport Association (VTA); the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) and the Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA); the National Transport Commission (NTC); the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA); and TCA. AM

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

GOLD EXPLORATION PROSPECTS RISE EXPLORATION ACTIVITY HAS SHOWN IMPROVEMENT OVER THE PAST YEAR. WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S GOLD SECTOR HAS HELPED INSTIGATE THE START OF THIS TURNAROUND. BEN CREAGH REPORTS.

rospects for gold explorers in Western Australia are stronger than they have been in a while. Exploration was the biggest casualty of the commodities downturn and the gold industry was not spared from the carnage that resulted. Gold exploration in Australia has declined significantly in the past five years, with expenditure for greenfields exploration 70 per cent lower over that period. However, the gold industry still contributes around 50 per cent of the total amount invested in Australian exploration and the stage is set for the sector to continue to be the driving force for grassroots mining. The exploration initiatives have been established for companies to search for the next discoveries, including the Australian Government’s $100 million Junior Mineral Exploration Tax Credit,

KIN DRILLING AT THE LEONORA SITE. CREDIT: KIN MINING

which was launched in September. But more importantly, the foundation has been set for the next generation of gold mines by the companies that have continued to explore despite a challenging marketplace. There has been a bevy of WAbased companies committed to uncovering and developing an emerging pipeline of gold deposits. Kin Mining typifies this hope at its Leonora project in the Eastern Goldfields. The gold development company released a definitive feasibility study (DFS) for Leonora in October, forecasting a development cost of $35.4 million to produce around 372,000 ounces of gold over a sevenyear mine life at the site. Kin, which acquired the property in 2014, is targeting first production at Leonora in the second half of 2018. The DFS estimates that 61,000 ounces of gold will be produced in the first year, with output peaking at

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65,000 ounces a year. The operation will involve three open pits, which will supply a 1.5 million tonne per annum (Mtpa) carbon-in-leach (CIL) processing plant. Leonora’s life-of-mine (LOM) operating cash costs have been estimated at $957 an ounce and all-in sustaining costs at $1038 an ounce. Kin technical director David Sproule said the company had taken a conservative approach at Leonora, but also that it was optimistic about the foundation that the DFS set. “It (the DFS) develops a good solid platform to cash flow and the opportunity to grow the project, both in life and output by exploration success,” Sproule told Australian Mining. “It is a good, high-margin gold project that’s in an environment where I believe the price should increase over time. It also has a very modest capex with the build methodology we are using.” Gold Road Resources, which is already developing the Gruyere greenfields project in the Eastern Goldfields, joins Kin as a company that has placed significant focus on its exploration strategy in WA. Perth-based Gold Road has openly shared its exploration focus in the Yamarna belt where Gruyere is

located, budgeting $30 million earlier this year to add further greenfields discoveries in the region. The Perth-based company has since expanded its exploration scope to WA’s south west region by forming two JVs with junior explorer Cygnus Gold in October. Gold Road plans to leverage its expertise in greenfields exploration in covered greenstone terranes at the Cygnus properties, with the aim of identifying discoveries of more than one million ounces. The earn-in agreements involve

a 3400-square-kilometre area of the Wadderin and Lake Grace exploration projects. Gold Road executive director, exploration and growth Justin Osborne said the company was looking to acquire greenfield projects to complement its Yamarna greenstone package. “With the significant decline in Australian greenfields exploration over the last 10 years, Gold Road is looking to fill the void and leverage its proven exploration skills and experience which led to the discovery

KIN DEVELOPING A TRIAL PIT. CREDIT: KIN MINING

of the 6.2 million ounce Gruyere gold deposit,” Osborne said. With Kin, Gold Road and others increasing exploration activity in WA, Sproule reinforced how important it was for gold projects like Leonora to secure support to ensure the sustainability of the sector. “It is pleasing to see an enhancement in exploration because the reality is without exploration there will be no further deposits,” Sproule said. “Kin is sitting on a great piece of ground with the Leonora gold project and we believe that as we continue to unlock the geological understanding of the area our targeted exploration will generate many more tonnes and enhance the life of the project. “The gold industry, particularly in WA, is a vibrant industry and the capital is coming back into the business. If people are strategically spending that risk capital on geology then hopefully the gold industry in Australia will be vibrant for some time to come.” And the recent signs are that the exploration sector is, slowly, becoming a buoyant environment again, with expenditure increasing by 6.6 per cent in the June quarter compared to the same period a year earlier. AM

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TECHNOLOGY

THE FOUR PILLARS OF A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IS A LEADING PLAYER DRIVING DIGITISATION IN THE MINING INDUSTRY. SO, WHAT SHOULD MINING COMPANIES FOCUS ON IN THEIR DIGITAL PURSUIT? AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

ustralia’s mining industry continues to recover from the downturn in commodity prices that led to widespread organisational restructures and a newlook market environment. Most mining companies have committed to a similar strategy aimed at reducing their capital expenditure, while also improving operational efficiencies and lifting productivity. Despite an improvement in market conditions over the past year, ongoing fluctuations in commodity prices have demonstrated that instability remains the norm for the industry. This means the focus on maintaining a low-cost profile, improving efficiencies and adding productivity will be critical for mining companies in the years to come. Digital technologies for the mining industry have rapidly evolved and provide a variety of solutions to help organisations achieve their strategic goals. A study by consultancy McKinsey found that the potential economic benefits generated by digital technologies will be worth $370 billion a year by 2025. “When we look at the areas where digital technology can have the biggest potential impact, we have

MINING IS TRANSFORMING INTO A DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT

operations management right out front. Therefore, it is essential and beneficial for mining companies to connect their key assets; processes, people and technology,” Doug Warren, vice president, software - industry solutions at Schneider Electric, told Australian Mining. Warren highlighted the four key areas to enhance performance in mining operations:

