Australian Mining March 2022

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT VOLUME 114/2 | MARCH 2022

MINING SERVICES

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT VOLUME 114/2 | MARCH 2022

MINING SERVICES

KEEP THE WHEELS TURNING THE IMPORTANCE OF MINE-SITE MAINTENANCE

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COMMENT

KEEPING THE MACHINES MOVING THE COST OF MACHINERY BREAKDOWNS MEANS THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE IS CRUCIAL TO ENSURING THE MINING AND RESOURCES SECTOR STAYS ON TARGET – AND ON BUDGET.

PAUL HAYES paul.hayes@primecreative.com.au

T

ime, as they say, is money. And that is especially true on a mine site.

Shutdowns due to equipment failure can cost a company millions during the downtime needed to make repairs, not to mention the consequence of reduced uptime.

And with Australian mine sites often located in some of the more far-flung corners of the country, the time and money needed to actually get parts fixed or replaced only adds to the costs.

That’s why maintaining a mine’s equipment is so important to keeping a site running smoothly.

Maintenance is necessary on all aspects of the mining process, from the machinery that digs the precious ore and minerals from the ground to the fleets of vehicles delivering their cargo for export.

Not only does it mean that expensive and specialised equipment is kept in the best possible condition to improve operations, it’s also a vital part of keeping the workforce safe.

And while some breakdowns in machinery are inevitable, careful maintenance provides the opportunity to identify a potential problem before it happens and can even extend the life of the equipment.

This is where the practice of preventive maintenance is so critical. As mining companies look to improve their operational anticipation, digital companies are building the Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure to offer miners more foresight than ever before.

Original equipment manufacturers and other mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies have developed their service divisions to a point where they can attend to a miner’s concern at the drop of a hat.

Machinery is built to be smarter and more robust to ensure vehicles remain on the park for longer.

As new maintenance solutions are discovered and put into practice, Australia’s mining industry grows exponentially.

At the end of the day, there’s nothing more valuable to a mining company than optimising productivity – and properly maintained machines are big piece of that puzzle.

In the March issue of Australian Mining, METS companies from across the industry are showcased, whether they’ve got a maintenance solution or a pioneering concept that’s changing the game.

From Australia to South Korea and back, we explore Australia’s major critical minerals opportunity and unpack the issues facing the emerging opal and potash industries.

While their outlook remains uncertain, iron ore producers continue to weather the cyclical storm and have enjoyed an improved price climate to start 2022. We’ll look at what’s next for iron ore’s junior and mid-tier miners.

Austmine provides its industry insight, highlighting the key themes for METS companies in 2022, while mining’s electric rail evolution catches the eye.

The likes of Aurizon, Wabtec and major miners such as BHP, Fortescue Metals Group and Roy Hill have been particularly active in this space.

As always, it’s a busy time in Australia’s mining industry.

FRONT COVER

In this edition of Australian Mining, we include a special focus on mine-site maintenance, with a number of feature articles looking at equipment, technology and processes that help to keep a site’s machines running as well – and for as long – as possible.

We examine the state of one of Australia’s key commodities in iron ore, while also taking a look at opal and potash.

Leading experts provide their thoughts on a handful of key areas for the industry and, as usual, we cover the latest mining equipment and technology in our products section.

Cover image Elphinstone

Paul Hayes Editor

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER JOHN MURPHY

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IN INTHIS THISISSUE ISSUE

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

Feeding the green transformation Australia is in the box seat when it comes to the renewable energy transition.

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COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

Potash poised to rise

Resilient and ambitious mining companies have helped the Australian potash industry steadily materialise

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MAINTENANCE

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DIGITAL MINING

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INNOVATION

Thejo shuts down costs

T hejo has the most reliable and efficient processes to reduce the need for shutdowns i fm finds the missing IO-Link

IO-Link enables ifm customers to see the value in digitisation

TECHNOLOGY

aking inroads towards green rail M Major miners are making headlines with efforts to decarbonise rail networks

MAINTENANCE

tlas Copco compresses its footprint A S etting its sights on reducing emissions is no easy feat, but Atlas Copco Compressors makes it look that way

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ig tyres. Big challenges. Even bigger B opportunities.

Tyre Stewardship Australia sees value in off-the-road tyres

TECHNOLOGY

M icromine takes massive leaps into mine design T he company covers all bases in exploration, mine design, planning and scheduling, with plenty more to come

68 AUSTRALIANMINING AUSTRALIANMINING6 6DECEMBER MARCH 2022 2021

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MINING SERVICES

Best-kept secret galvanises into action A rmorGalv Australia is the only company to use the Thermal Zinc Diffusion galvanising process

REGULARS 5 COMMENT 8–18 NEWS 76–77 PRODUCTS 78 EVENTS

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NEWS

THE LATEST MINING AND SAFETY NEWS AUSTRALIAN MINING PRESENTS THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE MINE AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. VISIT WWW.AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. CHINA RELEASES AUSTRALIAN COAL FROM ITS PORTS China has cleared most of the Australian coal that had been held at Chinese ports due to a coal import ban, according to Fengkuang Coal Logistics.

The data released by the General

Administration of Customs of China on January 21 shows that 5.6 million tonnes of Australian coking coal that was detained in Hong Kong – including 706,000 tonnes in October, 2.67 million tonnes in

5.6 MILLION TONNES OF AUSTRALIAN COKING COAL WAS DETAINED.

November, and 2.42 million tonnes in December – has been released.

China has historically been reliant on Australian high-grade coking coal; however, in the wake of the import ban, China has turned its sights to North America.

Throughout 2021, China imported 9.29 million tonnes of US coking coal, a 977.4 per cent increase on the previous year, taking its coking coal imports to 18.7 per cent of China’s imports, according to Fengkuang Coal Logistics.

In December, the import volume of Canadian coking coal increased by 23 per cent from the previous month to 1.11 million tonnes.

The cumulative import of Canadian coking coal was 8.4 million tonnes in 2021, an increase of 98.62 per cent from 2020.

The import volume almost doubled, and the import share of Canadian coking coal accounted for 16.9 per cent, whereas Australia’s coking coal imports accounted for 11.3 per cent.

In 2021, Mongolia’s coking coal imports fell by almost 41 per cent to 12.74 million tonnes, and coking coal imports accounted for 25.7 per cent of China’s imports.

The Fengkuang report outlines

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

that there is still great uncertainty on the future of the coking coal import market in 2022.

This includes whether new Australian coal will be imported, and the impact on Mongolian coal customs clearance.

China imported 6.79 million tonnes of coking coal in December, a decrease of 3.28 per cent from the previous month.

The cumulative import of coking coal for 2021 was 49.6 million tonnes, a decrease of 16.2 million, or 24.6 per cent, from the same period last year.

FORTESCUE CONSIDERS TAKING BACKSEAT AT IRON BRIDGE Fortescue Metals Group has indicated it is open to contracting for mining services at its Iron Bridge magnetite project in Western Australia, contrary to its usual strategy.

The mine is on schedule for first production by the end of 2022, according to chief executive officer Elizabeth Gaines, after COVID-19-related strains on the labour force pushed this date back by six months.

While the major miner has already begun early works itself at the operation, it is keeping its options open as to how it

progresses from here.

Gaines said the reason for considering a contractor was to reduce the cost of using Fortescue’s own diesel-fuelled fleet and opt for a contractor with a “greener” fleet.

“As we transition to commissioning and operations, we will maintain our focus on maximising value, including through our fleet strategy, which will be underpinned by our industryleading decarbonisation targets and our ongoing green fleet development,” Gaines said.

“Retaining optionality is AUSTRALIANMINING

particularly important when considering the benefit of avoiding investment in new diesel equipment as part of our decarbonisation pathway and contract solutions will be considered to enhance our flexibility.”

Several key milestones were ticked off at Iron Bridge during 2021, as the project fulfils its forecast capital investment of $US3.3 – $3.5 billion ($4.59 – $4.87 billion). “(Milestones included) the delivery and installation of the modules on site, installation of

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the first high-pressure grinding roll in the tertiary crushing facility, completion of earthworks for the tailings storage facility, and commissioning and operation of the airport,” Gaines said.

“We also marked the completion of construction of the module offload facility at Lumsden Point.”

It was not disclosed by Fortescue who had been approached for a mining services contract.

Fortescue last year signed Veris Australia for surveying and pipeline design and SIMPEC for major construction works to the wet processing plant at Iron Bridge.

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NEWS

ALIEN DISCOVERS OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD SILVER GRADES Alien Metals has discovered historic silver grades at its Elizabeth Hill silver mine in Western Australia, with one drill hole finding more than 36kg of silver per tonne.

The bonanza results far exceeded expectations of the long-dormant mine, which once averaged grades of 2195g of silver per tonne (g/t) before it was mothballed in 2000.

One new drill hole at Elizabeth Hill also recovered copper grades of 10.8kg per tonne (1.08 per cent) – equivalent to some of Australia’s most prominent copper operations.

Alien chief executive officer and technical director Bill Brodie Good said this was a momentous day for the Australian mining industry.

“These fantastic initial results support the company’s view that the near surface oxide expression of the deposit was never fully tested, nor its potential fully explored for both the silver and the base metals present,” Good said.

“Some of these grades have to be some of the highest for a silver project in Australia.”

Indeed, some of Australia’s largest silver mines currently in operation pale in comparison to these results at Elizabeth Hill.

Western Australia’s current largest silver asset, 29Metals’ Golden Grove copper-gold-zinc-silver mine, milled silver at about 43g/t in 2021, while copper was milled at almost 1.3 per cent.

In Queensland, South32’s Cannington mine milled silver at grades around 177g/t for the second half of 2021, while Glencore’s Mount Isa zinc-lead-

silver mine has a measured and indicated resource of 69g/t of silver.

The Elizabeth Hill resource also appears to contain nickel, cobalt, zinc and lead.

The price of silver has ridden the COVID-19 wave since the beginning of 2020, reaching just over $US900 ($1278) per kilogram in the September quarter of 2020.

The price has maintained a steady tilt above $700 per kilogram and sits at $729 per kilogram at time of writing.

THE RESULTS FAR EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS OF THE LONG-DORMANT ELIZABETH HILL MINE.

BHP TRUSTS CIMIC FOR PORT HEDLAND DE-BOTTLENECKING BHP has chosen a CIMIC Group subsidiary for a de-bottlenecking project at Nelson Point in Port Hedland, Western Australia, in a contract worth $100 million.

CPB Contractors will deliver a structural, mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation package at Port Hedland, with works to begin this year and conclude in 2023.

As a major engineering-led construction, mining and services company, CIMIC has held a long and strong partnership with BHP

in multiple contracts across multiple sites.

CIMIC Group executive chair and chief executive officer Juan Santamaria said he was confident in this history as CPB tackles the de-bottlenecking.

“We’re pleased to be supporting BHP with this project. Our mining and resources experience and history in the Pilbara means we can collaborate on the project’s high standards of safety and quality,” Santamaria said.

Past CIMIC Group/BHP contracts AUSTRALIANMINING

have included Thiess’ $110 million mining services at BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Caval Ridge coal operation, and UGL’s $180 million maintenance and shutdown services at BMA’s Queensland coal mines.

CPB Contractors was originally part of the Leighton Contractors group since 1949 before a merger with CIMIC in January 2016.

CPB Contractors managing director Jason Spears said the company could capably complete the task for BHP.

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“This project builds on CPB Contractors’ substantial experience in delivering resources infrastructure,” Spears said.

“We are pleased to continue our long-term partnership with BHP to deliver another important resources project in the Pilbara.”

In October, BHP also contracted Civmec to the de-bottlenecking project at Nelson Point with works including de-watering, piling, ground improvement, concrete foundations, new roads and high-voltage power works.

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Copyright © 2018, Weir Minerals Australia Ltd. All rights reserved. The trademarks mentioned in this document are trademarks and/or registered trademarks in the name of The Weir Group PLC and/or its subsidiaries. Certain features of the technology in this publication may be protected by pending and granted patents and designs in the name of The Weir Group PLC and/or its subsidiaries.

NEWS

STANMORE WELCOMES EPSA TO ISAAC DOWNS Stanmore Resources has enlisted EPSA Pacific as the statutory coal mining operator at the Isaac Plains Complex, for a five-year term worth $564 million.

The open-cut mining services agreement will allow the Isaac Downs mine to commence full production, while Stanmore will begin an owneroperator model at the coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP).

Isaac Downs produces metallurgical coal near Moranbah, Queensland, and is expected to produce up to 35 million tonnes

of run of mine (ROM) coal over 16 years.

Isaac Downs was approved for construction and operation in July 2021 at a rate of 2.5 million tonnes per annum over 10 years.

At the time of approval, Resources Minister Scott Stewart said jobs and the economy would be boosted strongly by the mine.

“This project will mean mining jobs for another 10 years, including for the 300 mine workers currently at Isaac Plains, as well as jobs completing rehabilitation in the Isaac Plains East

area until 2025,” Stewart said.

EPSA Pacific is a subsidiary of Spanish company EPSA Group, a mining, civil and earthmoving business with a workforce of more than 3000 people.

Stanmore recognised the efforts of its previous coal mining operator, Golding Contractors (an NRW Holdings subsidiary), as it makes room for its replacement in EPSA. “Stanmore acknowledges and thanks Golding, the current CMO under the existing mining services agreement, for their services and

successful partnership over the duration of that mining services agreement,” Stanmore stated.

“A termination notice in respect of the Mining Services Agreement has been given to Golding and a carefully managed transition plan will be implemented to ensure business continuity and the minimisation of any disruption.”

In replacing Golding, EPSA will deliver brand new equipment and its own management team to operate and maintain the mine from the second quarter of 2022.

ISAAC DOWNS PRODUCES METALLURGICAL COAL NEAR MORANBAH, QUEENSLAND.

ILUKA GETS RARE REFERRAL WIN Iluka’s rare earth refinery at the Eneabba mine site in Western Australia has made it through the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) referral process without issue.

The rare earth refinery will produce separated rare earth oxides, and beyond the Eneabba stockpile, Iluka’s Wimmera project could serve as long-life rare earth concentrate feed source to the Eneabba refinery.

The EPA decision considered that the likely environmental effects of the refinery are not so significant as to warrant formal assessment,

due to it being within the existing brownfield Eneabba mine site with limited environmentally sensitive receptors.

The potential impacts of the refinery can be adequately managed through the implementation of the proponent’s management and mitigation measures.

The Eneabba operation involves the extraction, processing and sale of a strategic monazite-rich mineral stockpile that is currently stored in a former mining void at the site.

The refinery will utilise the existing Eneabba monazite concentrate, AUSTRALIANMINING

future Iluka feedstocks and thirdparty feedstocks, and products will be transported via road trains from Eneabba to the port of Fremantle for export.

Iluka has approached the Eneabba development incrementally to maximise value and take a measured approach to risk.

The rare earth refinery is the third phase of the project, and it will produce approximately 17,500 tonnes per annum of individual rare earth oxides and carbonates.

Phase one was the screening plant that involves simple reclaim

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and screening of material stored in the former mining void at Eneabba, which commenced in the third quarter of 2020.

The second phase was the concentrator that processes the reclaimed material to separate the monazite and zircon streams, producing a 90 per cent monazite concentrate and zircon products, which is in execute phase, with commissioning scheduled for the first half of 2022.

The decision made by the EPA is appealable, with submissions having closed on January 31, 2022.

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NEWS

MRL SETS ITS SITES ON LITHIUM Mineral Resources (MRL) has seen strong growth in its lithium operations with realised spodumene prices rising 56 per cent from the previous quarter to $US1153 ($1619) per dry metric tonne (dmt), its December quarterly report shows.

The Mt Marion lithium mine in Western Australia produced 98,000 dmt of spodumene and saw shipments increase by 92 per cent, reflecting the previous quarter’s shipment being delayed to the second quarter of the

2022 financial year.

Further south, the 50ktpa Kemerton Lithium Hydroxide plant is continuing construction, with spodumene ore now introduced into the plant as part of the commissioning process, and commercial production expected in mid-2022.

The restart of the Wodgina Lithium mine in the Pilbara is underway, with the first spodumene production expected during the first quarter of the 2023 financial year.

While December saw growth

for lithium, MRL felt the effects of falling iron ore prices which declined 19 per cent from the previous quarter to $US63.23 ($88.86) per dmt, only 58 per cent of the Platts IODEX benchmark iron ore price.

Unplanned border closures and lockdowns implemented due to COVID-19 continued to impact MRL operations throughout the quarter.

Ore mined at the Yilgarn hub was 11 per cent lower as a result of labour constraints; however, the mine produced a consistent amount

of ore at 2.6 million wet metric tonnes (wmt).

Iron ore shipments totalled 4.9 million wmt during the quarter, driven by the growth of the new Wonmunna mine at the Utah Point hub in the East Pilbara region.

In January 2022, iron ore prices reached four-month highs of $130 per tonne for the first time since October 2021.

The December quarterly report shows figures up until December 31 2021, so the recent price increase is not reflected in the report.

THE RESTART OF THE WODGINA LITHIUM MINE IN THE PILBARA IS UNDERWAY.

CARMICHAEL COAL READY TO SET SAIL Bravus Mining & Resources has successfully delivered its first shipment of high-quality coal from its Carmichael mine to the North Queensland Export Terminal (NQXT) in Bowen.

The coal was delivered during the testing and commissioning of Bowen Rail Company’s new trains and is ready for export.

The coal will be loaded and dispatched as per NQXT’s normal operations and subject to the port’s shipping schedule.

“This is a big moment for everyone who has worked so

diligently and passionately to build this mine and its worldclass supporting civil and commercial infrastructure,” Bravus chief executive officer David Boshoff said.

“From day one, the objectives of the Carmichael project were to supply high-quality Queensland coal to nations determined to lift millions of their citizens out of energy poverty and to create local jobs and economic prosperity in Queensland communities in the process.

“With the support of the people AUSTRALIANMINING

of regional Queensland, we have delivered on that promise.”

Boshoff said the Carmichael project had provided more than 2600 direct jobs and paid more than $1 billion to regional Queensland contractors and businesses since construction began.

“High-quality Australian coal will have a role to play, alongside renewables, for decades to come as part of an energy mix that delivers reliable and affordable power with reduced emissions intensity,” he said.

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The Carmichael project struck first coal in June last year, following a decade-long effort to get mining operations up and running at the site.

“High-quality Australian coal will have a role to play, alongside renewables, for decades to come as part of an energy mix that delivers reliable and affordable power with reduced emissions intensity,” Boshoff said.

Bravus is expected to produce 10 million tonnes of thermal coal per annum at the Carmichael mine.

NEWS

RIO TINTO TO CHARGE UP WITH WABTEC Rio Tinto will purchase four battery-electric trains from Wabtec Corporation for use in the Pilbara region of Western Australia as part of its strategy to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.

The four seven-megawatt-hour FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives from Wabtec will be used to carry ore from Rio Tinto’s mines to its ports and will be recharged at purpose-built charging stations at the port or mine.

