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 Thermo Scientific SampleManager LIMS enables field and onsite laboratory and plant managers to continuously track, monitor, measure, analyze and report on all activities. Enhanced compliance features tie instru- ment and operator information to calibration samples and results so instrument configu- ration, along with operator name and train- ing level, can be automatically rendered. Managers can produce a full audit trail for ISO 17025 or regulatory requirements and gather, review and quickly drill down on real- time data in a dynamic environment. SampleManager LIMS provides interac- tive graphs, charts, tables, maps and many other data mining tools for real-time infor- mation and decision-making. It is flexible and configurable to accommodate various workflows and integrates easily with other applications and instruments inside and out- side a lab, providing one standard user inter- face that helps mining companies maintain process standardization across multiple labs. Phoenix Lighting Replaces Floodlights with LED Fixtures Phoenix Products' ModCom Series is an instant-on, surface-mounted LED fixture designed to replace high wattage HID floodlights. The LED luminaire delivers up to 25,000 lumens and offers a 70% ener- gy savings when compared to a 1000W HPS fixture. Backed by a five-year warran- ty, the ModCom is designed to provide years of service with virtually no mainte- nance, even when installed in harsh envi- ronments. Conformal coated circuit boards, fully-potted premium-brand drivers, and stranded wires are among the design fea- tures that help protect against water ingress and vibration damage. Premium- brand LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours. Minova Introduces its Tensionable Cable Bolt Minova's patented new Tensionable Cable Bolt (TCB) system offers a reliable anchor- ing solution for the most challenging geolo- gies. With the cylinder's nut and matching bearing plate, the system allows the cables to be tensioned during on-going bolting operations. Compared to traditional bolting technology this feature guarantees improved support for sidewalls and roof structures. The TCB system is bolted into boreholes before tensioning the cable. Placing this anchorage at a higher point in the roof helps avoid the common risk of anchorage shock when loads are applied. The powder coated nut and cylinder reveals the setting of the 40 E&MJ; • NOVEMBER 2012 bolt even after anchoring and helps protect the steel system from wear and corrosion. The TCB is suited as primary and sec- ondary support for traditional cable bolts in applications that need stronger holds. The new TBC system does not require any new equipment and is a perfect choice for all applications that call for a durable solution with additional support, including tunnel intersections. Minova has also developed a two-compo- nent silicate resin for bonding rock bolts: Carbothix. The resin supports injection bolts, such as Wiborex, and rod anchors, such as the FiReP GRP bolts. For their application, the injection bolts are charged with the sili- cate resin before use. Alternatively, the bolt- into-grout process uses pumps to prefill boreholes before inserting the bolts. With its fast setting time of four hours, Carbothix is an efficient solution for anchoring in tough geological conditions. Sleipner Excavator Transport System The Finnish company Sleipner has devel- oped a system to move tracked excavators in open-pit mines efficiently and much more economically in comparison to the machine moving on tracks. The Sleipner system saves time and money and consid- erably increases the excavator's life. The system is able to move excavators up to 550 metric tons. A Sleipner is essentially a dolly system, consisting of ramps with axles and large- wheels. One end of the excavator's tracks is driven on the ramps so that the tracks are lifted from the ground. Then the excavator turns around and places the boom on the bed of a dump truck. Now the other end is raised from ground by the hydraulic force of the boom. As the excavator is now on wheels the machine is easily transported to the desired location on site. The whole process is carried out in a fraction of time compared to walking the same distance on tracks. The system improves the mine's ability to plan and reduces undercarriage wear, explained Jaako Lipsanen, vice president sales. "Yes, the Sleipner is a very safe," Lipsanen said. "Everything is handled from inside the cabin. Even if the worst hap- pens, the machine is not very high off the ground. The operator can stop the move- ment simply by lowering the crawler pads." "The Sleipner increases the efficiency of the mine site because it allows you to quickly relocate the mining tools around the mine site," said Brendan Vaughan, mining manager, WATPAC Civil & Mining, a mining company based in Western Australia. "The exercise of moving an RH 200 from one pit to another could take as long was a shift and it would require a sup- port crew. The Sleipner would reduce that move to less than an hour. I have seen complex moves that would have taken six hours reduced to 15 minutes. Maintenance crews like the Sleipner, Vaughan explained, because they can quickly transport a machine to a better location to service the unit. "Rebuilding an RH 200 undercarriage will costs about $1 million," Vaughan said. "Your investment in a Sleipner would be a lot less. The Sleipner is a game changer." Typically it's believed that an undercar- riage would be replaced five times during the life of a mining-class excavator. The Sleipner could reduce that to two replace- ments. The units can move quickly, but Sleipner recommends holding the speeds down to 15 km/hr for safety purposes. There are no issues with grade and it takes about 10 to 15 minutes assemble the system. The Sleipner dolly system quickly moves excavators and saves on undercarriage wear. www.e-mj.com