Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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DECEMBER 2015 • E&MJ; 53 www.e-mj.com C R A N E S & R I G G I N G crane installed at the bottom of the Aitik open-pit copper mine on a visit there in the late 1980s—at a time when Boliden was installing a new crushing and conveying system that needed some serious concrete construction. Similarly, high-lift crawler-mounted cranes have only lim- ited application in day-to-day mining operations, also being more suited for construction. The only real exceptions are where major structures need the lifting capacity these machines can provide, and where perhaps a mobile crane of comparable capacity cannot be obtained. Interestingly, the trend toward mines installing wind turbines to fulfill part of their energy needs may actually increase the need for high- lift crawler-mounted cranes, even though they need special- ist transport and erection services. Hence it becomes clear that for most mine-related work, wheel-mounted mobile cranes provide the answer. Two main classes predominate; multi-axle all-terrain (AT) cranes that can offer lifting capacities from around 30 metric tons (mt) to 1,200 mt, and rough-terrain (RT) cranes that, as the name suggests, are better suited to working in site conditions. Here, capacities range from as little as 25 mt up to around 145 mt, with RTs also able to perform lift-and-carry opera- tions, albeit at the expense of having limited operating range. This makes them more suitable for single-site work—and thus perhaps to mining-company ownership—than to the quick turnaround provided by rental companies that needs the long-distance transport capability provided by ATs. It is important to remember, of course, that the crane market is very diverse geographically. The main manufactur- ers target specific models to individual regions of the world, depending on local requirements and operating regulations. In consequence, specifications may vary from region-to- region, or even from country-to-country—a situation that can present major pitfalls for the unwary buyer when investigat- ing the second-hand machine market. And, in addition to this "gray" area, the sheer size of the crane market means that there is also the significant risk pre- sented by the presence of counterfeit machines and compo- nents in some parts of the world. Just this March, for exam- ple, Terex issued a warning that not only does it appear that copycat crawler cranes are being made in China and having bogus Terex badges put on them, but that the practice has spread to South Korea. "The units are assembled, branded and sold as used Terex cranes at prices well under market value," the company explained. "This is a serious situation, not only because it infringes on our intellectual property but, more importantly, it poses a seri- ous safety risk for our customers," said Klaus Meissner, direc- tor of product strategy for Terex Cranes. "The use of these infe- rior, counterfeit cranes can result in deadly consequences." A Rare Sighting Having said that tower cranes are rarely used on mine sites, this was the option that Syncrude chose when it needed heavy-lift capabilities during the installation of a flue gas desulphurization system at its Mildred Lake refinery. And it was no ordinary tower crane either, with the company having acquired one of only 15 Krøll K 10000 units that were ever built. Free-standing 130 m (427 ft) high, and with a lifting capacity of 100 mt at the end of its 102-m (337 ft)-long jib, www.kiddefi resystems.com The Kidde Sentinel system is an integrated fi re protection solution that includes state-of- the-art detection, control and notifi cation coupled with multiple suppression agent options to suit your specifi c need. From the smallest loader to the largest draglines and excavators, you can count on Kidde Fire Systems — dependable technology since 1917.