Quarry Aug 2019

A precision data program is aiding an explosive supplier’s rock on ground service

AUGUST 2019

HIRE FLEET PLAYS ROLE IN COAL MINE REHABILITATION

OPERATION LEADS WAY IN MOTOR CONTROL

How Delta Rent’s plant hire service is playing a key role in remediating the Hazelwood Mine

A Boral site has updated legacy plant with the latest motor control technology

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DRILL RIG DATA CAPTURE DRIVES BLAST INNOVATION

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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

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IN THIS ISSUE AUGUST 2019

VOLUME 27, ISSUE 08

FEATURES 22 DRILL PROMISES SAFETY, AUTOMATION FEATURES The first in a new line of drill rigs offers safer operation, productivity, and autonomous capabilities.

32 BLOCK UNIT OVERHAUL BEATS PULLEY FAILURES A Hanson operation has adopted solid block housed units to address bearing and shaft failures in its tail pulleys.

34 TURNKEY SOLUTIONS FOR CRUSHING PLANT SYSTEMS

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PRECISION PERFECT A precision data program is aiding an explosive supplier’s rock on ground service.

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‘SURGICAL DRILLING’ Two rigs have been praised for their precision, efficiency and optimised management costs.

An OEM is working with aggregate producers to provide turnkey systems to individual specifications.

36 EXPERT INSIGHT INTO APRON FEEDER TECHNOLOGY A specialist shares some insights into the applications of apron feeders within the extractive industry.

38 WEAR RESISTANT PIPE EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS A weld overlay pipe has provided labour and material savings for a Holcim operation.

40 CHOOSING THE RIGHT CONE CRUSHER

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HIRE KIT’S REHAB ROLE Delta Rent’s plant hire service is playing a key role in the Hazelwood Mine rehabilitation.

A precision data program is aiding an explosive supplier’s rock on ground service

MOTOR CONTROL TECH A Boral site has updated legacy plant with the latest motor control technology.

44 EI: A KEY TO ORGANISATIONAL SUCCESS Mike Cameron outlines the importance of emotional intelligence to fostering a successful organisational culture.

AUGUST 2019

HIRE FLEET PLAYS ROLE IN COAL MINE REHABILITATION

OPERATION LEADS WAY IN MOTOR CONTROL

How Delta Rent’s plant hire service is playing a key role in remediating the Hazelwood Mine

A Boral site has updated legacy plant with the latest motor control technology

28

DRILL RIG DATA CAPTURE DRIVES BLAST INNOVATION

24

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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

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Not every cone crusher is equal, depending on the application, but they can be adapted for competitive uses.

COVER ADVERTISER: The Cedarapids TGS120 is part of a new crusher line-up equipped with bronze bushing spiderbearing cones which can take up to 75 per cent larger feed. For more information, turn to page 40 or visit Terex MPS: terex.com/mps/en-au

EVERY MONTH 04 FROM THE EDITOR

48 IQA NEWS

06 FROM THE PRESIDENT 08 NEWS THIS MONTH

News from New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia

12 PRODUCT FOCUS

49 FROM THE IQA CEO

46 IQA CALENDAR

50 GEOLOGY TALK Exploring the geology of Mars

Quarry August 2019 3

EDITORIAL

QUARRYING OFF-WORLD AS MUCH A ‘LEAP OF FAITH’ AS ON TERRA FIRMA

O

ne small step for man, one giant leap for mankind ...

At 02:56:15 co-ordinated universal time on 21 July, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong’s quote made history as he stepped onto the moon.

Humankind recently celebrated the original manned lunar mission’s 50th anniversary – and to this day, hundreds of research laboratories the world over continue to study the moon rocks that the first Apollo mission brought back.

Although resources are abundant on terra firma – and terra australis – it seems mankind is obsessed with space.

This fascination is partly motivated by science – ie to find traces of life on Mars (see page 50), to learn more about our planet’s origins, and to challenge humans’ ability to live, evolve and thrive off-world.

Our attraction is also motivated by profit – the moon, Mars and asteroids could be the “goldfields” of the 22nd century. Companies like Caterpillar and Sandvik are interested in the commercial possibilities of off-world mining, and certainly samples from the lunar surface contain minerals familiar to Earth, eg basalt, breccia, silica, alumina and lime – some typical quarry products! Similarly, asteroids may have minerals such as platinum, nickel, and cobalt. Mankind’s expansion historically, geographically and politically has been fuelled by mining booms.

So what does this fascination mean for the extractive industry? The modern quarry professional is well within reason to quip: “If we can send a man to the moon, why can’t we approve a new quarry in less than five years?” Certainly, let’s hope now and into the future access to new sites will be easier but there is scope for working (and inactive) quarries to support off-world exploration.

Indeed, we’ve reported in Quarry over the years that some sites have been test beds. In 2016, a drill designed for the Martian polar caps was trialled in a Californian gypsum quarry. In 2012, the UNSW School of Civil and Environmental

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quarrymagazine.com

Engineering published research on how a lunar soil simulant could power a moon colony. The theory was demonstrated with reject basaltic powder from a NSW Central Coast site.

The UNSW’s Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research (ACSER) is now lobbying for a multi-university/ agency/industry team to investigate lunar mining. ACSER’s director Andrew Dempster has said “Australia has a natural advantage for off-Earth mining”, referring to many technological innovations such as automated crushing and screening circuits, driverless vehicles, GPS and drones.

Like ACSER, the CSIRO in the past year has announced a space roadmap that proposes opportunities for Australian industry. Amongst its goals is the application of in-situ resource extraction and utilisation – via semiautonomous 3D printers and “human-inthe-loop excavation systems” that could extract and process the silica-rich lunar soil into building structures.

These opportunities are underpinned by guesswork. The mining practices are familiar – prospecting, extracting, processing, transportation – but the implementation in a vacuum and microgravity may not be troublefree. Nonetheless, with the evolution of technology, there may be mutual benefits for quarrying and off-world mining. Just as advances in the extractive sphere today provide a platform for off-world mining, so its spin-offs may in the distant future aid quarrying.

In many ways, as in all business undertakings, the foray into space is a leap of faith – which Armstrong did 50 years ago when he disembarked from the Eagle lunar module. If he and NASA back then weren’t prepared to take science- and business-related risks, would we even be talking about the moon landing today?

DAMIAN CHRISTIE Editor

Official publication of the Institute of Quarrying Australia Publisher Coleby Nicholson Associate Publisher Angela Han

‘IF WE CAN SEND A MAN TO THE MOON, WHY CAN’T WE APPROVE A NEW QUARRY IN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS?’

Editor Damian Christie damian.christie@quarrymagazine.com Advertising Sales Toli Podolak sales@quarrymagazine.com

Quarry is published by: Gunnamatta Media Pty Ltd Locked Bag 26, South Melbourne, VIC 3205 AUSTRALIA Phone: +61 3 9696 7200 gunnamattamedia.com info@gunnamattamedia.com Design & Production Manager Jo De Bono art@gunnamattamedia.com Accounts Paul Blewitt finance@gunnamattamedia.com Subscriptions info@gunnamattamedia.com Press releases damian.christie@quarrymagazine.com Copyright: All material appearing in Quarry is subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without prior written consent of the publisher.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publisher. All statements made, although based on information believed to be reliable and accurate at the time, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission.

Gunnamatta Media Pty Ltd strives to report accurately and fairly and it is our policy to correct significant errors of fact and misleading statements in the next available issue. Any comment relating to subjective opinions should be addressed to the editor where the opposing position may be published to encourage open debate.

The publisher reserves the right to omit or alter any advertisement and the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher for all damages or liabilities arising from the published material.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

IS OUR APPETITE FOR RISK INCREASING? The Institute of Quarrying

A

s an avid reader of Quarry, you will most likely be aware that each month the magazine has a particular focus in terms of content, this month being drill and blast, plant and equipment hire, and plant design.

Besides offering the reader a collation of technical content on the same subject, I often appreciate the opportunity to turn my thoughts to how the particular topic of focus impacts our industry.

This same approach is also being used by the IQA to talk about relevant issues facing our industry and also what products and services are available to the industry through the Institute.

This month, the IQA is focusing on risk management and you are likely to see this theme throughout our communications - be it from the desk of the CEO, through our social media posts or training courses on offer.

The IQA has a number of industry relevant training packages available, whether you are looking to obtain a new skill, meet your competency requirements or build on existing skills.

Details on the risk management training courses, including course outlines and available dates can be found on the IQA’s website.

Australia

very detailed, often time-consuming processes.

I realise that I’m generalising and that these examples are not happening everywhere and there are some great examples of risk management within our industry, but I still have to wonder if we are normalising risk. Is our appetite for risk increasing?

Risk management is simply the description of a process of identifying, assessing and controlling threats.

So are our current risk management practices too complex and are we really identifying, assessing and controlling the threats across our operations? Or do we need to get back to the basics?

Do we need to provide more training to our people?

I appreciate that simplifying safety is easier said than done but now is the time to re-think about the way we manage risk within our organisations and how well we all understand and apply risk management practices.

So I’ll leave you this month with two questions:

Risk management is an area that many of us are familiar with, but how much do we really understand the process of it? For many, risk management has become a more complex and sometimes confusing process.

1. What is the level of risk we are prepared to accept?

Sure, we might understand JSAs (job safety analysis), JSEAs (job safety and environmental analysis), JHAs (job hazard analysis) or whatever other name your organisation has for them, identifying risk and applying controls using the hierarchy of controls, but are we really managing risk effectively or are we complying with a process to manage risk?

Have a safe and productive month ahead.

Safety in general over the past decade has moved away from the practical to

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Educating and connecting our extractive industry

Our supervisors are no longer supervising but ensuring paperwork is filled out and getting the risk rating to the lowest number possible, rather than the most effective control.

2. What are we going to do today, tomorrow, next week, next month and into the future to ensure risk is being managed and everyone understands the most effective way to manage risk?

CLAYTON HILL President Institute of Quarrying Australia

quarry.com.au ARE OUR RISK MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TOO COMPLEX? DO WE NEED TO GO BACK TO BASICS AND PROVIDE MORE TRAINING TO OUR PEOPLE?

The Institute of Quarrying Australia’s goals are: 1. To provide world class professional development for the extractive industries.

2. To establish an Australasian Academy of Quarrying.

3. To align service offerings with industry needs.

IQA CONTACTS: Chief Executive Officer Kylie Fahey PO Box 1779 Milton BC QLD 4064 Phone: 0477 444 328 ceo@quarry.com.au Company Secretary Rod Lester Phone: 0408 121 788 rgl@rlester.com.au Finance Officer Gemma Thursfield Phone: 0402 431 090 gemma@quarry.com.au Web Maintenance, Graphic Design, ePrograms, IT Support Ryan Spence Phone: 0422 351 831 ryan.spence@quarry.com.au General, membership and financial inquiries should be directed to admin@quarry.com.au or phone 02 9484 0577.

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NEWS

BORAL TO NET MILLIONS IN REAL ESTATE DEAL ‘SCORESBY WILL BE AN IMPORTANT EARNINGS CONTRIBUTOR FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS’

Boral expects to earn $300 million during the lifetime of the Mirvac agreement, subject to rezoning.

This includes removal of the existing Victorian Government parks acquisition overlay, which gives the state the right to purchase it for parkland. In the short term, Boral is predicting $3 million in earnings this financial year and $66 million by FY2026.

MIKE KANE BORAL CEO

Boral has sealed a deal with developer Mirvac to convert its 171ha Scoresby Quarry into a 1700-home estate.

A deal to redevelop a quarry in Melbourne’s southeast into a 1700home estate is expected to generate $300 million in earnings for Boral.

The multinational construction materials producer announced it has entered into a property development management deed with Mirvac real estate group for its Scoresby site (also known as Wantirna South). The quarry is located within the Dandenong Valley Parkland corridor, approximately 25km from Melbourne’s CBD. Under the agreement, Mirvac will manage the urban development of the 171ha site over several decades, including a proposed new housing community and parklands.

“We are pleased to be working

manufacturing plant for Boral Bricks in Victoria. Following divestment of Boral’s 40 per cent interest in the Boral CSR Bricks joint venture to CSR for $134 million in 2016, Boral retained ownership of the site, part of which is currently leased to CSR.

Mirvac’s housing estate will have a $1 billion end development value if the developer is successful in having the land rezoned and gaining planning approval, The Age reported.

with Mirvac on another development project, following an extensive market testing process, which confirmed the strong alignment between our two organisations,” Boral CEO and managing director Mike Kane said.

Mirvac’s head of residential Stuart Penklis said the 1700-home development project could also include 11ha of public open space, as well as a neighbourhood centre comprising retail, services and community facilities.

“Together with the Donnybrook development, which we announced a year ago and is also being managed by Mirvac, Scoresby will be an important earnings contributor for Boral over the next 20 years.

The Scoresby and Donnybrook developments are expected to deliver in excess of $500 million of proceeds for Boral, subject to market conditions over that time and rezoning of Scoresby.”

The group is aiming to develop this amenity early in the process “to set the foundations for a vibrant, resilient and sustainable new neighbourhood”.

Early rehabilitation works, rezoning and initial development activity is planned to take place through to the end of CSR’s lease, after which more significant development activities will occur. •

The site was formerly a

PRIZED ANCIENT QUARRY RECOGNISED A former Indigenous quarry identified on agricultural land owned by a Queanbeyan family in southern New South Wales has been officially recognised as an Aboriginal Place. This is as part of a NSW Government program that financially reimburses Indigenous custodians and contemporary landowners for hosting tours and visits to declared sites.

In 2016, a member of the Watson family invited a friend, Aboriginal archaeologist David Johnston, to inspect the site.

Johnston immediately realised that the basalt and dolerite boulders would have once been used to make stone axe

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heads. The axes would have been used to make everything from boomerangs and spears to shields and canoes.

Johnston said the quarry would have been a “prize” for the community that had them on their country and the stone axes would have been a commodity for trade.

“We’ve always known there were these wonderful axes, but we didn’t know where they came from,” Johnston said. “It’s a wonderful spot. The hill there would have been used as a pathway and a spotting, vantage point.”

Aboriginal elders have insisted that they have no interest in making a land rights

The outcrop of dolerite on the former Aboriginal quarry site, which was a valuable source for the production of stone axes.

claim and they will work with the Watsons to preserve the stone axe quarry for posterity. •

SECTOR CALLS FOR FASTER APPROVALS OF KEY MATERIALS

EPA BACKS NEW TASMANIAN QUARRY The Tasmanian Environmental Protection Authority has supported a plan by Wacks Crushing to convert a non-commercial gravel pit into an operational quarry with some conditions.

Leading construction materials companies have united in Queensland to advocate for reforms of the existing quarry approvals system.

Thirteen companies representing 90 per cent of Queensland’s concrete and quarrying materials output have called on the Palaszczuk Government to provide greater oversight in the quarry approval process and protection for existing operations.

The group fears major construction projects within the state could face materials shortages and cost blowouts due to a current inability to secure approvals for new quarries.

Boral’s Queensland executive general manager Simon Jeffery, who is the spokesperson for the group, said current population growth indicated production would need to grow by a third in the next 20 years to match current demand.

“In southeast Queensland alone, for instance, we estimate the population to grow by an extra 1.9 million by 2041, which translates to an estimated extra 19 million tonnes of material needed per year from current levels,” he said in a statement issued by the Queensland branch of Cement Concrete Aggregates Australia (CCAA).

