Australian Mining November 2021 by Prime Creative Media

DIGITAL MINING MATERIALS HANDLING

SOLUTIONS

VOLUME 113/10 | NOVEMBER 2021

TRAINING & EDUCATION

Universal Control Case (UCCase) Smart Technology Support

1300 ALTRAMOTION www.altramotionaustralia.com FIND OUT MORE: www.altramotionmining.com.au

Svendborg Brakes Universal Control Case (UCCase) Smart Technology Support UCCase Features case used as a tool for remote support and data visualization during  Portable commissioning or service of Svendborg Brakes brake systems, including all Hydraulic

 Main data input is brake-side pressure from included pressure transmitter ethernet cable or WiFi hotspot gives trouble-free internet access through  Connected high security gateway  Collected data from sensors is stored in the cloud  Stored data can be displayed via a web interface on a custom UCCase Dashboard coupled with analytical models facilitates the diagnosis of the brake  Visualization system behavior and can foresee and advice to take an action to prevent malfunction give full service controls of SOBO iQ, including possibilities to set SOBO iQ  UCCase settings and upgrade firmware

Benefits can change service approach from a Svendborg Brakes service  UCCase technician’s physical presence to a remote service job with the help from an on-site technician

savings for equipment owners as some service jobs or preliminary  Significant investigations can be done remotely a valuable tool for complicated commissioning tasks, as all Svendborg Brakes  Isexperts can participate remotely via access to dashboard

 Helps to prevent fatal brake system failures and increase production uptime

1300 ALTRAMOTION www.altramotionaustralia.com FIND OUT MORE: www.altramotionmining.com.au Sydney New South Wales Unit 1, 11 Penny Place Arndell Park, NSW 2148

Melbourne Victoria Suite 36, Level 2/222 Lonsdale Street Melbourne, VIC 3000

Perth Western Australia 271 Great Eastern Highway Belmont, WA 6104

Mackay Queensland 14/20-34 Caterpillar Drive Paget, QLD 4740

DIGITAL MINING MATERIALS HANDLING VOLUME 113/10 | NOVEMBER 2021

TRAINING & EDUCATION

OPPORTUNITIES SURFACE TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIONS EMERGE

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COMMENT

MINEXPO BUILDS EXCITEMENT FROM AFAR LEADING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS HAVE SHOWCASED HOW THEY ARE SUPPORTING THE MINING INDUSTRY’S PLANS TO DECARBONISE THE SECTOR OVER THE NEXT DECADE.

BEN CREAGH

Ben.Creagh@primecreative.com.au

order and travel restrictions unfortunately made it nearimpossible for most Australians to travel to MINExpo in Las Vegas this year. However, technology ensured we didn’t entirely miss out on the new machinery and innovations launched at the global event, with many exhibitors streaming their latest solutions online. Even from afar, MINExpo clearly showed how much the mining industry has progressed and how much further it looks set to develop in the coming years. MINExpo covered several themes that reinforced METS (mining equipment, technology and services) companies are truly aligned with the needs of their mining company partners. The push to decarbonise the mining industry was obvious in the product releases that the major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) unveiled, right through to the development of new software from technology companies. Mining equipment is gradually moving towards a zero-emission target, while technology platforms are factoring in how to help mining and METS companies achieve this goal. OEMs, including Liebherr, Caterpillar and Komatsu, notably strengthened their roadmap towards zero-emission mining equipment at MINExpo. Liebherr has already made progress in this direction. For example, its haul trucks from 100 tonnes upwards are equipped with electric AC drive. The company’s environmental goal is now to decarbonise its range of mining applications, with a 2030 target in place to have fossil-fuel-free alternatives for the

FRONT COVER

In this edition, we include a special focus on the surface mining sector in Australia, highlighting services and products that are transforming mine sites. This issue also shines the spotlight on the mineral sands industry in Victoria, an emerging part of the state’s resources sector. We look at WesTrac’s automation training program in Western Australia and how it has collaborated with Rio Tinto at the facility. This edition reviews several trends in the ongoing digitisation of the mining industry. And as usual, we cover the latest mining equipment and technology in our products section.

Cover image: Fenner Dunlop.

Ben Creagh Managing Editor

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CORRECTION: IN THE OCTOBER EDITION OF AUSTRALIAN MINING, THE INCORRECT IMAGE WAS USED TO SUPPORT THE PRODUCT ARTICLE COVERING DIXON LAYFLAT HOSES ON PAGE 68. THE IMAGE WAS INSTEAD THE PROPERTY OF CRUSADER HOSE. AUSTRALIAN MINING APOLOGISES FOR THE INCORRECT USE OF THE CRUSADER HOSE IMAGE.

majority of its current line-up. Caterpillar highlighted a selection of initiatives to support its commitment to sustainability, a standout of these being partnerships with Rio Tinto and BHP to develop and deploy zero-emission mining trucks. Komatsu has also teamed up with Rio Tinto and BHP, as well as Codelco and Boliden, to form the Komatsu Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Alliance. The Japanese OEM debuted its initial concept for a haulage vehicle that can run on a variety of power sources, part of a poweragnostic development, at the Las Vegas event. Another futuristic mining technology that took a step forward at MINExpo was autonomous hydraulic excavators. Still in its development stages, Liebherr exhibited the first automation product of its hydraulic excavator portfolio, the semiautomatic Bucket Filling Assistant platform. Komatsu also showcased the development of its semi-autonomous hydraulic excavator product with a teleoperation exhibition. Both innovations present an insight into the future of mining and you would expect that by the next MINExpo in 2024, excavator automation will have progressed significantly. Finger crossed that by then, Australians will be able to observe the next steps in this process in the flesh.

JOURNALISTS MICHAEL PHILIPPS Email: michael.philipps@primecreative.com.au NICKOLAS ZAKHARIA Email: nickolas.zakharia@primecreative.com.au TOM PARKER Email: tom.parker@primecreative.com.au

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NOVEMBER 2021

IN INTHIS THISISSUE ISSUE

24 16

TRAINING & EDUCATION

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

Preparing for an autonomous future WesTrac collaboration with Rio Tinto delivers fundamentals Gold and diamonds keep their shine Australian gold retains prominence as domestic diamond projects gear up

MINING SERVICES

Inspiring the next generation of miners Landmark Indigenous joint venture supports local success

24 COMMUNICATIONS

Phoning in to the future of mining Innovations in mining communications unlock new capabilities.

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

Victoria turns gold into sand and back again Mineral sands opportunity develops in Victoria as demand grows

DIGITAL MINING

Expanding mining’s digital presence New mining technology complements future potential

SURFACE MINING

Delivering value for surface miners Key solutions and innovations scratch more than the surface

48 COMMUNICATIONS

High-speed comms in remote locations Pivotel solution transforms a Pilbara rail project

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

Copper collaboration to save a precious resource Zero emissions copper takes first steps to make mining sustainable

28 52

DRILL & BLAST

INDUSTRY COMMENT

TYRE MANAGEMENT

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

MATERIALS HANDLING

WATER MANAGEMENT

Hexagon’s holistic approach to drill and blast High-precision drilling, blast-movement monitoring improves recoveries Driving innovation in tyre solutions Kal Tire tools prevent wheel failure risk on heavy mining equipment

How the JORC Code affects mining finance The importance of this system for explorers of minerals deposits Mining events push on amid COVID-19 Prospect Awards finalists announced as MINExpo amazes

Fenner Dunlops maps the future of intelligent conveying Conveyor management technology provides an edge in efficiency Trickling up the value of dewatering technology Chemical solutions improve water management in mining

62 MINERALS PROCESSING

CDE's all-in-one logwasher Maintaining a smooth screening and cleaning operation

MINING SERVICES

Delivering value to a critical industry Mining solutions dial up the benefits from cost to production

70 MANUFACTURING

Supporting customers during the supply chain chaos Crusader Hose proves to be a lifeline for local mining industry

REGULARS

71 TRAINING & EDUCATION

5 COMMENT

Solid-Block Housed units call for solid training Bearings withstand the brunt of mining applications with ease of installation

AUSTRALIANMINING AUSTRALIANMINING 66 NOVEMBER OCTOBER 2020 2021

8 NEWS 76 PRODUCTS 78 EVENTS

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Liebherr-Australia Pty Ltd. • 1 Dr. Willi Liebherr Drive • Para Hills West, South Australia 5096• Phone (08) 8344 0200 info.las@liebherr.com • www.facebook.com/LiebherrMining • www.liebherr.com.au

NEWS

THE LATEST MINING AND SAFETY NEWS AUSTRALIAN MINING PRESENTS THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE MINE AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. VISIT WWW.AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. HITACHI LAUNCHES FLAGSHIP EX8000-7 EXCAVATOR Hitachi has revealed the EX80007 excavator, which is designed to deliver the utmost power and force in the most challenging mining conditions. Weighing more than 830 tonnes and with the ability to move 75 tonnes of dirt per bucket load, the EX8000-7 is Hitachi’s largest standard backhoe excavator.

The excavator can generate 2×1450 kilowatts of power at 1800 revolutions per minute and comes with the option of a Cummins QSKTA60 or MTU 12V 4000 C33 diesel-charged engine. The EX8000-7 has been designed to perform across different mining profiles and comes with a front attachment design that

THE EX8000-7 BUILDS UPON ITS PREDECESSORS IN A BIG WAY.

prioritises performance. The most significant update on the EX8000-7 is the excavator’s onboard sensors, diagnostic tools and advanced software, which deliver the insights to provide operators with the safest and most productive experience. Further intelligence comes via the EX8000-7’s new electronic cylinder stroke controls that enable the signalling from angle sensors to the main frame, boom and arm. Ensuring product durability and user visibility, operators can monitor the pump flow rate and cylinder speed in real time. Hitachi has implemented the most advanced fuel optimisation technologies and cutting-edge safety features for the new excavator, while also ensuring easy maintenance and operational comfort. The EX8000-7 features electronic joysticks, an intelligent multifunctional display, advanced air suspension seating and improved climate control. Other attributes include an on-board inclinometer, improved machine access and ease of maintenance, a dual isolator switch as standard, an emergency escape chute, engine stop

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

switching and optional perimeter monitoring cameras. The EX8000-7 excavator joins Hitachi’s EX-7 series, which also includes EX1200-7, EX2600-7, EX3600-7, EX5600-7 and its new EX2000-7 excavator, recently revealed at MINExpo 2021. The EX2000-7’s main pump electronic regulators, high hydraulic efficiency regeneration and cooling package work together to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent, offering mining companies a lower-emission option for their operations.

FORTESCUE SETS RECORD MINING SERVICES CONTRACT Fortescue Metals Group and members of the Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation are partnering to develop new mines at the Solomon Hub operations in Western Australia. The 10-year mining services contract awarded to the joint venture is estimated to be worth more than $500 million, making it the largest ever contract Fortescue has awarded to an Aboriginal business. Under the co-management framework, Fortescue and members of Wintawari – the prescribed body corporate for the Eastern Guruma

People – will establish a culturally safe mining joint venture to mine the East and West Queens deposits. The agreement builds on the decade long relationship between the parties, which was formalised in a Land Access Agreement in December 2009. Wintawari chair Glen Camille said the establishment of the joint venture represents the next step in the journey with Fortescue. “We are glad to work with Andrew Forrest and Fortescue to improve the economic outcomes for Aboriginal people and thank Andrew for his AUSTRALIANMINING

demonstrated commitment,” he said. “Working collaboratively, we will ensure that Eastern Guruma people are active participants in the future development of mines on our country, enabling deeper consultation around the protection of culturally significant sites, while building a better future for our people.” Fortescue chief executive officer Elizabeth Gaines said the company was proud of its longstanding relationship with Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation. “We are confident that this

NOVEMBER 2021

new collaborative framework will strengthen our ties with the Eastern Guruma people, through the unique opportunity to have a seat at the table to share cultural knowledge and guide the growth of Fortescue’s operations on their country.” Fortescue chairman and founder Andrew Forrest said the framework would shape a new shared direction for Fortescue and the Eastern Guruma people. “Together, we will provide enduring benefit for future generations, while preserving their unique culture and heritage,” he said.

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NEWS

PILBARA PORTS EXPLORES IRON ORE OPTIONS AT ASHBURTON Ashburton. This includes diversifying trade through the Port of Ashburton’s general cargo facilities,” Johnston said. “Pilbara Ports Authority is working with a number of resources companies to support smaller transhipping operations and unlock stranded iron ore assets in the West Pilbara.” The Port of Ashburton is currently a strategic industrial area for the processing of LNG and natural gas for the state’s domestic gas supply.

The port also handles project cargo, break bulk and general cargo. However, Johnston indicated that nearby businesses were calling for a change to the current set-up at Ashburton. “Any development of infrastructure will be driven by individual proponents,” Johnston said. “Potential export timelines are dependent on a proponent’s development and operational model.” The Ashburton announcement

came less than two weeks after BHP announced it was approved for 40 million more tonnes of annual throughput at Port Hedland. In July, PPA reported a 29 per cent jump in full-year throughput, setting a record for the second time in two years. The 724.7 million tonnes (Mt) in the 2020-21 financial year beat out the previous 12 month’s 700Mt record, indicating the growth occurring in the Western Australian resources industry.

IMAGE: PILBARA PORTS AUTHORITY.

The Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA) has begun investigating the trade of iron ore at the Port of Ashburton in Western Australia in response to increased exports. PPA chief executive officer Roger Johnston revealed to Australian Mining that the Port of Ashburton – 450 kilometres southwest of Port Hedland – was the subject of expansionary investigations. “Pilbara Ports Authority is exploring export and import opportunities at the Port of

THE PORT OF ASHBURTON.

BHP CLOSES IN ON EV MARKET WITH FIRST NICKEL SULPHATE BHP has produced the first nickel sulphate crystals from its Kwinana nickel sulphate plant south of Perth in Western Australia. Nickel sulphate is a key material in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs), with more than 85 per cent of BHP’s current production sold to the future-battery supply chain. The production followed an announcement in July that BHP will supply Tesla with nickel from its Nickel West assets in a collaboration which will aim to make the battery supply

chain more sustainable. According to BHP, the nickel sulphate plant is an Australian-first and will produce 100,000 tonnes of nickel sulphate per year when fully operational. Nickel from BHP’s mines is processed at the Kalgoorlie nickel smelter, before it is transported to the Kwinana nickel refinery and refined into nickel metal in the form of powder or briquettes. The powder is then processed through the new sulphate plant to make nickel sulphate and will be AUSTRALIANMINING

exported to global battery markets from Fremantle port. BHP Nickel West asset president Jessica Farrell said the plant is expected to produce enough premium nickel sulphate to make 700,000 EV batteries each year. “The plant will create 80 new direct jobs and support 400 new indirect jobs, in addition to the 200 construction jobs that were created during the construction phase,” Farrell said. “High quality and sustainable nickel is essential for our customers, and we

NOVEMBER 2021

expect demand for nickel in batteries will increase by 500 per cent in the next decade. “Our investment to upgrade the refinery to produce high purity nickel sulphate, along with nickel powder and briquettes, will enhance Nickel West’s position as a supplier of choice for the growing global electric battery market.” Over half of the plant was fabricated in Western Australia using local skills and suppliers including the steel work, fibreglass leach vessels and stainless-steel tanks.

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NEWS

RIO TINTO TO TRIAL CATERPILLAR HAUL TRUCKS AT GUDAI-DARRI Rio Tinto will be the first to deploy Caterpillar’s 793 zero-emission autonomous haul trucks once development is complete at the Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in Western Australia. Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the two companies have agreed to a prototype pilot program for the 793 fleet, with testing and pre-production trials to come. The 220-tonne trucks will form another piece of Rio Tinto’s most technically advanced iron ore mine, which will ramp up to first production

over the coming few years. Rio Tinto chief commercial officer Alf Barrios said agreements such as this were key to the company’s targets at Gudai-Darri. “Our ambition to reach net zero emissions across our operations is a priority. Reaching this ambition will require new and innovative solutions, and partnerships with supplier partners like Caterpillar,” Barrios said. “This collaboration represents a small but important step on that journey.” The announcement came after the companies agreed to pioneer

Caterpillar’s autonomous water trucks at the same mine, in a further step to lower emissions and increase productivity. Caterpillar Group president Denise Johnson said Rio Tinto was a leader in commissioning these futurefocussed technologies. “By leveraging these technologies across their sites, Rio Tinto can more safely increase productivity, efficiency and be more sustainable,” Johnson said. “We are pleased to be part of Rio Tinto’s sustainability journey and look forward to building on our long-

standing collaboration.” Rio has continued to assess the scope of Gudai-Darri at peak production, with a $44 million prefeasibility study underway. To cater for the raft of autonomous solutions to be implemented at the iron ore mine, Rio Tinto announced in June it would provide autonomous training solutions from Immersive Technologies. Once trained, the mine’s workforce will be capable of operating the autonomous machinery with Caterpillar’s MineStar Command system.

CATERPILLAR HAS PARTNERED WITH SEVERAL MAJOR MINERS FOR AUTONOMOUS HAULAGE.

VITRINITE GETS GREEN LIGHT FOR VULCAN COAL MINE Vitrinite has received approval for its Vulcan mine complex, paving the way for the development of a $160 million metallurgical coal mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. The lease will unlock the first four years of an expected 15-yearplus mine life, opening the door for more than 150 full-time jobs while delivering a major economic boost to the region. “Having the Vulcan mining lease approved for Vitrinite is a huge milestone for our company,” Vitrinite founder and managing director Nick Williams said of the approval. “Going from a greenfield to a

producing mine is a huge feat for any company, and to do it in the time we’ve done it is an amazing feat and we’re very excited.” Vitrinite first acquired the asset in 2018, quickly accelerating the project into development soon thereafter. Williams was buoyed by the opportunities that will come of the Vulcan mine once it begins producing two millions tonnes per annum. “The Vitrinite family are looking forward to supplying 150 jobs to the local people,” he said. “We’re also excited about providing AUSTRALIANMINING

opportunities for local businesses.” With the sustainability of producing coal always in question, Williams said Vitrinite is conscious of the role it needs to play to maintain the environment. “We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously. We are adopting world-class, innovative technologies to progressively rehabilitate our pit beyond our statutory requirements,” he said. Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Ian Macfarlane echoed Williams’ sentiments, highlighting the

NOVEMBER 2021

environmental considerations at play. “Queensland is widely regarded as having the strictest environmental regulations in the world, which our industry is fully committed to complying with, along with our determination to lower carbon emissions and implement sustainable mining practices,” Macfarlane said. “The Vulcan complex mine project is also the first resources project in Queensland to have its progressive rehabilitation and closure plan (PRCP) approved under new legislation introduced in 2019.”

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NEWS

BILLION-YEAR-OLD GEOLOGY LOCATES CRITICAL MINERALS The paper, titled Mantle heating at ca. 2 Ga by continental insulation: Evidence from granites and eclogites, was written by lead author Renee Tamblyn and her associates. Tamblyn explained the importance of her team’s discovery. “We found evidence from the trace element chemistry of granites that suggests a large-scale heating of the continents around two billion years ago that corresponds with the assembly of Nuna, a supercontinent which completed its formation 1.6

billion years ago,” Tamblyn said. “The Earth has generally been cooling since its formation, but Nuna had an insulating effect on the mantle, rather like a thick blanket, which caused temperatures to rise beneath the continents and prevent the preservation of eclogites and change the chemistry of granites. “The changes in chemistry resulting from this unusual warming event during Earth’s geologic past could help to locate certain critical minerals by looking for rocks formed before or after this heating event –

depending on which element is of being looked for.” Australia presents a suitable sample for the research to continue, as the continent has regions both older and younger than the 1.8-billion-year mark when the eclogites disappeared. “The rocks in the Northern Territory and northwest Queensland are a little older than the 1.8-billionyear mark so may be a place where we can continue our investigations into this mysterious geological case,” Hasterok said.

IMAGE: DR DERRICK HASTEROK, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide have discovered how a billion-year-old geological mystery could help locate the critical minerals of today. Eclogites are known to have disappeared from geological records between 1.8 and 1.2 billion years ago, before reappearing. Upon their resurgence, a concentration of trace elements found in igneous rocks has been recognised and these trace elements presented a link to critical minerals.

ECLOGITE FROM NORWAY.

AUSTRALIA AND INDIA TAKE NEXT STEP IN MINING PARTNERSHIP Australia and India have discussed opportunities in coal technology, skills development and businessto-business collaboration at a Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting called Coal and Mines. The forum was co-chaired by Australia’s head of resources division Paul Trotman and India additional secretary, Ministry of Coal, Vinod Kumar Tiwari. The delegates also discussed issues relating to India’s coking coal imports from Australia. Australia made presentations on its Global Resources Strategy,

as well as ways of leveraging technologies and infrastructure to decarbonise energy and industry. Tiwari provided an overview of the coal sector in India, outlining the country’s current and future coal resources, while forecasting India’s critical and strategic minerals demand and supply scenarios. Tiwari also explained the coal and broader mining priority areas the two countries could capitalise on in the future. Other specific conversations included India and Australia’s collaboration on clean coal AUSTRALIANMINING

technology, surface coal gasification, coal bed methane, sharing of technology deployed for fire quenching, coal-based hydrogen, and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). An open house discussion was also held. The JWG meeting was a precursor to the India-Australia Energy Dialogue – an annual meeting which then took place on October 13. The Energy Dialogue discussed the countries’ bilateral engagement on energy and resources. Coal and Mines is one of four

NOVEMBER 2021

working groups established to support the forum, which also includes Oil and Gas, Renewable Energy and Smart Grids, and Power and Energy Efficiency units. In June 2020, Australia and India announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on critical minerals. The MoU has seen Australia take a significant step towards establishing itself as a reliable supplier of critical minerals for India’s growing manufacturing sector and its defence and space capabilities.

TRAINING & EDUCATION

WA IS HOME TO AROUND 90 PER CENT OF THE WORLD’S CAT AUTONOMOUS HAULAGE FLEET.

PREPARING THE WORKFORCE FOR AN AUTONOMOUS FUTURE A COLLABORATION BETWEEN WESTRAC AND RIO TINTO HAS LED TO THE CREATION OF A TAILORED PROGRAM TO TEACH TEAM MEMBERS THE FUNDAMENTALS OF OPERATING WITHIN AN AUTONOMOUS MINE SITE. MICHAEL PHILIPPS WRITES.

io Tinto is quickly approaching first production at its Gudai-Darri iron ore mine near Newman in the Pilbara, Western Australia. The company has plans for GudaiDarri to be one of the world’s most advanced mine sites with automation technology solutions across the value chain. However, for the site to work efficiently and safely, all workers employed at the mine must be trained to work with autonomous technology. Rio Tinto and WesTrac have developed a tailored program to teach team members the safety fundamentals of operating within an autonomous mine site. The Automated Haulage Systems (AHS) module at the WesTrac Technology Training Centre in Collie has prepared more than 260 operators since its launch, with another 100 people expected to be trained by December.

