Australian Mining - September 2017

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

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

Low-cost level measurement.

Radar sensor for water management.

Reliable level measurement in water treatment facilities, pump stations and rain overflow basins.

Open channel flow measurement and water level monitoring.

VEGAPULS WL S 61 ▪ Measuring range up to 8 m

▪ Can be used outdoors without restriction ▪ Flood-proof IP 68 housing

▪ Operation via Bluetooth with Smartphone, tablet or PC

Further information: www.vega.com/wls61

Phone 1800 817 135

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

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGY POWERING THE INDUSTRY

PRINT POST APPROVED PP100008185

SERVING THE MINING INDUSTRY SINCE 1908

intelligent trucking safer. stronger. smarter. introducing sandvik’s iseries tH663i and tH551i trucks - the smart solution for intelligent mine productivity.

The new iSeries is safer, more efficient, more reliable, and easier to maintain, enabling trucking to be more productive than ever before.

Find out more about the iSeries’ improvements, new features and automation capabilities at mining.sandvik.

Imagined by customers. Engineered by Sandvik.

COMMENT

BEN CREAGH

MINING WAKES UP IN THE WILD WEST

Ben.Creagh@primecreative.com.au DIGGERS & DEALERS 2017 SHOWED THAT WESTERN AUSTRALIA IS FEELING GOOD ABOUT MINING AGAIN.

A

The awards that are presented at the Digger & Dealers gala dinner put an exclamation mark on the strong condition of the gold sector, with Gold Road Resources and St Barbara sharing the major spoils.

But beyond gold there was plenty more to keep the punters happy, including BHP’s continued revival of its Nickel West division, which plans to expand in the coming years by targeting the booming battery market’s nickel-rich solutions.

The contractors, services groups and suppliers that exhibited side-by-side with the mining companies in the massive marquee also equalled their optimism.

Mining’s focus on innovation, technology and productivity has been widely adopted by these groups and this approach has seemingly worked.

So, as the Australian Mining crew headed back east following Diggers & Dealers – definitely more weary than how it arrived – it did so with confirmation that mining in WA was, indeed, heading in the right direction once more.

ll the talk from the west heading into the 2017 Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum centred on an improved outlook in the state, and in particular a thriving gold sector.

As Australian Mining travelled to Kalgoorlie-Boulder from the east coast for the Forum, it was hard not to be a a little bit sceptical of how this optimism would play out at one of the country’s most famous events.

Well, it’s fair to say: Diggers & Dealers delivered.

An overwhelming sense of buoyancy swept through the Goldfields capital during the August event. Supporting this attitude was an underlying feeling of relief that the mining industry in not just WA, but Australia was now in a better place.

No, not a place like the boom times of last decade, but one that had a renewed purpose, with the industry having now re-emerged with a solid foundation for the future.

WA’s gold mining industry was unmatched in setting this belief. From the ground up, there was justified excitement surrounding the future of the precious metal in WA’s Goldfields region.

Exploration is on the agenda in the region – both brownfields and greenfields.

Development of its next gold mines is also on track, with operations such as the Gruyere joint venture and Dacian Gold’s Mt Morgans set to add gold production in the coming years.

International gold miners, including Gold Fields and AngloGold Ashanti, also expressed their confidence in what the region will have to offer.

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

In this edition of Australian Mining, we explore the latest technology developments at equipment manufacturer Sandvik. A panel of Sandvik experts also explain what’s next for the company in terms of innovation.

This issue also covers the 2017 Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum, with Australian Mining visiting Kalgoorlie-Boulder for the event.

We also look at new strategies in human resources management in mining, with a feature examining how companies are moving to a more proactive recruitment approach.

Recent developments in minerals processing are reviewed in a special feature on the important mining sector.

And as always, we provide the latest mining technology and equipment in our regular Product Showcase spread.

Ben Creagh Editor

SALES MANAGER JONATHAN DUCKETT Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Mob: 0498 091 027 Email: jonathan.duckett@primecreative.com.au ART DIRECTOR Michelle Weston GRAPHIC DESIGNERS James Finlay, Blake Storey, Adam Finlay SUBSCRIPTION RATES Australia (surface mail) $140.00 (incl GST) New Zealand A$148.00 Overseas A$156.00

PRIME CREATIVE MEDIA Suite 303, 1-9 Chandos Street Saint Leonards NSW 2065, Australia www.primecreative.com.au © Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2016 All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written permission of the p ­ ublisher.

For subscriptions enquiries please call GORDON WATSON 03 9690 8766

AUSTRALIANMINING

FRONT COVER

5

SEPTEMBER 2017

Average Net Distribution Period ending September 2015 7,827 PRINTED BY MANARK PRINTING 28 Dingley Ave Dandenong VIC 3175 Ph: (03) 9794 8337 Published 12 issues a year

THE GLOBAL LOGISTICS REVOLUTION MAY 10-12 2018 MELBOURNE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE

MEGATRANS2018.COM.AU

Proud Partner

Association Partners

CONTENTS

DIGGERS & DEALERS BUOYANT GOLD SECTOR SET FOR THE FUTURE A review of this year’s mining forum in Kalgoorlie-Boulder

PROSPECT AWARDS

16-18

30-31

AUSTRALIAN MINING TALKS TO SANDFIRE RESOURCES Last year’s major award winner discusses what’s been happening at the company since

MATERIALS HANDLING HANDLING GROWTH ON THE WORLD STAGE Nepean Conveyors has emerged as a global OEM in mining

CRUSHING

20

32-33

THE COST OF NOT ADEQUATELY MAINTAINING CRUSHERS How maintenance plans help avoid major issues with crushers

TRACKING THE TRENDS IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT This trend focuses on the importance of sustainability and energy performance

INNOVATION

21

34-35

FUTURE OF MINING A recap of the 2017 ABB Digital Transformation Summit

TECHNOLOGY THE TECHNOLOGY EXPECTATIONS OF MINING BECOME REALITY Improving market conditions have driven an increase in demand for Sandvik

SAFETY

22-23

36-39

KEEPING SAFETY AT THE CENTRE OF MINING Australian Mining speaks to Sean Brady and Daniel Rockhous

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT A PROACTIVE MODEL FOR RECRUITMENT Technology has been developed to make mining recruitment more proactive

MONITORING

24-25

42

26-27

43

ARM DELIVERS EFFICIENCIES FOR MINERS Aggreko is helping companies focus more on mining through remote monitoring

FINANCE GOLD MINERS HAPPILY HEDGE How the Aussie dollar has helped the local gold industry

EFFICIENCY TAKING OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL Vega continues to develop smart solutions for the mining industry

MINING EQUIPMENT EQUIPPING THE MINES OF TOMORROW What have the improved market conditions meant for equipment manufacturers?

ENGINEERING

28-29

44

AUSTRALIAN MADE Leverlink reinforces the importance of supporting locally-designed products

REGULARS

INDUSTRY COMMENT 10-11

NEWS 12-14 PRODUCT SHOWCASE 48-51 AUSTRALIANMINING

8

SEPTEMBER 2017

EVENTS 54

Experience the Progress.

Liebherr R 9100 – Technology for Your Excellence Patented Liebherr energy management system improves cycle time Engineered for excellent productivity and increased uptime Low fuel burn as a result of the efficient Liebherr V12 diesel engine Maintenance friendly with centralized, easy access service points Superior operator comfort and safety through state of the art ergonomics

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

INDUSTRY COMMENT

MANAGING IMPACTS OF OPEN CUT MINE BLASTING ENVIROSUITE’S MATT SCHOLL DISCUSSES HOW PREDICTIVE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE IN MANAGING THE IMPACTS OF BLASTING ACTIVITIES.

O

pen cut mining operations are constantly faced with the challenge of conducting mining blasts that maximise production, but also minimise impacts on their workforce and surrounding areas.

Blasting operators must consider weather conditions such as rainfall, wind and atmospheric mixing, as each can have a significant bearing on the generation of dust and fume clouds and where these might travel, causing adverse impacts.

Wet ground conditions can be particularly problematic where it effects the efficiency of blast detonation.

Moisture, as well as blast product characteristics, blast design and drill and blast operational practices, can result in large brown, orange or reddish plumes when detonated.

These post blast clouds are very noticeable and can cause concerns for residents in nearby communities.

Avoiding these plumes is top-of-mind for any mine supervisor or drill and blast superintendent.

Air vibrations caused by blasting are another challenge. Air vibrations occur when pressure or shock waves are

propelled into the atmosphere from a detonating charge.

Certain atmospheric conditions may cause these air vibrations to be reflected back down to the ground.

This can result in residents close to the mine avoiding impacts of the blast, but others further away may be affected.

If atmospheric conditions are conducive to refractions, this can result in a surge of noise and vibration complaints.

Rule-of-thumb calculations

Traditionally, assessing the best times at which to conduct blasts in an open cut mine has been done using a combination of operator experience, local knowledge and gut feel.

Armed with forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) or other generic weather forecasting applications and some local observations, blast superintendents have had to make the call on where and when blasting activity is undertaken.

While this approach might work most of the time, fickle weather conditions and sudden changes can mean blasts end up causing large plumes and significant problems for nearby towns – a problem that seems to gather more intense attention with each occurrence.

Blast fume events can also have serious health impacts on the staff working at the mine itself if a plume is unexpectedly blown towards them in a nearby section.

Computerised simulations

A more effective approach is to make use of software tools that can assess conditions and make recommendations of where and when blasts should be conducted.

The tools can use data from a variety of sources to model the size and nature of predicted plumes, thereby allowing mine managers to make informed decisions prior to blasting.

As a first step, the tools can create a detailed three-dimensional map of the mine site. This is used to support models that predict how wind flow might be affected by the local terrain.

The next step is to model local weather conditions and simulate the likely dispersion and area of impact of blast plumes under different conditions throughout the shift.

Data from weather observation satellites and ground-based weather monitoring networks are used to create high resolution model predictions for blast scenarios at the site.

Because these forecasting systems are set up at highly localised resolution

OPEN CUT MINING IS FACED WITH A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

AUSTRALIANMINING

10

SEPTEMBER 2017

the predictions are much more accurate than those provided by the weather forecasting services that are designed to deliver predictions for much wider areas.

Using the custom configured forecasting system for the mine and an easy to use software interface, simulations of blast plume scenarios can be run for every 15-30-minute time slot over the next 72-hour period.

The system provides results that enable drill and blast teams to plan the best times to conduct blasting over the next few days to achieve maximum productivity, reduce downtime for blast activities and ensure that impacts on community and fellow mine workers are avoided.

Practical support

Outputs provided by these software tools can deliver significant benefits to mine operators.

For example, at an open cut mine in Central Queensland, conditions that evolved during the loading of a blast pattern meant that a blast plume was likely to be unavoidable.

The mine operator used the software tools to determine when the best time would be to ensure the plume remained within the mining lease or at worst case was not blown into a nearby town.

After the blasts had occurred, the mine was visited by mine inspectors in response to complaints lodged by local community and news reports that a large blast fume cloud had been created.

They called a stop to all mining operations until they could be convinced that the mine had adequate controls around fume management.

Once the Inspectors had been shown the system that the mine was using to manage adverse blasting impacts, including multiple simulations that had been assessed prior to a decision to delay the blast for two hours to avoid impacting the town, they were impressed with the site’s ability to accurately predict and manage the path and dispersion of blast plumes, and subsequently lifted the stop work order immediately.

Weather forecasting systems can

INDUSTRY COMMENT

also be used to assist in operational mine planning. For example, the tools can predict when critical weather conditions are likely to occur, such as a specific amount of rain within a certain timeframe, where these conditions may impact the safe operation of heavy haul trucks using inclined haul roads.

High quality forecast data provides mine operators to plan alternative operating scenarios or make best use of the unavoidable downtime due to weather.

Similarly, wind speed forecasts can assist mine planners to optimise dust control activities, resulting in better use of costly water resources during good conditions or targeted higher-level dust management during unfavourable weather conditions.

Operational improvements

Putting these sophisticated software tools to work at a mine site can deliver significant benefits for operators.

The ability to forecast future weather conditions can ensure the impact of activity on local communities is minimised while

BM-smart-sense-ad0717.indd 1

productivity in the mine is maximised.

Industry experience shows the predictive tools can assist mine operators to reduce the number of exceeded operating licence conditions or complaints received by local residents by as much as 500 per cent during a 12-month period.

Mine operations can also benefit financially. Operators using the tools report that production levels have increased thanks to the ability to optimise operations with foresight ahead of weather events.

The tools ensure mine owners are also better placed to maintain their social licence to operate. By proactively minimising their impact on local residents, they are seen as being more responsible members of their community.

By taking advantage of modelling and predictive tools, mine operators can be sure they are operating as efficiently as possible at all times while at the same time minimising their impact on their workforce and their surrounding area. AM Matt Scholl is vice president of EnviroSuite.

AUSTRALIANMINING

ENVIROSUITE’S MATT SCHOLL

11

SEPTEMBER 2017

7/08/2017 3:48 pm

NEWS

THE LATEST MINING NEWS AND SAFETY AUSTRALIAN MINING PRESENTS THE LATEST NEWS AND SAFETY AFFECTING YOU FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE MINE AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. VISIT WWW.AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. RIO TO INCREASE LOCAL SUPPLIER CONTRACTS WITH NEW PROCUREMENT APPROACH Rio Tinto plans to grow the number of contracts it awards to Western Australian suppliers through a fresh approach to procurement.

The mining company says it already awards 77 per cent of its contracts to local suppliers in WA. However, Rio iron ore chief executive Chris Salisbury outlined the company’s intentions to work with local suppliers even more through the new approach.

To support local suppliers, Rio has introduced several initiatives in WA, including an online procurement portal, enabling businesses to register interest and view upcoming opportunities.

Rio has set up a team of procurement specialists, dedicated to analysing work opportunities and identifying procurement opportunities for WAbased suppliers.

The mining company will increase collaboration with its major suppliers to raise awareness of opportunities

with these suppliers for local businesses.

Rio also plans to partner with small business development specialists to provide training and mentoring support to selected businesses needing assistance.

Salisbury said Rio’s new approach would make it easier for WA businesses to compete for contracts with the company and its major suppliers.

“WA is the home to our iron ore operations and local businesses have been critical to our ongoing success,” Salisbury said.

“While we already award 77 per cent of our contracts to local suppliers, we want to do more to encourage local businesses to work with us.

“The local procurement programme will encourage businesses to thrive and employment opportunities grow across the state.

“We recognise the social and

economic contribution made by local businesses. These businesses employ and train local people, are an integral part of the community, and help make WA a better place to live.”

Rio has recently held several workshops across the state with industry suppliers. The company said attendees were encouraged by its new approach to prioritise local businesses wherever possible.

Tidal Solutions managing director Rob Collins, who was involved in a workshop at Dampier, said: “Tidal Solutions can see the possible benefits of the local procurement programme to local businesses within the Pilbara, in developing and sustaining local content.

“We also see the opportunities to look at future works planned to allow adequate timing to assess the scopes and submit a competitive bid for these works,” Collins said.

ALTURA SECURES $US110M TO ADVANCE DEVELOPMENT OF PILGANGOORA LITHIUM PROSPECT

SARACEN LINES UP BYRNECUT FOR $440M CONTRACT AT CAROSUE DAM

Lithium hopeful Altura Mining has locked in an agreement with United States and Swiss-based investment groups to raise $US110 million ($137.9 million) to fund development of the Pilgangoora project in Western Australia.

Earthworks and construction at the Pilbara-based project were launched in March this year. Altura said the funds secured would be used for completion of construction, commissioning and to start production and sales.

The loan note subscription agreement, with Magy LLC, Pala Investments and CarVal Investors, will be provided in two tranches – the first ($US33 million) to be received on August 4 and the second ($US77 million) on or before September 27.

Altura has rapidly progressed development of Pilgangoora over the past year as it races to become the next Australian lithium producer.

The company last month announced a five-year off-take agreement for a minimum 200,000 tonnes a year of spodumene from the mine.

Altura awarded NRW Holdings a $110 million contract for mine development and drill and blast services at Pilgangoora in February.

Three months later, Civmec secured a contract to construct the civil component of the project’s process plant.

“The project has an extensive mine life and forecasts exceptional returns delivered via substantial off-take partnerships, low cost operations and product pricing,” Altura said in an ASX announcement.

“Pilgangoora is set to become a globally significant lithium product delivery contributor in a buoyant market with attractive compounding annual growth rates and expanding product use applications.”

The company plans to launch sales of spodumene concentrate in early 2018.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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

Saracen Minerals has selected Byrnecut Australia as the preferred tenderer for the $440 million underground mining contract at its Carosue Dam operation in Western Australia.

The contract comes after a competitive tender process that attracted several Tier 1 underground contractors.

It is the largest single contract in Saracen’s history, driven by its operation’s growing mine life.

The contract is for underground development and production stoping at the Karari and Deep South underground mines. The initial term is four years with the potential for a one-year extension.

Byrnecut holds major underground mining services contracts for a number of operations, including Newcrest’s Telfer gold mine, Northern Star’s Jundee gold mine, St Barbara’s Gwalia gold mine and Sandfire’s DeGrussa copper-gold mine.

Saracen managing director Raleigh Finlayson said the company looked forward to partnering with Byrnecut to build on the underground operations at Carosue Dam. “This is the largest single contract in Saracen’s history, with the scale and duration of the contract driven by our confidence in a large and rapidly growing gold system at Carosue Dam,” he said.