AUSTRALIANMINING

Production optimisation

According to a report by EY, productivity improvement is listed as one of the top three concerns for mining executives. This is a tell-tale sign that most mining companies have yet to reach the maximum sustainable throughput in their operations. “Firstly, how do we stabilise the overall operation, from drill and blast, to loading and hauling, to processing

NOVEMBER 2017

and into logistics?” Warren asked. “How do we analyse the downtime events and reduce the ones that are most prevalent?” Warren explained: “Digitisation allows us to make continuous efficiency improvements by analysing production downtime causes and prioritise maintenance, new equipment, and new operating procedures, and this will result in a

“DIGITISATION PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN DRIVING MINING EFFICIENCY. SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF THE MINING CUSTOMERS, BY PROVIDING A COMPLETE SET OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS THAT CAN IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ENTIRE ORGANISATION, FROM PEOPLE TO OPERATIONS TO SUPPLY CHAIN.” - DOUG WARREN

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adding an unprecedented layer of software applications and services to help mining customers get the most of their assets. The EcoStruxure for Mining, Minerals and Metals provides added value in three key areas - digital supply chain, next generation workforce, and operational excellence. By leveraging this transformation, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Mining, Minerals and Metals helps mining customers improve how they manage their operations and plants to improve the bottom line. AM

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Mining, Minerals and Metals, is a new system architecture that leverages innovative digital technologies and the IIoT to allow companies to seamlessly connect, collect, analyse and act on data in real time to improve safety, efficiency, reliability and sustainability. The EcoStruxure integrates innovation at three levels Connected Products, Edge Control, and Applications, Analytics, and Services. It redefines automation and power connectivity as well as

EcoStruxure for mining

Digital disruption is impacting workforces in all industries. Mining companies need to determine how best to leverage digital tools and drive the maximum benefit out of it. “To support the mining workforce of the future, companies should embrace technology to create a safe and efficiency environment,” Warren continued. “Do workers need to be at the mine site to be trained or manage the entire operations? Advanced learning techniques such as training simulators, and augmented or virtual reality are safe training alternatives. Enhancing mobility has emerged as an important aspect for the next generation worker. Digitisation allows the workforce to remotely manage assets and operations from an urban location.”

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Mining companies have been rolling out maintenance programs, based primarily on standard preventive or condition-based reactive processes, where regular schedules are set on all the major equipment regardless of its condition. “Digitisation pushes the

Workforce transformation

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Asset performance management

maintenance initiatives to the next level by providing intelligence to the program,” said Warren. “By applying advanced analytics and machine learning, it delivers improved asset health, better OEE and less downtime, and early warning signs of equipment health, through data collection, aggregation, and analytics. Moving to a far more knowledge-based model allows mining companies to manage the performance of critical assets, like crushers and ball mills, ensuring they are functioning at an optimal rate.”

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Historically, the mining value chain has been structured in a siloed approach. Mining companies have already implemented point solutions in their operations; however this does not provide complete visibility in its endto-end operation. “Digital technology has the potential to bridge this siloed process by employing supply chain management tools to efficiently generate schedules and plans, thus increasing production performance and providing insights to better understand deviations between operations and planning functions,” Warren explained. “Having visibility into the entire value chain, by taking the entire system into account, from raw materials to market, and putting them into a production context allows mining companies to best capture the resource-to-market opportunities.”

WORKFORCE SAFETY IS AT THE HEART OF OUR DESIGN BECAUSE LIVES MATTER

Value chain optimisation

ANY SITE | ANY DAY | ANY TIME

stabilised production at near maximum sustainable rates for the entire operations.”

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TECHNOLOGY

GAME OF DRONES TEL AVIV FIRM AIROBOTICS IS SPEARHEADING A DRONE REVOLUTION FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY. EWEN HOSIE REPORTS.

rones get a lot of press these days. Whether it’s former US President Barack Obama’s controversial embrace of drones as military technology, Jeff Bezos’ attempts to get his Amazon drone delivery project off the ground, or opulent drone racing championships in Dubai, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. But how can they be used in the mining world? There has already been some implementation, and drones have found an abundance of uses, such as haul road optimisation analysis, stockpile checks, slurry line and tailing dam inspection, site security and emergency response. So how can the industry go one further? That’s where Airobotics steps in. An ambitious Israeli start-up bolstered by a slick marketing campaign — its product trailer, with its Hans Zimmer-esque music wouldn’t feel out of place in the new Blade Runner — Airobotics is attempting to beat its competition through the use of pilotless drones, a nascent technology on which the company is betting big. Having recently secured approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (the first pilotless drone firm to do so), Airobotics is looking 12,000km from home to bolster support from

the Australian mining industry as its next step on the road to international success. The company’s UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), called Optimus, is completely autonomous; it uses a 2.2 metre tall, 2.6 tonnes weatherproof Airbase as a dock from which it can both launch and land without operator input. Airobotics hopes that through the elimination of pilots, not only will the end-user save money in the long term, but time as well, since the company’s UAV doesn’t need to eat, rest or indulge in any other such human proclivities. Airobotics is currently working with five Tier 1 Australian mining companies on the project, having recently set up a local office in Perth for business development and operational research and development (R&D); it will consist of a team of 20 people — mostly locals — by the end of the year. “Israel is an amazing place to develop, but it is a very small country with not a lot of industrial business opportunities,” explained Yahel Nov, vice president of business development at Airbotics. “We looked across the globe, did a whole lot of flying around and decided we wanted to focus on the mining industry. “After looking at all the different mining clusters in the world, Australia stood out as the most

THE AIROBOTICS SOLUTION IS COMPLETELY AUTONOMOUS

appealing opportunity for us.” Nov states that the newly developed Perth office will run tests on any newly developed sensors to assess client suitability by returning reports to Airobotics in Israel to iterate on the technology as per request. It is a process that should hopefully expedite the company’s operations on a technical, as well as business, level. Impressively, the UAV can also