The centre is only the second such training facility in the world focussing on the technical skills required to operate autonomous equipment for use in the resources sector. WesTrac chief executive officer Jarvas Croome says Western Australia currently accounts for around 90 per cent of the world’s Cat autonomous haulage fleet and that is why the training centre was established in the state. “Because not all sites have autonomy on them, this particular training facility is all about that initial introduction to autonomy,” Croome says. “They may have worked on a mine site for five or 10 years but now they are going to be working with autonomous equipment. So we can get them up to speed for their first day on site. “Traditionally we have done a lot of the training on site, so this is a perfect opportunity to train people before they get to the site, and we can also train a greater volume of operators.” WesTrac is also delivering a maintainer training module, focussed AUSTRALIANMINING

on in-field service operations for autonomous equipment. Rio Tinto expects to send employees to the facility on an ongoing basis over coming years to train both new team members and those wishing to upskill. Rio Tinto vice president of human resources Scott Browne says the program has given the company’s team members invaluable development in AHS. “The (Gudai-Darri) site will be autonomous in regard to our haulage fleet, so we are really focussed on our haul trucks,” Browne says. “We recently announced with Caterpillar the first autonomous water cart and we have also got our autonomous drill system. “There are other digital technologies around the mine in regards to refuelling and other warehouse parts, but the big focus is really on the autonomous haulage fleet. “The aim is about how we can create the safest environment, and obviously a highly productive environment, and see where autonomy fits within that.”

NOVEMBER 2021

According to WesTrac’s Technology Training Centre operations manager Jeremy Manuel, Gudai-Darri will be a unique working environment which presents some training challenges for Rio Tinto. “Before engaging with the GudaiDarri team, WesTrac had been working with customers to roll out autonomous haulage equipment at mines that were already operating, so it was possible to phase the introduction of the new technology and to train workforces on site in line with that rollout,” Manuel says. “As Gudai-Darri is a new site, WesTrac worked with Rio Tinto to develop appropriate courses and deliver them at our purpose-built Collie facility, ensuring team members leave the program site-ready.” The training includes practical components for operating and using manually controlled equipment such as passenger transport vehicles within autonomous zones. Such equipment must be fitted with technology to allow safe interaction with the autonomous

TRAINING & EDUCATION

vehicles, ensuring all moving equipment is site aware. Browne says the training is critical for Rio Tinto to make sure the company has safe and competent people on site. “It is also an opportunity for people to come into the mining industry and from our other sites to upskill from here at this facility,” he says. “It is important to be able to take people out of the operating environment and give them that dedicated focus where it is just about the training rather than have people both trying to do their role receive training at the same time. “We are highly invested in the development of trainees, apprentices and graduates, and we want to make sure we keep that investment going, as we did with the VET qualifications, into the future.” The Technology Training Centre was opened in August last year by Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan and Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan. The Western Australian Government contributed $2.7 million through the Collie Futures Fund towards the project. Member for Collie-Preston Jodie Hanns says the training facility has created benefits for the wider Collie community. “The facility is getting people trained with new skills to use new technology,” Hanns says. “The flow-on effect for Collie means that people are coming to the region and staying for a number of days during their training on site. “This provides a boost for the Collie

RIO TINTO VP OF HUMAN RESOURCES SCOTT BROWNE AND WESTRAC CEO JARVAS CROOME.

community with people using local accommodation and food providers, and the wider community, as these people get an opportunity to see what Collie has to offer. “This is also reflected in the number of people returning to Collie – we have had massive numbers of repeat visitors through town for lots of different reasons. “They may come to town for the training, but they come back due to what they have seen and that is a massive benefit for our community.” Hanns says having the facility

WESTRAC IS ALSO DELIVERING A MAINTAINER TRAINING MODULE.

AUSTRALIANMINING

located in Collie will position the town at the forefront of automated heavy vehicle training and has the potential to create a range of opportunities for Collie residents. “Being an industrial town, people are very used to seeing heavy vehicles going through town, so these kinds of facilities are really welcome out here,” she says. “We really welcome the investment of the state government, but we also really value the interest that Rio Tinto and WesTrac have provided to support this facility in our region.” The training at the facility is specifically designed for Rio Tinto employees, in conjunction with Caterpillar and WesTrac. However, Croome says there is potential to provide training for other miners should the need arise in the future. “While the borders have been shut, we haven’t been able to bring some of our eastern states people in for training, but there has been a huge demand and we have basically been booked out the whole time,” Croome says. “Now we are looking at future opportunities and other kinds of training we can provide in the technology space as we see newer technology start to emerge. “We are looking at training on autonomous drills as well as opportunities for training with autonomous dozing.” Croome says the latest interstate border closures have increased the number of applications to attend the training. “We have got a lot of people

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applying. We recently held applications for apprentices and we would have had 1000 applicants for 30 positions,” Croome says. “It is really challenging right now to be able to train the volume of people to meet the requirement here in Western Australia. “WesTrac has always had a really strong focus on training and we have hundreds of apprentices on our own books, as well as training hundreds of apprentices each year for the industry. “We did used to rely on a lot of interstate or international people to come into the state to meet the demand, but the good news is this is a great opportunity for the people of Western Australia to be part of some really interesting industries.” Browne says the recruitment for Gudai-Darri has progressed with the site well positioned to ramp up. However, the current issues with snap border closures have meant Rio Tinto is focussed on a Western Australian workforce. “Our roles are actually advertised as either having to relocate to WA or actually be a resident of WA already,” he says. “So since the middle of last year we have had a strong focus on WA employment and we are really focussed on that apprenticeship pathway. “About three months ago we had a program involving a light vehicle to heavy vehicle module that we are doing, so we have a pilot underway at the moment with four female light vehicle fitters and we are re-training them to become heavy duty fitters. “We are really looking for those transferrable skills for our industry.” AM

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

SETTING A GOLD STANDARD IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AUSTRALIAN MINING TALKS WITH THE PERTH MINT TO FIND OUT WHY AUSTRALIA’S GOLD INDUSTRY HAS MAINTAINED ITS IMPORTANCE TO THE NATIONAL ECONOMY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.

hroughout the COVID-19 pandemic there has been little in terms of stability throughout the world. However, one thing has remained relatively constant despite the growing uncertainty that has gripped economies – gold. While the price of other commodities has fluctuated depending on factors including market demand and political power plays, gold has bucked global trends to not only survive during the ongoing pandemic, but also thrive. Perth Mint listed products and investment research manager Jordan Eliseo says gold has been one of the safest commodities of the past 24 months. “Last year, gold had one of its strongest years on record, rising by approximately 25 per cent in US dollar terms, as the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated fiscal and monetary response saw real bond yields decline, and investors gravitate to bullion,” he says. “This was best evidenced through inflows into gold exchange-traded funds, including Perth Mint gold, which saw record inflows at the

height of the pandemic. “This year, gold prices have been more subdued, though the precious metal can continue to play an important role in investor portfolios, especially given the rising inflationary risks evident in the market.” In September, The Perth Mint reported an underlying pre-tax profit of $56 million on turnover of $26.35 billion for the 2020-21 financial year. This is a record in the mint’s 122year history and cements the East Perth institution as one of Western Australia’s largest exporters of gold and silver.  Eliseo says the gold industry is responsible for providing more than 30,000 jobs to Australians, as well as supporting more than 200,000 indirect jobs. “It’s also an important source of export revenue (more than $25 billion per annum), and generates billions in royalties, which governments use to fund infrastructure and community services,” he says. “In this way, the gold industry helps support the economy and the prosperity of Australian citizens at both a state and nationwide level.” The Perth Mint delivered a further $41 million in taxes and dividends to

FROM JANUARY TO JUNE, AUSTRALIA PRODUCED 157 TONNES OF GOLD.

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the state government in the 2020-21 financial year, taking the total paid to Western Australians to more than $230 million over the past decade. The mint refines the vast bulk of newly mined gold from across Australia, transforming it into cast bullion bars and minted precious metal products for sale to investors worldwide. According to Eliseo, multiple factors impact the price of gold, from inflation and interest rates, movements in currency markets, stock market strength or weakness, central bank activity, as well as geopolitical developments. “As a general rule, whenever investors are wary of risk in the markets, they will turn to gold, given its safe haven status, and this typically results in higher prices,” he says. “The last 20 years have demonstrated this clearly, with a range of high-profile events (The NASDAQ Crash, September 11, the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic) all contributing to the rise in the price of gold from below $US300 ($412) to more than $US1700 per troy ounce.” According to Surbiton Associates, Australian gold production during the first half of 2021 was four tonnes more than China’s figures for the same period. From January to June, Australia produced 157 tonnes of gold, with 74 tonnes in the March quarter and 83 tonnes in the June quarter. China produced 153 tonnes of gold for the same period. Eliseo says Australia is in a blessed position when it comes to its gold industry. “We have typically been the second or third largest producer on an annual basis, with output of more than 300 tonnes last year, and indeed in 2021 overtook China to be the world’s largest gold producer,” he says. “Australia also has almost 20 per cent of the world’s economic demonstrated gold resources, which is more than any other nation.” Australia’s 12 per cent increase in gold production from the March to June quarter of 2021 can be put down to new and existing operations

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PERTH MINT LISTED PRODUCTS AND INVESTMENT RESEARCH MANAGER JORDAN ELISEO.

increasing their output. Eliseo says gold has a number of unique characteristics that set it apart from other commodities. Firstly, from a supply perspective, there are already vast stockpiles of gold (more than 200,000 tonnes) of the precious metal that are already owned by households, investors and central banks in bar, coin or jewellery form. “This means that the total supply of gold is very stable, growing gradually every year due to the work of the gold mining industry,” Eliseo says. “Gold also benefits in that it has dual drivers of demand – pure investment demand for bars and coins by people wanting to own gold in their portfolio, and jewellery demand driven by people who want to wear gold as an item of extreme beauty and display their wealth.” These factors feed into gold typically being less volatile than other commodities over the long term. Eliseo says Western Australia remains one of the nation’s major contributors to the gold industry.  “While gold is mined Australia wide, there is no doubt that Western Australia is the beating heart of the Australian gold industry, with circa 70 per cent of gold mining production taking place in WA,” he concludes. AM

A SMALL STEP ON OUR PATH TO CHANGE

FROM 2021, ALL CASTROL PRODUCTS WE SELL IN AUSTRALIA WILL BE

COMMITTED TO CARBON NEUTRALITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH PAS 2060** A SMALL STEP TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

* **

in accordance with PAS 2060, see www.castrol.com/cneutral for more information. The C02e emissions are calculated in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Product Life Cycle Standard and includes life cycle emissions. The demonstration of carbon neutrality will be assured by an Independent Third-Party and certified to BSI’s PAS 2060 carbon neutral specification. See www.castrol.com/cneutral for more information.

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

IMAGE: RIO TINTO.

RIO TINTO WORKERS LEAVE THE ARGYLE MINE.

AUSTRALIA PLOTS REVIVAL OF DIAMOND SECTOR THE AUSTRALIAN DIAMOND INDUSTRY IS RAMPING UP THIS YEAR WITH PROJECT ACQUISITIONS AND EXPANSIONS ON THE HORIZON. AUSTRALIAN MINING SPEAKS WITH LUCAPA DIAMOND COMPANY, BURGUNDY DIAMOND MINES AND CURTIN UNIVERSITY ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR THESE ELUSIVE GEMS.

hile commodities like iron ore and coal take up a large chunk of the limelight in Australia’s mining industry, the diamond sector remains a hidden gem. Australia’s diamond activity has mostly focussed on northern Australia, which was found to be prospective when the Argyle kimberlite pipe was discovered in the 1970s. Rio Tinto operated the Argyle diamond mine in East Kimberly until it completed final production after 37 years of operations in November 2020, producing more than 865 million carats of diamonds. Argyle put Western Australia at the forefront of diamond mining as the world’s second largest diamond producer last year, according to the state’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS). The DMIRS confirmed in its latest statistics digest that the state’s diamond sales volumes increased to 17.4 million carats ($225 million) in 2019-20, which is its highest level in more than 10 years, mainly due to an increase in Argyle’s final output.

However, the DMIRS expects domestic diamond production to reach near zero following Argyle’s closure, but the next wave of domestic producers is looking to fill the gap. With just a handful of diamond miners on the ASX, a company like Lucapa Diamond Company has pursued major international operations in Lesotho and Angola, Africa. The Western Australian-based company has this year looked to increase its diamond interests closer to home with the acquisition of the Merlin project in the Northern Territory. According to the Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission’s final report from December 2020, the region hosts the second highest amount of known diamond resources in Australia. This could see diamond miners take advantage of the government’s support for growing its mining industry. Merlin has a storied history in the Territory, being home to the largestever diamond discovered in Australia, a 104.73-carat type IIa D colour gem that was recovered in 2002. In May, Lucapa agreed to acquire the Merlin project from Merlin Operations for $8.5 million. AUSTRALIANMINING

The project contains a 4.4-millioncarat joint ore reserves committee (JORC) compliant resource, which represents an acquisition cost equal to $2 per resource carat. Lucapa aims to bring the mine back into production in 2023. “When Merlin is brought into production it will be Lucapa’s third operating mine and when fully operational, it will significantly increase the quantity of diamonds being produced by Lucapa as a group and elevate Lucapa to a mid-tier producer,” Lucapa chief executive officer and managing director Stephen Wetherall tells Australian Mining. “At throughput levels currently being scoped in the development plan, Merlin will also become the largest primary source diamond mine in Australia following the closure of Argyle in 2020. “It has the distinction of being the source of the largest known diamond recovered in Australia when it recovered a 104-carat type IIa D colour diamond, and from what we see, there is potential for further large high-value stone recoveries in the run of mine production, which itself has a value well above the world average.”

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Lucapa is undertaking scoping studies at Merlin for the 10 kimberlite pipes contained in the resource. The company’s development plan will adopt an innovative vertical pit mining methodology along with open pit and underground mining across the pipes. Wetherall is confident that Australia remains a strong country for diamond discoveries, with the company also actively exploring its Brooking tenements in Western Australia. “History has shown that Australia can produce high-quality high-value diamonds, and the closure of Argyle has left Australia without a commercial scale producing diamond mine,” Wetherall says. “We are looking forward to changing that. Australia has vast areas that have not been fully explored and we see potential for further discoveries at Brooking and on the Merlin mining tenement and surrounding exploration tenement as identified anomalies and targets are drilled and further exploration is conducted.” Diamond miners’ attraction to Western Australia has also been elevated by a reduced diamond royalty rate, with the state cutting diamond

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

royalties from 7.5 per cent to 5 per cent in July last year. The DMIRS states this was implemented to ensure all diamond miners have the same royalty rate as Argyle, boosting the attraction for further diamond mines to come online in the absence of the historic Rio Tinto operation. Burgundy Diamond Mines is also growing its Australian focus after Argyle’s closure. The company this year entered into an option agreement with Gibb River Diamonds over the Ellendale project in Western Australia. Ellendale is a globally recognised site, with its past production including more than half of the world’s fancy yellow diamonds. Burgundy’s plan is to restart production of fancy yellow diamonds at Ellendale in 2022, and will cut and polish them at a purpose-built facility it acquired in Perth. According to Burgundy managing director and chief executive officer Peter Ravenscroft, the company will take an unconventional approach with its growth strategy, including the establishment of the cut and polish facility. “It was an evolution of ideas, actually,” Ravenscroft says. “As we started looking at Ellendale, we realised a lot of margin went to downstream as it always does in diamond processing. “If you focussed on fancy colour diamonds, you’re working in a very small niche and there’s opportunity to do things differently in that niche.” Ravenscroft says Burgundy followed the blueprint of Rio Tinto’s Argyle pink diamonds processing facilities with its venture into downstream cutting and polishing. Burgundy received strong support from the market earlier this year, raising $50

million to fund the evolving strategy. Before Burgundy begins production at Ellendale, the company will start cutting and polishing fancy colour diamonds from third parties and will continue to do so after the mine is operational. “We’re very excited about the potential and this focus on the small niche sector gives us the opportunity of establishing a unique end-to-end diamond business,” Ravenscroft says. “We are now seeing ourselves as a company that produces and sells polished fancy colour diamonds, with an upstream business growing a supply of fancy colour rough stones.”

New ground

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found that only $1.5 million was spent on diamond exploration in the June 2021 quarter. While exploration is not on Burgundy’s agenda, Ravenscroft says there has been a renewed interest in searching for diamonds around Ellendale from other companies despite the deep cover associated with Australia’s geology. The prospect of new discoveries could be assisted by research studies that identify the origins of diamonds. It takes billions of years for diamonds to form within the Earth’s mantle, but new research from Curtin University has shed light on how they are formed, which could help miners uncover more mantle plumes for diamond deposits. The research paper from Curtin University research fellow Luc Doucet highlighted how diamonds found in ancient oceanic rocks and superdeep continental diamonds both emerged from recycled carbon deep underground. The diamonds are carried up to the areas they are mined from through

LUCAPA RECOVERED AN 88-CARAT DIAMOND FROM THE MOTHAE MINE IN MAY 2021.

mantle plumes, which are areas of magma that reach the Earth’s crust causing volcanic activity. Doucet says the research could help mineral explorers in their understanding of deposits by tracking the origins and understanding of the mantle plumes. “Our study has added an understanding about tracking where the mantle plume was in the past and it is really important to know specific ways to find the diamonds,” Doucet tells Australian Mining. “You have a more complete story about where the mantle plumes are formed by having a complete picture of how continental and oceanic

LUCAPA’S MOTHAE PLANT IN LESOTHO.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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diamonds are created. “Either you have the storage of organic matter in the transition zone, or you have the specific process which formed the diamonds in organic matter.” While the days of the Argyle diamond mine might be over, miners such as Lucapa and Burgundy are looking to take the helm in Australian diamond mining. “History has shown that Australia can produce high-quality, high-value diamonds, and the closure of Argyle has left Australia without a commercial scale producing diamond mine. We are looking forward to changing that,” Wetherall concludes. AM

MINING SERVICES

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INDIGENOUS MINING ATLAS IRON’S MIRALGA CREEK IRON ORE PROJECT WILL SEE EAST WEST PILBARA AND OZLAND WORK TOGETHER IN A PIONEERING JOINT VENTURE, SETTING A NEW STANDARD FOR AUSTRALIAN MINING. TOM PARKER WRITES.

hen Atlas Iron awarded a joint venture mining contract at its Miralga Creek iron ore mine in Western Australia to East West Pilbara (EWP) and Ozland, it was considered a landmark achievement. EWP is an Indigenous business connected with Atlas Iron through its Traditional Owner group Nyamal, while Ozland is a private local drilling and blasting services business. The contract will see EWP and Ozland work together to complete load and haul, and drill and blast services at Miralga Creek, which is due to haul first ore by April 2022. EWP’s involvement is the culmination of generations of work and solidified the belief EWP managing director Troy Eaton had in himself, his lineage and the capabilities of the wider Nyamal community, with which the mine is based. Indigenous people haven’t always been given a fair go in the mining industry, while their expertise has often been undermined. Eaton’s grandfather, Nyamal man and Indigenous pioneer Ernest Mitchell was rejected and called ‘illiterate’ when he looked for commercial mining opportunities. But Eaton, a proud Nyamal man himself, isn’t resentful about the past – he just wants to set a new precedent going forward. “It’s hard work, you have to be proactive, and if you’re true to what you need to do, hard work pays off,” Eaton says. “I’ve got to be that beacon now.

ATLAS IRON EXPECTS TO BENEFIT LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH EMPLOYMENT AT MIRALGA CREEK

I don’t want my future generations sitting down thinking that everything comes to you.” Keen to pave the way for his contemporaries, Eaton also wants to show the mining industry the true potential of his community and First Nations peoples at large. “My background is mining. As you can obviously be aware if you look out – the Pilbara is mining country, so why are we not doing it? Why are we not part of it? Why are we not at the forefront of it?” Eaton says. “That’s why we do the trailblazing work now but it’s more or less our ownership. It’s not a myth anymore, we can actually feel that this is real, we can touch it, we can do what we

ATLAS IRON HOPES TO ESTABLISH A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EWP AND OZLAND JV.

AUSTRALIANMINING

do with it, protect what we need to protect and set it up now. I’m not here just for a water truck which they’ve always thrown at us, I’m here for part of this Pilbara pie and iron ore.” EWP represents more than just Eaton and his wife Denise Smith, and before completing any work under the company’s name, Eaton goes through a process of consultation with those around him. “East West Pilbara group is built not just for my community in Nyamal, but I’ve got elders from other groups as well and families to be engaged with us,” he says. “That’s how our communities up there interact – through our cultural governance and our protocols, so I’ve just got to balance it out. “I always engage with my Aboriginal community, which is Nyamal. As long as I get the okay from those guys, which I have to do a lot of consulting with as well.” The level of communication and shared interest underpinning an organisation like EWP, let alone the workings it is associated with, represents an understanding and assuredness not seen in many mining endeavours. “They give me my blessing, I’m ready to rock and roll. If they tell me, ‘You can’t do this’, I stop,” Eaton continues.

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Miralga Creek is an extension of the Abydos mine and is expected to produce more than eight million tonnes of ore across a four-to-five-year life. Atlas expects to employ around 300 people directly and indirectly at Miralga Creek. Atlas chief executive officer Sanjiv Manchanda says it’s critical the company puts the faith and investment in EWP and Ozland to ensure a long-term relationship. “From our perspective, we don’t want this to be a one-shot wonder. Our focus has to be, how do we sustain that and make sure that after this project – all mines have a finite life – what after this comes to an end?” he says. “Not only does EWP and Ozland have to think about that, we also have to make sure this relationship and this model is strengthened further and grows further, whether it’s some other mines sites or the same mine sites.” Manchanda says the Miralga Creek project is progressing well towards the goal to haul first ore next year. “We are well on track. We also recently got all of the approvals and everything we needed – the last tick of the box was from the exporting port where they actually make sure the material is there and tested,” Manchanda says. “So really there are no fatal flaws as we see except of course the uncertainty of wet weather risk.” AM

COMMUNICATIONS

PHONING IN TO THE FUTURE OF MINING THE MINING INDUSTRY’S COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES HAVE PROGRESSED IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS OVER THE PAST DECADE, OPENING THE DOOR TO MORE ROBUST AND SOPHISTICATED OPERATIONS.

t the heart of any effective mining operation is a foundation of strong communications. Gone are the days where mining communications only relied on a simple two-way radio, with the rise of Internet of Things (IoT) technology linking sites and workers to the digital cloud, boosting efficiencies through remote operations, automation and sensor technology. These technologies rely on robust communications networks such as fibre and satellite technology, which can be gamechangers for the entire gamut of mining operations, including the processing time

of drilling assays. Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing services inked a longterm deal with BHP in June to shift its global portfolio to the platform. Cloud-based solutions for mining have also received government interest, including Microsoft and Nokia’s partnership with the South Australian Government in September, which is set to deliver Microsoft Azure Space capabilities. Azure is focussed not only on off-world telecommunications and cloud connectivity, but also the delivery of better connectivity for the resources sector. “This important collaboration with Nokia will allow Australian organisations in multiple sectors to

take a giant leap forward into a new era of communications and cloud computing, making the most of space data and technology and catapulting them to the very forefront of digital innovation,” Microsoft Australia Azure Space lead Lynn McDonald says. Fleet Space Technology is developing satellite technology that connects the Earth, Moon and Mars, while also leveraging the technology for terrestrial industries, including mining. The company’s chief executive officer and co-founder, Flavia Tata Nardini, explains how satellite technology is transforming mineral exploration. “The world is adopting millions of devices particularly in the industry to change the way the industry operates … so mining, oil and gas, agriculture and transport are deploying thousands of devices,” Nardini, speaking at the South Australian Government’s 2021 Copper to the World Conference, says. The path forward for low-

power global communications will use nanosatellites, which are particularly important for remote regions where mining and mineral exploration occurs. Mineral exploration projects require large amounts of seismic data to be processed, which can be costly with current satellite solutions. By combining machine learning and satellite technology, Fleet Space Technology’s satellites can streamline geophysical surveys to only transmit what is necessary, saving time and cost. “The machine learning, edge computing and AI (artificial intelligence) can actually analyse it in the field,” Nardini says. “They just send what’s necessary through the network, but it gives you the insight and you have the data the day after when the team is already in the field.” Thanks to the capabilities of the wide sensor arrays, seismic data can be uploaded the day after rather than having to wait months or weeks, which drives down unnecessary drilling costs and

SEPURA’S TETRA RADIOS ARE USED BY MINE SITES ACROSS THE GLOBE.