Finlayson also thanked current contractors RUC Cementation Mining and Pybar Mining Services for their contribution to ramp up the Karari and Deep South underground mines to more than 160,000oz gold per annum.

The formal award of the contract is subject to agreement of the final terms and conditions.

12

SEPTEMBER 2017

Power, cooling and heating at every stage of a mine’s life-cycle Mining operations are long-term projects so we support you at every stage. We’re with you for exploration, project planning and site construction.

We stay on for commissioning and production – providing technical advice and expertise when you’re ready to expand. And we’re by your side to help with closing the mine at the end of its life. However remote your location, we’ll take care of the power, cooling, heating and dehumidification – freeing you to concentrate on the mining.

Call us to learn more 1300 929 031

NEWS

NEW COPPER PROJECT ON THE CARDS FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA

CONFIDENCE GROWS IN TASMANIA AS MINING ROYALTIES SPIKE

Terramin Australia has entered a joint venture agreement with Environmental Copper Recovery (ECR) for the potential development of a new copper project in Kapunda, South Australia.

The joint venture will investigate the potential to extract the copper through low cost in-situ recovery (ISR) from shallow oxide ores in and around the historic Kapunda Mine area.

ISR uses solutions pumped through boreholes into the mineralised body to dissolve the desired metals. This solution is then extracted and processed in a recovery plant at the surface.

If field leaching tests are successful, then a feasibility study of the project to produce copper and possibly gold at low capital and operating costs will be commissioned.

Under the agreement, ECR can earn a 50 per cent interest in the project after spending $2 million on field trials and associated studies. ECR is also able to earn an additional 25 per cent interest by spending another $4 million.

Commenting on the agreement, Terramin CEO Martin Janes said the new joint venture will add to the company’s suite of mining projects.

“This opportunity would give Terramin the ability to focus on its flagship Tala Hamza zinc project and high-grade Bird-in-Hand gold project while leveraging off its portfolio of other valuable assets,” he said.

Mining in Tasmania continues to bounce back from the global downturn in commodity prices.

In the 2017 financial year, $39.4 million in mining royalties were collected in the state, a significant increase on the $15 million received in 2015-16, according to the Tasmanian Government.

With mining being a major contributor to state revenue and accounting for around 50 per cent of the value of its exports, the government is elated with the improvement in market conditions.

Tasmanian minister for resources Guy Barnett said the industry was rebounding strongly from low global commodity prices.

“A raft of good news for the industry recently includes last week’s sale of the Avebury nickel mine, the granting of a mining lease to Stellar Resources for its Heemskirk tin project, and the reopening of the Henty gold mine,” Barnett said.

“We have also seen the beginning of work on a number of projects at the Mt Lyell mine funded through a $9.5 million investment by the government aimed at helping to bring forward its potential restart.”

Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council (TMEC) chief executive Wayne Bould signalled earlier this year that the state’s industry was starting to see positives from key mining developments.

“Those (which invested) are actually starting to realise both production and economic benefit which is starting to flow through to the government in terms of state royalties and certainly for the businesses themselves as they progress,” Bould told Australian Mining.

“No miracle has occurred – it is just the result of some good business decisions.”

Bould said there was a growing awareness of how technology could be applied to manage and analyse performance at Tasmanian mines, as well as the opportunities that exist to use new methods to efficiently link the state to world markets.

GLENCORE SECURES PART OF COAL & ALLIED FROM YANCOAL WITH NEVER-SAY-DIE ATTITUDE Glencore and Yancoal Australia are on the verge of joining forces in the Hunter Valley.

With Yancoal set to acquire Rio Tinto’s Coal & Allied division, Glencore has secured an agreement with the Chinese-controlled company to take a 49 per cent interest in the Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) coal mine and form a joint venture following completion of the deal.

Glencore’s never-say-die attitude towards acquiring Coal & Allied has proven to be rewarding.

The company twice presented counter bids for Rio’s New South Wales thermal coal division, but was unable to sway the seller, with Yancoal named as the preferred buyer each time after upping its offers.

However, persistence has paid off and Glencore is on track to strengthen its coal portfolio in the region.

According to Glencore, it will pay $US1.139 billion in cash, plus a 27.9 per cent share of $US240 million in royalties over five years and 49 per cent of royalties that Yancoal will pay Rio Tinto on production from HVO in relation to the Coal & Allied acquisition.

Glencore will acquire 16.6 per cent of HVO from Yancoal and the companies “will work together” to purchase Mitsubishi’s 32.4 per cent interest in the operation to reach the 49 per cent stake.

A day prior to Glencore announcing the joint venture plans, Yancoal majority owner, China’s Yanzhou, approved the onsell of 16.6 per cent of HVO, signalling a follow-up deal was imminent.

Swiss-based Glencore will also buy $US300 million worth of Yancoal shares in the capital raising it has planned to fund the Coal & Allied transaction.

“The HVO JV will be jointly controlled by Glencore and Yancoal through a joint venture management committee comprising three representatives of both JV participants,” a Glencore statement said.

“An independent management team will run the operations on a day-to-day basis and will report to the committee.

“In order to deliver maximum operational synergies, Glencore will nominate the candidates for HVO general manager while Yancoal will nominate the candidates for HVO financial controller. Glencore will provide operational and support services to the HVO JV.” Glencore believes the deal will unlock mining and operating synergies for the company in the Hunter Valley, with HVO adjacent to several of its existing mines.

“Glencore’s combined portfolio of mines in the Hunter Valley, including HVO, will have production capacity of 69 million tonnes per annum of high quality energy coal to meet increasing Asian demand,” Glencore explained.

The statement also outlined that Glencore would be the marketing agent for HVO coal sales into Japan, South Korea and other countries, excluding China, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia.

Glencore plans to fund the transaction with existing cash resources and committed facilities.

The company expects the deal, which is subject to it gaining regulatory approvals, to close within six months.

Yancoal’s original deal with Rio was slated in January this year. Following the takeover battle with Glencore, Rio’s shareholders approved a $US2.69 billion ($3.35 billion) offer from Yancoal in June.

AUSTRALIANMINING

14

BHP $350M INVESTMENT IN OLYMPIC DAM TO INVOLVE 1300 CONTRACTORS BHP plans to spend $350 million revamping its Olympic Dam smelter operations in a move that will see the South Australian mine’s copper production fall.

The overhaul, to take place between August and November, involves rebuilding elements of the smelter flash furnace, demolishing and building an electric slag furnace, and removing and replacing a five-storey electro static precipitator.

BHP flagged it would carry out the maintenance program in an operational review, which outlined that copper production at Olympic Dam was forecast to drop to 150,000 tonnes in the 2018 financial year due to the works.

However, the expected improvement in operational performance following the project will increase copper production to around 215,000 tonnes in the 2019 financial year, according to BHP. In fiscal 2017, copper production at Olympic Dam fell 18 per cent against the previous year to 166,000 tonnes.

Olympic Dam asset president Jacqui McGill said the smelter maintenance campaign was the largest planned shutdown by BHP in the state.

“There will be 1300 contractors at Olympic Dam during the peak of construction as teams work around the clock to dismantle, rebuild and upgrade integral components of the facility,” McGill said.

“Work is under way on site with teams preparing to dismantle old infrastructure and starting to take delivery of more than 350 material loads to support the project.

“The rolling shutdown across the surface operations starts in August with the maintenance campaign running for more than 100 days in total.”

BHP will also use the Olympic Dam downtime to undertake additional refinery maintenance.

The diversified miner last month announced it had spent $250 million over the past four years to develop the Southern Mine Area (SMA) at Olympic Dam. General manager Troy Wilson described the SMA investment – on horizontal development, vertical development and enabling surface infrastructure – as the future of the mine. It is expected to significantly increase the volumes mined at the site.

Olympic Dam, about 560km north of Adelaide, is one of the world’s largest and most diverse ore bodies, including deposits of copper, gold, uranium and silver.

SEPTEMBER 2017

Worldwide industry leader in the design and manufacture of electrical cable couplers

RESTRAINED PLUGS AND RECEPTACLES RANGE

A 40 year global reputation for Quality, Reliability and Innovative designs.

Join a global family with hundreds of satisfied customers enjoying a range of benefits: One piece body Solid internal earth connection Stainless steel interior Simplicity in terminating or re-entering

INNOVATION

RELIABILITY

PEDIGREE

W: www.ausproof.com.au P: +61 7 4978 4000 A: 6 Shona Avenue, Gladstone, QLD, AUST. 4680 E: ausproof@ausproof.com.au

DIGGERS & DEALERS

KALGOORLIE’S HISTORIC SUPER PIT

BUOYANT GOLD SECTOR BUILDS ON HISTORIC YEAR IN THE GOLDFIELDS THE FUTURE OF GOLD MINING IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA LOOKS STRONG FOLLOWING A COUPLE OF MAJOR MILESTONES IN THE STATE EARLIER THIS YEAR. BEN CREAGH REPORTS.

I

t’s been a historic year for mining in Western Australia’s Goldfields region, something that was recognised at the 2017 Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

The 60 millionth ounce of gold was poured from the Golden Mile in June. Super Pit operator Kalgoorlie Consolidate Gold Mines (KCGM) – the joint venture between Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining – also produced its 20 millionth ounce of gold in the region.

Both feats were recognition of the significant contribution that gold mining has made to not only the Goldfields region, but to the entire country.

If this year’s Diggers & Dealers was any guide, the gold companies operating in the region are well positioned to keep this productivity flowing for decades to come.

The 2017 event was one of the biggest in years for Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

It was also resoundingly positive, especially in respect to the region’s famous gold mining industry.

This was the case on several fronts for the gold sector – from discussion of plans to launch new operations, to expansion of production at existing operations, to a more positive outlook

for investment in exploration.

It would be hard to find many gold companies that better demonstrate the optimism that has gradually remerged in the Goldfields region over the past year or two than Northern Star Resources.

Back in 2003 Northern Star was an explorer. Today, it is one of the leading gold miners in the country, using a combination of organic growth and acquisitions to now produce more than 500,000 ounces a year.

Northern Star has built a portfolio of low-cost underground mines that have cemented its place in the region for years to come.

Now the company is committed to using this position to help make underground gold mining a growing and sustainable sector.

The Western Australian company plans to invest $50 million over 10 years to expand its skills and develop the innovation required to enhance underground gold mining in the future.

Northern Star will also invest in new technology and machinery to improve the efficiency of its exploration, development and production activities.

Stuart Tonkin, Northern Star chief executive officer, told Australian Mining the gold mining industry was moving further towards underground AUSTRALIANMINING

operations and the investment would support that transition.

“We look forward at the open pits today, and we look forward 10 years, and we see that those deposits will be depleted from surface mining,” Tonkin said.

“They will go underground – the orebodies continue. It’s moved already from 75 per cent open pits through to 56 per cent open pit mining in the balance from underground. We see that trend globally.”

Tonkin said the investment would

DIGGERS & DEALERS HIGHLIGHTED THE FUTURE OF THE GOLD SECTOR

16

SEPTEMBER 2017

focus on building the skills of its people and promoting underground mining to the next generation.

“Everything in industry is driven by people, in the people and the skills, and actually recognising what skills they will require over the next two decades and starting to train them now because it does take time,” Tonkin said.

As strong as Northern Star’s commitment is to people, Gold Road Resources is taking the same resolve to greenfields exploration.

DIGGERS & DEALERS

DACIAN GOLD CHAIRMAN ROHAN WILLIAMS PRESENTS AT DIGGERS & DEALERS

Gold Road is another WA Goldfields success story. Back in 2011, it was recognised as the Best Emerging Company at Diggers & Dealers.

This year, it won the Dealer Award for its move to establish a joint venture with South Africa’s Gold Fields at the Gruyere project in late 2016.

That $350 million joint venture agreement has catapulted Gruyere towards production by early 2019, but it’s what will follow that achievement that is equally important for Gold Road.

Justin Osborne, Gold Road executive director of exploration and

growth, pointed out that greenfields exploration was in decline as more companies committed to brownfields programs.

He said from 2002 to 2016 greenfields exploration dropped from 42 per cent of total exploration budgets to 25 per cent.

Osborne accepted that gold companies like Northern Star, Dacian Gold and Saracen Mineral Holdings were excelling with brownfields exploration in WA. He, however, urged the industry to consider greenfields exploration as a way of ensuring the sustainability

of the gold sector in Australia, with Gruyere and the Tropicana operation the only major new discoveries over the past decade.

“All mines have a finite mine life, eventually brownfields exploration in mining will return reduced economics and reduced margins,” Osborne explained.

“There are only a finite number of deposits that we can go and do exploration on. Conversely, there is an infinite number of unknown deposits to be discovered.

“The sustainability of the industry requires new discoveries and I propose that Australia is one of the prime places to do greenfields exploration and make those discoveries.”

Gold Road has budgeted to spend $30 million on greenfields exploration in the Yamarna belt in the Eastern Goldfields to reflect this strategy.

Its Gruyere partner, Gold Fields, remains a leading spender on brownfields exploration in WA, having invested $102 million in 2016 and budgeting to spend $89 million in 2017.

South Africa’s Gold Fields, which operates the St Ives, Granny Smith and Agnew mines, reinforced its future in Australia at the event.

Gold Fields CEO Nicholas Holland highlighted the current and emerging operations the company is developing in Australia.

“Gold Fields is a global company and we see Australia as an important part of our portfolio. We are here for the long term, and we are looking forward to investing and growing our operations down here in Australia,” Holland said.

Diggers & Dealers also highlighted the gold operations that are set to add production in the region, including Dacian Gold at the Mt Morgans site near Laverton.

Dacian is on track to be producing at the Mt Morgans operation by March next year, with construction of the $197 million gold mine now under way.

Once the mine has been built, Dacian will join the Australian gold sector’s mid tier by producing more than 200,000 ounces a year. The company is already mining at the Westralia underground mine that forms part of the Mt Morgans hub.

The operation includes two underground mines, a 2.5 million tonne per annum carbon-in-leach (CIL) treatment plant and a 400-person accommodation village.

With an extensive exploration program planned, the company plans to grow this production profile further in the years to come.

Dacian look set to strengthen a mid-tier gold mining contingent that will bolster the region for many years, supporting the Golden Mile, which will always be the foundation of gold mining in the region. AM

Leverlink

®

Verti-Lift®

STORED ENERGY MOTOR BASE The design that has been serving industry for the past

22 years Tensioning overhead VEE Belt drives.

sales@leverlink.com.au

500kW AUSTRALIANMINING

17

SEPTEMBER 2017

DIGGERS & DEALERS

REDESIGNING THE FUTURE OF MINING THE DIGGERS & DEALERS MINING FORUM DEMONSTRATED HOW FAR THE MINING INDUSTRY HAS COME IN TERMS OF ITS APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY, DATA AND INNOVATION. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

D

iggers & Dealers 2017 showed that a more collective and innovative approach to mining has helped revive the industry, with international companies, local producers, services groups and suppliers all sharing this belief.

Mining’s major companies have led the way in this transition and Diggers provided another example of how they are setting the standard.

International miner Anglo American outlined the role it is playing to redesign mining through innovation and technology, including Australia in this vision.

Anglo, as one of the world’s largest mining companies, has set out to also be one of the industry’s leading innovators.

It is undertaking this process through the Future Smart Mining program, which aims to deliver innovation across its almost 40 assets on four continents.

Speaking at Diggers and Dealers, Anglo technical director Tony O’Neill said miners had to be prepared to redesign the future of mining.

“For the first time of my long career I am convinced we are on the cusp of a technologically revolution that will fundamentally change our industry and will change it very quickly,” O’Neill said.

“These technologies are all happening and it is up to us to put them together. We don’t know exactly how this revolution will unfold but one thing is clear, it is absolutely going to happen.”

While automation, for many, is considered a starting point for innovation in mining, O’Neill pointed out there was more to Anglo’s strategy than just this technology.

“We believe that a truly innovative mindset requires an entirely new paradigm, one that integrates existing mining technology with new disruptive and energy technology to benefit the entire system, not just parts of it,” O’Neill said.

Mining services group BGC Contracting has focused on redesigning its sector through innovative thinking, while also embarking on the technology trail that is expected to shape the industry’s future.

DIGGERS & DEALERS WAS POPULAR WITH SERVICES COMPANIES IN 2017

Perth-based BGC’s track record as a collaborative mining services partner has served the company well as it pursues growth to its contract portfolio.

The company’s latest major contract win – a $700 million mining and equipment maintenance services contract with Idemitsu Australia at Boggabri coal mine in New South Wales – was awarded off the back of its performance collaborating with mining companies.

While how BGC works with its clients has strengthened it reputation in the industry, the company is also focusing on adding to this service though technology.

BGC COO Andrew Taplin told Australian Mining the company was in the process of integrating a technology program into its collaborative model.

It is working with equipment manufacturer, Komatsu, to identify operations that can be enhanced through emerging technologies.

“There’s some good work we are doing in terms of capturing equipment performance from the Komatsu machines and doing some robust analysis around the equipment performance to drive improvement on the operational performance and maintenance performance,” Taplin said.

An upcoming development of the technology initiative, Taplin added, will be the introduction of autonomous Komatsu dozers at an operation in early 2018.

Service providers and suppliers like Snowden, Kal Tire and Micromine have followed the lead AUSTRALIANMINING

of mining’s leading producers and services companies.

All three have innovation and technology at the top of their operational agendas, with enhancing the use of data a priority.

John Hearne, CEO of mining and technology consultancy Snowden, said mining companies were still grappling with how to manage the explosion of data in mining.

