More than 52,000 people visited the Las Vegas Convention Center for MINExpo 2012.
Mining Business Bets Big on MINExpo
World’s largest mining exposition reconvenes in Las Vegas to showcase advances in equipment, technology and services
By Steve Fiscor, Editor-in-Chief
So, what can delegates expect at MINExpo 2016? E&MJ asked the NMA and several of the leading equipment suppliers that question. The association is building on its prior successes with some interesting twists. Some vendors are keeping their MINExpo 2016 activities under wraps, but a few did share their plans.
As a point of reference, MINExpo 2012 set new records as far as the number of exhibitors (1,865), exhibition space (860,000 ft2) and attendance (52,000). That, however, was a different time, when business for both coal and metal mining companies was brisk. In the ensuing four years, the coal industry has suffered a rout. Prices for metals weakened and some have since recovered, but not to 2012 levels.
Organizing an event of this magnitude is no easy task. With the help of others, Moya Phelleps, senior vice president, member services for the NMA, manages MINExpo. Describing what delegates would see at this year’s event, she said many of the exhibitors are bringing large equipment and unveiling new models. “Participating in MINExpo is a huge financial commitment and they not only want to support the mining business, but they believe strongly that the mining industry has a bright future,” Phelleps said. “In 2012, MINExpo hit all of the high points. The last 18 months to two years, however, have been particularly challenging for both sectors, coal and hard rock mine operators. The number of exhibitors is about the same as this time four years ago, and so are preregistration levels for delegates.”
Phelleps said visitors can expect to see new technologies and services that can lower production costs, improve productivity and improve safety. Technical experts will be available to assist operators with daily issues and challenges.
Visitors will also notice some differences. As many as 25% of the exhibitors are new companies. There will be several international pavilions on the show floor, including Canada, China, Australia, Chile, Germany, France and Sweden. “France and Sweden are new this year,” Phelleps said. At this point, 840,000 ft2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center has been booked, which is all of the indoor space, but Phelleps said they do have limited outdoor space available.
Acknowledging that times are difficult, the NMA has been working with its producer members to get as many people from the mines to the show floor as they can. At its annual fall board meeting in 2015, the NMA decided to waive the registration fees for all miners whose companies are members of the NMA. “All of our producer members and those members developing properties in the U.S.—Barrick Gold, Freeport McMoRan, Rio Tinto, etc.—will have company-wide complimentary registrations no matter where they reside,” Phelleps said. “This is a big commitment on our part. It was well received by the producers. All of the producers have agreed to bring large contingents of personnel to the show and some are planning to host company meetings at the event. The vendors have committed to bringing their customers to the show as well.” This is a $100 savings before the August 12 deadline, and $200 afterward.
“We have organized 20 sessions covering a number of topics: safety, markets, research, equipment maintenance, water, surface mining, underground mining, automation, exploration, bulk materials, processing, etc.,” Phelleps said. “These discussions will take place on the mornings of September 27 and 28.”
As it has in the past, the NMA will also host two awards luncheons: the Sentinels of Safety (Tuesday, September 27) and the Department of the Interior’s Sustainable Development and Reclamation Awards (Wednesday, September 28). Hecla is sponsoring the Sentinels of Safety. “A silver miner celebrating its 125th anniversary, Hecla is also a signatory to NMA’s CORESafety program,” Phelleps said. “On Wednesday, the Office of Surface Mining will present coal operators with reclamation awards. The Bureau of Land Management will recognize metal- nonmetal miners with sustainable development and reclamation awards.”
The NMA is also expecting strong international participation. “In 2012, about 35% of the attendees came from abroad and we expect that number to be about the same,” Phelleps said. “We have formed 30 delegations, building on the 20 delegations that participated in 2012.”
These delegations are part of the International Buyers Program organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). The DOC Commercial Services division selects a limited number of exhibitions and they work with the embassies to bring qualified buyers to the exhibition. “With the delegations, we offer them an opportunity to present market briefings,” Phelleps said. “People who want to learn about these foreign markets can speak directly with knowledgeable people who know them best.”