“More certain access to quarry and sand reserves will be imperative for the industry to meet demand from communities throughout the state,” Jeffery said. “When quarry products are sourced close to their end use there is less impact on local roads from truck movements.”

Hanson Construction Materials’ northern region general manager Charlie Stoneman said the industry was not seeking to circumnavigate due process. “We just require the process to be balanced and fair, so that community expectations are understood and business, financial and social objectives are met to ensure continued growth in our local areas at a cost-effective rate,” he said.

Holcim Aggregates Queensland’s general manager Peter Ambrose added a strengthened construction materials sector and improved access would bring significant economic and social benefits.

The proposed West Mooreville Quarry, 7km southwest of Burnie, will extract, crush and screen up to 20,000m2 of aggregate, stone and gravel per annum. Blasting would be undertaken approximately once per year.

A geological framework of the Gold Coast and hinterland’s reserves, circa 2011.

“Our industry employs 8000 Queenslanders and an additional 20,000 indirectly and makes an important contribution to local economies,” he said.

Although the project – which drew no submissions during the public consultation period – would lease 26ha in total, it will only use 3ha of land. Source rock would be crushed and screened into various products stockpiled on the land, where it could be transported to various local road and construction projects.

The call for approval system reforms has also been echoed in Victoria, where industry groups also recently argued local materials should be more readily available.

Although there were concerns in the Environmental Effects Report that there would not be much scope for “progressive rehabilitation to occur until the cessation of the activity”, the Tasmanian EPA concluded the proposed project could be managed in an “environmentally sustainable and acceptable manner”. It outlined conditions required for any permit that would ultimately be granted by the Burnie City Council.

John Kilgour, CEO of the Civil Contractors Federation, said of major concern is the slow pace of government reforms to approve new reserves in response to increasing resource demand. He told 3AW Breakfast about 15 new quarries were needed in Victoria in the next 30 to 35 years.

“Obviously the material is important, but so is the proximity of the projects,” he said. “For every 25km we transport the material it’s going to add $2 billion of costs to the projects.”

Kilgour’s comments come despite the Victorian Government’s latest Extractive Resources Strategy, which aims to ensure critical building resources continue to be available at a competitive price within the state.

In its May budget, the Andrews Government committed a further $29.4 billion to building and improving the state’s roads and rail ($46 billion has been invested since 2014).

Victoria’s Extractive Resources Strategy.

“The EPA has imposed conditions to prescribe noise limits, monitor noise and vibration emitted by the activity, and to limit clearing and disturbance,” Tasmanian EPA director Wes Ford said. “Rehabilitation works will seek to restore the site to a regenerated native forest, with a similar woodlands community to that of the surrounding site.” •

At the time, the CCAA’s Victoria and Tasmania branch director Brian Hauser labelled the budget initiative a “tremendous outcome for the sector” and said the development of new riskbased approval guidelines supported by a more capable regulator would ensure greater community and industry confidence in the release of critical quarry materials supply. • Quarry August 2019 9

NEWS

WEIGHING EQUIPMENT COMPANIES UNITE UNDER SINGLE BANNER Effective from 1 July, 2019, the conglomerate behind industrial measurement systems manufacturers AccuWeigh and Ultrahawke has amalgamated its subsidiaries to operate under the name Diverseco.

AccuWeigh and Ultrahawke have traditionally serviced the extractive sector through the provision of laboratory, measuring and weighing plant and equipment (including load scales and weighbridges), metal detectors and wheel washdown systems.

Since the establishment of AccuWeigh in 1992, Diverseco has continued to expand through a series of mergers and acquisitions, including the acquisition of 162year old company Ultrahawke (formerly Hawke & Co) in 2000.

Brenton Cunningham, Diverseco’s CEO, said the decision to amalgamate its portfolios enabled Diverseco to adopt a more proactive, co-ordinated response for customers. “While our primary business objective has always been to deliver our customers good value with the technologies in our portfolio, they often reported that they were unsure as to which operating company to use and were looking for us to provide an easier way for them to access all our resources,” he said. “This transfer of business provides for a unified approach to our terms and conditions, policies and practices.”

Diverseco will continue to have offices and operations in every Australian mainland state, as well as in New Zealand, Singapore and China. •

Diverseco offers the AccuWeigh LoadMaster 100 Alpha scale (inset).

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Quarry August 2019

SUBURBAN ROADS PAVED WITH SUSTAINABLE ASPHALT ‘IT’S AMAZING THAT 58,000 WATER BOTTLES CAN HELP CREATE A ROAD THAT WILL LAST 30 YEARS’ PAUL NG MAYOR CITY OF CANNING

Two Western Australian suburban projects are using recycled materials to build more sustainable roads.

In the Perth suburb of Willetton, Boral is using waste tyres, plastic, glass and old road pavement to construct new roads. It is the first time the company has used four recycled products in an asphalt mix.

The shredded tyres are turned into small pellets, glass is crushed to the dimension of sand particles, plastic bottles are converted into fish foodsized flakes and asphalt is recycled into aggregates. The recycled materials are then combined with crushed rock and bitumen to create the sustainable roadbase.

The project will make use of 58,000 600ml plastic water bottles, 316 tyres and 37,500 glass beer stubbies.

“The transition to offering sustainable products within our suite of asphalt mixes presents a significant opportunity and responsibility for Boral and our customers,” Boral’s Western Australia regional general manager John Ralph said. “We are using sustainable materials in asphalt road construction in a way that respects the environment and supports a circular economy approach.

“We want to be part of the solution to reducing landfill waste and aim to make a real difference by promoting sustainable practices.”

The partnership between Boral Asphalt’s Welshpool facility and the City of Canning was borne out of the council’s commitment to approach issues of sustainability in a more innovative fashion.

“We are consistently asking our ratepayers to be more sustainable in their thinking and their behaviour and this partnership reinforces that the City is leading by example,” City of Canning mayor Paul Ng said. “Singleuse plastics are one of the biggest items going to landfill – it’s astounding that 58,000 water bottles can be used in a positive way to help create a road that will last more than 30 years.”

Meanwhile, the City of Cockburn, in partnership with real estate agency Frasers Property, has also paved 750m² of road in the waterfront community of Port Coogee, southwest

Reconophalt is poured at the waterfront community of Port Coogee, WA.

A stockpile of the recycled asphalt materials at Boral Asphalt’s Welshpool plant.

of the Perth CBD, with a recycled product known as Reconophalt.

Densford Civil poured the Reconophalt, while the Downer Group supplied the materials. Reconophalt comprises a variety of recycled waste materials, including plastic bags, waste toner from printer cartridges, crumb rubber from car tyres, and recycled asphalt pavement. It potentially has a 65 per cent greater fatigue life than standard asphalt.

“We believe it is vital to encourage the use of recycled materials wherever possible, to stimulate the development of recycling industries here in Australia,” the City of Cockburn’s waste education officer Nicki Ledger said.

Stuart Gardiner, Frasers Property’s general manager for residential WA, said this kind of innovation could help generate positive waste minimisation implications for the company’s broader portfolio.

“This progressive environmental solution in the waterfront community at Port Coogee demonstrates the importance of sustainable partnerships to create economic, social and environmental value for materials that would more than likely end up in landfill, or as pollutants in natural environments,” Gardiner said. “We look forward to monitoring the trial of this recycled asphalt and how the new surface performs over time.” •

QUARRY ON ICE STALLS HIGHWAY UPGRADE The exclusion of a foreign-owned quarrying operation from a major road project is having knock-on effects for communities and threatening an uneasy peace in a region near the Myanmar/Thailand border.

The large quarry, in Myanmar’s Kayin State, is licensed to Chit Linn Myaing Toyota Co, and is being managed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).

To mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a quarry in northern France that sheltered thousands of civilians is being “preserved” by 3D modelling and will be able to be “toured” as soon as next year.

Plant and equipment at work before the Mount Lun Nya quarry was shut down.

Most of the quarrying operations in Kayin State, including the CRBC operation, are contracted to provide crushed rock to upgrade the main road link with Thailand and part of the Asian Highway network.

The Chit Linn Myaing Toyota site is one of 23 quarries on Mount Lun Nya. It is owned by the local warlord Colonel Saw Chit Thu, who heads one of the militias observing a ceasefire in the country’s long-running civil war.

However, local tensions have risen since the CRBC’s Mount Lun Nya site ceased production in late 2018. This is because the company failed to meet compliance requirements set by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The ADB’s conditions were imposed after an incident in late 2017, when 13 villagers were fired upon as they went to inspect the site. It is thought the Border Guard Force (BGF), which provided security for the quarry, fired the shots. The BGF is headed by Colonel Saw and is a subdivision of the Myanmar Armed Forces that was formed in 2009 from a local insurgent group involved in the civil war.

After decades of war and isolation, Myanmar is one of Asia’s most underdeveloped countries. For significant periods of the year, much of the country is inaccessible by land. During the wet season many of its roads are flooded, and in the dry season many turn to dust.

The Asian Highway upgrade is being funded by a $USD100 million ($AUD145 million) loan from the ADB. Farmers and other locals close to Mount Lun Nya complained that they hadn’t been consulted about CRBC’s large quarrying operations.

They expressed concern about the environmental effects and damage caused to houses in a nearby village.

THE SITES THAT PROVIDED REFUGE ON D-DAY

Workers wearing CRBC helmets take a break at the quarry.

Residents of other villages, however, have said the cessation of production at the CRBC site has been disastrous for the Asian Highway upgrade. The delays are affecting their livelihoods and robbing them of employment opportunities.

“What I would like to demand now is to restart the mining process,” Mar Aye, a former quarry worker, told Al Jazeera. “We’ve been praying for this.

When people work in mining, their lives are in good condition but now they’re facing challenges.”

In mid-2018, the ADB told publication Frontier it had suspended payments to CRBC “due to non-compliance with ADB safeguard and government environmental requirements”.

A review of the quarry found it had not received an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from Myanmar’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. An ECC confirms that the applicant’s initial environmental examination, impact assessment and management plan abide by Myanmar’s environment laws.

Frontier also reported that the involvement of the BGF had spooked the ADB’s board, which had reportedly decided the quarry should not be used for the Asian Highway project, even if an ECC was issued. •

On 6 June, 1944, the Allied forces landed on the French coastline to fight what has become known as the Battle of Normandy. As the fighting raged aboveground, roughly a third of the Normandy city of Caen’s 60,000 inhabitants took refuge in the city’s underground limestone quarries.

The sites are famous for providing construction materials for churches and castles across Europe, including the Tower of London and Cologne Cathedral. About 20,000 civilians in Caen were killed in air strikes, and it is believed the death toll would almost certainly have been higher had the quarries not acted as natural air raid shelters.

Archaeologists are now using laser scanners to map the underground sites, shedding new light on an under-explored aspect of D-Day history.

The extreme precision of laser mapping is allowing programmers to computer-generate 3D visualisations of the underground space and its abandoned objects, preserving the history.

“It will enable the public to understand what happened in the quarry, to visit it without actually going down,” said Laurent Dujardin, a Caen historian who has documented the quarries’ wartime role and is working with the archaeological teams. “The aim is to make what happened here understandable.” •

Archaeologists are using laser scanners to map Normandy’s underground quarries.

Quarry August 2019 11

PRODUCT FOCUS

To submit new product and equipment releases, email: damian.christie@quarrymagazine.com

HIGH ENERGY, AGGRESSIVE SCREEN The EvoQuip Colt 600 is a compact, yet heavy-duty scalping screen that is ideal for use in tight spaces. The Colt 600 is capable of stockpiling, scalping before and after crushing units, or functioning as a standalone unit. Its aggressive double-deck screen, with variable stroke and various screen media options, makes it suitable for precision screening and heavy-duty applications. It is aided by a 3m3 rigid feed hopper and three hydraulic folding side conveyors, ranging from 650mm to 1000mm in width, with 3m discharge heights. The Colt 600 can be transported in a shipping container or on a trailer, can be set-up quickly on-site and is highly mobile in urban mining applications.

For more information: Tricon Equipment, triconequipment.com.au OPS Screening & Crushing Equipment, opsaust.com.au

SPIDER-BEARING CONE CRUSHER RANGE The Cedarapids TG series crusher line-up has been equipped with bronzed bushing spider-bearing cones which can potentially match the output performance of other style cones in 223kW to 300kW power ranges and accept a maximum feed size like other 300kW to 372kW machines. The spider-bearing cone consists of four models each for aggregates and recycling applications in the large feed TGS secondary and TG “all-rounder” tertiary configurations. There are two additional models in the TG configuration for large quarrying applications with outputs between 1700 and 2535 tph.

For more information: Terex Jaques, terex.com/mps/en-au

STREAMLINED, HIGH OUTPUT TRACKED JAW The Tesab 700i tracked jaw crusher is user-friendly, versatile and highly manoeuvrable. It features improved step-deck vibrating feeders, which ensure a high throughput (more than 350 tph) and superior material separation quality. As a result, it can process dry, damp or wet materials with ease. The 47-tonne, 16m x 4m mobile crusher has a maximum feed size of 700mm and a reduction ratio of 4:1. It is also equipped with a standard twodeck independent pre-screen. The 700i is easy to manoeuvre on-site and to transport to various markets and can operate as a standalone unit or as part of a mobile crushing and screening circuit.

For more information: Precisionscreen, precisionscreen.com.au

‘METERED CONTROLLED’, HIGH LEVEL FEEDER The Terex Finlay TF-75H high level feeder enables operators to directly discharge to the hopper/feeder from excavators or wheel loaders, eliminating double handling of material on-site. With the capacity to process up to 400 tph, the TF-75H can be used for a “metered controlled” feed of material when working as part of a crushing and screening train or in standalone applications.

For more information: Finlay Crushing & Screening Systems, finlay.com.au

12

Quarry August 2019

Red Bull supplied its drill rig fleet for work on New Zealand’s Huntly Bypass project.

DRILL & BLAST

DRILL RIG DATA CAPTURE

DRIVES ROCK ON GROUND INNOVATION For integrated explosives supply and services provider Red Bull, the quality of data gathered from each drill and blast is integral to driving safety, innovation and continuous improvement – and ensuring the precision of the next blast. An OEM’s precision program is making this possible.

T

he Red Bull Powder Company is a 20-year old Auckland-based company renowned for its marketleading innovation. It was one of the first fully integrated manufacturing, drilling and blasting services companies in New Zealand.

Today, the company holds the lion’s share of the quarrying and construction market in New Zealand as well as significant mining contracts. It services about 120 quarry clients and has completed more than 25 construction and infrastructure projects across the North Island.

The company invests in its own drill rigs and manufacturing plants, and is therefore uniquely placed to create value for its drill and blast clients.

For Red Bull, safety is the biggest driver.

The company’s appetite for embracing and trialling new technology to make operations safer for its teams and clients – and lessen environmental impacts – saw it become one of the first in the world to use programmable 14

Quarry August 2019

digital detonators to control blast vibration in surface mining.

The same passion for safety and innovation has shaped Red Bull’s 10-year partnership with Sandvik. It is the first New Zealand drilling and blasting service company to take full advantage of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and “measure while drilling” data capability that Sandvik’s newer drill rigs provide, and it is currently the only one using GPS technology for quarrying blasting services.

Red Bull owns 12 Sandvik drill rigs, four of which have TIM3D GPS capability. The capability of its new drills to upload and export data – and how the operators, blasting engineers, and management team can use this data – has been hailed a game changer for the Red Bull team.