“There’s a lot of big data being generated. It’s a question of what are you doing with it and in what timeframe?” Hearne told Australian Mining.

“All the machines have sensors and they are uploading data rapidly. How timely are companies receiving this information and acting on it?

“That’s what we are looking at: getting that data to the people who need it, in the field or on a phone somewhere, quick and easy, on a dashboard they can read and understand, to allow them to make the best decision.”

Meanwhile, Kal Tire is using data to deliver more information to help its partners more effectively track tyre performance.

Kal Tire head of marketing Jason Zafiriadis said an example of this was increasing the level of information relayed to clients around tyre temperatures.

“It is a core thing that can slow a haul operation. As a truck is operating throughout the day it’s tyres are going to heat up – we can start to work with our customers to identify that before it happens and shift those trucks onto a lower temperatures route,” he said.

Zafiriadis said tyres were better

18

SEPTEMBER 2017

managed in mining now, improving productivity for haul road operations.

“We are trying to tap into the drivers in mining. A couple of years ago it was about cost reduction, cost per tonne – now it is more around productivity, or sustainability, and social responsibilities,” Zafiriadis said. “These themes sit closely with our aims.”

Micromine product strategy manager Mark Gabbitus said awareness of technology was still growing in mining, but there had been more investment in recent times.

“You look at the industry as a whole and it is usually a couple of years behind the curve. Mining companies aren’t first in there, and often for good reason,” Gabbitus said.

He said, however, more companies were starting to implement an innovation like cloud technology and the atmosphere at events like Diggers reflected this move.

“Two years ago if you talked to somebody about cloud data storage they wouldn’t be interested,” he said.

“Now when we talk to clients they ask: ‘what are your cloud storage solutions’ or ‘what’s a road map towards a cloud data solution?’”

“A lot of them aren’t quite there yet to do it but many of them are looking at it. That’s where I see the mining industry is at.”

While parts of the mining industry might not be ready for this transition just yet, the discussion at Diggers & Dealers 2017 showed it will be an inevitable move for them in the years to come. AM

No matter which parts are needed for your screen, we are there for you!

This is how we make the big difference, the Metso Way.

When unplanned downtime strikes and parts are not readily available, the cost in lost production can add up quickly.

With Metso, you gain access to a complete range of parts along with our knowhow, built up by experience gained from thousands of screen installations. Our experts will study your operation in detail to recommend the right parts, as well as point out improvement opportunities that can help you optimize your complete process.

Partnering with Metso means you gain a holistic view on your screening process and have genuine quality parts available when you need them.

Discover how our solutions can make the big difference at metso.com/VibratingSpares #TheMetsoWay

MATERIALS HANDLING

A NEPEAN CONVEYOR OPERATES FOR FORTESCUE AT PORT HEDLAND

HANDLING GROWTH ON THE WORLD STAGE NEPEAN CONVEYORS HAS EMERGED AS A TRULY GLOBAL OEM FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY AFTER ACQUIRING TWO BUSINESSES FROM SANDVIK. BEN CREAGH REPORTS.

A

ustralian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can be major players on the world stage.

That is the belief of Nepean Conveyors chief executive officer Miles Fuller, who has guided the company through an acquisition of two businesses part of global mining OEM, Sandvik.

Nepean, already a leading manufacturer of pulleys and idlers in Australia, is aiming to become one of the largest specialists in conveyor components globally after adding Sandvik’s International Conveyor Components and Specialist Conveyor Systems businesses.

The Australian OEM’s conveyor expertise includes an integrated bulk materials handling solution from the mine to the train or truck load station.

By acquiring the Sandvik businesses, Nepean believes it is positioned to provide a unique, integrated set of solutions for the industry.

The combined capacity makes Nepean capable of producing thousands of large engineered pulleys and millions of conveyor rollers to customers in 66 countries.

Nepean will also have access to IP developed at Sandvik’s engineering

and manufacturing facilities, helping it introduce new product lines, including roller technologies, to the marketplace.

The company’s growth demonstrates that Australian OEMs can be leaders on the world stage, Fuller told Australian Mining.

“This is a win for Australian manufacturing and mining,” he said.

“Companies that are determined and focused in the long term can demonstrate that Australia is the centre of excellence and we’re very proud to play a part in this particular dimension.

“This offering of conveyor components is the best offering in the world. We are absolutely convinced of that, in the quality of the products, in the unique design, in the manufacturing cost base, in the plant and equipment that is built into the semi-automated manufacturing environment.”

While ambition is important, execution is vital, and Nepean has embarked on a multi-faceted process to effectively integrate the Sandvik businesses.

Nepean gained new facilities in Europe, Scandinavia, Brazil and Western Australia through the deal, adding to its existing operations across Australia and in Africa.

The acquisition included 195,000 AUSTRALIANMINING

square metres of manufacturing operations in these regions.

Around 340 Sandvik workers also joined Nepean as part of the deal, while the brands it acquired included PROK, Gurtek and Roxon.

Moving from the massive Sandvik organisation, which consists more than 47,000 employees, Fuller said the conveyor businesses and their workforces were being restructured to reflect the operational model used by Nepean.

Fuller said this ’lean-and-mean’ approach was part of the Nepean DNA that had been established over a long period at the company.

“We have a very specific approach in running our business where I empower the business leader, who is the one that has become responsible for the employers, customer, technology management, facilities and so on,” Fuller said.

“We give them some lean business services, and we give them a reasonable amount of mentoring and support, technically credible partners and let them run the business.”

Nepean plans to complement the restructure of Sandvik’s businesses by also revamping the brands it will take over from the Swedish company, Fuller added.

“Companies like PROK, Gurtek

20

SEPTEMBER 2017

and Roxon are all substantial market leaders in their own right and local companies,” Fuller explained.

“We plan to reinvigorate those local companies, lift their brands and give them the power to get back to the great things they are capable of doing as more agile operations.”

Another critical step in the transition involves Nepean growing a stronger understanding of the business cultures in Europe and South America.

Having operated in Africa and North America for two decades, and Asia for the past 10 years, Fuller is confident Nepean will become accustomed to also doing business in Europe and South America.

“We have been operating in other parts of the world for a long time. We are comfortable with international business, but we are going to need to learn Europe and Brazil at a much more rapid rate than we have anywhere else,” Fuller said.

“We are very focused on that challenge and plan to be very present in terms of learning the market, the customers and building rapport.”

Given Nepean’s track record, the acquisition may prove to not only be a win for industry in Australia, but also for the new areas of the world the company now does business. AM

TRACKING THE TRENDS

IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT ON SITE AUSTRALIAN MINING CONTINUES TO EXPLORE THE KEY MINING TRENDS OUTLINED IN DELOITTE’S TRACKING THE TRENDS REPORT, WITH THIS ISSUE FOCUSING ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT.

A

s the mining industry is often scrutinised for its potential environmental impact, the need for companies to retain their social license to operate should remain a key priority.

Deloitte national mining leader Nicki Ivory explained there was a growing sentiment from stakeholders questioning whether the mining industry is abiding by its social licences.

This is particularly the case after the news of mine failures that caused environmental damage, such as the tailings dam bursting at BHP and Vale’s Samarco operations in Brazil, which flooded the states of Minas Gerias and Espirito Santo and killed 19 people; the collapse of a tailings pond at the Mount Polley mine in Canada; and in Australia, the spillage of more than 2300 tonnes of coal slurry from the Clarence Colliery into the heritage-listed Blue Mountains area.

“The onus is on the mining companies to make sure those things don’t happen,” Ivory told Australian Mining.

Miners are also called on to be more aware of their pollution via greenhouse gas emissions as part of the broader efforts to reduce global warming worldwide.

Ivory noted that diesel was historically the fuel of choice for mining companies, but this was beginning to change as some companies explore renewable energy sources.

She pointed to Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa copper-gold operations in Western Australia, which installed a solar facility that integrates with its diesel-fired power station. The solar facility is designed to supply around 20 per cent of the annual power requirements of the mine and is expected to slash emissions by around 12,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

“They [Sandfire] were some of the early adopters of using available incentives to build a renewables project next to their mine at relatively low cost to create a sustainable power source well beyond the life of the mine,” Ivory said.

Energy focus

Energy management is becoming a bigger priority for mining companies.

Ivory said they were beginning to look at it more strategically for their operations, especially since energy expenses accounted for nearly 30 per cent of operating costs.

Ivory added that energy costs were likely to increase over the years as mining became more energy intense, deposits got deeper and grades

became smaller.

“We’re seeing more companies looking at energy strategically not just at the procurement process,” she said.

“The supply side has historically been the focus – where companies manage the cost of where they buy the energy from – rather than looking at it far more holistically across not just the financial but the environmental and social areas as well. We call it the triple bottom line of energy management.”

Ivory emphasised that companies should improve management of the demand side, for example, if a company does most of its processing during the day, they may use solar power during the night rather than having a 24-hour processing cycle.

She said companies should consider how they could restructure on the demand side to make their operations more efficient.

“There is a lot companies can do that can help themselves financially and tick the good environmental and social responsibility boxes,” she added. “Ways to address energy management and environmental sustainability.”

The report said companies should optimise their energy usage, and take a ‘system level approach to energy management’.

This includes looking at all

their processes to reduce energy consumption across the board; building internal capabilities around energy management; setting up a governance structure; clarifying goals and targets; and fostering an energy conscious culture.

Ivory also mentioned the importance of water management as a way to maintain environmental sustainability.

“Water is clearly scarce in parts of Australia, and we need to be thinking about how new technologies are playing a role here, so developing processing technology that can operate with less water or on a dry basis rather than a wet basis,” she said.

The report encouraged companies to continually explore strategies to reduce water consumption on site, such as implementing a mine design that allows dry processing – using no water – and employing sensor-based ore sorting, which finds minerals and waste before extraction, thus reducing both water and energy usage.

It also suggested more environmentally sustainable ways mining companies could repurpose and rehabilitate their mine operations after closing, for example, the Wheal Jane tin mine in the UK repurposed into a part with recreational trails or other dormant mines being transformed into solar and wind power installations. AM

WHILE DIESEL HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN USED AS THE FUEL OF CHOICE FOR MINERS, MORE COMPANIES ARE LOOKING AT RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

AUSTRALIANMINING

21

SEPTEMBER 2017

TECHNOLOGY

THE TECHNOLOGY EXPECTATIONS OF MINING BECOME REALITY TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING AND TAKING MINING ALONG FOR THE RIDE. A PANEL OF SANDVIK EXPERTS PROVIDES AN INSIGHT INTO THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS AT THE COMPANY AND WHAT THE INDUSTRY CAN EXPECT NEXT. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

I

mproving market conditions in Australian mining have driven an increase in demand for Sandvik’s technologically advanced equipment and systems this year.

The journey towards a digital mining environment started at the equipment manufacturer decades ago, but it has recently gathered momentum as a more optimistic environment has emerged.

Sandvik has always been a company focused on offering the most advanced equipment possible. Over the past two decades a priority of this has been on autonomous solutions.

The company has also focused on offering systems that support both

its equipment and their users at mine sites.

Sandvik’s contribution to a digital mining industry is demonstrated across Australia today, with its AutoMine and OptiMine systems the foundation of this.

At the Northparkes coppergold mine in New South Wales, for example, Sandvik’s AutoMine Loading Fleet platform has delivered safety and productivity improvements to the operation.

Northparkes has eight automated Sandvik loaders operating in the same footprint 24/7 with a high utilisation rate.

The loaders have provided strong performance at Northparkes for several years, going flat out in the

drives and reaching their maximum operating speed.

Sandvik has broadened the AutoMine system to cover most mining disciplines, recently launching the Lite package in Australian markets.

The Lite package is proving useful in stoping applications, providing easy installation and high mobility, while maintaining strong levels of productivity.

The effectiveness of these products demonstrates the growing appetite for advanced technology in mining, according to a Sandvik panel of experts.

Sandvik automation vice president Riku Pulli described technology, automation and smart mining as

expectations of the industry that had become reality.

“Sandvik customers are reporting significant benefits gained by using these technologies in regards to higher utilisation, less equipment damage and remarkable improvement in capabilities in controlling the mining process in real time,” Pulli told Australian Mining.

“Above all, automation has proven to improve mining safety significantly, and Sandvik is proud to report that there are more than 1.5 million operating hours with AutoMine Loading and Hauling gained globally with zero lost time injuries.”

Sandvik OptiMine business development manager Kwan Lee SANDVIK’S TH663I FEATURES AUTOMINE TRUCKING

AUSTRALIANMINING

22

SEPTEMBER 2017

TECHNOLOGY

AS THE INDUSTRY MOVES ON FROM THE LAST DOWNTURN, IT UNDERSTANDS THAT INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY WILL BE REALISED BY ‘MINING SMARTER’ - THROUGH INSIGHTS DELIVERED BY INFORMATION AND ANALYTICS.”

A SANDVIK AUTOMINE TRUCKING OPERATOR

agreed that demand for autonomous equipment and advanced technology had increased over the past year.

“As the industry moves on from the last downturn, it understands that increased productivity will be realised by ‘mining smarter’ - through insights delivered by information and analytics,” Lee said.

“A number of new projects have a strong technology focus or flavour to it.”

Ahead of the curve

Sandvik is set to remain at the forefront of the mining industry’s shift towards digital operations.

The manufacturer has launched several intelligent equipment models in recent years and has many nearterm product releases in the pipeline, according to Pulli.

“The equipment across the board is now rapidly becoming smarter – they can be operated in semi- or in full automation modes and very importantly they already are or will shortly become fully compatible with Sandvik OptiMine and AutoMine platforms,” Pulli said.

A recent development, Pulli continued, was the launch of Sandvik’s connectivity and data analytics technologies area, which he said would secure additional value for miners. Technology that improves energy efficiency – an important consideration throughout modern-day life – has also become a priority for Sandvik’s research and development team.

Petri Virrankoski, Sandvik Mining

and Rock Technology business line manager – load & haul and automation, believes the industry will continue to see increased demand towards innovations in energy efficiency and alternative driveline solutions. He said low emission and fuel-efficient Tier 4 engines had become standard in Sandvik’s load and haul equipment to reflect this trend.

“One the key design philosophies for Sandvik LHDs and trucks is low own-weight vs. payload ration, making them the most fuel efficient in the industry,” Virrankoski said.

In July, Sandvik introduced new intelligent mining trucks for automated haulage - the Sandvik TH551i and TH663i.

The company said the trucks increased haulage production by as much as 30 per cent when paired with its AutoMine platform, while lifting productivity without an increase in fixed costs.

A recent evolution in AutoMine Trucking is decline haulage, which enables a high-level of utilisation and improved productivity in declines for underground miners that use ramp haulage.

“One major development we are focusing on at the moment is the introduction of fully autonomous bucket filling, especially in applications such as block or sub level cave mining where one operator will be able to monitor and supervise an entire fleet of loaders from a single operating console,” Prinsloo said.

“The next step then will be to move the operations centres to centralised hubs to reduce travel time and costs due to FIFO.” Today’s mining operations are increasingly linked by technology, data and analytics – something Sandvik is aware of through its development of systems to help mining companies keep track of their equipment performance.

Lee said information management was not, however, becoming easier, as there was now so much data to collect.

“In terms of information management, the future is all about analytics - what to do with the data we are collecting,” Lee said.

“But with data growing at an ever-increasing pace, it is becoming increasingly challenging for individuals to look at the data – hence analytics will address this challenge, and is going to be critical in the next few years.”

Lee believes the industry needs to be smarter about using data to become more efficient at managing information.

“In the industry we are so concerned about ‘double handling’ something – especially the dirt – then why isn’t ‘double handling’ the data a big issue?” Lee pondered.

“We are still content in collecting the data manually and then digitising it – this is an inefficiency in the process and Sandvik has solutions that address this.”

Regarding monitoring, Lee said Sandvik customers had commented

Automation developments

Sandvik plans to increase its range of autonomous mining equipment in the coming years.

Pieter Prinsloo, Sandvik automation business development manager, said the manufacturer’s expansion plans would enable it to meet industry demands.

AUSTRALIANMINING

SANDVIK’S OPTIMINE TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION

23

SEPTEMBER 2017

on the benefits of having increased visibility of their fleet performance.

“For example, being able to follow the trend of critical parameters (temperatures, pressures) to ensure it is within range, or looking through the alarm history to understand (and modify) operator behaviour,” Lee explained.

“It has made the process of collecting the data, and reporting on it, much easier.”

What’s next for mining?

The diversity of mining in Australia means there will be a plethora of new innovations and developments entering the marketplace in the coming years.

Pulli found it difficult to identify just one innovation or development that would have the biggest impact, but pointed to a few trends he expected to remain prominent.

“The equipment will continue becoming more and more intelligent, the level of automation will still increase by use of artificial intelligence, data analytics and new smarter sensing technology solutions,” Pulli said.

He continued: “Continuous 3D scanning or camera-based modelling technologies will become integrated into mining process management, and in general there will be smarter and better technologies available to manage and optimise the mining process, either with robotic and unmanned technologies, or still having parts of the processes manually controlled.”

Virrankoski indicated Sandvik’s focus would complement these trends, with the move towards automated operations to remain a priority.

“The automation readiness will increase in Sandvik equipment, making them easier to upgrade from manual to automated mode,” he concluded. AM

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

A PROACTIVE MODEL FOR RECRUITMENT IN MINING TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO TURN RECRUITMENT IN MINING INTO A PROACTIVE PROCESS THAT IS MORE EFFICIENT FOR COMPANIES. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

R

ecruitment in the mining industry is becoming a more proactive environment.