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have its modules changed with the aid of a mechanical robotic arm inside the Airbase; there is a space in the UAV’s fuselage so that components can quickly swapped out with different parts for different situations, including live feed cameras, 3D modelling, thermal imaging and LiDAR applications. At the risk of sounding reductive, the process shares some similarities at a glance with the modularity of

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CHANGE IT SAFELY! One of the biggest challenges in conveyor maintenance is the safe and efﬁcient removal of rollers. Current methods of idler roller replacement include frame layover and belt lifting. These methods increase manual handling risks and reduce efﬁciency at shutdowns. THE AIROBOTICS AIRBASE

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the fictional Thunderbird 2 VTOL aircraft from Thunderbirds, which could likewise swap out its fuselage with myriad situational gadgetry; here, seemingly, is a slice of sciencefiction childhood is writ large in 2017. It’s a compact thing too, perhaps too small to accommodate one of the aforementioned show’s trademark puppets. The UAV itself is 179cm tip to tip, weighs 7kg and is capable of carrying a 1kg payload. It is capable of flying in wind at up to 30 knots and has a 30-minute flight time, which Airobotics is trying to push the limits and extend. Each Airbase can be equipped with up to nine modules (payloads) and 12 batteries at present, and there are plans to expand on this number in future, particularly as sensors become smaller and lighter over time. Some applications also make use of multiple data layers as per client needs, so, for example, you could combine normal imagery or video with thermal imagery or video. “We have a unique ability to automatically replace the sensors on a drone so we can create a diversified data flow for our client with just one drone,” explained Nov. “In a sense you become a multi-tool because you can now collect a variety of data for various purposes.” I ask Nov if he has encountered any negative reception to the project,

The ESS QUICK CHANGE IDLER FRAME is particularly valuable in areas where regular idler maintenance is difﬁcult or hazardous. Especially in areas with elevated conveyors, conveyors over other moving machinery, narrow walkways or conveyors with single side access. Hazards associated with roller change out or frame repair can be reduced.

particularly given the increasing automation of the industry and its potential effect on jobs. According to a recent report from strategist and consulting firm AlphaBeta, the rapid integration of AI technology into the workforce could affect up to three million Australian workers by 2030, and construction and mining labour jobs rank highest on the list at 86 per cent susceptibility to automation. “Not at all — I think it’s been the opposite,” he replied. “We’re not replacing anybody, as we’re replacing things that weren’t getting done. You still need the same line of people but now they’ll be able to do so much more; it puts them out of danger and gives them a much more powerful sense of ownership.” We will likely hear much more from Airobotics over the next year as it continues its ambitious plans for expansion — first Israel, then Australia, and finally the world. Nov is enthusiastic about his move to Perth and the opportunities it could bring for his company. “It’s a great country,” said Nov, who studied and worked in Canada for eight years. “From what I can see now, I think we made the right decision in coming here. It’s a combination of business opportunities — we’ve got smart people who know how to deploy technology correctly, that’s maybe the most important part of it. AM AUSTRALIANMINING

The QUICK CHANGE IDLER FRAMES are; - Custom designed - Compatible with most existing site rollers - Strong - Corrosion resistant - Robustly designed - Easy to install - Easy to maintain

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EQUIPMENT FOCUS

THE NATIONAL GROUP EXPANDS INTO A TURNKEY SERVICE PROVIDER THE NATIONAL GROUP IS AIMING TO PROVIDE A MORE COMPLETE SERVICE TO THE MINING INDUSTRY. IT HAS ACHIEVED THIS BY ACQUIRING EQUIPMENT AUCTION HOUSE, NATIONAL MACHINERY XCHANGE. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS

he National Group is set to realise operational synergies through the addition of heavy equipment valuation and auction house, National Machinery Xchange, into the group. The National Group is already recognised as owning Queenslandbased National Plant & Equipment, one of Australia’s largest suppliers of heavy equipment for hire, but wanted to continue its growth by broadening the services it could offer. It achieved this in August through the acquisition of Machinery Xchange Solutions, which was then rebranded into National Machinery Xchange (NMX). NMX identified a market trend where companies preferred to work with bigger groups that could offer a complete solution instead of dealing with multiple smaller companies. The acquired company was The National Group’s answer to this trend, as it aligned with a strategy to develop a turnkey platform that included auction and valuation expertise. It also significantly enhanced the group’s ability to deliver innovative, safe and dependable solutions to an expanding client base, both in Australia and internationally. The National Group’s value chain proposition includes global freight forwarding and shipping, equipment

procurement, domestic haulage and road transport, maintenance and repair services, components and attachment sales with the acquisition. Simon Brown, previously the chief executive officer of Machinery Xchange Solutions, became general manager of NMX following the acquisition, giving The National Group a highly experienced leader for the new division. The National Group’s managing director Mark Ackroyd said the auction house was highly regarded for its ability to provide an array of customisable auction and valuation services in the transport, earthmoving and heavy equipment sectors. “Having known Mr Brown both personally and professionally for over 20 years, his knowledge, business acumen and extensive experience is strongly aligned with our national group of companies and as such, he will be an asset in strengthening our position as the industry leader in the mining and construction industries,” Ackroyd said. The combination of Ackroyd’s network and global reach, with Brown’s expertise and strong relationships with key industry players is creating growth opportunities for the company, while also accelerating its service offering into a more holistic solution. Brown said becoming part of National Machinery Xchange was