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

COMMUNICATIONS

THIS IMPORTANT COLLABORATION WITH NOKIA WILL ALLOW AUSTRALIAN ORGANISATIONS IN MULTIPLE SECTORS TO TAKE A GIANT LEAP FORWARD INTO A NEW ERA OF COMMUNICATIONS AND CLOUD COMPUTING, MAKING THE MOST OF SPACE DATA AND TECHNOLOGY AND CATAPULTING THEM TO THE VERY FOREFRONT OF DIGITAL INNOVATION.”

improves understanding of whether a drill is in the right spot.

Connecting the underground

While space technologies remain a promising path forward, certain companies are also developing network solutions for underground mine sites. Companies such as Vernetzen can deliver fully-fledged network solutions for the entire operation. Vernetzen, which specialises in industrial network and cybersecurity, can deliver a linear or blank coverage Wi-Fi for underground mining environments. The company was founded on the vision of seamlessly integrating information technology and operational technology environments. Mining operations in the past have been limited in their technological capabilities due to poor communications infrastructure and the challenges in withstanding harsh mining conditions. While the uptake in autonomous technology has moved at a slow pace, Vernetzen is offering Wi-Fi instead of LTE technology to pave a way for the industry to improve their underground communications for a lower cost. “Networks enable technology. You don’t put in the network for the sake of the network, you put in the network to enable technology to give you those efficiencies and safety gains,” Vernetzen managing director Luke King tells Australian Mining. “The requirements for networks are rapidly evolving with vehicle automation, plant automation and because of this, networks need to evolve into a higher degree of mobility a higher degree of availability and they’re needed to be supportable 24/7.” King says underground mines are further behind than surface mines largely due to challenges with installing network and extra low voltage infrastructure, which prevents them from taking advantage of automated technology. Vernetzen’s Wi-Fi over Coax

(WoC) solution has specifically been designed for mining environments and can support the network requirements for automation, unlike competing solutions that are not designed for automated mine sites. “We developed the WoC solution to provide long linear coverage in tunnels that are easily supportable by on-site services,” King says. “A lot of our competitors take existing Wi-Fi or existing LTE solutions that were designed for different situations, ruggedise them and put them into underground mines. “But the constraint is that those devices were not designed for long linear type coverage, they were designed for a round hot spot type of coverage.” The digital technologies that take advantage of these underground sites are designed to improve efficiencies. And like the network itself, these technologies must be designed

to support the move towards digitalisation for the mining industry. Epiroc subsidiary Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering focusses on using data to improve mine site operations by allowing for faster and safer work practices. The company offers a full suite of solutions to digitalise underground mine sites through the Mobilaris Mining Intelligence product portfolio. Mobilaris describes the portfolio as a “Google for your mine” by allowing digital visualisations of a mine site in real time using LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth and radio frequency identification (RFID) signals to combine the physical world with the digital world. Using these communication technologies, Mobilaris can track people and machines, automatically control underground ventilation and analyse workflows through computers, smartphones and tablets. “Already, the advent of Wi-Fi in underground mines unveiled a huge number of use-cases for underground mines that otherwise would have been impossible or too expensive to realise,” Mobilaris VP business development & strategic product management Hans Wahlquist says. “Going from various old-school technologies like leaky feeder or other proprietary technologies to a modern standardised infrastructure became an eye-opener

MOBILARIS AIMS TO DIGITALISE UNDERGROUND MINES THROUGH THE MOBILARIS MINING INTELLIGENCE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO.

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NOVEMBER 2021

for many mines.” By working to digitalise underground mines, Mobilaris offers several solutions, including Mobilaris Pocketmine, which can enable remote monitoring on the phones of any mine worker. “At Mobilaris, we believe that information should be available for everyone. The real-time situational awareness that we install in control rooms, showing the location of personnel, mobile and fixed assets; showing the status of the shift plan; showing machine and sensor (IoT) telemetry, etc, should also be available in everybody’s hands,” Wahlquist says. Mobilaris developed its Virtual Tag solution after working with Zinkgruvan Mining AB to design coverage, communication and positioning infrastructure. Virtual Tag runs on a smart phone and enables positioning functionality between different areas of a mine site. It works by continuously scanning for network signals to take advantage of each communications technology depending on the situation. “When we started to get more and more customers that had selected a mobile network (LTE) for their underground telecom network, the idea to utilise a mobile phone as a tag came up,” Wahlquist says. “By adding a quality of positioning (QoP), we can now have one tag

COMMUNICATIONS

THE WORLD IS ADOPTING MILLIONS OF DEVICES PARTICULARLY IN THE INDUSTRY TO CHANGE THE WAY THE INDUSTRY OPERATES … SO MINING, OIL AND GAS, AGRICULTURE AND TRANSPORT ARE DEPLOYING THOUSANDS OF DEVICES.”

that works when a person is at the office on the surface, when walking outdoors and when going down underground. “Additionally, as it is a smartphone, it can of course be used for voice comms, but additionally offer valuable services such as real-time situational awareness by installing Mobilaris Pocketmine. “All in all, this technology gives the everyday miner a modern tool to stay safe and on top of things.”

Over and out

For several decades, the handheld radio has been a staple in the hands of mine workers. Radio technology itself is nothing new, but Sepura is looking to push the boundaries with its TETRA radios by allowing them to trigger automation sequences and track workers. Sepura was founded in 2002 and has delivered innovative

radio infrastructure to more than 100 countries. The company’s TETRA radios give range to a whole suite of technological capabilities for these mission critical devices. TETRA radios drill down on clear audio while also containing GPS and automation capabilities that enhance fleet management and worker safety. Outside of radio frequency, the TETRA radios also deliver Wi-Fi connectivity, which allows radios to be programmed over airwaves rather than manually connecting and reconfiguring them. Sepura Oceania busines development manager Colin Bresnahan says the Wi-Fi abilities also unlock key automation features that bring radios into the IoT era of mining. “Wi-Fi gives us another trigger point for the radios so a situation where we might turn up to a locked gate or into a maintenance

TETRA RADIOS HAVE AUTOMATION AND TRACKING CAPABILITIES FOR MORE EFFICIENT OPERATIONS.

depot, they can trigger that gate via the TETRA radio to open that gate,” he says. “We’re advancing with the mines as their requirements increase, and the TETRA standards are growing with them. “We’re advancing what the radios are capable of doing. These plain voice networks now require some smarts about them, are still able to grow with the change of technology and these developers SEPURA WAS FOUNDED IN 2002 AND SPECIALISES IN INNOVATIVE RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE.

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

in tandem show it’s not a dying technology, it’s still evolving with user requirements.” The TETRA radios can also automatically change talk group when an operator enters a specific area. This prevents haul truck drivers or operators from taking their eyes off vehicle or machine controls. Sepura senior business development manager for Australasia Doug Bowden says the TETRA radio lone worker allows operators to be monitored via their GPS location and they are required to press a button on a regular basis to ensure they are safe. “Mining companies are choosing TETRA radios due the security of having their own digital network,” Bowden says. “It’s the voice clarity of the radio and reliability of TETRA networks that our customers are looking for. “One of the things we try to promote with our terminals is that companies have invested a lot of time and money in selecting a TETRA solution and should consider how they can use the capabilities of the radio to enhance their efficiencies.” The mining industry has evolved significantly since the genesis of communications solutions. With a growing amount of satellite technology at the doorstep of mining companies in more affordable packages, the industry is expected to gravitate towards a more efficient and productive future. As mining companies develop and connect in ways never-before deemed possible, communications companies are ensuring the industry’s transition to a technologically advanced future is realised. AM

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REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

VICTORIA TURNS GOLD INTO SAND AND BACK AGAIN THE VICTORIAN MINERAL SANDS INDUSTRY HOLDS THE POTENTIAL TO SATISFY A GROWING MARKET ON A GLOBAL STAGE. BUT TO ACCESS THESE SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES, COLLABORATION WILL BE VITAL AMONG BUSINESSES AND WITH GOVERNMENT. HENRY BALLARD WRITES.

eneath the Victorian countryside, both east and west of Melbourne, lies a sleeping giant of great value to present and emerging

technologies. While headlines in the state’s resources sector typically revolve around matters of gold or construction materials, there is another resource with significant potential being developed in the background. Australia’s mineral sands endowment includes an estimated 274 million tonnes (Mt) of ilmenite, 79Mt of zircon and 35Mt of rutile. Of these resources, Victoria holds 23 per cent of Australia’s ilmenite, 42 per cent of its zircon and 55 per cent of its rutile – ranking second, first and first, respectively, among Australian states. Once processed, the minerals are widely used in products such as paint, paper, plastics, ceramics and welding materials, plus a range of clean energy technologies.

The Victorian Government’s Head of Resources John Krbaleski says the development of the state’s mineral sands projects could one day feed into a circular economy for these technologies. “With several solar and wind projects being evaluated in north-west Victoria, there may be opportunities for future heavy mineral sand operations to be powered by renewable energy that enables the responsible production of the metals required,” Krbaleski tells Australian Mining. Reasons both environmental and economic are what motivate companies like Iluka Resources and Astron Corporation to develop their respective resources in western Victoria. Iluka owns the WIM100 zircon and rare earth minerals deposit in the Wimmera region, 300 kilometres west of Melbourne, and has operated in Victoria for almost 20 years. The company also owns several similar WIM-style tenements nearby – known for their fine grain

characteristics – but industry has been stalled by the difficulty in processing such resources. As the zircon within some of western Victoria’s mineral sands deposits contains impurities – including the 200Mt WIM100 deposit – companies like Iluka are faced with a significant technological challenge. Iluka chief financial officer and head of development Adele Stratton says the ability to process the minerals is key to the project’s feasibility. “Without purification, the zircon is ineligible for the ceramics market. Ceramics account for approximately 50 per cent of the global zircon market and a zircon project that is ineligible for this market is not viable unless an economic means of purification is confirmed,” Stratton says. “Iluka has invested considerably in developing such a solution over a number of years and continues to make pleasing progress.” Nearby, Donald Mineral Sands (DMS) was created as a subsidiary of Astron, which has owned the Donald

A TEST PIT AT ILUKA RESOURCES’ WIM100 MINERAL SANDS DEPOSIT. AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

mineral sands project since 2004. Just 90 kilometres northeast of WIM100, the Donald project has its own 5.4Mt of zircon, 9.2Mt of ilmenite, 8Mt of titanium products rutile and leucoxene, and 491,000 tonnes of rare earth elements. DMS managing director Tiger Brown says the company has so far been happy with its efforts to develop a processing solution. “Through the advancement of spiral technologies, commercial recovery questions have been addressed,” Brown says. “Using specially adapted spirals for the fine-grained material, Astron has conducted pilot test work to concentrate the ore to a heavy mineral concentrate and then undertake mineral separation to final products with high recovery levels.” With various miners in the same development position where processing solutions pose one of the biggest hurdles, significant opportunity arises for collaboration within the region. Krbaleski says he expects industry to

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

work together towards a shared goal. “There is a collection of projects that enable an opportunity for shared processing facilities to arise,” Krbaleski says. “Given that we have a worldclass METS (mining, equipment, technology and services) sector, I’m confident we have the people to deliver that innovation and bring down processing costs.” Overall, the economist by trade is buoyed by recent growth shown in the Victorian mineral sands industry. Krbaleski says the state is taking a strong mining history and turning it into a stronger future. “I’m seeing a gold rush transition into a mineral sands rush. It’s looking really promising and what I’ve seen is several projects on both the west and the east of the state progressing at a significant pace,” he says. “These projects have been around since the 80s and 90s, but some things have really changed lately which could see them progress through the approvals process into operation.” Another major hitch with this bullishness, however, is the regulation surrounding new mining proposals in Victoria. The Victorian arm of the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA Victoria) is the state’s peak industry body and advocates for regulatory reform, while also working through developments with communities, government and businesses. MCA Victoria executive director James Sorahan says the removal of

duplicate hurdles and a more efficient administrative process would allow for a more prosperous mineral sands industry. “Victoria ranks poorly on perceptions of public policy on mining investment, according to the Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies, with Victoria ranking behind every state other than Tasmania,” he says. Government action will be key to improving this process, according to Sorahan, for the benefit of the mining companies, as well as the state’s economy and communities. “The development of the pipeline of mineral sands projects would involve hundreds of millions of dollars in direct regional investment and create hundreds of direct operating jobs, while supporting indirect jobs and other businesses in Victoria,” he says. Not only can these resources be a cause for the state’s economic growth, but their end-use could be vital for the wider environment and society. Brown says DMS would be proud to see its resources put towards the production of a range of green technologies, which in turn could facilitate the ongoing development of the 40-year mine resource. “These elements have many different applications but are particularly important in their role in renewable and green energy transformation,” Brown says. “Whether it may be for windmills or electric vehicle motors, rare earths are a critical element. “The Donald project, given its significant rare earth element component, can be expected to play a valuable role in assisting Australia to achieve its critical mineral objectives.” The growing demand for these products is just one reason miners and regulators alike forecast a positive outlook for the Victorian mineral sands industry.

ASTRON HAS COMPLETED MINERAL SANDS CONCENTRATING AND PROCESSING TEST WORK.

Iluka already has proven prowess in minerals processing, with operations in Western Australia, South Australia and Sierra Leone in West Africa. Stratton says the company will use this experience to take advantage of opportunities which arise over the coming years. “Concerns around future industry supply are increasing as the supply outlook for quality mineral sands declines,” she says. “We are seeing the high grade and quality of Iluka’s products being more and more sought after; and we are well positioned to address supply over the near and longer terms by deploying our operations, technical resources, product suite and development pipeline.” Krbaleski says his tenure as the Head of Resources has seen a tremendous resurgence for several sectors in Victorian resources, and this should bleed into mineral sands. “What’s been really significant over the last three or four years is the renaissance of Victoria’s resource

DONALD MINERAL SANDS’ TEST PIT IN NORTH-WEST VICTORIA.

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sector,” he says. “We’re shooting out the lights as far as production records which has been on the back of gold, especially at the Fosterville mine. I’m now seeing a gold rush transition into a mineral sands rush.” As for who will be responsible for digging up the minerals, Krbaleski believes the mantle is up for grabs and will see a great number of differently sized companies finding success in the sector. “My understanding of the resources sector is there’s always opportunity for diversity, so I think we’ll see a collection of both smaller and bigger players,” he says. “This feeds into my notion of opportunities for shared processing which should improve the economics for everyone involved. “If you’ve got the infrastructure sitting there, then I think you have an opportunity for smaller players to progress their projects and find the customers they need to succeed.” AM

DIGITAL MINING

BACK IN CONTROL SVENDBORG, AN ALTRA INDUSTRIAL MOTION BRAND, HAS DEVELOPED A CASE THAT ENABLES ITS EXPERTS TO COMMISSION CONVEYOR BRAKES FROM THEIR DESKS. THE UCCASE CAN BE DEPLOYED GLOBALLY FOR USE BY ALTRA MOTION TECHNICIANS. THE UCCASE IS COMPACT AND CAN SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY BRAKE COMMISSIONING.

he COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a spanner into maintenance and installation plans across conveyor sites, as new safety restrictions limit who can attend a site. This created a conundrum for Altra Motion, which would typically support its customers with face-toface commissioning. The company’s Svendborg Brakes experts – often the same people who have written the SOBO (soft braking option) software – ensure the company provides the best service quality possible. COVID-19 and mobility restrictions threatened this capability, which is why it developed the Universal Control Case (UCCase). The case is a smart technology service tool that enables the remote monitoring of product performance and can help provide insights for maintenance assessment. Importantly, it allows remote support on standard and SOBO Svendborg Brakes during commissioning and service. Svendborg Brakes UCCase project manager Christoffer Bjerremand says the case is simple to hook up, requires no training and can be done by following instructions in the manual. “We can send the case to a customer; they connect it to the SOBO PLC and use their phone to connect it to the internet,” he says. “From there, the sensor sends

signals to the cloud, and our team of specialists can take over, using complex algorithms to troubleshoot any faults in the system.” Altra Motion Australia’s experts, through the UCCase, can diagnose brake system behaviour with analytical models, which they can use to provide advice on which actions to take to prevent a malfunction. It has already proved immensely useful. For example, in 2020, a customer in Belarus needed support for commissioning. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions and political instability, it wasn’t easy to arrange for a technician to visit the site. Bjerremand says the project was extensive and couldn’t afford to wait, so Svendborg sent the UCCase. “Instead of our technician being there, he was at his desk while the customer’s on-site technician used the case to give us remote access,” he says. The technology has been designed to be backwards compatible and can even work with SOBO units that are decades old. A drilling ship had a 20-yearold SOBO system that needed planned maintenance at a harbour in Italy. Unfortunately, the customer uninstalled the old system, and a technician was supposed to arrive on site to reinstall a new one. Bjerremand says any drillship in downtime is a costly exercise and should be avoided. “During COVID, we could not AUSTRALIANMINING

travel but it was only going to be in port for only so long. So, because we only had a short window of time to act, we hired out the UCCase for one of their service technicians to operate,” he says. “Our engineer stayed in close connection with the customer’s local service technician and was able to remotely monitor the situation and guide him on site to reinstall the old SOBO. “The data from the UCCase showed that the valves of the hydraulic unit were worn out and needed replacing.” After the successful remote service check-up, the customer replaced its SOBO system with the latest IQ version. This version can be permanently connected to a Svendborg Brakes cloud, making it possible to constantly measure the behaviour of the brake system and avoid unexpected downtime. Svendborg Brakes plans to continue developing the case and adding new functionalities, such as an integrated computer running a local cloud. This would allow the case to function independently from the internet in areas such as mine shafts with a poor internet connection. Altra Industrial Motion’s UCCases are available and ready to support this remote IIoT (industrial internet of things) technology to Australian and Oceanic customers for commissioning, predictive and preventative maintenance. AM

NOVEMBER 2021

SVENDBORG’S SOBO IQ SYSTEM The SOBO IQ is a closed loopcontrolled system that gives operators constant stopping times and distances. It acts on the gear drives, applying a torque based on the stopping time irrespective of the loads on the conveyor to stop it in a controlled manner. Using a speed reference signal taken from the coupling bolts and a pressure feedback loop, the SOBO IQ can accurately predict what the braking system needs to stop the conveyor. Stopping too hard can cause the material to spill or damage to the belt itself, often one of the most expensive pieces of equipment. The SOBO avoids potential flowon effects, such as blocked chute overflows and gives operators greater control over how the equipment will work. The SOBO control system has a backup that will kick in even if there is a complete loss of power resulting in a safe controlled stop.

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DIGITAL MINING

LAUNCHING MINING COMMUNICATIONS INTO ORBIT VOCUS IS PIONEERING AN INNOVATIVE SATELLITE-BASED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOLUTION THAT WILL ALLOW MORE MINING COMPANIES TO ACCESS DATA-DRIVEN TECHNOLOGIES.

ining technology is advancing at a rapid pace and key drivers in this are high-capacity connectivity and the development of cloudbased services. These can influence things from sensors on critical plant and equipment to full-fledged automated mines that are controlled from control centres thousands of kilometres away. The engine room of these technologies depends on a reliable and fast data connection, which consumerbased internet cannot sustain. While some form of connectivity might be available in remote regions, high latency and low speeds can disrupt real-time automation or monitoring capabilities. For example, a poor data connection can cause automated machinery to not respond to command inputs. Until now, the most effective means of mining companies improving their connection is developing costly telecommunications infrastructure, which can cause unwanted capital expenditure. Yet the rise of satellite telecommunications has started to plant the seeds needed to revolutionise the

LEO GROUND STATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION WITH ANTENNAS.

mining sector’s connectivity. “Latency makes a big difference in terms of what applications you can provide or use,” Vocus national general manager government and special projects Michael Ackland tells Australian Mining. “We’re all familiar being with a low or high latency link just trying to make a phone call and understanding convenience with that.” Vocus is eyeing the opportunity for miners to invest in LEO (low earth orbit) satellite-based

telecommunications to gain low latency internet connections in regional areas. LEO satellite technology consists of large constellations of small satellites that orbit the Earth, which in turn deliver a reliable internet connection in the remotest parts of the world. “The big improvement from satellite access that comes from LEO is latency,” Ackland says. “By reducing 200- to 300-millisecond latency to 20- to

ON SITE WITH A VOCUS MINING CUSTOMER. AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

40-millisecond latency, a whole new range of applications are available.” Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, launched its Starlink internet service which uses LEO technology in Australia this year. This has been particularly important for regions of Australia that lack robust internet access. It also cuts costs for users by offering a wireless alternative to a fixed-line connection. “Starlink shows there is new and easy deployment coming with this technology in a much easier way than traditional technology,” Ackland says. “It opens up a lot more possibilities for how satellites can be used for productivity. It can be more agile, and of course with lower latency people have previously not thought of using with geostational satellite technology.” Vocus aims to adopt an ‘as a service’ approach to satellite internet to prevent the need for mining companies to empty their pockets on telecommunications infrastructure. The telecommunications company has become a founding partner and shareholder of Quasar Satellite Technologies, which is an Australian-based and run company that will provide ground station arrays as a service.

DIGITAL MINING

According to Ackland, the satellite ground stations will be connected to Vocus’ fibre network and will allow multiple satellite companies to leverage the service. Northern Australia, which is home to some of Australia’s largest mining operations, lacks the fibre internet infrastructure enjoyed by the eastern side of the country. To solve this issue, Vocus is developing its Darwin-JakartaSingapore Cable to enable mining companies a world-class fibre connection to connect their infrastructure to Singapore via a much more direct route. This alone will improve latency and drive down costs, while also unlocking the capabilities of the satellite ground stations. “The fibre network that we’re deploying in Western Australia is going to allow for the creation of satellite earth stations,” Ackland says. “Those satellite earth stations are going to need to be within 500 kilometres of the point you’re trying to get communications. “The concept of a shared ground station is nothing new but the technology being used here, which is phased array antenna, is a first. “This allows for a ground station to not have rotating dishes which you see traditionally. It instead is a flat panel that doesn’t move but can track moving

vast amounts of information, such as analysing drilling data while you’re still out in the field, so you can imagine the benefits of doing that while mobilised, such as an improvement in the productivity of searching resources.” Through the implementation of satellite ground stations, Vocus can tap into markets that previously couldn’t access its services – particularly those in regional areas. The company has also received strong support from the mining industry for the installation of these technologies, which will allow them to easily access and transfer data from remote areas. “To get a low latency link even to a small mine at the moment is still quite a cost intensive prospect in many areas,” Ackland says. “It’s more or less on industry to support communication services investments and this technology allows for that to be aggregated.” By providing mines with more access to a reliable, stable and low-bandwidth connection, operations will be able to grasp the full capabilities of their digital transformation. “Things are about to get a lot cheaper in terms of their ability to access and leverage this technology – it is quite an exciting time in telecommunications development for the mining sector,” Ackland concludes. AM

LEO GROUND STATION ANTENNA BEING DELIVERED.

satellites across the sky.” With the next generation of mining operations expected to adopt more smart technology, a strong data connection will be needed to maintain control over large-scale autonomous haulage and real-time diagnostic solutions. Mining companies are also gradually taking advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to gain an edge in productivity through more reliable maintenance and data access from off site.