Gone are the days of the mining construction boom when miners and contractors grew their workforces through recruitment blitzes. Also gone are the days of the mass redundancies that followed the boom.

With the industry moving on to a production phase it has provided the opportunity for companies to be more calculated with human resources and recruitment strategies, including how employees are recruited, talent nurtured and management developed.

Technology is playing a part in this, as it is for most mining disciplines these days.

Digital technology is driving many industries towards a proactive recruitment environment where

companies have pools of qualified, interested and available candidates for every role, on demand when they are needed.

This approach has arrived in mining. In July, Roy Hill – a fully integrated iron ore operation – launched the cloud-based LiveHire recruitment tool, described as a productivity and collaboration platform for talent management.

Roy Hill, a cornerstone client for LiveHire, unveiled the socalled Talent Community across its workforce, which consists 1600 employees at three sites in Western Australia.

Chaired by Gina Rinehart, Roy Hill is the first enterprise in the mining and resources industry to adopt the LiveHire technology and methodology, inviting 65,000 past applicants to the ecosystem during the initial launch phase, before mapping the market further.

AUSTRALIANMINING

LiveHire founder and director Mike Haywood believes proactive recruitment will be the future of human resources management for not only mining, but all industry sectors.

“The future of recruitment for all industries and employers is removing the unnecessary administration involved with reactive recruitment – procuring for applicants after a role becomes vacant – and instead shifting to 100 per cent proactive recruitment, having your talent pools of qualified, interested and available candidates for every role on-demand,” Haywood told Australian Mining.

“The future of recruitment for candidates is controlling your own data, sharing it privately with the employers you wish to work for in the future, and communicating with the people inside organisations in a more human way, rather than competing with hundreds of applicants to receive automated

24

SEPTEMBER 2017

email responses from HR software.

“This creates a more fluid and agile workforce that increases participation and in turn, the productivity of Australia.”

Proactive potential

LiveHire has been developing the live talent ecosystem for six years and has grown exponentially each month since inception. The retail and healthcare sectors have proven particularly effective for the platform so far.

Haywood also sees enormous potential for LiveHire in mining, especially as employment in the industry starts to edge higher after a few leaner years.

The mining industry has been one of the fastest growing employers in Australia over the past 12 months, Haywood noted, expanding 0.8 per cent to 232,600 employed people, about 70 per cent of which are in

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

Western Australia and Queensland.

Haywood said each mining employer that joined LiveHire made it easier for the next to launch a Talent Community of their own, to realise the value of proactive hiring, as well as the return on investment the platform made possible.

“Roy Hill has been the first to make the shift to proactive recruitment, however, LiveHire is well advanced with many mining and resource operators, and supporting organisations, wanting to make the shift from reactive to proactive recruitment using the Live Talent Ecosystem,” Haywood said.

Roy Hill launched its community on July 12 – six days after signing the LiveHire contract. It rapidly built a target community 10 times the size of its workforce using its recognised employment brand.

The Talent Community features thousands of active profiles, communicating directly with Roy Hill’s human resources team – all of which was created within a few days of signing the contract.

Haywood said Roy Hill could create live talent pools for every role in its organisation to deliver the personnel it requires on demand – a more efficient method than traditional reactive recruitment processes.

“The average time to hire in Australia using traditional reactive recruitment is 68 days,” Haywood explained.

“The LiveHire Talent Community Ecosystem keeps these Talent Pools live with fresh candidate data, and candidate availability known. Candidates in the Roy Hill Talent Community are active on the

platform, collectively updating data at a rate of two thousand times a minute.

“This data immediately flows into Roy Hill’s Talent Community as well as into other talent communities that the candidates choose to join.”

Delivering diversity to mining

Most mining companies now focus on increasing the diversity of their workforces.

For Roy Hill, it has been a priority since the company launched development of the 55 million tonne per annum iron ore operation in 2011.

Another major iron ore miner, BHP, also focuses on diversity, with plans to make 50 per cent of its workforce female by 2025.

Haywood believes proactive recruitment is a valuable approach for mining companies aiming to increase their diversity, whether it be in terms of age, gender, ethnicity or cognitive ability.

He said diversity of all types was critical for company success.

“Not just because an organisation’s clients are diverse, but because diversity of all types is proven to lead to higher levels of collaboration, ideas, innovation, and hence company profit, growth, and success,” Haywood said.

“Hiring for diversity requires knowing people for who they are, and engaging them one to one like a human, to build trust and familiarity. You cannot achieve this in recruitment effectively by processing hundreds of paper CV applications each time in a reactive matter.

“It requires a proactive approach to building pools of talent, having conversations, and hiring the right people when the timing is right based

ROY HILL IS A CORNERSTONE PARTNER FOR LIVEHIRE

on the right balance of attributes.”

LiveHire is proving to be a gender diverse platform for job seekers, with 59 per cent of candidate traffic at its first live Talent Community with construction company Ertech being female As LiveHire aims to change the way that mining companies recruit their employees, it also looks set to evolve its platform in a way that

LIVEHIRE WILL HELP ROY HILL BUILD DIVERSITY

AUSTRALIANMINING

25

SEPTEMBER 2017

reflect the human resources trends in the industry.

“HR strategies usually follow company purpose changes and corporate strategy key pivots.

We are certainly observing major pivots in global mining company towards technology and corporate responsibility, for example ‘diversity and inclusion’ as a competitive advantage,” Haywood concluded. AM

FINANCE

GOLD MINERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WEAKER AUSSIE DOLLAR BEFORE RISE IN VALUE AUSTRALIA’S GOLD MINERS REMAINED HAPPILY HEDGED AS THE VALUE OF THE LOCAL CURRENCY IMPROVED DURING THE MIDDLE PART OF THE YEAR. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS

M

ost of the locallylisted Australian gold producers are currently well placed to deal with improvements in the value of the Australian dollar, thanks in part

to their use of gold sales’ hedging mechanisms, according to gold mining consultants Surbiton Associates.

In Australia, hedging has been used as a price protection or risk management tool by some of the local gold producers since it was first

GOLD HAS REMAINED STRONG IN THE LOCAL CURRENCY

AUSTRALIANMINING

undertaken in late-1981.

While it has tended to go in and out of favour over the years, hedging in various forms has provided some means of coping with the extraordinary volatility of the Australian dollar : US dollar exchange rate, as well as the many ups and downs in the gold price.

“The world watches the US dollar gold price but it is the Australian dollar price that is significant locally,” Surbiton Associates director Dr Sandra Close said.

“Production costs such as labour, energy and reagents, are largely in Australian dollars, so the margin between sales and costs is very important.”

Gold prices in Australian dollar terms were high in mid-2016, with the all-time record peaking at almost $1840 an ounce in early July. Since then, the Australian dollar exchange rate has strengthened while the US dollar gold price has fallen.

“The effect of this ‘doublewhammy’ has been to trim Australian dollar gold prices by around $250 per ounce,” Dr Close said.

“Given that there are means available to reduce the risk of such price reductions, many local

26

SEPTEMBER 2017

producers currently have hedge books in place – uncertainty, especially with falling local gold prices, does tend to focus the mind.”

Dr Close said the term “hedge” or “hedging” refers to a range of different mechanisms which are used in determining the price a mining company ultimately receives from its bullion bank for gold which it is yet to produce.

“Hedging using forward sales mechanisms, of which there are many variations, basically sets the price of gold the producer will receive at a specified time in the future,” Dr Close said.

“The other major hedging method is options, whereby a producer enters into put and/or call options, which may or may not be exercised, depending on the gold price at the time of delivery.”

She said companies periodically add to their hedge book in order to replace closed out hedges and in practice, they then do their best to take advantage of periods of higher prices.

However, prudently, at any time only a portion of the expected production is hedged, using forwards and/or options, with the remainder of the output exposed to the spot price.

FINANCE

The table below shows the current situation for several of the larger local gold producers.

“Historically, the Australian listed gold producers have been the most enthusiastic hedgers,” Dr Close said.

“By comparison, many of the world’s largest gold producers regard hedging as something to be avoided.”

Several of these companies say

that their shareholders want full exposure to the gold price and do not want them to hedge.

“If those shareholders really want full exposure to the gold price, perhaps they should invest in gold exchange traded funds,” Dr Close said.

“That way they would get full exposure to the gold price, without corporate management risks,

COMPANY

PRODUCTION 2016-17 (OZ)

HEDGE BOOK AT 30/6/17 (OZ)

DELIVERY PRICE $A/OZ

Newcrest Mining

2,381,000

730,435

1751

Evolution Mining

844,124

459,945

1645

St Barbara

381,101

100,000

1728

Regis Resources

324,353

396,406

1551

272,807

235,343

1573

266,906

123,914

1654

233,556

315,500

1700

135,837

142,000

1700

Saracen Mineral Holdings Westgold Resources Northern Star Resources

GOLD MINERS HAVE CAPITALISED ON THE AUSSIE DOLLAR

operational risks and all of the other risks inherent in gold or metal production.”

“Hedging is not a magic bullet but for the local Australian producers who use it wisely, hedging has proved to be an effective price protection method,” Dr Close said.

“It can reduce downside while still allowing upside, that’s good risk management.” AM

Silver Lake Resources

Source: Surbiton Associates

WORLD FIRST PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIAL FORMULATION FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF POLYURETHANE WEAR PRODUCTS SOME ADVANTAGES OF OUR PRODUCTS INCLUDE • Option of Alumina Ceramic, Silicone Carbide or Fused Zirconia inserts • Automated Machine processing • Close tolerance repeatability of products • Exceptional Adhesive Properties

RIMCO HAS OVER 35 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN MANUFACTURING POLYURETHANE PRODUCTS. OUR DESIGNS INCORPORATE HIGH PERFORMANCE WEAR TECHNOLOGY FROM SAINT-GOBAIN.

• Each product has traceability • Made in Australia • All components are manufactured under strict Quality Controlled conditions • Quality Assured to AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008

sales@rimco.net.au

AUSTRALIANMINING

27

SEPTEMBER 2017

(08) 9378 1077

www.rimco.net.au

MINING EQUIPMENT

EQUIPPING THE MINES OF TOMORROW MARKET CONDITIONS HAVE GENERALLY IMPROVED IN MINING. WHAT HAS THIS MEANT FOR THE WORLD’S LEADING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS AND THEIR MOST ADVANCED PRODUCTS? AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

L

eading Australian miner Fortescue Metals Group demonstrated how rapidly autonomous haulage technology (AHS) and other mining equipment innovations have expanded throughout the industry earlier this year.

The iron ore miner said it would be converting another 12 793F trucks with Caterpillar AHS at the Solomon Hub in the 2018 financial year, adding to the 56 machines that already used the technology at the Pilbara site in Western Australia.

Fortescue, eager to translate the 20 per cent improvement to productivity it has enjoyed at Solomon to other sites, also unveiled an AHS implementation plan for the Chichester Hub, where it will convert around 100 trucks.

Nev Power, Fortescue’s chief executive officer, explained that the company’s operations focused on technological advancement, workforce skills development and collaboration.

With the planned expansion of AHS, the haulage technology continues to help the company achieve its goals in these areas.

Fortescue is one of many Australian miners that has made a technology like Cat’s AHS commonplace at sites around the country.

BHP and Rio Tinto join its mining

peer as users which have moved heavily towards the systems at their iron ore operations in the Pilbara.

Caterpillar mining automation and solutions regional manager Carl Hendricks said, independent of improving overall market conditions, the proven benefits of autonomous haulage – namely safety and productivity – have attracted increased interest over the past year.

“Autonomous haulage has evolved in Western Australia, and this provided the regional industry with much higher familiarity and confidence in the capability and potential of the technology, as compared to other global mining regions,” Hendricks told Australian Mining.

“Knowing that technology is driving success, Australian miners remain at the forefront of interest in automation.”

Cat plans to tap into the growing demand for autonomous solutions by broadening the availability of AHS on mining equipment.

Hendricks explained the equipment manufacturer would achieve this by expanding the availability of autonomous haulage on additional Cat truck models and other brands of trucks, including expansion to allied mining equipment and autonomous systems on dozers and blasthole drills.

AUSTRALIANMINING

Safety and productivity improvements remain the ultimate goals for Cat in this pursuit.

“The autonomous haulage system has delivered unprecedented improvements in safety via the reduction of all incidents associated with loading and haulage while driving significant improvements in fleet productivity,” Hendricks said.

to match operating needs.

Its MD6420C rotary drill, released in late 2016, was designed to optimise drilling precision and operator productivity, with automation helping deliver this.

An optional automation feature on the MD6420C controls each step in the drill cycle to simplify the operator’s job and improve accuracy.

Expanding opportunities

Is interest matching demand?

All of Cat’s autonomous and semiautonomous systems are part of the Command capability that plays a key role in the company’s MineStar System.

Outside of its haul trucks, Cat also offers semi-autonomous control systems for three other types of equipment that also feature Command – rotary drills, large mining dozers and underground loaders (LHDs).

A recent release from Cat in the rotary drill space was the MD6310 blasthole drill, which features drill assist, semi-autonomous and remote control operation.

Cat Command for drilling leverages remote and autonomous drill operation and serves as the MD6310 drill’s off-board technology foundation.

A scalable automation solution also allow miners to select a precise level of drilling automation on the MD6310

28

SEPTEMBER 2017

Another mining equipment manufacturer, Liebherr, is also finding an increase in customer interest over the past year.

On a global scale, however, demand is lagging interest for Liebherr – a common trend that it has watched emerge.

Liebherr’s technology aim has always been to increase human safety, productivity, and profitability for customers, with a core focus on lowering cost per tonne.

As technology, such as autonomous equipment, is introduced, there are additional benefits for mining, including increased utilisation and a decrease in the variability of operations that can be realised, the company told Australian Mining.

Liebherr Mining innovation manager Troy Canalichio said one of the core values of the mining equipment group continued to be innovation.

MINING EQUIPMENT

ONE OF THE CORE VALUES OF THE LIEBHERR GROUP IS INNOVATION. THIS CONSTANTLY DRIVES US TO DEVELOP CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THE INDUSTRY’S NEED FOR REDUCED COST PER TONNE AND INCREASED SAFETY.” LIEBHERR’S R 9800 EXCAVATOR

“This constantly drives us to develop creative solutions to address the industry’s need for reduced cost per tonne and increased safety,” Canalichio said.

“This includes a flexible scope of supply for automation, allowing our customers to bring together autonomous solutions that are tailored to their unique applications.”

Liebherr is optimistic about the ability of the mining industry to adapt these new technologies into their operations.

It believes that automation system costs will continue to decrease through the new sensor and computing technologies that are on the horizon.

This will help make automation more accessible to mines throughout the world that have previously been unable to commit to the capital expenditure of today’s solutions.

A lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for automation, combined with the ability to operate multi-OEM automated equipment concurrently, will bring significant benefits to Liebherr’s customers worldwide, the company explained.

Liebherr Mining general manager – R&D engineering James Whitfield outlined the focus of the company’s innovation and automation strategy.

“Liebherr is developing solutions to address the growing need of a modular and flexible supply scope to support the future needs of autonomous haulage,” Whitfield said.

BAC Systems - Market leaders in High-Density Storage for Parts and Tools, Modular Workbenches and Tool Display Boards.

BAC Modular Drawers, Cabinets and Benchtops are the building blocks of the modern workplace.

Call us now to arrange a free site survey and to see how the BAC Modular Range can transform your workplace.

R 9800 builds efficiency in Australia

In terms of innovation at Liebherr, the company’s R 9800 mining excavator came about as a solution that significantly improved efficiency, something it is proving at several Australian mine sites.

The concept of a large excavator may not be new, but Liebherr’s vertical integration practice with the R 9800 delivered the freedom to make each component more efficient through continuous improvement. The Liebherr machine, therefore, becomes more productive with less downtime.

Mining services group Downer Mining added a Liebherr R 9800 BH excavator at its contract operations for BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) at the Goonyella coal mine in Queensland during July.

The new machine expanded the fleet of Liebherr excavators purchased in Australia since 2009, which includes four R 9800 BH and four R 9400 machines.

Both Liebherr models are used at coal and iron ore operations. AM AUSTRALIANMINING

Innovation that saves you space, time and money “Do it right!”

BAC Systems Pty Limited 193-195 Power Street Glendenning, NSW 2761 Phone: (02) 9832 2777 For more details, please visit:

www.bacsystems.com.au

29

SEPTEMBER 2017

PROSPECT AWARDS

FIRING UP THE PROSPECT AWARDS AUSTRALIAN MINING CATCHES UP WITH SANDFIRE RESOURCES’ CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR KARL SIMICH, ALMOST A YEAR AFTER THE COMPANY’S DEGRUSSA OPERATION WON THE MINE OF THE YEAR CATEGORY AT THE 2016 PROSPECT AWARDS. SHARON MASIGE WRITES.

A

year on from winning the coveted Mine of the Year accolade at the 2016 Prospect Awards, Western Australianbased miner Sandfire Resources has continued its success at the DeGrussa copper-gold operation.

Sandfire’s CEO and managing director Karl Simich told Australian Mining that DeGrussa – located around 900km north of Perth – has delivered its best performance since the operation was launched five years ago.

“It’s been a really wonderful last 12 months and the trend has been one of ongoing and consistent improvement for what has been a

very solid and robust operation,” he said. “The project has never gone better.”

Simich explained that DeGrussa has produced around 330,000 to 400,000 tonnes of copper, yielding around $2.6 billion worth of revenue, over the past five years.