As the excitement builds toward the event, the NMA plans to keep everyone informed by whatever means necessary. At MINExpo 2012, the association used social media well. It has evolved, and they plan to take full advantage of this medium to communicate with delegates. “We will have a large social media presence and that will continue to grow toward the show,” Phelleps said. To stay informed, delegates should register and follow MINExpo on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Similar to 2012, there will be a MINExpo app for smartphones to assist with planning prior to arrival and navigating the floor on-site. The association will also publish an online directory, which will remain on the website (www.minexpo.com) for a year after the event. There will also be an Export Interest Directory associated with the International Buyers Program. As of press time, more than 1,800 companies were planning to exhibit at MINExpo 2016. What follows is a small sampling of what some of them have planned for the event.
Liebherr Wants Miners to Experience the Progress
In a 28,000-ft2 display, Liebherr (Booth
7627) will present new products, components
and service solutions to reinforce
the motto, “Experience the Progress,”
supported by the six pillars of Liebherr
Mining: productivity, efficiency, reliability,
customer service, safety and environment.
Four of Liebherr’s 11 divisions will present products at MINExpo. The Liebherr- Mining division will display the T 284 haul truck with its gross vehicle weight of 661 tons and the very first presentation of the Liebherr 100-metric-ton (mt) truck. Moreover, the R 9200 mining excavator will also be introduced to the American market for the first time as well as the PR 776 crawler tractor from the Earthmoving division. The Liebherr Components division will be represented for the first time at MINExpo and will showcase its latest developments in the areas of mechanical, hydraulic, and electric drive and control technology. To complement the product line, the Mobile Crane division will also be part of the show with the LTR 1100 telescopic crawler crane, which is known for its maneuverability.
The T 284 offers a high payload and features the latest generation of the Litronic Plus AC drive system, according to the company. A special feature is its Tier 4-ready MTU engine. With application-specific recommendations from Liebherr, customers are able to select the engine that will allow the truck to meet productivity targets while minimizing fuel consumption.
The R 9200 mining excavator, fitted with the Liebherr advanced bucket and GET solution, is equipped with a 12.5-m3 bucket capacity, which offers the biggest payload in its class. This new 200-mt machine is designed to match mining trucks with payloads of up to 140 mt and provide maximum uptime since it features superior reliability and easy serviceability. In addition, the cutting-edge cab provides the operator optimal comfort and safety due to its large panoramic windshield, armored glass and low noise level.
Liebherr will also showcase the PR 776 Litronic crawler tractor, which is designed for tough mining and quarry operations. Liebherr will use the MINExpo platform to launch its latest crawler tractor in the 70-mt category. It is the largest hydrostatically powered crawler tractor in the world, according to the company.
The Liebherr’s Components division will showcase a new series V-diesel engine D9812 with a power rating up to 2,012 hp (1,500 kW), the 3/4 new electric travel drive FAT 325, and a fully integrated energy storage system for mobile and stationary applications based on double layer capacitors. A system exhibit comprising a roller bearing slewing ring and swiveling drive will also be presented by way of a sample application in the mining area.
Hitachi Introduces Integrated Solutions
Visitors calling on Hitachi (Booth 8527)
will discover the value of the products,
technology, parts, and solutions that have
been engineered and developed exclusively
by the company. The “Hitachi to
the Core” display will give them a chance
to learn what Hitachi can do for their bottom
line by getting up close and personal
with some of the most effi cient, reliable,
and durable excavators and haul trucks at
the show, meeting with global product experts
and taking the haul truck simulator
challenge. In addition, Hitachi will introduce
visitors to new technologies and integrated
solutions that will reduce overall
costs and optimize productivity.