LEO satellite technology will allow entire processes for mining companies to be revolutionised with more efficient and convenient alternatives. “A drilling campaign previously took data and put it on a hard drive and put it back or trickle feed it back to a mobile satellite service,” Ackland says. “If you were conducting a drilling campaign with LEO technology, you could instead have live feeds going back to data processing, which is going to lead to more accurate finds and more accurate campaigns. “AI has the ability to compute

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DIGITAL MINING

THE FUTURE OF MINING IS DIGITISATION

AS THE MINING INDUSTRY EMBRACES NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, THE SECTOR IS STARTING TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT ITS APPROACH TO DIGITISATION AND AUTOMATION. MICHAEL PHILIPPS WRITES.

he development of new technology in the mining sector has been responsible for significant advancements in efficiency and productivity. Automation is used more and more, not only due to its benefits to worker safety, but also in terms of using the technology to gather data which can be analysed to gain a greater insight into operational practices. This data is also providing a wealth of information that allows mining companies to apply advanced analytical techniques to identify the causes of adverse outcomes, be they safety, productivity or quality Chamber of Minerals and Energy Western Australia director of policy and advocacy Rob Carruthers says the Western Australian resources industry is at the forefront of automation and digitisation. “We have seen a range of different technologies either developed or trialled in the mining sector first here in WA,” he says. “In many ways the incremental benefit is gained from stitching all of the small initiatives together when you bring together new technology with the application of digitised planning and

scenario software – data comes into that as well in terms of predictability for future opportunities and recovery.” Rio Tinto will be the first to deploy Caterpillar’s 793 zeroemission autonomous haul trucks, once development is complete at the Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in Western Australia. Newmont, meanwhile, has become Australia’s first gold miner to implement a fully operational autonomous haulage fleet at the Boddington gold mine, also in Western Australia. Carruthers says there are three main drivers when it comes to adapting technology and digitisation – efficiency, predictability and safety. “It is really across the value chain from assaying on site using technology and data; it is predictability around mine development and sequencing from a planning perspective, as well as the whole blasting and extraction process that goes with that,” he says. “From an operational perspective, whether it is drill and blast or using a machine, when that is done with automated technology it takes human beings out of the line of fire and that can only be a good thing from a safety point of view.” AUSTRALIANMINING

Carruthers says the advancement of technology has also led to a larger diversification of employment opportunities for those working in the resources industry. Rio Tinto announced that more than 100 employees have completed Automated Haulage Systems (AHS) training at the WesTrac Technology Training Centre in Collie over the past six months in preparation for work at Gudai-Darri. “The subset of that is the human element of more interesting and diverse jobs going into the future where it is not just about operating a piece of equipment, but being across a range of roles where you are a maintainer, a technical expert and potentially a data analyser all in one role,” Carruthers says. “There were a few concerns early on, and there probably was concern going back to the industrial revolution, around new technology and what its application will mean to individuals. “But we have seen across the board an increase in roles related to these sectors, and while there have been roles lost in operations, a lot of those roles have been welded into broader planning, automotive operations, analysis and recovery.”

NOVEMBER 2021

Professor of practice in mining automation and data analysis at Curtin University’s Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) in Kalgoorlie, Dr Robert Solomon, says there are a number of social and environmental benefits of adapting digitisation in the resources sector. For more than a century, Curtin University and WASM have been research leaders in the mining and resources sector “The ongoing use and optimisation of digital technologies can provide the framework for optimising the recovery of scarce resources with minimal energy, this is a primary requisite for achieving a sustainable future,” Solomon says. “Removing our employees from high risk or repetitive activities will continue to produce improvements in the safety of our employees. “As with all technologies, however, it is important not just to focus on the advantages, but keep a close eye out for unintended negative consequences. Identification of these is not an argument to stop development, but an opportunity to enhance the value of the technology.” This year’s MINExpo International, held in Las Vegas, showcased the

DIGITAL MINING

MINING’S OUTLOOK COULD BE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE PACE OF DIGITAL ADOPTION.

latest exploration, mine development, open pit and underground mining, processing, safety and environmental improvement technologies. It featured the latest offerings from original equipment manufacturing companies including Liebherr, Komatsu, Sandvik and Epiroc. It also

included the latest in digital mining software technology During the event, ABB launched its ABB Ability eMine, a new portfolio of electrification technologies set to fully facilitate all-electric mines from pit to port. The zero-carbon mine solution can electrify mining equipment across hauling, hoisting, grinding and material handling, and has been furnished with digital applications to monitor and optimise energy usage. ABB Australia head of mining Nik Gresshoff says digitisation and sustainability go hand in hand. “You hear a lot about digitisation, but I think decarbonisation is really the buzzword that you hear about a lot more right now,” Gresshoff says. “I think it will really come down to what the original equipment manufacturers will bring out next and if they bring out a new electric vehicle which is capable of the same capabilities as the truck a company is replacing, then they will go with the newer vehicle. “Battery technology will change and it is very simple to change a battery, so as we progress with battery technology we are finding ways that we can reduce the size and weight of these batteries while the charging systems stay the same.” Gresshoff says ABB is looking forward to contributing and going on the journey towards electrification of mine sites and the advancement of digital technology. “It is really about that journey, which is the electrification of the entire mine, and that includes sustainability and

FROM AN OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, WHETHER IT IS DRILL AND BLAST OR USING A MACHINE, WHEN THAT IS DONE WITH AUTOMATED TECHNOLOGY IT TAKES HUMAN BEINGS OUT OF THE LINE OF FIRE AND THAT CAN ONLY BE A GOOD THING FROM A SAFETY POINT OF VIEW.” digitisation,” he says. “Every company is asking the question: how do we get to net zero emissions? We are committed to lead the sustainable decarbonisation within the Australian mining sector through the energy transition while leveraging the ABB Ability eMine solutions.” Solomon says WASM has reviewed its curriculum for the new generation of mining engineers to ensure they are skilled and ready to enter the industry with a critical understanding of the impact of digital technology and automation in mining. This includes working closely with industry, developing skills in advanced analytical techniques and an understanding of the impacts and opportunities from automation. “We are only just starting down the road of extracting the benefit of the vast amounts of information available to the modern mining operation,” Solomon says. “We are still wrestling with the tasks of data access and cleaning, although progress in this area is moving rapidly. “Machine learning and artificial intelligence are rightly being utilised more and more in the industry, perhaps

however, at the cost of more traditional physics-based modelling tools.” Carruthers says one of the additional benefits of the advancements of technology in mining has been in softening the blow of the global COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the closure of the international and interstate borders. These closures have led to a skills shortage in the sector with a number of companies forced to suspend operations due to a lack of workers. However, advancements in remote operations and the increased use of autonomy in the sector have also helped the industry contribute to a record commodities trade period for the Australian economy. “The proof is in the pudding in terms of the phenomenal year the WA sector has had and the contribution the sector has made to the state over the past 12 months,” Carruthers says. “When we open up the technologies and the processes that are proving here will be exportable to the world, and that is not just the hardware and the software, but also the knowledge of how to extract the most value out of it.” AM

TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES HAVE LED TO A DIVERSITY OF OCCUPATIONS IN THE RESOURCES SECTOR.

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

DIGITAL MINING BRADKEN’S NEW TECHNOLOGY SERVICES INCLUDE CONDITION MONITORING.

NEW-LOOK BRADKEN APPROACHES CENTENARY WITH A SPARK BUILDING ON 100 YEARS OF BESPOKE MANUFACTURING EXPERTISE, A NEW BRADKEN IS TAKING SHAPE AS THE COMPANY SUPPORTS ITS CUSTOMERS IN ADOPTING INNOVATIVE DIGITAL MINING SOLUTIONS. FROM A TRADITIONAL MANUFACTURER TO TODAY’S DIVERSIFIED BRAND, BRADKEN’S TRANSFORMATION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT MINING’S EVOLUTION.

elebrating its centenary next year, Bradken has come a long way as a company since founders Leslie Bradford and Jim Kendall pledged some horse race winnings towards a new steel foundry in 1922. Bradken built its name in the design, engineering and construction of a range of steel plant and rail equipment. Over time, Bradken found a calling in the mining industry for ground engaging tools, undercarriage systems, buckets, and mill and chute liners. Under new ownership in 2017, Bradken started on a path to increase its focus on digital solutions, backed by consistent in-house manufacturing capabilities. Bradken research and development manager Reece Attwood says this shift in perspective has changed the way the company operates. “We now have sister companies like Wenco who are specialists in fleet management software – that’s really opened our eyes into the service space,” Attwood tells Australian Mining. “Instead of only selling a range of similar products that we specialise in, we’ve been able to broaden our horizons and develop an innovative

approach that has supported the development of technology services which support our products.” These horizons now include the integral technologies of condition and performance monitoring for equipment in the field. These solutions support Bradken’s future growth and transform the company from a niche manufacturer into a technology and service provider. Attwood says the monitoring of product conditions presents a range of benefits for Bradken and the people it serves. “Customers can remotely monitor the wear condition of their liners and predict the remaining life on the product,” he says. “This helps with scheduling and getting the most out of each liner, but it also provides a valuable safety benefit because they don’t have to go near the equipment to monitor its condition.” Bradken is developing its range of monitoring liners for grinding mills, crushers, ground engaging tools and also undercarriage components for hydraulic excavator crawler systems. Further into the technology space, the company has developed an online dashboard and data reporting solution AUSTRALIANMINING

for all its monitoring products. This encompasses a range of product specific widgets, as well as a cloudlevel software reporting suite. Attwood says it’s the kind of thing no one expected of Bradken 10 years ago, but is becoming a reality as the company innovates to connect with the future of mining.

THE EVOLUTION OF MINING IS CAUSING A RAPID UPTAKE IN NEW TECHNOLOGY.

NOVEMBER 2021

“Our software team is working hard to ensure the product is easy to manage and easy to consume,” Attwood says. “Mine sites don’t necessarily want another portal, another dashboard and another set of login details, they just want to take their data and do what they need to do.” Attwood adds that providing insights

DIGITAL MINING

into the ideals of this tech-savvy market, while working with customers on the design is equally important. “A key focus for us is the concept of interoperability, and open-architecture design on this monitoring software,” Attwood says. “We’ve worked directly with a major customer in Western Australia to determine what would be acceptable from a cybersecurity, architecture and documentation perspective. “We’ve really listened to their feedback and implemented it so the end product suits their operations and solves their problems, our technology solutions will also be ideal for future customers.” But to transition from manufacturer to a broader service provider doesn’t happen overnight. To ensure Bradken accommodates rapid technological adoption, the team has integrated new roles, skill sets and specialists. “To be able to speak that digital language with our customers has become very important,” Attwood says. “We’ve overcome this by investing in new people and training our existing staff. Instead of only hiring mechanical engineers, as in the past, we’re now hiring software engineers too.” Of course, COVID-19 has accelerated this adoption for Bradken, as it has for the wider industry.

Remote monitoring is now a necessity rather than a bonus and realising this, Bradken is remaining connected with its clients around the globe, without the need to travel on site. “Previously we would have preferred our own sales teams monitoring the products in person. But for now, our sales teams are interacting with our customers behind the scenes. The fewer hands on the equipment and fewer people on site, the safer and more manageable for the mine operators in current conditions,” Attwood says. Reinforcing the digital solutions focus even further, the company recently announced the establishment of a new marketing and technology business unit, led by mechatronics engineer and Bradken stalwart Mark Hurley. Since October 1 2021, the unit has included the dedicated research and development team, IT, as well as customer-focussed market analysts and marketing teams. Hurley says supporting customers through Bradken’s own digital evolution is at the heart of his team’s vision and the company’s future. “Bradken is proud of the 100 years of manufacturing history and of the customers we continue to serve,” Hurley says. “Their needs are changing and

BRADKEN IS DEVELOPING ITS TECHNOLOGY SERVICES AS WELL AS ITS MANUFACTURING.

we are committed to joining them on that journey to deliver innovation through digital product and service solutions, which improve site safety and sustainability, while lowering total costs of ownership.” This sentiment is supported by Bradken chief executive officer Sean Winstone. “It goes without saying that the

future is becoming more digitally orientated and Bradken will be able to offer customers a superior service and experience via digitised solutions at every touchpoint,” Winstone says. “Matching our history of working with customers to understand what they need and value with these technology solutions is key to Bradken’s future.” AM

The KCA Carbon Converter Recover Gold From Your Carbon Fines On Site

Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA) now has three carbon converters successfully operating, at mines in Armenia, Argentina and Nevada. These units take carbon fines and dirty, wet waste carbon at gold leach plants, thoroughly ash it and remove all mercury. Recovery of gold and silver into bullion is typically 99%. For waste carbon loaded to 200 grams gold per tonne, operating cost is $6.00 per gram, or 11% of the value of the recovered gold. Often waste carbons are loaded much higher - the cost per gram drops accordingly. Mines with the Carbon Converter can recover their gold quickly without the Chain-of-Custody problems of shipping carbon to outside processors. Shipping mercury-contaminated wastes off-site incurs large risks of environmental contamination, and the Carbon Converter eliminates this risk. Having the Carbon Converter on site allows the operation to explore various process optimization techniques. For example, carbon fines below 30 mesh are usually lost to tailings in CIL plants, because such fines cannot be recovered cleanly. These losses can account for 1% of the gold fed to the plant. The Carbon Converter can process them. Another opportunity exists where process facilities periodically discard a portion of their coarse carbon in order to maintain optimum carbon activity. With the Carbon Converter, this carbon can be consumed on site and the contained gold recovered economically. The installed cost of the Carbon Converter is about US$1 million including site services, a building, and infrastructure. For mines which generate at least 50 tonnes/year of carbon wastes and fines, payback is typically less than one year.

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AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

DIGITAL MINING

VERNETZEN CREATES VALUE FROM NETWORK VULNERABILITY VERNETZEN HANDS DIGITAL CONTROL BACK TO THE NETWORK OPERATOR WITH ITS PRE-AUTHORISATION SYSTEM, VERNETZEN VETO. BOTH CYBER AND PHYSICAL SAFETY ARE ASSURED BY VETO WHILE MINE SITES GET ON WITH THE JOB.

he patent-pending Vernetzen Veto technology was borne out of an understanding of risk. Vernetzen recognises how modern-day firewalls and VPNs (virtual private networks) present issues for valuable enterprises like mining companies – Veto is designed to mitigate these concerns. The issue with firewalls lies in their static nature, where rule sets for network access are fixed, and temporary access for specific remote technicians or network vendors is made difficult. VPNs can be similarly secure through a username and password set up. However, a lack of rule sets allows anyone with details to log in at any time. Vernetzen founder and network architecture consultant Luke King

VERNETZEN VETO CONNECTS EXTERNAL PARTIES THROUGH ONE SECURE ACCESS POINT.

explains the problem with VPNs on an active mine site. “This is an issue in a production environment because if you have someone working on site with live equipment and changes are made remotely without anyone on the ground being aware, this causes an obvious risk,” King tells Australian Mining. “Also, if unplanned changes are made remotely, it can cause an interruption which can cause a loss of productivity.” When the worst-case scenario is a safety incident and best is an unplanned stop in production, questions must be asked of the current system. To address these issues, Vernetzen Veto requires those in charge on site to authorise remote access on a caseby-case basis where each session is scheduled, time limited and can be AUSTRALIANMINING

terminated at any time. This way, network operators have full visibility of those accessing their mine’s network, while remaining secure against unauthorised actors. King says authorisation can take place in several ways. “We have a pretty interesting authorisation process. It can be tailored to the requirements of the assets being accessed,” he says. “So, you can nominate specific individuals or a preconfigured team to receive the authorisation requests.” Veto can also specify the level of access for each individual visitor, limiting them to a brand of equipment or a section of the site. “You might be a remote technician from a particular OEM so we’re only going to allow you to work with the equipment from your own company,” King says.

NOVEMBER 2021

“This removes the need to create a bunch of micro rule sets within the firewall, which would otherwise cause issues of latency.” High latency – or a slow connection – on a mine site’s network is essentially the opposite of productivity. King provides an example of where low latency is crucial for the safety and productivity of those on site. “Say there’s a system in a paste plant on the surface and a system underground. Then there’s some pressure sensors at the top of a pipe which is being filled with concrete to give structure to the mine,” King says. “If those pressure sensors are delayed by even a second, due to a slow network with too many firewalls, this could result in the pump shutting off too late, pressure building and an incident occurring.” Network operators can also keep remote visitors accountable using real-time monitoring. While policies and procedures should be in place both on site and digitally to remove the risk of an accident, King says customers have required an extra level of reassurance. “We can also do things like capturing video to monitor what support providers are clicking on,” King says. “Our experience has been requests for playback of the session as there has been an incident at the same time. And Veto satisfies this request.” As autonomy and remote control becomes crucial to the operation of Australian and global mines, securities like Veto are becoming even more important. King says as the industry grows and evolves with technology, Vernetzen will continue to secure the industry. “There’s been a push for remote access and a need for that assistance. Whether it’s the vendor or remote technician who needs to log in to a certain site,” King concludes. “Particularly for mining where there are sites all over the world, easy remote access is even more necessary.” AM

SURFACE MINING

MASTERING THE ART OF PAYLOAD

NEARLY 1500 HERCULES DUMP BODIES HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

WITH MORE THAN 20 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN OPTIMISING PAYLOADS, SCHLAM HAS BECOME AN ESTEEMED PATRON OF THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY.

chlam’s name keeps growing within the Australian mining industry as the company continues to unlock further productivity from its proven innovations. The mining industry may be familiar with Schlam through its Hercules dump body – an ever-advancing product that heightens payload capability. Nearly 1500 Hercules dump bodies have been designed and deployed across Australia, but don’t tell Schlam sales manager Tom Smith it’s a fixed product. “To be honest, that perception does irk me – the perception that we’re not very innovative because our main product’s been leading the pack for so

SCHLAM HAS DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN OPTIMISING PAYLOADS.

long. It couldn’t be further from the truth,” Smith says. “We haven’t just been getting lucky for the past 20 or 30 years. The reason it’s (the Hercules dump body) remained the premium product in the market is because it’s continuously improving over time, even though the shape of the body has remained relatively consistent.” Smith sees similarities in how the Hercules dump body has developed to the way the Apple iPhone has advanced with each model. “The look of the phone hasn’t changed a whole lot over the years, but the technology and smarts that go into it have improved greatly,” Smith continues. “You drop an iPhone five years ago; it shatters. You drop it now and it’s far more durable even though it looks the same. I think that applies really well to our dump bodies.” The Hercules dump body has also developed in the same ilk that Schlam has evolved. What is fundamentally known for its weightlessness has grown in its intricacy, paving the way for a stronger and more durable piece of equipment. “The way that we’re able to achieve such low weights with our body, it’s a very unique design,” Smith says. “It’s flexible, it absorbs a lot of impact, and what that flexibility allows us to do is, if you can take weight out of the structural components, because the stresses are reduced with that AUSTRALIANMINING

flexibility, we keep the weight in the areas where it’s actually needed, which could be the ore-facing surface that wears out over time. “There has been a common misconception with our body, and this myth has been somewhat dispelled recently – ‘oh the Hercules body, because it’s lightweight, it doesn’t last as long as the others’ – and that couldn’t be further from the truth. “In the critical areas, we’ve got the same materials, a lot of the time in greater thicknesses, so we actually have increased service life, increased time between needing to have wear plates installed or replace the components.” Smith points to a Kalgoorlie case study to consolidate his point. “We’ve got bodies out in the Kalgoorlie Super Pit that have been operating since 2010 that have got close to 60,000 hours,” he explains. “If that’s a mine site strategy that we want these things to last forever, the bodies can be designed to do that.” When a Hercules dump body left Schlam’s Forrestfield factory in August 2010, bound for a Kalgoorlie gold mine, it was just the ninth dump body of its kind. Schlam has delivered up to 50 Hercules dump bodies to the same miner since that day, complementing the latter’s growing fleet of haul trucks. With constant dialogue between Schlam and the miner, the dump body has continually evolved to meet the needs of the client’s hard rock

NOVEMBER 2021

mining environment. As of August 2020, more than 1.1 million combined hours of operation had been achieved by this miner’s Hercules bodies. Through Schlam’s engagement with the Australian mining industry, some prevailing trends have emerged regarding payload. Many mining companies know their operation from the back of their hand and understand avenues to gain the upper hand. “To be honest, I think the attitude’s been fantastic (towards payload). All major miners in Australia intricately understand the benefits of optimising payload and optimising load-andhaul strategies to maximise payload,” Smith says. “The most important thing miners understand is the dollar value associated with improved payload.” Schlam has payload down to a fine art, and that’s not just confined to the growing esteem of its Hercules dump body. The company’s Bullant underground dump body is also turning heads, while its Barracuda mining bucket is known for speeding up load-and-haul operations. Schlam also offer its Schlam Hex Tile wear plate, improving dump body durability, alongside its dedicated wear management program, an end-to-end initiative assisting mining companies as they monitor the condition of their assets. AM

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SURFACE MINING

STAYING ONE STEP AHEAD WITH TECH TOOLS MTG COMBINES DECADES OF EXPERIENCE MANUFACTURING GROUND ENGAGING TOOLS WITH ITS OWN FOUNDRY AND INNOVATION TEAM. THE COMBINATION OF IN-HOUSE DESIGN, MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGICAL NOUS ALLOWS MTG TO MAKE A NAME FOR ITSELF IN THE AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE.

n its 60 years of existence, MTG has expanded into 60 countries thanks to a reliable distribution network. In Australia, where the company staked its claim around the start of the millennium, MTG relies on 2MT Mining Products to distribute its products across the country, from the Pilbara in Western Australia to the Bowen Basin in Queensland. But reliable distribution would be nothing without a quality product to deliver, so MTG proclaims that innovation without limits is its core value, and its ground engaging tools (GET) reflect this. MTG chief executive officer Javier Triginer says the company is uniquely positioned to be creative with its products, unlocking a range of potential for the mining industry. “You must be very brave to dare to innovate in your market with an expanded product that has functionalities you’ve never worked with before,” Triginer tells Australian Mining. “Not all GET manufacturers have the capacity to innovate. Indeed, many do not have innovation departments and therefore are unable to create new products.” This of course is not an issue at MTG, where a range of digitally enabled GET are on offer and in the

works to satisfy an evolving industry. MTG engages with industry specialists to understand how best to combine its current expertise in mining consumables with the technological solutions of the near future. “We started the GET monitoring and detection project with an external electronic engineering company,” Triginer says. “We later brought this project in-house. Being manufacturers of GET we have been able to combine this technology with our products to produce a new market category.” One of MTG’s original GET products and one of the most popular in its line is TERRA – a cast lip solution which can be fitted to hydraulic mining shovels from 250- to 1000-tonne class machines. To ensure the quality of these products, the manufacturer has invested in its own foundry for a complete overview of the process behind the product. Triginer explains the benefits of owning and operating a foundry and the latest investment into MTG’s future. “MTG’s 60 years of experience in running foundries has equipped us to design and build the most modern and GET specialised foundry in the world,” he says. “MTG only manufactures GET within this foundry and we control

the entire process from steel scrap selection to product packaging, to meet the highest standards. “Last July, we announced an $18 million investment in the foundry that will enhance our production capacity while improving the recycling rates of our consumables. This is a great step towards more sustainable activity.” By owning and operating its own foundry, MTG can send customer feedback straight to the designers, engineers and manufacturers for faster adaptation of suggestions. Triginer says the company highly values the input of its Australian customer base, being the most technologically advanced mining sector in the world. “The first step is to listen to customers: machine operators, GET crews, welders, maintenance and production engineers. Their inputs are key to understand how to improve products,” Triginer says. “We are able to be very flexible in redesigning products to suit varying customer ground conditions and we are able to do this very quickly.” One up-and-coming request of GET in Australia is for digital monitoring solutions which add value to an otherwise commonplace product. MTG has pioneered the digitising of GET and is conducting trials in the Western Australian iron ore sector.