“From a cash flow perspective, we are producing somewhere in the order of $1.2-3 billion of cash flow.

It’s not a physically big operation, yet its operating performance has been extraordinarily lucrative,” Simich said.

One of DeGrussa’s key features is an innovative solar facility, considered the world’s largest offgrid solar and battery system.

Simich explained that while the

concept of using the sun to generate energy through solar panels was not new, the way it has been applied at DeGrussa was unique.

“It’s a collaborative energy system linking and communicating with the in-situ diesel-powered station, together with the solar system and a back-up battery system,” Simich said.

“Having those three energy sources communicating with each other and dealing with the vagaries of weather, clouds, night time and day time, and making sure that they are all are complementary and communicating is a unique situation that’s not been done before.”

At its peak, the facility can provide up to 25 per cent of the site’s energy

requirements on an annual basis. It is being used as a complementary energy source for the project as it does not run 24/7.

“The worst thing you can have in a system that requires 24/7 power is an unscheduled power shortage or dropout, so having a reliable energy source is critical,” he said.

The facility was commissioned in June 2016 and Sandfire is ramping up its efficiency. While it has been successful on a number of fronts – particularly in terms of the message it sends to the world in terms of innovation – the solar facility has faced several challenges.

“When we put the system into operation, as you can imagine having for the first time ever software codes

SANDFIRE’S MONTY DEPOSIT

AUSTRALIANMINING

30

SEPTEMBER 2017

PROSPECT AWARDS

IT’S BEEN A REALLY WONDERFUL LAST 12 MONTHS AND THE TREND HAS BEEN ONE OF ONGOING AND CONSISTENT IMPROVEMENT FOR WHAT HAS BEEN A VERY SOLID AND ROBUST OPERATIONS.” written for the integration of three systems to deal with many aspects, there were some teething problems,” Simich said.

“We’re probably still ironing out a few of the bugs, however it continues to improve all the time.”

Despite its challenges, the solar facility signals the growing trend toward renewable energy usage and other technology advances being undertaken in the mining industry.

“It’s the time of modern mining, innovation and technology,” Simich said. “Over the next many decades, we’ll see many ongoing technological advances, disruptions and changes for the positive.

“We’re seeing this in so many areas already, whether this is driverless trucks, alternative energy sources, using drone capabilities and various other things that will

make massive improvements for the industry.”

Prospectors delight

Simich said Sandfire had increased its footprint in WA around 11 times since it first made the DeGrussa discovery.

“The opportunities are wonderful in that region. We see positive achievement in the last number of years through the ability to consolidate our footprint and our landholding in the region,” he said.

The company has another coppergold project in WA, Springfield, a joint venture with Talisman Mining.

Within this project is the Monty deposit, which contains around one million tonnes of copper at a 9.5 per cent resource grade.

This, according to Simich, makes the deposit “the most significant

grade discovery” in that region, particularly as the DeGrussa discovery contained an average of around 5.7 per cent copper.

“The opportunity in the region is significant so we’re really excited about the exploration prospectivity there,” he said.

On top of this, Sandfire secured a 78 per cent stake in a copper project in Montana, United States. The Black Butte project contains around 600,000 tonnes of copper at a 3.4 per cent copper grade and is in the final stages of the permitting process.

This will also be the 10th mine Simich has taken into production during his career in the resources industry.

“Hopefully within the next 12-18 months we will be in a stage where we can break ground in terms of construction,” Simich added.

The value of winning

Simich said winning the award recognised the hard work the company was doing in a positive way.

“It goes a long way to giving us the reputation that we want to be a responsible extractive industry,” he said.

With the highly prospective region

THE DEGRUSSA SOLAR FACILITY

AUSTRALIANMINING

31

SEPTEMBER 2017

SANDFIRE RESOURCES CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR KARL SIMICH

of WA, as well as opportunities in New South Wales, Queensland and North America, Simich believes the best is yet to come for Sandfire.

“The prognosis for the commodity sector for our industry is looking very bright. I think it all looks well for the future and we look forward to being a part of it,” he said. AM

CRUSHING

THE COST OF NOT ADEQUATELY MAINTAINING CRUSHERS WEIR MINERALS OUTLINES HOW MAJOR ISSUES WITH CRUSHERS CAN BE AVOIDED BY FOLLOWING A THOROUGH MAINTENANCE PLAN. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

C

rushers operate at high power, force and capacity to produce the required materials.

This puts a great deal of strain on the crusher and its wear parts, which operators must be aware of when carrying out maintenance.

Failure to do so may have a high impact, both in terms of financial cost and potential loss of production.

The maintenance plan

Performing regular maintenance on crushers is integral to the reliability,

performance and output they achieve.

Prevention is better than cure – by carrying out regular inspections operators will ensure their crusher runs for a longer period of time with minimal unscheduled downtime.

“The most important aspect is to have a maintenance plan in place and execute it. Following a maintenance plan and carrying out daily inspections can yield increased service life. This maintenance plan should adhere to the recommendations of the manufacturer,” Weir Minerals global service director of comminution

aftermarket Eric Jones said.

The maintenance plan may differ slightly, depending upon the machine, but most follow an initial 40-hour schedule post commissioning, followed by regular 250-hour inspection/maintenance intervals throughout the annual cycle.

Within these intervals, there are prescribed tasks an operator will need to carry out. These include: Checking the air filter to ensure the crusher is vented properly and that unwanted contaminates are not entering the breather Checking the strainer basket on a

cone crusher ensuring that there are no signs of excessive wear or damage to internal components Greasing bearings if required to ensure proper lubrication and cooling of those bearings.

The consequences of inadequate maintenance inspections

If operators do not follow a maintenance plan and carry out daily inspections, it can have detrimental effects on the crusher.

When it comes to insufficient maintenance inspections, the most common problems Weir Minerals has witnessed are premature bearing failures.

For example, operators failing to notice that a breather has been knocked off, which fills the oil chamber with dust or debris; overlooking the grease line that has ruptured causing the bearing to no longer receive the required lubrication; or not checking the oil levels and having a bearing fail due to the lack of oil.

These are all common problems that can be avoided if a full maintenance plan is put in place and adhered to.

Extending the life of crusher wear parts

While wear replacement is a necessary feature of any crushing operation, there are steps operators can take to extend the service life of crusher wear parts.

Eric Jones advises: “Always ensure the wear parts are fastened into the machine properly. With jaw crushers, if you allow the jaw dies to move during operation they can cause damage to the frame of the jaw crusher. Similarly, loose liners in cone crushers may damage the head or bowl.”

It is also advisable that operators frequently look for holes, cracks, or flat spots, which could potentially damage the machine long term or be an indication of another issue.

Further to that, operators should track tonnages. As cone crusher liners wear, the operator threads the bowl

FOLLOWING A PLAN CAN EXTEND THE LIFE OF CRUSHER PARTS

AUSTRALIANMINING

32

SEPTEMBER 2017

CRUSHING

inwards, bringing the bowl liner closer to the head, which reduces the feed opening.

The reduced feed opening may decrease crusher throughput at a cost; once that cost is greater than the price of the liner change the operator should consider changing the liners.

At a glance, the liners may still have what an operator would perceive as usable wear left, but at a lost tonnage that doesn’t benefit the plant.

Detection of wear part damage If an operator observes significant wear-part damage during regular inspections, they should consult the crusher manufacturer to find out if immediate stoppage is warranted.

“Determining whether to stop production to change a wear part entirely depends upon the severity of the damage. For example, a damaged rotor tip in a VSI crusher may make it through the shift and not cause unwanted downtime,” Jones said.

“However, a broken jaw die with parent steel exposed may cause significant damage, and it is vital the operator stops the jaw crusher and change the die in order to protect the crusher frame.”

rolling stock to adjust their crusher.

“At Weir Minerals, safety is our number one priority and our latest designs reflect this. Our Trio TP cone crusher range is designed with selfprotecting features to help achieve high levels of mechanical reliability under severe operating conditions whilst ensuring the safety of both the operator and equipment,” Jones said.

In addition, Weir Minerals’ latest Trio CTHT series jaw crusher includes a hydraulic toggle relief system. This innovative, built-in

system protects the jaw crusher from overloads caused by uncrushable material.

The hydraulic toggle is designed to be a reliable and safe relief system, without unnecessary complexity for the operator.

“If an operator doesn’t properly maintain their crusher, they may experience poor performance, and decreased service life of the machine,” Jones said.

“We suggest that operators seek expertise to create and execute a

ONGOING MAINTENANCE IS CRUCIAL FOR A HIGH LEVEL OF PRODUCTIVITY

Common mistakes

Failing to take care of damaged wear parts can increase wear on the entire machine, which can lead to expensive failures.

A common misconception is that operators think they should wear jaw dies until they are completely flat or develop a hole or crack.

By running these wear parts for a longer period of time, operators think they are extending the wear life, but in reality they may be causing unnecessary stress to the jaw frame.

“Another common mistake Weir Minerals has witnessed is that operators run cone crusher liners past their useful operational life.

The lost tonnages can cost the operator money greatly exceeding the amount that a liner change would cost,” Jones said.

Safety is the top priority

Cone crushers have evolved from the earlier models introduced in the 1920s, with most manufacturers now designing cone crushers with advanced hydraulic systems to raise, lower and adjust the machines safely with minimal effort.

To clear a cone crusher, users simply depress a button, click the mouse or toggle a switch. This removes the risk of people manually clearing a stalled cone crusher by hand or using straps, chains and AUSTRALIANMINING

33

SEPTEMBER 2017

maintenance plan to increase the service life of their crusher.

“At Weir Minerals, our replacement parts and skilled service teams provide professional on-site training for operators’ personnel to ensure smooth, safe and efficient plant operations and maintenance.”

Weir Minerals offers 24/7 service and support, visiting operators on site to evaluate their maintenance issues and put a plan in place. The company has more than 140 service centres across 70 countries. AM

INNOVATION

THE FUTURE OF MINING A RECAP OF THE 2017 ABB DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SUMMIT IN BRISBANE, WHICH EXPLORED THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPLEMENTING DIGITALISATION ACROSS THE MINING, OIL AND GAS AND UTILITIES SECTORS. SHARON MASIGE REPORTS.

T

he 2017 ABB Digital Transformation Summit was held in Brisbane once again, reinforcing the need for companies, particularly in the resources sector, to implement innovative strategies to enhance operational efficiencies.

Organised by global power and automation technology company ABB, the two-day event featured a range of speakers, presentations and software demonstrations around the advantages of digitally enhancing businesses and business models.

ABB Australia managing director Tauno Heinola highlighted the opportunities that can be derived from implementing digital systems and processes, such as reduced energy costs, improved maintenance and increased productivity.

One of ABB’s key focus areas is the integration of information technology (IT) and operational

technology (OT) and how this can help miners in a range of areas, such as remote monitoring.

“You don’t have to have expertise in all the technologies you have in the mining environment on site,” Heinola told Australian Mining.

“Many mine sites are in remote areas and it is difficult and expensive to get specialists living there. [But with digital technologies] you can remotely monitor and have an expert somewhere else.”

ABB GLOBAL PRODUCT MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE SPECIALIST RICK NICHOLSON

Digitisation to digitalisation

Rick Nicholson, global product management and marketing enterprise software specialist at ABB, and one of the speakers at the event, reinforced the difference between digitisation – taking information from analogue form to digital form – and digitalisation – the process of changing a business model “that creates value or new revenue opportunities that did not exist previously”.

“It’s much more of a transformation in the sense that the business is changing,” he said.

Nicholson also referred to where certain industries were on the digital

DELEGATES AT THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SUMMIT

AUSTRALIANMINING

34

SEPTEMBER 2017

S curve and the mining and metals industry was toward the lowest level of digitalisation.

Stuart Cowie, ABB head of division for industrial automation,

INNOVATION

reinforced the mining industry’s slow uptake of digital technologies.

He explained that while some companies may have adopted digitally transformative strategies, the industry as a whole still lacked the rapid adoption seen in more digitally savvy industries like the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector.

“The adoption is very limited – it’s still right at the infancy stages,” he told Australian Mining. “We are witnessing the beginning of the fourth industrial revolution so there are some examples here and there but it’s not widespread.”

ABB senior director of Intelligent Mining Solutions, enterprise software, Tarang Waghela, said when it comes to innovation, mining companies invested mostly in technology, but should instead look at implementing innovative strategies throughout the whole company.

However, Cowie explained that one of the biggest challenges when implementing transformational changes across the board was deciding which specific area takes priority.

“It is for companies to collate all the ideas, have a look at the biggest bottlenecks that they have and then decide where to invest their time and money,” he said.

Will this take away jobs?

One often-held belief throughout the mining industry is that implementing innovative technologies will get rid of jobs.

Heinola dismissed this argument and explained that while some jobs may be lost, others will be developed.

Cowie reinforced this notion and said, “Innovating brings out these new careers, it opens a path for people to reeducate themselves and go for higher level jobs away from the dirt and the danger.”

Heinola added that individuals should focus on taking responsibility for their own development when it comes to retaining a job in the mining sector.

“We always say the government has to organise these and while the government should invest in these changes, individuals should also take the initiative,” he said.

“We need to learn and develop

ATTENDEES AT THE PRODUCT SHOWCASE

WE NEED TO LEARN AND DEVELOP OURSELVES WITH THE DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENT. IF WE DON’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING THEN IT’S DIFFICULT TO GET A NEW JOB ONCE YOU ARE OUTDATED FROM YOUR PRESENT JOB.” ourselves with the developing technology and developing environment. If we don’t want to do anything then it’s difficult to get a new job once you are outdated from your present job.”

The next step

One of the main aims of the event was the hope that delegates would leave feeling more encouraged about implementing digitally transformative systems or processes within their own companies.

When it comes to encouraging mining companies – particularly in an industry known for its slow uptake of technology adoption – Waghela used this analogy: “How do you change the temperature of AUSTRALIANMINING

an ocean? You put in droplets of lava in there.”

“We energise people (the lava) so that when they go back into their daily routines, they have an alternate thought, and start innovating and start looking at ways to make things better to add value for the company,” he said.

Waghela said that while there were several areas that could be improved on site, mining companies should not be overwhelmed.

“You can look at something as a challenge or as an opportunity,” he said.

Waghela also explained that one way for companies to address this wariness was through rapid experimentation.

35

SEPTEMBER 2017

“When you understand your challenges try to figure out how you can experiment a solution as quickly as possible. And failure is fine, you learn from it,” Waghela said.

“From my perspective, if organisations could do one thing to ‘change the temperature of the ocean’ it would be for the senior leaders within the mining organisations to encourage experimentation within the business.

“They have to make it safe for their employees to experiment.

Experimentation may be seen as something no one wants to do because it’s risky or maybe the jobs are not going to be secured.

But that is when you’ll start seeing innovation.” AM

SAFETY

KEEPING SAFETY AT THE CENTRE OF MINING AUSTRALIAN MINING SPEAKS TO FORENSIC ENGINEER DR SEAN BRADY AND PIKE RIVER MINE SURVIVOR DANIEL ROCKHOUSE, TWO KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT THIS YEAR’S QUEENSLAND MINING INDUSTRY HEALTH AND SAFETY CONFERENCE, ABOUT THE ISSUES THEY DISCUSSED. A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS HAVE EMERGED IN MINING TO HELP COMPANIES EASE THEIR SAFETY CONCERNS

T

he Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference explores a range of best practice techniques and ideas to enhance safety in the mining sector.

Held at The Star Gold Coast, the three-day conference featured panel discussions and keynote speeches from several speakers, including Queensland’s first female mine safety and health commissioner Kate du Preez, and Australian Workers’ Union executive officer Mark Raguse.

More than 30 presentations were also held, with topics including respiratory diseases in mining by US black lung expert Dr Robert Cohen, the security of explosives by chief inspector of operations at the department of natural resources and mines Noel Erichsen, and the use of drugs in the workplace by Lisa

Took and Adam Michael from Drug Detection Systems.

One of the keynote speakers was forensic engineer Sean Brady, who discussed the human factors involved in engineering failures.

Brady – who investigates structural failures – said most people believed engineering failures were technical failures. However, they neglect to take the human factors that are involved into account, he added.

“When you dig into all the history of all the structural engineering failures you find that for every technical cause of failure, there are a whole set of human causes that sit around it,” he told Australian Mining.

Human causes are the real problem because they are difficult to catch, according to Brady. He also mentioned engineers with big egos and those who don’t check their work properly as another issue.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“You get these bizarre situations where you hire the best engineer in the world to design something and it falls down. And why? Because the person got too egotistical,” he said.

“And why didn’t the other people check the work? Because in their view, the best engineer in the world designed this structure, so how on earth could it fall down?”

He said companies could become complacent because of their certainty an engineer was ‘the best’.

“One of the really interesting human factors is the better the people you put on the job doesn’t make it necessarily safer a job because people get into complacency with all of that expertise there,” he said.

One particular area Brady discussed was the notion of ‘expertise bias’, a key human factor that can contribute to engineering failures. He said most people

36

SEPTEMBER 2017

believed the more expertise you can accrue in a particular area, the more of an expert you would become and the less chance you had of making a mistake. And while that may be true, he said there were disadvantages to that way of thinking.

“Psychologists have found there’s a down side to it. When we start off developing our expertise, it’s very flexible. We’re learning something new, and when we get it wrong, we learn why we got it wrong and we adjust our expertise to fix that,” Brady said.