Modular Mining Systems
Modular Mining Systems (Booth 7121)
will display new technologies designed to
increase operators’ situational awareness,
minimize vehicle incidents, and assist in
load-cycle optimization. Visitors can step
into its Integrated Solutions Center and
learn how Modular’s fleet management,
high-precision guidance, and maintenance
management technologies work
together to optimize, identify, track, and
respond to production activities and maintenance
events in real time. It will also
showcase its Communications Solutions
Group, which focuses on the design, integration,
deployment, and ongoing support
of mining operations wireless networks.
Additional highlights include demonstrations
of the entire IntelliMine Mine
Management platform, consisting of
the Dispatch open-pit and underground
fleet management systems, ProVision
high-precision guidance solutions, Mine-
Care maintenance management solution,
and MineAlert collision awareness system,
which is part of the MineAlert safety
management toolkit.
IWT Offers Communications,
Asset Tracking and More
Innovative Wireless Technologies (Booth
29505) is a leading supplier of wireless
communication, tracking and data systems
for underground mining operations.
IWT’s Sentinel system provides real-time,
crystal-clear voice communications with
minimal setup and low maintenance for
maximum productivity and low cost of
ownership. The all-in-one digital system
supports tracking of people and assets,
data from atmospheric and other sensors,
and data analytics. Line or battery-powered
infrastructure components and
handset and tracking tag options provide
flexibility to meet unique application and
deployment requirements. Tiered solution
offerings allow customers to upgrade and
expand features as their needs change.
The new legacy system interface allows
customers to maximize their current
communication investment while taking
advantage of the advanced range and resiliency
provide by the Sentinel network.
Last winter, Superior debuted its brand new cone crusher, the Patriot cone crusher, marking a major milestone for the manufacturer’s new crushing and screening division. Unique features include a tramp relief system design using significantly fewer accumulators, which greatly minimizes maintenance. In addition, an internal relief valve provides instant, fail-safe relief should an accumulator malfunction. Secondly, each Patriot cone crusher is designed with inverted tramp relief cylinders, which reduce opportunities for harmful contaminants to damage the cylinders.
For heap-leach applications, the Tele- Stacker conveyor, telescoping radial stacker conveyor, achieves speedy payback, which is measured in more tons per move, larger leach pad footprints and increased profitability. Engineered with an internal stinger conveyor that maintains constant motion along a cell, the TeleStacker conveyor distributes material evenly to achieve flat top piles, while also piling more material per move. Its longer stinger conveyor allows for greater flexibility and the popular FD Series axle assembly allows a quick transition from radial to linear modes.
Jennmar Provides Ground
Control Solutions
Jennmar (Booth 4249) is leading the way
in ground control technology for the mining
and tunneling industries. Jennmar
will have their advanced line of INSTa’L
Bolt Anchor Systems, including the Fully
Grouted Cable Bolt (FGCB), Fast Anchor
3 steel bolt for strata control that provides
quick assembly and secure installation,
and a wide variety of cable bolts.
Jennchem, one of Jennmar’s affiliates, will be displaying its Cribs (a pumpable standing support), Cans (custom-made corrugated steel shell filled with specialized cement), PUR (Polyurethane Resin for stabilization of fractured strata and grouting of cable bolts), and one-day Seals (a specialized foaming cement used with a variety of form designs including wood, concrete block, props and mesh).
L&H Showcases Enhanced
Products
L&H Industrial (Booth 8876) will have a
full display of some of their newest enhanced
products for the mining industries.
Some of the products showcased at the
event will include a new hydraulic gearbox
design for wheel loaders with throughshaft
technology, an improved spline as
well as an innovative rotary seal. L&H has
redesigned the electric rope shovel, straddle-
mount front idler to reduce bearing
stress by 50% and has removed the internal
thrust washers; resulting in greater
safety with the virtual elimination of splitting
the tracks. Finally, a new track design
for Atlas Copco drills will be on display,
engineered to alleviate inherent “dozer”
design shortfalls including reduced steering
load and contact force.