The locomotives will also be capable of generating additional energy while in transit through a regenerative braking system which

takes energy from the train and uses it to recharge the onboard batteries.

Wabtec’s next-generation energymanagement software system will determine the optimal times to discharge and recharge the batteries along to route, ensuring the most fuel-efficient operation of the entire locomotive consist during the trip.

“Our partnership with Wabtec is an investment in innovation and an acknowledgement of the need to increase the pace of our decarbonisation efforts,” Rio Tinto managing director of port, rail and core services Richard Cohen said.

“Battery-electric locomotives offer

significant potential for emissions reduction in the near term as we seek to reduce our scope one and two carbon emissions in the Pilbara by 50 per cent by 2030.”

In mainline operations, Rio Tinto currently uses three diesel-electric locomotives in a consist to pull trains with 240 cars hauling about 28,000 tons of iron ore.

“Rio Tinto is a progressive leader in the mining industry, adopting advanced technologies necessary to drive sustainable, efficient operations that deliver results for its customers, shareholders, and communities,” Wabtec regional

senior vice president Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand Wendy McMillan said.

This announcement follows Wabtec’s recent partnership with Roy Hill for the world’s first fully batterypowered, heavy-haul locomotive, and the testing of its mining collision awareness system (CAS) vehicle intervention solution with Komatsu haul trucks.

Production is due to commence in the US in 2023 ahead of initial trials in the Pilbara in early 2024 tested against a range of safety and functional criteria, including integration with AutoHaul.

THE BATTERY-ELECTRIC TRAINS WILL CARRY ORE FROM RIO TINTO’S MINES.

RINEHART SEEKS EPA APPROVAL FOR MULGA DOWNS MINE Mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has filed for environmental approval for a 20 million tonne per annum (Mtpa) iron ore mine on her family’s Mulga Downs station in the Pilbara.

The proposed area is located within an area of existing pastoral and mining land use, with transport of the ore proposed via the Great Northern Highway to Port Hedland for export.

According to the proposal filed with the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority

(EPA), facilities will be developed to support production of up to 20 Mtpa over a minimum 30year period.

The Mulga Downs project includes, but is not limited to, mine associated infrastructure and support facilities, including an accommodation camp, energy supply infrastructure, airstrip, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and an ore processing facility.

Earlier this year, Hancock Prospecting signed a development agreement to lead a bankable AUSTRALIANMINING

feasibility study on the Hardey iron ore project in the West Pilbara owned by the Australian Premium Iron (API) joint venture.

Under the terms of the development agreement, Hancock will lead the development and operation of the project, subject to a final investment decision.

“I am particularly delighted that Hancock is joining forces with Boawu, the largest steel maker in the world,” Hancock executive chair Gina Rinehart said.

“Whilst Hancock already has

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a long-standing successful partnership with POSCO through our Roy Hill mega project, and great relationship with Chinese companies who helped us deliver the outstanding Roy project, we look froward to enjoying the same successes as we work with Boawu and our friends at AMCI through the studies, development and operations of the Hardey project.”

The project is expected to be a $US7.4 billion ($10.3 billion) mine, rail and deep-water port development.

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NEWS

SOUTH32: CANNINGTON HAULS ITSELF ABOVE EXPECTATIONS South32’s Cannington silver-lead mine in North West Queensland has had a successful second half of 2021 as the company prepares to transition to 100 per cent truck haulage at the site.

Cannington remains on track to transition to a 100 per cent truck haulage operation from the June 2022 quarter as a low-cost capital option that has the potential to bring forward further higher-grade material from the 2023 financial year at current operating costs and throughput rates.

A trial of light battery electric vehicles is also expected to commence during the June 2022 half-year, testing their potential use

in the vehicle fleet.

Cannington has recorded a nine per cent increase of payable zinc equivalent production in the December 2021 half year.

The increase brought the production to 152,500 tonnes for the half as higher grades across all products and strong underground performance supported metal production.

Payable zinc sales increased by 29 per cent during the quarter as South32 drew down inventory at Cannington, while payable lead and silver sales increased by 50 per cent and 47 per cent, respectively, due to the timing of shipments,

following adverse weather in the September 2021 quarter.

“We achieved a number of strong production results across our portfolio and realised significantly higher commodity prices in the December 2021 half-year, lifting operating margins across the group,” South32 chief executive officer Graham Kerr said.

Production guidance for the 2022 financial year has been revised to be five per cent higher than previously expected, to reflect continued strong underground mine performance and higher average grades, making the updated targets 12.28 million ounces for silver, 117,900 tonnes for lead, and

292,200 tonnes of payable zinc equivalent production.

In New South Wales, the South32 Illawarra metallurgical coal operation saw a saleable production decrease of 23 per cent following an extended longwall move at the Dendrobium coal mine.

Over to the west at Worsley Alumina in Western Australia, saleable production decreased slightly by two per cent.

However, the production guidance for the 2022 financial year remains unchanged with the ongoing focus of improving initiatives at the refinery expected to maintain production above nameplate capacity of 4.6 million tonnes.

CANNINGTON WILL TRANSITION TO 100 PER CENT TRUCK HAULAGE.

OZ MINERALS BREATHES LIFE INTO PROMINENT HILL EXPANSION OZ Minerals has selected long-time partner Zitrón Australia to design and manufacture a new primary underground ventilation system for the Prominent Hill gold mine in South Australia.

The companies have worked together since 2014, and the new project will see this relationship extended until at least the end of 2022.

Zitrón Australia managing director Javier Fernandez Lopez said the deal was a credit to his team.

“Congratulations to all the Zitrón Australia team members who have contributed to securing this contract, to our suppliers and partners for their contribution and to our customer, OZ Minerals, for the trust it has shown in us,” Lopez said.

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Prominent Hill to 8.6 megawatts.

“The contract will see Zitrón carry out a complete fan performance test in the company’s AMCAaccredited test bench, the largest in the world for axial fan testing,” Lopez said.

“All the fan performance parameters will be tested (flow, pressure, efficiency, vibrations, temperature) when the fan is run at its nominal speed and projected working conditions, in line with the resistance levels nominated in the

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MARCH 2022

project specification.”

Zitron Australia is part of the larger namesake Spanish group, which is a leader in ventilation solutions for underground environments.

In August, OZ Minerals was approved to construct a new hoisting shaft at Prominent Hill, adding four years to the mine’s life for a cost of $600 million.

The Wira shaft will allow the mine to operate until 2036 at around six million tonnes per annum.

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FEEDING THE GREEN TRANSFORMATION WITH DEVELOPERS ASKING OF MORE BATTERY MATERIALS THAN EVER BEFORE, AUSTRALIA HAS A CRITICAL ROLE TO PLAY IN ENSURING THE WORLD’S GREEN REVOLUTION REACHES ITS DESTINATION.

A

ustralia is in the box seat when it comes to capitalising on the renewable energy transition, with the country’s upstream capability not solely rooted in commodities such as iron ore and gold.

Australia has some of the world’s richest resources of battery materials and leads the pack when it comes to lithium production and exports.

Spodumene concentrate is Australia’s primary lithium resource, which international customers convert into lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide to be used in batteries.

The Greenbushes lithium mine in Western Australia, owned by a three-way joint venture of IGO and Tianqi Lithium Corporation (51 per cent) and Albemarle Corporation (49 per cent), has an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of spodumene.

Once Pilbara Minerals has ramped up its Ngungaju plant and completed

improvements on its Pilgan plant at the Pilgangoora lithium operation in WA, the company hopes to be producing 580,000 Mtpa of spodumene by the middle of 2022.

Nickel is a sought-after resource in electrification, as it can improve the energy density and storage capacity of electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Australia has a number of established nickel producers, including BHP’s Nickel West operation, IGO’s Nova operation and Glencore’s Murrin Murrin mine in WA. According to the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources’ Resources and Energy Quarterly December 2021, Australia’s annual nickel exports amounted to 181,000 tonnes in the 2020–21 financial year.

This is a significant figure, but considering Australia has the world’s largest nickel reserves of an estimated 19 million tonnes, the country has barely scratched the surface of its potential.

Nickel development projects

in Australia include Panoramic Resources’ Savannah nickel project in WA, which delivered its first shipment of nickel-copper-cobalt concentrate in December 2021.

Western Areas’ Odysseus mine in WA produced first nickel ore in October 2021, and after completing construction of its concentrator complex the company aims to produce first concentrate in the December quarter of 2022.

By that time, the mine will be under the control of IGO after the major miner bought Western Areas for $1.096 billion in December 2021. IGO hopes to complete the transaction in April 2022.

Queensland Pacific Metals (QPM) is a future producer of green nickel, cobalt, high-purity alumina and other by-products through its TECH Project.

The TECH Project is slightly different to the average pit-to-port operation in that it will import highgrade ore from New Caledonia to be processed in its Townsville plant.

QPM updated the TECH Project’s

DRILLING AT COBALT BLUE’S BROKEN HILL PROJECT. AUSTRALIANMINING

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life cycle assessment in November 2021, which suggested it will be the first ever battery-grade nickel manufacturing plant that’s not only carbon-neutral, but carbon-negative.

QPM will look to achieve this goal through a gas-sourcing strategy that will see it repurpose greenhouse-intensive waste gas from metallurgical coal mines to power its manufacturing plant.

To solidify this, QPM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Transition Energy Corporation and North Queensland Gas Pipeline in August 2021 to establish a dedicated gas supply chain from the northern Bowen Basin to the TECH Project.

The TECH Project is estimated to require 10 petajoules of gas per annum once in steadystate operation.

QPM managing director and chief executive officer Stephen Grocott said the TECH Project was built with sustainability front of mind.

“Gaining recognition for our sustainability credentials is very

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

important. Just recognising that in the market is significant for producers like QPM because we are so clean and so green it’s not funny,” he said.

“In the sustainability race, we’ve finished the race and we’ve got our feet up having a cold drink while other people are still strapping on their running shoes.

“We’re negative greenhouse gas intensive, zero process liquid discharge, we’re almost no residue, no tailings dam. We use recycled materials in our process.”

Joined by Australian Strategic Materials (ASM) and Cobalt Blue, QPM was invited to a December 2021 meeting with Republic of Korea (South Korea) President Moon Jae-in in what was the first visit to Australia by a South Korean president since 2009.

South Korea has become a technological powerhouse, with the country home to three battery heavyweights, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation, combining for approximately a third of the global EV market.

President Moon’s visit with QPM, ASM and Cobalt Blue was his only business engagement during his short stay down under,

sending a strong signal that South Korea is keen to engage with Australia’s emerging critical minerals producers.

ASM used its time alongside highlevel delegates to establish a deal with the Korean Mine Rehabilitation and Resource Corporation (KOMIR), the country’s dedicated body supporting the supply of critical minerals and metals into Korea.

The agreement will see ASM work closely with KOMIR to expand the use of rare earths and critical metals in Korea and shore up import opportunities going forward. The company’s South Korean processing plant will be a centrepiece of this partnership.

Liz Griffin, executive director for the Australia-Korea Business Council (AKBC) – the national body that facilitated the meeting – forecasts plenty more deals to come in the wake of the meeting.

“Things are really going to escalate and heat up over the coming weeks, months and years,” Griffin said. “Remarkably, we’ve already seen follow-up from Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and they’ve already followed up on some of the recommendations that we made in the meeting.”

SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT MOON JAE-IN AT THE MEETING.

Cobalt Blue chief executive officer Joe Kaderavek said the meeting with President Moon was not just a coalescing of delegates, but the creation of a new sector.

“The Korean Government sees this as a strategic opportunity to build an industry,” he said.

“On their side, they’re looking to create a critical minerals MoU.

They’re looking to create a preferred relationship between our government and their government.

“They’re looking to put their own money in, so our $1.5 billion critical minerals loan facility will soon be matched. There will be a similar deployment of capital specifically on critical minerals between the two governments.

AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC MATERIALS’ KOREAN METALS PLANT IN SOUTH KOREA.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

“Watch this space. Don’t think of it as a one-off here or there, think of it as an industry-building process.”

Cobalt Blue is represented by its Broken Hill cobalt project in New South Wales, which comprises a global mineral resource of 118 million tonnes at 859 parts per million cobalt-equivalent for 81,100 tonnes of contained cobalt.

Broken Hill’s pilot plant successfully produced cobalt sulphate samples in October 2021, and with a host of parties eager to receive samples Cobalt Blue will transition the pilot plant to a demonstration plant in 2022.

Kaderavek says the demonstration plant will be one of its kind.

“We are going to be mining 3000 tonnes of ore and producing about 3000 kilograms of various cobalt products (from the demonstration plant). That has never been done before for a greenfield project globally,” he said.

“Why are we doing that? One, we’re proving the process works on a 24–7 basis … another important point is that (we need to ensure) we’re making the right product.

“So we’ve already shipped samples to 30 partners globally as part of our pilot plant, which has now ceased operation. We’re now upscaling to a demonstration plant where those initial pilot samples will lead to further discussion.

“We’re looking to provide up to 100 kilograms to those partners so they can then take that and do their actual tests. As opposed to just testing for purity, they’ll do an actual test to make it into a battery.”

Cobalt Blue has also established an MoU with the Queensland Government to explore opportunities in the recovery of cobalt (and any coexisting base and precious metals) from mine waste.

This forms part of the Queensland Government’s $13 million New Economy Minerals Initiative and will see Cobalt Blue conduct testwork to evaluate minerals processing options in the recovery of target metals.

Cobalt Blue expects to receive initial samples for testwork in the first quarter of 2022.

Kaderavek says that while Australia’s cobalt potential is well realised in the ground (16 per cent of the world’s cobalt reserves), it is also significantly untapped in waste.

“In waste, we have significant quantities of cobalt. For example, in Queensland there is approximately 300,000 tonnes of cobalt sitting atsurface in tailings dams, in waste streams,” he said.

“So, typically, 40- or 50-metre depth, easy to extract – it’s already been mined, it’s already been ground – so the processing costs are a fraction.”

Not only is there the economic incentive to extract cobalt from waste, but there’s also environmental, social and governance (ESG) benefits, as the extraction process reduces contaminant leaching.

Kaderavek says the possibilities are endless when it comes to wasteextracted cobalt, with potential partners likely to pay premium prices for recycled cobalt given the ESG correlation.

Australia is also advancing its

DRILL CORE FROM THE BROKEN HILL PROJECT.

potential in rare earths, something ASM is hoping to commercialise through its Dubbo project in NSW, along with other emerging rare earths companies such as Hastings Technology Metals, Arafura Resources and Northern Minerals.

Lynas Rare Earths already has an established operation at Mt Weld, WA, which produced 4209 tonnes or rare earth oxides in the December quarter of 2021.

Rare earths are used for magnets in EVs and require a small amount that is crucial to delivering an EV off

AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC MATERIALS’ DUBBO PROJECT IN NSW. AUSTRALIANMINING

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the production line.

Whether it’s in the supply of lithium, nickel, cobalt, rare earths or any other critical mineral, Australia’s role in the world’s green transformation will only grow in the coming years and decades. The country’s critical minerals industry is established but we’ve only scratched the surface of our potential.

So who’s next? Who will follow in the footsteps of QPM, ASM and Cobalt Blue and grab the opportunity by the scruff of the neck? AM

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

FUTURE MINERS TO CHANGE UP SKILLSETS IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE, MINING AND METALS COMPANIES WILL ADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGIES, BECOMING PART OF THE WORLD’S DECARBONISATION JOURNEY.

T

ACCENTURE’S GASTÓN CARRIÓN.

he transformation has already begun, and has the possibility of leading to safer work, higher paying jobs, and better quality of life.

However, the mining industry must adjust its skillset accordingly, with many previously required skills becoming less imperative and a whole spectrum of essential new skills emerging.

Information technology company Accenture, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s mining and metals future of work taskforce, conducted a Global Talent Innovation Initiative to look into the skills gaps that are forming in the industry.

It found that even after upskilling the vast majority of their current workforce, most companies will still experience skills gaps in their local labour markets.

Gastón Carrión, Accenture managing director of global natural resources talent and organisation/human potential lead, said the industry is experiencing issues around retaining and developing talent for the future.

“My number-one finding was that the by strategy that miners have been using for pretty much all the history is not going to make the cut for the next five, 10, 15 years because of the diverse workforce they will need to operate the mines of the future,” he said.

In order to solve the future problems in the environment, social and governance (ESG) agenda by improving the market and getting into renewables, innovation is key.

But innovation doesn’t come by doing the same thing that was done yesterday.

“We might need different profiles coming into the industry which are less engineer-based and more design thinkers, big thinkers, and so forth,” Carrión said.

“Also, the mining sector has traditionally been very much processbased and now we will need to use data to construct future pathways. For the long term, analytical skills will be critical.”

As a workforce grows younger, the values of those workers adjusts accordingly. With Generation Z the future of the taskforce, the report found that what younger people value most is the culture and society of the organisation.

“Elements around empathy are imperative. Creating a diverse workforce is quite important for

the miners and will be critical to developing the soft skills of the future leaders in order to connect, not only within the organisation, but outside of the ecosystem,” Carrión said.

The report also found that three quarters of Gen Z rank purpose above their pay cheque, and value working for companies that actively work on improving the society and environment of the workplace.

“Quite often people will value the nature of the work that they’re doing and the purpose of the work above their income,” Curtin University professor of practice in mining automation and data analysis at the Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) Dr Robert Solomon said.

“When I first went into the workforce, I believe that was also one of the drivers of our careers by myself and my colleagues, but I think over the last 20 years or so it shifted, and it went into very much driven by what your income was.

“It’s refreshing to see the upcoming generation who are driven by more idealistic perspectives as well, which

THREE QUARTERS OF GEN Z RANK PURPOSE ABOVE THEIR PAY CHEQUE.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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I agree with – and I’m inspired by it, in fact.”

Carrión outlined the fact this is not a problem that can be solved in isolation by one particular country or company.

It requires an industry consortium.

Accenture and the World Economic Forum’s mining and metals future of work taskforce are now delving into the next phase of the initiative.

“Phase two will have a focus on putting a workforce plan in place that we can then showcase to the rest of the industry companies that will be impacted over the years,” Carrión said.

Solomon said that while the challenges are increasing, so are the opportunities for the future workforce.

“There’s a world of opportunity for the young graduates and young professionals entering the industry, but we can’t predict what the future is going to be like,” he said.

“So the key to success is to accept the challenges, do the best job you can, and continuously learn.

“Learning is no longer just a key to success. It’s a key to survive.” AM

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

KEY THEMES FOR METS COMPANIES IN 2022 CHRISTINE GIBBS STEWART, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF AUSTMINE, THE NATIONAL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MINING EQUIPMENT, TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES (METS) SECTOR, EXAMINES WHAT WILL IMPACT METS COMPANIES IN 2022 AND BEYOND.

G

iven our strong ecosystem and focus on innovation, Australian METS are well placed to continue on a growth trajectory and once again engage with the world.

As the mining industry embraces its role in the global community and seeks to secure social licence to operate, decarbonisation has emerged at the top of the sustainability agenda.