“But as we move on through our careers, that flexibility starts to disappear and our expertise starts to become incredibly stable. And when it becomes incredibly stable a funny thing happens – we stop questioning it. We just accept in our own mind that this is how the world works.”

He linked this to the concept of implicit assumptions, and how

SAFETY

PIKE RIVER MINE SURVIVOR DANIEL ROCKHOUSE

potentially dangerous this could be when undertaking engineering tasks.

“We make certain assumptions about how the world works but because we make them essentially subconsciously. We don’t think about them; they are implicit,” he said.

“The problem is once they are implicit you don’t actually check whether they are correct or not.”

Brady added those who have significant levels of stable expertise have this capability underpinned by a range of assumptions about how they believe the world works - a lot of assumptions that are implicit. But when they apply their expertise and assumptions in a slightly different area, they don’t question whether it is relevant to the new application.

Solving the issue

Brady said one of the ways to solve the problems that could arise from making implicit assumptions was to make them explicit.

“Once it’s an explicit assumption, people can actually evaluate whether it’s reasonable for the current application.”

He said one of the biggest things that made a big difference was implementing multidisciplinary teams.

“We’re all about specialisation. We build teams of structural engineers and mechanical engineers etcetera, and we build them separately,” he said.

“One of the problems is when you put a group of structural engineers in a room, they bring the same expertise and the same implicit assumptions to the table.”

“So now you’ve got a team

together and everyone is bringing the same implicit assumptions so there’s no opportunity for those implicit assumptions to be questioned.”

Brady suggested companies should, for example, place a mechanical engineer in the room, as well to add another perspective that could bring out certain implicit assumptions and make them explicit.

“That mechanical engineer will have different expertise. The fundamentals will be quite similar but they’ll have a different form of expertise and will thereby bring a different set of assumptions,” he explained.

“And it’s when those structural engineers are sitting on the table and are talking about things that the mechanical engineer can say, we’ve never talked about this issue, is there a reason why we haven’t talked about this?

“Their role is to essentially bring out those implicit assumptions and make them explicit.”

his personal experience at the Pike River operations and what he learned from it.

Rockhouse said better gas monitoring should have been implemented at Pike River and could have helped prevent the disaster.

“More adequate ventilation and gas monitoring [should have been used] in the mine – standard procedures and tools that are available in any mine here in Australia,” he told Australian Mining.

“None of this was available at Pike.”

Rockhouse believes management should have also prioritised the safety of the workers rather than the production of coal.

Through his presentation, Rockhouse urged attendees to learn from the mistakes that were made in the lead up to and on the day of the explosion. He said he didn’t want Pike River to be “another statistic in mining disasters”.

“I chose to take part in this conference to support a change in FORENSIC ENGINEER DR SEAN BRADY

Rising above after tragedy

Another keynote speaker was Daniel Rockhouse, one of only two survivors of the Pike River mine disaster that devastated New Zealand in 2010. An underground methane gas fuelled explosion occurred at the mine, located north east of Greymouth on the country’s South Island, and killed 29 workers.

Their bodies remain in the mine after several assessments deemed the site unsafe for re-entry.

With this year’s theme of ‘Sharing My Story’, Rockhouse discussed AUSTRALIANMINING

37

SEPTEMBER 2017

the industry,” he said.

“And if me speaking at the conference opens the eyes of even one person and makes them ensure that safety is not put on the back burner then it makes it worth it.”

Rockhouse has remained in contact with fellow survivor Russell Smith since the tragedy.

“I saw him last November on the anniversary of Pike, he was taking part in the annual remembrance ride for Pike and I had a good catch up with him. He’s no longer working in the mining industry and remains on the west coast of New Zealand,” he said.

A final piece of advice

While management may have the primary responsibility of ensuring worker safety, Rockhouse said employees should take the initiative and speak up if they noticed something is wrong.

“Take a stand. If you are feeling unsafe speak to your deputies and managers. Make them aware of your concerns and make sure they listen.

Don’t be shy about doing this as it may save your life,” he said. AM

SAFETY

KEEPING NEW STARTS SAFE AS THE MARKET REBOUNDS BOART LONGYEAR’S SAFETY AND TRAINING MANAGER FOR WEST AND CENTRAL AUSTRALIA, DAVID HAY, DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY FOR NEW WORKERS ENTERING THE MINING INDUSTRY.

A

s the market starts to rebound, the number of new starts in the industry rises, and as a result, safety incidents can follow that curve. New hires on drill sites are at the biggest risk for safety incidents.

They’re inexperienced, unaware of hazards, nervous, eager to prove themselves and generally less mindful of all the risks on a drilling site and the impact of potential incidents, injuries and near misses.

In the first 90 days, Boart Longyear new hires are required to learn global safety programs like THINK (Take the time, Hazard recognition, Identify

the risk, Necessary controls applied, Keep safety first).

They’re trained in how to conduct field-level risk assessments and why they’re so important before undertaking any task.

New hires learn the ‘Golden Rules of Safety’ and the ‘Rules of the Road’, and are required to complete a standardised induction training in our online integrated training management system.

They also complete an interactive training workbook with the help of a mentor and a driller – all part of the 90-day Green Hat program at Boart Longyear. Green hard hats indicate a new start so that everyone onsite

can take extra care and look out for our newest employees. The objective of all of these safety programs is to ensure that every employee goes home safe.

Ideally, safety programs also ensure that wherever a Boart Longyear driller or offsider goes to work, the client can expect the same safe results.

That’s a big reason our clients choose us. Our safety commitment, culture and programs align with their own, and client-specific programs are easily embedded as Boart Longyear employees are well-versed in adopting and working with the highest safety standards.

The Boart Longyear Drilling

GREEN HARD HATS INDICATE A NEW START AT BOART LONGYEAR

AUSTRALIANMINING

38

SEPTEMBER 2017

Services team in Australia is taking extra steps above and beyond to ensure new starts are safe and quickly adapt to the safety culture at Boart Longyear.

It takes more than just great safety programs to show what a great safety culture looks like and to help new starts understand how to be a part of it. It’s really about changing the way people typically think about working and completing tasks.

The 10 Steps to Working Safely are basic instructions for applying the Golden Rules of Safety.

Essentially, this checklist is a guide through the planning process, providing triggers on what needs to be talked about regarding the

SAFETY

THEY’RE INEXPERIENCED, UNAWARE OF HAZARDS, NERVOUS, EAGER TO PROVE THEMSELVES AND GENERALLY LESS MINDFUL OF ALL THE RISKS ON A DRILLING SITE AND THE IMPACT OF POTENTIAL INCIDENTS, INJURIES AND NEAR MISSES.” task, checking the equipment, preparing the area and the personnel, controlling all of the energy – including removing any stored energy, completing a final check and then on step seven, starting the task.

When launching into a task straight away without any planning, usually trying to keep up metres and billable hours, without all the preemptive steps – that’s when incidents occur.

There are many steps to complete prior to beginning any task. And don’t skip the debrief process, that’s another critical step, discussing what worked and what didn’t work in order

to identify and implement changes.

A lot of incidents are a result of poor planning, poor communication, and perceived time pressure.

Perceived time pressures can be prevalent in the industry. When contractors charge clients by the metre or hourly rates, there are usually key performance indicators (KPIs) written into the contract.

When a crew is being measured by those KPIs, then those KPIs can drive behaviours. The crews, including supervisors think they’re doing the best thing for the company trying to meet KPIs vs. working slower and safely.

AUSTRALIANMINING

At Boart Longyear, supervisors and drillers and offsiders are encouraged to slow down and think about the things that could possibly prevent them or their colleagues from going home safely.

During a recent safety pause, the team in Western Australia conducted a communication exercise where crews were blindfolded and one designated person attempted to instruct the rest on what they were observing, basically folding a piece of paper.

Pretty simple paper folding task – only four steps, but the outcome shows how much we think we’ve communicated when indeed the message is not getting across.

Towards the end of the exercise, time pressure was added by comments like, “Hurry up, we have to get this done” The reaction of the participants? They started to rush and get the job steps wrong. Imagine if they were using heavy equipment.

We debriefed to discuss how this relates to what happens onsite - how time pressures can stress anyone out, even if they’re just folding a piece of paper and how that translates in the field where mitigating risk is critical.

During the debriefing, the question was posed, “Why didn’t anyone stop the job?” It also makes a difference to tell subordinates and work mates when they’re doing a good job, so positive behaviours are reinforced and that feeds their motivation to continue to work safely.

The point of the safety pause was to reinforce the importance of consultative feedback, asking questions, praising positive behaviours, and stopping the job when it’s getting stressful.

Communication and leadership development are opportunities to improve safety and especially the safety of new starts.

It’s also important to encourage supervisors and drillers to ask new start employees more questions. Too often, a driller or supervisor will just talk at a new start or read off a JSEA and the new start’s brain switches off, they’re not paying attention or following.

Supervisors and drillers have to ask open-ended questions to switch on

39

SEPTEMBER 2017

BOART LONGYEAR’S DAVID HAY

their thinking brain. When working with new starts, it’s not sufficient to ask, “Do you understand mate?” A green hat is going to say yes, they don’t want to let you down.

After training a new start on a task, ask them to describe it, “So how are you going to establish this exclusion zone?”

Making them explain it to you in their own words confirms understanding and mitigates the risk of them agreeing and then blindly going about a task in an unsafe manner.

Also, empower them to ask questions. It makes a better impression when they ask instead of making assumptions.

When you reinforce that asking questions demonstrates they’re committed to safety, want to understand the directions and to learn, they’re more likely to speak up when they have questions.

There’s always going to be an inherent concern with a growing number of new starts, as we commence recovering from an industry downturn.

At Boart Longyear, we are committed to increasing training, communication and focusing on what’s most important – safety. It’s up to all of us to look out for the next generation of drillers and offsiders. AM David Hay is a trusted safety and training mentor and has 13 years of experience. David has earned a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety and a NEBOSH International Technical Certificate in Oil & Gas Operational Safety and provides valuable insight into process safety and critical risk mitigation.

SAFETY

ALEMLUBE IS THE REEL DEAL ALEMLUBE DESCRIBES HOW ITS LATEST SOLUTIONS ARE ENHANCING MINING OPERATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

A

lemlube has been proactive in marketing a diverse range of sought after hose reels to the mining industry for over 40 years.

The necessities and requirements of the industry have always been the utmost, top of mind consideration when Alemlube researches, sources, field tests and then confidently makes high quality and reliable hose reels available to the industry.

Renowned for strength and dependability, Alemlube’s reels are some of the best in the game from around the world and are backed by uncompromising warranties and supported by efficient after sales service when needed.

Two innovative and compact reels have just bolstered the Alemlube offer and are already proving to be real winners.

The new BRP5216 Safety Barrier

Reel is an innovative storage and retrieval system containing 16 metres of red/white safety band designed to provide a temporary visual barrier to clearly identify hazardous or dangerous areas in the workplace, specifically mining workshop operations, around public areas and on site The durable, long lasting red/white safety band is complete with a circular hook/eyelet that easily attaches to any suitable fixing point up to 16 metres from the reel.

The robust plastic outer casing contains an automatic spring rewind mechanism that efficiently rewinds the safety band for storage after use and the reel can be mounted/demounted via the integral swivelling steel mounting bracket.

Always good, if not essential to have on hand, the BRP5216 Safety Barrier Reel available from Alemlube is a must for addressing workplace and employee safety.

And then, the new ECRP24025 240V Electric Cable Reel is also a desirable addition to mandatory mining workshop equipment and contains 25 metres of 3 x 1.5mm2 wires - 9amp cable and plugs designed to provide a convenient, tidy and safe means of controlling electric cable in the workplace.

The robust plastic outer casing contains an automatic spring rewind mechanism that efficiently rewinds the 25m cable for storage after use and the reel can be mounted/demounted via the integral swivelling steel mounting bracket.

Always beneficial to have on hand and also a must for addressing workplace and employee safety, the ECRP24025 240V electric cable reel available from Alemlube is a user friendly, compact designed reel complete with thermal overload protection that activates at close to 56ºC.

The user must fully extend the electric cable prior to switching on mains power to avoid the cable over heating.

With maximum power ratings of 800W when coiled and 2000W when uncoiled, the ECRP24025 240V electric cable reel is CE approved and Australian Standard compliant in accordance with AS/N25 3000 standard.

The convenience of Alemlube’s compact Safety Barrier Reel and 240V Electric Cable Reel will quickly be realised and will greatly assist in your day to day employee safety considerations.

Alemlube can assist the mining industry with all its hose reel equipment needs. The full range includes grease, diesel, petrol, oil, air, oxy-acetylene, water, waste oil, waste water and stainless steel hose reels, with a mix of spring, power and hand rewind mechanisms. AM

THE ECRP24025 240V ELECTRIC CABLE REEL

THE BRP5216 SAFETY BARRIER REEL

AUSTRALIANMINING

40

SEPTEMBER 2017

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

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

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGY

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

Australian Mining’s promotional features provide organisations with a forum to showcase the role each mining sector plays in helping the industry achieve its modern-day targets.

POWERING THE INDUSTRY

PRINT POST APPROVED PP100008185

SERVING THE MINING INDUSTRY SINCE 1908

TO BOOK IN AUSTRALIAN MINING CONTACT JONATHAN DUCKETT NOW JONATHAN.DUCKETT@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU | 0498 091 027

MONITORING

AGGREKO REMOTE MONITORING DELIVERS EFFICIENCIES FOR MINERS AGGREKO IS HELPING COMPANIES FOCUS MORE ON MINING ACTIVITIES THROUGH A REMOTE MONITORING SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS ITS POWER GENERATION FACILITIES AT OPERATIONS. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

R

emote monitoring technologies are an integral part of mining operations as companies pursue productivity improvements and aim to limit downtime.

The technologies are particularly valuable at power generation sites at mines and can deliver a multitude of benefits for companies when used effectively.

Aggreko, a provider and operator of power generation facilities at mine sites around the world, has developed remote monitoring capabilities to support mining companies.

The company’s clientele includes some of Australia’s leading mining companies. For example, Aggreko was awarded a contract to build and operate a 20MW power station at the $2.6 billion Amrun bauxite project in North Queensland earlier this year.

To strengthen the power demands at mining operations, Aggreko launched a next generation remote monitoring and dedicated technical support combination that helps

companies lift productivity and reduce costly downtime.

The Aggreko Remote Monitoring (ARM) solution provides real-time monitoring and dedicated diagnostic support from technical experts, preventing issues, improving uptime and helping customers keep their operations running at maximum efficiency.

A key element of the ARM solution is the company’s Remote Operations Centre and technical support team.

The Aggreko team of technical experts works 24/7 and coordinates a rapid reply to ARM’s alarm notifications by evaluating crucial equipment data.

Aggreko AusPac managing director George Whyte said the system monitored thousands of critical equipment parameters, including operations, loads, run hours, fuel levels and GPS location.

“When equipment is outside certain parameters, alerts are sent to the Remote Operations Centre, enabling our team to diagnose and respond in an efficient manner,” Whyte said.

ARM HAS BEEN ROLLED OUT ACROSS MOST OF AGGREKO’S APAC SITES

“Aggreko has the capabilities to either remotely fix the issue or assign a qualified technician to resolve the problem at site when it is required.

“This solution is ideal for mining companies as they pursue optimum efficiency at their operations.”

Staying mobile

An ARM mobile application is available for Aggreko customers, providing them with notifications

AGGREKO POWERS MINE SITES AROUND THE WORLD

AUSTRALIANMINING

42

SEPTEMBER 2017

when there are any critical equipment performance alarms and when an expert has been alerted of an issue.

With the ARM mobile application, Aggreko provides customers with visibility anytime, anywhere, covering their equipment’s performance conditions, and potentially saving unanticipated downtime and capital expenditure costs.

Centralised, real-time asset monitoring, the technical expertise of the Remote Operations Centre and the performance of Aggreko’s network of local service centres combine to offer customers a robust solution through ARM. Whyte said this combination of services was helping companies spend more time focusing on their key task – mining.

“We understand that companies would much rather focus on mining their commodities, whether it is iron ore, coal or gold, than spending time keeping track of fuel levels, maintenance schedules and potential shutdowns,” Whyte said.

“ARM is specifically designed to ensure that a mining operation’s generators are running at maximum efficiency, with minimum risk of downtime.”

ARM is already found on most of Aggreko’s fleet of generators in the Australia-Pacific region, with plans rolling out to expand it further to the company’s cooling and heating equipment. AM

EFFICIENCY

TAKING OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL VEGA MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN LEADBETTER TELLS AUSTRALIAN MINING ABOUT THE RISE IN SMART TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY.

W

ith the growing global trend towards the adoption of smart technology, process instrumentation specialist VEGA has continued development of smart solutions for the mining industry to increase operational performance.

VEGA managing director John Leadbetter explained that a key part of the company’s research and development was devoted to making products easier to operate and maintain, while also driving better performance. This is primarily through providing operators the ability to access information or system programs via Bluetooth.

Leadbetter said the company recently developed a smartphone app for operators to access programs or the parameters of a particular instrument via Bluetooth through a quick and easy format.

“The majority of people have a smartphone of some type,” Leadbetter told Australian Mining, “So instead of having to carry around calibrators, laptops or machinery, operators can pull their phone out of their pocket, open the app and access the required information in the field without putting themselves in danger or interfering with the performance of the plant.”

VEGA provides a range of level, pressure and density solutions, with Australia and South Africa accounting for the majority of its mining solutions. Leadbetter explained that level measurement is one of the major solutions delivered for dry mining, such as iron ore mining. However, more diverse systems are used for wet mining, such as in the gold and nickel industry, as it involves slurries and floatation.