SAFETY FIRST Based on satellite systems, the TIM3D system can improve drilling accuracy,

efficiency and productivity in quarrying, road construction and open pit mining applications. It consists of four essential operations: rig navigation, feed alignment, drilling and reporting.

The navigation system provides improved hole quality and hole position accuracy.

It produces parallel holes and keeps hole spacing and bottom levels accurate, resulting in better fragmentation and less boulders and fines. This pinpoint accuracy means greater efficiency in the production process, both in crushing and in loading and hauling. The system also removes the need for surveying and hole marking, minimising the risk of errors, and significantly speeds up drilling.

According to Red Bull’s general manager Chris Pilmer, falling from heights is one of the biggest risks for anyone working in a quarry. Quarries manage this risk with berms (raised bench edges created by rubble piles) or other physical barriers such as a fence. However, due to bench design or geological constraints, these practices are not always possible or practical, especially when drilling smaller blast patterns. This is where the survey and GPS guidance on drilling is particularly useful as it completely removes the fall hazard associated with marking out a blast pattern manually.

Pilmer said being able to keep people away from the edge of the bench and blast face is one of the biggest safety advantages to the drill rig technology.

“When you can design blasts using survey data and software, then upload drill plans to the rig, and use GPS guidance, there is no need for manual mark-out of holes,” he said.

“Standing close to the edge with a markout staff to get holes in the right position is an unacceptable risk, and one the new technology completely removes.”

As well as safety considerations, the savings in time, efficiency, and costs versus manual mark-outs is also significant.

However, for Red Bull’s clients, the most tangible impact is the level of precision the Sandvik TIM3D technology has enabled.

PRECISION MADE PERFECT Being able to plan and drill with precision is critical for Red Bull’s quarry and construction clients. The GPS capability of the drill rigs has greatly enhanced the operator’s ability

The capability of TIM3D to upload and export data from the drill rig to the blasting engineer has been hailed a ‘game changer’.

to follow the complex drilling patterns and has significantly improved drilling accuracy.

In the two years since Red Bull purchased its first Sandvik drill rig with the TIM3D drill

navigation system, operators have put the rig and the GPS system through its paces.

According to technical manager Nick Bastow, the interface is very user-friendly,

DRILL & BLAST

A Sandvik DP1100i drilling on a bench. GPS guidance on drilling can be particularly useful in removing fall hazards associated with manually marking out a blast pattern.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS OF TIM3D • TIM3D is based on a multi-satellite RTK GNSS navigation and is compatible with GPS and GLONASS satellite systems.

• Navigation uses drill plans created either with standard office programs, or within the system.

• Drill plans are in IREDES standard format, containing the start and end co-ordinates of the target holes in three dimensions.

• Drill plans can be transferred to the rig wirelessly, or via a USB flash drive.

• With a local base station, or a VRS correction, navigation accuracy is within 5cm, keeping the total system accuracy within 10cm.

16

Quarry August 2019

even for older operators who are not used to working with computers or software systems.

“The machine control system allows automatic hole set-up and mast positioning, increasing accuracy and reducing rework, and being able to send the drill plan directly to the operator electronically using GPS coordinates saves so much time,” Bastow said.

“The software is an excellent training tool for all operators. We use the data in the quality report from their drilling and compare it against the design. This can be reviewed with the operator to see where any improvements can be made.”

The most interesting aspect of the new technology for the Red Bull management team is that they have been able to reduce explosive loading where they use rigs with the TIM3D navigation system.

“The drilling accuracy, coupled with ability to adjust blast parameters according to penetration rate, percussion, flush air pressure and rotation pressure, means we can generate very precise load plans and have been able to make significant savings on explosives,” Bastow said.

“We are very excited about future technology developments from Sandvik.

Learning how to understand and use this technology has been an innovative tool to promote our ability to deliver a more professional, technically complex set of

services than our competitors, greatly enhancing the profile of our business.”

This is corroborated by the client Dougal Francis, the construction zone manager for roading construction company Fulton Hogan, which required a blasting services partner for the current Huntly Bypass project, a 15.4km realignment of the Waikato Expressway. This project will eventually shift 3.6 million cubic metres (or 1.2 million tonnes) of soil and rock and connect Auckland with the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

Red Bull won the tender as, according to Francis, it was “the only company prepared to provide assurance that they could meet the very tight specifications and protect the rock batters in this sensitive environment”.

“It was critical to ensure we could achieve the right tolerance to prevent failure of the rock batters, and avoid not breaking far enough and needing to trim it down,” Francis said. “We also needed to make sure the blast vibration was monitored throughout to avoid impacts to the surrounding residents.

“The Sandvik TIM3D precision drilling technology and Red Bull’s technical expertise gave us the confidence that they could work within these tight parameters.

From a quality perspective, knowing that you’re not going to have your mark-out changed by weather or have it driven over is reassuring. You also don’t need surveying set out to the same degree. It is good to have those added checks and balances.”

WHAT IS TIM3D? Sandvik TIM3D is a drill rig navigation system that provides drill rigs with 3D machine automation. It uses satellite navigation to guide the starting point and the correct course of drilling in accordance with the drilling plan.

TIM3D consists of three essential operations: rig navigation, feed alignment, and drilling. It is available for all Sandvik DPi and DX series surface top hammer drill rigs.

The TIM3D navigation system is designed to improve hole quality and hole position accuracy. This potentially translates into better fragmentation and decreased amount of boulders and fines, resulting in increased efficiency later in the production process, both in load and haul and crushing. The system also removes the need for surveying and for mark-outs, therefore reducing the risk of marking errors and significantly speeding up the drilling process.

Based on real time kinematic global multi-

satellite (RTK GNSS) navigation, TIM3D is compatible with GPS and the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). The navigation uses drilling plans made either with standard office programs or with the system itself. The plan is imported to the rig with a USB memory in the International Rock Excavation Data Exchange Standard (IREDES) format, containing the target coordinates in three dimensions. A local base station, or a virtual reference station (VRS) correction, keeps navigation accuracy within 10cm.

Thanks to a modern and clear user interface, the TIM3D system is designed to make the drilling process easier for the operator. It compares the position of the drill bit with the planned hole position and guides the operator to the correct starting point of the chosen hole. During drilling, the operator can follow the penetration rate and hole depth, distance to target, number of required rods and current feed alignment. At the target depth, drilling stops automatically.

Thanks to a modern, clear user interface, TIM3D system can make the drilling process easier for the operator.

In addition, the system shows the status of the holes with colour codes.

The operator can deviate from the drill plan if needed, eg due to an impracticable planned starting point. Despite the modification, the hole bottom remains as planned; the TIM3D system automatically calculates a new course based on the actual starting point of the hole.

The drilling data – the actual parameters – are stored in the system memory and it can be exported to various programs, such as blasting simulation. The data includes a quality report, position and depth of the drilled holes, drilling time, and start and end points. • Source: Sandvik

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DRILL & BLAST

SMART RIGS HAILED

AS THE ‘SURGEONS’ OF DRILLING Two SmartROC T40 drill rigs working inside the Italcave site in Statte, Italy have been praised for their seemingly surgical precision, operative efficiency and optimised management costs.

Q

uarrying is a particularly complex activity from a technical and managerial point of view, with profit margins being a key aspect. A carefully designed development plan, optimised in terms of timelines, operation cycles, and the use of technological solutions that unite productivity with limited costs are all factors that help reach this goal.

These considerations form the foundations of Italcave Spa’s extraction activities. Italcave is headquartered in Statte, Italy, in the immediate vicinity of Taranto’s famous iron and steel industrial facility, and is active in the mining, environmental and logistical fields.

For the development of its extractive sites, the company chose two Epiroc (formerly Atlas Copco) SmartROC T40 rigs.

Italcave was founded in 1973 by Saverio Caramia, today still firmly at the helm of the company, to manage and develop an inert calcareous material quarry. The result of the unification of three different extractive sites, today the quarry covers one million square metres.

“At the end of the 1990s, we began diversifying our activities, which today include environmental services, with the creation and management of non-hazardous waste disposal within the areas of the quarry that are no longer in use,” Italcave’s quarry director Giovanna Leone explained. He 18

Quarry August 2019

added that the company also specialises in logistics, with the provision of handling services at the Molo Polisettoriale di Taranto (Multi-Industry Port of Taranto) and “the management of a temporary deposit for petcoke and fossil carbon, as well as tourism”.

The company’s extractive activities are conducted within a step-extracted vertical pit mine with benches no higher than 10 metres and no deeper than about 40m, tied to the static groundwater level. The extraction cycle is broken into five phases. Quarrying the walls of the pit takes place through the use of explosives after the removal of the topsoil, with an average daily blast on a grid of 24 holes measuring 3.5m x 3.5m and 10m in depth, involving an area of about 300m2, to produce about 2700m3 of calcareous ungraded product equivalent to about 5000 tonnes.

The loading, transport and unloading of blasted material occurs via wheel loaders and dump trucks to the loading hopper of the main crushing plant. This is the production site for stabilised natural material (in 0-70mm grain size), stored in mounds, and 70-300mm pieces, partially stored and partially sent via conveyor belt to the secondary crushing and sorting plant. The second round of processing makes it possible to create other product grain sizes (0-4mm mill sand,

5-12mm gravel, 10-20mm gravel, 16-31mm gravel, 40-70mm stones), which can be mixed in varying percentages, according to their intended use.

THE RIGS To carry out the execution of blast holes in the grid as established by the quarrying plan, Italcave entrusted its operations to the two SmartROC T40 drill rigs – the so-called “surgeons of drilling”.

Quarry banksman Carmelo Stroscio said that due to its sophisticated control program, “the SmartROC T40 top hammer drill rig is easy for the operator to use, offering both elevated production values and low maintenance costs. Thanks to the precise supply of power in each drilling phase, the rig optimises fuel consumption without compromising productivity”.

The SmartROC T40 has a Tier 4 Final/ Stage IV-certified Caterpillar C7.1 engine, and AdBlue. It is able to generate up to 168kW of power within a technological package designed to minimise energy losses and maintain a high level of productivity. The operator can manually adjust the volume of the air discharge and the speed of the dust collector fan as needed, so that both systems operate under the program required for the desired performance. The engine and compressor speeds are automatically

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DRILL & BLAST

regulated according to the power demand; three variable displacement hydraulic pumps make it possible to limit the number of downtime engine revolutions, and even the speed of the radiator fan is automatically adjusted.

“Within the comfortable, clean design of the cabin, the operator has full control over the drilling cycle, thanks to the presence of two multi-function joysticks and an icon-based instrument panel,” Stroscio said. “The rigs are equipped with an automatic rod adding system, making it possible to drill to a preset hole length without the operator having to intervene, thereby expanding the life span of the consumables.”

To optimise the machine’s performance and availability, the SmartROC T40 has a limited number of components, a solution that facilitates assistance and maintenance.

Compared to similar rigs on the market, this model has 50 per cent fewer hoses and 70 per cent fewer couplings, so as to reduce the risk of leaks. Hydraulic valves and electric modules are distributed and positioned in their usage point, making components easier to access.

Compared to models from the previous generation, the size of the hydraulic tank has been reduced by 65 per cent, a solution that optimises consumption by only supplying the amount of oil necessary for the operation, while also providing more available space and easier service access. In addition, each SmartROC T40 is equipped with double hose drums on the feed, extending the life of the hydraulic hoses, limiting friction and eliminating the need for greasing.

SATELLITE PRECISION One of the strengths of the SmartROC T40 rigs is the use of satellite positioning via the Hole Navigation System (HNS). The HNS option makes it possible to control the drill pattern via a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. The HNS can set the hole position, angle and depth as defined in the pre-set drill plan. The result is a perceivable reduction in the drill and blast cost per cubic metre of material produced.

As Stroscio remarked, the HNS “makes it possible not only to position the machine with absolute precision, but also to have maximum control over all execution parameters of the blast holes.

“The rig is guided (in addition to the data coming from the satellite location system) in part based on the results of the geographic correction system found in the quarry, based 20

Quarry August 2019

Italcave’s calcareous pit operation dates back more than 40 years.

To optimise its performance, the SmartROC T40 is equipped with fewer hoses, couplings and other components.

on a topographical section polygon survey system that surrounds the quarrying site, which makes precision in the order of two to 2.5cm possible. The machine is also equipped with two satellite antennas which make it possible to optimise all drilling execution parameters, such as position, spacing within the grid, angle and depth, ensuring that the explosive blast loads reach maximum efficiency and thus get the best results.

“One further plus deriving from this system was a net improvement in monitoring the depth of the bottom of the quarry, which in this case is also obtained thanks to the maximum precision of the drill depths guaranteed by the HNS.”

OPTIMISED PRODUCTION As mentioned, quarrying the walls of the mine involves blasting with standardised, micro-delayed explosives, adjusted in the quantity and network of holes to limit noise and vibrations.

“The blast type requires the execution of 24 holes that are 102mm in diameter for a depth of 10m,” Stroscio said. “This allows us to remove more than 2500m3 of materials. The work cycle is almost continuous, according to a schedule that allows for an operational tolerance of at least three blasts to ensure the proper feed of the crushing and sorting plants.

“In this context, the two SmartROC T40 rigs have allowed us to optimise the production

process, thanks to two main factors, one linked to the technological and construction properties intrinsic to the machine, and one linked to the HNS satellite positioning system.

HNS allows us to carry out the drilling of the blast network with maximum precision, following the quarrying plan and the daily service order, which we manage through the ROC Manager software”.

“In terms of production and yield, in the first months using the machines, those parameters proved to be perfectly in line with the volumes planned for every blast, data confirmed by the load measurements carried out on the dumpers used for the materials,” Piero Pizzulli, Italcave’s head of vehicles and maintenance, said. “Thanks to the excellent degree of drilling precision, even the amount of explosives consumed per cubic metre was optimised, just as the timelines and fuel consumption were thanks to the new engines and a more efficient compressor, hydraulic system and drilling equipment.” • Source: Epiroc

The T40 is equipped with two satellite antennas (at the rear) that make it possible to optimise all drilling execution parameters.

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DRILL & BLAST

SURFACE DRILL PROMISES SAFER OPERATION, AUTOMATION FEATURES

K

omatsu Mining has released the P&H 77XR surface mining drill rigs, the first of a new line of drills offering safer operation, higher productivity and increased maintainability, as well as including semiautonomous or fully autonomous capabilities.

Designed to work in a wide range of applications, from coal to hard rock mining, the 77XR has a bit loading of 35 tonnes, and has been designed for maximum versatility, including the ability to carry out rotary tricone drilling or DTH percussive hammer drilling, in single or multi-pass operations.

According to Mark Petersen, Komatsu’s national product manager for mining, the new rig incorporates several features that are unique to Komatsu P&H drills, including a new automatic bit-changing system and a new boxer-style mast with P&H’s exclusive rack-and-pinion pulldown.

“Auto bit-changing is a major step forward for surface mining rigs, and the 77XR is the first rig on the market to offer this,” Petersen said. “Quite a few manufacturers have tried to achieve this, and we are the first to come up with a solution.

“Our new bit carousel system eliminates the need to change bits manually, speeding up the entire process and minimising the operator’s handling of bits, reducing the risk of strain or injury.

“It’s a major safety and productivity advance, as it takes operators out of the line of fire, and it allows bit changes to be carried out within five minutes.

“The 77XR’s auto bit-changing – in conjunction with other automated features, including auto rod-changing, high precision GPS hole-to-hole navigation, auto drilling, auto levelling and auto mast raise – are key steps towards fully autonomous drill rig operation,” he said.

