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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JUNE 2016 • E&MJ; 85 www.e-mj.com SUPPLIERS REPORT With more than 1,100 units sold world- wide, the R 984 mining excavator earned a solid reputation as one of the most fex- ible digging and loading tools in the 120- ton class. Tsurumi Brings Big Pumps Pump manufacturer, Tsurumi, stood out at bauma with two superlatives: the new LH4110W and KRSU822. The LH is now listed as its strongest submersible pump with a maximum head of 216 m. Tsuru- mi's new fagship was a prominent sight with a dry weight of 1.3 metric tons and a 1.8-m construction height. With a 110- kW motor, it is used in applications where large distances have to be covered. The LH can handle sediment with up to 8-mm particle diameter. The new KRSU822 turns up the power even more if a really "thick liquid" needs to be pumped: after all, the clear passage of 56 mm makes it the medium of choice for applications with heavy media such as sludge, sandy water or bentonite. According to Tsurumi, there have been numerous improvements to the rest of the product range, which includes around 250 pump models. A live demo of the permanently running pumps in the water tank turned out to be a visitor magnet. Siemens Discusses Digitalization At this year's bauma, Siemens present- ed possibilities for more digitalization in transport solutions (conveyor belt sys- tems and haul trucks) with integrated systems under the motto "Take Transport in a New Direction—Discover the Poten- tial of Digitalization." Before operating a belt conveyor system in the real world, Siemens uses digital models to virtually test and veri - fy possible approaches for optimization. Whether physical components or digital expertise, Siemens discussed a high va- riety of mine transport solutions. In keeping with the focus on digita- lization, two Siemens solutions for haul trucks were also on display: the SiRAS program for remote access, and the Midas program for increasing equipment effec- tiveness. SIRAS remote diagnostics hardware and software use Internet technology to allow Siemens service technicians and other experts to remotely log onto the truck from anywhere in the world and per- form electrical work. Software upgrades, for example, can be downloaded to the truck and installed during the vehicle's downtime. Important parameters and data can be monitored to deduce trends. Consequently, maintenance can be planned before failures to avoid losses in production. The net result is a substan- tial increase of the mean time to repair, greater system availability and reduced maintenance costs. Midas is a lever to help use trucks more effectively. It collects data during ongoing operations and uses this data to carry out analyses of production and opti- mize operations. Putzmeister Unveils New Shotcreting Machines Prior to bauma, Putzmeister's Under- ground Division held an open house in Madrid and welcomed more than 300 guests from more than 30 countries. For the afternoon, a manufacturing facility was converted to a night club and guests were served Spanish wine and tapas while the company unveiled a new mech- anized shotcrete spraying machine for narrow-vein applications (the Wetkret 3) and a compact shotcrete batching plant (Batchkret 20), specifcally designed for underground mines. Perfect for the rugged, uneven terrain found in tight headings, the Wetkret 3 is mounted on a compact rubber-coated crawler chassis. It has a telescopic spray- ing arm with a vertical reach of 9 m and a horizontal reach of 7 m, which can be deployed in a minimum width of 2.5 m. The machine can be powered by diesel or electricity, boosting on-site mobility away from the mains. The Batchkret 20 completes Putz- meister Underground's shotcrete offering for a fully integrated, streamlined shot- crete application process. Designed for challenging operating environments, the Batchkret 20 allows miners to bypass costlier shotcrete transportation systems, by taking the production of concrete to the heart of their operations underground and optimizing logistics. Tsurumi submersible pumps can handle 8-mm sediment. The Wetkret 3, seen here at Putzmeister's open house, is ideal for narrow-vein application.