In terms of mining solutions, Leadbetter said standardisation was one of the main areas companies were heading towards, with the aim to keep their stock control as low as possible while still increasing operational performance.

“Everybody wants to reduce not just the number of units they use but also the variety of units they use,” he said.

“They want a device that they can put into six or seven applications while still using the same type of device.”

Suppliers supporting their customers

With the decline in the number of personnel on site post mining boom, Leadbetter said there was a stronger requirement for suppliers not only to sell particular products, but to support them in the long term as well.

“The after sales or the engineering support is a big part that determines whether companies will stick with a particular supplier or start to look around for a change,” he said.

“That support can come a number of ways; whether you provide service personnel to assist, whether you provide the ability to get on site and train the people for the correct use and maintenance of the equipment, or whether you’re able to adapt your manufacturing to suit a particular need.”

Leadbetter explained that one of the biggest requirements customers look for is the assurance that what they are purchasing was going to work in the long term.

“Customers want to know that the product they’re buying will be supported for a particular period of time. So if you can offer that kind of support and say, ‘Yes, we’re going to be able to support that product for the next seven to 10 years’, that gives the customer more confidence in the product,” he said.

“But if you say, ‘No we’re actually replacing that product in 12 months’ time’, then there will be doubt as to why they should buy that product now or if they should wait 12 months and see what the newer versions look like.”

Leadbetter added that most of the changes to VEGA’s instrumentation range mainly centred around performance, rather than physical alteration. In 2003, the company developed its current manufacturing process called ‘ PLICS ’ – the ability for all its instruments to physically look the same and yet have different internals, outputs, or power requirements.

“Physically, the products don’t AUSTRALIANMINING

change much, it’s really about how you use it or how the actual programming of the product improves the performance in the application,” he said.

Leadbetter also stressed the importance of product availability.

“There’s a situation these days where a lot of companies are reluctant to carry hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of spares in

their warehouses because of the cost of carrying that,” he said.

“What they’re looking at is if they commit to you for a particular type of product or support, what is the safeguard for them that you’re going to have those products available in a decent amount of time for them to buy spares, replacement units or expansions, so that forms part of the equation as well.” AM

VEGA OFFERS A RANGE OF LEVEL, PRESSURE AND DENSITY SOLUTIONS FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY

43

SEPTEMBER 2017

ENGINEERING

AUSTRALIAN MADE: DESIGNING A STRONGER MINING INDUSTRY WITH THE MINING INDUSTRY HEADING FOR A TURNAROUND, LEVERLINK MANAGING DIRECTOR RICHARD SHARP REINFORCES THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING AUSTRALIAN-DESIGNED PRODUCTS. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

F

or engineering solutions provider Leverlink, having Australian-made mining products is crucial for supporting the nation’s resources sector.

The Queensland-based company, which has operated for 25 years, designs machinery for the mining industry, including slurry and sump pumps, conveyor guards, and crusher and screen drives.

Leverlink managing director Richard Sharp highlighted the importance of having Australiandesigned and manufactured equipment that is delivered to customers faster.

“There are no delays from products coming in via overseas export and we can control our cost,” Sharp told Australian Mining.

“And many of the companies we deal with are really happy about buying Australian-made products.”

Sharp said the company’s performance improved significantly

during the first half of 2017, largely driven by high demand for its stored energy bases for mining.

Leverlink has reduced its operating costs by using rubber torsion springs to store energy for mechanical tension of v-belt drives. The rubber cords used to manufacture the stored energy springs are designed to withstand the tough environmental conditions common in the mining, quarrying and extractive industries.

Sharp also attributed the company’s success to increased demand for its dynamic impact beds, which he invented during the 1990s.

“This is the niche market we have,” he said, emphasising that they are only designed for large market players.

The beds are designed for conveyor load zones and resolve impact damage to conveyor belts, troughing rollers and supporting structures.

Sharp said the company pioneered all of its systems and does not diverge from its core business areas in conveyor

LEVERLINK HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR 25 YEARS, DESIGNING MACHINERY FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY

solutions, safety guards, power transmissions and vibrating equipment.

He said this was the company’s skillset and where it continued to strengthen its expertise.

“We also manufacture a lot of associate equipment that goes with our stored energy motor bases such as the pumps we manufacture,” he said.

Sharp reflected on the major downturn experienced by the mining industry in 2012, but said a turnaround had emerged over the past two years.

“This turnaround has been due to mining companies seeking efficiencies with what they do,” he said.

And this has been a major positive for Leverlink, with more resources companies seeking out the company’s products.

“The products we do have got an

LEVERLINK MANAGING DIRECTOR RICHARD SHARP

AUSTRALIANMINING

44

SEPTEMBER 2017

extremely good reputation in terms of reducing maintenance costs.

Companies have come to us and either introduced our systems or expanded on the systems they currently have,” Sharp said.

Despite the turnaround, Sharp, like many other mining executives, remains cautious.

“The turnaround has been well controlled by the mining industry,” he said. “It’s making good decisions; before the money was spent often without much thought, but now the focus is on getting a good return on investment.”

The company remains focused on continued growth in the future, Sharp added, with it planning to expand its product offering and staff numbers. AM

2017

AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS

NOMINATIONS NOW

OPEN To nominate, please go to

www.prospectawards.com.au Platinum sponsor

Sponsors

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE MINERALS PROCESSING

WHERE TO NEXT FOR THE MINERAL PROCESSING SECTOR? WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AUSTRALIA’S MINERAL PROCESSING INDUSTRY? AUSTRALIAN MINING DISCUSSES THE STATE OF THE SECTOR WITH FLSMIDTH COUNTRY HEAD MARK CLIFFORD. FLSMIDTH’S MARK CLIFFORD

TECHNOLOGY IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY: A 600M3 FLOAT CELL

M

ark Clifford argues that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports the mineral processing industry is in decline “have been greatly exaggerated.”

“As with any industry there are highs and lows but in Australian the mineral processing sector is strong and viable,” Clifford said.

Clifford’s comments are worth noting. As the local head of the world’s leading mineral processing specialists his knowledge of the mineral processing sector is directly influenced by local feedback and regular communication with his peers in the company’s more than 50 offices in mineral processing regions around the world.

He agrees it’s no secret that the industry-wide drive has been for improved output and almost a ‘doing more with less’ scenario but says suppliers have listened to the market and responded accordingly.

Additionally, the growing incidence of variable inputs – including ore quality and water availability and quality - impacting on processing

circuits as processors strive to extract as much saleable product as possible have increased demands for better technology and equipment.

Clifford said to meet these demands his company initiated a worldwide productivity improvement philosophy, and through a dynamic combination of technology and personnel works closely with clients to drive success through sustainable productivity enhancement.

According to Clifford, companies supplying the sector “do technology well.” He said that breakthrough processing technology introduced

by FLSmidth, including a 600m3 float cell and a revolutionary highefficiency rotor-stator, was changing the productivity calculation.

In addition, research into ROL technology, which looks at maximising clean copper production from hard-to-process and arsenic-heavy concentrates, and research agreements the company has with the University of Newcastle will further advance the technology and ultimately recovery rates.

“These are practical examples of what is available now and in the AUSTRALIANMINING

pipeline to improve productivity but the researching and development of mineral processing technology is just part of the story,” he said.

He argues that, in Australia, clients are now looking more closely at what he considers the ‘technology and service’ equation where a total product and support program is formulated, unique to a site. The goal is to keep the technology doing what it is meant to be doing.

To Clifford this means an integrated and comprehensive customer support network increasing the emphasis on specialist products and services on offer and expanded training opportunities for frontline personnel and clients. He believes some aspects have been in place for some time and some are relatively recent.

Along with a program to upgrade its warehouse and manufacturing facilities and the introduction of a component service exchange program, the company has embarked on a regional workshop program,

essentially taking its local product specialists and workshops to regional mining centres.

“Kalgoorlie, the Pilbara, Mt Isa, Emerald and the Hunter Valley are on this year’s schedule,” Clifford said.

“These are workshops where we put our product specialists in front of mine-based operators with the aim of giving clients the skills to maximise the potential of their processing equipment – which will improve overall productivity.”

Clifford is and remains optimistic, saying even with potential changes in demand for some ore types, the company would continue to explore opportunities to improve output.

“Essentially the answer to the question is easy – improved productivity,” he said. “Defining the question – how do we achieve improved productivity – is also relatively easy. The skill is in finding and implementing the best method to reach the desired result. That’s what we do well.” AM

THE COMPANY IS EXPANDING IN-HOUSE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SERVICES

46

SEPTEMBER 2017

Breaking new ground to achieve more with less Water is essential for mining operations and one of the most challenging resources to manage. With tailings making up as much as 98% of the total ore mined, a step change in dewatering technology was needed.

With a determined commitment to sustainable productivity, we help our clients solve complex challenges, such as the need for larger dewatering equipment. In order to accommodate huge volumes of tailings, while ensuring operating and financial benefits, we developed the FLSmidth AFP-IV™ Colossal™ filter. Installation at a mining site in Chile has resulted in a 70% reduction in water

intake enabling 90% of processed water to be reused. Our innovative thinking and breakthrough technology help our clients’ investments work harder. Discover how we can help you achieve more with less.

flsmidthminerals.com

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

MARTIN ENGINEERING POWERED CONVEYOR BELT TRACKER DELIVERS CONTINUOUS, PRECISE RESULTS MATERIALS HANDLING SPECIALIST MARTIN ENGINEERING HAS DEVELOPED A SOLUTION ENGINEERED TO PROVIDE CONVEYOR OPERATORS WITH A RELIABLE NEW OPTION. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

A

new powered conveyor belt tracker from Martin Engineering delivers immediate and continuous precision adjustment of hard-to-track reversing conveyors, helping operators reduce spillage and extend the life of belts and other system components.

Able to effectively centre the belt regardless of the travel direction, the robust unit has demonstrated greater durability and longer service life than previous designs, translating to a reduced cost of ownership.

Versatile enough to run on 110V / 220V power or a plant’s existing compressed air, the Martin Tracker Reversing can even be specified with the company’s unique Roll Gen system, which uses the kinetic energy of the moving belt to produce a supply of electricity sufficient to power sensors, scales, lights and

other devices when no power is readily available.

“Most reversing belt trackers use a paddle wheel or roller of some kind to move the actuator,” explained Martin Engineering product development engineer Andrew Timmerman.

“Like anything mechanical, the more moving parts there are, the more opportunity for something to wear out. In comparison, this unit reduces the number of parts in a rugged design, using either an air or electric actuator to reverse the working direction.”

Engineered for reliability and longevity, the unit gives conveyor operators a new option for powering the tracker, allowing them to best suit their individual circumstances.

“We wanted to offer both types of actuator to meet the needs of virtually any location,” Timmerman continued.

“The sensors communicate the pulley direction, sending a signal

THE SOLUTION INVOLVES A DIRECTION SENSOR

THE NEW BELT TRACKER CAN BE SPECIFIED WITH EITHER A PNEUMATIC OR ELECTRIC ACTUATOR.

either to an electrical relay or a pneumatic solenoid to extend or retract the cylinder as needed, depending on which version is specified.”

For locations where no electricity or plant air is available, Martin Engineering designed the Roll Generator to serve as a self-contained mini power station. In those cases, the tracker uses an electric actuator to move the rolls and correct the belt’s position.

The electric actuator is also used when 110/220V power is available from the plant. The Martin Tracker Reversing is available in lower units for installation on the return side of the belt and upper units for use on the

conveyor’s carrying side.

Martin Engineering is a global innovator in the bulk material handling industry, developing new solutions to common problems and participating in industry organisations to improve safety and productivity.

The company’s series of Foundations books is an internationally-recognised resource for safety, maintenance and operations training, and employees take an active part in ASME, SME, VDI, CMA and CEMA. The firm also played a pivotal role in writing and producing the 7th edition of the CEMA reference book, Belt Conveyors for Bulk Materials. AM

THE ROLL GENERATOR CAN CREATE ITS OWN MINI-POWER STATION

AUSTRALIANMINING

48

SEPTEMBER 2017

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

DRIVING SMARTER PLANT CONTROL SCHNEIDER’S NEW ECOSTRUXURE CONTROL ADVISOR SOFTWARE FOR ENHANCED PLANT PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL OPTIMISATION. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

G

lobal energy management and automation company Schneider Electric has added a new enterprise wide industrial internet of things (IIoT) plant performance and control optimisation software to its PES and Foxboro Evo process automation systems and Foxboro I/A Series distributed control system.

The EcoStuxure Control Advisor – a native smart decision support tool – leverages the company’s Expertune PlantTriage technology and provides operators real-time operating data and predictive analytics capabilities so they can monitor and adjust every control loop across multiple plants and global sites 24/7.

According to Schneider, Control Advisor enhances efficiency throughout the plant lifecycle and contributes to improved business performance. It puts operators on the path toward controlling other key variables such as safety, reliability and profitability.

Control Advisor exemplifies how the company applies its IIoT expertise and technology, using

Big Data, predictive analytics and other emerging technology to assist operators drive improvements.

It works across a broad range of industrial applications and minimises out-of-spec production.

Improving the performance of each control loop restores stability to the operation and Schneider said this can drive up to a two per cent increase in energy savings and up to a 10 per cent increase in production capacity.

In addition to increased energy savings and production efficiencies, Control Advisor can also enhance safety, optimise maintenance, lower operating costs, increase product quality and reduce emissions.

The software’s ability to identify performance metrics and relate those to real-world diagnostics helps process manufacturers improve the quality of their production and avoid unplanned downtime. Schneider also added that an LNG facility that employs the Control Advisor technology has been able to save an around $1 million per year in operating costs.

“Control Advisor builds on Schneider Electric’s long history of excellence when it comes to

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC HAS DEVELOPED A NEW ENTERPRISE WIDE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (IIOT) SOFTWARE

connected technology, closed-loop control and performance optimisation across the entire manufacturing operation,” Chris Lyden, senior vice president of strategy, Schneider Electric’s Process Automation business, said.

“In a world of diminishing domain expertise, today’s industrial workforce is expected to be more critically involved in the business and Control Advisor, with its easyto-use analytics, helps them convert

CONTROL ADVISOR IS SUITABLE FOR A NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

AUSTRALIANMINING

49

SEPTEMBER 2017

raw data into actionable information so they can make better business decisions in real time.”

Lyden added that it is a powerful IIoT platform that empowers plant personnel to advance from controlling the efficiency of the process, which was their traditional role, to improving the overall performance of the business.

“That is the true promise of IIoT and the first step toward realising the future of automation,” he said. AM

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

KOMATSU UNVEILS TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM TO SUPPORT MINE CONSTRUCTION KOMATSU HAS INTEGRATED ALL ASPECTS OF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT INTO A NEW TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM, BENEFITING COMPANIES IN AUSTRALIA BUILDING MINES. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

K

omatsu has launched a project management technology that will benefit the construction phase of mining and enhance the growing use of drones in the industry.

The equipment manufacturer unveiled its ‘Smartconstruction’ concept in Australia and New Zealand during August.

Komatsu describes the concept as a significant step forward in construction technology, offering integrated product, service and support solutions across all phases of a project.

The concept has been developed to allow Komatsu to integrate a host of technologies, creating what it describes as an end-to-end solution for operators in mining, construction and quarrying.

Smartconstruction covers critical project development steps, from initial site survey and design, through to machine control management, machine interconnectivity and review of project progress during the mine construction phase.

Finally, it develops detailed as-built information for future expansion and infrastructure maintenance.

Komatsu Australia national

technology solution expert manager Aaron Marsh told Australian Mining that Smartconstruction would assist the mining industry during the construction phase, with the use of drones and during site rehabilitation.

“Smartconstruction complements the integration of Komatsu’s machine controls, as well as the evolution of those products,” Marsh explained.

“Technology these days is moving very quickly and there will continue to be equipment coming out that this technology will support during mine construction, including autonomous equipment, while also improving safety at sites.”

Smartconstruction covers four key areas, starting with the use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drones. The technology monitors drone site surveys, including cut/fill and stockpile calculations, as well as ongoing progress tracking and site logistics.

Additionally, it covers 3D data services, including conversion of 2D and 3D data files to formats suitable for machine control applications, and 3D design consultancy, development and management over the life of a project.

Smartconstruction is supported by the Komconnect cloud-based service, which brings together all the

KOMATSU’S LATEST TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS THE USE OF DRONES

AUSTRALIANMINING

MINERS CONSTRUCTING OPERATIONS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY

project-related information required by operators.

Considered the brains of Smartconstruction, Komconnect combines initial surveys, design drawings and construction plans, through to machine control data files, project progress data generated by machines and survey equipment as the job progresses.

Smartconstruction also provides support services, covering remote monitoring, remote file transfer and operating training, iMC (intelligent Machine Control) advice, project integration and site set up, assistance and professional consultancy with 3D design file development, troubleshooting and servicing of machines and control systems.

To introduce Smartconstruction across Australia and New Zealand, Marsh said Komatsu established the Komatsu Smart Centre, which involves a team of company-trained technology solution experts and a national remote support team.

“Smartconstruction builds on our industry-leading expertise in machine management through our INSITE fleet management centre, KOMTRAX remote monitoring service, along with our highly innovative iMC offerings, which are

50

SEPTEMBER 2017

currently available in dozers and excavators,” Marsh said.

“We are building on these technologies with the introduction of our drone-based survey and site management technology and now our cloud-based Komconnect information management offering.”