MTG WILL INVEST $18 MILLION IN ITS SPANISH FOUNDRY.

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

THE TERRA GET CAN BE DIGITALLY ENABLED TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY.

Triginer says the product type will only gain in popularity. “Early indications are that this new GET detection solution is performing extremely well and we anticipate it being widely available in 2022,” he says. “In a few years the sensorisation of the GET will be a must, but currently there are very few players who are in a position to face this challenge.” MTG is also working on a brandnew cast lip design which will look to challenge traditional methods and bring significant improvement to operator efficiency. Triginer says the company is always looking one step ahead to ensure it remains relevant in the Australian mining industry. “Longer term, we think that we will play a critical role in sensing the stress GET is subject to when digging,” he says. “This would allow us to process such information and send the machine specific instructions to improve the digging efficiency, a critical step towards the autonomous excavator.” AM

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SURFACE MINING

BISALLOY PROTECTS INDUSTRY WITH AUSSIE-MADE STEEL PLATE THIS MANUFACTURER LAYS CLAIM TO THE ONLY AUSTRALIAN-MADE QUENCHED AND TEMPERED STEEL ON THE MARKET, PROVIDING THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY WITH SOME OF THE MOST WELL-SUITED WEAR STEEL FOR ANY APPLICATION.

isalloy has developed a recipe for success with its national dealer network since it was established 40 years ago in Wollongong, New South Wales. The company sources its raw materials from BlueScope just 10 minutes away, making it the only Australian manufacturer of its kind that does not require imports. With the blessing of the National Association of Testing Australia (NATA), each plate of steel comes hot off the production line with a stamp of approval to withstand the most abrasive jobs mining can offer. Bisalloy national sales and marketing manager Andrew Egan says the company uses these important partnerships to ensure its business is as trusted as its product. “Reliable steel supply and consistent quality are the two obstacles to success,” Egan tells Australian Mining. “We overcome this by working closely with our suppliers. One of which is BlueScope where we source 90 per cent our steel, and we’ve fostered a good relationship with them owing to our proximity. “On consistent quality, we have a technical team dedicated to the monitoring and testing of quality to

BISALLOY SOURCES ITS STEEL LOCALLY FROM BLUESCOPE.

ensure we uphold our NATA-qualified standards.” By partnering with BlueScope, Bisalloy combines the best of both worlds for a superior result. “The green feed – the raw product – we get from BlueScope is made to our recipe and we then quench and temper it,” Egan says.

BISALLOY WEAR STEEL IS SPECIFICALLY FORMULATED TO ENDURE HARSH MINING CONDITIONS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“BlueScope steel is very highquality steel so bringing our two processes together makes for a very popular product.” The reason to obsess over every step of the steel manufacturing process is that the Australian mining industry has grown a reputation for being one of the most abrasive in the world to operate in. When iron ore comes tumbling down a chute or GET (ground engaging tools) are relied upon to withstand hours of relentless abrasion, mining operators need to be sure their equipment can handle these harsh conditions. Egan says Bisalloy assures its products are up to the task, while saving time and money. “The beauty of what we provide is it lasts longer so you don’t have to change it out as often,” Egan says. “A mining company will spend less time and money on maintenance when using Bisalloy compared with a less wear-resistant brand, thanks to our recipe for quenched and tempered steel.” This fact is no more apparent than with Bisalloy as it puts significant time into testing its solutions in realworld applications. Egan says the size of the company

NOVEMBER 2021

allows Bisalloy to offer bespoke solutions to suit almost any calling by partners in the mining industry. “We’ve conducted field tests with our end-users working through our dealers. The beauty of being a slightly smaller company is we can tweak chemistries in the steel to suit particular applications, if need be,” Egan says. “If we work with a mine which has a unique requirement, we’ve got no problems discussing with them to provide a tailored solution. “As a smaller company, relatively speaking, we are able to engage with customers on many different levels. We’re nothing if not nimble as these steel plates are all we do, and we do them well.” Every corner of Australia can be reached by Bisalloy wear steel, with a reliable network of dealers providing the final polish to a reliable service. While abrasive steel is one offering, it’s nothing without the accompanying support, according to Egan. “We’re based here in an Australian time zone. We’ve got our own technical team available to travel and visit customer sites. We not only provide the product but the advice as to its application,” Egan concludes. AM

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SURFACE MINING

PLANT SIMULATION TOOLS OFFER A HIGH-LEVEL VIEW OF AN ENTIRE OPERATION’S EFFICIENCY.

DON’T COMPROMISE ON VIBRATING SCREEN HEALTH HAVER & BROECKER NIAGARA DISCUSSES HOW PARTNERING WITH A TECHNICAL ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER FOR MACHINERY MONITORING CAN HELP IMPROVE A MINE OPERATOR’S BOTTOM LINE.

ibrating screens work at the heart of a processing operation. Every tonne of material must be screened at least once before it is loaded into a truck for sale. And just like the human heart, they need to be kept strong and healthy to do their job well.

By partnering with a technical vibrating screen original equipment manufacturer (OEM) like Haver and Boecker, which also specialises in equipment monitoring, operations can rely on a team that not only manufactured the equipment, but offers comprehensive diagnostic tools, product-specific knowledge and years of engineering experience.

The result can be peace of mind, minimised downtime through faster problem solving and lower repair costs down the line. There’s a wide range of OEMs to choose from. While many have engineered reputable screening equipment, it’s important to consider the services they offer to take care of that equipment for the long run.

Haver & Boecker Niagara is a leading provider in screening, pelletising and mineral processing plants and systems. The company’s mission is to deliver the best of these technologies to customers in the mining and minerals industries. With deep roots and years of experience in these industries, Haver & Boecker Niagara uses its innovative and shared technologies to effectively meet the needs of customers around the world.

Vibration analysis and monitoring

Vibration analysis, for example, is dedicated to measuring the health of vibrating screens. These systems measure and transmit real-time vibration data such as acceleration, orbit, deviations and more. The data is transmitted while the machine is in operation via sensors that are placed at dedicated locations on the screen body. The information is recorded to a cloud service where it can be viewed from multiple devices. In addition to analysing current machine performance, some systems also store historical data to help predict the machine’s future performance so operators can

PARTNERING WITH AN OEM CAN INCLUDE THE BENEFITS OF SITE VISITS BY TECHNICIANS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

SURFACE MINING

schedule maintenance accordingly. All of this data is used to fine-tune equipment for optimal performance and maximum output, as well as to locate issues that could lead to larger repair costs or machine failure and unplanned downtime if not addressed. An OEM should perform a vibration analysis on any new vibrating screen before it even leaves the factory. This provides a baseline for how the machine should run. At each service visit, vibration analysis should be used to better understand the machine’s condition before any repairs are made. Once technicians make necessary repairs, another vibration analysis should be completed to ensure the problem has been solved and to document that the machine is running at optimal condition once again. The vibration analysis sensors themselves are something to consider. All vibration analysis systems require some sort of sensor to be placed on the vibrating screen. Some are wired and require the user to stand within range while holding the connected device. Others are wireless, providing the safety benefit of allowing the user to stand farther away. A vibration analysis setup may include one sensor that must be moved to multiple parts of a machine for a full reading. Others save time by including multiple sensors, allowing for a comprehensive look at the entire machine at the same time. Vibration analysis systems work similarly to a stethoscope – they analyse the machine at the moment in time at which it is being measured.

Conversely, condition monitoring systems work more like a heart monitor, or perhaps an EKG. These systems include permanently affixed sensors for 24/7 monitoring. Some condition monitoring systems include automated alerts if problems are detected, allowing for a quick shutdown before the problem becomes potentially catastrophic. The accumulating data can be used to improve efficiency by illustrating trends, making predictions as to how long before an issue may arise and more. Some around-the-clock monitoring systems allow OEM certified technicians to monitor results remotely, analyse the data and send expert recommendations to ensure equipment longevity. In one example of an operation benefiting from these tools and services, a producer worked with an OEM to conduct a vibration analysis on a vibrating screen that appeared to be healthy. The resulting data indicated a problem, however, and caused the operation to discover a broken spring which had led to damage to the vibrating screen’s foundation. Catching the problem early saved the producer money in downtime and repair costs.

Plant simulation software

Plant simulation tools offer a highlevel view of an entire operation’s efficiency. This helps optimise processes and look at opportunities for improvement in both existing sites and new mines or quarries for all mineral processing operations. The software also helps operations spot and fix bottlenecks. Plant simulation programs take into account the equipment used

HAVER & BOECKER NIAGARA OFFERS DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS AND PRODUCT-SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE.

throughout the plant, from material washers and conveyers to crushers and vibrating screens. The operation’s existing setup, or a proposed setup, is entered into the program to understand and predict overall performance and plant flow. The systems use scientific calculations to monitor input, output and waste piles, as well as to calculate mass and volumetric flow rates based on machine placement and machine-specific operating parameters. The tool is also useful for insights into product specification or

production rate changes — such as dry and wet crushing, screening and sorting — as the software can be used for pre-calculations. A quick search will turn up a handful of brands of plant simulation software, but few are created by processing equipment OEMs. Partnering with an OEM can allow for the most accurate simulations and enhanced features based on engineering expertise and application knowledge gained from actual site visits and understanding an operation’s challenges firsthand. AM

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COMMUNICATIONS

PROVIDING HIGH-SPEED COMMUNICATIONS FOR REMOTE OPERATIONS

USERS CAN EASILY RELOCATE AND SET UP PIVOTEL’S SERVICE THEMSELVES.

WHEN PIVOTEL WAS TASKED WITH SUPPLYING A PORTABLE SATELLITE INTERNET SOLUTION TO A PILBARA RAIL MAINTENANCE TEAM ON A TIGHT DEADLINE, IT ROSE TO THE OCCASION.

hether it’s for day-to-day operations, maintenance, logistics, workplace health and safety, or to enhance staff welfare, communication specialist Pivotel keeps the fast-paced Australian mining industry connected. With trains moving thousands of tonnes of iron ore from a remote Pilbara location in Western Australia to the Port of Karratha, Pivotel provided a swift solution for a major miner, supplying a portable satellite communication system to assist its rail maintenance teams. The mining company had an urgent requirement for an internet service to assist maintenance work along a 50-kilometre stretch of the railway. Pivotel deployed its business nbn satellite service within seven days, ensuring limited downtime on the tracks. The company’s Western Australian business development manager Nick Hart says the service has been critical in enabling these maintenance workers to fulfil their duties. “The workers on site have to take a lot of responsibility for what they’re going to do, when they’re going to do it and how they’re going to do it. Reliable communication is important for them to relay the scope and nature of their undertakings, while improving productivity, operational efficiency and safety,” Hart says. The mobility of their work also means they require connection across a vast area. “Typically, they will not just repair one location on the railway line, there

will be a number of areas they need to fix,” Hart continues. “Workers will travel from site to site fixing issues each time. And they don’t necessarily know how long it will take them at each location, so there’s a lot of dynamic planning involved.” Not only does Pivotel’s service enable the workers to complete their maintenance work safely and efficiently, but the terminal is easy to relocate and set up, without the assistance of a Pivotel technician. “The challenge they have is that they are mobile, they move around a lot. So, uniquely with this technology and what we’re doing with the nbn service, means they don’t need a skilled engineer to move the equipment. “We can teach any worker to install the very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) and how to move it from site to

site, it’s modern technology that allows us to do this.” Pivotel uses small antennas located on either a trailer or a skid, both of which are equally mobile and effective options, providing flexibility for the user. Once the satellite communication system is set up, with the functionality of the service, the customer should be on their way. “As long as the installation is done correctly, which we manage, then the ongoing support should be minimal,” Hart says. But in the situation that further assistance is required, Pivotel has the resources to support that. “The differentiator with Pivotel is that we have 170 dealers all over the country,” Hart says. “These dealers assist with the installation, and they also provide ongoing technical support. PIVOTEL DEPLOYED ITS BUSINESS NBN SATELLITE SERVICE WITHIN SEVEN DAYS.

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“If something has to be replaced on site and it can’t be done by the local team, we can send somebody from Karratha, Port Hedland, Mount Isa or wherever they are.” The mining company has saved a considerable amount of money using Pivotel’s business nbn satellite service instead of other service providers, while the infrastructure has shown no discomfort in the heat and red dust of the remote Western Australian environment. Pivotel’s satellite services support mining companies and their immediate responsibilities, whether that’s urgent maintenance or attending to safety concerns, but there are other indirect matters that are equally as important. “These people are away from their families and friends. They’re in the middle of nowhere for weeks at a time. Yes, they’re well paid but they still expect to be able to contact their family,” Hart says. “For example, we’ve got a drilling company that says to us, ‘We can’t get staff if we don’t have good VSAT communications, the guys just walk off.’ The money is not an incentive anymore.” Pivotel’s business nbn satellite service allows organisations to compete with their metro counterparts by providing a wide range of speed tiers and allowances, as well as data pooling options. This makes the service the ideal solution to support staff working and living at remote sites. With Pivotel focussed on providing reliable and secure communication services for Australian businesses operating in remote parts of the country, organisations no longer have to compromise on safety, productivity and efficiency. AM

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

IMAGE: OZ MINERALS.

COPPER COLLABORATION TO SAVE A PRECIOUS RESOURCE

OZ MINERALS’ PROMINENT HILL COPPER-GOLD MINE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

A NEW ROADMAP TOWARDS ZERO-EMISSION COPPER MINING HAS BEEN DEVELOPED THROUGH COLLABORATION IN THE MINING INDUSTRY. THE FIRST AVENUE TO ACHIEVE THIS INVOLVES WATER AND THE BOFFINS BEHIND THE ROADMAP ARE DEVELOPING THE TOOLS TO TACKLE IT. HENRY BALLARD WRITES.

hile the volume of emissions from copper mining hardly compares with some more major commodities, the future of decarbonisation depends on the metal’s cleanliness. Several reports from the International Copper Association Australia (ICAA) over the past 15 years have identified that copper demand is rising at rates never seen before. BHP president of minerals for the Americas Ragnar Udd this year predicted copper demand will double in the next 30 years, with nickel to quadruple. To tackle the decarbonisation of copper mining, the ICAA released a report in May 2020, called Zero Emission Copper Mine of the Future, in conjunction with the University of Sydney’s Warren Centre of Advanced Engineering. The report details a roadmap towards decarbonised copper mining and five emission impact themes – discovery,

material movement, ventilation, mineral processing and water. Through a deep dive into each of these themes, the ICAA, its members and partners now look to develop a universal toolkit to provide current and future mine developers with the knowledge to achieve a universal goal – a zero-emission copper mine. ICAA chief executive officer John Fennell explains the logistics of the toolkit. “As we’re researching, we’ve been building a digital knowledge platform to provide an access point to chief technology officers, mine managers or mining executives as they find an issue in developing a new mine,” Fennell tells Australian Mining. “The learnings that come from various research programs can be seamlessly added to this knowledge platform, so everyone is kept up to date. “Then it’s up to industry to grab onto that and make it work. If they do it successfully, we’ll be able to identify some key technology challenges and breakthroughs which AUSTRALIANMINING

will allow industry to hasten the path towards zero emissions.” And there are plenty of stakeholders on the path for their own reasons. Communities, miners and governments alike will benefit from the improvement of each of the five emission impact themes in their own ways. But to give industry a place to dive into the concept, the ICAA believes there is no better theme to begin with than water. More recently, the ICAA commissioned another report, called the Water Report, which provides a breadth of information on the role of water in copper mining and six key innovation themes to deal with the responsible use, reuse and reduction of water resources. Clare Larkin Sykes, managing director of her namesake mining advisory, is a co-author on the Water Report and says this theme is as important as any due to its effects on everyone involved or nearby to copper mining. “In a broad sense, many copper

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operations globally do operate in areas of high-water stress and this is likely to face increased pressures in the future,” Larkin Sykes says. “These operations are also operating in a context of declining ore grades and deeper sulphide operations, which means that water and energy intensity is likely to increase.” Larkin Sykes says water must be increasingly recognised as a precious resource and treated as such. “There’s also a really strong social value on water in the regions where copper operations are likely to continue,” she says. “As a result, copper miners may face increased sensitivities in terms of the use and discharge of water.” The ICAA approached several of its members to become involved in the Water Report, with Anglo American and Sandfire Resources taking an opportunity to sponsor the project. Anglo American head of energy & storage Roland Berndt says the company was keen to build upon its strong platform of innovation. “We were approached by the ICAA

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

at the end of 2020 and could see a good fit with the work we are already doing on reducing emissions at our operations,” Berndt says. “We felt we were able to make a contribution and we were involved in both the executive steering committee and technical committee.” The technical committee involved a second tier of mining and METS (mining, engineering, technology and services) companies, which could learn from each other and collaborate to develop new technologies to solve their collective copper mining issues. OZ Minerals was one of many members on the technical committee. The company’s general manager of transformation Kate Hulmes says it was a terrific opportunity for an already innovative company. “Being part of the technical management committee gave us a chance to learn from and share different experiences and learnings around technologies that have been tried in the past, and why they may or may not have succeeded,” Hulmes says. “The workshops and the assessment of different catalyst pathways for partnerships and open innovation started to highlight the opportunities where OZ Minerals could lean in with other ICAA members to advance technology at pace.” The six innovation impact themes of the Water Report are baseline measurement and mass water balance, dewatering, desalination, operation water use, tailings, and end use and reuse. Larkin Sykes says one thing everyone learned from the Water Report is that no one company will be impacted by the findings in the same way. “The theme we took from the

COPPER CAN BE USED IN A RANGE OF EXISTING AND FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES.

report and something we emphasised in the report is that no one pathway is applicable for every operation and each site will have its own roadmap to look holistically across the water usage and mining operations chain,” she says. Fennell builds on this idea, adding that each step of the mining process must be considered and addressed on a case-by-case basis. “When you set up a new mine, the key is to work out how much water is available in the area without impacting the local community and how long will that last,” he says. “You’ve basically got to take little chunks out of your water use as you make your way through the mine development process. “One little improvement in each section means you can just chip away for a still significant 20 to 30 per cent reduction before you make the grand leap toward zero-emission mining.” Each company will of course tackle the chunks in different ways, owing to their business strategies, location,

mining context or simply that there’s no single solution. Berndt details some of the ways Anglo American is addressing water use in its operations. “We are developing and implementing numerous processing and mining technologies that deliver improvements in water consumption and energy efficiency,” he says. “Many of these have a theme of precision mining and early waste rejection, such as bulk ore sorting and coarse particle recovery, reducing the waste volumes produced, delivering lower energy and water intensity, and higher levels of water recycling.” Anglo American has committed to increasing water recycling above 75 per cent and to reduce the abstraction of freshwater by 50 per cent by 2030. OZ Minerals, alternatively, has been inspired to run its next Crowd Challenge – Waste to Value – in partnership with Amira (a resources sector not-for-profit) and the ICAA.

THE WATER REPORT AFFECTS ALL MAJOR COPPER MINING REGIONS SUCH AS CHILE AND AUSTRALIA.

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“Running in November this year, the Challenge invites mining companies and industry representatives to partner with us to explore a range of opportunities along the mining value chain that relate to waste minimisation and creating value from waste,” Hulmes says. Ashley Brinson of Brinson & Associates is also a co-author on the Water Report. He hopes that once the ICAA’s toolkit for sustainable copper mining is complete, every company – not only the majors like OZ and Anglo American – can learn what they need and implement it where and when it’s applicable. “Every site is different, this is very complicated, and there’s not a onesize-fits-all solution. Some copper mines are sulphide, some are oxide, some are open cut and some are underground,” Brinson says. “But there’s a whole map there in the Water Report to help copper miners get from where they are today to this future point.” AM

DRILL & BLAST

HXGN MINEMEASURE ENSURES AN EFFECTIVE AND MANAGED BLAST EXECUTION.

HEXAGON’S HOLISTIC APPROACH TO DRILL AND BLAST HEXAGON’S HXGN MINEMEASURE COMBINES BLAST DESIGN SOFTWARE, HIGH-PRECISION DRILLING, BLAST-MOVEMENT MONITORING, FRAGMENTATION ANALYSIS AND ENTERPRISE ANALYTICS TO MAXIMISE ORE RECOVERY AT MINING OPERATIONS.

exagon has unveiled the HxGN MineMeasure solution, which aims to improve the drill and blast process by delivering accuracy and precision to every step from blast planning through to the extraction of mineral resources. MineMeasure leverages blast design features from Hexagon’s comprehensive mine planning software, incorporating geology properties from the block model, the simplified representation of an orebody. Machine-guided drills then execute the blast plan while integrated blastmovement sensors and software technology accurately track the blast to minimise loss and dilution. Hexagon drill and blast vice president James Dampney says the software complements the company’s existing solutions. “We have a range of solutions across drill and blast and MineMeasure unites them in a single, connected ecosystem,” he says. “Some of the key benefits of MineMeasure include being able to seamlessly manage the entire drill and blast workflow to optimise blast outcomes with greater precision. For example, blasting to achieve the right fragmentation ensures processing plants are not blocked by huge boulders, impacting costs and throughput.’’ MineMeasure uses advanced image-analysis techniques to ensure fragmentation is managed

and optimised. Hexagon has produced something that delivers scrutiny and transparency in every step of the ore extraction journey. MineMeasure maximises safety, incorporating a vibration monitoring system and slope stability analysis. “The drill and blast team are really one of the key caretakers for the mine’s licence to operate so safety is critical,” Dampney says “Our technology ensures an effective and managed blast execution, including monitoring of blast vibrations. Safe blasting also means keeping your licenced operators away from risk.” Dampney says MineMeasure is designed to work for open cut metals and coal mining operations. Every step of the ore extraction journey from planning through to mill/ plant delivery can be scrutinised to analyse and track with transparency. “There is a different benefit depending on the commodity of course,” Dampney says. “There aren’t the same processing requirements with coal as with minerals, but having the right blast QA/QC solutions means reducing the risk of diluting coal through poor blasting. “For metal fragmentation becomes even more important, particularly for processing plant throughput.” Allowing teams greater insight into their drill and blast processes ensures operations can create their own opportunities to improve ore recovery AUSTRALIANMINING

and strategise future projects. Dampney says the new technology has received positive feedback from those working in the mining and resources industry. MineMeasure was launched at this year’s MINExpo in Las Vegas, which exhibits the latest mining and minerals processing technologies, as well as machinery and equipment for the coal, metal and non-metal mining processing industries. “When I speak to drill and blast engineers, superintendents and mine managers, they are very keen on a seamless, simple workflow with the data all collected in one place that is going to allow them to speed up their ore recovery, without risking objectives or safety,” Dampney says. “They are looking to have their data work in a far more intelligent and efficient way; our customers want this kind of capability. At Hexagon, we call this the Power of One – that’s one partner and one platform pulling together all workflows across the mine to drive greater productivity. “Because we are a software and sensors company – we are not an explosives company or an OEM – our customers have confidence that our partnership is about getting the best outcome by putting their data to work.” Hexagon’s mining division solves surface and underground mine challenges with proven technologies for planning, operations and safety. Dampney says the company also has significant ambitions around supporting

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HEXAGON DRILL AND BLAST VICE PRESIDENT JAMES DAMPNEY.

sustainability and is already a leader in the future of mining technology and solutions for the life of mine. “Sustainability ties back to this new technology as it allows for mining in a far more intelligent way, using data to make smarter decisions, and this positively impacts and benefits the environment,” Dampney says. “It is really a testament to the strength of the global mining industry with the people that we have and the talent available. “We are fortunate to be attracting really high-calibre individuals who really want to work for a global technology company, providing our customers with transformational solutions across the entire mining value chain.” AM

TYRE MANAGEMENT REGULAR TYRE INSPECTIONS CAN SAVE MINING COMPANIES TIME AND MONEY.

