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 for conveyor belt systems, mine winder, processing plants, ship propulsion systems and wind turbines. Sandvik's TH663 ramp hoisting truck has 63 features to protect the operator, maintenance personnel and the truck. tire, stopping your whole hoisting opera- tion?" Ryan asked rhetorically. The outcome of this study resulted in one of the most outstanding features of these trucks. The TH551 and TH663 are now equipped with an optional onboard jacking system, which allows fast and safe tire changing instead of prolonged downtime. This feature is another example of the impor- tance of overall uptime (tons moved per year) and the fact that overall speed is not the only factor involved in high hoisting truck productivity. The TH551 will be available in mid-2013 and the TH663 in late 2013. In addition to the trucks, Sandvik also introduced the new Sandvik AutoMine prod- uct family. It delivers high-quality and reli- able fleet automation for drilling, loading and hauling, single loader automation, block cave draw control and process/information management systems. All of the automation products are designed to allow open integra- tion with other IT systems at mine sites. Siemens Highlights the Entire Lifecycle Siemens Mining Technology highlighted the importance of energy-efficient and eco- friendly products, systems, solutions and services for the entire lifecycle of industry plants within the mining industry. Five spe- cial breakout sessions were held regarding autonomous mining solutions, energy trends, gearless drives for overland con- veyors, and mining challenges (See Pro- cessing Solutions, p. 127). The global mining industry faces major challenges: improving productivity while simultaneously decreasing costs. Mining companies need high-performance products that are also energy-efficient and offer max- imum availability and flexibility. Such prod- ucts also need to comply with environmental regulations while providing maximum safety for employees, machines and material. 38 E&MJ; • NOVEMBER 2012 Siemens supplies products and applications that meet customers' exacting requirements. The Simine product family, according to Siemens, will help the mining industry achieve its goals. The Siemens Drive Technologies Division links up automation, drive and power supply systems to form one all-round platform. The portfolio can be used for primary tasks such as the extraction, transportation and processing of raw materi- als, as well as for secondary processes such as supplying power and water processing through to plant service and maintenance. The Simine Winder, for example, enables safe and high-performance movement of men and materials. The key element of the drives solution is a standardized control and safety system based on Sinamics converters. In the Simine Drag and Simine TR product groups, Siemens drives and motors ensure higher speed and productivity of mining trucks and excavators. Simine provides all-round electrical solu- tions that are suited to the tough conditions in day-to-day operation and which are aimed at achieving a reliable overall performance of belt systems in mines: either fixed or vari- able-speed drives are used, depending on the requirements placed on the equipment. The result is less wear on components and lower energy consumption. Like Simine Pump and Simine Hybrid Flotation, Simine Mill also contributes to maximized profit in raw material processing. For example, the Simine Mill gearless drives feature the low- est energy consumption of any variable- speed drive. The drives are also notable for a very high level of availability, which in turn leads to an extreme reduction in downtimes. IT monitoring also shortens plant outages, thereby maximizing performance and lower- ing Automation and IT costs. Gearless drives are especially suitable for large mill applications no matter what kind of material will be processed but also Thermo Fisher Scientific's Next-Gen Mining Portfolio Thermo Fisher Scientific exhibited its Next-Gen Mining portfolio. The company's highly integrated range of instruments, equipment and consumables, anchored by its laboratory information management sys- tem (LIMS), addresses all segments of the mining process, from early stage explo- ration through processing. Thermo Fisher's Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t Series analyzers are now available with embedded GPS functionality. By making it easier to capture the exact position of a sam- ple at the same time geochemical analysis is performed, the instrument is more efficient and helps accelerate exploration. The new Thermo Scientific Ramsey Micro-Tech 9000 Electronics platform provides enhanced communications and connectivity for process industry weighing and monitoring applications. Built-in Ethernet and USB capabilities improve system communication and prevent down- time by enabling independent load cell troubleshooting. The Thermo Scientific Personal Dust Monitor PDM3600 has been specifically design for U.S.-based mining applications, protecting mine personnel by ensuring that shift-average respirable dust exposure does not exceed regulatory limits. The monitor is designed to be a first line of defense in pre- venting long-term effects from exposure. The Thermo Scientific Nitus Gamma Backscatter (GBS) Gauge measures level, density and wall buildup in large mining vessels of any size and in pipes 24 inches or larger. Backed by patented, non-con- tacting gamma backscatter technology, the sensor on the Nitus gauge features a highly stable and sensitive scintillation detector that enables it to respond instant- ly to level or density changes so plant per- sonnel can optimize process efficiency and maximize productivity. Thermo Scientific elemental and parti- cle size analyzers, coupled with sampling systems, provide an integrated solution that maximizes availability and accuracy with minimal head loss. Instruments such as the Thermo Scientific AnStat 230 Analysis and Sampling Station supply reli- able, accurate process data and lead to improved recovery, lower costs and envi- ronmental compliance. www.e-mj.com