AUSTRALIANMINING

also beneficial for his company as it provided an opportunity to better serve customers by putting a driving force with local and international reach behind it. “We are in a marketplace where service providers are consolidating and by adding NMX it allowed The National Group to expand its service for the mining industry,” Brown told Australian Mining. “With major mining houses usually contracting 10 to 15 different suppliers on the one site, they are now looking for suppliers who can offer a wider range of services, allowing the mining houses to reduce the amount of contractors on the books, which helps to streamline systems.” The National Group can now offer a rental component, sale component, transportation services, equipment appraisal and disposal strategies across it’s range of companies. “With green shoots emerging in mining and many mines opening or reopening, we think we are well placed to be a player on the national stage in regards to diversified sales services. “Not only can we appraise the equipment, but we do that from the most remote locations in WA to the Eastern Seaboard, We can then table sale strategy recommendations to the client and facilitate disposal of their surplus or obsolete assets.” Like most industries, auctions have

NOVEMBER 2017

moved online in the past decade, with many buyers enjoying the convenience of being able to bid online. However, the charm of a traditional auction has not been entirely lost on the industry. NMX has found that bidders are again opting to attend auctions on site rather than just being involved online. NMX provide multi-channel disposal options including the traditional onsite auction platform supported by ‘live’ simulcast online bidding services; eMarketplace Timed Online Auctions; Private Treaty Sales; and eSealed Tenders. “With the ability to really ‘see before you buy’ and have a conversation with someone face to face, it’s little surprise this trend is returning. It’s also a positive for Australian businesses, with bidders dealing with Australian based auction houses instead,” Brown said. NMX will host its first traditional auction at their new Bowen Basin Auction and Selling Centre located at Nebo, Queensland during November. The on-site auction will feature multiple consignments for sale and will be supported by a ‘live’ simulcast online bidding platform. Its auctions will be held throughout Australia, including at Yatala, Nebo, Emerald (Queensland), the Hunter Valley (NSW), Perth and Karratha (WA). AM

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

DIGGERS & DEALERS MINING EQUIPMENT VOLUME 109/8 | SEPTEMBER 2017

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGY

Established in 1908, Australian Mining continues to lead and inform the Australian mining industry of the latest innovations in mining technology and equipment.

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EQUIPMENT FOCUS

LENDING A (SECOND) HAND TO THE MINING INDUSTRY ALBION AUTO AUCTIONS IS A LONG-RUNNING SUPPLIER OF NEW AND USED VEHICLES FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY. AUSTRALIAN MINING SPEAKS TO COMPANY HEAD MARK HODSON.

lbion Auto Auctions is a business that runs in the blood. A family enterprise run by father and son team Colin and Mark Hodson, it has been supplying expert automotive solutions for over 40 years. The company began operations in the prestige vehicle line, but has since expanded massively over its five decades to encompass many needs of the Australian mining industry, from light truck infantry and dual cabs, to a push into real estate through sister business Bushflower Property, which specialises in FIFO camps, laundries and ablution blocks among various leasing opportunities. The property development side of the business is not limited to the mining industry. Bushflower owns residential and commercial developments in mining towns such as Middlemount and Blackwater (including various industrial blocks). It is currently developing large-scale supermarket and various fast food outlets for inclusion in a new $25 million shopping complex in North Rockhampton, Queensland and also has shopping complex interests in Blackwater as well, among several other projects in Brisbane. “It does get quite busy,” said Mark Hodson, laughing. One of Mark’s more high-profile industry-related acquisitions is his snapping up of BHP as tenants; the company has been making use of one of Bushflower’s buildings as a local headquarters in Blackwater for almost a decade. Albion likewise maintains a high profile, providing vehicular needs for a bevy of notable industry clients, including Anglo American and Rio Tinto. Albion has to maintain a great degree of flexibility, as every client is different, with each mine working to different operational health and safety standards. Albion has to be adaptable and amenable to the needs of different sites, an exacting process. Mark Hodson, the younger half of the father-son duo at Albion, estimates used vehicles to make up around 70

per cent of the company’s sales to mining companies. “Since the downturn there was a lot of cost-cutting going on and the first thing to pull back on were the new vehicles,” he explained. “So Rio and Anglo came to us and we have been able to provide several more mining companies ever since then.” Albion can provide internal OH&S and boarding checks as a personal service as per the operator’s specific safety requirements, including ROPS (rollover protection systems). Newer models of Hilux already carry a fivestar ANCAP safety rating and do not need these checks— but for the older models often available at Albion’s

auctions, this service is essential to ensure maximum safety compliance. “We’ve got two mechanics on hand who put the vehicles up on hoists and give them a full once over — they need to be right before they go to the mine site, and we keep vigorously applied checklists,” Hodson explained. “Being used vehicles there are things that can go wrong of course, but we make sure when they leave our premises that they’re 100 per cent safe.” Albion maintains consistent quality checks for each vehicle it sells, providing meticulous cleaning and detailing services, and thorough mechanical checks — all vehicles

WE’VE GOT TWO MECHANICS ON HAND WHO PUT THE VEHICLES UP ON HOISTS AND GIVE THEM A FULL ONCE OVER — THEY NEED TO BE RIGHT BEFORE THEY GO TO THE MINE SITE, AND WE KEEP VIGOROUSLY APPLIED CHECKLISTS.”

ONE OF ALBION’S LAND CRUISERS READY TO BE AUCTIONED

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have to be roadworthy before being considered ready for sale. While the Toyota Hilux is a popular choice for operators, Albion’s most popular product by far is the Toyota Land Cruiser. Albion supplies mines with new and used vehicles but the latter is becoming an increasingly popular option, Hodson said, due to industry cost cutting. “New vehicles, especially the Land Cruisers, can be expensive; when you start adding the mine spec onto them, the cost can be through the roof,” he explained. “If a mining company can buy something that’s only two to three years old with the mine spec already applied, and for 50–60 per cent of the new price, they’re definitely going to go for it, especially as new vehicles purchased at the same time as our near-new ones, after three to four years at the mine, are worth the same to resell.” AM

MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING

THE CODE LODE AUSTRALIAN ENCODER MANUFACTURER PLANT CONTROL AND AUTOMATION (PCA) EXPLAINS THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THIS CRUCIAL INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

ncoders were invented in the mid-20th century by US defence contractor Litton Industries, named after founder Charles Litton Sr. Initial application of encoder technology was predominantly military focused, but over in Germany, precision measurement manufacturer Heidenhain (likewise named after founder Dr Johannes Heidenhain GmbH), was developing encoders for the commercial purpose of measuring devices for machine tool automation. Moving into the 1960s and 1970s, demand for encoder technology rose as industry became more automated, and mass production ensued. Early mass-market encoders used metal disks with brushes, then later cheaper plastic models. With the need for increased precision, meeting demand became difficult; each encoder had to be built to exacting specifications with disk divisions in the thousands, leading to slow deliveries that struggled to comply with the breakneck pace of mass industry. To address the need for custom disks, digital programmable encoders were developed using high-resolution

optical disks and on-board processors to extrapolate divisions per rotation at a theretofore-unknown rate. Encoders generally come in two types: absolute and incremental. Absolute encoders measure angular position, while incremental encoders measure motional position, and each are suited to different tasks. The benefit of absolute encoders is that positional counts are calculated internally, while incremental encoders rely on an external power source to provide measurements. The need for general purpose encoders increased only as industry started to become more automated some time between the obsolescence of the digital revolution and the birth of the information age. Companies started building encoders using increasingly inexpensive methods at a faster rate than before, and it was during this disruptive period that Australian industrial electrical engineer Adrian Smith had a plan. As Australian industry — like most other places — became increasingly automated in the 1970s, he saw a burgeoning market for the use of encoders. In 1981, his company Plant Control and Automation (PCA) made a breakthrough when he commenced assembly of domestically built

optical encoders, allowing for much faster Australian delivery than had been seen before (usually within 24 hours). Fast-forward to the present and you can find myriad examples of PCA’s heavy-duty encoders in high-end industrial machinery in the mining and haulage industries. In addition to its home-grown products, PCA is the exclusive Australasian distributor for three prominent encoder brands; IED, a UK manufacturer that specialises in bespoke, made-to-order encoders; Motrona, a German company specialising in data displays and signal convertors; and Posital-Fraba, a leading German manufacturer. Within the last two years, the breakthrough of magnetic encoders, an innovation of Posital-Fraba, the US arm of centennial German sensor manufacturer Fraba, has afforded higher precision at a lower cost while innovating and simplifying the encoder construction process, and represent the latest iteration of encoder technology. PCA has recently been showcasing Posital’s new range of programmable incremental rotary encoders, devices that offer incredible resolution of between one and 16,384 pulses per turn. Pulse direction and

POSITAL MAGNETIC ROTARY ENCODER

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NOVEMBER 2017

the output driver can be defined through software parameters (via mobile internet, laptop etc.), while changes can be made quickly using Ubifast and Ixarc, Posital’s custom programming tool and internetenabled content management system. Ixarc is even capable of applying automatic updates through end-user email applications. Operators can register user changes via an email interface, and apply updates via a company database. Replacements can also be identified easily with the use of this technology, offering meticulously detailed optimisation for replacements that reduces the need for spare parts. Onsite changes on the factory floor are also possible, further increasing expediency. Mounting flanges are also customisable for European, American and Asian practices, and worldwide delivery fulfilment is assured within two weeks. PCA is at the forefront of encoder technology and is proud to introduce its new range of PositalFraba incremental rotary encoders. Modular optical encoders, such as Posital’s Optocode, are also adaptable to special requirements if needed. AM

SAFETY

ENWARE INSTALLS CONFIDENCE WITH ITS PREMIER SAFETY EQUIPMENT AUSTRALIAN COMPANY ENWARE HAS BEEN IN THE BUSINESS OF HELPING INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY FOR DECADES WITH ITS INNOVATIVE PLUMBING SOLUTIONS — AUSTRALIAN MINING LOOKS AT SOME OF THE COMPANY’S MINING INDUSTRY SAFETY PRODUCTS.

nware has been in business since 1937, and is one of Australia’s leading plumbing and safety equipment manufacturers. Providing a number of plumbing services for industries across the country, from hospitals and labs, to educational, residential and security sectors, Enware covers a wide spectrum. One particular industry where the company especially shines is the mining sector; its workplace safety solutions, such as eye and face washes, emergency showers and chemical neutralisation solutions all set industry standards. Enware is particularly proud of its emergency safety showers, which are able to rapidly flush hazardous contaminants from the body. Enware offers a variety of emergency solutions, drawing from over 30 years of experience in this area. Options include freestanding showers, combination shower and eyewash systems, multi-spray safety showers, and portable hazchem decontamination units. Showers can be hand operated, foot operated, ceiling or wall mounted, and gravity fed; there is a wealth of end-user choices, providing maximum adaptability and customisation to the situation at hand. “When it comes to an injury, the quickest response ensures minimal damage to the affected person. Typically, WHS officers who are entrusted in choosing such products for a plant would assess the levels of protection that a plant requires. Enware’s safety systems are designed to deliver an effective response when accidents happen and are hence a choice product,” said Louis Rizzolo, general manager of marketing at Enware Australia. Enware’s advanced Vertech technology utilises multiple angled streams to create a zero velocity point for rinsing of the eyes and face, maintaining a strong and effective flush that is gentle on affected areas, allowing the user to rinse their eyes and face for longer periods without discomfort. All emergency

showers and eyewashes are also certified to AS4775 and ANSI Z358.1 safety standards. In addition to the pressurised emergency eye washes, Enware offers several portable solutions by manufacturer Tobin, extremely useful when every second counts. Tobin’s portable eye washes can be purchased as wall-mounted standing bottles, pocket-size bottles (for maximum portability), cabinets and portable air-pressured and gravityfed wash systems. Orders are also highly customisable to the needs of the client; showers can be protected from the elements whether you work in a hot or cold climate; in hot locales thermal insulation helps to keep water cool, while in cold climates anti-freeze valves can be fitted and emergency symbols disabled should water freeze in the pipework. Enware can also offer advice to customers to help them choose the right option for their application; for example, advising on whether a facility should choose between portable and plumbed solutions, which options would work best for