Executives from the world’s leading mining organisations have pledged to achieve net zero scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and with this commitment the expectations of the value chain are shifting and suppliers must demonstrate the sustainability benefits of their solutions.

The METS sector has an opportunity to stay ahead of the game and pioneer new methods of decarbonising mining. Solutions that drive energy efficiency, reduce diesel fuel consumption and electrify mining are already available in the market and will be important building blocks for a zero emissions future. However, new technologies need to be developed to create a real step-change in curbing emissions, and as we have seen in programs such as the Charge On Innovation Challenge and Electric Mine Consortium, a collaborative industry approach is needed to ensure success.

Australia has spent the bulk of the past 24 months in isolation. While

border closures and travel bans may have helped control COVID-19 infections and fatalities, these restrictions have been detrimental to exporters.

Exporting is the lifeblood of many Aussie METS who have taken their solutions global and won market share through superior product quality, constant innovation, and technological expertise. However, business growth has been stunted by reduced access to overseas customers, diminished in-market support, interrupted supply chains and inability to get on site.

Furthermore, the reduced participation from Australian METS in international marketing activities such as trade shows and exhibitions has decreased future project opportunities and provided a leg-up to competitors, with the absence of Australians at last year’s MINExpo particularly glaring.

Austmine is focusing on opening avenues to North and South America in 2022 and we will be collaborating with Austrade to increase Australia’s presence at EXPONOR in Antofagasta, Chile from June 13–16 and PERUMIN from 20–24 in Lima, Peru. Plans are also in motion for international mining missions later in the year to Quebec, Canada, and Arizona, US. Australia’s mining innovation ecosystem is truly the envy of the world. Across the country various networks and programs have been established to fast-track technology development and facilitate greater cooperation between businesses across AUSTRALIANMINING

the mining value chain.

This structured and sophisticated approach to industry collaboration has ensured we remain at the forefront of mining innovation globally and has driven solution development in areas such as electrification, tailings management, hard safety controls and robotics and automation. Other mining nations have seen our success and are now seeking to replicate these approaches abroad.

Greater collaboration, transparency and communication across the industry has given rise to open innovation programs that target critical industry issues and difficult-to-solve operational challenges. Examples of these programs include the BHP Austmine Supplier Innovation Program, OZ Minerals Think and Act Different Incubator and Thinking Critical South Australia.

There has never been a more exciting time to be part of the METS sector, but significant disruption is pervasive globally.

COVID-19 will continue to interrupt businesses and, as recently witnessed around the world, lockdowns and increased restrictions will still be utilised by governments to contain the virus.

METS companies are continuing to battle with global container shortages, delayed shipments and increased freight rates, affecting their ability to meet contractual obligations and undertake additional work. According to an ACCC report released in November 2021, freight rates on key

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global trade routes are seven times higher than they were just over a year ago.

METS organisations must embrace strength in numbers to combat disruption and share information, knowledge and expertise with each other to support a stronger, sustainable industry.

Mining technology businesses emerged as one of the few winners from COVID-19 disruption, with the pandemic forcing operations to bring forward digital transformation initiatives by several years.

This digital wave is good news for METS. To keep up with competitors, mining companies have reduced inhouse technology development and outsourced this to the METS sector, which has the knowledge, resources and expertise to rapidly bring new solutions to the market.

Mining technology is a hot investment commodity and nearly $US2 billion in transactions have been completed across the last two years. This trend will only continue as the pace of digital transformation accelerates and miners seek to reduce supply chain complexities and simplify the digital platforms work across.

It is imperative for METS businesses to integrate their solutions into the digital mining ecosystem and put data and information from their technologies into the hands of decisionmakers. Digital application is now an expectation for product and service offerings, not an additional benefit. AM

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COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

IRON ORE MINERS WEATHER THE CYCLICAL STORM A VOLATILE IRON ORE PRICE CAUSED A FEW HEADACHES FOR BURGEONING PRODUCERS IN LATE 2021, BUT A FIRST QUARTER RECOVERY HAS ALLOWED SOME TO RETURN BIGGER AND BETTER IN 2022.

W

hile the wider mining industry continues its battle with issues of labour shortages and border restrictions, the price of iron ore has been both a blessing and a curse over a short period.

Rising to record highs of $US230 ($294) per tonne in May last year, before diving to $180 and rising above $200 again from June through July, it provided miners with plenty to consider.

Australia-China relations were stretched by Chinese restrictions on steel production, but analysts were sure the tides would turn and iron ore prices

would return to usual programming.

But a mountainous dive was to come, as iron ore prices caught up with the curb in steel production and more than halved in the space of two months.

From July to September, the price dropped another $130 per tonne and several of Australia’s growing iron ore producers were brought to unfeasible standstills.

By mid-November, a secondary dive saw the iron ore price bottom out in the low $80s per tonne and the likes of GWR Group, CuFe, Venture Minerals, Indus Mining and Mount Gibson had all halted mining operations citing iron ore prices.

GWR chair Gary Lyons foreshadowed in September his company was well prepared to outlast the pricing lull in Australia’s top export.

“Whilst it is disappointing that mining operations have temporarily ceased at the C4 iron ore mine, it is important to note GWR remains in a strong position to resume operation as the mine will be left in a productionready state

in order to take advantage of a recovery in iron ore prices,” Lyons said.

And outlast they did. By the turn of the new year, the iron ore price had been above $100 per tonne for more than three weeks and showed few signs of slowing down.

Come the middle of January, GWR was able to recommence mining operations at C4 as prices rose past $120, while the company continued its haulage operations and sales had continued over the holiday period.

Lyons said while he was optimistic in September about seeing this result, he admits to being thankful it turned out for the best.

“There was certainly no expectation on my part, so you’d have to say the feeling is more so one of relief that we were able to start operations again,” Lyons told Australian Mining.

“However, although we’d ceased mining activities, we hadn’t stopped moving product. We had a stockpile and we’ve continued to make some sales and haul some product to the port.”

By February, GWR had returned to full production at C4, with several sales locked away for the months to come.

At time of writing, GWR’s publicly announced sales included one March shipment for $110 per tonne;

GWR HALTED MINING BUT CONTINUED HAULAGE OF STOCKPILES IN LATE 2021.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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PWC PARTNER MARC UPCROFT.

April, May and June shipments at $111 per tonne; and one July shipment for $114 per tonne.

Lyons said he was happy to secure the near-term future of the company in uncertain times.

“It is great to see the flagship C4 iron ore mine back in full production. Having worked through the recent volatility in iron ore prices, the GWR team has been able to refine its operations focused on cost reduction and fixed price contract shipments,” he said.

Lyons added it was important to secure these sales to avoid any disappointment caused by future market crashes.

“These sales were at a fixed price and on an FOB (free on board) basis simply because of the fluctuations in shipping costs and I didn’t want to be exposed to that volatility,” he said.

“The volatility is not only in iron ore price

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

and shipping, but also in currency exchanges. I just hedged our bets wherever I possibly could to know exactly what we’re going to be banking.”

Lyons’ advice to anyone in a similar position to GWR’s was to protect against the future by securing it ahead of time.

“I’m not sure I’ve done anything too clever or smart, but when we’re considering our shareholders and the many mums and dads out there, security is key and it’s critical we’re able to continue mining operations while delivering product with some sort of margin,” he says.

In the case of GWR’s C4 iron ore mine, with a 750km drive to the Port of Geraldton for stockpiling, the operation is far more susceptible to falls in iron ore price than most.

This caution may well have been the right tact in this scenario, as PwC partner Marc Upcroft said 2022 may see similar behaviour in the iron ore price as in 2021.

“I think that volatility is going to be a theme we see in 2022 again. We are going to see demand changes,” Upcroft said.

“The way iron ore works is supply is not quite fixed but not quite as variable as demand is, which is why when we see changes in demand we

GWR’S C4 IRON ORE MINE HAS RETURNED TO FULL PRODUCTION.

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COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

GWR HAS 20 MILLION MORE TONNES TO MINE AT C4.

see significant price changes in iron ore.”

With such distance between the C4 mine and its nearest port, Lyons recognised his company’s burden of higher-than-average production costs.

“We’re always going to be the last to commence mining and the first to stop, simply because of costs associated, particularly with logistics from mine to port,” he said.

“We’re very sensitive to any price movement and I always say, ‘a sparrow in the hand is better than the eagle sitting on the roof’, so I’m always very focused on protecting margins.”

This aligns with forecasts from Wood Mackenzie senior analyst Kim Christie, who remains optimistic for miners like GWR. “Small mines tend to be higher cost operations so these operators will remain cautious in regard to their outlook for prices, particularly as 2022 progresses,” Christie said.

“Having said that, even at $90 per tonne, most will be making decent margins so we think that 2022 will still be a positive year for most Australian iron ore producers.”

Lyons said he plans to take this forecast and run with it – at a responsible pace, of course.

“We still have more iron ore to sell, I haven’t locked everything

away. But if we see another rise in iron ore price then I’ll be looking to take advantage of that and hedge out even further,” Lyons concludes.

Overall, the iron ore price remains promising in an Australian landscape that has been historically

very favourable toward the production of iron ore.

With the country’s proximity to major iron ore importers like China, Japan and Korea, and the high quality of the ore, Australia is well placed to weather any more financial

GWR HAS SECURED IRON ORE SHIPMENTS UNTIL THE END OF JULY.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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storms that come its way.

“For the average iron ore producer in Australia, our average production cost is still really low, which means greater profits,” Upcroft said.

“The iron ore sector is still quite healthy overall.” AM

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COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL GEMSTONE. SOURCE: PETE MURRAY.

“YOU JUST FALL IN LOVE WITH THE STONE” OPAL IS ONE OF THE FEW MINERALS THAT CAN BE EXTRACTED ECONOMICALLY THROUGH SMALL-SCALE OPERATIONS. THE INDUSTRY IS FACING SOME CHALLENGES, BUT THESE PASSIONATE MINERS ARE NOT AFRAID OF TOUGH TIMES.

A

ustralia produces over 90 per cent of the world’s opal, giving it the rightful title of the country’s national gemstone.

It’s found in the key areas of Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs in New South Wales, Coober Pedy and Andamooka in South Australia, and the Queensland opal fields located within the Winton Formation.

Opal mining is no easy feat, nor is it for the faint of heart. Unlike other types of mining, there is no guaranteeing where opal will be found, how much of it will be found, or when.

Often described as a thrill akin to gambling, opal miners can go weeks, months or even years without finding opal – until they do.

“For someone that’s willing to gamble, the possibility of going out with nothing to their name and coming back with hundreds of thousands of dollars in a little bag is a gamble, and that’s what it’s really about,” White Cliffs Miners Association president Ron Dowton told Australian Mining.

THE OPAL MINING INDUSTRY IN NSW IS PROBABLY THE LAST BASTION OF THE COUNTRY, AND IT CREATES A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SOCIETY. IT’S SMALL-SCALE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION CHAIN UNTIL IT GETS TO THE EXPORT.”

Lightning Ridge in NSW is the world’s leading producer of the rare black opal for which Australia has become famous. Black opal was even declared a state emblem in 2008.

“It’s a risky industry financially, but the attraction for young people – our next generation of opal miners – I would think is to be self-employed, it is to run your own agenda,” National Opal Miners Association secretary and Lightning Ridge Miners Association secretary and manager Maxine O’Brien told Australian Mining.

“You have to be very practical to be able to keep your costs of production down, but it has that element of gambling.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“There is a thrill to it. It’s not like in another type of mine, where you’re working for somebody else and you’re mining things every day with a constant stream of commodity.

“If you discover something when opal mining, it’s incredibly beautiful and you would be the very first person who has ever seen it on Earth.

“Opal fever is real; you just fall in love with the stone.”

The vast majority of opal mining in Lightning Ridge occurs in the Narran-Warrambool Reserve.

Special conditions apply to opal prospecting and mining within the reserve, with 28-day, or in some circumstances three-month, licences available for designated prospecting

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MARCH 2022

blocks. There is a restriction of two mineral claims per person, and the claims are 50m x 50m.

“We have a title system, where we already have local prospecting areas created. We’ve got one whole area which is a dedicated mineral claims district, but half of it we don’t have access to as yet,” O’Brien said.

“Our prospecting blocks are predetermined, but they nevertheless need to be mapped out because they have been all over the shop, which has had a bit of an impact on prospecting.

“We only mine on the Cretaceous ridges and the maps were only digitised 10 or 15 years ago and they never quite aligned with the geological features on the ground.”

Keeping small-scale mining going is imperative for places like Lightning Ridge to stay afloat, with the majority of the town made up of self-employed miners.

“The opal mining industry in NSW is probably the last bastion of the country, and it creates a totally different society. It’s small-scale all the way through the distribution chain until it gets to the export,” O’Brien said.

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

“It’s a pretty important export throughout our community and I think it’s worth preserving in the Australian landscape and culture.”

Over in White Cliffs, the opal industry has run into some regulatory roadblocks.

Negotiations on new land-use agreements for the dugouts have been ongoing since 2016, when NSW Crown Lands realised a native title determination accidentally cancelled out many of the dugout licences.

Resolutions are yet to be made between Crown Lands, White Cliffs locals and the Barkandji Native Title Group Corporation, meaning opal mining is at a standstill.

At this stage, the highest form of tenancy under native title – a permanent lease with the ability to transfer rights to family members – has been offered to dugout owners.

Dowton is confident White Cliffs will return to mining opal in the future.

“One of the things about being an opal miner is you can’t be fainthearted; the faint-hearted always lose and I certainly don’t want to be a loser. I’ve put 45 years of my life into this,” he said.

North of the border, Queensland opal mining is based on a claim

system that has served the industry for a long time and is currently facing proposed changes from the State Government.

The draft plan proposes to remove mining claims from the Mineral Resources Act 1989 entirely.

“It looks like they might be the first state in Australia to eliminate mining claims as a form of mining tenure, and that’s the current battle we’re involved in,” Queensland Opal Miners Association president Rob White told Australian Mining.

“Prior to COVID the opal industry was in a stage of resurgence, but the moratorium of mining claims will increase the cost of the start-up by a lot.

“It’ll mean we have to go back to mining leases.

“It’s such a shame because opal is an iconic product. We call our sporting teams after it, we call our transport cards after it and every tourist that comes to Australia wants to buy a piece of it.”

Queensland Opal Miners Association secretary Kevin Phillips said geologists often find their careers through associations with opal and other gemstones.

“They generally become interested in geology through minerals and gems

KEEPING SMALL-SCALE MINING GOING IS IMPERATIVE. SOURCE: PETE MURRAY.

QUEENSLAND OPAL MINING IS BASED ON A CLAIM SYSTEM. SOURCE: PETE MURRAY.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

THE OPAL MINING INDUSTRY DESERVES SUPPORT; OUR OWN BORN-AND-BRED WORKERS, WHO JUST WANT A FAIR GO, AND THE RIGHT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE ECONOMY ... SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES IN ORDER TO KEEP REGIONAL FACILITIES, AGENCIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE REGION IS SO IMPORTANT.”

AUSTRALIA PRODUCES OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE WORLD’S OPAL. SOURCE: DEISENBERGER MINING.

and gold, through their associations with small-scale mining events that occur in their youth,” he said.

“The opal mining industry deserves support; our own born-andbred workers, who just want a fair go, and the right to contribute to the community and the economy.

“Supporting small businesses in order to keep regional facilities, agencies and infrastructure within the region is so important.”

Over in South Australia, opal mining has experienced something of a resurgence over the past four years, the Department for Energy and Mining (DEM) told Australian Mining.

Between 2018 and 2022, the DEM has received more than 435 new permit applications and there have been close to 2000 registered claims during that time.

OPAL MINING IS NO EASY FEAT. SOURCE: PETE MURRAY.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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In its prime, Coober Pedy was home to more than 5000 residents, of which around 600 were miners, the DEM said. At the last census, there were approximately 1300 residents in Coober Pedy, of whom 250–280 were miners.

“One person can get one mining claim in South Australia,” Cooper Pedy Miners Association president Justin Freytag said.

“Depending on where that is, it could be anywhere from 15m2 up to 200m x 100m claims. But that’s only in certain areas to try and encourage people to go and work in those areas.”

The Australian opal mining industry is facing some battles ahead, but these miners are no strangers to tough times.

“You don’t find opal on a wage.

You find opal when you’re hungry,” Phillips said. AM

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COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

IT’S A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT SEVERAL RESILIENT AND AMBITIOUS MINING COMPANIES HAVE HELPED THE AUSTRALIAN POTASH INDUSTRY STEADILY MATERIALISE, AND IT’S NOW POISED TO ATTRACT CONSIDERABLE DEMAND IN COMING YEARS.

BCI IS ARMED WITH $1.2 BILLION TO ELEVATE MARDIE.

A

ustralia’s potash industry is wearing a few bruises, but it’s now moving in a positive direction.

Australia’s future potash producers have forged ahead after investor sentiment cooled in the wake of last year’s Salt Lake Potash capitulation.

Salt Lake, which was developing the Lake Way sulphate of potash (SOP) project in Western Australia, went into receivership in October 2021, owing $US127 million ($179 million) to secured creditors.

But it’s a marathon not a sprint when it comes to developing an SOP project, something Australian Potash recognises. In 2014, the company first found its Lake Wells project in WA to be rich with potassium and

sulphat, and has been honing the operation ever since.

Australian Potash chief executive officer Matt Shackleton said his company was working to overcome some industry malaise through honesty and good judgement following what he called some “overly ambitious” initial timelines for the sector.

Shackleton says a potash project needs to be approached and developed on its merits.

“The reality of these projects is that, if developed properly, they will last for several generations – these are very long-lived projects,” he told Australian Mining.

“They, however, do take some time to develop … and that’s a difficult thing to tell the market, particularly when the market’s AUSTRALIANMINING

been told that SOP projects only take a year to develop and a year to get going.”

An important ingredient in plant fertiliser, potash enjoys most of its trade in the agriculture industry.

Potash fertiliser increases the pH in soil, which allows for more crops to grow, and ever-increasing global populations mean more crops must be harvested for consumption.

Canada, Russia and Belarus are currently the biggest producers of muriate of potash (MOP), while China is the biggest producer of SOP. SOP is considered superior to MOP as it does not contain chloride, which affects plant yields and can be toxic on food plants. SOP also has a lower salinity level, which improves plants’ ability to absorb water and

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soil nutrients, therefore improving the crop quality and yield.

Australia’s potash industry has its sights set on SOP and will look to produce this through a more sustainable method than the resource-intensive Mannheim process used largely in China.

Aspiring Australian developers aim to extract SOP from brine in salt lakes, through solar evaporation and/ or chemical methods.

Australian Potash’s Lake Wells project is based on a 30-year mine life and has the potential to produce approximately 170,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of SOP. If the company can continue to hit its funding and development targets, it hopes to sell the first batch of Lake Wells SOP into the Australian farming market in 2024.

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

BCI Minerals, represented by its Mardie project on the Pilbara coast of WA, is another emerging player in the Australian potash space.