DRIVING INNOVATION IN TYRE SOLUTIONS KAL TIRE’S INNOVATION CENTRE HAS UNVEILED NEW TOOLS THAT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE RISK OF WHEEL FAILURE WHILE IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY.

yres are the unsung heroes of the mining industry. An important feature, tyres are essential across the entire supply chain from haul trucks on site to bulk material handling equipment at the port. However, any time a tyre needs to be changed it can slow down operations and, with the immense size of the machinery involved, can potentially cause safety hazards to those servicing the equipment. Kal Tire’s Innovation Centre in western Canada has introduced a number of practical solutions that allow team members to perform tyre and wheel work from a safe distance. The Magnet Clamp, which was one of several products unveiled by Kal Tire at this year’s MINExpo in Las Vegas, is designed to allow simple removal and installation of tyre and wheel assemblies with a focus on safety and efficiency. Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group Australia vice president Miles Rigney says when it comes to removing tyre and wheel assemblies on large mining equipment, one of the challenges is the removal of the last wheel nuts while keeping the tyre technician out of the line of fire. “The idea of the Magnet Clamp is that instead of the last nuts being removed in the three o’clock and nine o’clock position, what we do now is we actually remove those first,” Rigney tells Australian Mining. “Then we install these magnet

THE WHEEL INSPECTION IS A MOBILE UNIT THAT ALLOWS ON-SITE DETECTION OF TYRE PROBLEMS.

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clamps and remove all the other nuts as the tyre handler moves out of the way “Another key point to understand is that not only do we use this to remove the assembly from the truck, but we also use it for installing it. “So the Magnet Clamp can be used in both scenarios. It can be used to safely remove and safely install the assemblies. This is a really practical innovation that I am really proud of.” Rigney says the Magnet Clamp has applications for more than wheel removal and installation on trucks. “Any of the large mining equipment such as wheel loaders where you have to bolt and un-bolt the wheel assemblies, the Magnet Clamp is designed to deal with that challenge,” Rigney says. “We see this innovation as a way of taking the task of changing wheel assemblies to the next level. Our team members no longer have to be in a restricted work zone to carry out that task.” The Wheel Inspection is another new tool that Kal Tire’s Innovation Centre has developed to eliminate unexpected, costly breakdowns and help protect technicians from risk – in this case, the force of a catastrophic wheel failure. As earthmover equipment is subjected to ever-increasing payload and speeds, wheels can develop fractures in sensitive areas such as welds, ring grooves and holes. Left unchecked, the severity of

TYRE MANAGEMENT

cracks can increase, leading to leaks, wheel failure and the potential to endanger lives and equipment. Rigney says transporting wheels to and from sites for inspection can create significant costs for a company. “That process can literally take months from start to finish,” he says. “It requires hundreds, if not thousands, of transport kilometres, particularly in areas like Western Australia where the product may have to go from the Pilbara to Perth and then sent back. “The work that Kal Tire has been doing in this area is in a portable testing device which will allow wheel inspections to be done on site.” The Wheel Inspection is a portable solution that follows the circumference of a rim to scan for signs of cracking using an electromagnetic NDT system for rapid crack and corrosion assessment. When the solution detects a crack, a red indicator illuminates and a mounted computer retains high-resolution scans of each weld for reporting. Rigney says one of the benefits of this reporting is the recording of data from the tests, which gives a detailed analysis of any issues that arise from the inspection. “So, with this system we get a digital record of what was found and delivers a safe outcome for the client,” he says. “For customers to ultimately be

HAVER & BOECKER

WE SEE THIS INNOVATION AS A WAY OF TAKING THE TASK OF CHANGING WHEEL ASSEMBLIES TO THE NEXT LEVEL. OUR TEAM MEMBERS NO LONGER HAVE TO BE IN A RESTRICTED WORK ZONE TO CARRY OUT THAT TASK.”

NIAGARA

ENGINEERED FOR MINING

able to perform rim inspections at the mine site will save costs, allow more frequent inspections and also provide quicker responses about which wheels can safely return to operation.” Rigney says the purpose of the Innovation Centre is to create new products and solutions that make it safer for team members and people in the industry, and increase efficiencies for customers. “Kal Tire services more than 150 mines sites across five continents so with that comes the responsibility for us to engage our team members in each of the regions and ask them what solutions work for them,” Rigney says. “These innovative products are examples of the way Kal Tire is working to find effective solutions so our clients can continue to operate safely and efficiently.” AM

The Niagara F-Class was built speciﬁcally for mining, using double eccentric technology. Unlike traditional inclined vibrating screens, it maintains constant g-force — even during surging — so you can achieve optimal material stratiﬁcation.

Learn more.

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www.haverniagara.com/f-class THE MAGNET CLAMP ALLOWS SIMPLE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION OF TYRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES.

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

MATERIALS HANDLING

MAPPING THE FUTURE OF INTELLIGENT CONVEYING FENNER DUNLOP’S IBELT INTELLIGENT CONVEYOR TECHNOLOGY IS DELIVERING MORE EFFICIENT MINERALS PROCESSING APPLICATIONS THROUGH A SUITE OF SMART SOLUTIONS.

THE LAUNCH OF IBELT LAST YEAR MARKED THE EARLY STEPS OF FENER DUNLOP’S JOURNEY TO DIGITALISE MINE SITES.

ustralia is home to some of the largest mining operations globally, delivering highly sought-after commodities to

major markets. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that iron ore, gold and copper achieved record high exports in 2020, with the resources sector contributing $270 billion to the nation’s economy last year. To keep operations moving, mining companies are required to invest in robust minerals processing infrastructure to handle and refine ore and prepare it for shipment. With thousands of tonnes of materials processed at mining operations each day, the conveyor belt remains a crucial element of this process. Its reliability is vital to avoid unplanned downtime at a mine site as the price of a conveyor belt replacement can put a significant dent in capital costs and productivity. The evolution of heavy industry technologies through sensors and remote operations has opened the door for mining companies to enhance the monitoring and predictive

maintenance of their plant and equipment through new technologies. Fenner Dunlop is at the forefront of delivering technologies to digitalise and automate conveyor maintenance processes and enhance the performance of sites. The company’s iBelt intelligent conveyor solution is increasing productivity and giving customers real-time transparency of their plant’s performance with predictive analytics and other insights. Being called to action immediately when an issue is identified and having the tools to continually improve reliability, the result for customers is getting more out of their conveyors, with less and with ease. iBelt comprises five intelligent products – BeltGauge, BeltTag, CordScan, RipSaver and DigitalHub. “Our vision for these products is to make conveyors intelligent, where they predict, analyse and learn autonomously almost as if they have an actual brain,” Fenner Dunlop general manager for conveyor technology Craig Philpotts tells Australian Mining. “iBelt solutions take people out of the firing line of conveyor hazards and allow them to gather and analyse data over the cloud. AUSTRALIANMINING

“Traditionally, they would have to go and walk the conveyors on site. Now our products provide the information at their fingertips.” By digitising conveyor maintenance and condition monitoring, data can be obtained in real time to prevent issues from arising over the lifecycle of the system. With hard border closures becoming a challenge for the mining industry, this technology also allows operators to monitor conveyor performance even when they are off site. “Given that the analysis is done autonomously and on the conveyor itself, data is continually sent to the cloud and portrayed back to the client in a usable format – whether or not that may be in the form of interactive charts or filterable list, screens are designed to communicate important information and trends easily to customers,” Philpotts says. Fenner Dunlop launched iBelt last year and has since grown the solution beyond the belt itself by implementing digital inspections and idler management across the entire conveyor system to help customers save costs. “There are many components on a conveyor system other than just the belt and they all influence each

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other. For example, a skirt system can have a significant impact to the belt’s life if not properly monitored and maintained. With our new mobile app, we can really ensure there is transparency across the whole conveyor,” Philpotts says. Another new development for iBelt is the mobile BeltGauge solution, which is lighter and more productive than the previous unit. It provides the same benefits as the fixed unit with full length profiling of the belt and being able to perform thickness testing without stopping the belt, but gives the customer flexibility in choice and frequency, particularly on less critical systems. BeltGauge enables a greater understanding of how the belt interacts with other components on the conveyor and this depth of analysis is one that Fenner Dunlop is spearheading in the industry. “Where we’re heading now is very much around using the data collected to improve not only the lifecycle of the current conveyor components, but analyse the types of compounds that are actually used in the manufacture of conveyor belt to design compounds that last longer,” Philpotts says. “This data is invaluable to sites to make sure they get the most out of their conveyors and have accurate predictions of when they need to be changed out.” Fenner Dunlop’s commitment to its iBelt intelligent conveying vision also includes a new technology team dedicated to developing and expanding its digital product and service offerings here in Australia. The launch of iBelt last year marked the early steps of a new journey for Fenner Dunlop over the next decade, where it hopes to continue to offer solutions that embrace the benefits of digitising mine sites. “We recognise the importance of digitisation and product development in our industry and is one of four key strategies for Fenner over the next 10 years. We are confident our efforts in product development align with our customers’ needs and aim to be at the forefront of development of any mine site in Australia and the world,” Philpotts concludes. AM

XYLEM WE SOLVE YOUR MINING

WATER CHALLENGES

Xylem is proud to announce the formation of a global Mining Centre of Excellence based in Australia. Partnering with our customers and industry stakeholders to Solve Water Challenges in Mining.

13 19 14 | xylem.com/au

WATER MANAGEMENT XYLEM TRAILER MOUNTED PUMPS, BUILT FOR MINE SITES AND ON ROAD TRANSPORTATION.

CREATING A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR MINING WITH A VISION TO USE TECHNOLOGY, TIME AND TALENT TO ADVANCE THE SMARTER USE OF WATER AND LOOK TO A FUTURE WHERE GLOBAL WATER ISSUES DO NOT EXIST, XYLEM HAS LAUNCHED ITS GLOBAL MINING CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE TO SUPPORT AND SOLVE WATER CHALLENGES IN THE MINING INDUSTRY.

ylem uses the catchphrase ‘We Solve Water,’ a foundation on which its Global Mining Centre of Excellence (CoE) is built on. The new mining CoE is an assembled team of experts with vast experience on the water cycle in mining. Global Mining CoE director Paul Gaby says the centre was created to support Xylem’s regional teams to become a water management partner to its customers for all water touch points on a mine site. “While there are multiple Xylem locations with strong knowledge of mining applications, the mining CoE will also support the collaboration of all the successes and previous learning across the globe in mining,” Gaby tells Australian Mining. “Mines are under more pressure than ever to reduce their impact on the planet and regulations continue to change. Companies that take a strategic view of water in mining applications have a better chance of turning these systemic challenges into competitive opportunities.” Gaby says this is where Xylem’s CoE stands out. With key support functions such as application, technical, product integration, product development and design. He adds that through its team of mining application and design engineers, Xylem can support customers to work through the toughest site water challenges.

“From a basic selection right through to a large complicated application, we can provide support for long-term projects, to tenders or even emergency responses,” he says. Through global customers and Xylem’s key mining stakeholder feedback, the company aims to develop details of product gaps in mining to build a case from the ground up for development in global research and development (R&D) centres. Gaby says with the ongoing changes in water management practices, there will be a need to couple Xylem’s offering with varying installation, product and management needs that the CoE can manage internally with experienced design engineers. “We want to continue developing an intimate knowledge of the mining water cycle, and the voice of customer, to subsequently continue developing new products, technologies and accessories that improve our customers’ experience dealing with water challenges,” he says. Xylem’s mining industry solutions serve open pit, underground and processing operations. Gaby says the company is committed to including digital, transport, treatment, monitoring, control and assessment technologies to make mining operators’ jobs easier and their mines safer, reliable and efficient throughout a mine life cycle of exploration, development, operation and reclamation. As a result, Gaby says Xylem doesn’t just have great products, but great AUSTRALIANMINING

employees with years of experience in mining applications to enable the company to become a water management partner to the client and solve water challenges as they present. “When new unseen issues present, our team will work in the background to solve the issue to then be available whenever this problem may arise again on a global basis. Being central in support we can also highlight gaps or problems that require product development,” Gaby says. “We can then work with our research and development teams to develop, improve or combine to find the ultimate solution for our customers.” As mining is an important industry to Xylem and the Australian economy, Gaby says there is an increased demand in the commodities sector to make environmentally friendly products, focus on environmental social governance and climate change impacts. He expects the Global Mining CoE to grow and expand into major mining locations across the globe to help solve their water challenges. “Xylem’s overall goal as a business is partnering with our customers to provide sustainable, clean and affordable water to more people around the world while protecting the environment. All of our customers have environmental, social and governance targets that Xylem can support to achieve,” Gaby says. With Xylem’s core values around solving water challenges for its customers and the planet, Gaby says

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the company is excited to see the investment and commitment Xylem is making to the mining industry. “By partnering with our various stakeholders (customers, suppliers and industry) we are continuously working towards this objective, and we have a team of dedicated and talented employees who share this mission and journey,” he says. “We are here to solve your water challenges.” AM

XYLEM’S FLYGT SUBMERSIBLE PUMP RANGE IS FOR THE MOST CHALLENGING DEWATERING APPLICATIONS.

SYSTEMS CAST LIPS TERRA

SYSTEMS TWINMET PROMET

High productivity, performance and reliability with our full bucket solutions for mining equipment

MTG since 1957

MINING / CONSTRUCTION / DREDGING

mtgcorp.com

WATER MANAGEMENT

SOLENIS IS A LEADING SUPPLIER OF SPECIALITY CHEMICALS USED ACROSS MINE SITES GLOBALLY.

TRICKLING UP THE VALUE OF DEWATERING TECHNOLOGY SOLENIS IS HEADSTRONG ABOUT DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE TAILINGS AND MINERALS PROCESSING SOLUTIONS FOR MINING CUSTOMERS THAT SOLVE PROBLEMS AND SAVE COSTS.

he backbone to any effective mining operation is a comprehensive water management strategy. Global speciality chemical company Solenis has been involved in water-intensive industries including mining for more than a century, growing into the second largest flocculant manufacturer globally with the recent acquisition of BASF water and paper business. Tailings management can create a wide range of issues and challenges for mine operators that can impact everything from environmental compliance to running a sustainable operation With most of Australia’s mine sites located in remote regions, it is vital they conserve as much water as possible due to the costs associated

with transporting and commissioning a supply on site. Solenis technical manager Clive Roscoe says the company’s broad range of water management solutions enable strong compliance with a mining company’s sustainability goals. “From an environmental perspective security of tailings dams by effective and rapid dewatering of those solids so that you can have a stable tailings storage dam is very critical,” Roscoe says. “Sustainability in mines means dealing with very remote areas and water conservation within that mine is very critical. If we can assist in recovering more water, it in turn creates a more sustainable operation.” Solenis now owns and operates Australia’s only Anionic Powder Flocculant manufacturing plant

SOLENIS IS A MARKET LEADER IN ANTISCALANT CHEMISTRY.

AUSTRALIANMINING

facility at Kwinana, Western Australia. This allows the company to avoid COVID-19 disruptions and provide bespoke chemical solutions to domestic customers without pandemic-related delivery delays. Along with Solenis’ unique flocculant products, the company has introduced a patented flocculant make down equipment into the mining sector that brings further value to its tailings management program. The Praestospeed 120 is a containerised unit that can produce up to a two per cent flocculant solution. “We’ve only just brought it to the mining market in Australia,” Solenis mining business development manager Ezra Howie says. “This technology reduces makeup water by 90 per cent and is capable of processing up to 120 kilograms per hour of flocculant powder per hour. “From market research these units are half the cost of conventional make down plants at this size. Our equipment comes containerised and is totally relocatable. “We have seen great results with this unit already at our iron ore customers with ROI (return on investment) of six months.” Solenis is also a market leader in antiscalant chemistry. The company’s strong global research and development department are constantly developing new products to meet industry demands. Along with the chemistry, it has also introduced a patented scale monitoring analyser to the market. The Solenis’ OnGuard 3S analyser, which can provide accurate water scale measurements in minerals processing applications in real time through ultrasound technology, is an industry

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first for the mining sector. “This technology allows for the mine operator to have a window into how their system health is,” Solenis national sales manager Johannes Swart says. “The analyser measures real-time scale formation with the ability to view this data from anywhere in the world. Our analysers are capable of controlling our chemical pumps to ensure we are maintaining scale control at all times.” Solenis district manager Andrew Dine says the company has identified a significant opportunity to help customers solve challenging problems in that space. “We’re not a seller of products, we’re very much focussed on customer problems and utilising our expertise and technologies to solve the problems.,” Dine says. “We’re very adaptive and will adapt product technologies to meet the specific problems and issues the customer has. We’re willing to invest in research and development to come up with those solutions, so we like the fact that we’re very a customer-focussed organisation as we’re about providing solutions.” Solenis has strong ambitions for the years to come including increasing its involvement in Australia’s mining industry. The company has grown threefold in the last few years and aims to be Australia’s leading speciality chemicals supplier. With a strong track record of improving water recoveries in tailings storage facilities and the ability to manufacture products locally for customer requirements, Solenis is on track to continue delivering positive results for mining operations. AM

MINERALS PROCESSING

CDE TAKES OUT THE TRASH WITH LATEST LOGWASHER THIS ALL-IN-ONE MODULAR AGGMAX LOGWASHER CAN BE DEPLOYED IN DAYS TO LIBERATE CLAY-BOUND MATERIALS IN THE TOUGHEST OF MINING APPLICATIONS. CDE WORKS WITH MINING PARTNERS TO MAINTAIN A SMOOTH SCREENING AND CLEANING OPERATION.

uilt on foundations of high-quality equipment and an ethos to seek continual improvement, CDE has installed the AggMax modular logwasher across Australia with great success. Companies working in iron ore, mineral sands, manganese and even diamonds in Africa are reaping the rewards of the AggMax. CDE regional manager for Australasia Daniel Webber says the product has gone through many years of research and development before entering the mining market. “It has been developed from humble beginnings in the quarry market. And to make it more applicable to mining we’ve made it bigger for higher throughput and more resilient in terms of linings and design,” Webber tells Australian Mining. Webber describes the well-rounded nature of the AggMax. “Traditionally, logwashers aren’t great with a high sand load. The beauty of the AggMax is that it’s an integrated logwasher with a pre-screen and a product screen,” he says. “It scalps off all the easily won sand before the logwasher and then

the liberated sand is won back on the post-logwashing screen. This all-inone solution wraps a really nice bow around the flow sheet.” CDE CustomCare account manager Simon Machin adds that the AggMax goes one step further than previous innovations to add further value to the end product. “A trash screen can also be integrated onto the AggMax, so that if there are any organics or unwanted materials this can be liberated from the material rather than coming out through the product screen,” Machin says. In contrast to products of a similar function, the AggMax uses a scrubbing solution, where the material is fed in and forced together using a synchronous drive system. In this way, less water is required to clean the material, while a lack of impact – typical of trommels or drum scrubbers – removes the risk of breaking down the material too small. Alternatively, the AggMax can work in unison with previous solutions. Webber says as operations reach deeper underground or hit lower ore grades, the issue of high-clay content can be mitigated with the AggMax. “The most testing we’ve done is on iron ore, but more recently we’ve looked into the treatment of iron sands

THE AGGMAX MODULAR LOGWASHER HAS A THROUGHPUT OF 250 TONNES PER HOUR.

AUSTRALIANMINING

CDE USES YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO PRODUCE HIGH CHROME CAST PADDLES.

and mineral sands where trommels or drum scrubbers would be the usual goto,” Webber says. “The AggMax has been well tested to deal with these clay balls to liberate more recoverable material and we’ve found it really complements the previous solutions instead of competing with them.” The advantage of the synchronous drive system is rotation of the shafts is locked together, preventing the risk of paddle strikes and reducing the risk of bogging the machine. Also reducing downtime on the AggMax is CDE’s Infinity Screens. Webber describes the advantage of this technology. “In a system like this, uptime is everything, and you’re only going to be as strong as your weakest link. The Infinity Screens are CDE’s patented weld-free screens, which allow us to move away from the risk of weld failures,” he says. Due to this and other features, the AggMax has been known to run for more than 25,000 hours without a rebuild. Also aiding the reliability of the AggMax is CDE’s unique paddle design, Webber explains. “The paddles are constructed using cast high chrome. We’ve come

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to that solution over many years of development,” he says. “We’ve tried tungsten-coated, we’ve tried mould steel Hardox. Now we’ve come to cast high chrome and we’re getting unbelievable life out of these paddles in some of the most abrasive environments like iron ore.” As with the rest of the AggMax, maintenance is a simple task on the paddles, having been designed as consumables. Machin explains how CDE can cater to its customers’ needs to allow for the most seamless of AggMax operations. “CDE works closely with clients to provide an appropriate level of cover depending on their needs,” Machin says. “Some clients are very hands-on and like to be very independent, while other like us to be in there running more routine maintenance for them. “We can offer preventative maintenance inspection programs, service engineer visits, right through to the supply of OEM parts. It really depends on what the client needs from us.” Machin adds that CDE has undertaken some intense research and development work in the last few years, resulting in a four-fold reduction in down time for AggMax maintenance. AM

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MINING SERVICES

SHINING OUT CHROME FROM MINING LASERBOND’S E-CLAD SOLUTION SERVES AS A CAPABLE REPLACEMENT TO HARD CHROME PLATING THROUGH ITS ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY AND LONGER LIFESPAN.

ard Chrome plating has long been the standard for protecting hydraulic cylinders against wear and corrosion attack in heavy industries such as mining. Chrome plated hydraulic cylinder rods are used widely at mine sites, including on excavators, drills and haul trucks. Chrome is generally applied using highly toxic and energy intensive processes to provide a thin plating (0.025 millimetres to 0.25 millimetres) to protect components such as hydraulic rods from sliding wear. For economic reasons, due to a very slow build-up of the plating, often only very thin layers are applied, which only provide minimum wear protection and which are prone to damage upon impact. In addition, the inherent microcracks in chrome plating mean that such thin layers do not provide long lasting corrosion protection. However, with miners being forced to abide to more stringent environmental, social and governance (ESG) demands, the days of chrome plating may soon be over. Surface engineering company LaserBond recognises this and has developed E-Clad, an environmentally friendly and robust alternative to chrome plating. E-Clad protects people and workplaces from the carcinogenic properties of hexavalent chromium (chrome), while reducing their carbon footprint with lower energy consumption in the process and extended wear life through higher abrasion, impact and corrosion

resistance, meaning fewer changeouts. LaserBond sales manager Mike Walker says E-Clad metallurgically bonds with the metal underneath to create a strong and more resistant product. “We wanted E-Clad to replicate the functionality of chrome platings in an environmentally friendly way,” Walker tells Australian Mining. “The E-Clad process creates a metallurgical bond by melting the chrome replacement layer into the parent material so that they are essentially one, whereas chrome just sits on the surface.” According to Walker, regulations are being introduced across the globe to phase out chrome due to its environmental and workplace safety issues, with Australia likely to follow this trend. This will push the mining industry to seek alternative products such as E-Clad. However, there is a strong incentive to switch to LaserBond’s solution sooner rather than later. “If you have a cylinder and it is sliding in and out of a piston, and a rock falls and puts a crack into it, it will cut the seal in the hydraulic cylinder and oil will leak out,” Walker explains. “The superior bonding between E-Clad and the actual component can prevent this from happening.” Hard chrome plating has thickness limitations. The wear life of chrome plated components is determined by a reduction in the dimensions of the metal underneath the plating. This can only be replaced two to three times before the chrome plated component needs to be thrown away, but E-Clad’s metallurgical bond ensures it can be taken off and cladded

E-CLAD HAS A WEAR RATE THAT IS BETWEEN THREE TO 10 TIMES LOWER THAN COMMERCIAL CHROME.