“This makes a perfect fit with Komatsu’s commitment to autonomous and semiautomated operations across its haul trucks, dozers and excavators.”

Petersen said the new rig’s rack-andpinion pulldown has been a standard – and exclusive – feature on P&H drills for many years; the only difference to the rest of the P&H drill product line is the introduction of the boxer-style mast.

22

Quarry August 2019

The Komatsu P&H 77XR is designed to work in a range of extractive applications.

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“The combination of the boxer-style mast and rack-and-pinion pulldown give significant advantages in productivity, reliability, bitloading performance and maintainability.

“Our boxer-style masts have only four weld joints running the length of the mast, compared with the multiple weld points of conventional lattice-style masts, making it easier to identify any cracks or other issues, and they are simpler and quicker to repair.

“Again, that strongly aligns with Komatsu’s commitment to ensuring our products have a high degree of maintainability, minimising downtime for service and repairs, and optimising availability and productivity.”

He said the rack-and-pinion carriage system delivers the same amount of retract force as pulldown force, to assist operators in the toughest conditions.

“Our optimised single rack design engages the pinion in tandem to improve reliability and maximise bit-loading performance.”

Other improvements on the 77XR include a new, improved lightweight rotary head, allowing the operator to raise and lower the mast with the carriage in the top position and the complete drill string attached.

“This reduces non-productive pipe handling time and streamlines the process of tramming between patterns,” Petersen said. “Our redesigned mast and carriage also enables effective single and multi-pass angled drilling.”

To further add to drilling safety and efficiencies, the 77XR can be fitted with P&H’s high precision automation solution.

“Our auto navigation sensors create a threedimensional grid that calculates size and distance for obstacle detection and collision mitigation,” Petersen said. “Once over the hole location, the drill auto-initiates the drilling process and drills to the proper depth, the first time every time.”

Combined with a HawkEye camera system, the drill control system is alerted to any objects or hazards in the drill’s path and can take appropriate action. “Our drill automation system improves safety and removes variability, leading to increased utilisation and, ultimately, higher drill performance,” he added.

Petersen said the innovations and advances on the new rig helped minimise non-drilling time, translating into more drilling (up to 12 per cent), reduced maintenance costs (by as much as 10 per cent) and increased productivity (by up to five per cent).

“With drilling and blasting at the heart of any surface mining process, the more quickly, precisely and efficiently a mine can execute its drill patterns, the more effective the resulting blasts,” Petersen said. “Our aim with the 77XR has been to better protect mine workers and equipment, while further increasing mine productivity.” • Source: Komatsu Mining

DRILL & BLAST

EAST COAST DRILL AND BLAST

BUSINESSES UNITE UNDER ONE NAME

F

our Australian drill and blast companies with explosives capabilities have merged under one banner after Chinese company Yahua Group bought majority ownership of their organisations.

The Yahua Group is an explosives manufacturer and supplier in Chengdu, China, and is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. It operates 57 wholly owned subsidiaries and 23 manufacturing bases in the civil explosives business in China, and produces 160,000 tonnes of explosives and 75 million detonators per annum. Yahua also owns The Redbull Powder Company (see page 14) that has two bulk emulsion facilities in New Zealand.

In 2016, the company’s subsidiary Yahua Australia began investing in Australian-

based drill and blast companies that were strategically aligned with the quarrying, mining and construction industries: North Star Blasting, Caruana Blasting, Sequel Drill & Blast and Impact Drill & Blast.

Yahua Australia has announced the amalgamation of these companies that will now trade as Impact Drill & Blast. The new company is one of Australia’s largest drill and blast businesses with bulk explosives supply capabilities.

The original owners of Caruana Blasting and Sequel Drill & Blast have retained senior management positions in the new company and will be responsible for daily operations within Yahua Australia.

Impact Drill & Blast has one major hazard facility producing bulk explosives in Darwin,

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Northern Territory, and has been increasing its capabilities to service all areas of Australia.

Redbull and Impact will work as one team to service the Australasia region.

As well as providing its own line of bulk explosives, the company now has one of the largest fleets of drill rigs in Australia, with an experienced team of shotfirers, drillers, maintenance personnel, project managers and blast engineers. Impact Drill & Blast will also focus on providing extractive industry producers with reliable, flexible and costeffective drilling and blasting solutions, and invest in the latest technology to maintain a high level of accuracy and industry compliance. • Source: Impact Drill & Blast

PLANT & EQUIPMENT HIRE

HIRE FLEET PLAYS ONGOING ROLE IN COAL MINE REHABILITATION

Four years ago, Quarry highlighted Delta Rent’s plant and equipment hire service at the Hazelwood power station and open cut mine in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.

Damian Christie re-examines Delta’s role today as the site undergoes extensive rehabilitation.

O

n 31 March, 2017, the 1542-megawatt power station at the Hazelwood Mine, which had been supplied with brown coal from the adjacent 1165ha open cut pit, officially closed after 52 continuous years of operation. In our last report on Hazelwood Mine, up to 772 million tonnes of coal had been extracted to fuel the power station, leaving three million cubic metres of overburden – clay, gravel and top soil.

At the time, the mine utilised four bucket wheel excavators and giant conveyors to extract and transport the coal from the pit to the bunker to the boiler. The eight conveyor belts combined would transport about 2000 tonnes of coal per hour and the three 8500-tonne slot bunkers would provide reserve coal storage of 18,000 tonnes for about six hours at a time. This meant it was necessary to continually feed the coal directly into the boilers to generate electricity. As a result, there was constant pressure to extract as much coal as the power plant was burning – and this in turn required considerable earthworks around the mine to construct and maintain 142km of roads and create drainage.

Hazelwood Mine turned to Delta Rent, one of Australia’s largest suppliers of rental fleets of specialised earthmoving plant and 24

Quarry August 2019

Since Hazelwood ceased operation, Delta vehicles have been engaged in remediating the overburden dump.

equipment, to administer and maintain the civil earthworks fleet. In 2013, Delta Rent and the mine’s then facilitator GDF SUEZ – today rebranded as ENGIE – agreed that Hazelwood would pay a set monthly fee for each piece of Delta’s plant and equipment, plus an hourly rate for each additional rent beyond the prescribed number of machines.

The initial contract was for five years, and Delta Rent would also supply on-site maintenance and servicing of its mobile

equipment as part of the contract.

In what would be a productive, longstanding relationship, Delta Rent subsequently supplied Hazelwood with up to 100 earthworks machines at any one time, depending on the season, the weather and the scale of required jobs. That partnership has been renewed since the closure of the plant and mine in the first quarter of 2017, and the two parties have maintained a viable, cost-effective rental arrangement.

REHABILITATION PROJECT Since 1 April, 2017, ENGIE has been engaged in decommissioning the infrastructure of the 3550ha power plant and mine site as part of the Hazelwood Rehabilitation Project. The company retains an on-site workforce of 130 (directly employed) and can call on up to 200 more contractors (as required).

Its decommissioning activities are being managed in three phases. Phase 1, which involved the de-energising of major plant and equipment and clean-up of pollutants, was completed in June 2017. Phase 2, which has seen the disconnection of all electrical supplies within the site, has occurred since August 2017. Most impressively, part of the decommissioning included the dismantling of the eight conveyors (including the removal of rubber belting a metre wide and 450m long) and the washing down and removal of residual coal from the inert slot bunkers and crushing houses.

This means the power station and the site’s other facilities, including its signature 137m tall chimneys, are awaiting Phase 3 – demolition. In April this year, Delta Group (Delta Rent’s parent company) was awarded the contract for the demolition of the power station. Planning is currently underway for demolition, which will begin in 2020.

Having one eye on the demolition stage has not fazed ENGIE from its work on the rehabilitation project. It is, with community consultation, proposing to convert the 16km mine perimeter into a full pit lake from 2021.

The end use of the land external to the mine remediation (eg potentially as parkland) will be decided by state and local government authorities.

There is about another two years of work required to rehabilitate the mine and up to four years of work to remediate the adjacent land, such as the external overburden dump, ash landfills and the Hazelwood cooling pond. To date, 10ha along Hazelwood’s Eastfield eastern batters have been refurbished by excavating the coal batters back to a slope of three to one, then spreading topsoil over the clay and seeding the entire area. Batters in the site’s Knuckle area were also excavated to realign up to 1000m of pipeline and to install a new fire services pipe, using clay from the northern batters (which were rehabilitated before the closure).

In 2018, work was also conducted along the eastern batters to join up with the Eastfield northern batters. Rehabilitation will

There has been as much as 104 plant on-site in peak periods, including dump trucks.

subsequently progress around the perimeter of the South Westfield northern batters and into the Westfield, and then down to the full pit lake level by the start of fill for 2021.

The closure of Hazelwood, therefore, means work there is ongoing – and ENGIE continues to employ Delta Rent and contracting service Foundation Civil & Mining to provide the plant and equipment and the operators respectively to achieve the ambitious goals of leaving behind a repurposed space that will benefit the Morwell community in future generations.

‘DRY’ AND ‘WET’ HIRE Jessica Murty is Delta Rent’s site supervisor for its mobile plant and maintenance division at Hazelwood and oversees 12 other Delta personnel with prior experience in logging, agriculture, and open cut and underground mining operations. She oversees the “dry” side of the hire arrangement with ENGIE, supplying and maintaining mobile plant fit for project purposes. There has been as much as 104 plant on-site for the truck and shovel rehabilitation operation in peak periods, comprising primarily earthmoving vehicles.

Murty, who has worked in the extractive industry for 11 years, told Quarry that she can source other equipment that ENGIE requires where necessary. “The majority of the plant is used for bulk material haulage to assist ENGIE with their desired end outcome of a successful, world leading, professionally rehabilitated site,” she said.

Delta Rent’s hire machines either come new from the top industry OEMs, such as Caterpillar, Komatsu and Hitachi, or at low hour usage (eg up to 3000 hours). All parts of its fleet, depending on the specific type of machine and application, have an average service life of 12,000 hours. Machines can also be repurposed for less impact work, eg a dump truck can be converted to a water truck. In the past, the most popular vehicles with quarry operators have been 5.5m3 wheel

loaders, articulated dump trucks in the 40- to 50-tonne range and larger excavators from 45 tonnes through to 90 tonnes.

“We have a good mixture of new and older equipment,” Murty said. “Delta are constantly working to improve their fleet and are currently running a brand new Hitachi EX1200 as part of their heavy haulage project. There are also nine new Volvo A45G articulated trucks that have helped ENGIE achieve a very productive bench cubic metre (bcm) rate.”

Delta Rent has long had a large undercover maintenance workshop and storage area called the “Igloo” at Hazelwood Mine to undertake the maintenance and refuelling of its vehicles. Murty said that with the large amount of equipment on-site, Delta Rent has had to “reconfigure more workshop areas that our team can efficiently work in – rain, hail or shine. Refuelling is now carried out by permanent fuel/lube truck operators and offroad fuel/maintenance trucks. This occurs 22 hours a day in peak season”.

Matt Weddell, the earthworks superintendent for Foundation Civil & Mining (FCM), organises the “wet” side of the arrangement – ie the operators to drive Delta’s mobile equipment. He has had two decades of experience in the extractive and earthworks industry.

“My role here is to co-ordinate and supervise labour and plant resources to ensure the projects are delivered safely, to plan and to budget,” he said. “I am in constant communication with Jess to ensure that the mobile plant is available and fit for purpose when required.”

FCM was founded by Rob Dugan, who is also the mine production manager at Hazelwood, and some of the company’s contract workers are former Hazelwood Mine employees, with the rest recruited from throughout the Latrobe Valley region. In peak periods (eg summer), the number of operators on-site can be as high as 90.

“We employ people ranging in age from 20 Quarry August 2019 25

PLANT & EQUIPMENT HIRE

The EX1200 (above) has recently joined Delta’s heavy haulage project.

years old to 60 years young,” Weddell said, “with an emphasis on younger people where we can train them and expand their skills base by pairing them where we can with the older and more experienced operators.

“The training is an ongoing practice where we are constantly looking to improve the experience of the workforce,” he added.

“It’s about always ensuring all operators are trained and competent on the machinery and that they use the site’s safe operating procedures at all times.”

ASSIGNING THE FLEET Together, Murty and Weddell meet daily to collaborate on the assignment of equipment and operators throughout the Hazelwood Mine.

“Peak season sees Matt, myself and our leading hands constantly working closely together,” Murty said. “Meetings to discuss the day’s targets begin around 6.15am. We then return to our teams to organise and prioritise plant repairs. Throughout the day we are in liaison with each other, considering breakdowns and reinstated plant with the day to day and overall success of the project constantly our target.”

She added that the assignment of the rental fleet is determined not just by the quantity of operators on the ground but also the maintenance schedule, safety, weather and other activities within the rehabilitation site.

“We work very closely with Matt, Rob Dugan and their scheduling team to achieve a high rate of utilisation of available 26

Quarry August 2019

plant for the project,” Murty said. “Meetings and communication throughout the day are vital here, especially taking safety and environmental concerns into account. Like any mobile plant supplier there are always days that tasks on-site can change from hour to hour and that really is just the nature of the industry. As part of the greater Delta Group, we can call on other pieces of machinery Australiawide, should there be a need to specialise.”

Weddell said it was a “critical item” for FCM to have the “equipment availability that Jess and the Delta team work very

hard to maintain”.

“We have long-, medium- and short-term planning schedules for all projects on-site which allows the group to forecast the tasks and ensure we have the correct availability of plant from Delta,” he said. “This can change on an hour to hour basis depending on a myriad of things like weather, personal leave, plant, etc. We work as a team to overcome whatever hurdles we encounter to keep the job progressing productively.”

Weddell said that FCM assesses the effectiveness of its contract workers through setting daily key performance indicators (KPIs) to each task. “For example, it could be cubic metres per hour productivity on an excavator, the daily volume shifted. We also monitor Delta on the percentage availability of the mobile plant. These KPIs are used as a monitoring tool to assess the productivity and competency of operators. We have daily meetings to discuss operations and modify them if we believe we can achieve more productive outcomes. We also assist our operators with more specific training where we believe this will be beneficial for productivity and safety.”

Both Murty and Weddell said that the feedback from ENGIE about the performance of their plant and people is encouraging.

“ENGIE have been very supportive of Delta Rent on-site and work with us to achieve the desired outcomes,” Murty said. “Like any contract, there are always challenges but having an understanding of the scope of the

work and the required timelines helps both parties work together to achieve the best result.”

“In general, we receive positive feedback as the majority of our operators are conscientious in being safe, productive and caring of the equipment,” Weddell said.

THE FUTURE Weddell said that in the wake of the closure of the power station, the Hazelwood Rehabilitation Project had been invaluable to the Latrobe Valley community. “This is a very important project as it has continued to provide employment and in-direct works for local companies, with the view to achieve an asset that the community will enjoy for many years to come,” he said.

He was also optimistic about the future of the local workforce, including his own contract workers. “While the operators may have finished at the Hazelwood Rehabilitation Project, the experience, training and competencies they will have gained in operating this heavy earthmoving equipment in a very regulated project will hold them in high regard for future employment, both here in the Latrobe Valley and on other major extraction projects within Australia.”

Murty said that for her personally, the opportunity to work on “such a significant project” as the Hazelwood Rehabilitation Project proves that “no matter who you are or how you start off, you can always achieve what you want if you work smart and hard for it. It is also very satisfying to be on a project that will ultimately provide a fantastic resource for the local community for many years to come”.