them. Enware is also responsible for the creation of a number of spare parts for its showers, including valves, nozzles, volume controls, certificate-compliant emergency signs and labels, thermal reflective pipe insulation, and aerator kits, among several other items, so you can always keep your gear in safe and operational order. Showers are also self-draining, reducing the risk of bacteria build-up in tepid water. “Because of our bespoke manufacturing capabilities, Enware is able to work very closely with our customers to ensure we are able to supply the best solution for them,” said Rizzolo. “Being able to sit down with any customer, discuss their needs in the area of safety means we can then customise a safety product or solution based around those needs.” Enware also provides a number of powder-coated colour options for its showers, which are useful for providing heightened visibility, while emergency lights can also be installed to draw attention to certain safety features. Available powder coats include green, white, yellow and orange, which along with the

ENWARE’S VERTECH EYE WASH SOLUTION

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NOVEMBER 2017

yellow-coated epoxy pull handle confer high visibility. Drawing on eight decades of service, safety has always been at the heart of Enware’s products. When it comes to the mining industry, Enware doesn’t just offer showers. In the unfortunate event a chemical spill should occur, Enware also stocks Fast-Act chemical neutralising technology. Certified by Lloyd’s of London and making use of sophisticated nanomaterial technology, this non-toxic solution is a near-instantaneous neutralising safety solution suitable for application in a wide variety of chemical spills, including H2S (hydrogen sulphide) and similar derivatives. It offers a five-year shelf life, is suitable for dealing with fire vapour, water insoluble, and easy to clean. With its continued and unwavering commitment to workplace safety, and its impressive longevity, Enware is a leading provider for your safety needs. Whether you’re working in hostile environments or dealing with hazardous chemicals, Enware can lend a helping hand thanks to its effective safety solutions. AM

MAINTENANCE

CRC BRINGS 60 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO THE MINING INDUSTRY CRC INDUSTRIES IS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LEADING INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS OF LUBRICANTS, AEROSOLS, INDUSTRIAL CLEANERS, DEGREASERS, AND MANY MORE LOCALLY PRODUCED, ISO-ACCREDITED PRODUCTS. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

RC has been in the lubricant and aerosol business for a long time, and offers a number of aerosols, bulk lubricant, anti-corrosion and chemical maintenance products. The company is particularly versed in the mining sector, and recognises the importance of proper equipment maintenance in order to maximise productivity. The use of CRC’s lubricants to reduce friction helps to increase the longevity of equipment, combating wear and energy consumption. Products such as CRC 5-56, CRC’s flagship multi-purpose lubricant, can clean scale and dirt but also counteract against corrosion and rust, drastically reducing — if not eliminating — the need for disassembly. In addition to counteracting the effects of corrosion, CRC 5-56 also displaces moisture and provides a protective buffer against further

corrosion. It’s no wonder CRC 5-56 is referred to by loyalists as the original “toolkit in a can”. As an alternative, there is also the CRX Multi-Purpose High-Strength Lubricant, a newer formula tailored for anti-corrosive uses. For more heavy-duty applications, CRC offers a line of degreasers; Brakleen Compliance Plus removes brake fluid, grease and oil from pads and linings, and is also useful for brakes and clutches as a wetting agent. Brakleen and Brakleen Force, meanwhile, offer non-stain, noncorrosive formulas designed to remove dust. For parts cleaning, CRC has patented the SmartWasher, a line of heavy-duty heated washers featuring interchangeable flowthrough brushes and detachable control assemblies. The line currently encompasses four models, from the entry-level SmartWasher SW-23, the SW-25 and SW-28, and finally the high-end SW37 model.

CRC SmartWashers can be fitted with one of four complementary Ozzy Juice solutions, each specially optimised for different kinds of parts. SW-1 Ozzy Juice is optimised as a degreaser for cleaning ink, toner, crude oil, varnish, creosote and carbon build-up. SW-3 Ozzy Juice is optimised for use in auto workshops and excels at grease and brake cleaning. SW-4 Ozzy Juice, like SW-3, is also effective for degreasing crude oil, motor oil and carbon, but also useful for impacted grease, bearing grease, solder, flux and resin. Finally, SW-6 Ozzy Juice is optimised for the cleaning of soft and ferrous metals. Trefolex Cutting Compound acts as an efficient lubricant product for the use of hand tools on metal (particularly stainless steel, copper and brass), and melts when exposed to frictional heat, saving your time and your arm in the process. Sister product Trefolex HD, meanwhile, is a thicker fluid better suited to drilling and tapping metals.

CRC PROMISES ‘SOLUTIONS TO KEEP YOU MOVING’

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2017

These brands and many more (for example: Penetr8, Zinc It, NF Contact Cleaner and CO Cleaner) are excellent solutions for the mining industry, offering premium quality, safety-compliant (non-flammable and ISO-accredited) products. “Our expertise in the mining, oil and gas industry is based on a commitment to innovation, strong process understanding, vast product range and distribution networks,” CRC Industries Australia managing director Shona Fitzgerald explained. “This provides customers with competitive advantages in productivity, labour management, equipment maintenance and safety.’’ CRC aims to provide peace of mind for its customers through best industry practice; its products are expected to meet the exacting demands of the Australian mining industry, increasing the operational life of equipment through the use of its products and in turn, providing increased efficiency, decreased downtime and crucially, a competitive advantage. CRC’s onsite manufacturing allows for the company’s command of the production process, and is emblematic of CRC’s desire for stringent quality control. Likewise, the company’s in-house R&D team never rests on its laurels, and is always looking to improve, even for products that already receive customer commendations. Fitzgerald, for one, is no stranger to the level of quality expected from those in the industry. “The mining industry has high standards and so do we,” she explained. “Our experience and expertise in the market is second to none. “As a premium supplier of quality industrial cleaners, degreasers, lubricants, corrosion inhibitors and effective lubricants, we offer the tools needed to keep operations running smoothly, even in the harshest environments.”. AM