AUSTRALIANMINING

E-CLAD METALLURGICALLY BONDS WITH THE METAL UNDERNEATH HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS.

as many times as required. E-Clad has a wear rate that is between three to 10 times lower than commercial chrome. “It had to withstand impact thrown at it, it had to stay on even during vibration and be corrosion resistant,” LaserBond national production manager Steve Halloran tells Australian Mining. “For example, if you had acidic conditions from minerals underground that contaminate steels it had to be resistant to that. “We don’t have a thickness restriction so nothing is thrown out, there are massive savings on carbon emissions and we can keep that item in service a lot longer.” LaserBond has developed E-Clad to use 25 per cent less energy than hard chroming, which also enhances its environmental benefits. The science behind E-Clad has ensured it is stronger than chrome plating, which in turn prevents accidents from occurring on a mine site that lead to unplanned downtime and in a worst-case scenario, serious injury. “We use E-Clad for suspension rods and trucks with great success,” Walker says. “If you’ve got a truck going down a haul road in a mine site and loses

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hydraulic pressure because chrome has bubbled up and cut seals it can lurch down and cause an accident. “This is an unplanned and uncontrolled movement, but the chrome bubbling wouldn’t happen with E-Clad.” The solution can also be applied in thin applications faster than hard chroming to reduce turnaround times for mining companies. With E-Clad’s cutting-edge qualities for miners, LaserBond’s research and development team is already looking for ways to enhance its performance even further. “We have two different grades of E-Clad at the moment so we will continue to expand that product range and continue to research the attributes that our customers are looking for, such as hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance and lowering porosity,” Walker says. “The products that we develop are great products and opening up a huge potential for development in this space – there’s a lot more we can do as we further evolve E-Clad.” The E-Clad solution is now available for application on wearing components for mine sites across Australia through LaserBond. AM

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MINING SERVICES SANDY RIDGE IS 240 KILOMETRES NORTH-WEST OF KALGOORLIE BY ROAD.

TELLUS CONQUERS HAZARDOUS WASTE ONCE AND FOR ALL TELLUS’ AUSTRALIAN-FIRST COMMERCIAL HAZARDOUS WASTE GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA OFFERS MINING COMPANIES A SAFE, PERMANENT AND PROVEN OUTLET FOR THEIR HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL.

here’s more to the concept of waste disposal than the safe storage of by-products or surplus goods. Waste management, and in particular hazardous waste management, is an art in itself and stands alone as an economic generator as much as it is an environmental preserver. Hazardous waste innovator Tellus is relatively new on the waste management scene in Australia and understands the opportunities the Australian mining industry is embracing in recognising the importance of safe hazardous waste disposal. In fact, the company has built a proven business model on it. When Tellus’ Australian-first Sandy Ridge hazardous waste geological repository was opened in March 2021, the company understood the momentousness of its venture. THERE’S NEXT TO NO RISK OF LIABILITY FOR THE WASTE OWNER.

Located 240 kilometres north-west of Kalgoorlie by road, among some of the world’s best geology for this purpose, Sandy Ridge doesn’t just permanently and sustainably dispose of nearly all types of hazardous waste, it enables industries such as mining to do away with the liabilities associated with their legacy hazardous waste disposal obligations. For Tellus chief executive officer Nate Smith, one of the biggest strengths of Sandy Ridge is the costeffectiveness of the solution. “We’re a new hazardous waste solution for the Australian mining industry to ensure they don’t have to compromise between mining development and environmental safety,” Smith says. “The hard truth is that the issue of hazardous waste is not going away for the mining industry or Australia generally and that’s even with a renewed focus on renewables. “With Sandy Ridge, Australia now has a world-class solution to ensure that hazardous waste of all types can be permanently dealt with and safely handled.” It’s important to emphasise the perpetuity of Sandy Ridge – the harmful impacts of incoming hazardous waste are eliminated, not just from the environment but from the client’s balance sheet. “Sandy Ridge coming online enables a seismic shift in how Australia deals with its hazardous waste, bringing a solution to this country that has been used for decades with success in North America and Europe,” Smith says. “In the past, the lack of AUSTRALIANMINING

an economically viable and environmentally sustainable solution has led to utilising temporary storage systems in Australia, like landfill or in-situ storage, until a better solution comes along. “Unlike such alternatives, the great part about us is that we can eliminate the dangerous impacts of hazardous waste and give positive assurance that disposal liability can be erased from a mining’s company’s balance sheet through the issuance of a Tellus Permanent Isolation Certificate.” Sandy Ridge can expedite a mining company’s remediation process because it has pre-funded all its post-closure liabilities, while also having $100 million in pollution liability insurance. There is next to no risk of liability coming back to haunt the waste owner once waste arrives on site. The processes that underpin Sandy Ridge are intrinsically sustainable with its waste management techniques limiting its own burden on the environment. “Alternatives for hazardous waste removal prior to Sandy Ridge opening could have been incineration, treatment or export of the most hazardous materials,” Smith says. “However, those options have material downsides. They’re downsides because they’re volume-constrained, whereas we can initially accept up to 100,000 tonnes per annum, although our site could handle much larger volumes. “They’re also energy-intensive, they create carbon dioxide and dioxin emissions, and a lot of the time they actually produce a more concentrated

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hazardous waste at the end.” This is where Sandy Ridge comes to the fore. Smith says the operation is unique because of its world-class safety case, as well as the fact its backstopped by the Western Australia Government. “The combination of our safety case and having the WA Government agree to monitor our site once it closes or if Tellus ever ceases to exist, actually allows us to give a positive assurance by issuing a Tellus Permanent Isolation Certificate, or Tellus PIC,” Smith says. “The Tellus PIC is backed by ‘Big 4’ accounting advice that once we take risk and ownership of the waste, the former waste owner can totally wipe that liability off its balance sheet. That is meaningful and tangible value.” Sandy Ridge can also accept nearly any type of waste in nearly any form. This includes everything from problematic mineral tailings to multi-contaminated soils, mercury, treated timbers, naturally occurring radioactive material (NORMs), surface contaminated equipment, lead and outof-date or unwanted reagents. Even more, most incoming waste types typically don’t require treatment. Tellus can manage the entire hazardous waste management process end-toend. This means that once a mining company engages Tellus, it can focus solely on its core business, relieving it of any further responsibility for its hazardous waste. Through Sandy Ridge, Tellus delivers the environmental, social and governance (ESG) outcomes to excite any miner eager to prove it is taking permanent steps to clean up Australia. AM

MINING SERVICES

AIRING OUT THE MINE SITE ATLAS COPCO COMPRESSORS IS PROVIDING SOLUTIONS FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY ACROSS THE GLOBE.

he high performance and efficiency of modern mining plant and equipment is something the industry places significant value on. Yet the attention rarely focusses on the innovations behind powering many of the machines that make up the mining process. Operations require heavy duty industrial air compressors and blowers for their plethora of applications.

Energy efficient solutions

world’s energy today goes towards compressing air and if we can save one per cent of that by providing more efficient compressors, that could be a huge saving globally and will have a massive impact on global carbon emissions,” Dias says. “Mining companies are driving demand for a more sustainable future through energy efficient solutions. “It’s a major driver for all companies, not just mining as shareholders are demanding that companies reduce their carbon footprint.”

An effective air compressor must combine high performance and reliability with energy efficiency. Atlas Copco will be one company to watch as the mining industry strives for a more sustainable future through more energy efficient solutions. “Our compressors are known for their longevity and reliability, and we have machines that are still running after 20 years of operating in harsh mining environments,” Atlas Copco business development manager for the mining sector Tony Dias says.

Fast and capable service

Variable Speed Drive Compressors

Atlas Copco understands that no two mine sites are the same, which is why its local and international resources include dedicated engineering teams that help to formulate customised air compressor solutions. There is an increased demand for customisation of the company’s equipment. Mining companies benefit from this service as it supports the diverse range of environments that their operations are located in. “There is fairly high demand for customisation of our compressors,

Atlas Copco’s variable speed drive (VSD) compressor range is designed specifically for challenging conditions such as those in Australia’s surface and underground mining operations. The company was a pioneer of VSD technology in the early 1990s, which matches air production to demand, leading to substantial energy savings of up to 50 per cent and reduced carbon emissions. “Approximately 10 per cent of the

By positioning itself on the doorstep of major mining regions in Australia, Atlas Copco offers fast and capable services to remote mining areas. Dias says the company has begun offering compressed air as a utility as some customers do not want to invest in a fixed asset. “It is a new solution for the industry and something we are now doing, albeit in a limited way. We are selling air by the cubic metre,” Dias says.

Customisation for mine sites

ATLAS COPCO CAN CUSTOMISE COMPRESSORS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL MINE SITE.

so they are suitable for harsh environments,” Dias says. “Customers want to customise and almost cherry pick different elements of the compressor – they demand that we upgrade our standard compressors to suit custom requirements.”

The perfect plug-and-play solution

The AIRCUBE allows companies that don’t have the time or space to add an indoor compressor room to quickly add compressed air capacity. It also solves a challenge many resource sector operations face: how do you get a dependable, high-quality air supply to some of the most remote places on this planet? Welcome to AIRCUBE.

Hydrogen to fuel the future for greener power With mining companies facing

stringent environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements, Atlas Copco is developing a 1000-bar compressor for hydrogen. “Hydrogen is obviously touted as a clean fuel of the future and being able to utilise it as a fuel source is all about reducing the carbon footprint,” Dias says. While development is in its early stages, hydrogen fuel is another step in the industry’s shift to greener power to cut carbon emissions.

Low pressure blowers

Atlas Copco’s low-pressure blowers and compressors deliver a steady supply of high-quality, oil-free air with industry leading energy efficiency and reliability. Its multi-stage centrifugal blowers guarantee a continuous supply of 100 per cent oil-free air and come in a flow range of zero to 68,000 cubic metres per hour, with pressures from 48 to 160 kilopascal gauge. Mining applications include leaching and flotation.

Nitrogen and oxygen generators A full range of on-site nitrogen and oxygen generators are part of Atlas Copco equipment offerings. With a 150-year history, Atlas Copco has grown to become a globally renowned brand with technical and engineering teams based across Australia. Atlas Copco’s service to the mining industry shows that it is capable of powering vital mining equipment through its wide range of air compressor technologies. AM

ATLAS COPCO GUARANTEES A FAST AND CAPABLE SERVICE.

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

MINING SERVICES

FANNING OUT THE BEST SOLUTIONS WITH THE GOAL TO HAVE SOLUTIONS THAT HELP THE CUSTOMER EXTEND THE SERVICE LIFE, IMPROVE PERFORMANCE AND REDUCE THE TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP OF MACHINERY, SKF KNOWS TOO WELL THE HARSH ENVIRONMENTS MINING OPERATIONS FACE.

KF rotating equipment performance specialist – Australia, Vishesh Arora, says fans are crucial components in many industrial applications and often the workhorses in production plants. “If you look at a ventilation fan, which is commonly used in mine sites, imagine the whole mine being shut down because one fan stopped,” Arora says. “A fan can be a simple application, but depending on where it is used, the impact to the business and people can be very significant. “Just like a doctor would need blood test results for diagnosing, you first need to get reliability under control; minimising human interaction and most importantly, improving worker safety.” This is where SKF’s smart fan program comes into play. The smart fan program is broken into three main steps – the positioning of the fan in terms of technicality; the current behaviours of monitoring fans; and finally, helping customers identify faults and reduce downtime. SKF business development manager Asia, Senthil Vel, says the first step is to install pre-configured wireless sensors to connect to the fan.

The company can then detect any issues by interpreting the data using an automated machine monitoring system powered by cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and AI driven analytics. “Insights from the data are presented to clients in easy-tounderstand dashboards, informing and advising when a problem arises – what it is, what the underlying cause might be and how to resolve it,” Vel says. Through the application of sensors, technology and knowledge to identify what is happening with the fans, Vel says operators can see the data at every hour or even minute of the day, allowing them to proactively plan for changeouts and maintenance. “We bring in the technology, expertise and software to simplify the process for the customer so they can take action immediately,” he says. Boasting several advantages, Vel highlights two key benefits of the smart fan program. The first benefit of the program is the output. “If a mine is producing coal then that doesn’t stop, allowing the client to get its product out to their customers on time,” Vel says. The second benefit is the cost of maintenance. Vel says if a fan fails clients must replace the fan, fix it and bring in contractors, resulting in

SKF’S PROGRAM IS BROKEN INTO THREE STEPS WHICH HELP IDENTIFY FAULTS AND REDUCE DOWNTIME.

AUSTRALIANMINING

SKF HAS OPTIMISED FAN PERFORMANCE FOR THE PAST 25 TO 30 YEARS.

significant maintenance costs. “We feel by having the technology to understand what is going on, it will tell us what has to be done in terms of the diagnosis; how to avoid those failures and reduce the costs that would come along with that,” Vel says. SKF has optimised fan performance for the past 25 to 30 years, designing and updating its solutions for mining companies around the world. Traditionally, fans are inspected every three to six months. However, the company has identified over this period that during these intervals there is a chance that failure could occur with a large cost associated. SKF application engineer Uwe Guist helped deploy a solution for a hot gas fan at a smelter facility in Western Australia, which increased the mean time between failures (MTBF) from less than 12 months to four years. Guist says industrial process and hot gas fans operate with extremely high internal gas temperature (>300C). However, he says internal temperature is just the beginning of heatrelated problems. Following a detailed assessment at the WA facility, Guist concluded that SKF technology needed to be deployed. “From the condition data, we found clear evidence that the real roadblock was due to extreme heat, which was causing thermal expansion of the shaft,” he says. “It’s virtually impossible to eliminate internal heat generated by the process.”

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The company upgraded the appropriate bearing arrangements to accommodate the operating conditions; along with a review and change in the lubrication system. The SKF service team in collaboration with its distribution partner, Applied Industrial Technologies, supervised the project, including the mounting of replacement bearings and associated components. “The client was pleased that as a one-stop shop we were able to diagnose the problem and improve their performance with SKF engineering and application knowledge,” Guist says. SKF mining segment manager Rod Allen says the company offers a unique combination of product supply and services with its rotating equipment performance solutions. The company is not just a manufacturer of bearings, but also seals, lubrication systems, housings, power transmission products and condition monitoring equipment. By leveraging its product and engineering expertise with deep understanding around rotating equipment, Allen believes SKF can provide a unique solution to its customer to maximise machine availability and increase reliability. “With this solution, the customer needs to pay a monthly fee rather than the cost of the product and we get paid based on the performance we deliver. Essentially, we are moving from selling products to selling performance and uptime. We win when the customer wins,” Allen concludes. AM

MANUFACTURING

SUPPORTING CUSTOMERS DURING THE SUPPLY CHAIN CHAOS WITH COVID-19 SHUTTING OFF INTERNATIONAL BORDERS, COMPANIES CAN NO LONGER RELY ON IMPORTS LIKE THEY ONCE DID. AS A RESULT, LOCAL MANUFACTURERS HAVE NEVER BEEN A MORE IMPORTANT RESOURCE.

FLEXIBORE IS AN EFFICIENT AND COSTEFFECTIVE CHOICE FOR MINING OPERATIONS.

he disruption of the global supply chain is causing havoc for many businesses. Time delays, exorbitant increases in shipping costs, strikes and threats of more strikes have all caused a reshuffle of priorities in many a boardroom. Crusader Hose, also affected by these worldwide events, has been working tirelessly to help support its customers during these unprecedented times. The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the vulnerability of the global supply chain and has forced many businesses to review their supply chain strategies. Relying heavily on importers is no longer seen as a viable business model and sourcing from local manufacturers for goods is being encouraged to reduce risks associated with supply chain disruptions. As an essential service provider, Crusader Hose has been able to keep its doors open and continue to service the mining, industrial, agricultural and firefighting sectors. Australia’s pre-eminent local manufacturer of layflat hose, the company has delivered well over 550,000 metres of hose since the first lockdown. The Australian-owned company has been manufacturing layflat hose for more than 35 years and has grown from a small, family-run business to a medium-sized business with more than 40 employees.

In its early years, the volume of imported hose on the streets put significant pressure on the company. However, with its culture of continuous improvement, Crusader Hose’s many investments and frequent machine upgrades have resulted in the creation of a world-class product. Working closely with industry, Crusader Hose’s layflat hose is designed, manufactured and supplied to the mining sector to assist in mine dewatering and bore water pumping. During these demanding and challenging times, the Melbournebased factory has been working around the clock to assist mining operations in getting their emergency dewatering hose on time. Crusader Hose’s heavy-duty layflat hose, Waterlord, is ideal for mine dewatering. Manufactured in diameters of up to 12 inches, Waterlord moves large volumes of water quickly and safely, ensuring mining operations work efficiently and on time. The high-pressure reliability of Waterlord comes from the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) through-the-weave extrusion that encases a robust textile reinforcement. It’s manufactured in one continuous length of up to 250 metres and can handle high-working pressures while its tough exterior can withstand rugged terrain. Both flanges and couplings are available which can easily connect to existing pipelines. AUSTRALIANMINING

Crusader Hose’s progressive engineering department has designed and manufactured reeling systems to safely and efficiently deploy and retrieve multiple hose lengths. Although a smaller workforce suffices when unrolling shorter lengths from pumps to pipelines; for long runs up mine walls and across pits, hose reel systems are the ideal solution. Interchangeable spools make it quick and easy to handle multiple lengths of hose. Many mining companies are asking for the Waterlord layflat hose reeling system because of its inbuilt properties: keeping multiple lengths

compact, making layflat hose easy to handle and easy to deploy. Crusader Hose’s Flexibore flexible rising main is the choice of many dewatering projects where water extraction from deep depths is required. The revolutionary Flexibore 400 can handle high pressures of depths of up to 400 metres. The ease of handling a layflat versus a rigid pipe reduces installation time by days, making Flexibore the efficient and cost-effective choice for many mining engineers. Whether it’s Waterlord, Flexibore or another of its reliable products, Crusader Hose represents the benefits of buying locally. “We have seen the importance of supporting local manufacturers in the preservation of the supply chain for successful businesses,” Crusader Hose managing director Francois Steverlynck says. “Buying from an Australian producer gives you peace of mind regarding back-up, quality, quick turn-around and excellent customer service. We stand by our products so your needs will be looked after.” Local manufacturing is critical in these times of uncertainty. Crusader Hose is committed to being part of a mining business’ success with the timely delivery of the products they need. AM

CRUSADER HOSE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE MINING INDUSTRY THROUGH COVID-19.

NOVEMBER 2021

TRAINING & EDUCATION

SOLID-BLOCK HOUSED UNITS CALL FOR SOLID TRAINING AS FAR AS BEARINGS GO, THE TIMKEN SOLID-BLOCK HOUSED UNITS ARE FAMOUS IN HEAVY INDUSTRY, RENOWNED FOR THEIR SEEMINGLY UNBREAKABLE SOLID CAST STEEL HOUSING AND EASE OF INSTALLATION.

ndustry expert Brad Kemp wants to remind readers that the Timken Solid-Block Housed units are highly specialised products, which do require an understanding of the internal componentry in order to be fitted correctly. Kemp is the senior service engineer for Timken Australia and has been partnering with CBC representatives to organise proactive training sessions with customers to assist with the Solid-Block Housed unit installation. “The Solid Blocked Housed unit is usually ordered by the engineers who love the concept,” he says. “They order it, the maintenance guys receive it without proper training and then there is frustration with the product. Often the instructions get overlooked or just end up in the bin.” Kemp points out that if instructions are not followed accurately, the bearings could become damaged prematurely. “If maintenance teams have not been trained up properly, then a lot of times they will start to do guesswork and make assumptions, which is what we want to avoid,” he explains. “Rather than have reactions from customers who are disappointed that the bearing

they ordered was incorrectly installed, we aim to ensure that the engineered componentry, the locking options and the installation process is understood by everyone on site.” CBC senior account manager Brian Crouch works in conjunction with Kemp and the Timken engineering staff to identity the need for on-site training. “We organise a three-hour on-site training session for the apprentices, fitters, engineers, and maintenance staff to come together and learn about every concept behind the SolidBlock Housed unit, to minimise any room for error or shortage of collective understanding,” Crouch says. “In these training sessions, we demonstrate how the Solid-Block Housing unit works internally and we show the attendees how to install the respective shaft locking arrangements that are available. We also familiarise them with the different sealing options.” According to Crouch, the training is a step-by-step fit up, covering all installation tools, and demonstrates how maintenance staff can ensure the clearances are correct in order to get optimal life out of their units. Depending on the application, the

THE TIMKEN SOLID-BLOCK HOUSED UNIT.

AUSTRALIANMINING

IT’S SUCH A WELL-KNOWN PRODUCT THAT I THINK PEOPLE EXPECT IT TO BE AN OBVIOUS INSTALLATION PROCESS, BUT IT’S NOT. TEAMS DO NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE PRODUCT LOOKS LIKE INTERNALLY, SEE HOW IT ALL GOES TOGETHER AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.”

A GUIDE TO THE COMPONENTS OF THE UNIT.