Murty’s advice for quarrying operators that are considering hiring plant and equipment for their operations is to be “sure on what you want to achieve, be conscious of environmental and community concerns and seek advice from your experienced rental representative when it comes to determining required machine types. Technology is changing on a daily basis and rental companies such as Delta Rent can help any clients access the latest gear”. • REFERENCES & FURTHER READING

1 Christie D. Hire fleet helps to keep the midnight oil burning. In: Quarry 23(8), August, 2015: 14-19. quarrymagazine.com/Article/6450/Hire-fleet-helpsto-keep-the-midnight-oil-burning 2 ENGIE 2019. Hazelwood: The closure and rehabilitation of the Hazelwood power station and mine. engie.com.au/home/what-we-do/our-assets/ hazelwood

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PLANT DESIGN

VICTORIAN OPERATION LEADS THE WAY IN INTELLIGENT MOTOR CONTROL A Boral quarry has successfully updated legacy equipment with the latest motor control technology.

B

oral’s Charlton Quarry is off Victoria’s Calder Highway, 240km north-west of the Melbourne CBD and 320km south of Mildura. It is one of the few hard rock quarries in the region that produces notable volumes of different quarry products, which are supplied to infrastructure projects in its vicinity.

As part of its commitment to delivering high quality building and construction solutions, Boral Quarries works to maintain an engaged and reliable workforce and minimise environmental impact. In keeping with this mission, it recently invested in a motor control solution for the Charlton Quarry, to improve uptime and leverage the longevity and compliance provided by the latest motor control technology.

Boral engaged SS Electrics, a Ballarat-based electrical contracting business, to modernise the quarry’s electric equipment.

“We have worked with Boral on projects at their other quarries previously and therefore understood the importance of minimising downtime on-site during commissioning,” SS Electrics director Chris Nunn said. “The Rockwell Automation motor control centres (MCCs) were the most appropriate choice for this application, because it is a fully designed and integrated system that is essentially 75 per cent commissioned upon arrival. This really helped reduce engineering time and meet the tight commissioning timeline for this project.”

The Allen-Bradley Centerline 2500 MCCs offer optimal safety, performance and reliability to help quarries meet their production requirements. Modern motor control solutions have to integrate with existing systems and provide advanced diagnostics capabilities.

The Centerline 2500 meets these requirements with sound integration and reduced engineering time.

“The quarry required an MCC solution that would meet the highest standards and also one that would be cost-effective, as well as adopting some of the integration benefits,” 28

Quarry August 2019

A bird’s-eye view of Boral’s Charlton Quarry.

Matthew Treeby, the account manager for Rockwell Automation, said.

SS Electrics worked with Rockwell Automation and its distributor NHP Electrical Engineering Products to select the smart components at the heart of the 12-column MCC, including the E300 electronic overloads, the SMC Flex soft starters, the Point I/O modules, Guardmaster safety relays, Stratix switches, ControlLogix control system and PowerFlex 525 variable speed drives for the crushers, conveyors and processing plant.

“The MCC provides a reliable solution for motor control in Boral’s Charlton Quarry,” Treeby said. “The MCC is a ‘best of both worlds’ solution because it is not only high quality, fully tested and compliant but the customer was also able to customise the solution to meet their unique requirements, because the design and project management is done locally.”

INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE, SAFETY With a strong commitment to employee safety, Boral chose to include ArcShield Technology in the MCC. ArcShield helps to reduce arc flash hazards and provides increased protection against internal electrical arcing faults.

Offering a scalable safety solution, the MCC’s Guardmaster safety relays address the

quarry’s compliance standards and functional safety requirements.

Boral’s MCC also features IntelliCenter technology, which enhances the MCC’s intelligence by using built-in networking to capture information that can be used for predictive maintenance, process monitoring and advanced diagnostics.

Connecting motor control devices over the ethernet allows operators and maintenance to realise the benefits of “the connected enterprise” by monitoring and analysing operations from anywhere at any time.

To reduce engineering time, the MCC was assembled in Rockwell Automation’s Shanghai manufacturing plant. Boral and SS Electrics representatives visited the plant to assess its capabilities before shipping to Australia.

The smart motor control solution was programmed with Studio 5000 software and the wiring was connected at SS Electrics’ factory. This provided the opportunity for further testing and programming, therefore reducing the engineering time required for commissioning on-site at Charlton Quarry.

By providing consolidated programming, device and system configuration, and operation and maintenance within the Studio 5000 engineering environment, complexity and potential errors can be minimised. In addition,

the requirement for on-site engineering work was reduced significantly, as the MCC had a complete set of electrical drawings, allowing SS Electrics to start the commissioning process from its facility in Ballarat, even before the MCC arrived in Australia.

Upon arrival, commissioning was completed at SS Electrics’ facility, where the MCC was pre-built in a portable room before being shipped to site. This allowed the MCC to be customised to meet site specifications.

IMPROVED UPTIME, COMPLIANCE Boral’s Charlton Quarry is now benefiting from the new smart motor control solution, which provides key diagnostic information that optimises performance, with real time access to operation and performance trends.

As the quarry moves towards being a more connected enterprise, this increased visibility into the system and real time diagnostic data can be transformed into actionable and insightful information.

“A key focus of the Charlton project was

The Centerline 2500 motor control centre under construction at Charlton Quarry.

to replace end of life electrical equipment for improved compliance and safety, while minimising any required downtime at the quarry,” Jake McClellan, the mechanical engineer and asset manager at Boral Construction Materials, said.

“This was achieved with the new solution and the help of SS Electrics and Rockwell Automation. It was a very smooth project, and thanks to the increased visibility into the system, fault-finding time has been reduced from hours to minutes, and what was previously a very manually controlled process is now completely automated.

“In addition, the plant manager can now

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monitor production trends and energy consumption in real time, which assists with plant optimisation.

“With the new MCC, the quarry can confidently service customer demand well into the future. As a result of the success of this project, we have plans to implement similar systems in our other quarries.”

Allen-Bradley, ArcShield, Centerline, ControlLogix, E300, Guardmaster, IntelliCenter, Point I/O, PowerFlex, SMC, Stratix and Studio 5000 are all products of Rockwell Automation. • Source: Rockwell Automation

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PLANT DESIGN

INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING DESIGN FOR PRODUCTIVITY, SAFETY

M

echanical conveyor problems and productivity irregularities are common challenges for today’s materials handling operations, with profitability expectations and continuous productivity deliverables also the norm.

These mechanical problems can be minor but can quickly escalate to frequent unscheduled production downtime if not identified and resolved in a timely manner. In turn, they can pave the way for potential safety hazards and clean-up costs due to material spillage and excessive dust emissions.

The key to on-site productivity, efficiency and safety can often be traced back to correct initial plant planning and design.

In recent years, materials handling components supplier Kinder Australia has invested in conveyor engineering/design software Helix, Solidworks and AutoCAD. By utilising AutoCAD in the production of twodimensional layout drawings or Solidworks in the creation of three-dimensional modelling, Kinder’s team of mechanical engineering specialists can provide quarrying producers with comprehensive recommendations on the correct installation of conveyor components and bulk materials handling accessories and lining materials.

Cameron Portelli, Kinder’s senior mechanical engineer, heads the young and aspiring engineering team. Mechanical engineer Bradley Owen and undergraduate mechanical engineer Jack Cain assist him. Together they focus on advancing producers’ end to end handling processes, with productivity and safety at the core.

“The use of SolidWorks has streamlined our product development process,” Portelli said.

“The innovative, detailed and customised conveyor componentry designs generated to solve our customers’ everyday problems can now be fast-tracked with ease and efficiency.”

Productivity and safety go hand in hand.

With this in mind, the engineering team can use Simulation Finite Element Analysis, an upgrade to the Solidworks basic licence, to more accurately predict and design innovative products and solutions simulating real world scenarios. From there, the team can analyse results and optimise designs for future productivity improvements and gain.

30

Quarry August 2019

Cameron Portelli is Kinder’s senior mechanical engineer and leads the company’s engineering team.

New full-scale conveyor componentry projects and the troubleshooting of existing problems, on the other hand, are best handled with the Helix software, in which the three engineers are fully versed.

With today’s production facilities/operators concerned with increasing their outputs and reducing costs, the engineering team’s expertise in manoeuvring the Helix software helps producers define more accurate specifications and requirements that lead to optimum productivity and profitability outcomes.

For example, if the system is designed, commissioned and installed larger than required or necessary, operations can face high initial and ongoing maintenance costs.

On the other hand, if it is underspecified, the resultant system can become overloaded and more likely to underperform, fail and experience production bottlenecks, affecting operational bottom lines.

“Our practical knowledge and installation experience have a global reach, with extensive customer networks at international, national and local locations,” Kinder Australia CEO Neil Kinder said. “For our customer base spanning a multitude of bulk materials handling industries and applications, overall conveyor design and componentry can be checked with Helix software, which ensures the correct product application and design duty is in place.”

With their Helix expertise, Kinder’s

engineering team can provide comprehensive mechanical conveyor advice on: • Equipment selection for idlers, pulleys and shafts.

• Conveyor pulley and idler shaft dimensions calculations.

• Idler bearing life and shaft deflection calculations.

• Size requirements pulleys and drives to minimise capital and spares holding cost.

“Field experience and direct liaison with our materials handling customers, in particular fixed plant maintenance supervisors, site managers and reliability engineers, provides invaluable insights into the mechanical, maintenance and safety issues experienced on-site,” Portelli said.

This knowledge of on-site intricacies has provided inspiration and ideas for future engineering designs and innovations. Portelli is confident his team will grow and take on highly technical, more customised projects, with the potential to design and install complete conveyor systems solutions for a diverse customer base.

Kinder Australia’s 3000m² warehouse facility in Braeside, Victoria, stores more than 8000 conveyor hardware components and accessories. The company supplies to every state and territory, and earlier this year announced it would begin supplying its products to the Asia-Pacific market. • Source: Kinder Australia

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PLANT DESIGN

Hanson’s Molong Quarry has been in continuous operation for almost 30 years.

BLOCK UNIT OVERHAUL BEATS BEARING, SHAFT FAILURES

A Hanson operation in the central west of New South Wales has turned to solid block housed units to address numerous bearing and shaft failures in its conveyor tail pulleys.

A

maintenance program to replace all conveyor bearings with Timken SRB solid block housed units (previously known in the industry as Blue Brute housed bearings) has meant an end to bearing and shaft failures in the tail pulleys at the Hanson aggregate quarry at Molong in New South Wales’ central west region.

In continuous operation for almost 30 years, Molong Quarry has been an integral part of Hanson Australia since 2005.

One of the leading sites in the group, the quarry produces aggregate for construction and building projects throughout the central west region.

A series of bearing and shaft failures, predominantly in the conveyor tail pulleys, initiated a search for a reliable replacement in the tough working environment.

“By its very nature, a quarry is tough on components such as bearings,” said Molong Quarry’s manager Chris Cooke. “They are generally covered in dust all the time. And each time a bearing or shaft failed meant a couple of days’ lost productivity while the damaged component was removed and the replacement fitted.”

Cooke said the removal and replacement process would affect the site’s run of materials and also occasionally delay deliveries.

Designed to operate in the toughest of environments, the SRB solid block housed units (SBHU) are considered ideal for heavy32

Quarry August 2019

An SRB SBHU installation.

duty operating environments. They offer continual extreme load and speed capacity due to the size and number of the two rows of rollers. They are designed to allow for limited shaft and housing misalignment (up to 1.5 degrees from centre) and still work at full capacity. The bearings are distributed nationally through the BSC branch network.

“Around the time failures started we were invited to a workshop at the local BSC branch, where they were demonstrating the SRB SBHU product,” Cooke said.

“After having a good look at what they [the SRB SBHUs] had to offer, we didn’t need

much convincing. The benefits were easy to see and gave us the solution we needed.”

The Molong Quarry uses the two-bolt pillow block unit, one of seven housing styles available. Four locking styles and seven seal types combine to offer a range of housed bearings to suit virtually any industrial work site and environment. The range will suit shaft sizes from 35mm to 180mm.

To improve maintenance access, Cooke installed greasing lines to the bearings.

“Some of the bearings are hard to get to, so we have installed grease lines to make them accessible from ground level,” he said. “The

bearings have a purge feature so we can’t overfill them and they maintain their integrity and reliability.�

He said the bearings had met all expectations. “They’re good. They keep working and we are not losing any time due to bearing problems on the conveyors. That’s the type of performance we want. And they last.

We pulled one down recently as part of a maintenance program and, aside from a few scratches, it looked just as good as the day it was installed.�

ADAPTABLE TO HARSH CONDITIONS The Timken SRB SBHUs are made from cast steel, giving equal load capacity in any radial direction and allowing simple horizontal mounting, with the inclusion of multiple levels of sealing to protect the bearing in operation.

Harsh operating environments often lead to housed unit bearing damage. However, the SRB SBHUs multiply protection with primary and secondary seal options, as well as steel

covers in sizes to fit all Timken solid block housed units. Depending on the sealing configuration, up to eight layers of protection can be achieved to protect the bearing, maximising operational life.

Moreover, as most conveyor applications have some amount of structural misalignment, sealing efficiency can be compromised, reducing the life expectancy of most housed units. The SRB SBHUs, however, run efficiently on misaligned shafts up to Âą1.5 degrees as a result of the unique design of the spherical roller bearing extended inner ring, where the primary seals run.

The SRB SBHUs are supplied preassembled, so there isn’t any set-up required, which reduces the risk of contamination and precludes feeler gauges during installation, as the SRB’s radial internal clearance is factory set. Moreover each housed unit can be simply adjusted during installation to make it a fixed or floating bearing unit, eliminating the

An SRB solid block housed bearing unit.

accidental FX/FX issue from oversupply on components.

A range of shaft sizes, from 35mm (1.3�) to 380mm (15�) and mounting options are available.

The housing configuration can also be customised. The SRB SBHU offers interchangeable solutions for common SN, SAF and SD pillow blocks, flange and takeup designs that other manufacturers simply cannot offer. • Source: Inenco Group

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PLANT DESIGN

TURNKEY SOLUTIONS FOR PRIMARY CRUSHING PLANT SYSTEMS

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riginal equipment manufacturer (OEM) Haver & Boecker Niagara is offering the mining and aggregates industries rugged primary crushing plants in a wide variety of configurations for pre-crushing, secondary and tertiary crushing. From design to installation, the OEM is using its extensive industry experience and knowledge to provide turnkey systems engineered and built to individual specifications.

Haver & Boecker Niagara – which was established to combine the engineering expertise and product portfolios of its three minerals processing facilities in Brazil, Canada and Germany – will work with any crusher and supplementary component manufacturers to ensure producers receive the best plant matched to their requirements.

Haver & Boecker Niagara highlighted its primary crushing plant systems at bauma 2019 in Munich.

“We’re entrenched in the mining and aggregates industries and are dedicated to each customer’s profitability and success,” Peter Grotjohann, the managing director of Haver & Boecker Niagara’s German facility, said. “We use our industry experience and work closely with each operation to design comprehensive primary crushing plant systems with the highest level of durability, service and flexible design so each customer can find the best plant for their operation.”

Haver & Boecker Niagara offers turnkey primary crushing plant solutions through customer-orientated project support, from initial concept to the production phase. In addition to co-ordinating the physical plant, the OEM offers structural building engineering at the start, including verifiable statics calculation.

The company can provide transportation management, supervision or the complete package – from assembly and electrical installation to plant start-up and optimisation.