TerraSource Presents
Materials Handling Options
Mining companies can count on the enduring,
end-to-end value they receive by
partnering with TerraSource Global (Booth
8618). Broad engineering expertise, indepth
knowledge of industry sectors, precision
original equipment manufacturer
parts, dependable and local customer-focused
service, and a broad application
portfolio that offers real product choice
from three renowned flagship brands,
Gundlach Crushers, Jeffrey Rader and
Pennsylvania Crusher. A day at MINExpo
isn’t complete without stopping by Terra-
Source Global’s booth to check out some
of its industry leading hammermills, roll
crushers and vibrating feeders and talk
with the company’s knowledgeable staff
about unique business challenges and
how the TerraSource team can help customers
achieve objectives for growth, efficiency and profitability.
Martin Engineering Promotes Conveyor Safety
Martin Engineering (Booth 4015 inside/
10380 outside) will showcase its
latest technology designed for the mining
industry including the CleanScrape
cleaner, an innovative metal-tipped belt
cleaner that provides maximum cleaning
efficiency without compromising the belt,
and the Martin Roll Generator, a generator
that draws power from the movement
of the belt.
Martin will also be introducing its new “Foundations for Conveyor Safety” book. It is the world’s first collection of best practices and joins the company’s Foundations series of books and seminars. This comprehensive 300-plus page textbook is devoted exclusively to conveyor safety and will be available at the show.
The company specializes in handling the toughest and most abrasive applications, while supplying new slurry pumps with some of the lowest lead times in the industry. The goal is to have the lowest total cost of ownership of any slurry pump manufacturer on the market by offering the greatest value on capital equipment, the highest quality spare and replacement slurry pump parts, and providing unmatched engineering excellence from a company that only focuses on one product: slurry pumps.
With low lead times and attentive customer service, Schurco Slurry is one of the few remaining American ultra-heavy-duty slurry pump manufacturers delivering unmatched quality, engineering expertise and product value.
Columbia Steel Engineers Crusher Wear Parts
Columbia Steel’s engineers will be on hand
(Booth 5819) to discuss the right design
and alloys—or a custom design—for wear
materials and replacement parts. When it
comes to crushers, the company has more
than 2,000 jaw profiles and more than
1,000 cone profiles, plus gyratory mantles,
concaves and accessory wear parts.
Flanders Promotes Open
Architecture
Flanders (Booth 25215) will launch several
new products associated with its
Freedom platform, the Flanders open architecture
control system, which includes
Freedom for haul trucks, Freedom for
draglines, Freedom for underground coal
transporters, and updated features for
Freedom for shovels. Moreover, the company
will announce a new machine health
reporting system, Invision.
Kal Tire Offers Tips for
Extending Tire Life
Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group (Booth
8793) will showcase several of its newest
innovations designed to help maximize
tire life and productivity, including
its award-winning Ultra Repair technology—
an exclusive product and process for
repairing large injuries on ultra-class tires
that may have previously been deemed
irreparable. The process involves replacing
damaged or broken steel belts in ultra-
class tires to restore the tire’s original
strength, integrity and performance at
a fraction of the cost of new tires. With
more than 10 years of proven success in
Canada, Kal Tire brought Ultra Repair to
mine sites in the U.K. and West Africa.
It will also be available in Australia and
Chile later this year.
Mine operators in western Canada now have a solution for one of their major environmental concerns thanks to Kal Tire’s new OTR recycling service. In 2016, Kal Tire partnered with a leader in tire recycling to give western Canadian mine operators their first opportunity to have scrap tires disposed, shredded and converted into products such as sports field flooring. This new plant, located in northern Alberta, will have the capacity to recycle nearly 6,000 tires per year (including ultra-class tires). This recycling solution will be made available to other markets in the near future.
Siemens Implements Automation, Digitalization
With innovative, integrated technologies
for electrification, automation and
digitalization across the entire lifecycle,
Siemens (Booth 6063) helps mining engineers
and metallurgists increase productivity,
while improving reliability, safety
and efficiency.
All over the world, miners benefit from future-proof automation, drive technology, industrial software, and services based on best-in-class technology platforms, such as Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) and Integrated Drive Systems (IDS).
