Engineering & Mining Journal

AUG 2013

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SUPPLIERS REPORT Ruukki Expands its Range of Raex Wear-resistant Steels Struxure roof support products, made from recycled materials, have been approved for use in U.S. underground coal mines. Rheinland Industrial Solutions. Based on these independent tests, which evaluated the products' weight-bearing capacity, Struxure was approved for use in underground mining operations. Axion subsequently shipped pilings and boards to a major U.S. coal mining company through Pennsylvania-based Williamstown Mining, a distributor to the coal mining industry in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. The specific application in the field test of Struxure products is for roof support in coal mining. Williamstown Mining Vice President of Operations Denny Welsh said, "Axion's Struxure products offer a new solution for mining applications including roof support and cribbing. Purchase decisions in the mining industry are based on strength, weight, life cycle, safety and cost of products. Sustainable materials are viewed positively. In the end, it comes down to performance and cost over time. Based on Struxure's properties and proven performance, we expect to see strong interest from miners." "This is a trial order, which we believe will lead to more purchases from the coal mining industry. The wet and acidic conditions in mines lead to deterioration of traditional wood, concrete and steel materials, whereas Struxure is impervious to those elements," said Dave Crane, Axion's executive vice president–building products. 102 E&MJ; • AUGUST 2013 Mechel, BelAZ Form Truck Maintenance Joint Venture Helsinki, Finland-based steelmaker Ruukki said its line of wear-resistant special steels has been expanded to include thicker wear-resistant steels needed, for example, in the mining industry. Raex special steel is now available in a range of thicknesses from 2 mm to 80 mm. According to the company, thicker Raex steels up to 80 mm can be used to manufacture parts for heavy machinery and equipment designed for excavation, loading, transporting and crushing ore in mines. Such parts include the buckets for excavators and front-end loaders, tipper bodies for heavy earthmoving machinery, mine conveyor systems, crushers, silos and hoppers. The consistent quality of Raex steels, said the company, can significantly prolong the life of mining machinery and equipment. Plus, selecting the optimum thickness of Raex wear-resistant steel in the manufacture of buckets and tipper bodies, can help to reduce the overall weight of the equipment itself and thus increase the payload, which in turn cuts fuel consumption. Raex wear-resistant steels have been developed in cooperation with Ruukki's customers and are claimed to have excellent cutting, bending and welding properties. Made using a direct quenching method developed by Ruukki, Raex wear-resistant steels have a hard steel surface and strong microstructure. The method improves the properties of wear-resistant steels and makes them consistent in quality. Russian mining and metals producer Mechel OAO and Belarusian truck builder BelAZ OAO in June announced an agreement to create a joint Russo-Belarusian venture called ElgaBelAvto OAO for maintenance and repair of BelAZ mine trucks in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The enterprise's main facilities will be located in Yakutugol Holding Co.'s production area, with a secondary facility at the Elga open-pit coal mine. ElgaBelAvto will be set up to meet the maintenance needs of Yakutugol Holding Co.'s two largest surface coal operations—Neryungrinsky and Elga—which operate more than 140 mine trucks. The project is estimated to require about $9.5 million in investment by 2018, and will create more than 300 new jobs. According to the agreement, ElgaBelAvto will begin operation in late 2013 or early 2014. In the future, the joint venture may offer its services to other BelAZ customers in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and neighboring regions. "BelAZ is our reliable and longstanding partner, and today Belarusian-made mining trucks work at all of Mechel's mining facilities. Creating a joint service center will enable Yakutugol Holding to cut equipment maintenance costs and set up the technical base for a large-scale increase of production at Yakutugol and the Elga coal deposit," said Mechel OAO's Vice President for Commercial Activities Mikhail Urvantsev. Ruukki's Raex wear-resistant steels are now available in a greater range of thicknesses up to 80 mm, expanding their suitability for use in fabrication of heavy duty mining equipment components. www.e-mj.com

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