Haver & Boecker Niagara also offers project management, on-site services, operating supplies, components or plant control.

Operations also benefit from service and spare parts planning and service contracts.

Haver & Boecker Niagara provides crushing plant systems with a variety of components, including impact, jaw, cone or roller crushers, Haver screens or rolling screens, push feeders, apron conveyors and Haver vibrating 34

Quarry August 2019

The N-class eccentric screen is a mainstay of any customised Haver & Boecker Niagara crushing plant.

Haver & Boecker is offering rugged primary plants in a wide variety of configurations for pre-crushing, secondary and tertiary crushing applications.

feeders. The plant systems work with all peripheral components such as maintenance cranes, de-dusting systems, compressed air systems, hydraulics and hammers.

Customers choose from two types of systems: basic or master. Basic is the classic pre-crushing plant that incorporates a Haver & Boecker Niagara N-Class eccentric screen to relieve the primary crusher. It includes a feeder, vibrating screen, crusher and several conveyors. If needed, an additional screen deck separates stony earth, either for stockpiling or to be fed to production.

The master system allows customers to get the most production and profitability out of their aggregate deposit. The system offers increased flexibility for primary crushing stages, especially with non-homogeneous natural deposits. For high quality natural deposits, the operations can use the master system to feed extracted material completely to the production. The system can screen stony soil off to a second vibrating screen for moderate natural material deposits. The

system can be configured to completely remove stony soil from difficult material deposits.

Both systems work with the Haver & Boecker Niagara N-Class vibrating screen.

The screen is perfect for scalping thanks to a smooth operation and heavy-duty design that can screen as much as 5000 tonnes per hour. Haver & Boecker Niagara builds the equipment with an advanced four-bearing design that minimises structural vibration and maintains constant g-force even through fluctuating material feed rates.

The OEM’s primary crushing plant systems feature rugged steel construction and a robust design incorporating a durable, optimum flow, low wear and maintenancefriendly chute system and integrated custom conveyor technology. Accessibility is easy, thanks to engineered work platforms, walkways and stairway systems. Integrated plant control systems and data management also ensure intuitive operation.

Haver & Boecker Niagara also gives extensive consideration to personal safety and environment requirements. It supplies comprehensive plant documentation on CE requirements (European Conformity requirements and equivalent) and a declaration of conforming to New Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC (CE).

Haver & Boecker’s Australian arm is headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. • Source: Haver & Boecker Niagara

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PLANT DESIGN

A past example of an apron feeder. The design and manufacture spans more than 120 years.

AN EXPERT INSIGHT

INTO APRON FEEDER EVOLUTION Apron feeders transport large, lumpy, abrasive and heavy materials under severe impact conditions. Metso product specialist Thomas Thomas draws upon his experience to share some insights into apron feeders, and their applications within the minerals processing industry.

A

pron feeders are robust machines that are designed for long-term use in a diversified range of industrial applications,” Thomas Thomas, who is Metso’s business development manager, based in Perth, said. “Their primary function is to extract or feed material short distances at a controlled rate of speed, which prevents choking of material that feeds crushers and other equipment. Apron feeders are also commonly used to reclaim material at a uniform rate from hoppers, vaults, bins, and stockpiles.”

Apron feeder design has evolved over time to meet changing industry requirements and challenges. With 37 years in the mining industry himself, including 24 years at Metso, Thomas said that Metso has 150 years of engineering know-how, including 125 years of experience in apron feeder design and manufacture.

“Throughout this time, we have built a global install base of over 2000 feeders,” he said. “I would say in the past 20 to 25 years, the design has seen a quantum shift. The apron feeder has become so reliable and user-friendly that it generally needs very little maintenance and is now widely available to suit most applications.”

Thomas said that machine design characteristics have evolved over time, and many improvements have been introduced to reduce the need for routine servicing. “Apron 36

Quarry August 2019

Thomas Thomas is Metso’s product specialist in apron feeder technology.

feeders were traditionally designed with many components that required constant lubrication and maintenance,” he said. “Cast and forged apron feeder chains are an example of this. Traditional chain designs that required regular lubrication have given way to sealed and lubricated (SALT) units, which do not require any lubrication throughout the life of the unit. SALT designs for other components such as rollers and tractor-type tail wheels have also been incorporated in Metso apron feeders. These design improvements ultimately make things easier for operators by increasing machine reliability and therefore reduce the need for day to day maintenance.”

IMPROVING OPERATOR SAFETY Machine designs have also evolved to improve operator safety. One such example, Thomas said, is the apron feeder pan, which is also referred to as a “flight” (see Figure 1).

“Pans are high impact, abrasion-resistant wear parts responsible for extracting material and discharging it from the feeder,” Thomas explained. “These components need to be stopped and secured during periods of routine maintenance. As you can imagine, if the pans move while workers are on the machine, it’s like having a rug pulled from under you – it poses a significant risk to worker safety. We have developed a locking mechanism for Metso feeders to address this issue. When the locking mechanism is engaged, a pin made from high tensile steel secures the chain and prevents it from moving in any direction. To further improve safety, a limit switch or proximity sensor is incorporated to indicate pin disengagement via an audio or visual alarm.”

Thomas said that one of the main challenges for the extractive industry in the current operating environment with respect to apron feeders is the increased pressure to reduce capital expenditure costs.

“Producers are faced with a tough choice, and sometimes opt for a cheaper machine that is satisfactory for current operating parameters but does not have the capability to reach future production targets. In my

Figure 1. Pans (or flights) are one of the features of a modern apron feeder.

opinion, it’s better to opt for a design that is future proofed, rather than purchasing the cheapest machine available. This allows greater flexibility in the long-term, and you will avoid the need to replace or retrofit a larger machine into the existing footprint, which can be a costly exercise.”

SERVICING THE FEEDER To maximise the availability and reliability of an apron feeder, Thomas recommended ongoing maintenance. “This type of machine doesn’t require a huge amount of maintenance,” he said. “Apron feeders are generally very reliable and will just keep working. Having said that, monthly checks are a good idea to make sure the bolts aren’t loose on the pans. It is also good practice to maintain the correct chain tension. This requires a brief inspection but guarantees smooth operation and longer component life.

“It is common for operators to overlook simple tasks like checking the clearance between the pans and skirts. An apron feeder can suffer premature wear if the recommended clearance between these components exceeds 13mm. Larger clearances also increase the risk of bigger lumps of raw materials getting wedged into the gap. In some cases, this may cause the machine to stall but it is also possible for a machine to fail catastrophically at its

Figure 2. A jack trolley eliminates the need to lift heavy rollers manually when servicing the machine.

weakest point. I have seen this first hand, and it presents a major threat, not only to equipment but also to worker safety.”

To that end, Metso has incorporated an innovation into its apron feeders – a jack trolley (see Figure 2) – that eliminates the need to lift heavy rollers manually when servicing the machine. Rollers traditionally sit

beneath the apron feeder pans and chains.

Changing them out can be difficult due to their weight – and even smaller rollers can be too heavy for manual lifting.

“To address this concern, we have developed a tool that makes the job safer and easier,” Thomas said. “It has been designed to allow operators to remove and replace rollers without the need for lifting equipment.

This is much safer and eliminates a lot of the manual work that was previously required.”

Thomas has predicted an exciting future for the apron feeder, “with many technological improvements on the horizon. Personally, I believe smart technology will provide operators with the capability to optimise their feeders with production requirements in real time, to accurately forecast maintenance requirements and avoid unplanned downtime.

“Replacing apron feeder components can be a costly process, which is often a result of the machine’s location in a plant. Access can be difficult which makes servicing components an extensive exercise for many operators. There is certainly an opportunity to design feeders in such a way to synchronise the life of key componentry and the associated change-outs. By changing out key componentry at the same time, total maintenance costs can be drastically reduced over the life of the machine.” • Source: Metso

Quarry August 2019 37

PLANT DESIGN

LONG LIFE WEAR RESISTANT PIPE OUTPERFORMS EXPECTATIONS

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n early 2018, Avweld’s sales engineer David Camilleri and Loctite’s business development manager Vaughan Bartleson were approached by Stuart Daly, the maintenance supervisor at Holcim Australia’s Werribee Quarry about an issue with the extremely short life of piping used in the dewatering wash process. The piping is used to feed 7mm minus concrete aggregate, which derives from a very abrasive Western Plain basalt.

Holcim had tried a range of options, with limited success. In the most abrasive positions, standard 152mm (6”) steel pipe elbows could last as little as three to four weeks. Rubber-lined pipes only increased the life to five weeks and didn’t justify the increase in cost.

It was evident the constant pipe changeouts were causing significant downtime and labour costs to the plant. Camilleri and Bartleson provided two solutions: patch repair and replacement.

For the patch repair of holes in old rubberlined pipe elbows, the recommended solution was for the Loctite Flex 80 polyurethane rubber repair compound, which is typically used for repairing damaged conveyor belts. The exterior was patched with Loctite’s fast curing wearing compound, which is typically used to patch worn liners.

The pipe repaired using this method was installed and lasted for eight weeks.

The option presented for new pipes for longer life extension and so Avweld’s AbrasaPipe hardface weld overlay pipe was introduced. With chrome carbide hardfacing overlay up to 9mm thick, the AbrasaPipe provides solid abrasion resistance, and can be supplied in either straight pipes, elbows or reducers. For the pricing of the pipe, the Holcim team had an expectation that this product would last between three and six months. At time of writing, the trial pipe has been installed for 14 months and is still performing well.

This massive increase in life has provided considerable labour and material savings for the quarry and resulted in the AbrasaPipe being standardised as the material of choice for abrasive pipe applications.

In addition to the obvious cost savings, 38

Quarry August 2019

Holcim’s maintenance supervisor Stuart Daly (left) with Avweld sales engineer David Camilleri.

safety was also a consideration in switching to the AbrasaPipe. The manual labour involved with replacing pipe work in difficult locations, sometimes high off the ground, provides significant hazards. The reduction of this high risk change-out task by a factor of more than 10 times is considered an excellent safety benefit.

Avweld, which is a large scale repair and maintenance company based in Melbourne, is continuing discussions with the quarry about further cost savings and safety improvement possibilities. Its focus is on using its experience in wear resistant and other advanced materials to increase the life of quarry plant and equipment. Its other products and services include the

AbrasaPlate wear plate, repair of crushers, shaft and journal repairs, general hardfacing, large scale machining and grinding and thermal spray. Avweld is a certified Loctite composites applicator.

Through its welding supplies division Alloys International, Avweld also supplies wires and electrodes for maintenance and repair, including low hydrogen electrodes, hard facing, tungsten carbide and exotic materials.

Avweld and Alloys have technical sales staff in all areas of Australia, with expertise in material selection and advice for life extension of high wearing components. • Source: Avweld Australasia

Over 170 parts distribution centers worldwide ready to serve you This is how we make the big difference, the Metso Way.

When you need parts for your crusher, we know that every minute counts. No matter where you are located, Metso OEM spare and wear parts are close at hand. You can rely on comprehensive, fast and efficient service through our global distribution network to ensure best possible availability of parts.

Each and every Metso part is supported by our team of experts.

We provide service from the time you order a part to its delivery, installation and beyond.

Discover how our solutions can make the big difference for your crusher at metso.com/CrusherWears #TheMetsoWay

CRUSHING

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CONE

CRUSHER FOR YOUR APPLICATION Not every cone crusher is equal, depending on the application, but they can be adapted for highly competitive uses.

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hen it comes to the three main styles of cone crushers in the aggregates market – namely the floating bowl cone, the screw bowl cone and the floating shaft cone – there is no one style that is solely and uniquely associated with a specific application.

Rather, all three types of cone crushers can work but some are more suited to some applications than others. Depending on the type of material being processed and the desired output in terms of tonnage or specification, extractive producers have the opportunity to select from any one of the three styles of cones.

Wayne van Antwerpen, the group crusher technology product manager for Terex MPS, has discussed the various cone crushers and their overall individual suitability for various applications.

“We wanted to be in a position to offer a solution for every cone crushing application requirement, while meeting the application needs of our customers with the best possible product quality and productivity,” van Antwerpen said. “With the addition of the TG series cones to our cone crusher portfolio, we are now able to do that. The TG cones series allows us to further add the versatility of bronze bushing technology to that of our current robust and efficient roller bearing cones.”

40

Quarry August 2019

A screw bowl cone, as represented by the Cedarapids MVP380X.

CONE TYPES Van Antwerpen said the floating bowl cone, which is represented by the Terex TC series, is recommended for most mining and quarrying applications, especially catering to contractors, from a secondary down to a quaternary position. “The cone design performs consistently in a secondary position with an unscalped all-in-feed,” he said. “This helps promote excellent shaped products through attrition crushing.”

The screw bowl cone, which is represented by the Terex MVP series offering, is also suited to mining and quarrying applications.

“Due to the fact that this style of cone offers the large tramp iron stroke clearance, it would be the better choice when looking for a cone in a recycle-type application where there is the

The new TG320 spider-bearing cone.

possibility of smaller metal contaminants,” van Antwerpen said. “It is also well suited to high tonnage applications, and for those where large reduction ratios are required, fine/sand products are to be made, or that require strict product shape and grading requirements.

The screw bowl cones can work in secondary, tertiary and quaternary positions.”

The floating shaft (spider-bearing) cone, represented by the Jaques gyracone range (roller bearings) and the newly launched Cedarapids TG cones, is also ideal for mining and quarrying applications, with similar characteristics found on the floating bowl cone. The large feed secondary TGS version of the new cone, which can accept a feed size up to 75 per cent larger than its fine version, enables positioning in a control fed primary stage for sand and gravel applications.

“The bronze bushed TG spider-bearing cones fall in-line with the other two styles of cones when it comes to applied power and productivity, but with the ability to change the eccentric throw of the cone easily and economically gives it increased application

versatility,” van Antwerpen said. “If a higher yield of a specific-sized product is required, the numerous eccentric throw options can be changed to suit the application requirements.”

The new Cedarapids TG series cones consist of four models focused on the aggregate and construction industries, namely the TG120 (89kW), TG220 (164kW), TG320 (240kW) and TG420 (313kW) respectively.

Each model is available in two versions: the TG (fine) and TGS (secondary). The TG style can be run in a secondary, tertiary and a quaternary position; the TGS models, which can take an approximately 75 per cent larger feed, are designed for large feed secondary positions. There are also two larger models available for large capacity mining and quarrying applications, namely the TG820 (611kW) and the TG1020 (760kW).

AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION The first Cedarapids TG series cone — a TGS220 —has recently been commissioned on the mid-north coast of New South

A floating bowl cone, as represented by the TC1150.

Wales. As Terex Jaques’ northern region sales manager Ben Willcox explained: “Our customer was looking to replace an existing Allis Chalmers S36. When a rebuild was cost prohibitive, they turned to Terex Jaques for support and we were able to offer a new TGS220 at a competitive price that met all the customer’s requirements.

“Once commissioned, this unit increased capacity, improved reduction and allowed this site the opportunity to reduce plant operating hours,” Wilcox said. “This unit also provides flexibility to adjust the stroke in the future should the plant be upgraded.”

“The new range of TG spider-bearing cones puts us in a complete class of our own in the industry with no other OEM able to offer such a diverse and extensive cone crusher portfolio,” van Antwerpen said. • Source: Terex MPS

CRUSHING

REVERSIBLE, IMPACT CRUSHER PROMISES ‘ALL IN ONE’ SOLUTION

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mall and mid-sized quarries are looking for a reliable, costefficient solution for producing gravel, chippings and sand.