Mardie has the potential to produce 5.35 million tpa of salt and 140,000 tpa of SOP and has received strong financial backing to this point.

BCI finalised $1.2 billion of funding for Mardie in November 2021 by launching a $360 million capital raise, involving handsome contributions from existing shareholders Wroxby and Ryder Capital, as well as new shareholder AustralianSuper.

This also comprised $740 million in debt funding, with government entities the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) and Export Finance Australia (EFA) committing $490 million and $110 million, respectively.

BCI chief executive officer and managing director Alwyn Vorster said given Mardie’s extended development timeline, the company had to be particularly calculated with its funding strategy.

“Our focus during the capital raise process has been from day one that the solution to this project was to find long-term, patient shareholders, family offices, superannuation funds,” he said.

DRILLING AT LAKE WELLS.

“This is a very challenging story for a typical retail shareholder.

Having said that, we can’t ignore the retail shareholders because we need liquidity in the market, but in terms of longevity, it was always the likes of AustralianSuper, Cbus, UniSuper, those type of funds that we were targeting.”

Mardie will produce SOP slightly differently to the inland operations of Australian Potash, Kalium Lakes and Agrimin, due to its coastal location and use of sea water.

In October, Kalium Lakes took the baton as the first-ever Australian mining company to produce SOP by achieving production at its Beyondie

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COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

BCI’S MARDIE SALT AND POTASH PROJECT.

evaporation ponds and harvest operation,” Kalium Lakes chief executive officer Len Jubber said.

“This is expected to be avoided in the future with improved management of pond brine flows and harvesting.”

Vorster said there were lessons to be learned in Kalium Lakes’ disruptions, which will inform BCI as it continues advancing Mardie.

“From my understanding, Kalium’s problem at the moment is more brine-management related.

The lessons learned there are invaluable to BCI – the importance of not overestimating the ramp-up period and ensuring the very careful management of the quality of your brine pre the process plant,” he said.

“In the BCI case, we are not pumping concentrate from an ancient aquifer, we are using sea water. First we extract the salt and then the wastewater from the salt goes into the SOP circuit.

“This is absolute consistent quality of brine going through that process – sea water rarely changes in quality. I hope that we can show having consistent, quality brine flow management will make the production process easier.”

It’s important to remember the work Australian Potash, BCI, Kalium Lakes, Salt Lake and Agrimin have done is foundational.

They are Australia’s first potash companies, period.

There’s always going to be trial and error and there’s always going to be lessons to learn, which will

be discussed and understood, before processes are then refined.

Shackleton hopes the market can understand this process.

“The really important thing that all of the different stakeholder groups involved in mining shouldn’t miss … is the fact that what we’re trying to do here with this SOP industry is brand new; it’s never been done,” he said.

“It’s not as sexy as lithium because it doesn’t have the Elon

Musks of the world pushing it, we don’t have electric cars that look great. But Australian agriculture, food security and our proximity to the emerging middle-class sector in Asia, all of those things bode well for this brand-new industry.

“It’s got strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials and we’re going to be producing an organically certified product.

“If two or three or maybe

A TRIAL POND AT THE LAKE WELLS PROJECT.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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MARCH 2022

four of these projects get off the ground, we will become the preeminent SOP centre on the globe and Australia’s done this in six years. Another couple of years and we’ll be there.

“That shouldn’t be forgotten.

Because it’s not a really sexy commodity, it kind of gets pushed to the side but SOP will be very important in five years’ time.

“This will be a very important industry, in my opinion.” AM

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TECHNOLOGY

BHP’S WA IRON ORE RAIL NETWORK WILL WELCOME FOUR BATTERY-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES.

MINERS MAKING INROADS TOWARDS GREEN RAIL THE PAST SIX MONTHS HAVE SEEN A FLURRY OF MAJOR MINERS MAKING HEADLINES FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN DECARBONISING RAIL NETWORKS THAT SUPPORT THEIR SITES. AUSTRALIAN MINING EXAMINES THE VIABILITY OF THIS GREEN RAIL MOVEMENT.

A

2019 report from the Australian Government and the Australasian Railway Association estimated the country’s rail network was almost

33,000km long.

Playing a significant part in the country’s mining supply chain and rail network were Western Australia’s Pilbara iron ore network (measuring 2642km), central Queensland’s coal networks (1979km) and New South Wales’ Hunter Valley coal operations (785km).

With only 10 per cent of the country’s rail network electrified in 2019, the remaining 30,000km was reliant on diesel-powered locomotives to keep Australia moving.

Along these tracks, rail operators like Aurizon and the Australian Rail Track Corporation facilitate the transport of millions of tonnes of mined material like coal and ore from pit to port.

But as mining companies and rail operators turn their focus to the elimination of Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions, hundreds of dieselpowered locomotives have come under the spotlight.

In September 2021, Roy Hill purchased the world’s first fully battery-powered, heavy-haul

locomotive from Pittsburgh-based Wabtec. The FLXdrive locomotive will arrive on Australian shores in 2023, when Roy Hill will use it to haul iron ore through the heat of the Pilbara region.

In December 2021, Fortescue Metals Group welcomed two new locomotives to its research and development facility outside Perth, allowing the miner to test a new fuel system to decarbonise its rail freight.

The testing is being handled by Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), a Fortescue subsidiary, as the new trains join a two-stroke version procured earlier in 2021.

In the same month, Australia’s largest rail freight company, Aurizon, announced a strategic partnership with Anglo American to investigate hydrogen-powered bulk freight trains.

The partnership will consider the use of Anglo American’s hydrogen fuel-cell technology, already in advanced trials on its ultra-class 290-tonne haul truck fleet at the Mogalakwena platinum group metals mine in South Africa.

And now, in 2022, fellow heavy hitters BHP and Rio Tinto have each announced orders of four batteryelectric locomotives to reach their lofty carbon emission reduction targets.

Therein lie the questions: How AUSTRALIANMINING

important are these efforts in zeroemission rail freight? Will they be enough to wipe rail freight emissions from the radars of Australia’s major miners? And, if not, what more needs to be done?

Of the eight battery-electric locomotives purchased between BHP and Rio Tinto, six were ordered from Wabtec following Roy Hill’s purchase in September.

According to Wabtec senior regional vice president for southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand Wendy McMillan, the answer to the first question – how important are these efforts in zero-emission rail freight? – is “very”.

“The mining industry is taking an aggressive approach to decarbonising its operations and setting ambitious goals to reduce emissions,” she told Australian Mining.

“The major mining companies are being proactive in addressing the emissions of their rail operations.

Industry leaders such as BHP, Rio Tinto and Roy Hill are setting an example for mining companies worldwide by ordering the FLXdrive battery locomotive.”

BHP is targeting a 30 per cent cut to its operational GHG emissions (including rail) by 2030.

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MARCH 2022

Conveniently, a full transition to battery-electric locomotives would reduce BHP’s WA iron ore (WAIO) diesel-related carbon emissions by the same percentage.

WAIO’s rail fleet includes more than 180 locomotives, and for each dieselpowered locomotive converted to an alternative energy source, up to 3000 tonnes of carbon dioxide is eliminated per year, according to McMillan.

Considering this and BHP’s 16.2 million tonnes of GHG emissions during the 2021 financial year, the four FLXdrives mark a key step in the company’s progress.

Anglo American is also taking steps towards its goal of carbon-neutral mining operations by 2040, with Scope 3 emissions (including rail) to be halved by that time.

Chief executive officer of Anglo American’s business in Australia Tyler Mitchelson said the hydrogen haul truck trials were a pivotal part of the company’s wider ambitions to decarbonise.

“An advanced trial of our fully functioning two-megawatt prototype truck is already underway at our Mogalakwena platinum mine in South Africa,” he said.

“Through this work, our ultimate aim is to reduce the use of the

TECHNOLOGY

majority of diesel at our mining operations throughout the world to help reduce emissions, and we believe this same technology could have similar applications for other heavyhaulage providers, such as heavy haul rail freight.”

As Aurizon operates the rail network Anglo American uses to transport its mined material from pit to port, the two companies have found many synergies in their partnership and are working to achieve shared emissions reduction goals.

Aurizon head of asset management James Petty said it was important for companies to work together, especially in eliminating Scope 2 and 3 emissions.

“Aurizon sees great opportunities in developing ‘green commodity supply chains’ to support Australian commodities in remaining a premium product in global markets,” Petty said.

“By forming partnerships and collaborations with our customers, suppliers and innovators, Aurizon believes we can expedite decarbonisation of our rail services.”

Aurizon has also partnered with the University of Queensland (UQ) to strengthen its credentials in zeroemission rail freight technology, investigating new-generation batteries and green hydrogen fuelcell technology.

The research will assess the energy

requirements of Australia’s 33,000km rail network to understand how new technologies could replace current power systems.

Petty said the research would map out a future in green rail solutions by understanding what more needs to be done in the space.

“Ultimately the research will help us design new and future solutions to decarbonise rail freight and contribute to climate change efforts,” he said.

“We intend to publish findings to share our conclusions on the best technologies for the heavy-haul industry to adopt or pivot towards.

“We’ll also highlight where there may be knowledge, manufacturing, or performance gaps in the emerging technologies to allow future research to target and resolve.”

Petty agreed on the importance of companies working together to solve these challenges and said the company is exploring every avenue to achieve that goal.

“The decarbonisation of supply chains is a priority for companies that are committed to the collective global efforts to combat climate change,” he said.

“There are many initiatives underway across the international rail industry to reduce carbon emissions in rail operations, and Aurizon plans to tap into this wave of technology and

AUSTRALIANMINING

A HYDROGEN-FUELLED ENGINE BEING INSTALLED IN AN ANGLO AMERICAN MINE HAUL TRUCK.

innovation to play its part in reducing carbon emissions.”

Of course, these many hours of research and collaboration wouldn’t be necessary if there weren’t significant challenges involved with the decarbonisation of the world’s heavyhaul rail freight.

Aurizon’s 2021 Sustainability Report outlined its current standing in GHG emissions, and its devotion to net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050 – as well as a 10 per cent decrease from 2020 to 2030.

The report found the company released 847,312 tonnes of Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions in the 2021 financial

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year. This was comprised of about 60 per cent Scope 1 emissions and about 40 per cent Scope 2 emissions.

Most of the former came from diesel locomotives and most of the latter from powering electric locomotives.

“Freight trains require a very large source of energy to be housed within the profile of the train and the railway corridor,” Petty said. “Very large power demands are required, especially when pulling heavy loads for long distances or up long gradients.

“Trains also need the infrastructure to charge and re-charge a battery, or in the case of hydrogen, to supply it at the train origin, destination and potentially

TECHNOLOGY

along the rail corridor.

“All these issues need to be worked through as we better understand the technology and how it can be adapted to heavy-haul rail environments. Plus, there may be a need for different solutions for different rail routes and customer needs.”

These different solutions could come in the form of hydrogen, battery power, or even ammonia, as FFI has been investigating at Fortescue.

Fortescue chief executive officer Elizabeth Gaines said FFI was considering all angles to decarbonise all corners of the iron ore producer cum “green resources company”.

“FFI’s Green Team are successfully trialling technology on hydrogen, ammonia and battery power for trains, ship engines, haul trucks and drill rigs for technology demonstration,” Gaines said.

“The Green Team have recently commenced ramping up the decarbonisation of our locomotive fleet, with the arrival of two additional locomotives at FFI’s research and development facility in Hazelmere, Perth, bringing the total to three.”

This will allow FFI’s Green Team to expand their development in green rail freight, an integral part of Fortescue’s attempts to decarbonise its 54-strong locomotive fleet.

While the obstacles to greener rail networks remain, McMillan said Wabtec was bullish about the prospects of the technology.

“Previously, there were several challenges to implementing zeroemission technologies. However,

WABTEC’S FLXDRIVE LOCOMOTIVE IS THE NEWEST DEVELOPMENT IN BATTERY-ELECTRIC RAIL FREIGHT.

advances in battery capacity, reduced costs and improved computing capabilities make it the right time to apply battery technology to rail,” McMillan said.

“Additionally, Wabtec continues to advance and improve the capabilities of these technologies, including advances in hydrogen solutions.”

To advance these technologies, Wabtec and General Motors announced last year they were collaborating to accelerate the development and commercialisation of battery and hydrogen solutions for Wabtec locomotives.

Specifically, the technologies were

GM’s Ultium battery technology and HYDROTEC hydrogen fuel cell systems.

This partnership itself represents the fact there isn’t a single perfect answer to a decarbonised rail network, but instead a plethora of options waiting to be developed for the right applications.

Petty echoed this sentiment as the company explores all avenues in the hunt for greener rail freight.

“Aurizon continues to assess a range of alternate low-carbon energy sources for its rail operations, including battery and hydrogen,” he said.

“Aurizon is not fixed on one energy solution, but rather we will examine

in parallel the emerging technologies and how effectively they can operate in different situations across our national footprint.

“Battery, hydrogen or hybrid solutions may be used – we certainly believe they can have a strong future in the heavy-haul rail industry, including those services for our mining customers.”

The resounding message from these leaders in mining and rail operation is that goals have been set, and with each new battery-electric locomotive, research partnership and trial project, the industry comes another step closer to achieving those goals. AM

FORTESCUE METALS GROUP IS EXPLORING ALL AVENUES TOWARDS GREENER RAIL FREIGHT. IMAGE: FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LTD. AUSTRALIANMINING

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MARCH 2022

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ltra Motion is a global designer and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of 26 globally recognised and wellrespected power transmission brands, including Svendborg Brakes, Twiflex, Marland Clutch, Wichita Clutch, Industrial Clutch, and Stieber.

As Altra Motion Australia shapeshifts and expands, the company has experienced industry misconceptions about being a distributor. However, Altra Motion national marketing manager Gabriel Brooks is keen to put that to rest.

“The way we’re educating customers is by co-branding our well-recognised portfolio of brands; it’s important to us that our customers recognise we are the actual OEM, not a distributor. We carry out the R&D (research and development), design, and manufacture,” Brooks said.

“Altra Motion Australia provides our customers in mining with the engineering and application expertise of the world’s leading brands in mechanical power transmission and

motion control technologies.

“Our customers can source multiple components from a single company, providing convenience while ensuring compatibility and optimised drivetrain performance.”

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“Altra Motion has three service facilities strategically located nationwide with qualified service technicians to support on-site and workshop requirements,” Altra Motion WA service manager Chris Gordon said.

“Our local service facilities in Sydney, Perth and Mackay also serve as certified rebuild centres for Svendborg Brakes, Marland Clutch, Stromag, Ameridrives, Stieber and Industrial Clutch.

“We will also open a new additional service facility in early 2022 to expand our corporate footprint and provide an even faster response to customer needs.”

ALTRA MOTION IS THE OEM OF 26 GLOBALLY RECOGNISED BRANDS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

ALTRA MOTION HAS A WELL-RESPECTED SERVICE DIVISION ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

All Altra service facilities are staffed with local teams of highly trained technicians that provide fast-response on-site service, including 24–7 breakdown assistance, along with installation and commissioning support.

“If a customer is unable to send their Altra product directly to one of our service facilities for testing and diagnostics, we can send a qualified service technician on-site to identify and rectify a fault,” Gordon said.

“Providing customers with the peace of mind knowing that if a component has failed but is too difficult to disassemble, Altra Motion can come to them and minimise downtime. If necessary, we can also provide a temporary (rotatable) original equipment replacement.”

While COVID-related global supply chain challenges have significantly affected some component suppliers, Altra Motion has a comprehensive supply of genuine replacement parts from various brands stocked in Australia.

This allows them to complete repairs quickly without the hassle of long lead times.

“We offer preventive maintenance plans that allow our customers to pre-empt future setbacks. For example, if a product has reached the end of its service life, we recommend upgrading and retrofitting,” Gordon said.

“However, suppose the component has been in operation for a prolonged

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period and is beyond repair. In that case, we will offer a replacement with the latest generation of that specific product model.

“If there are any modifications in terms of mounting due to an updated product design, we would offer an entire package and assist in the retrofit installation.”

Altra Motion also offers on-site training for its mining customers in Australia, which can help improve maintenance teams’ understanding of the products and anticipate faults before they arise.

Customers are also trained on how to install replacement components.

This training can be particularly beneficial for more extensive mining operations that utilise products from several Altra Motion brands.

Advanced technologies provide mine service and maintenance improvements

Altra Motion has developed Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions to expedite further servicing, including Svendborg Brake’s portable IIoT Universal Control Case (UCcase).

By utilising the UCcase, Altra Motion mining customers that need assistance with commissioning, servicing, or troubleshooting of their braking systems can connect with a local or international Altra MotionSvendborg service technician in real-time. The case can even offer real-time software upgrades and be used underground. AM

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MAINTENANCE

THE COMPANY STRIVES FOR EFFICIENCY, PROFITABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR CUSTOMERS.

ATLAS COPCO COMPRESSES ITS FOOTPRINT SETTING ITS SIGHTS ON REDUCING EMISSIONS IS NO EASY FEAT, BUT ATLAS COPCO COMPRESSORS MAKES IT LOOK THAT WAY. LAUNCHING MORE THAN 15 NEW PRODUCT RANGES IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC, THE COMPANY IS PROVING ITSELF AS AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE.

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he Atlas Copco group is innovating for a sustainable future and has launched ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions, corresponding to the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The targets will reduce CO2 emissions with the aim of slowing down and preventing the impacts of climate change in its own operations, as well as for its customers.

For its value chain, most emissions come from the use of its products, so by constantly innovating to reduce the climate impact of its products and solutions, the company is also supporting its customers’ own sustainability ambitions.

Atlas Copco Compressors is one of the group’s signature brands, working from the research and development of compressors, through to the production and the project planning of systems and services.

As a compressor manufacturer, the company strives for efficiency, as well as the highest possible profitability and sustainability for the customers.

“A big compressor of 500 kilowatts is going to be producing about 2800

metric tonnes of CO2. What we do is develop air compressors that are 10 to 50 per cent more efficient than the typical compressors in the market,” Atlas Copco Compressors Australia oil-injected screw compressors product manager Delfin Perozo said.

As part of the Atlas Copco group, the business has been manufacturing equipment for the mining industry for over a century, providing complete solutions for its customers, and helping to maximise operational efficiency and profitability.

Mine equipment is subjected to incredibly harsh environments and continuous operation, and any unexpected downtime from equipment failure is costly due to the lost production of minerals.

All compressed air and industrial gas solutions installed at these mining operations are required to be tough, reliable and built to last.

Atlas Copco Compressors has a proven reputation when it comes to product quality and caters to the unique needs of every mine site, with not only its products but also its inhouse engineering team.

The engineering team can design in AUSTRALIANMINING

accordance with any specifications, a turnkey installation that is exactly what is needed for the site.

The engineering team is connected with the design teams and engineers abroad at the product company, enabling them to tap into a wealth of knowledge in compressed air technology spanning decades.

“We complete the cycle, not only just supplying the equipment, but also maintaining the equipment and keeping the equipment running at the best efficiency point,” Perozo said.