Siemens offers solutions to improve extraction including rope shovels, draglines and bucketwheel excavators. In transportation, it offer alternative solutions for haul trucks, conveyors, hoists, and train control systems. For the processing plant, it offers systems to improve the performance of crushers, mills and pumps.
Victaulic’s Pipe Joining Technology
Victaulic (Booth 6959) has developed a
number of innovative pipe-joining solutions
designed for reliable, worry-free
service under the most severe conditions
imaginable while keeping pace with today’s
technology. Among its extensive line
of piping solutions, they will be showcasing
their Series 795 knife gate valve and
Refuse-to-Fuse HDPE pipeline system.
The Series 795 is the industry’s first knife gate valve designed to be maintained in-line without having to remove the entire valve from the pipeline, resulting in up to 95% savings in downtime and more than 60% savings in annual maintenance costs, according to the company. It is also the first installation-ready valve, made with an integrated coupling design allowing the valve to be directly installed on the pipe.
The Refuse-to-Fuse system is simpler than traditional fusing methods installing up to 10 times faster, reducing labor costs and schedule times while also eliminating the need for expensive equipment rentals and certified technicians, the company said. The system is suitable for plain end and grooved HDPE pipelines, and can be used above ground, below ground and in buried systems. Installation is weather independent and made easy with two or four bolts, reducing labor time and minimizing safety hazards.
Boart Longyear Offers Safe Solutions to Improve Drilling
Boart Longyear (Booth 2603) will have
product experts on hand to discuss its
broad range of drilling equipment, including
underground coring rigs, surface
coring and sonic rigs, and the narrow-vein
underground production drill rigs. The
display will also show tooling and the first
two products in the company’s instrumentation
line, TruCore and TruShot.
The Drill Control Interface (DCi) provides drillers with a fully electronic interface to safely and efficiently operate underground drilling equipment, such as the LM series, via an independent, lightweight control panel. The DCi also increases safety on-site by moving the driller away from moving parts and hydraulic hoses.
LF160 surface coring rig is one of the first completely hands-free rod handling solutions with an optional rod loader. The LF160 rig paired with the Freedom Loader is ideal for contractors who want to target sophisticated surface drilling exploration contracts with clients that stipulate the highest safety standards.
The LS250 MiniSonic is a compact sonic rig and is ideally suited for a wide range of environmental and infrastructure drilling applications, including difficult-to-reach drill sites.
The company will demo some of its performance tooling. The Roller Latch underground head assembly allows greater pump-in speed and productivity while using large rollers for latching and holdback braking to retain inner-tube assemblies in the drill string. Boart Longyear also has a full lineup of diamond bits that are designed for a wide range of drilling needs, such as the 10UMX Diamond Bit series. This combination of synthetic diamonds and an advanced formulation makes it an ideal choice for the hardest rock formations. With a complete range of shank adaptors, the company also offers a complete selection of rods and bits for top-hammer drilling application.
Boart Longyear will also display its StopeMaster hydraulic production drill along, which is designed to meet the challenges of narrow vein and other underground mining techniques. Capable of drilling holes ranging from 64 mm to 106 mm in diameter, it can drill to 35 m and it can be configured with a self-propelled diesel option with four-wheel independent drive that can be disengaged for towing.Boart Longyear also offers the StopeMate pneumatic drill, which is designed for flexibility and productivity in tight access locations. Both are durable and compact, with 360° rotation for greater flexibility.
Hexagon Mining
Hexagon Mining will present the progress
made with the company’s mine planning
software applied to complex geology and
dynamic unfolding at Freeport-McMo-
Ran’s Tenke Fungurume mine in a white
paper. At the Hexagon Mining stand
(Booth 4133), engineers and mine planners
will get to see new solutions from
the company’s operations, planning and
safety suites. A new look for mine traffic
control within Mineops will be unveiled,
including an integrated GIS mine map.