Timken Solid-Block Housed units have six different internal locking mechanisms: V-Lock, Double V-Lock, Concentric, Eccentric, Tapered Adapter and the DoubleNut Tapered Adapter. “The Double-Nut Tapered Adapter concept is a relatively new shaft locking option for our Timken Solid-Block Housing. This has been designed for larger sized industrial bearing applications,” Crouch says. “We are currently trialling this option for heavy industry conveyor pulley applications, where the most common challenge is withdrawing the bearing once it needs to be replaced. Usually, these types of applications require hydraulic removal facilities, otherwise they need to be cut off to be removed.” With, the Double-Nut Taper Adapter system, the nuts are pre-set at the factory for nominal shaft sizing, so the maintenance worker does not have to physically measure up the driver or radial internal clearance. “They can just drive the bearing up until it hits the rear extraction nut,” Crouch says. “When they want

NOVEMBER 2021

to extract the bearing later, they can just back it off the driver, advance the withdrawal nut, and pull the taper out of the bearing.” The result is a much easier method of extraction. Crouch strongly suggests organising training for a team to onsite managers who have placed an order for the Timken Solid-Block Housed units, adding that there is also comprehensive training available online via the Timken YouTube channel. “It’s such a well-known product that I think people expect it to be an obvious installation process, but it’s not. Teams do need to know what the product looks like internally, see how it all goes together and have the opportunity to ask questions,” Crouch says. “Read the instructions. Refer to the YouTube clips. Organise a formal training for your team.” To organise a Timken SolidBlock Housed unit training session, Crouch recommends visiting a local CBC branch and speaking to a representative. “We are looking to expand the reach of this training program as much as possible,” he concludes. 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 DIGITAL MINING MATERIALS HANDLING VOLUME 113/11 | NOVEMBER 2021

TRAINING & EDUCATION

OPPORTUNITIES SURFACE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIONS

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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INDUSTRY COMMENT

HOW THE JORC CODE AFFECTS MINING FINANCE AS THE MINING SECTOR CONTINUES ON AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY, MINERS AND EXPLORERS HAVE AN IMPORTANT IMPERATIVE TO ASSURE INVESTORS AND STAKEHOLDERS THAT THEIR MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE ESTIMATES CAN BE TRUSTED.

ince we cannot totally escape the risk and uncertainty related to minerals projects, more transparent, consistent and balanced views of technical confidence will better inform both internal and external stakeholders, particularly investors, about the expected risk in the project. The JORC (joint ore reserves committee) Code sets out the minimum standards, recommendations and guidelines for public reporting of exploration results, mineral resources and ore reserves in Australasia. The JORC Code is fundamental to the way capital markets work in respect to reporting mineral projects. These reports should provide investors with a level of confidence that appropriate consideration has been taken when assessing the viability of a project. Here are three ways that a public report written in accordance with the JORC Code helps manage risk for both investors and mining companies, based on the code’s three governing principles: transparency, materiality and competence.

• T ransparency – means that the reader of the public report is provided with sufficient information and the presentation is clear and unambiguous. A reader should be able to understand the report and not be misled by the information or by omission of material information. • M ateriality – requires that a public report contains all the relevant information that investors and their professional advisers would reasonably require, and reasonably expect to find in the report, for the purpose of making a reasoned and balanced judgement on the project. • C ompetence requires that the public report be based on work that is the responsibility of suitably qualified and experienced persons who are subject to an enforceable professional code of ethics (the competent person). Given that only about two per cent of financial investment globally finds its way into the mineral and mining sector, the industry needs to preserve and improve its risk perception in the eyes of investors. Competent persons should strive to better present the technical risk and uncertainty associated with minerals

THIS COURSE IS ESSENTIAL FOR REPORTING TO STOCK EXCHANGES UNDER THE JORC CODE.

projects in the context of project maturity to provide more consistent, and balanced views of confidence, risk and opportunities for both internal and external stakeholders relying on this reported information. The AusIMM JORC Code Essentials course teaches mining company directors and officers how

to navigate the intricacies of public reporting in accordance with codes and standards, stock exchange listing rules and regulation. This course is vital to understanding one’s professional and regulatory obligations, particularly when reporting to the stock exchanges under the JORC Code in Australasia. The course guides participants through the intricacies of public reporting in accordance with JORC codes and standards. AM Head to the AusIMM website to find out more, https://www.ausimm.com/courses/ short-courses/jorc-code-essentials-forexecutives/ This article is an excerpt from, Reporting and converting resources to reserves – how confident are we? by Mark Noppe, found in Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve Estimation – a Guide to Good Practice, Monograph 30 by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). Mark is also a facilitator in the AusIMM Professional Certificate in JORC Code Reporting, an interactive eight-week course delivered online for mining professionals responsible for public reporting, particularly aspiring and current Competent Persons. For more information on the course, and other AusIMM courses available on JORC Code Reporting, visit www.ausimm.com/courses.

THE AUSIMM JORC CODE ESSENTIALS COURSE COVERS PUBLIC REPORTING IN RELATION TO CERTAIN CODES AND STANDARDS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

MINEXPO 2021: INSIGHTS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN PAVILION AUSTMINE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHRISTINE GIBBS STEWART HOSTED THE AUSTRALIAN METS – NEXT GENERATION MINING PAVILION AT MINEXPO 2021 IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA DURING SEPTEMBER. WHILE THE SHOW LOOKED QUITE DIFFERENT TO PREVIOUS YEARS, IT WAS A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT FOR THE PARTICIPATING AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES.

espite reduced numbers walking the show floor, the event going ahead pointed to positive signs on the road to recovery for the mining industry. However, there was a limited Australian contingent due to travel restrictions, with most Australian company booths manned by United States, South American or even Russian personnel. The importance of mining in the global economic recovery was put front and centre at MINExpo. The opening conference panel explored this theme, with Arch Resources president and chief executive officer Paul Lang noting that new infrastructure investment, urbanisation and the green new deal stimulus will drive commodity demand and prices. On a local level, mining is also equally as important in transforming

small regional areas by providing thousands of family sustaining jobs. Mining’s role in addressing climate change was also explored during the conference sessions, including through technology development and providing the inputs to produce metal and steel to manufacture solar panels and wind turbines. Both Caterpillar and Komatsu explored projects to reduce diesel fuels and build zero emission trucks, along with supporting infrastructure and platforms needed for continual charging and application of new fuel sources. Game-changing technologies and innovations were again on display at MINExpo, with the major OEMs having impressive displays of new equipment. Komatsu’s HD785-7 autonomous water truck, Sandvik’s DS412iE battery-powered rock bolter, and Liebherr’s excavator R 9150 Generation 7 were all new releases to the market.

AUSTRALIA WAS STILL PRESENT AT MINEXPO DESPITE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

AUSTMINE’S PAVILION HIGHLIGHTED HOW THE METS SECTOR IS RECOVERING.

Digital technology firms took centre stage at this year’s MINExpo, with intelligent systems, data analytics, automation, AI (artificial intelligence), monitoring and mine site connectivity and visibility discussed at length. Hexagon Mining launched its Power of One, which is a holistic, life-of-mine smart solution connecting sensors and software, infield apps and cloudware to empower digital transformation. This scale and breadth of applications available is truly transformative for mining. The role of technology in driving sustainability was also explored in panel sessions. This was not just seen through an environmental lens, but also licence to operate, attracting young people into the industry and taking care of external stakeholders. Barrick Gold Corporation president and chief executive officer Mark Bristow threw a challenge out to the audience about technological development and sustainability. “We have seen a lot of talk over the last two years, and this is the first time the industry has come together,” Bristow says. “There is an enormous amount of work to do. Technical delivery is going to be the challenge. We have seen a real kick start in technological conceptualisation. We now need to convert this into genuine benefits.” Bristow noted that technology and innovation need a complete reinvestment to really change drive

NOVEMBER 2021

implementation and growth. He discussed the need for approval processes to be changed to adopt technologies quicker and pointed to an industry culture where there is a rush to comply rather than investing in new ways of doing things. Congratulations to the businesses that made an effort to be at MINExpo 2021. While the show was very different to previous years, it was definitely worthwhile top participate. Austmine’s Australian METS – Next Generation Mining Pavilion was headlined by AMC Consultants, Emesent, Klinge, PumpEng and TIMining. Thanks to METS Ignited and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources for supporting our efforts and providing sponsorship to enable us to showcase Australian METS to the world. It was very important that Australia was present at MINExpo given our global leadership in mining expertise and technology. While we are locked down in Australia, the world is certainly passing us by, and our lack of external engagement will no doubt have a negative impact on METS companies, exporters and economy as a whole. Austmine has been proud to lead Australia’s MINExpo efforts and we look forward to having a full contingent of businesses in the Australian Pavilion when we return to MINExpo in a few years’ time. AM

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS

PROSPECT AWARDS NOMINATIONS EXHIBIT MINING’S BEST NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2021 AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS ARE WRAPPING UP WITH FAMILIAR FACES AND UNIQUE TALENTS AMONG THIS YEAR’S AWARD CONTENDERS.

he Prospect Awards is a mainstay event that showcases the best innovations and projects developed by mining and METS (mining equipment, technology and services) companies, as well as the people who work behind-the-scenes to lead the industry to success. Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 awards show is moving forward, albeit on a new date of March 17 2022 at The Greek Club in Brisbane. The first wave of finalists are for the Excellence in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Application, Excellence in Environmental Management, Excellence in Mine Safety and Innovative Mining Solution awards. Prospect Awards events manager Lauren Winterbottom thanks each of the talented individuals and organisations that submitted an application. “Each finalist reflects the innovative prowess of Australia’s mining industry and the potential it exhibits in the face of adversity and global transformation,” Winterbottom says.

Excellence in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Application The Excellence in IIoT Application award highlights an outstanding implementation of IIoT that enhances mining and minerals processing. Finalists for this forward-thinking award include Fenner Dunlop, Flexco, Coolon and Pitcrew AI. Fenner Dunlop has been recognised for its iBelt solution, which transforms conveyor maintenance processes to monitor, plan and access predictions in real-time both on and off site to boost productivity. Flexco has put forward its Elevate i3 Device, which acts as a wireless platform that can transfer real-time data remotely from an intuitive digital dashboard. It has been specifically designed for belt cleaner performance in heavy-duty operations such as mining. LED lighting company Coolon received a finalist nod for its Coolon Brilliant Connected lights product,

which contain smart wireless networking nodes that automatically create a wireless mesh network to enable IIoT services to operate. Pitcrew AI has been recognised for its Autonomous OTR Tyre inspection product, which is a solar powered solution that inspects damage to OTR tyres that are seen on many mining vehicles without human intervention.

Excellence in Environmental Management

The Excellence in Environmental Management award recognises a mine, company or project that has carried out a forward-thinking environmentally focussed program. This year’s finalists include Gold Fields, Yancoal, Geoimage and SoilCyclers. Gold Fields submitted its Agnew hybrid renewable project for its ability to deliver 50 to 60 per cent clean energy with 99.99 per cent reliability, setting a global benchmark for renewable energy in mining. Coal miner Yancoal has received a finalist position for its rehabilitation of the Premier Coal operation in Western Australia into Lake Kepwari. Geoimage’s groundWATCH digital application has also been recognised for its ability to allow systematic viewing of ground changes. SoilCyclers has achieved finalist status for its Recycling Overburden and Mine Void Water collaboration, which was successful in rehabilitating Idemitsu’s Ensham coal mine in Queensland.

Excellence in Mine Safety, OH&S – sponsored by Vocus

Safety is a crucial factor at any mine site and is highlighted by the Excellence in Mine Safety, OH&S award, which is awarded to a mine, company or project that has increased safety, removed risk or reduced worker issues. This year’s finalists are Yancoal, Road Safe Moranbah, Mitchell Services and Mader Group. Yancoal will compete for the award with its Yarrabee Way – Safety Culture Framework, which is developed by the company’s workers to understand and control its risks. AUSTRALIANMINING

THE AWARDS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN MARCH NEXT YEAR.

Road Safe Moranbah has been recognised for its ability to target community safety following a fatal crash on the Peak Downs Highway. It also focusses on data collection for the Sunshine Coast University to drive further safety research. Mitchell Services submitted its Frontline-driven Fatal Risk Management, which has developed and implemented a critical risk management system that is focussed on workforce-led critical thinking and innovation. Mader Group is recognised as a finalist for its Improving Fleet Safety program, which involved the adoption of an in-vehicle monitoring system that provides live tracking of drivers.

Innovative Mining Solution – sponsored by Austmine

The Innovative Mining solution award recognises a mine, company or project that has developed a unique mining solution for the industry. Finalists for the award comprise Aggreko, Geographe, newGenGroup and Technofast Industries. Aggreko’s Aggreko Virtual Gas Power Plants has been put forward for developing the first mining power station that includes the application of

NOVEMBER 2021

gas generators and a virtual pipeline of LNG to power an underground mining operation which reduces diesel power. Geographe has also demonstrated innovation through its Geographe Ball Stud Removal Tool, which is a safer, faster and quieter method of removing ball studs from heavy equipment to save significant labour costs. newGenGroup has received a finalist position for its ArmourGRAPH solution, which uses graphene nanoplatelets to enhance wear materials through areas including abrasion resistance and tear strength. Technofast Industries has submitted its Technofast EziTite Hydraulic Head Nut for the award, which replaces solid mechanical nuts of gyratory rock and ore crushers to enhance safety cut downtime and provide easy installation. Thank you to Prospect Award sponsors National Group, Liebherr, SEW-Eurodrive, Epiroc, Austmine, Flexco, CRC and Vocus for supporting the program. Tickets for the evening are now available online at www.prospectawards.com.au AM The remaining award finalists will be revealed in the next edition of Australian Mining.

PRODUCTS

SUPERIOR INDUSTRIAL LEADS THE WAY IN FLOTATION

CATERPILLAR EXPANDS CUSTOMER VALUE AGREEMENTS

An ISO 9001 certified company, Superior Industrial has more than 30 years' flotation experience and can custom design pump pontoons to suit individual conditions and requirements. With all products manufactured in Australia, Superior Industrial can provide floating pump pontoons for tailings dams, dewatering pits or flood relief, sludge pontoons, sewerage pontoons and irrigation pontoons for agricultural dams. Floating pontoon solutions can be designed for a range of specifications to satisfy particular stability, rigidity and weight requirements. The flotation modules are made from 100 per cent virgin polyethylene material which provides the highest UV stability possible for a long life in the harsh industrial environment. All rotomoulded products are also fully recyclable. With superior quality, reliability and precision manufacturing by engineers, all products are expertly fabricated to suit any application and comply with international standards. Additionally, the team of design and manufacturing experts offer technical support within all industries.

Achieving targeted physical availability of equipment while delivering lowest cost of production is a priority for all mining producers. Built on a foundation of safety, the customer experience and financial success are heavily impacted by the efficiency, productivity and predictability of an operation. In 2019, Caterpillar announced customer value agreements (CVAs), a portfolio of innovative, flexible solutions that help maximise the value of a Caterpillar equipment investment. Caterpillar Resource Industries is now expanding these service offerings to deliver convenience, assurance and expertise while sustaining an exceptional customer experience throughout the equipment lifecycle. In 2020-21, Cat has introduced its maintenance for mining; hydraulic hose and coupling; and undercarriage CVA globally, while its powertrain guarantee CVA has been launched in specific areas such as Australia and Indonesia.

• cat.com

• superiorindustrial.com.au

CONVERT CARBON INTO GOLD WITH KAPPES, CASSIDAY & ASSOCIATES

SANDVIK LAUNCHES NEW UNDERGROUND LOADER Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has released a new 15-tonne size class loader, the Toro LH515i. The next generation of Sandvik’s current 14-tonne LH514, the loader has a one-tonne greater capacity than its predecessor as it looks to evolve the strengths of the previous model. Remodelled from the ground up, with the proven ability of the 14-tonne LH514 in mind, Sandvik welcomed customer feedback to improve the design and intelligence of the trusted range. The Toro LH515i features a new Sandvik intelligent control system with 12-inch touchscreen colour display, making loader health monitoring easy, providing quick access to data and enabling new solutions for efficient troubleshooting. Compatible with Sandvik’s AutoMine and OptiMine systems, the vehicle boasts a multitude of smart technologies, bringing digitalisation to the operator’s fingertips.

Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA), with offices in Reno, Perth and Chihuahua, maintains a specialist staff of 80. In 1972, KCA built the second operating heap leach in Nevada and focusses on cyanide leaching of gold/silver ores, with emphasis on heap leaching. KCA builds complete turnkey plants and also manufactures specialty equipment. Recently, KCA introduced the KCA Carbon Converter, a highly refined downdraft furnace for thoroughly roasting carbon fines and spent carbon at gold mines. The feed to the unit can be wet and dirty. The resulting ash is completely carbon and mercury free and can be directly smelted to produce dore bars. Units are in operation in Nevada, Mexico, Armenia and Argentina. The unit is completely automated and experience at operating sites indicates that operators need to spend less than eight man-hours per day to supervise and service it.

• rocktechnology.sandvik

• kcareno.com

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

PRODUCTS

EFFICIENT PRIMING AND ALLIGHTSYKES ANTI-SPIT TECHNOLOGY

LIEBHERR UNVEILS LATEST AUTONOMOUS SOLUTIONS Liebherr premiered its new Mining Technology Product portfolio at MINExpo 2021, comprising new autonomous haulage solutions and excavator automation with a focus on safety and productivity. Showcasing the flexibility and scalability of its range of equipment, technology and services, the Liebherr portfolio includes machine automation, digital services and assistance systems, and on-board analytics product lines. Liebherr’s autonomous haulage solution is the next generation of on-board intelligence system, reducing the dependency on site infrastructure and paving the way for increased safety and productivity. The autonomous solutions provide an eightlayer safety concept in combination with the latest on-board perception technologies for long-range, high-resolution and 360-degree coverage.

AllightSykes’ compressor priming system allows customers to dry prime their pump, without the need to manually fill the suction line or use a wet prime tank. The compressor prime design employs compressed air passed through a Venturi jet, which evacuates air from the suction and pump, creating a vacuum and allowing atmospheric pressure to force water into the pump and removing the need to manually fill the pump with water. Once the pump has been primed, the nozzle spits out a small amount of the pumped fluid to the ground and the surrounding environment. Mounting on top of the pump’s priming tee, the anti-spit then prevents the discharge from the nozzle. This allows the pump to be used on environmentally sensitive applications without the need to run a hose from the nozzle discharge back to the sump. The efficient anti-spit technology can be retrofitted to any of AllightSykes’ existing products.

• liebherr.com

• allightsykes.com

EPIROC RIG REVEAL ADDS MUSCLE

ORICA’S NEW 4D EXPLOSIVES TECHNOLOGY REDUCES COSTS

Epiroc has released the Pit Viper 291 drill rig and two Boltec rock reinforcement drill rigs, the M10 and the E10. The Pit Viper 291 is the latest in a reputable line of drill rigs, now with the ability to drill larger diameters in soft to medium-ground conditions. The 291 can be configured with Epiroc’s Rig Control System (RCS) to allow for fully autonomous drilling, while options like AutoDrill and AutoLevel provide further productivity enhancements. Underground, the Boltec M10 and E10 rock reinforcement drill rigs are well-suited to medium and large-sized tunnels. Similar to the 291, the Boltec rigs can perform autonomously, with single and multi-bolt installation available.

Orica has launched 4D, its latest bulk explosives technology enabling customers to target specific blast outcomes in real time. Delivering improvements in fragmentation, bench productivity, and reducing overall drill and blast costs, 4D is built for anticipation, functionality and proactivity. Suitable for both pumped and augered loading methods across dry, wet and dewatered hole conditions, 4D combines emulsion blended with ammonium nitrate porous prills. This results in greater bench productivity by Orica’s fleet of 4D-enabled Mobile Manufacturing Units (MMU), without the need to change raw materials in the MMU. Orica’s 4D enables a broader range of applications, promising up to 23 per cent more relative bulk strength for hard rock applications and up to 43 per cent reduction in soft rock.

• epiroc.com

• orica.com

AUSTRALIANMINING

NOVEMBER 2021

EVENTS

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU Iron Ore Conference Perth and Online | November 8-10 AusIMM and the CSIRO will hold an iron ore conference to explore the latest developments in the industry and where iron ore will look to expand into the future. Current and future challenges in iron ore will be addressed along with discussion on genesis, geology, exploration, mining and processing of iron ores. Attendees will get the opportunity to listen and learn from global industry leaders. These keynote speakers will include University of Melbourne professor of engineering Robin Batterham, former Roy Hill chief executive officer Barry Fitzgerald, Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia chief executive officer Nicole Roocke, and Fortescue Metals Group director sustainability and corporate affairs Alison Terry. The hybrid event will allow attendees to view content for up to three months online at any time, while making the conference in-person will allow for important networking opportunities. • ausimm.com/conferences-andevents/iron-ore/ Australian Gold Conference Sydney and Online | November 17-19 The Australian Gold Conference will take place across three days in 2021 at Crown Sydney, kicking off with an ‘Introduction to Gold’ event hosted by The Perth Mint on November 17.

From there, a two-day investment and educational symposium will be held – bringing together every aspect of the precious metals investment industry to promote and help educate everyday Australians, as well as those already invested in the sector. Keynote speakers will present their investment views and look at how we can grow and protect our wealth going forward. Bullion dealers will be on hand to help you understand how and when to purchase physical metals while ASX-listed mining companies will provide updates on mining investment opportunities. With global debt of over $280 trillion, and money being printed left, right and centre, it’s never been a more important time to learn how to grow and protect your wealth. The Australian Gold Conference will help attendees with that. • g oldindustrygroup.com.au/events/ industry-event-2021-australiangold-conference International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) Melbourne | January 31 - February 2 2022 After going virtual last year, IMARC returns in 2022 with a hybrid event – welcoming thousands of guests from Australia and overseas for an in-person and online conference. More than 130 countries will participate in Australia’s most influential mining event, with more than 200 exhibitors and 70 hours

AUSTRALIANMINING

of networking opportunities to take advantage of. The event encompasses a three-day conference diving into topics of exploration, investment, production optimisation technology and global opportunities. Additionally, the expo floor will cover 13,000 square metres to accommodate the bigger-andbetter machinery and equipment on show this year. Tickets range from free passes through to premium delegate passes, so visit the site below to book your spot now. Please note, IMARC has been postponed from its original dates in 2021 to next year due to the impact of COVID-19. • imarcglobal.com Australian Bulk Handling Awards Melbourne | February 17 2022 The Australian Bulk Handling Awards return in 2022, welcoming the sector’s esteemed and emerging to come together and celebrate the outstanding achievements from across the past two years. With prior events postponed, finalists from both 2020 and 2021 will be recognised at the 2022 event. Awards to be announced include Supplier of the Year, Bulk Handling Facility of the Year, Best Practice in Safety, and Dust Control Technology, Application or Practice. Taking place on February 17, the gala dinner will coincide with the Australian Bulk Handling Expo in Melbourne – a three-day event that encompasses the

NOVEMBER 2021

entire bulk solids handling industry. The Australian Bulk Handling Expo is supported by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH), which will host an industry conference, while the trade expo will showcase the latest in bulk materials handling equipment and technologies. • bulkhandlingawards.com.au Austmine Mining Innovation Roadshow Newcastle Newcastle | February 24 This full-day conference will rehash concepts discussed at Austmine’s biennial conference and exhibition from May 2021. Conversations surrounding sustainability and innovation will be driven by keynote speakers Mick Buffier, Glencore; Stuart Sneyd, Metso Outotec; Cam Halfpenny, Bengalla Mining Company; and Belinda Grealy, Orica. New topics will also be discussed which relate to the local mining and METS industry, including safer and more productive coal mining, opportunities for diversification into metals mining and other industries, the role of innovation in driving sustainable processes and effective stakeholder engagement. Roundtable interactions will present an excellent opportunity to network with senior industry leaders, researchers and a range of METS company delegates. Earlybird prices will be available until November 30, 2021. • austmine.com.au

Innovating for the future Bradken’s technology transformation is supporting the evolution of the mining industry. • Innovative mining digital technology solutions • Asset condition and performance monitoring solutions • Design, engineering and manufacture bradken.com

XYLEM WE SOLVE YOUR MINING

WATER CHALLENGES

Xylem is proud to announce the formation of a global Mining Centre of Excellence based in Australia. Partnering with our customers and industry stakeholders to Solve Water Challenges in Mining.

13 19 14 | xylem.com/au

Australian Mining November 2021

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EVENT SPOTLIGHT

INDUSTRY COMMENT

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