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SUPPLIERS REPORT Rail-Veyor Runs Economically at Vale, Penguin Profiles at Codelco E&MJ; European Editor Simon Walker recently visited vendors in the thriving mine-support business sector that constitutes an important portion of the industrial base in Canada's Northern Ontario region. His report follows. A key to the development of Vale's 114 orebody in the Sudbury basin in Ontario, the Rail-Veyor materials-handling system is helping to maintain drivage rates of around 120 m (400 ft) per week. And, according to Rail-Veyor Technologies Global's Interim CEO Ron Russ, not only is the system cheaper to operate than conventional truck haulage, but ventilation costs are also significantly lower since all of the muck transport to surface is electrically powered. Vale has invested nearly C$50 million in developing the near-surface 114 orebody as a demonstration project for new technologies, initially making use of an existing ramp and development that was completed in 2008 before weak nickel markets put the venture on hold. In the meantime, Rail-Veyor installed a 750-m-long surface test track at Vale's Frood-Stobie mine to demonstrate the system's capabilities, building on the experience gained with the first—and to date, only—underground installation that handles some 3.7 million mt/y of ore at Harmony Gold's Phakisa mine in South Africa. A Rail-Veyor unit consists of a set of interconnected, two-wheel cars that run on light rail track, effectively forming a trough that can carry virtually any type of bulk material. Power is provided by drive stations set at regular intervals along the track, spaced so that at least three are in contact with the cars at any time, transmitting propulsion through foam-filled tires. Only those drive units in contact with the cars are energized, thus keeping energy usage to a minimum. Key features of the system include its ability to climb gradients of up to 20% while able to traverse a 30-m (100-ft)-radius horizontal curve. There is no limit to the length of transport, since the drive stations are spaced along the entire distance, so making it longer merely involves adding more track and drives. Most importantly, it is completely automated, with an operator located in a remote control room acting as the system manager. According to Vale's project manager for 114, Dan MacIntyre, the low running costs of a Rail-Veyor system offer the potential to increase the viability of marginal orebodies, of which this is one. "It has huge potential for changing the way development will be done in the future," he said during a site visit by E&MJ.; "Its low profile is a key feature," MacIntyre explained. "We are developing the access ramp here 12 ft wide by 10 ft high (3.6 x 3.1 m), rather than the 20 ft by 20 ft (6.1 m) we would need for truck haulage. This means less drilling, less explosives, less muck to shift and shorter cycle times. And, since small openings are more stable, less support." The 114 installation uses a twin ramp access, with restricted access to the RailVeyor ramp, which also acts as the ventilation return for the mine. The complete 'train' consists of 55 interconnected 760mm-wide (30-in.) cars, each of which can carry 1 mt. In practice, this gives the system a capacity of around 50 mt each trip— equivalent to a loaded mine truck. The reduced drift size needed for the system means that Vale can use smaller LHDs for mucking. Loading is done using a hopper that feeds muck directly into the Rail-Veyor trough as the equipment moves slowly forward. The spaces between the cars are sealed by flexible flaps that prevent spillage. Once laden, the unit heads up the 15% ramp at around 3 m/s, then slows for automatic discharge from a gantry on surface. Muck falls by gravity onto a stockpile as each truck is inverted, with the entire 'train' then returning empty underground, regenerating power as it passes each drive station. A light-rail-based ore transport system, shown here (left) at an installation in Northern Ontario, Canada, can be significantly cheaper to operate than conventional truck haulage, according to its developer, Rail-Veyor Technologies. Sudbury, Ontario-based Penguin Automated Systems, which designs communications and robotic systems, including remotely controlled machines that can work in hazardous conditions, recently brought its robotic scanning equipment to Codelco's Andina mine, running profiling trials on one of the mine's drawpoint levels. A Penguin unit is pictured above at a demonstration site (right). 86 E&MJ; • DECEMBER 2012 www.e-mj.com