The variopactor, a newly developed reversible impact crusher for medium-hard to hard rock from thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, can deliver crushed products in consistent quality at a high cubicity and with reduced maintenance times. Furthermore, it can be easily integrated into existing equipment.

The variopactor’s modular design enables it to be easily adapted to a wide variety of applications. By fitting different rotors, aprons or the optional grinding path, the variopactor can produce gravel, chippings or sand of consistent quality at high cubicity. At the same time, all the parameters that influence product quality – eg rotor speed, apron or grinding path position – can be flexibly adapted to the specific requirements of customers in the minerals industry.

Aprons and grinding paths can be easily adjusted at the press of a button. Since the variopactor’s housing, rotor and entire crushing chamber are symmetrical, the rotor can be operated in both directions and the direction of rotation can be changed at any time. Using the

The variopactor’s modular design enables it to be easily adapted to a wide variety of applications.

rotor in both directions means the blow bars always operate with a sharp edge and the need to replace or turn them is minimised.

Furthermore, thyssenkrupp is now offering, for the first time, the option of metal matrix composite (MMC) blow bars with high carbide inlays, which are cast into the matrix The symmetrical housing, rotor material in the main wear zone and crushing chamber enable along the edge of the blow bars, the rotor to be operated in both where most of the crushing occurs. directions.

This gives the blow bars a significantly longer service life than conventional high carbon chromium steel bars. The matrix material for the MMC blow bars can be made from different steel alloys to suit the application and a producer’s requirements.

The variopactor offers accessibility from both sides, so wear parts are easy to fit. As maintenance work can be carried out more quickly, downtime is reduced to a minimum. It can also easily be integrated into existing equipment to create an efficiency-enhancing system solution.

By enabling gravel, chippings and sand to be produced from a single modular machine, smaller operators have an “all in one” solution that delivers high product quality at high cubicity. The maintenance-friendly design also reduces downtime.

“The variopactor is ideal for use in small and mid-sized quarries and meets our customers’ demand for reliable, cost-efficient production and high quality products,” said Dr Armin Greune, the head of standard machines in thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions’ mining technologies business unit.

Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions’ Australian arm is headquartered in Perth, with a newly opened, 1000m2 service centre in Brisbane supplying wear and spare parts, and offering refurbished equipment and other services. • Source: thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions

crusherscreen.com

IMS PM 1050-16Tb Track Pugmill Crusher & Screen can offer for Sale or Hire the IMS Track Mounted Pugmill and high production Blender. The

Crusher Screen can now offer IMSworking Track Pugmill is fitted withmode, a 2400mm long x 1360mmand wide and 835mm Pugmill&hydraulically folds upthe from modewhich to operational is high production available with deep pughead with 640mm twin mixers producing up to 480 tonne per hour.

The machine offers quick fully hydraulic water only option or a fully integrated computerized system with attached cement hopper and bulk silos set up betweenintransport operating mode and19-74 the advantage of self loading and Whensystem. not required as a available mobile and or semi mobile from tonne also controlled by site themobilization. pugmill control Pugmill the head can be removed and used as a 16 meter track conveyor or attach a screen box adding total flexibility.

John Andersen +61(0)424 181 056 | Chris Wong +61(0)424 180 860 Fax: +61(0)7 3036 6400 | Email: info@crusherscreen.com | www.crusherscreen.com

The IMS track mounted blender can be used to blend another two products with the pugmill or used as a high production blender with production up to 1000 TPH. The blender also has its own mixer which hydraulically moves to the side when not required, the mixer option is ideal for blending soils and compost materials etc. crusherscreen.com

IMS PM 1050-16Tb Track Pugmill Crusher & Screen can now offer the IMS Track Pugmill which is fitted with a 2400mm long x 1360mm wide and 835mm deep pughead with 640mm twin mixers producing up to 480 tonne per hour. The machine offers quick fully hydraulic set up between transport and operating mode and the advantage of self loading and site mobilization. When not required as a Pugmill the head can be removed and used as a 16 meter track conveyor or attach a screen box adding total flexibility.

IMS manufacture a wide range of conveyors and feed hoppers, from ship loaders to high production 24-30 meter link conveyors, wheel & track conveyors up to 30 meters long with loader feed hoppers and twin power options.

John Andersen +61(0)424 181 056 | Chris Wong +61(0)424 180 860 Fax: +61(0)7 3036 6400 | Email: info@crusherscreen.com | www.crusherscreen.com

SMART BUSINESS

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: A

KEY TO ORGANISATIONAL SUCCESS

For organisations – and the individuals working within them – to thrive today, they should adopt a dedicated approach that takes everyone on the same narrative. Mike Cameron outlines the importance of emotional intelligence to the creation of a successful organisational culture.

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ive key elements, identified in 1995 by American psychologist Daniel Goleman, define emotional intelligence (EI): 1. Self-awareness.

2. Self-regulation.

3. Motivation.

4. Empathy.

5. Social skills.

EI is the capacity to be aware of, to control and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. Simply put, people with a high degree of EI know what they’re feeling, what their emotions mean, and how these emotions can affect other people.

EI is the key to personal and professional success. After all, who is more likely to succeed: a leader who shouts at their team when under stress, or a leader who stays in control and calmly assesses the situation?

The more that you manage each of these areas the higher your EI becomes. In fact, it has been argued that EI is more important than the intelligence quotient (IQ) in the development of successful leaders and, by definition, effective managers.

So, let’s review a story and examine how the outcome may have been different.

BRAD’S STORY Brad, an experienced manager of more than 25 years at one of Victoria’s major metropolitan quarries, received a brief email on Monday morning from his boss instructing him to attend a two-day workshop on the upcoming Thursday and Friday at the company’s head office in Sydney.

Brad’s mind raced with questions: “What is it all about? Why do I need to be there? Don’t they know that I’ve got production problems and I’m nursing a ‘sick’ crusher? Who could organise the weekend’s repairs and maintenance schedule while I’m in Sydney?

How can I be away for two days when there’s no one capable of standing in for me? And, as well as all that, we’re going through a high 44

Quarry August 2019

The five key elements of emotional intelligence.

Image courtesy of the Cognitive Institute, cognitiveinstitute.org

demand period at present with the weather threatening to change! It’s typical – they don’t understand what it’s like to manage an operation like this!”

Brad’s boss John, a successful, emerging executive, had been asked a month earlier by the company’s national operations manager in Sydney to nominate an experienced quarry manager, with a passion for product quality and customer service, to join a cross-functional team meeting focused on enhancing the customer experience – or “CX”, a new initiative and directive from the company’s executive management team.

There was just one problem – John had forgotten to make the arrangements for a suitable person to attend the workshop! So Brad was suddenly advised that he must attend the event and to make all necessary arrangements for his team to cover his absence for two days.

Once at the workshop, Brad quickly displayed a poor attitude, with arms crossed, rolling eyes, facial expressions and low sighs.

While initially offering no comments, as the discussions progressed and the group raised a number of ideas, Brad suddenly launched into a tirade about how their latest suggestion had failed dramatically in the past and would have no chance of success moving forward!

Both the group and workshop facilitator

were confused because Brad had been represented as a champion of quality control and customer service. They had expected constructive ideas and positive feedback from this experienced quarry manager. The interstate quarry managers within the group also held Brad in some esteem but, as a result of his behaviour, they now felt that he had let them down. Brad had potentially damaged the meeting’s operational input – and they were annoyed.

Little did the group appreciate how Brad felt. He had been given no idea about the anticipated outcome of the workshop, how it was to be to be facilitated, where he fitted in, and who else would be involved. He felt that he had no time to prepare and, as a result, he felt vulnerable and more than a little frustrated by the lack of understanding and poor communication from his boss.

LEARNING VS COMPETENCY In today’s complex, demanding workplace environment, a high IQ doesn’t necessarily equate to being successful. Managers, team leaders and employees need to learn the skills of self-management, interpersonal awareness and effective communication.

They need to work positively with each other, discussing topics openly, listening to issues and responding constructively, while effectively managing different opinions and the potential for conflict – all of which will motivate others to operate at a higher level.

Learning these skills is relatively straightforward but gaining competency in applying them requires the development and strengthening of EI. Emotional intelligence is often defined by the way in which emotions are managed in the workplace.

EI is about understanding your emotions and the emotions of those around you; it’s about knowing yourself and your feelings so well that you can manage them effectively at any moment and for any given situation. This means working well under stress, handling

working relationships in a personal, yet professional manner, keeping a level head and appreciating the emotional needs of yourself and others.

These key skills can be acquired through mastery of the following: • Self-awareness – The recognition of your own strengths and weaknesses coupled with the ability to be conscious and understanding of your emotions and to recognise their impact on others.

• Self-regulation – The ability to manage your emotions in a healthy way (selfcontrol). It is about expressing those emotions in a useful, appropriate manner.

• Motivation – Being driven internally, rather than just working for a pay cheque, taking initiatives and adapting to changing circumstances and environments.

• Empathy – The ability to inspire, influence and connect with others (leadership), work well in teams, manage conflict and note/respond to other people’s motivations and needs.

• People skills – The ability to understand other people’s emotions, needs and concerns, pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, recognise the power dynamics in a group or organisation, to win others’ respect and build rapport.

Following are examples of EI and how their application could have assisted John and Brad: • Being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. A key aspect of EI is being able to think about and empathise with others’ feelings. People who have strong EI can consider the perspectives, experiences and emotions of others and use this information to explain why those people may behave the way that they do.

• Considering a situation before reacting.

People who apply EI know that emotions can be powerful – but also temporary.

For example, when a team member becomes angry with another co-worker or the “situation” within the workplace, the emotionally intelligent response would be

to take some time before responding. This allows everyone to calm their feelings, moderate their responses and think more rationally about what may, or may not, have been “responsible” for the highly charged and emotional outburst.

• Being aware of one’s own emotions.

Emotionally intelligent people are not only good at thinking about how other people might feel, they are also adept at understanding their own feelings. Selfawareness allows people to consider the many different factors that contribute to their emotions and those of others.

To that end, EI is important not only for maintaining and strengthening relationships within the company hierarchy but in fostering a collective culture of good will, co-operation and a common motivation for success. • Mike Cameron is an IQA member and an executive coach for Strategically Yours.

Email mike@strategically.com.au or visit strategically.com.au

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MOBILE AND TRACK CRUSHING AND SCREENING PLANTS

M O D U L A R - B R E A K E R S A N D B O O M S Y S T E M S

RADIAL AND SUPER STACKERS - CRUSHING AND SCREENING - WASHING AND CLASSIFYING

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ASTEC AUSTRALIA.

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an Astec Industries Company

PO BOX 142, ACACIA RIDGE, QLD, 4110 • 1300 278 322 (1300 ASTEC AUS) • astecaustralia.com.au

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2019 IQA EVENTS ACT BRANCH

NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH

15 Nov

13 Aug AGM and dinner meeting, Townsville 13 Sept Annual golf day, Townsville 8 Oct Technical and dinner meeting, Townsville 30 Oct Technical and dinner meeting, Cairns 15 Nov Christmas Party, Townsville

7 Aug Breakfast meeting, Beaumonde on the Point, East Perth 3 Sept AGM and dinner meeting, Imperial Court Restaurant 22 Nov Annual golf day, Joondalup Resort

Dinner meeting

NSW BRANCH 23 Oct Sixth Annual Quarries and Concrete Seminar

NSW ILLAWARRA SUB-BRANCH 30 Nov Races day/Christmas function (Venue TBA)

QUEENSLAND BRANCH 7 Aug Dinner meeting & AGM, Brisbane 24 Sept Breakfast meeting, Brisbane 15 Nov Lunch meeting, Brisbane

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND SUB-BRANCH

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 30 Aug AGM/dinner, National Wine Centre 8 Nov Dinner meeting, Adelaide

All dates and venues for the above branches are correct at time of press. Not all branches had confirmed their activities/ dates. For further information about IQA branch activities, contact your local branch representative (see IQA branch contacts on page 47) or visit quarry.com.au

VICTORIAN SUB-BRANCH 12 Sept 21 Nov

Dinner meeting, Ballarat Dinner meeting, Bendigo

23 Oct Safety and Health Seminar, Rockhampton

PDP WORKSHOPS & EVENTS To register for the workshops below and for further information, visit: quarry.com.au, click on the link to “Education”, followed by “Upcoming Professional Development Programs”.

IQA 62ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE GMHBA Stadium, Geelong Football Club Geelong, Victoria 1-3 October (Tuesday to Thursday), 2019 “The Future of Quarrying” will be the theme of the IQA’s annual conference at the home of the Geelong AFL Football Club. The conference program will focus on numerous topics, including: the maximisation of limited natural resources through technology; the benefits of effective management of workplace diversity; new developments in emerging fixed and mobile plant technology; environmental and economic trends impacting on the industry; and much more. In a first, the conference program will be hosted on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

For more information, visit conference.quarry.com.au

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Quarry August 2019

SPECIFICATIONS WPDP

AIMEX 2019

5 August, 2019

Sydney Olympic Park 27-29 August, 2019

Specifications provide the basis for compliance of construction materials. This webinar will take the participant through various documents that affect and influence quarry products. It will cover Australian Standards and state road authorities specifications. It is suitable for sales managers, technical/laboratory managers, supervisors, testers and operational managers.

TEST METHODS WPDP 19 August, 2019 Many product issues encountered by quarry operators can be traced back to an understanding of the material.

Understanding how each test is performed and the corresponding results can assist personnel in recommending products to customers, as well as limiting future product technical claims or issues. This session is suitable for sales managers, quarry managers, quarry supervisors, testers and operational management employed or seeking employment in the industry.

The Asia-Pacific International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX) is the largest in the region, with hundreds of mining suppliers, attracting thousands of producers across three days. It showcases the latest extractive technology, equipment and services, offering the opportunity for leading suppliers and buyers to conduct face-to-face business, stay informed of the latest trends and network in an interactive forum. AIMEX attracts local and international delegations sourcing Australian technology that can be implemented into their mining operations.

For more information, visit aimex.com.au

EFFECTIVE RISK MANAGEMENT WPDP 2 September, 2019 The IQA and the quarrying industry at large recognise the importance of managing safety risks. Effective risk management processes are vital in realising significant gains in safety performance. When these processes are ineffective the wrong message is sent to workers and does little to improve safety

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

on-site. This webinar will assist operators in ensuring their risk management processes are effective. It will consider why risk management processes fail, identify risk profiles, provide advice on effective risk management processes and cover some incident investigations. Participants will be given practical examples of how small-scale quarries have achieved significant safety improvement through managing risk. The webinar is recommended for managers, supervisors and key support personnel.

HAZARD AND RISK IDENTIFICATION PRINCIPLES WPDP 9 September, 2019 Hazard and risk source identification are key steps in risk management. Hazards and risk sources that are not identified can lead to risks those hazards will not be well controlled, or controlled at all, if they eventuate. Robust identification and initial appreciation of hazards and risks are therefore critical steps in comprehensive, effective risk management processes.

This webinar will outline definitions and interpretations, benefits of comprehensive hazard and risk source identification, potential consequences of inadequate hazard and risk source identification, common hazard and risk source identification methodologies, and an introduction to alternate hazard and risk source identification methodologies.