“It is the complete solution that we provide to the customer, analysing what is happening with the system, and if the system is not the ideal one or if the consumption has changed on the mining side, we propose the corrective actions on how to fine-tune it to have the best energy consumption.”

The company is well-versed in ensuring its products are of the utmost efficiency. It has developed processes to make them more reliable and less stringent on the maintenance side of the business.

The company’s new generation of oil-injected screw compressors, as an example, do not require an oil

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change before 8000 running hours or a whole year of use.

Traditional oil-injected screw compressors need to have the oil changed every 2000 running hours or every three months.

Atlas Copco Compressors are not only making maintenance more achievable but are also contributing to less waste in its customers’ operations.

Research and development have been a major reason why the company has been able to continuously improve the efficiency and reliability of its products.

“We spend a large portion of our revenue on research and development.

This gives us the ability to always have best-in-class equipment,” Atlas Copco Compressors Australia oil-free air division business line manager Pierre Matschke said.

“When we say best in class, we mean the performance of the free air delivery or the amount of air that you get compared to the power that you put in will almost always be better than an opposition machine.”

Throughout the last couple of years, as the world has struggled through lockdowns and restrictions, Atlas

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Copco Compressors has been hard at work developing new products and launched more than five new product ranges during the COVID period.

By focusing its efforts on making compressed air systems more sustainable, the company can make a real change.

“We estimate that 10 per cent of the total energy used globally is for compressed air,” Matschke told Australian Mining.

“If we can optimise every compressed air system by 10 per cent, then that will have a 1 per cent net effect on global energy requirements.

So we can have a major impact.”

Atlas Copco Compressors was the very first compressor manufacturer to use true variable speed drive technology and with that its compressors were saving on average 35 per cent in energy in the early ’90s.

“Today we have some ranges that can save up to 50 per cent in energy. Imagine if I can replace every compressor out there with a machine that can reduce the energy by 50 per cent. We could reduce the energy usage across the globe by five per cent.

The impact is massive,” Matschke said.

Recently launched to the market at the end of 2021 is the GA 180 315 oil injected screw compressor family, including fixed speed and VSD+ versions, which brings with it a game-changing revolution in the compressor industry.

The VSD+ offers energy savings up to 50 per cent compared to fixed-speed models and is the most energy-efficient

THE ENGINEERING TEAM CAN DESIGN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY SPECIFICATIONS.

compressor range on the market.

It raises the bar in performance, reliability and connectivity to support sustainability and productivity goals.

“This is the base of the hybrid solution that we just launched at the end of the year,” Perozo says.

“They have two drivetrains, with two oil-cool models, and we have the fixed bit version and the variablespeed drive (VSD) version of that configuration.

“The new GA180-315 family is the extension of the GA90+ 160

compressors we launched in 2018.

They share the same high efficiency oil cooled motors and the reliability based on the IP66 drive train,” Perozo said.

Having two drive trains and taking the best of fixed speed technology and mixing it with the best of VSD+ technology increases its efficiencies even more.

The hybrid version is the step up from what is currently the latest innovation in the market and is expected to reach the Australian market before the end of 2022.

“Selling, developing and having efficient equipment is only one part of what we do,” Matschke says.

“It’s not just about replacing a compressor; it’s about looking at the pipework: Is the pipework sufficient?

Are they using the right technology for the right application? Are there air leaks?

“There is so much more to this than simply putting a machine on a site and pressing the start button. Our team is very consultative, very knowledgeable and very experienced.” AM

THE BUSINESS HAS BEEN MANUFACTURING MINING EQUIPMENT FOR OVER A CENTURY.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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MAINTENANCE

THE CULTURE BEHIND A WELL-OILED MACHINE EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE PRACTICES ARE BUILT ON A SUPPORTIVE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT, A DEDICATED WORKFORCE, FORWARD PLANNING, AND A GOOD UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN SUPPLIER AND CUSTOMER, ACCORDING TO THE TEAM AT NATIONAL GROUP.

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o keep Australian mines running smoothly, only the best equipment and support will do. When mine owners attempt to produce thousands of tonnes of ore every day, rarely is there time for a break in play or a malfunctioning machine.

Understanding this reality, leading mining equipment supplier National Group puts many hours into improving its maintenance team so that they, in turn, can best support Australian miners.

National Group founder and managing director Mark Ackroyd said the company prioritises its maintenance team to ensure 24–7 availability for its customers.

“It’s prudent throughout most mine sites to maintain fleet availability and access to skilled workforces. These things can be quite difficult for some businesses, so having uptime in the equipment is highly important to us and our customers,” Ackroyd told Australian Mining.

“To achieve that, you need the right people doing the right maintenance and it all goes hand in hand.”

To ensure his crew can be counted on for any repair jobs that come up, Ackroyd said the company instils a culture to “train and retain” staff,

to ensure they know exactly what the company and its customers expect.

“We operate across a lot of mine sites these days and for many we supply fully trained superintendents and maintenance personnel to carry out those tasks whenever required,” he said.

“They work on site every day to provide 24–7 maintenance and maximise fleet availability.”

At the coalface, National Group Queensland maintenance manager Craig Weller is a testament to the culture and quality of the company.

As a qualified diesel fitter, Weller was contracted by National Group 14 years ago and has now made his way through the ranks to manage Queensland’s maintenance department.

Weller described what kept him around and why the next generation would love to take the same path.

“When I joined, National Plant & Equipment were the people to work for,” Weller said.

“These days, one point of difference for the company is we can train people, especially apprentices, in every facet of the trade.

“We’re not just parts fitters. We do a lot of repairing of our own components using our own rotatable stock. Having this system is a big bonus to us and our customers in reducing downtime.”

The variety of work is another

NATIONAL GROUP RETAINS ITS PEOPLE TO MAINTAIN ITS MACHINES.

AUSTRALIANMINING

NATIONAL GROUP MAINTENANCE TEAMS TACKLE EACH JOB FROM ALL ANGLES.

plus, according to Weller, who said most people were enticed to the company by the range of equipment and projects.

He expects this will be enough to welcome a new class of apprentices in 2022 to rival the intake from 2021.

“We want to train these people our way and retain them so that in the future we can send them out to do a job knowing they have the skillset, they know what we expect and we can confidently rely on them to get it done right,” Weller said.

New apprentices will not only be walking into a comprehensive training program, but into a tightknit community among National Group customers and staff, according to Weller.

This connection is the key to effective maintenance in order to understand exactly what needs attention and an expectation it will be managed appropriately.

“There are important relationships across National Group. They’re at the sales levels to understand the top-down requirements of businesses across Australia, but they’re also at the coalface,” Weller said.

“It’s a big thing to have a relationship not only with the

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National Group supervisors and the managers on-site, but also with the customer’s maintenance team.

“This is because some of our jobs we do hire the equipment out and maintain it ourselves, but other jobs when we’re 100 per cent dry hire, the client maintains it.

“So relationships with everyone on-site are key to maintaining equipment and it makes everyone’s job so much easier.”

With the skills and understanding ingrained into the National Group culture, downtime can be minimised and everyone comes away happy.

“My phone is on 24–7 and then there’s a group of people who do the same in case I’m not able to be contacted,” Weller said.

“If there’s a call made and we haven’t got something on the move within two hours, I’d be pretty disappointed.”

Proud of a job well done, Weller gave an example of when this system sprang into action and satisfied one of many customers.

“Yesterday, I received a phone call from Curragh coal mine, I rang Komatsu in Emerald, the parts were in stock, so I ran straight there and took them myself,” he said. AM

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MAINTENANCE

ELPHINSTONE SWITCHES TO SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS SINCE REFORMING AS A COMPANY IN 2016, ELPHINSTONE HAS CONTINUED TO EVOLVE ITS UNDERGROUND HARD ROCK MINING PRODUCT RANGE TO ADD VALUE TO ITS CUSTOMERS’ BUSINESSES AND TO MEET THE EVER-CHANGING REQUIREMENTS OF A GLOBAL MARKET.

ALL MACHINES FEATURE AN INTEGRATED CATERPILLAR POWERTRAIN.

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lphinstone is a worldrenowned designer and manufacturer of quality products for the global underground, surface mining and rail maintenance industries.

The brand’s legacy evolved with the underground load haul dump (LHD) loaders and trucks. While being subjected to harsh conditions, the machines aided the design and development of the company’s current range of underground hard rock mining support vehicles.

Headlining the range is the WR810, a purpose-built and highly configurable 10-tonne nominal base platform available in forward- or centre-mount cab configurations.

Designed and manufactured in Burnie, Tasmania, the WR810 range comprises a scissor-lift, an agitator (6m³), a fuel and lube truck, a delivery with crane, and an innovative water cannon.

All machines feature an integrated

Caterpillar powertrain, electromagnetic retarder, and oscillating hitch, delivering optimum performance, handling and reliability in the harsh underground environment.

The WR810 machines are available in Tier 3 and Tier 4 engine arrangements, providing the customer with more sustainable alternatives.

Two Tier 4 machines were recently delivered to Toromont, an authorised Caterpillar and Elphinstone dealer located in Ontario, Canada.

Toromont has a longstanding relationship with Elphinstone, and with Canada governed by more stringent emissions standards, Toromont requested a Tier 4 machine and Elphinstone delivered.

“Canada is leading the way in the underground mining equipment market, and they’re pushing the industry towards equipment which produces fewer emissions resulting in the development of battery electric vehicle (BEV) solutions,” Elphinstone global sales and marketing AUSTRALIANMINING

manager Tim Mitchell said. “Hence why there is an increase in mining companies trialling these types of machines, not only in Canada but in Australia also.”

The Tier 3 and Tier 4 WR810 models may look the same on the outside, resplendent in yellow, large and robust, but the distinguishing feature is the engine management software.

“They utilise a different exhaust control system to manage emissions.

The Tier 4 machine uses AdBlue which, when mixed with the exhaust gas, breaks down the nitrogen oxide into harmless elements,” Mitchell said.

The WR810 is designed to operate for no fewer than 20,000 hours, and up to 30,000 hours, provided the recommended maintenance schedules are followed.

“If you were to compare our machine to others in the market, the WR810 has a larger, more robust chassis, providing greater structural reliability. Engineered to outlast our

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rivals in the field, the WR810 provides greater value and a lower cost of ownership,” Mitchell said.

Maintenance of all mining equipment is important, and the design of the WR810 has made the serviceability of the machine simple and easy to access.

“Ground access to all major service points has reduced the need for maintenance staff to climb onto the machine”, Mitchell told Australian Mining.

“If they need to climb onto the machine, there are handrails and steps ergonomically positioned to allow access to critical components and service points.”

The flagship of the Elphinstone range, the WR810 Water Cannon, is a specialised dual application machine, operating both as a production and support vehicle.

As a production machine, the water cannon uses high-pressure water to blast and wash valuable ore fines from difficult to access areas of the mine.

Additionally, the water cannon can wash down the internal surfaces prior to the shotcrete process to recover ore fines.

As a support vehicle, the highpressure water cannon can be used to unblock open stopes by blasting the fines and smaller rocks away, as well as dislodging the remaining material.

In addition, water spray valves mounted at the rear and sides of the tank suppress dust from the haul roads, improving the operating conditions and resulting in improved health and safety.

The water cannon can also be used in the case of a fire emergency to fight the fire from a safe distance.

“The dual application reduces the need for multiple machines, reducing capital, operational and maintenance costs plus the amount of heat and emissions produced. By combining two applications into one, you gain more value from the use of one machine.”

Mitchell said.

Three WR810 Water Cannons have sold within Australia, operating at mines in Western Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.

Two units were initially on trial,

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THE WR810 IS AVAILABLE IN TIER 3 AND TIER 4 ENGINE ARRANGEMENTS.

exceeding the customers’ expectations and resulting in machine sales to different mining companies.

“In both cases, the water cannons were trialled at gold mines where their primary purpose was ore recovery.

The third machine was delivered to a copper mine that suffers from high temperatures so the dust suppression system will also be used for cooling” Mitchell said.

Elphinstone products have been designed and manufactured in Burnie since the business began in the 1970s.

In 2000, Elphinstone was bought by Caterpillar, which continued to operate the Burnie facility for another 16 years before moving offshore to Thailand.

A community of 20,000 people faced losing a considerable portion of its highly skilled workforce, so Dale Elphinstone took it upon

himself to keep the journey going.

“Dale decided to restart Elphinstone primarily for the local community,” Mitchell said.

“If we didn’t keep those high-skilled people here in Burnie, they would have either gone to the mainland or somewhere else looking for work.

“There was a lot of talent amongst those people of which Elphinstone was able to retain here.

THREE WR810 WATER CANNONS HAVE SOLD WITHIN AUSTRALIA.

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“It’s vitally important for the local community, and Australia as a whole, to have a manufacturer of underground hard rock mining equipment in this country.”

Elphinstone has a varied product range that it has developed in only six years from when the company reformed in 2016.

Having invested a lot of resources into product development, Elphinstone has its eyes set on the future.

“We have the Tier 3 and Tier 4 engine – our next step is to add battery electric to the WR810 and underground grader models as well,” Mitchell said.

Elphinstone envisage that the battery electric vehicle project will also create further opportunities and growth in the state and local communities, something Elphinstone has proudly supported for many years.

“We have a project team focused on battery electric, and we’re also developing other products in parallel while seeking customer feedback,” Mitchell said.

“Our ultimate aim is to add value to our customers’ businesses with our products while creating opportunities for growth.”

The battery electric products are still in development, but Elphinstone plans to have them commercially available in 2024. AM

MAINTENANCE TWO OF PERFORMANCE MINING’S VOLVO EC350D EXCAVATORS.

CJD SUPPORTS PERFORMANCE OF EMERGING MINING SERVICES WITH EQUAL PARTS QUALITY MACHINERY AND A SUPPORTIVE SUPPLIER, THIS COMPANY HAS SEEN EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN ITS SIX YEARS. PERFORMANCE MINING GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT RAISED IT THANKS TO CJD EQUIPMENT.

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s a privately owned service provider to the mining and civil construction industries, it was always going to be a battle for Performance Mining to make a name for itself in Western Australia.

The company was founded in 2016 out of Pinjarra, south of Perth, offering tailored solutions in areas such as plant hire, maintenance services, rockbreaking, access road maintenance and resource development works.

Performance Mining director Jarrod Seymour said the vision for the company was always about repaying the industry for the career it had given him and business partner Ray Bushnell.

“The key motivation for us as directors at Performance Mining is to give back to the industry what we were fortunate to have learnt from our seniors over the term of our careers,” Seymour told Australian Mining.

Seymour and Bushnell have more than 60 years of experience in the mining industry between them, having worked for public and private sector companies in Australia and overseas.

Since its foundation, Performance Mining has grown to service WA’s Peel, Southwest, Goldfields, Pilbara and Kimberley regions. The team also has a plant on long-term hire in Whyalla, South Australia.

Such experience meant the team knew exactly what to look for in its equipment supplier, namely a

capable company that could support Performance Mining out of its infancy.

CJD Equipment was just the ticket for Seymour and Bushnell.

“The quality of their equipment is excellent, but what’s more the team at CJD really got behind us when we were kicking off the business and provided a finance solution that allowed us to step into new equipment,” Seymour said.

“We also felt well supported by their parts and services account, which is critical for any company getting started.”

Performance Mining has made use of three Volvo EC350D excavators and one L90F wheel loader from CJD, along with two Kenworth T659 prime movers.

These 36-tonne excavators and the 15-tonne wheel loader have been a strong choice for Performance Mining, according to Seymour.

“We have had exceptional reliability and availability out of our Volvo machines, which has converted to more productive hours per shift,” he said.

“Our Volvo excavators are currently running at 93 per cent mechanical availability, whilst our loader is at 95 per cent.

“We were also fortunate enough to have the CJD team support running a larger batter bucket on one of our excavators in a frontline sand application, loading Volvo articulated trucks that reduced the loading time by a complete bucket cycle.”

This kind of availability ensures Performance Mining can live up to AUSTRALIANMINING

its name. Complimented by capable support staff, the company can branch out into some of WA’s more remote locations.

Seymour described how CJD supported his company to minimise downtime.

“We have CJD complete our valve sets to ensure that our engine health is maintained to the right standard,” he said.

“We also rely on CJD for our Matris (for fuel use) and track/tyre reports when our machines come back from hire.

“CJD has attended a couple of minor warranty matters on our excavators in the Pilbara, which resulted in very little downtime due to the team’s responsiveness.”

Most important to a sufficient maintenance service is strong

communication and an understanding of what’s expected from both parties.

While Performance Mining has cemented itself in WA, plenty of growth remains ahead, with the company having doubled in size year-on-year since it began.

Seymour said CJD was a strong choice to partner through the early stages of an aspirational business.

“It’s absolutely critical to maintain a strong working relationship with your OEM (original equipment manufacturer) so you have access to the right team member – irrespective of which day of the week it is – so you can share problems if they occur,” he said.

“Both parties have put a lot of energy into maintaining the relationship so there are open communication channels on both sides through to the senior executive members as required.” AM

THE VOLVO L90F WHEEL LOADER DOUBLES THE WORKLOAD OF PERFORMANCE MINING.

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

RELY ON AUSTRALIA’S MANUFACTURING, MINING AND INDUSTRIAL HUB 70,000 monthly users can’t be wrong. Find what you’re looking for with over 12,000 business listings and 8,000 specific product listings. Access relevant information and resources, empowering you to make a qualified purchase decision. You can always rely on your industry hub.

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MAINTENANCE

THEJO SHUTS DOWN COSTS THEJO ENGINEERING (AUSTRALIA) RECOGNISES THE IMPACT A SHUTDOWN CAN HAVE ON OPERATIONS AND PROFITABILITY OF PLANTS. PLANNED OR UNPLANNED, THE COST IS ASTRONOMICAL. THEJO HAS THE MOST RELIABLE AND EFFICIENT PROCESSES IN PLACE TO REDUCE THE NEED FOR SHUTDOWNS.

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hejo offers a full-service capability, ranging from spares to basic modifications of a plant, to a full redesign of various pieces of equipment.

The company’s product focus is on wear protection systems, transfer point solutions, grinding mills and trommels, screening plants, and filtration.

In all parts of mineral processing, there’s abrasion and wear as the material in a slurry form moves around the circuit.

Even small improvements in slurry handling efficiency can have a drastic impact on mining profitability, on equipment such as chutes and launders, grinding mills, cyclones, screens and trommels.

“At Thejo, our focus is on maintenance and serviceability. Our entire focus is to improve efficiency, to improve wear life and to reduce downtime,” Thejo Engineering (Australia) president Graeme Kibell said.

“Downtime is the enormous cost driver in the mineral processing plant, and if one can improve the uptime, and reduce the number of shutdowns or the time it takes to do these necessary change-outs, that would be

invaluable to the customer.”

All the products that Thejo makes for the beneficiation and grinding circuit are designed to protect the assets assembled with sacrificial liners.