PRODUCTS

4DMAPPER INTEGRATES WITH AUTODESK FOR CLOUD-BASED PHOTOGRAMMETRY 4DMapper aims to prove itself as the first and last word in geospatial data with its new Autodesk-enabled photogrammetry system. Available for integration into the cloud-based Autodesk photogrammetry system, 4DMapper is a cloud-based visualisation platform suitable for drone applications that can scan environments with a high degree of accuracy. Cloud integration eliminates the need for specialised software or licensing. Autodesk integration represents an exciting development for the company as it allows 4DMapper’s clients to measure, digitise and analyse geospatial data with increased accuracy and breathtaking detail. Photogrammetry refers to the process of collating photos for the measurement of space; it is a longpracticed technique but recent developments in technology have allowed for effective and accurate processing of such details in a 3D plane, capturing every rolling hill and nook and cranny that would otherwise be invisible in a 2D photo. Autodesk, the Californian tech purveyors perhaps best known for its 3ds Max and Maya animation software, as well as flagship technical drawing software AutoCAD, is also a visualisation specialist with a bevy of industrial applications to its name. 2-D imagery can be dragged and dropped into a browser-based application for conversion into a 3-D technical output that displays a wealth of information about the land at hand. This is particularly useful in the area of surveying, whether in mining or construction. Users can take measurements and create

an excellent impression of depth perception. 4DMapper is available for free trial through the company’s website, 4Dmapper.com, and both subscription and pay-as-you-go cost plans are available. • 4DMapper (02) 9199 7435 4dmapper.com

SEMI-RUGGED LAPTOP HYBRID FOR RELIABLE FIELDUSE

INDUSTRIAL SOFTWARE SERVER WITH IOT INTEGRATION

Panansonic’s new Toughbook FZ-Q2 is a tablet/notebook that offers dual functionality for users looking for a rugged PC that can deal with light outdoor work and fall damage (up to a tested 76cm) thanks to its magnesium alloy case. The product comes complete with a lengthy nine-hour battery life and anti-reflective display well suited to fieldwork. Eschewing the recent trend for tech minimalism, the Toughbook FZ-Q2 is also replete with legacy ports for a range of compatibility with old and new peripherals. The Toughbook FZ-Q2’s 12.5” capacitive, full HD, IPS touch screen is bright, clear and fully detachable from the keyboard base, and the hardware boasts capable specs; an Intel Core m5-6Y57 Skylake CPU with a 4MB cache and up to 2.8GHz, 128–256GB SSD (8GB on board), 4–8GB of RAM, dual band 4G LTE wireless broadband (ensuring reliable connectivity in remote locations) and a full desktop cradle for an RRP of $2999. The screen’s IPS technology allows for a wide range of viewing angles, and optimal visibility in dark or bright conditions. The Toughbook FZ-Q2 also includes a preloaded copy of Windows 10 Professional and a backlit, spill-resistant 10keyless keyboard. The Panasonic Toughbook FZ-Q2 offers commendable performance, durability and portability-to-price ratio, and is designed for a wide range of users, including technicians, sales staff, field service engineers and manufacturing mechanics; it’s a versatile piece of kit. “Adding the Toughbook FZ-Q2 FZ-Q2 to our lineup allows organisations to maximise their investment in rugged technology without compromise,” explains Marc Amelung, general manager for mobile solutions with Panasonic Australia.

Schneider has announced a new industrial software platform, EcoStruxture, a modular system designed for the industrial and infrastructure markets. EcoStruxture deploys over two million software licenses across over 100,000 sites, encompassing 10 trillion daily transactions. Featuring Internet of Things (IoT) integration, EcoStruxture is systems agnostic, plug-and-play and supports a wide range of commercial and industrial applications. Cloud-based, edge data computing is receiving rapid adoption by enterprise companies, keen to future proof their workforce. IoT devices can help to collate useful data for your company or site, but they require a network for true integration. EcoStruxture has a wide variety of applications for mining companies; it can gauge results from material handling and conveying, integrate security solutions, collate data for increased fuel and water management efficiency, simplify process automation, and incorporate advanced IT infrastructure. The combination of these factors can result in a number of end-user benefits, including but not limited to:

• Panasonic w ww.panasonic.com.au/toughbook

• • • •

Improved environmental objectives (saving costs) Reduce dependence on external contractors (saving costs) Optimise site operations and simplify engineering concerns (saving costs) Improve fuel and energy optimisation (saving costs).

You may notice a pattern emerging. In the long run, introduction of EcoStruxture industrial software platform can result in significant cost and time benefits without compromise to performance and security. • Schneider Electric schneider-electric.com AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2017

PRODUCTS

QR TRACKING TECH FOR CONVEYER MAINTENANCE Martin Engineering, a bulk materials solutions company with over 70 years of experience, has unveiled its new QR-focused tracking technology for use with conveyor systems. The concept is designed to aid technicians with inspections, providing a wealth of data regarding the condition of conveyor components that can help to avoid breakdowns. Technicians can perform inspections and adjustments onsite using a specially created 18-point operational assessment and report covering the head pulley to tail pulley, and encompasses all facets from belts, support, sealing and containment to idlers and blades, greatly minimising risk. The technician’s findings can then be logged, resulting in more efficient bulk handling. During manufacturing, data codes are imprinted on the blades in order to track and collect information pertaining to wear, tear and shelf life, particularly important for the maintenance of the blade’s degradable urethane components.