CCAA CONCRETE PRACTICE COURSES & WORKSHOPS 24-25 September, 2019, Perth 15-16 October, 2019, Melbourne 30-31 October, 2019, Mascot, NSW 13-14 November, 2019, Brisbane This course – developed in consultation with the industry for the industry – has been designed to provide participants with a detailed understanding of concrete material and behaviour in relation to physical properties, production, placing and associated on-site operations such as reinforcement and potential causes of failure.

It comprises two parts: (i) 14 eLearning modules that have been developed to enhance the industry’s knowledge of concrete, featuring embedded activities and assessments in a sequential, easy to follow and easy to navigate format; and (ii) workshops held around the country that will

feature presentations from industry experts, Q&A panel sessions with industry experts, group work and case studies, and a final assessment.

Participants will be required to complete all modules prior to attending the workshop (as learnings will be referred to and enhanced during the two-day workshop), and should allow five to six weeks to complete all the modules. Registrations will close five weeks prior to each workshop and attendance at the two-day workshop is a requirement to complete the course.

A personalised certificate will be issued upon successful completion of parts i and ii of the course. The cost of admission is $1800 (inc GST) for CCAA members and $2200 (inc GST) for non-CCAA members.

For further information, contact the CCAA’s learning and development manager Ceridwen Jones, tel 02 9667 8319, email ccaaeducation@ccaa.com.au

IQM CONEX 2019 Palm Garden Hotel Malaysia 15-16 October, 2019 The theme of the Institute of Quarrying Malaysia’s (IQM) annual conference and exhibition is “Innovative Quarrying Technology – Industry 4.0 (IQTech 4.0)”.

It recognises that the quantum leap into the era of Industry 4.0 (cyber-physical systems) will require the quarrying industry worldwide to stay competitive and to evolve

IQA BRANCH CONTACTS ACT

Peter Hewson: 0429 001 476

NSW

Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090

Northern Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Hunter Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Illawarra

Dylan Treadwell: 0418 632 057

Central West Mitchell Bland: 0428 462 987 NT

Darren McKenna: 08 8988 4520

QLD

Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688

Gladstone Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Townsville Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Cairns SA

Chris Wilson: 0438 134 752 Marie Cunningham: 08 8243 2505

Tasmania Nicholas Palmer: 0418 126 253 Victoria

Eli Carbone: 03 8637 4723

Vic Sub-branch Craig Staggard: 0407 509 424

WA

Celia Pavri: 0417 027 928

quickly through cutting-edge knowledge, skills and innovative practices. The role of Industry 4.0 in the quarrying application will be explored and discussed across a range of presentations, including smart equipment manufacturing, the latest trends in rock fragmentation/blasting, smart and autonomous features in transportation, and cyber-security risks and safety precautions in data management. For more information, contact the IQM secretariat, tel 60 3 8062 4194, mobile 60 12 219 7519, email nirmala@iqm.com.my or visit iqm.com.my/ news&events.htm

10TH AUSTRALASIAN WASTE AND RECYCLING EXPO ICC Sydney 30-31 October, 2019 The 2019 Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo (AWRE) will showcase today’s global $AUD379 billion waste and recycling industry. Participants will be exposed to a suite of full-circle innovative products and sustainable solutions, including plant and equipment, software and services, bins, and vehicles. Participants can also connect with an influential community of recycling professionals, suppliers/service providers, government departments, public sector bodies and special interest groups. For more information, contact Gina Millar, event coordinator, tel 03 9261 4592, email awre@divcom.net.au or visit awre.com.au

IQA NEW MEMBERS GRADE

NAME

BRANCH

Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate TMember

Matt Kelly NSW Warren Watson NSW Andrew James Nicholas QLD Ewen Thomson QLD Heiner Guenzel QLD Nicholas Armstrong TAS Erik Birzulis VIC Scott Norman French VIC Andrew Egan NSW Sharon Makin NSW Stuart McIntyre NSW Brodie James Champney QLD Bronwyn Ramke SA Matthew Ramke SA Mark Degroot TAS Grant Lenton VIC Joe Noonan VIC Ken Ian McGivern VIC Steve Bird QLD

Quarry August 2019 47

IQA NEWS positions to ensure recruitment of the right person for the job – female or male – and how to retain them once they are on board.

The Central West sub-branch’s Women in Quarrying panel (l-r): Jacque Wright, Kaitlyn Duckworth, Danielle Connolly, Alasdair Webb, Natalie Hansen, Alice Reti-Steel, Mardi Colbran and Mitchell Bland.

The branch is grateful to all of the speakers, some of whom travelled considerable distances to attend: Mardi Colbran (Dubbo Sands); Danielle Connolly (Holcim Dubbo); Alice Reti-Steel (Metromix Merrangeroo); Natalie Hansen (Holcim Albion Park); Alasdair Webb (Holcim Dubbo); Kaitlyn Duckworth (Weir Minerals); and Jacque Wright (Hanson).

By Mitchell Bland

QUEENSLAND NEWS

Mardi Colbran, of Dubbo Sands, discusses her professional journey in the industry.

NEW SOUTH WALES CENTRAL WEST SUB-BRANCH NEWS The Central West sub-branch held its inaugural Women in Quarrying meeting in Orange on 21 June. The program focused on local action to celebrate and facilitate women’s participation in the industry. The meeting heard from six inspiring women – and one crusty old bloke!

Each of the speakers told their story of how they ended up in the industry. Each tale was different but the themes were common – that is, despite the occasional preconceptions and bias of others, the support, encouragement and training that they each received from the most unlikely of sources had been instrumental in their journeys. The consensus was that at site level, people work in small teams and the best teams support and mentor each other, irrespective of gender. This was emphasized by the “token bloke” – Alasdair Webb, of Holcim Dubbo – who discussed how increasing the female proportion of the workforce at his quarry had resulted in an improved work environment for all workers.

The panel discussion after lunch was wideranging but the consensus was that while it is rare for outwardly negative bias against female participation in the industry these days, unconscious bias is still present and needs to be countered. The panel also concluded that the industry is just not on the radar of many young women. The industry needs to promote itself locally and review how it advertises 48

Quarry August 2019

June was health and safety month for the IQA’s Queensland branches. Almost 300 delegates attended the 17th Annual Quarrying Safety and Health Conference on 14 June at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. The Queensland branch is grateful for the support of the event’s gold sponsors – Komatsu, Astec Australia, Evolution Mining – and its trade exhibitors comprising Groundwork Plus, Cotral Australia, Breathe Safe, the Minres Training Institute, Coolfog, Groundprobe, Kinder Australia, Astec Australia, Clean Space Technology, Global Road Technology, Hammersley Australia and OHMS Hygiene. CJD Equipment was also a catering sponsor.

Kate Du Preez, the Queensland Commissioner for Mine Safety & Health, opened the conference, before sessions commenced in the key areas of culture, rules, technology and tools.

The speaker’s program featured a diverse range of topics, with the morning session focusing on case studies from Oceania Gold, the University of Queensland’s Minerals Industry Safety & Health Centre, the Wagner Group, Hanson Construction Materials and Sunstate Cement.

The Queensland Chief Mines Inspector Luca Rocchi provided delegates with an update on key areas of focus for the Mines Inspectorate, followed by a presentation on the latest legislative changes and competencies from Hermann Fasching, the Deputy Chief

KIS Plant’s Julie Lowe and Katrina Belcher.

IQA CEO Kylie Fahey demonstrates the Respirator Fit Testing device available from the QSolutions Group.

Mines Inspector. Greg Manthey, the Inspector of Mines for Occupational Hygiene, updated delegates on findings from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (DNRME) with respect to its investigations into respirable crystalline silica in the industry. IQA CEO Kylie Fahey spoke about education for the extractive industry to close out the session.

The afternoon session focused on technology and tools. Chris Doran, managing director of Mitacom, presented on collision management risk evaluation for mobile equipment, while Dave Arnott, resource manager for Holcim Australia, showcased how drones are assisting his company in assessing geotechnical risk. Simon Kuestenmacher, of the Demographics Group, gave the final presentation, entitled “Reimagining the way we work: How new technologies, new generations and new skills are changing the workplace”.

The conference MC and IQA President Clayton Hill thanked the conference planning committee for a successful event and in particular the design of the speaker’s program. The planning committee consisted of Hill, Lionel Smith (DNRME), Russel Wilson (Boral), Aaron Johnstone (CCAA), Cassandra Koutouridis (CCAA), Jenny Krasny (Caterpillar), Kylie Fahey (IQA) and Jennifer Milward (IQA).

By Jennifer Milward

NORTH QUEENSLAND NEWS The program presented at the North Queensland branch’s Annual Mining & Quarrying Safety & Health Seminar in Townsville in June included many speakers and topics from the Brisbane event. There was also some local content, including a presentation by Shane Hillhouse and his team from Nambal Resources & Quarries, who outlined the accredited training initiatives they have developed for Indigenous staff. About 75 members attended the event.

QSolutions Group demonstrated its Respirator Fit Testing service during the seminar lunch break. IQA CEO Kylie Fahey

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

FROM THE CEO

FACILITATING DIVERSITY, INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE The IQA has delivered a number of initiatives in the past two years to promote young people and women working in the industry or looking to join the industry. More recently the conversation has turned to one of diversity and inclusion.

Last month, the Central West sub-branch held its inaugural Women in Quarrying meeting in Orange on 21 June. The program focused on local action to celebrate and facilitate women’s participation in the industry. The day facilitated a conversation that was broader than just women, one of encouraging and facilitating diversity in the workplace. I commend the committee and delegates who shared stories of success and strategies to address unconscious bias.

Broadening the conversation to diversity will be occurring through a number of IQA events including: • The 2019 annual conference in October, when Sean Taylor, the CEO and managing director of Komatsu Australia, will speak on the importance of inclusion and diversity. For more information, visit conference.quarry.com.au • The WIQ conference in South Australia, which will continue the discussion on inclusion and highlight the contributions of men and women in our industry.

Safety and workforce training I had the pleasure of presenting at both happily volunteered for the demo.

the Brisbane and North Queensland health and safety conferences in June. The two events attracted more than 340 delegates, and I thank Cement Concrete Aggregates Australia and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy for their strong support. A central theme was the importance of leadership and communication in a safety culture. I spoke about training being one part of the safety culture and a way to encourage team engagement, improve communication and leadership.

The IQA can support important aspects of workforce training and development. If you would like to discuss training for your teams, email education@quarry.com.au

Membership renewals Membership of the IQA is about supporting you and your commitment to your career in the quarrying and the minerals extractives industry. Our membership structure allows you to grow as your experience in the industry grows. Membership renewal for the 2019-20 period is now due. If you have any questions about your renewal, tel 02 9484 0577 or visit quarry.com.au

IQA Awards Having been involved in the discussion on safety and the importance of teamwork, I believe nominating staff for awards can be a positive recognition of initiative,

KYLIE FAHEY Chief Executive Officer Institute of Quarrying Australia

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH NEWS About 20 WA branch members visited the Brikmakers clay brickworks in June.

Brikmakers entered the market for clay bricks in 2009 when it opened its 300,000m2 plant

The WA branch’s AGM and dinner – with entertainment by the one and only Thomas Crane as Freddie Mercury – will be held at the Imperial Court Restaurant in Como on Tuesday,

By Jennifer Milward

The IQA Awards recognise the contribution of individuals and sites to the growth and improvement of the extractive industry, and significant achievements across the industry that promote leadership and excellence. They also profile the valuable contribution of our industry to our community and aim to further the discussion about quality improvement, environment and safety.

Nominations for the 2019 Awards close on 6 August 2019. For more information, visit quarry.com.au, click on ‘Networking’, ‘Awards’ and ‘2019 Awards Submission’.

in South Guildford. This $110 million state of the art manufacturing facility is the largest clay brick plant ever built in Australia. Members had the opportunity to see the clay preparation area and the modern brick making process, featuring kilns, robotics, automation and the final packaging of the products. The branch is grateful to Nathan and Ryan from BGC for being the tour guides and sharing their vast knowledge and experience of the brickmaking process with the membership.

For further information about upcoming Queensland and North Queensland branch meetings, contact the Queensland branch secretariat, tel 0419 782 688, email qldadmin@quarry.com.au or visit quarry.com.au

innovation and the correct behaviour.

20 members attended the Brikmakers operation.

3 September. To register and for further information about other branch activities, contact the WA branch secretariat, tel 0417 027 928, email wa-admin@quarry.com. au or visit quarry.com.au

By Celia Pavri

Quarry August 2019 49

GEOLOGY TALK

EXPLORING THE GEOLOGY OF MARS

Resembling a mosquito in shape, InSight is the new ‘guy’ on Mars!

A ‘selfie’ by the Curiosity rover. Its wheels are 50cm in diameter and about 40cm wide.

For the past decade, NASA has had a series of roving robots exploring the Martian landscape for remote signs of life. Bill Langer discusses the work these robots have done for geology in the process.

Thus far, the four rover robots on Mars have collectively made some remarkable discoveries: • More water in Mars’s past. Mars contains gravel, streambed deposits, sandstone rocks, and rocks with altered coatings, all of which appear to have formed in the presence of water. Earlier this year Curiosity found the highest amounts of clay in any sample so far, providing additional evidence there was once water in the region.

• A suitable home for life. Mars contains the key ingredients necessary for the formation of life, as we know it, eg carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulphur. Furthermore, evidence found through the analysis of clays and rocks suggest that Mars may have been habitable for millions of years.

• Mars experiences quakes. Seismic activity (aka “marsquakes”) occur on Mars. Studying those “marsquakes” may help scientists learn more about the interior of Mars.

Maybe someday one of the FIRST competitors will operate a robot to mine the gravel Curiosity has found on Mars!

L

ast month I described how robotics is being used in mining, and related this to the FIRST world robotics championship, a competition for secondary school students that simulated a cargo transport station on Mars.

Actually, having robots on Mars is not limited to the imaginations of secondary school students. There have been five successful robots on Mars. Four have been rovers: Sojourner, Opportunity, Spirit, and Curiosity. Their missions have been to explore the Martian surface and atmosphere by “roving” around. While the first three rovers are now non-operational, Curiosity is still working; it has actively explored Mars for more than seven years.

The robots were sent to Mars to help meet the science goals of the Mars Exploration Program. One of those goals is to characterise the geology of Mars.

The rovers had a variety of tools to accomplish their missions, with each rover having more and better tools than its predecessors. By the time Curiosity arrived, the tools had become quite sophisticated.

I always carry my trusty hammer when I do fieldwork. The twin rovers carried a RAT – a

50

Quarry August 2019

rock abrasion tool – that could scrape away the weathered surface and expose fresh, unspoiled rock just like my hammer.

I also bring a hand lens into the field.

Some rovers were equipped with a MI – a microscopic imager – just like my hand lens.

None of Curiosity’s predecessors could get deep into Martian rocks. My favourite tool is Curiosity’s sample collecting system consisting of a percussion drill, a brush, and mechanisms for scooping, sieving, and portioning samples of powdered rock and soil. The samples can be analysed with three instruments — a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatograph and a laser spectrometer.

For sheer coolness, it’s tough to beat the ChemCam. This instrument fires a laser at Martian rocks from up to nine metres (30 feet) away and analyses the composition of the vaporised bits.

The rovers have other tools but possessing those mentioned above would make any field geologist as happy as a dog with two tails!

The fifth robot – InSight – is the new “guy” on the planet. Unlike the rovers, it just sits there. But it uses a super-sensitive seismometer, a heat probe, and other equipment to study the deep interior of Mars.

Bill Langer is a consultant geologist.

Email bill_langer@hotmail.com or visit researchgeologist.com

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