The mill itself is lined internally with sacrificial liners and trommels assembled with screening media inside it. They are designed to resist the continued wear-and-tear action of the materials processed, as it goes about segregation of sizes.

“In a very aggressive environment, some of these products might have to be changed out on a six-monthly basis, and some of them, in a less arduous situation, could go a year or two before they need to be replaced,” Kibell said.

Thejo Engineering (Australia) is a branch of Thejo India and offers solutions for the mining, mineral processing and corrosion protection segments of the industry.

Headquartered at Bibra Lake in Perth, manned with technical and sales experts, and a warehouse carrying a wide variety of inventory, the company’s focus is on the growing demands of specialised custom solutions for its clients across Australia.

“We’re a solution-providing organisation that aids customers in product selection, installation and

product monitoring. We feed the information we receive from the customer back to the designers and the engineers at our head office in India to work on improvement of the designs,” Kibell said.

Thejo India operations has design engineers and specialists working on various engineering simulation software programs with the ability to design and make improvements.

“Every effort is made to reduce unplanned shutdowns, so product integrity and product reliability are absolutely critical there. We certainly don’t want unplanned shutdowns,” Kibell said.

“If we do have to have a planned shutdown, then we want to minimise the effect of it with systems that are easily and safely replaceable. Safety is a huge concern, so we’re looking for products that can be easily and safely handled. Any hours that can be saved in a shutdown translate straight back to savings to the customer.”

The trommel with screen panels, dams and spirals are critical elements that Thejo has focused on for improvements.

“It is not just the wear life, but also efficiency in terms of how effectively the trommel screens can segregate

THEJO HAS AN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) DEPARTMENT.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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THEJO ENGINEERING (AUSTRALIA) IS A BRANCH OF THEJO INDIA.

between the oversized material and the size that you actually require,” Thejo Engineering managing director Manoj Joseph Kallarackal said.

“None of the mines would appreciate even an hour of unplanned shutdown because that translates into millions of dollars and that’s where we add value to our clients.”

Thejo is also focused on reducing the number of planned shutdowns a mine may need. This is a highly customised process, as each site has its own shutdown schedules.

The length of the shutdown periods varies from site to site, so to offer extended time between shutdowns, Thejo has to alter designs as per each site.

“You have to look at what’s best suited for that customer so you can get a longer life on the products,” Thejo Engineering (Australia) head of regional sales David Wheelhouse said.

“If we don’t customise our process for each customer, it won’t help in the long run. For example, if a customer is on a 12-week shutdown cycle then extending life to, say, 15 weeks may not be beneficial at all. Our objective is to try and get at least 24 weeks’ life in order to skip a complete shutdown.”

One of Thejo’s major customers in the Goldfields-Esperance region in Western Australia recently went through a reorganisation of its shutdown periods.

The mine was having a shutdown

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every 15 weeks, with the second shutdown mainly for the changeover of trommel panels.

Thejo designed a screen panel that lasted 35 weeks, so now the company could eliminate the second shutdown, which saved a 40-hour period of production stoppage.

“We eliminated that stress for them, so they don’t have to shut down and now they’ve moved it out to be one to two shutdowns per year in that sort of circuit,” Wheelhouse told Australian Mining.

“That’s what we want to try and to achieve with any customer, to get the best part for their plant and time frame to reduce those costs. If you can eliminate a shutdown, that goes a long way to save them a lot of money.

“An unplanned shutdown could cost a minimum of $100,000 per hour and could be up to $500,000 per hour. If that shutdown goes for 24 hours, do the math – that’s a high cost.”

Thejo’s engineers visit the customer sites and collect data through observation in the plant. The engineers report these data back in terms of what is required for the client to get superior performance out of the product.

“There are frequent process changes in the plant operations, which are periodically monitored and studied by our engineers,” Kallarackal said. “Based on these data we make alterations to the design of the screens, if necessary, to maintain the required optimum

output desired by the clients.

“It’s a constant cycle of taking feedback from the site, then passing it on to the technical and design team in order to come out with a product which will be most suitable for the client.”

Thejo has an extensive research and development (R&D) department that has diverse product ranges that can withstand some of the harshest working conditions in leading mines, all with an unwavering focus on quality and commitment.

“We constantly receive varied needs from the mines and industry, making us continually innovate and improve the product line,” Thejo Engineering product division head Jomon Mathew said.

“Whenever such requirements arise, we consider it a product development.

It could be in terms of a process change, or it could be through an engineering design change. Either way it is pointed towards our R&D team to be addressed.”

Thejo aims to relieve the stress and tension for its customers by understanding the process, and by understanding what the customer wants and how to get there.

“We spend time understanding the process and trying to improve the product, but there’s also the relationship we have with the customer, and we spend a lot of time understanding them and making it easier for them,” Kibell said. AM AUSTRALIANMINING

THEJO IS FOCUSSED ON REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PLANNED SHUTDOWNS.

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MAINTENANCE UPTAKE’S ASSET STRATEGY LIBRARY IS THE LARGEST OF ITS KIND.

DEFEATING DOWNTIME FROM ALL ANGLES WITH THE WORLD’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE BASE OF INDUSTRIAL ASSET CONTENT, UPTAKE CONQUERS DOWNTIME WITH PRECISION AND ACCURACY, IMPROVING ANTICIPATION AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.

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n a sector known for its expensive machinery and high expectations regarding productivity, mining companies must put preventive maintenance processes in place to ensure breakdowns are minimised and downtime is reduced. Millions of dollars are riding on it.

Modern mining companies seek to create value through optimising their operations, managing risk and improving the business intelligence of their operations and maintenance organisation. Leaders do that through leveraging data-driven insights and content.

Armed with the world’s most comprehensive knowledge base of industrial asset content, industrial intelligence software company Uptake is helping mining companies see around corners and spot opportunities that impact mediumand long-term decisions.

Uptake’s Asset Strategy Library has more than 58,000 failure modes

for over 800 asset types, with about 5000 preventive maintenance tasks to mitigate those failures.

Through this database, Uptake has more equipment strategies to prevent problems than any other assetmanagement software provider.

Uptake Asia-Pacific vice president Tom Fisher says the Asset Strategy Library’s sheer breadth means mining companies are always one step ahead.

“For asset health experts and reliability engineers, they can understand at any given time the best strategies they should put in place to prevent failures from ever occurring,” he said.

“Then if a failure is about to occur – because our predictive applications tell them that – we give them the recommended actions they should take in order to mitigate that failure.”

Uptake integrated the Asset Strategy Library into its product portfolio as part of its acquisition of US-based Asset Performance Technologies in 2018.

Combining the Asset Strategy

UPTAKE’S SOLUTIONS UNLOCK MILLIONS IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR MINERS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

Library with Uptake’s Industrial AI and Internet of Things (IoT) products, the company solidified its standing with asset performance management and advanced industrial analytics products.

While Uptake has the exclusive licence over the world’s most comprehensive library of assetfailure data, the company doesn’t overcomplicate its offering. Uptake prides itself on providing products that can be commissioned quickly and efficiently.

“We see a lot of companies, particularly in the Australian marketplace, they come in and they sit down and it’s months or sometimes years to get the end result of a piece of consulting work,” Fisher says.

“One of our applications can be delivering value within a couple of days, and some, depending on the complexity, can be up and running within a few weeks.

“Then you have access to data that’s generally locked up in a whole bunch of systems at the organisation and our role is to give that in a single pane of glass so employees are able to make better-informed and faster datadriven decisions.”

It’s precise but also simplified, and it’s not only saving mining companies spending millions on mopping up the machinery mess, but also ensuring companies enjoy the economic benefit of increased operational uptime.

One Uptake client is a miner operating in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, who engaged the company about shoring up its rail infrastructure. Fisher says Uptake was able to deliver a specific product that anticipated the imminence of a fault in stages.

“Where we can really claim our pit-to-port coverage is an Australian case from the Pilbara. Here what

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we’re doing is analysing faults on ore railcars, specifically wheels and bearings,” Fisher said.

“When a fault is manifesting over time, it impacts the integrity of the asset and can lead to early failure. But it can also be a real safety concern because faults in wheels, cracked bearings, or brake failures can lead to some pretty catastrophic derailment issues if undiagnosed or detected too late.

“This is an example of where we work with our clients to tweak our model based on what’s important for them, and what is important for this client is to get the level of accuracy really, really high.”

So Uptake went to work, providing the client a clear blueprint for recognising the immediacy of a fault and when to action it, with the evidence that the service would save them money in the long run.

“We initially give this particular customer on average about 30 days lead time as a fault starts to manifest where it’s just starting to appear in the data. Then we upgrade that failure prediction generally within a twoweek period to a medium severity alert,” Fisher said.

“Then it becomes a high severity, critical failure alert with 100 per cent accuracy at seven days’ lead time.

Think of that as going from a green alert to a yellow alert to a red alert.

“This lead time gives them sufficient runway to operationalise our insights, and accordingly they’ve told us they’re realising $35 million in additional revenue and cost savings over a five-year period.”

Data is extensive and critical business insights are often hidden within a mining company’s data. With the right personnel, data offers an opportunity to comprehend, analyse and then strategise – three things Uptake has down to a tee. AM

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MAINTENANCE

SHOWING CRANES WHO’S BOSS THIS CRANE BRAKE SOLUTION FROM DELLNER BUBENZER IMPROVES MAINTENANCE DUTIES AND REMOVES THE RISK OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, ENSURING MINERS RECEIVE CARGO ON TIME AND IN ONE PIECE.

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UR Engineering is an Australian distributor for all things in port equipment, including design, fabrication, transport and commissioning, as well as project management.

To manage the demands of dozens of jobs around the country and in the Asia-Pacific region, SUR relies on the height of German engineering from Dellner Bubenzer, a global leader in braking systems for the materials handling and resources sector.

This is epitomised by a computer monitoring system called the Brake Only Snag System (BOSS).

BOSS mitigates one of the most dangerous aspects of crane operation. When containers get stuck in the ship’s cells, it can cause excess tension in the crane’s

wire ropes, which can either snap, cause damage on mechanical equipment, or even pull the whole crane to the ground.

The BOSS will recognise the excess tension and shut off the crane motor while applying emergency brakes in under three-tenths of a second, removing the risk and maintaining the condition of the crane’s components.

Dellner Bubenzer’s global technical trainer Sascha Herbig told Australian Mining why the BOSS is so important.

“The advantage of this is we have full control over what is happening to our brakes,” Herbig said.

“We can include different sensors with the BOSS system, which can be installed in different positions to monitor the condition and position of the brakes from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

“This is important in automated port terminals where the crane driver is somewhere far from the crane and unable to physically feel and react to things like snags.

With the BOSS system, we can immediately detect if something is wrong.”

The BOSS is made up of four different components: one load pin per

cable monitors the tension; the BOSS PLC (programmable logic controller) processes the tension data from the load pin to constantly assess the tripping point; if the tension becomes too much, the service brake will be tripped; and if more stopping power is needed, an emergency brake is applied.

This fail-safe technology removes the chance of human error, according to Herbig.

“If you consider how crane drivers are positioned maybe 5m higher and 20m in front of the crane brakes, they may not hear or feel an issue in time to stop it. But the BOSS system sure will,” he said.

But no condition monitoring technology is complete without the human support to back it up, which is another point of pride for Dellner Bubenzer.

The company even goes as far as to offer Smart Glasses as a standalone or additional feature for maintaining its brake systems.

These glasses can be worn by on-site maintenance crews, giving Dellner Bubenzer’s remote support staff a first-person view as they support customers through the required maintenance procedures.

“These Smart Glasses can be rented for a period, if preferred, or they can be bought. We’re happy to accommodate our customers’ needs,” Herbig said.

“Perhaps they need them for a few months when they buy new brakes, or maybe they have some scheduled maintenance coming up which they will need the glasses for.

“The best thing about the glasses is they

THE BOSS BRAKE SYSTEM REMOVES POSSIBLE HUMAN ERROR IN CRANE APPLICATIONS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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WE CAN INCLUDE DIFFERENT SENSORS WITH THE BOSS SYSTEM WHICH CAN BE INSTALLED IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS TO MONITOR THE CONDITION AND POSITION OF THE BRAKES FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION.” don’t get in the way of any safety helmets and they allow the customer to work hands-free while we support them in real time.”

However, if a customer of Dellner Bubenzer brakes does need on-site, in-person support, they’ll have no trouble getting it as soon as possible with support staff located in four continents.

Herbig said the company’s worldwide service network is a proud part of the business, delivering firstclass service, fast reaction times, highly qualified personnel, and minimal downtime.

“Dellner Bubenzer takes pride in a history of long-term satisfied customers who trust our commitment to excellence and recognise the value of our investment in our worldwide service network,” he said.

“To achieve superior customer service and product expertise, Dellner Bubenzer’s service, maintenance, and repair personnel receive ongoing and consistent instruction and training in the latest technology within state-of-the-art training facilities.”

Herbig said his technicians are trained in all aspects to accommodate whatever needs might arise once they arrive on site.

“They’re not just mechanics, electricians, programmers or cable runners. They can do all kinds of maintenance works needed for Dellner Bubenzer brake applications,” he said “It’s no use sending someone out to you who can identify the problem without fixing it, so we make sure our team are the best and most widely trained available.” AM

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MAINTENANCE

PREMIUM PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES FOR OEMS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA CBC HELPS MAJOR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS TO PROCURE THE RIGHT SUPPLIES AT THE RIGHT TIME, KEEPING MINE INVENTORIES RUNNING LIKE A WELL-OILED MACHINE. CBC WORKS WITH MANUFACTURERS OF VITAL HEAVY INDUSTRY EQUIPMENT.

and it demonstrates the capabilities of not only the business as a whole, but similarly, the tremendous aptitude of representatives like Munnik.

As far as industry trends this year, Munnik noted that one of the biggest trends she has seen is indeed a tendency to improve logistics processes.

“I have noticed it is all about planning for a lot of customers right now,” she said. “People are focused on performing regular stocktake and forecasting into the next year.

“It is our goal to help customers stay on top of these planning initiatives.”

Munnik’s tips for keeping ahead of stock:

C

BC heavy industry and mobile equipment expert Sheree Munnik advised her original equipment manufacturer (OEM) contracts that when it comes to procuring the right supplies at the right time, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Her vested knowledge in the procurement side of the business has been amplified in recent years by her extensive involvement in the contract sales side of CBC’s Western Australian business arm, which frequently caters to the OEMs involved in the production of equipment for heavy industrial plants, ore mining, refineries, and quarrying processes.

“A fair few of my clients manufacture heavy mobile equipment like dump trucks, diggers and excavators that dominate the heavy industrial equipment market here in Perth,” Munnik told Australian Mining.

Not surprisingly, many of Sheree’s clients are looking to invest in premium-level products for their manufacturing processes – and that’s exactly where CBC comes in.

According to Munnik, with some of the more recent challenges procurement managers have faced, this has created a kind of convergence of

opportunity to showcase the different capabilities that Motion Australia’s business possesses in terms of inventory, supply and distribution.

“I recently had the procurement manager from a reputable OEM reach out to me,” Munnik said.

“The contact wanted to discuss accessing hydraulic and gear oils for their batches of massive heavy earth moving loading trucks.

“Essentially, his hands were tied in terms of accessing supply due to difficulties with long lead times sourcing offshore products and he was looking for a premium quality onshore alternative that would be more readily available.”

Munnik deferred to her multibranded solutions basket of contacts to source lubricants from their range of available premium oils. She also suggested the OEM manager enter a procurement contract with CBC to benefit from their massive network of stock facilities and distribution channels.

“The client ordered a range of Shell products from our supplier Viva Energy Australia, including items from the Tellus T2 hydraulic oils and the Omala industrial gear oil ranges,” Munnik said Since then, it has been full steam ahead with continuous ordering and supply.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“The client quickly made us their preferred onshore supplier,” Munnik said.

“And the relationship has been ongoing for about a year now. We monitor it quarterly and regularly check in on the client’s needs to make assessments and offer oil samples for their team to trial.”

This is just one example of the diverse spectrum of offerings CBC and Motion Australia offer to customers

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MAINTENANCE

SCHLAM’S ENGINEERING TEAM DEVOTED MONTHS TO DEVELOPING THE NEW HERCULES EXO.

SCHLAM MANUFACTURES MIRACLE WITH MARKET-LEADING DUMP BODY COMBINING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS FOR A NEW FLAGSHIP MINE TRUCK BODY, SCHLAM HAS DONE WHAT WAS THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE AND REDUCED WEIGHT WHILE INCREASING SERVICE LIFE. INTRODUCING THE HERCULES EXO.

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s a leader in manufacturing mining equipment, Schlam leans on its 30 years of product development to find opportunities in the market – and in its own offerings.

Owner Ryan Schlam is said to drive a culture of never being completely satisfied with an existing product range, instead striving for the next big development.

That’s according to Schlam sales manager Tom Smith, who said the Hercules EXO represents that next big leap for the company and its customers.

“Prior to the EXO body, you have two choices when it comes to dump bodies,” Smith told Australian Mining.

“There’s the lightweight body with

a short lifespan which maximises payload but doesn’t last as long; or you can choose a heavier body which lasts longer to the detriment of payload, while having to implement a costly structured maintenance regime.

“The goal with the EXO was to combine the two, so we worked backwards to find out what is most important in a body and found that it is the wearing components.

“We completely redesigned the previous Hercules to reduce the weight in all our non-wearing components.

We’ve looked at all the structural componentry individually to reduce weight so we can maximise weight and thickness in the floor.”

This unheralded step in dump bodies is proven to more than double AUSTRALIANMINING

its service life while remaining lightweight, according to Smith.

He said a major inspiration behind the project was Schlam’s relationship with BHP’s Western Australian Iron Ore (WAIO) business arm, which called for its next order to reduce body weight without sacrificing service life.

“We’ve done a lot of work with BHP WAIO; we’ve supplied all their truck bodies for the last three years,” Smith said.

“They came to us in anticipation of the next bodies being required and asked us to look into reducing the body weight. So they were blown away by the end results and we were too, somewhat.

“It’s not directly led to, but it assisted in us securing this latest

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contract with BHP to supply all their bodies for the next four years.”

The Hercules EXO takes advantage of the quality in Schlam’s major steel supplier, SSAB. The new body uses SSAB’s Hardox 500 Tuf steel, which has the wear properties of Hardox 500 combined with the weldability of Hardox 450.

Smith admitted he was personally unsure of the bold claims being made

by SSAB, but he was pleasantly surprised to find truth in the gamechanging material.

“As an engineer, I was very sceptical of what they were advertising. Hardox 500 Tuf has been in the market for about four years but a lengthy trial proved them to be true and the results speak for themselves,” Smith said.

MAINTENANCE

Schlam chief executive officer Matt Thomas was especially proud of the job his team has done with the Hercules EXO. “This is a young engineering team that really went through and modelled every aspect of this product by thinking outside the square to figure out how we can reduce the weight while still getting more serviceability out of it,” Thomas said.

“They’re innovative, interested and keen, and I think they should be celebrated for the results they’ve achieved.”

