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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MINEXPO HIGHLIGHTS ously unheard of, not to mention the increased overall hauling speeds (tons per hour). The series' trucks will also be avail- able with low emissions Tier 4i-technology engines that provide remarkable torque characteristics with low fuel consumption. Significantly reducing the costs caused by underground ventilation, the environmen- tally friendly engines also markedly improve underground working conditions. The TH551 and TH663 are engineered to be a perfect match for the LH517 and LH621 loaders. This productivity partners concept allows for a fast three-bucket load- ing system that increases the load and haul cycle efficiency, resulting in high levels of overall cycle productivity. Liebherr reduced the empty vehicle weight of the T 284 to increase payload. come together to create the Liebherr T 284. This experience has led to a lightweight frame design that contributes to the T 284's low empty vehicle weight. The T 284's low empty vehicle weight and Litronic Plus AC drive system enable as much of the truck's load-carrying capacity as possible to be used for payload." Liebherr also introduced the R 9150 hydraulic mining excavator, which was one of the two Liebherr hydraulic mining excavators shown at the Liebherr stand. The R 9150 is equipped with a Liebherr 12 V engine rated at 565 kW (757 hp). Its operating weight is 127 metric tons or (280,000 lb) and the machine is equipped with an 8 m3 (10.5 yd3) backhoe or face shovel attachment. "We believe the R 9150 is a very impor- tant step in the development of a new Liebherr mining excavator range," said Dr. Jörg Lukowski, executive vice president, Liebherr Mining Equipment. "In the future, this machine will replace the R 984 C, a very successful excavator. Including previous models of the R 984, we have sold more than 1,000 of these machines in the past decade. After the completion of a test program in-house and in the field, we can confirm that the R 9150 will be a very powerful and highly productive unit that will handle trucks up to 100 mt. In hard digging we have seen an even higher out- put from the R 9150 than from the R 984 36 E&MJ; • NOVEMBER 2012 C (+15 %), and the R 9150 is outperform- ing its competitors in this class." Ground Engaging Tools for Shovels MTG launched four new sizes and five new designs for its hammerless StarMet system. The EX sizes 240 and 500 were designed specifically for mining. The new StarMet sizes 15, 20, 30 and 40 are available on the most popular MTG designs. The new product's main innovation consists of being the lightest and the one with the shortest tooth nose available on the market. It incor- porates the new Bilateral MTG Twist fixing system (both the retainer and the pin can be assembled on both sides of the adapter) that allows the user to introduce the pin through the most convenient side. Sandvik Launches the Next Generation of Trucks The TH551 and TH663 are the latest addi- tions to Sandvik's underground ramp hoist- ing truck family. According to Sandvik, these new trucks demonstrate the latest innovations in hard rock ramp hauling, and are the clear forerunners of next generation underground trucking. The new additions to the TH500–600 series ramp hoisting trucks have been designed to the last degree, with state-of- the-art safety and productivity levels previ- "Innovative thinking, comprehensive research in the complete underground hard rock hoisting application and customer feed- back have played a major role in the design process of these new trucks," said Mark Ryan, product manager for Sandvik Trucks. With more than 63 different safety fea- tures to protect the operator, maintenance staff and the truck itself, the TH551 and TH663 are the safest hoisting trucks Sandvik has ever made. Through intelligent design, they also offer maximum operator comfort. The trucks have been designed and built with high reliability and ease of main- tenance in mind. Particular attention has been given to the replacement time of large components, such as engine transmission, resulting in significant increases in uptime hours and the total tonnes per year hoisted. The ROPS and FOPS certified cabin is now 35% larger than its predecessors, offering features such as 4-point retract- able safety belt for the operator seat and 3- point safety belt for the trainer seat, mp3- player, cabin refrigerator and easy to use control system display with color coded warnings, making it easier for the operator to concentrate on the work at hand—while still making sure that warnings are easily spotted. In addition, these trucks also fea- ture front frame suspension. Daily maintenance can be done from ground level, minimizing the risks related to climbing on the machine. The anti-slip materials of the steps and surfaces, togeth- er with the safety rails on top of the truck, further add to personnel safety even in cases where climbing is required. "When designing the TH551 and TH663 we looked at the situations that involve the most downtime for our customers. What do you do when your fully loaded hoisting truck is blocking the haulage ramp due to a flat www.e-mj.com