The flagship high-precision drill solution,
Drill HP, will demonstrate new hardness
profiling capabilities for rotary and hammer
drills, plus start-of-hole detection
for compatible drills and market-leading
navigational intelligence. The latest advances
in monitoring solutions will be on
show, including Leica MultiStations. By
incorporating laser scanning into total
stations, Leica MultiStations push surveying
and monitoring to a new realm of
possibilities. Complementing the monitoring
component will be the company’s
unmanned aircraft systems. UAS are
improving both surveying and safety for
mine personnel, plus filling in data gaps
from hard-to-reach places.
Attendees interested in underground surveying can see Leica high-definition laser scanners (HDS) and MultiStations. These solutions deliver the most accurate and comprehensive data for design versus as-built inspection, volumetric analysis, geological mapping and geotechnical analysis.
Also on display will be a full suite of monitoring solutions to keep underground and surface mines continuously safe and operational. From GPS and Total Station Prism Systems (TPS) and HDS to Georadar and UAS, attendees can learn how Hexagon Mining monitoring technology identifies hazardous events in time to take preventative measures and how mine plans are optimized with this critical information. Hexagon Mining will host demonstrations of augmented reality technology for today’s mine, bringing together the real and digital worlds.
Thyssenkrupp Introduces the
Largest Gyratory Crusher
The Industrial Solutions business area of
thyssenkrupp (Booth 3051) will unveil the
world’s biggest gyratory crusher. The new
machine is the KB 63-130, which despite
a roughly 14% larger mantle diameter of
130 in. (3.3 m), weighs much less than its
predecessor at 490 metric tons (mt). Its
throughput of up to 14,000 mt/h is more
than 30% higher than that of the predecessor
model. The unit weighs less because
thyssenkrupp’s engineers have done
away with the usual design principles.
The housing parts have a similar “fish belly design” to other thyssenkrupp gyratory crushers. This special design reduces stresses in the crusher housing and increases its strength despite the optimized weight.
Technical highlights of the new crusher include the rotatable countershaft assembly for setting tooth clearance, and the eccentric bearing assembly with top bevel gear. As well as allowing better balancing of the machine, the new bearing system permits a much more compact design as well as maintenance-friendly assembly and disassembly.
Sandvik Promotes Safety
and Efficiency
Sandvik (Booth C-7309) will showcase
the latest in its portfolio of innovative
equipment and services, ranging from a
single drill bit to mine automation. The
company offers a wide range of automation
solutions that miners can apply right
now to maximize the full potential of their
mine site while significantly improving
safety. Depending on a customer’s requirements,
it can provide AutoMine for
autonomous solutions and OptiMine for
information management or a combination
of these two—all resulting in improved
safety and productivity.
Sandvik will also launch a number of drill rigs, including its latest addition to the DD422 series. The DD422iE uses electric battery power instead of a diesel engine to eliminate emissions during tramming. The patented electric driveline system on its latest automated mining jumbo enables battery recharging during drilling. Sandvik DD422iE burns less fuel, also generating less heat and noise than conventional drivelines. There are many other new and innovative solutions on Sandvik DD422iE designed to increase productivity and simplify maintenance, to help ensure maximum rig availability. For underground miners, Sandvik will unveil the latest addition to its modular 400 underground range of ITH long hole drill rigs with automation capability.
The newly introduced Top Center (TC) drill bits, incorporating the most significant upgrade to face drilling bits in decades, is one of the Sandvik highlights at MINExpo. The new design features a so-called “raised front,” elevating two or three front buttons—depending on diameter size—a few millimeters above the gauge buttons located on the periphery of the bit. Additionally, the front buttons are set at a slight angle relative to the symmetric axis of the bit. The raised front creates a slightly recessed hole bottom pattern that alters the rock-breaking action in order to achieve improved performance. This, together with a new cemented carbide grade GC80, which combines toughness with a softer center, further extends the service life and long grinding intervals. More launches will be revealed at the show.