And the cost benefit of the EXO model goes well beyond reducing maintenance duties, which can cost up to 500 labour hours alone, at a time when labour is hard to come by.

Smith described a few other flowon effects of investing in the EXO dump body.

“Another cost benefit is the reduced annualised capital cost – if the bodies last longer, you don’t need to buy as many of them,” he said.

“Also, the increased payload from reduced body weight will reduce overall truck hours. If your truck is 10-tonne lighter and twice as strong, you could potentially save $100,000 per body per year in just reduced truck hours on a major mine site.”

And for an industry that’s increasingly regulated for environmental compliance, Schlam considers how it can reduce its own and its customers’ footprints.

A body like EXO uses less steel per unit while lasting longer and is a good example of Schlam’s devotion to greener mining.

THE HERCULES EXO IS MADE FROM SSAB’S HARDOX 500 TUF WEAR STEEL.

“We know how much carbon is created by steel production, and the whole industry is looking at this very closely, including at Schlam,” Smith said.

“So having a body which uses less steel to manufacture, while also being replaced half as often, that has a massive net benefit on the environment and for the operator.

“Over eight years, you’ll be using 25 tonnes of steel instead of 60 tonnes of steel.”

An additional environmental benefit comes in the form of Schlam’s body-scrapping service, which has ramped up considerably over the past 18 months. Smith said the company intends to continue this trajectory.

“We can arrange for bodies that have reached the end of their life to be decommissioned and recycled instead of sitting in the corner of a mine site collecting dust,” he said.

“To complete that cycle, a large percentage of our bodies are made

THE HERCULES EXO DUMP BODY COMBINES LONGEVITY WITH REDUCED WEIGHT.

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from 100 per cent recycled steel.”

But delaying the need for bodies to be scrapped is ideal, so Schlam’s dedicated technical support team will accompany any new body to site should the customer require it, especially in the case of a first-time user.

This team can include representatives from Schlam’s sales team, engineers, or various other technical specialists.

Such an approach has come from an understanding that not everything will always run smoothly, Smith said.

“We understand that things can go wrong with our products in a very harsh mining environment. Cracks can occur and, occasionally, components can be hard to come by these days,” he said.

“But the way we respond to concerns raised by customers is something that we’re very proud of.”

And in the interest of responding to customers’ needs, Schlam isn’t just stopping at the EXO for vastly improved mining equipment.

Smith hinted that the materials science behind the new model would soon be applied to a range of Schlam’s products, providing a flow-on effect that will see the company move from strength to strength.

“We have one project we’ve been working on for quite a while now – a new type of dump bucket which uses a similar methodology to the Hercules EXO to reduce weight and increase service life, which we are aiming to release to site before the end of the financial year,” Smith said. AM

MAINTENANCE XXX

WEIR MINERALS IS TRANSFORMING MINE SITE MILL OPERATIONS SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2018, MANY MINING OPERATORS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE VULCO R67 COMPOUND INTO THEIR MILL LINING SYSTEMS. THEY HAVE REPORTED AS MUCH AS 20–40 PER CENT IMPROVEMENT IN WEAR LIFE, RESULTING IN FEWER MILL LINING REPLACEMENTS AND LONGER MILL CAMPAIGNS.

MILL OPERATORS HAVE EXPERIENCED A WIDE RANGE OF BENEFITS THAT INCLUDE IMPROVED WEAR LIFE.

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ulco rubber is renowned throughout the mining industry for its exceptional wear life and reliability in mill lining systems.

These abrasion and impactresistant rubber compounds have been developed with advanced technologies by the Weir Minerals’ team of expert engineers and material scientists who are continually refining Vulco rubber products to keep them at the forefront of mill lining systems technology.

Having identified a need for higher-wearing rubbers for mill lining systems, the material science experts commenced developing an industry-leading, premium-grade rubber compound with superior wear life and performance in mill lining applications.

The result was the Vulco R67 rubber – an optimum material which is manufactured with proprietary new compounds and innovative methods of processing to deliver outstanding wear life and longer uptime.

Extensive field research, compound testing and site trials were conducted to ensure that it was not only able to withstand severe abrasion in typical mill system applications, but that it is best in class.

It has been the most wear-resistant rubber compound that Weir Minerals

has ever developed for mill lining applications. The R67 compound boasts a high hardness, elongation, tensile and tear strength, and is suitable for lifter bars, head/shell plates and grates.

When it’s utilised in conjunction with metal cap mill liners, the result is a versatile, economical and efficient product that weighs up to 50 per cent less than steel alone. The added benefit is a lighter product that’s faster, easier and safer to install.

This reduction in shutdowns has a dual benefit of increased cost savings and improved plant availability.

With a liner that can run significantly longer, operators have experienced a wide range of benefits that include improved wear life, a measurable reduction in mill downtime and increased uptime and processing.

Vulco R67 also enables easier and safer installations, as well as reduced maintenance costs In addition, the mines benefit from having an experienced and dedicated team from Weir Minerals who custom-engineer the liners to suit each mill’s unique requirements for optimal wear life.

The R67 elastomer compound is changing the way mills operate – with exceptional results. Extensive global trials and commercial installations in AUSTRALIANMINING

the market have resulted in a number of successful outcomes across a variety of different grinding applications.

From mines in the US to Chile, the R67 has proven its outstanding performance consistently.

As an example, a high-grade nickel and copper mining project in the US had a problem where the liners in one ball mill were wearing out too quickly, leading to continued downtime and reduced processing.

The project was looking for a product significantly superior to the elastomer that they were using.

Initially there was reluctance from the mine, as they had loyalty to their original mill supplier; however, after Weir Minerals conducted a series of trajectory simulations and discreet modelling, to optimise the design and deliver the best process performance

WEIR MINERALS’ VULCO R67 MILL LINERS ARE FASTER, EASIER AND SAFER TO INSTALL.

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for the mill, they agreed to trial the R67 liners. At the end of the trial the R67 showed 30–40 per cent better performance than the incumbent liners and the customer installed a full set of R67 liners in their mill.

Another trial in the US took place in an iron ore mine with several dozen ball mills in operation. Here, Vulco R67 liners delivered a 17 per cent increase in life compared to the failed shell plates from the mine’s original mill lining system supplier.

The company was extremely impressed with the results and installed a complete shell liner in their ball mill.

Another copper processing plant in Chile trialled R67 composite liners in their SAG mill against two other compounds that are commonly used in the industry. After 12 months, there was a 48 per cent and 62 per cent wear life improvement on the other liners, proving that the R67 composite liners could withstand the highly abrasive environment.

As leaders in material technology, Weir Minerals are continuously undertaking research and development to provide best-inclass products to mining customers, while helping them improve their bottom line.

When using Vulco R67 rubber compounds, Weir Minerals’ customers can feel assured they have a marketleading product that is backed by decades of experience, expertise, and proven effectiveness. This innovative rubber compound not only delivers superior physical and viscoelastic properties, but is also a lighter and safer material to use. AM

2021

AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS

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DIGITAL MINING

IFM FINDS THE MISSING IO-LINK IFM EFECTOR HAS GROWTH AT THE HEART OF ITS OPERATIONS – GROWTH AS A COMPANY, BUT ALSO OF ITS CUSTOMERS. IO-LINK ENABLES IFM CUSTOMERS TO SEE THE VALUE IN DIGITISATION. BUT THE COMPANY SAYS DON’T TAKE ITS WORD FOR IT, START SMALL – GROW AS YOU KNOW. IO-LINK IS A DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL.

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fm efector is a family-owned German-based company that has established itself as industry leading sensor specialists.

In the 50 years of the company, ifm has formed invaluable relationships with customers that have shaped its growth and helped it evolve into more than just a sensorbased business.

The company now has solutions in equipment management, process optimisation and material handling, exploring more pillars than it was originally known for. ifm efector industrial networking and controls product sales manager Kannan Kathiresan said the company could offer customers both the hardware and software sides of the processes.

“ifm has transformed itself from just a hardware-based company into more of a system solution-based company,” he said.

“Companies are looking to adopt new technologies to give them the competitive edge, and for this to be done you really need to have a scalable network as a backbone to be able to collect all this information from the field level.

“Gathering quality information from the sensors and actuators in the field and creating actionable machine insights based on that is what ifm can help with.” ifm is known for the quality of its products, which is why they are all backed with a five-year warranty.

The products are tried and tested AUSTRALIANMINING

by the research and development team in Germany to ensure they can withstand harsh mining conditions and receive all of the necessary approvals before being released to the market.

“Being able to provide really good-quality products is something I think we’ve been able to differentiate ourselves from the other vendors out there,” Kathiresan said.

“Mines are harsh on products and we make sure our products are tested in that environment, giving us the confidence to say we definitely believe in the quality, as it has gone through all the rigorous testing processes.

“They are designed for the robust environment and we’ve seen that.”

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In an ever-changing industry there are constantly new technologies being brought to market, which can be overwhelming and stressful to understand, let alone implement.

It makes it even harder when there are multiple companies selling similar products and services that all claim to be the best. ifm efector’s unique culture takes customers’ problems and needs onboard to provide entire solutions rather than just a technology which, without context and proper training, will not have its potential realised.

“Sometimes companies forget to address the three Cs – cost, complexity and change – when it comes to introducing a new technology,” Kathiresan said.

DIGITAL MINING

CHANGE MANAGEMENT IS A KEY AREA OF FOCUS FOR MINING COMPANIES.

When it comes to cost, customers are required to think about how expensive the technology will be to implement, how quickly they will get the return on investment, whether they can justify the costs to management, and so on.

For complexity, the customer will ask how difficult the technology is to integrate on-site. Will the new technology be able to integrate into the current systems for ease of use? Does it comprise safety and security on-site?

Finally, with change, it’s human nature to show slight resistance to new technologies until a full understanding of the product is established and the customer knows what’s in it for them.

“They might say the current system works seamlessly, why do we need to change? But undertaking change future-proofs your business, bringing a higher level of efficient and effective production and a higher level of product and brand security,” Kathiresan told Australian Mining.

“For the customer it’s understandable that the fear kicks in because there’s a lot of uncertainty around technology because it’s something new.

“They haven’t used it and they have all these questions that cloud their thinking at that point in time, but this is where ifm can help them with the three Cs.” IO-Link is a digital communication protocol that is able to collect qualified information from the sensors and actuators out on the field.

It is able to break down the three Cs, and help customers move away from conventional systems into digital systems by being able to understand how these three Cs can be easily met with IO-Link as the backbone.

IO-Link is capable of processing switching signals of binary sensors,

process values of analogue sensors and their parameters in a purely digital form based on a 24 V signal.

This eliminates measuring value errors associated with the transmission and conversion of analogue signals.

It can be used to transfer several process values or parameters of a device simultaneously via one unscreened standard cable.

With that in place, all of the information can be analysed and from there it’s all about customised solutions as per the customer’s needs.

“The data sensors are your eyes and ears of what you see out in the field.

IO-Link is a gateway enabling you to bring all that information in a digital way,” Kathiresan said.

“It then opens up different possibilities of taking it into software platforms for further analytics where it can be processed or where it can be used to gather those actionable insights.”

Change management has been a key area of focus for mining industry companies in recent times, with miners attempting to establish competitive advantages to separate themselves from everyone else.

It has become mandatory, in a sense,

to be able to continuously innovate the solutions, products and services provided, because failing to do so can see a company behind in the race.

“We’ve heard of several stories in the market where even big companies have been left behind because they weren’t quick enough to recognise threats in the market,” Kathiresan said.

“When you don’t look hard for those threats, you could miss out on opportunities. This is where, in order to differentiate your service or product, you need to be able to provide that additional value.”

IO-Link acts as a backbone and it can retrieve all the trapped information from the sensors. It is then up to the user to decide how they make use of that data, and whether they recruit ifm’s help with that process as well.

“Every time a new change is imposed, it might be scary at the beginning, but over time, once you understand what’s in it for you, and how it is going to help you add value to your product and services, that’s when you’re really going to be able to take the next step,” Kathiresan said.

“We at ifm really believe in being able to do all of this at a small scale, and that is what we’ve been preaching to all our customers.

“You need not digitise your entire plant to really understand what this technology is all about. You can start at a very small scale – even less than $1000 you should be able to put together a small system and see how much of an impact it has on a small area of your process.” AM

IFM EFECTOR HAS A UNIQUE COMPANY CULTURE.

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INNOVATION TYRE STEWARDSHIP AUSTRALIA SEES VALUE IN OFF-THE-ROAD TYRES.

BIG TYRES. BIG CHALLENGES. EVEN BIGGER OPPORTUNITIES. THERE IS NOW A $16 MILLION (AND GROWING) MARKET FOR CRUMB IN AUSTRALIA – WITH MARKETS FOR OTHER TYRE-DERIVED MATERIALS EMERGING – CREATING NEW COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINES AND THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY OPERATE.

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SG managers at mines have a lot to consider when making decisions about offthe-road (OTR) tyre disposal. There’s cost, compliance, sustainability, community expectations and productivity.

Always productivity.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) has positioned itself as a leader in understanding these OTR challenges by talking with various stakeholders in the tyre value chain, from minerals councils, mining companies and manufacturers to local government, recyclers and community groups.

TSA chief executive officer Lina Goodman said the obstacles to an effective ecosystem for OTR tyres were in fact manageable.

“There’s no doubt that end-of-life OTR tyres pose a challenge for mines,” she told Australian Mining.

“Recovery of used mining tyres is expensive and complex. A large proportion of used OTR tyres are on remote mine locations, many kilometres away from recycling processing plants, most of which are in metro locations. It makes sense that most mines will choose to apply for an EPA license to bury those tyres on-site.

“But we have now reached a tipping point in Australia, and it’s time to make other alternatives viable.”

The tipping point to which Goodman refers is the Government’s national waste reduction policy and action plan, which mean 80 per cent

of all waste streams are expected to be recycled by 2030, and mines are being called on to identify solutions now.

Goodman said such targets are achievable and has positioned TSA to contribute significantly to the cause.

“With funding and collaborative efforts across industries, we have seen the dial shift from a 50–90 per cent productive recovery rate for tyres from the passenger, bus and truck sector,” she said.

“We believe that we can achieve similar results in the OTR sector, including mining, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and aviation, which currently recovers less than 15 per cent.”

TSA has already funded $7 million into development of new products using components recovered from endof-life tyres.

As a result, there is now a market for crumb products worth $16 million per year.

There are 50 major research and development projects at various stages of completion to increase Australia’s ability to recover and process rubber waste into new products.

These products include spray seal, blast protective concrete, crumb rubber roads, permeable pavement, safety barriers and liquid fuel.

With 85,000 tonnes of OTR tyres consumed each year, mining is the catalyst for change, according to Goodman “We believe mines can turn the tyranny of distance into an AUSTRALIANMINING

opportunity on a local level, for the communities in which they operate,” she said.

“Mining produces a critical mass of used OTR tyres where we need them in regional, rural and remote areas to attract and motivate collectors, recyclers and investors.”

With this volume of used tyres already on their doorstep, communities and businesses can work with their local mine operators to apply for TSA funding to innovate and find solutions for end-of-life tyres.

One of those domestic markets is the mining sector itself, which can use products created from the tyres it has to throw out. If this can be done on a local level, there are huge benefits to be gained ranging from stimulus for local economies, to cost and carbon savings and reducing the burden for future generations.

TSA will test this thinking in 2022, with a series of trials in the NT, WA and NSW that will gather data on the logistics of handling and transporting end-of-life OTR tyres, and opportunities for local business investment.

Currently, over half of companies importing tyres into Australia have signed up to help find solutions for the mining industry and other OTR tyre users.

From January 2022, Bearcat, Bridgestone Mining Solutions, Goodyear, Kal Tire, Michelin and Yokohama will voluntarily pay a levy, through the Tyre Product

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TYRE STEWARDSHIP AUSTRALIA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER LINA GOODMAN.

Stewardship Scheme, of between $7.50 and $50 on each tyre sold into the Australian market.

This will be reinvested by TSA, through its Market Development Program to reduce barriers and increase opportunities in logistics, infrastructure and end markets.

“This is a smart investment in the future of their own markets,” Goodman said.

“They have chosen to move beyond the problem and become part of the solution. In doing so, they are paving the way for OTR tyre users, such as mining, to leverage opportunities from Australia’s circular tyre economy and reduce the burden of buried waste on future generations.” AM

YOU MINE SOLID MINERALS. WE MINE MACHINE DATA. UPTAKE PUTS YOUR OT DATA TO WORK FROM PIT TO PORT.

Your mining company unearths coal, ore, and other mineral deposits. At Uptake, we’re also in the mining business, extracting operational technology (OT) data from your company’s fixed and mobile assets. We then analyze the data for insights that empower you to predict failures, keep technicians out of harm’s way, and minimize production downtime.

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A tier 1 Australian mining company unlocked $35 million in savings and revenue improvements over a 5-year period with Uptake.

TECHNOLOGY MICROMINE HAS EXPANDED BEYOND WHAT WAS IMAGINED YEARS AGO.

MICROMINE TAKES MASSIVE LEAPS INTO MINE DESIGN HAVING ACQUIRED TWO LEADING TECHNOLOGIES BEFORE RESTRUCTURING ITS SUITE, SOFTWARE COMPANY MICROMINE NOW COVERS ALL BASES IN GEOLOGY, MINE PLANNING, DESIGN AND SCHEDULING, WITH PLENTY MORE TO COME.

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icromine began 2021 in a big way, revealing significant enhancements to its software which streamlined the complex process of geological modelling, mine planning and design.

A year later, the company has expanded into seven separate products in an end-to-end digital ecosystem headlined by Micromine Origin and Micromine Beyond.

The former is an exploration and 3D modelling solution that integrates and interprets exploration data, while the latter controls the continuation of the development of the mining asset – the actual planning and mining of a resource.

Micromine Origin entails all of the technologies the company has always been known for in the exploration space, making it as easy as possible for new assets to be found, understood and acted upon.

But the company was hungry to serve more than this initial exploration phase.

Micromine product strategy manager Jeremy Hanrahan joined the company in the middle of 2021 and recognised a company that was on its way up.

“The really exciting thing for me as I joined Micromine was that they acknowledge where the opportunity for growth is and are striving to take a leading position in mine planning and operations,” Hanrahan told Australian Mining.

Having worked as an electronic engineer and a mining engineer for the past 20 years, Hanrahan has seen the best and worst in mine design technology.

While Micromine’s competition is tough on a global scale, it has what it takes to grasp a significant chunk of the market in Australia and abroad, according to Hanrahan.

“There aren’t many companies that work at both ends of the process, in terms of geological assessment

and in the mining operations. So that certainly sets Micromine apart,” he said.

“As far as the lifecycle of a resource – from seeking out a new resource deposit, proving there’s something there, creating and valuing a model, taking it to market, building and designing an operation and then operating on that asset – Micromine is one of few who have that end-toend offering.”

Rounding out this complete suite was Micromine’s 2021 acquisitions of Spry and Alastri in June and September, respectively.