“Eventually we will have enough data points to make more accurate predictions about the performance and wear life of individual blade designs and materials of construction under specific operating conditions,” said Chris Schmelzer, Martin Engineering’s wear components business group director. “Defining average wear life is extremely difficult because of the number of variables, but having this information will allow us to compare blade performance in similar applications and come up with a range and standard deviation.” The system makes use of a proprietary smartphone app that allows both customers and Martin technicians an opportunity to maximise performance through analysis. • Martin Engineering www.martin-eng.com

MARTIN’S TECH IS USEFUL FOR CONVEYER BELT TESTING

SITE TECHS CAN NOW REAP THE BENEFITS OF QR INTEGRATION

INX UPDATES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO 5.4 WITH QOL IMPROVEMENTS The latest update to INX’s popular workforce management system of the same name, INX 5.4 delivers a raft of quality of life improvements to the service. The Australian company offers browser and mobile solutions for many industrial applications, such as environmental data management, travel and logistics management and operational health and safety. The 5.4 update includes improvements. Collapsible menus and new colour schemes have been introduced to the system in order to provide improved screen real estate and a more pleasant UX overall. Page rendering and stability have been improved; INX 5.4 offers new levels of accessibility, ensuring increased INX compatibility with a number of devices and page layouts (both vertical and horizontal displays). Userfriendly information prompts are now included at the top of the page, improving efficiency and ease of use overall. One of the most notable additions of all however, is INX’s new INX +BI tool, which allows for drill down dashboard reporting across the company’s entire range of products, with pre-build layouts and dragand-drop functionality both included as well. For increased expediency, INX now comes with a Microsoft-based single sign on (SSO) system, allowing users to utilise one account password (for example, a Microsoft login) to gain access to several INX platforms. INX workforce management system is utilised in 23 countries by several notable businesses (over 250 overall), including Downer, New Gold, Atlas Iron, Northern Star and Barminco. • INX inxsoftware.com (08) 7111 3952 AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2017

EVENTS

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

MINERAL PROCESSING FOR NON-MINERAL PROCESSORS SHORT COURSE DECEMBER 8 2017 TORONTO (DECEMBER 11 VANCOUVER), CANADA Serving as an introduction to mineral processing, this short course is designed to teach attendees the basics of mineral processing and make them aware of the latest research in the field. The course instructor is Majid Davoodi, a metallurgist with over 23 years of experience in mineral processing who has worked in Australia, among many other places. There will also be gold ore, uranium ore and water treatment short courses in Toronto on November 16–17, November 20– 21, and November 22–23 respectively. • Mineral Processing for NonMineralProcessors Short Course +1 (604) 782 7501 oreventure.com

VANCOUVER RESOURCE INVESTMENT CONFERENCE JANUARY 21–22 2018 VANCOUVER, CANADA

NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALES An event for Austmine members introducing Peter Allonby, general manager of Wyong Coal — managers of the Wallarah 2 coal project (W2CP) — who will be presenting a speech about the project and his company at a CEO lunch. This event is exclusive to Austmine members. Wyong Coal managers the project on behalf of several investors (the largest being the South Korean company Kores), who together make up the Wyong Areas Coal Joint Venture. •A ustmine Deloitte CEO Leadership Lunch (02) 9357 4660

BRISBANE/SYDNEY/PERTH AUSTMINE MEMBERS AND MINERS END OF YEAR EVENT NOVEMBER 16, 23, 29 2017 BRISBANE, SYDNEY, PERTH Austmine’s annual end-of-year shindig celebrates the continued support of its members with five

seminars focused on different aspects of the mining industry, as well as networking with drinks and canapés. The five presentations are titled Business Relationships vs. Business Partnerships, Digital Mining, The Culture of Change, Diversity of Thought and The Connected Mine. The day event will be followed by a loyalty dinner in the evening for members with more than three years of membership. Similar events will then follow in Sydney on November 23 and Perth on November 29. • Austmine Members and Miners Endof-Year Event (02) 9357 4660

NEW MEXICO MINERAL SYMPOSIUM, NOVEMBER 11–12 2017, NEW MEXICO, USA This annual meeting is an informal gathering of mineralogists, both expert and amateur, and offers the chance to share information regarding mineral discoveries, particularly from New Mexico, its surrounding states, and Mexico as well. The meeting will include a field trip to the Luis Lopez manganese

mines in New Mexico and two days of seminars. • New Mexico Mineral Symposium 2017 geoinfo.nmt.edu/museum/minsymp

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY BRYAN LOVELL MEETING: MINING FOR THE FUTURE, NOVEMBER 23–24 2017, LONDON, UK This meeting will bring together scientists with a focus to address the mining industry roadmap in relation to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and COP21 Paris Agreement. With the global population growing at an exponential rate, and mineral demand high in developing countries, attendees of this meeting will debate how to meet these needs in an environmentally sound and economically viable way. The event will inform next year’s IUGS Resources for Future Generations conference in Canada in June 2018. • The Geological Society Bryan Lovell Meeting: Mining for the Future www.geolsoc.org.uk/lovell17

This is the world’s largest resource investment conference, and covers all areas of mineral exploration, such as oil & gas, metals, renewables and more. Various thought leaders will be in attendance, and the conference is presented in association with Katusa Research, founded by investor Marin Katusa, who has raised over $US1 billion for mining and energy. He will be joined by 36 more speakers at the mammoth event, bringing together the best industry minds over two full days. • Vancouver Resource Investment Conference 2017 cambridgehouse.com/event/54/register

AUSTMINE DELOITTE CEO LEADERSHIP LUNCH FEAT. WYONG COAL (WALLARAH 2) NOVEMBER 9, 2017

AUSTRALIAN MINING BRINGS YOU THE LATEST EVENTS IN THE MINING CALENDAR

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2017

, D E E N U . O T Y E R R E ER N. V E F O T N A O H IS H W D IT RC A N I E F ES TH

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