The company will also showcase its advancements in the field of comminution and miners will see the latest in the range of crushers in the quest for more eco-efficient comminution solutions— one of these being Sandvik CH865, the midrange mining crusher for high-reduction tertiary and pebble applications. Intelligent systems on Sandvik CH865 enable real-time performance optimization, while smart, compact design solutions reduce dynamic loads, and minimize engineering and installation work.
As previously announced, Sandvik and Getman Corp. entered into a global distribution agreement under which Sandvik Mining will be the exclusive global distributor of Getman’s products. Getman representatives will be available at the Sandvik booth to discuss solutions in underground drilling, rock enforcement systems and aftermarket services.
Remote-controlled
Demolition Machines
Brokk (Booth 29013), maker of remote-
controlled demolition machines,
will feature its updated Brokk 60 II, now
with 10% more power than the original
Brokk 60. The new model is the smallest
unit in the world and has an upgraded hydraulic
system, which increases the machine’s
power, according to the company.
The Brokk 60 II weighs 1,102 lb, and its overall dimensions remain the same as the original Brokk 60—only 23.2 in. wide and 34.3 in. tall. The unit’s threepart arm system works with a variety of attachments including hydraulic hammers, grapples, crushers and buckets to achieve flexibility and versatility.
FLSmidth to Present New
Ideas for Mineral Processing
FLSmidth (Booth 4237) will announce
several new products and present key
industry topics including: water recovery
and tailings management solutions;
plant, mechanical and maintenance audits
that maximize plant efficiencies; impressive
results from new developments
in flotation with nextSTEP rotor/stators;
and mill liners that extend wear life and
improve performance.
“We will be introducing our new pulp lifters during the show and will have presentations to help people understand the benefits of installing these new cost-effective devices for increasing your SAG mill’s volumetric throughput,” said Andrew Cuthbert, director global marketing and communications. “Not only are these pulp lifters efficient, they last up to 50% longer than chrome moly pulp lifters and reduce mill shut down time.”
Hilliard Unveils New
Braking System
Hilliard Corp. (Booth 1763) will unveil
a new braking system that uses brakes
that it has developed, tested and certified. For more than 30 years, the company
has been supplying braking systems
for draglines, electric shovels, conveyors,
mine hoists and mills. The new systems,
according Rick Kallenborn, mining industry
sales representative for Hilliard, will
replace existing systems with a standardized
product that is more user-friendly and
will allow miners to reduce their inventory.
Because of the harsh environment and
extremely high loads, most mines push
their braking systems to the limits. Eventually
the seals begin to leak and then the
brakes fail. “We want to eliminate these
catastrophic failures,” Kallenborn said.
“We have implemented several modifications to improve maintenance. These
new systems are completely interchangeable
with the old systems. The mounting
configurations and the footprint are the
same. The arm kits replace the ‘left’ and
‘right’ arms with one standardized arm.
The changeover can be implemented
quickly.” And, quicker repairs mean less
downtime for maintenance, he explained.
Wirtgen Showcases Surface
Mining Technology and More
Acknowledging that powerful and durable
equipment is essential, Wirtgen (Central
Hall 8801) will showcase two innovative
solutions for mining: the 2500 SM
Surface Miner and the MOBICAT mobile
jaw crusher from Kleemann. The robust
Wirtgen surface miners and crushing and
screening plants from Kleemann offer
high reliability and efficiency.
With a feed rate of up to 330 mt/h, MOBICAT MC 110 Zi EVO is one of the highest-performing and most efficient machines in its class, according to Kleeman. The generously sized feeding unit, the continuous feed system (CFS), as well as the level control in the crusher, guarantee optimal capacity utilization without interruptions. The productivity is also increased by thorough primary screening. The independent double deck pre-screen filters out fines with oscillating movements. On the one hand, this protects the machine as it is less prone to wear, and, on the other hand, ensures a higher quality end product. Another advantage of the MC 110 Zi EVO is the diesel-direct electric drive, which boasts significantly lower fuel consumption than comparable jaw crushers.