Both technologies came with their own respected reputations – Spry is recognised as a leader in scheduling and simulation for soft-rock operations, while Alastri specialises in intuitive mine planning and production scheduling with a clear strength in open-pit hard-rock operations.

After years of doing these jobs “by hand”, Hanrahan was equally excited and exasperated by the capabilities of these technologies.

“I used to see problems and get frustrated that something would take me two days,” he said. “So it was amazing when I learned about Alastri because it took maybe 10 seconds to reprocess a block model of reserves. I thought, ‘if only I had this years ago’.

“Equally, all that you wanted to see happen, all the tools you wished you had back in the day have been filled

by Spry.

“It’s evolved in a collaborative and cooperative way from people being on-site and learning from all the experiences, products and scheduling approaches that have come before it.”

Micromine Beyond was then released in November as the wider suite was unveiled. That suite now includes Micromine Nexus, Geobank, Origin, Beyond, Alastri, Spry, and Pitram, each with their own place in a mine’s lifecycle.

And while there is some crossover in their capabilities, Hanrahan said the Micromine suite was an evolution of sorts.

“The fact we have multiple options has opened some interesting opportunities for us and our customers,” he said.

“Micromine Beyond is very much the crossover point between geology, mine design and the initial sequence that guides a mine schedule.

“This is the natural strength that it has to compliment products like Spry and Alastri and why we are interested in further integrating with them to offer each of their best bits.”

And, of course, not all Micromine customers will be suited

AN OVERLAY PRODUCED BY SPRY TO SIMULATE A NEW MINE.

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to all Micromine products.

One business specialising in the discovery and modelling of undeveloped mineral resources, for example, won’t be particularly interested in the haulage scheduling of Spry. And an active mine operator may not have much use for the explorative strengths of Origin.

Hanrahan explained the process of matching customers with Micromine products.

“A key part of the deployment for these tools is the hands-on experience, where the software and mining engineers can tailor the program to the customer and hand it straight to the customer,” he said. “This allows the workflow to fit as well as possible to the customer’s site’s needs.”

And in the unlikely case that a customer’s needs reveal a gap in the Micromine ecosystem, Hanrahan teased that such occurrences were in constant consideration as the company investigated opportunities to expand.

“This will be a continually expanding portfolio which will involve acquiring, developing and incorporating further technologies,” he said.

“We’ve made an active commitment to improve our capabilities in the mining space compared to our proven strength in geological modelling.” AM

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D E L I V E R E D T O C O M P LY W I T H YO U R STA N DA R D S. When it comes to public access areas, it would be good if compliance was one thing you didn’t have to worry about.

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MINING SERVICES

BEST-KEPT SECRET GALVANISES INTO ACTION ARMORGALV AUSTRALIA IS THE ONLY COMPANY IN THE COUNTRY THAT USES THE THERMAL ZINC DIFFUSION GALVANISING PROCESS – A STRONGER, LONGER-LASTING, MORE AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL GALVANISING METHODS.

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rmorGalv is a superior galvanising process that uses thermal diffusion to protect ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

This cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and durable galvanising technique was designed in Israel in 1993. However, it did not find its way to Australian shores until 2010, when ArmorGalv Australia was born.

The process is unique and exclusive to ArmorGalv Australia, as it is the only plant of its kind in the country.

Based in Thornton, New South Wales, approximately 20 minutes outside of Newcastle, the Australian site is recognised as the largest ArmorGalv plant in the Southern Hemisphere.

CORROSION PROTECTION FOR MINING EQUIPMENT IS ESSENTIAL.

ArmorGalv Australia general manager Clive Jones says that ArmorGalv is leading the Australian industry and has done so for more than 10 years.

“ArmorGalv is the new age of galvanising. It lasts three times longer than hot-dip galvanising, as proven by many salt spray and real life tests,” he said.

The advanced ArmorGalv coating technology is called Thermal Zinc Diffusion galvanising.

A uniform, sacrificial zinc-iron coating is applied to any ferrous item using a metallurgical vapour diffusion process.

It is a corrosion-resistant and abrasion-resistant coating solution that helps increase the life of the AUSTRALIANMINING

ARMORGALV PRODUCTS ARE GUARANTEED TO BE FREE OF HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT.

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MINING SERVICES

ARMORGALV IS CORROSION- AND ABRASION-RESISTANT, AND HAS ANTI-GALLING PROPERTIES.

part, even in the harshest mining environments.

“Any components that sit in a corrosive area ArmorGalv will protect, making the metal components last longer so they are safe, and also reduce maintenance costs substantially,” Jones told Australian Mining.

Corrosion protection for mining equipment is essential due to the extreme environmental factors at play on a mine site.

High ambient temperatures, extremely high humidity, acid, and dust are combined, which results in high demands being placed on the need for corrosion-resistant machines and materials.

In contrast to other galvanising methods, Thermal Zinc Diffusion galvanising does not leave any areas of the product ungalvanised.

This is because the formation of a zinc coating by means of diffusion is not hampered by the product’s geometry.

The ArmorGalv coating is a standard finish option for all ferrous metal products, known as galvanising 2.0.

“It’s highly corrosion- and abrasionresistant, it’s controllable and precise, non-magnetic, weldable, spark-free and chip-proof,” Jones said.

ArmorGalv is used to coat millions of roof support bolts in hard rock and other mines for corrosion protection.

Thermal diffusion galvanised components have been used in the mining industry worldwide for decades due to the reliable and multifunctional zinc-iron alloy.

Important factors in the corrosion of steel in coal mines is the mine water and the coal itself.

Factors such as coal particle size, moisture content and sulphur content have a significant influence on the corrosion of steel.

“ArmorGalv is used in hard rock mining, especially. Coal mining is local to us in Newcastle, but we’re strongest where there is corrosion and where there are acidic soils,” Jones said.

“Hard rock mining is really our forte.”

ArmorGalv went through a series of salt spray tests that showed the lifespan of ArmorGalv can be up to 3000 hours, compared to hotdip galvanising that would last around 500 hours.

“Hot-dip galvanisers think they are our competitors, but we are in a different league,” Jones said.

“We both have our strengths in different products.”

Not only is ArmorGalv corrosionand abrasion-resistant, it also has antigalling properties.

Galling is defined as when two surfaces in contact seize up, and the materials gain their corrosion resistance from a passive oxide layer over their surface. Under high contact-force sliding, this oxide can be deformed, broken and removed from parts of the component, exposing the bare reactive metal.

When the two surfaces are the same materials, these exposed surfaces can easily fuse together, causing seizure or galling.

Due to increased hardness and wear-resistant properties, Thermal Zinc Diffusion provides good anti-galling

properties, predominantly facilitated by the absence of free zinc at the outer surface.

In addition, a specific point of interest is that all ArmorGalv products are guaranteed to be free of hydrogen embrittlement.

This is a particularly important component in the case of safety and products made from spring, hardened or high-strength steel.

Hydrogen embrittlement is caused by the diffusion of atomic hydrogen in the steel.

Thermal diffusion galvanising is a dry galvanising process, which means hydrogen embrittlement is technically impossible.

Any hydrogen present in products will disappear during the process of heating to 300°C, before the zinc-iron alloy layers are formed, and would even relieve any residual stresses that might already be present in the fastener due to other factors.

“It is guaranteed to have no hydrogen embrittlement, it is heatresistant up to 650°C, and it’s totally heavy-metal-free and non-toxic, environmentally friendly,” Jones said.

The ArmorGalv coating becomes part of the surface of the ferrous metal and fastener through this process – it not only coats, but it also diffuses into the surface.

The result is a hard super-abrasionresistant coating that cannot easily be removed by mechanical means.

Hot-dip galvanising, on the other hand, involves the products being pretreated by acid dipping, throughout which there is a chance the products will absorb atomic hydrogen.

In 2022,

ArmorGalv Australia is introducing a new product called ArmorThread, aimed at high-tensile fasteners and critical components for companies to better maintain fasteners.

Traditionally, fasteners were coated to provide them with corrosion resistance and proper torque tension characteristics, while trying to avoid inducing them with the catastrophic effects of hydrogen embrittlement.

Today, there is the added requirement – and challenge – that the process of coating the fasteners be environmentally-friendly, and that the resulting coating itself be non-toxic and chrome-free.

“Making sure things are environmentally-friendly and thinking about the future is a core part of the business. We are green, we use solar power and we’re using non-toxic heavy-metal-free components,” Jones said.

“Any of the wear components, critical components, and high-tensile products, we can actually make it corrosion protected because we don’t adversely affect high-tensile fixings.”

ArmorGalv is on the home stretch of receiving an ISO certification for quality, environment and safety, which is on the cards for this year.

The company has also recently moved into a new larger premises, has more capacity and is ready to take on 2022 headfirst.

“We’ve been the world’s bestkept secret, but now we are ready to let people know about it,” Jones concluded. AM

THE LIFESPAN OF ARMORGALV CAN BE UP TO 3000 HOURS.

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PRODUCTS

VIBRATION MONITORING BEATS DOWNTIME

METSO OUTOTEC’S LARGEST SLURRY PUMP

Vibration monitoring has become essential for plant and equipment predictive maintenance in mining and quarrying. Not only is it a valuable tool for preventing unscheduled downtime, but it can also extend machine operating life beyond recommended maintenance intervals.

The ifm battery-operated vibration sensor, in combination with the ifm gateway, sends simple real-time monitoring and alerts to your smart device, PC or industrial computer.

Powered from an internal battery with a life of at least four years, wireless vibration sensors in ifm’s vibrating-wire (VW) range are fast and easy to install, even in difficult-to-access locations.

There are two versions of the VW sensor available: VWV001 and VWV002.

Both have an IP68 ingress protection rating and an operating temperature range of -40°C to +85°C, allowing them to be used in the most demanding industrial applications.

Metso Outotec has revealed the latest addition to its mill discharge (MD) pump series, the MDM900, for use in heavy-duty concentrator plants.

The MDM900 is now the largest pump manufactured by Metso Outotec and has raised the benchmark for MD pumps around the world.

With heavy-duty use in mind, the pump is designed with thick all-metal walls to resist the harshest concrete mill duties.

This cutting-edge pump comes with an inlet size of 900mm and is fitted with an FR2100 frame and an impeller diameter of 2100mm.

The MDM900 is designed for flows of up to 3500 cubic metres per hour and heads up to 40m.

• mogroup.com

• ifm.com

THEJO: BEST IN CLASS

CONNECTING MINES WITH AI

Thejo Australia strives to be the best in class, a one-stop shop for all your conveyor belt service parts. This includes steel cord and fabric conveyor belting, splice kits, on- and off-site pulley lagging, skirt rubber and skirt systems, belt cleaners and transfer point solutions (chute lining, air cannons and impact beds).

The company’s extensive range of maintenance and installation equipment, including recently delivered 30T, 50T and 90T winders and multiple vulcanising presses, are capable of managing the largest of belt installations and are available 24 hours, 7 days a week for wet or dry hire.

Expert service technicians take care of all your conveyor belts’ inspection, repair, maintenance and installation requirements.

All Thejo Australia products and equipment are supplied under the reassurance of triple ISO certification awarded by Bureau Veritas in September 2021.

Epiroc has released a new user-friendly system with embedded artificial intelligence (AI) that enables multi-vehicle command, control and monitoring to maximise productivity and safety on mine sites.

In partnership with ASI Mining, Epiroc created Mobius for Drills, a new platform to convert data into useful, actionable information that will lead mines toward automation and connectivity.

Mobius for Drills displays data in an easy-to-use layout to map drill usage, evaluate statistics, track consumables, and compare planned outcomes against actual results.

By providing a single platform for all stakeholders within the drilling operation, users can quickly navigate the information, filter it to their needs and streamline the decision-making process, day-to-day or over time.

An added value to Mobius for Drills is its ability to work across fleets with drills from multiple manufacturers, condensing all sources of information.

• thejoaustralia.com

• epiroc.com

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PRODUCTS

LIEBHERR WHEELS OUT NEW LOADERS

SANDVIK TAKES TORO BY THE HORNS

Liebherr has launched three new wheel loaders that will increase performance, productivity and safety during daily use in the resources sector.

Liebherr is modernising the three largest wheel loaders in its series with the new L 550, L 566 and L 580 models by adopting new technology that forms the basis for various intelligent features.

Increasing the tip load, bucket sizes and engine power are some of the most important innovations, and the wheel loaders also feature a new electrohydraulic pilot control.

The new wheel loaders feature the proven hydrostatic Liebherr travel drive, which is renowned for its great efficiency, and thanks to increases in engine power – approximately 17 per cent for the L 550 – the travel drive is even more powerful while maintaining the same low fuel consumption.

Sandvik has upgraded its Toro LH209L low-profile loader to enhance its performance, reduce downtime and control emissions.

The upgraded Toro LH209L loader features a multitude of design improvements while simultaneously adding it to the Toro loader and truck family as the first low-profile model.

The rear of the 10-tonne class low-profile loader has been redesigned and reinforced to better withstand ground and roof impacts that are typical in low-profile operations.

For improved serviceability, extremely flat covers contribute to easy access to the service and maintenance area on top of the loader.

Toro LH209L is equipped with a new operator interface with a seven-inch display, providing access to the simple and purpose-designed control system.

The interface offers basic information about the loader condition and warns the operator before failures occur, preventing severe damage or potential downtime.

• liebherr.com

• rocktechnology.sandvik

WEIR REDEFINES MINING MILL OPERATIONS

ABB STEPS UP PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE

Vulco rubber is renowned throughout the mining industry for its exceptional wear life and reliability in mill lining systems.

Having identified a need for higher-wearing rubbers for mill lining systems, Weir Minerals commenced developing an industry-leading, premium-grade rubber compound with superior wear life and performance in mill lining applications.

The result was the Vulco R67 rubber – an optimum material that is manufactured with proprietary new compounds and innovative methods of processing to deliver outstanding wear life and longer uptime.

Extensive field research, compound testing and site trials were conducted to ensure that it was not only able to withstand severe abrasion in typical mill system applications, but that it is best in class.

In fact, it has been the most wear-resistant rubber compound that Weir has ever developed for mill lining applications.

ABB has released a new version of ABB Ability Predictive Maintenance for grinding which is a unique advanced digital service to maintain, assess and analyse gearless mill drive (GMD) systems.

The upgrade means that ABB Ability Predictive Maintenance for grinding is now cloud-based instead of sited on premises and includes a brand-new mobile application that allows real-time notifications on fleet status.

The Grinding Connect mobile app, available for iOS and Android, means mine operators can monitor performance at any time and from any place.

ABB Ability Predictive Maintenance for grinding provides easy access to GMD system parameters and allows visualisation of performance considering past activity and real-time data, and assesses future maintenance requirements.

It aims to extend the lifetime of grinding assets through better use of resources and to support non-stop operation and to avoid unforeseen downtime.

• global.weir

• new.abb.com

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EVENTS

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

Australian Mining Prospect Awards Brisbane | March 17 The most esteemed and prestigious awards for the Australian mining and minerals processing industry, the Australian Mining Prospect Awards, return in March 2022.

Mining has always been a part of Australia’s landscape, playing a major part in the development of the nation from its early days.

The sector remains vibrant and innovative, and for more than a decade the Australian Mining Prospect Awards have been the only national awards program to stop, take a look at what the mining industry is doing, and reward those who are excelling and going above and beyond, recognising and rewarding innovation.

The Australian Mining Prospect Awards were established in 2004 to recognise and reward excellence and innovation across the Australian mining industry.

• prospectawards.com.au International Mining Geology Conference 2022 | Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth | March 22–23 AusIMM’s International Mining Geology Conference will focus on maximising orebody value and increasing productivity through mining geology.

Hosted both in-person and online, the event will bring geologists, consultants, decision-makers, metallurgists,

engineers, professionals and students together to explore new techniques and emerging technologies to enhance operations.

The conference will feature keynotes, a high-quality technical program, exhibition, virtual booths, interactive workshops and mine site tours.

Attendees can also network in-person and virtually through a networking function, conference dinner, discussion groups and on-demand content.

This includes Geologize chief executive officer and founder Haydon Mort, who last year launched an ondemand training course, Practical Geocommunication, which teaches geoscientists how to connect with the public to encourage positive perceptions of the field.

• ausimm.com/conferences-andevents/mining-geology The Australian Gold Conference | Sydney | June 14–15 Australia’s largest precious metals conference and exhibition comes to Crown Sydney in June.

The two-day Australian Gold Conference brings together every aspect of the precious metals investment industry to promote and assist everyday Australians alongside those already interested investors.

Keynote speakers will share their investment insights and look at ways one can grow and preserve their wealth going forward.

AUSTRALIANMINING

ASX-listed mining companies will be present as they provide updates on their mining investment opportunities.

Bullion dealers will also be on hand for those keen to know more about how and when to purchase physical metal.

At the time of writing, representatives from the likes of De Grey Mining, Evolution Mining, Calidus Resources and Kin Mining were locked in to present at the conference.

• goldindustrygroup.com.au Australian Bulk Handling Awards | Melbourne | August 25 The Australian Bulk Handling Awards return in 2022, welcoming the sector’s esteemed and emerging to come together and celebrate the outstanding achievements from across the last two years.

With prior events postponed, finalists from both 2020 and 2021 will be recognised at the 2022 event.

Awards to be announced include Supplier of the Year, Bulk Handling Facility of the Year, Best Practice in Safety, and Dust Control Technology, Application or Practice.

Taking place on August 25, the gala dinner will coincide with the Australian Bulk Handling Expo in Melbourne, a three-day event that encompasses the entire bulk solids handling industry.

The Australian Bulk Handling Expo is supported by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH), which will host an industry conference, while

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the trade expo will showcase the latest in bulk materials handling equipment and technologies.

• bulkhandlingawards.com.au International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) | Melbourne | TBA The eighth IMARC, which was due to be held from January 31 to February 2, has been postponed to later in 2022.

Beacon Events, the organisers of IMARC, announced that due to the significant rise of COVID-19 cases being experienced at the time of writing, the event will be rescheduled.

“The health, safety and wellbeing of our attendees and employees remains our number one priority, rescheduling the event originally planned for January 31 to February 2 is the responsible action to take in the current circumstances,” IMARC managing director Anita Richards said.

Australia’s leading industry body for the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector, Austmine, said it was the right decision to make.

“We know how important this event is to our members who are exhibiting and attending, as well as the METS sector overall, and we encourage everyone to consider this as an opportunity to refocus your efforts and support the event,” Austmine chief executive officer Christine Gibbs Stewart said.

The dates for the rescheduled IMARC are yet to be announced.

• imarcglobal.com

B U L K H A N D L I N G E X P O . C O M . A U AUGUST

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MHD Supply Chain Solutions

XYLEM PUMP RENTAL & SERVICES Whatever the Challenge - Xylem has the Solution By partnering with Xylem, you can rent best-in-class pumping equipment, without capital expenditures.

Ensure equipment is being serviced correctly with the right parts and gain access to our skilled engineers, product experts, and service technicians who will keep your operations running.