Komatsu plans to deliver training and support for customers to ensure Smartconstruction is effectively implemented at operations and projects.

The company’s technology solution experts will provide training, support, assistance and advice across all aspects of the technology.

Additionally, Komatsu has established a national service and support agreement with the Australian Topcon distributor, Position Partners, to harness their experience in surveying and precision machine control.

Marsh said this integrated offering made Smartconstruction the next big step in construction management technology.

“It represents a huge advancement in how contractors, project owners, quarry operators and miners can design, plan, construct and manage their projects,” Marsh concluded. AM

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

AUSPROOF DELIVERS ON INDUSTRY DEMANDS WITH EXPANSION THE TIME HAD COME FOR AUSPROOF TO BROADEN ITS OFFERING FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY WHEN IT LAUNCHED A NEW LOW VOLTAGE SOLUTION EARLIER THIS YEAR. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

A

usProof’s mining clients kept telling its management there was something missing at the company.

For the past 40 years, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has grown into a leader in coupler research, development, design, manufacture and distribution.

Today, the Queensland-based company is widely recognised for its high voltage electrical cable couplers and components for mining and tunnelling excavation projects.

AusProof has built a diverse range of mining industry clients, both in Australia and internationally in Africa, the United States, South America and Asia.

However, AusProof’s management kept receiving feedback from mining companies that it had the potential to offer another product – a low voltage range.

Philip Marks, AusProof’s former managing director, said the company had focused on the development of its successful high voltage couplers, but realised the time had come to expand its range to include low voltage restrained products.

“Mining companies kept saying that we do high voltage couplers really well, but also that they were having so many dramas with the low voltage solutions they used,” Philip Marks told Australian Mining.

“They kept asking: could you bring out a low voltage range as well?”

Seeing the opportunity, AusProof’s research and development (R&D) department worked tirelessly to provide mining companies with what they were asking for – a more reliable low voltage range.

AusProof’s management knew, however, it could not take the development of the low voltage solution lightly, especially in a competitive environment where reputations are on the line.

AusProof managing director Aston Marks said the company was committed to developing a solution that matched the performance

of its extensive offering of high voltage couplers.

“When the plugs fail it can result in costly downtime for mining companies and it also reflects on us,” Aston Marks explained.

“We’ve had reports that downtime can cost the miners thousands of dollars every hour – to repair and replace the plugs it often takes at least two hours, so it adds up.”

After two-and-a-half years of R&D, AusProof unveiled not one, but two low voltage solutions – the PS and PL ranges.

The PS range covers 150 amp, with phase rotation to deliver 660 or 1110 volts. The PL range covers 300425 amp, with phase rotation to give 660, 1100 or 3300 volts. AusProof is also developing a third range that covers 60 amp.

Both ranges feature single solid contacts, easy termination, easy flameproof maintenance, full solid earth connectivity, full phase to segregation by earth and are the lightest products of their kind on the market.

“The new products are suitable for use in a variety of mining applications, such as group one hazardous operations, metalliferous mines and tunnelling projects,” Aston Marks said.

“Importantly for our mining clients, we can now offer them the full suite of high voltage couplers and low voltage restrained solutions.”

AusProof dispatched its first order of the PL range in June this year, supplying 22 x 1100-volt 425 amp plugs to a client.

Impressively, AusProof delivered the plugs to the client within 48 hours, from the order to manufacture to dispatch.

“We ordered AusProof’s new 1100 volt 425 amp plugs on the Thursday and they were personally delivered to us on the Saturday. They were terminated quickly and easily which meant we were able to exceed the expectations of our customer,” the client said.

Marks added that AusProof would focus on maintaining efficient turnaround times for clients that AUSTRALIANMINING

AUSPROOF’S NEW LOW VOLTAGE RANGE

order the PS and PL ranges as awareness of both the products and demand grows.

“Our plan is to have them readyto-go on the shelf and we want to be

51

SEPTEMBER 2017

able to offer our customers a 48-hour lead time. Any order will be with them in 48 hours - that is an internal goal we plan to achieve,” Aston Marks concluded. AM

PRODUCTS

VICTAULIC RELEASES HDPE PIPE-JOINING SYSTEM Mechanical pipe-joining systems manufacturer Victaulic has launched an innovative mechanical joining solution for high density polyethylene (HDPE) poly pipes. With the Refuse-to-Fuse System, there is now a mechanical joining system for HDPE pipe that matches the performance of fusion.

HDPE is the fastest-growing piping material in mining, commercial and industrial applications, with adoption expected to increase by 5 per cent per year.

In response to this trend, Victaulic developed the Refuse-to-Fuse System, a Watermark Approved mechanical joint for HDPE piping.

This disruptive technology overcomes the harsh weather and strict certification barriers, which typically slow down fusing installations across sites in Australia. The solution is set to increase installation efficiencies and decrease cost to Australian businesses in a range of industries and applications.

The system meets or exceeds the performance of fused joints, and can be installed up to 10 times faster with common hand tools in any weather condition. It is the first purpose-designed mechanical alternative to fusion, and can be used to create a continuous, leak-free pipeline.

Specially designed with strength and durability in mind, mechanical couplings with HDPE commonly exceed the pipe’s pressure ratings, allowable tensile load, minimum bend radius and drag-ability. The solution is also simple to install.

The system can be supplied with a Fusion Bonded Epoxy coated housing and Xylan coated bolts and nuts to ensure protection against corrosion in underground buried water lines and outdoor lines exposed to the elements.

For added durability, the gasket is comprised of EPDM grade rubber formulated specifically for water systems.

Vicatulic’s mechanical joining products for HDPE include couplings for both plain-end HDPE pipe (63mm – 225mm) and grooved-end HDPE pipe (250mm-1200mm).

• Victaulic www.victaulic.com

DELLNER LAUNCHES HEAVY DUTY SKD DISC BRAKES

NEW CRIBBING AND JACKING BLOCKS CAN TAKE THE HEAVY LOADS SAFELY AND RELIABLY

Technologically advanced braking systems manufacturer Dellner Brakes has introduced two new heavy-duty disc brakes to its SKD range that, through a new modular design, are set to deliver increased stopping power for large industrial, marine and offshore applications.

The new brakes are designed for stopping rotary motion and statically holding load in mining and industrial machinery.

The SKD 140 brake delivers braking force of up to 258 kN through two brake housings, each containing a powerful hydraulic piston. The SKD 4x140 brake combines two brake assemblies containing four hydraulic pistons to deliver braking force of up to 516 kN, making it Dellner’s most powerful brake yet.

Through its innovative modular design, Dellner can also provide larger systems – combining several brake assemblies or customised housings – with several pistons to deliver even more braking power.

The new SKD brakes feature cylindrical guide pins that transmit the tangential braking force from the brake lining to the brake housing and mounting stand. As a result, the brake pistons are not subject to any radial forces, which makes the brakes last much longer.

The brakes come with a range of optional extras including mounting brackets; double sealing kits; brake pads made from several different friction materials; indicators that show brake pad wear, whether the brake is on or off or needing adjustment; micro switches and electrical control boxes.

The Cribbing and Matting Company has added the Dura Crib Prime Cribbing Blocks to its range of jacking blocks and stabilising tools.

The lightweight, splinter-free, non-absorbent and environmentally sustainable blocks are designed to be used whenever a person is working on or near a structure or work piece being stabilised in a wide range of industries, including mining, materials handling, building, construction and manufacturing.

Engineered for high durability and tested under the guidance of Australian Standards to ensure optimum safety and risk management, the block is an ideal alternative to timber dunnage and blocks used in jacking and stabilising of heavy loads.

Made from recycled plastic, the Dura Crib Prime Cribbing is also good for the environment.

The pyramid profiles on the two surfaces of the Dura Crib Prime Crib provide a secure base and top that can interlock at any angle, with the three side notches interlocking for secure stacking performance.

The positive interlocking of the cribbing, by gravity and friction forces, produces high stability and load bearing capacity.

The Dura Crib Prime Cribbing Block is certified load rated with a working load limit (WLL) of 60.8kg/cm2, with a maximum working load capacity 58,800kg. Suitable for four point and nine point cribbing stacks, the cribbing offers stack load capacities of between 58,800kg and 132,000kg.

Available in high-visibility yellow or standard black, the cribbing is manufactured from 100 per cent recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) construction for durability.

Light weight and resistant to fuels, oils and most common industrial solvents and chemicals, the cribbing is backed by a 50-year warranty against splitting, rot, fluid absorption, termites and mould.

• Dellner Brakes +46 23 78 30 50 www.dellner-brakes.com

• Cribbing and Matting Company (02) 9674 7428 www.cribandmatco.com.au AUSTRALIANMINING

52

SEPTEMBER 2017

PRODUCTS

HYDROBLASTER FOR CLEANER MACHINES

RIMCO RELEASES HIGH WEAR POLYURETHANES

Australian Pump Industries has released a Kohler air cooled diesel engine powered Hydroblaster for the mining and construction industry.

The high-pressure washer provides operators high cleaning power with minimal use of water.

The heart of the system is a heavy duty “Big Berty” Bertolini triplex pump that develops 20 lpm flow at 5000 psi. The Predator also offers an effective working pressure with Aussie Turbomaster turbo lance of 8500 psi.

The whole machine comes in a sturdy galvanised steel trolley with four pneumatic tyred wheels making it manoeuvrable on site. A hose reel and a 60m hose fit easily to the frame, with the reel helping to prolong the hose life and minimise trip hazards.

The Hydroblaster is equipped with free Aussie Safety Protection (ASP). The ASP system consists of a safety valve that protects the operator and machine from spikes in the system. A thermal dump valve is incorporated to protect the machine from overheating due to bypass running.

The Predator is rated as a B class machine under the new Australian safety standards.

As such it is fitted with both an emergency stop and is supplied with a 500 bar hose shroud. An optional foot valve is also available.

Polyurethane manufactures Rimco have developed a world-first processing technology and formulated new exceptionally high wear polyurethanes for the manufacture of Wear Products used in the mining and mineral processing industries.

These components when combined with Saint-Gobain high performing wear inserts such as Alumina Ceramic, Silicone Carbide and Fused Zirconia provide an excellent wear and impact resistant solution for the most extreme abrasive environments.

Rimco’s new state-of-the-art automated machine processing ensures consistent, repeatable and close tolerance products. Each product is traceable and is Australian made. After extensive research Rimco formulated an extremely high adhesion combination to ensure maximum product life and to reduce down time.

Products can be manufactured in standard sizes or specific customer requirements to suit new or existing equipment.

• Rimco (08) 9378 1077 www.rimco.net.au

• Aussie Pumps (02) 8865 3500 www.aussiepumps.com.au

12” RUGGED TABLET FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE Xplore Technologies and Intel Corporation have announced that the Windows-powered XSLATE R12, is gaining another significant boost in speed, power and storage capacity as Xplore becomes the first rugged tablet manufacturer to integrate Intel PCIe Solid State Drives (SSD) into its portfolio.

The Intel PCIe SSDs are now shipping as a standard feature on all XSLATE R12 Intel Core Series i7 models, including a new 1TB configuration option.

The new drives deliver two times the disk performance, and when combined with the i7 vPro processor, a 48 per cent improvement in overall system performance.

Some of the mobile workers who will benefit from the Intel PCIe SSDequipped XSLATE R12 include those who opt not to store data in the cloud, either due to security concerns or application design. Those who frequently rely on data and graphics intensive applications, such as those used to generate 3D CAD drawings or GIS location intelligence; or those who have historically been forced to delete files to make room for the large amount of inspection, investigation or quality control photos and videos captured in a day’s work.

The Intel-powered XSLATE R12 is able to multi-task in any demanding work environment, whether that be in hand or in a Secure Mobile Dock.

It is equipped with pen and touch capabilities and backed by a Bluetoothconnected keyboard for more data-intensive tasks.

The standard hot-swappable battery is ideal for long shifts while the large, outdoor-viewable display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass for damageresistant, day-and-night viewing. This flexible rugged tablet also features more connectivity options than others in its class, including antenna passthrough capabilities, an RJ-45 and True Serial port dongle, and a SlateMate barcode reader and HF RFID reader combo. The XSLATE R12 is available AUSTRALIANMINING

with multiple internal configurations, including a 7th generation Intel Core i7 vPro processor with Windows 10 and 6th generation Intel Core i5 with Windows 7, 8.1 or Windows 10.

• Xplore Technologies 1 866 682 2538 www.xploretech.com/XSLATER12

53

SEPTEMBER 2017

EVENTS

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

13TH AUSIMM UNDERGROUND OPERATORS’ CONFERENCE 2017 OCTOBER 16-18 2017 GOLD COAST, QUEENSLAND This year’s theme for the Underground Operators’ Conference is ‘Capturing the Opportunities: Communication, collaboration, innovation. After the global market downturn made a negative impact on the mining industry, signs of improvement are beginning

to emerge. There still remains, however, a range of opportunities and innovations for the industry to capitalise on. The conference focuses on the need to collaborate and share ideas to advance the mining sector.

This year’s keynote speakers include professor Lena Abrahamsson from the Lulea University of Technology in Sweden and Gideon Chitombo, professor and chair of Minerals Industry Engagement, Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland.

• 13th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2017 (03) 9658 6105 www.undergroundoperators.ausimm. com.au

INTERNATIONAL MINING AND RESOURCES CONFERENCE (IMARC) OCTOBER 30 – NOVEMBER 2 2017 MELBOURNE, VICTORIA This year’s International Mining and Resources Conference will focus on ‘Creating Value Through Collaboration’. The conference will cover a variety of mining aspects, including exploration, investment, technology, future energy and new technology. It will also feature a one-day program on mining infrastructure, from pit to port.

Keynote speakers include BHP chief technology officer Diane Jurgens, Adani Mining chief executive officer Jeyakumar Janajaraj and president and CEO of Sprott US Holdings, Rick Rule. The conference will also host the Future Energy event, which will highlight the opportunities for miners and investors as a result of the rise in renewables and battery storage – particularly with lithium, cobalt and graphite becoming highly sought-after commodities. This day-long session will focus on the future energy developments and technologies that will affect the mining industry.

• International Mining and Resources Conference (03) 9021 2031 www.imarcmelbourne.com

MINES AND MONEY AMERICAS OCTOBER 2-4 2017 TORONTO, CANADA

AUSTRALIAN MINING BRINGS YOU THE LATEST EVENTS IN THE MINING CALENDAR

AUSTRALIANMINING

The Mines and Money exhibition provides delegates access to more than 50 global mining and mining services companies, financiers, and executives. It will bring world leading mining developers, mergers and acquisitions experts, industry experts and investors together to discuss the major opportunities in the mining sector. It provides attendees a chance to connect with new business partners through the exhibitions and seminars.

Keynote speakers include Goldcorp chairman Ian Telfer and Lepidico

54

SEPTEMBER 2017

managing director Joe Walsh • Mines and Money Americas +44 0 208 004 3888 www.americas.minesandmoney.com

EXPLORATION ‘17 OCTOBER 22-25 2017 TORONTO, CANADA The Exploration ‘17 theme for this year is “Integrating the Geosciences: The challenge of discovery”, with the event featuring a multidisciplinary technical programme that includes workshops, exhibitions and field schools. Geoscientists have been challenged with exploring deeper and more complex environments and the event will show how the integration of geophysics, geology, geochemistry and remote sensing can help improve data acquisition, processing and targeting of mineral deposits.

Exporation ’17 will emphasise the importance of collaboration between geoscience disciplines and present the achievements of the disciplines of the last 10 years that address the challenges of making discoveries.

•Exploration ‘17 www.exploration17.com

LONGWALL 2017 OCTOBER 23-24 2017 HUNTER VALLEY, NEW SOUTH WALES Longwall 2017 is the key event for Australia’s longwall mining operations and will share operator ideas, challenges and successes that will help increase tonnage while also ensuring each worker returns home safely after each shift.

The main themes will be fostering innovative thinking of engineers and operators; sharing successes and challenges in the industry; and safety engineering in practice. The event will discuss ground support challenges and challenging seams, ways to minimise dust, ways to get more out of shearers and continuous miners.

• Longwall 2017 (02) 4991 0000 www.informa.com.au/event/longwallconference

, D E E N U .

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

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.

FERRET GROUP OF WEBSITES

F E R R E T.C O M . AU

MORE POWER. LESS FUEL.

JUST BY CHANGING YOUR HYDRAULIC FLUID CASE STUDY: Mining excavator in Ranchi, India

Triple-down on Coal Mining Efficiency!

Near Ranchi, India, hydraulic excavators mine for coal and roofing slate – but with a critical difference. The conventional hydraulic fluid normally used in the excavators was removed and replaced with DYNAVIS®-formulated hydraulic fluid.

The impact of the new fluid was carefully recorded. The highest testing standards, with numerous sensors, flow meters and measuring devices were maintained.

More earth was moved, faster loading cycles were achieved and dump trucks were filled faster – just by changing the hydraulic fluid.

Over 400,000 tons of earth moved – with the following results: • Fuel Efficiency in l/t went up 12.8 % With a confidence interval of >90% (p-value 92.8%)

• Time Efficiency in minutes/trip improved 11.8 % With a confidence interval of >85% (p-value 88.9%)

• Trip Efficiency in liters of fuel/trip increased 10.6 % With a confidence interval of >85% (p-value 86.2%)

Learn more and calculate your own fuel savings with easy to use tools at dynavis.com

DYNAVIS® is a brand of Evonik or one of its subsidiaries.