Stunning architecture adorns the entrance to the new West Hall at the
Las Vegas Convention Center. (Photo: LVCC)
NMA Hosts MINExpo INTERNATIONAL
in Las Vegas
Suppliers gear up for the mining industry’s largest trade show
By Steve Fiscor, Editor-in Chief
This edition of MINExpo begins on a Tuesday and runs all day for three days. In the past, the show started on a Monday and ended with a half day on Wednesday. The National Mining Association, which produces the event, has also taken a different approach with the technical program for this edition. Instead of concurrent sessions with professionals discussing various aspects of mining and mineral processing, the program for this edition has four guest speakers, Mike Rowe, Danica Patrick, Kevin O’Leary and Jon Dorenbos. They will share their unique perspectives, experiences and secrets for success. These sessions are ticketed and require advanced registration.
In the three years since the last MINExpo, which was held in 2021 as society was emerging from COVID-19, the LVCC has made some major changes with its venue. The biggest change is the new West Hall. It sits to the west of the North Hall, which connects to the Central Hall. The Central Hall is notorious for housing some of the largest earthmoving equipment on Earth during MINExpo.
Registration will be in the West Hall and ongoing construction activities will likely impact direct access to the North and Central Halls. The entrance area near the Central Hall where delegates entered in the past will be under construction, and the cafeteria that sat between the Central Hall and the North Hall will be demolished. Attendees should expect to encounter some barriers and plywood during the visit and past prime parking spaces may no longer exist.
Therefore, having a MINExpo plan in place before hitting the ground in Las Vegas could save a few thousand steps and lead to a more efficient trade show experience. With that in mind, the editors at E&MJ reached out to many suppliers to find out what attendees could expect to see at the end of September. What follows is a collection of what they learned.
The Cat Experience
Caterpillar (Central Hall, 6333) said its
MINExpo 2024 experience will immerse
visitors into the mine site of the future;
featuring industry leading technologies,
groundbreaking advancements in the
energy transition and first-of-a-kind customized
solutions designed to increase
customers’ efficiency, safety and profitability.
The company said its exhibit will
reinforce its position as the global industry
leader in mining technology.
“Caterpillar’s legacy is to deliver an exceptional experience at every job site through customer focused solutions and services,” said Denise Johnson, group president for Caterpillar Resource Industries. “As our exhibit shows, together with our customers, we are mining better, smarter and safer. And this is just the beginning of our closer-than-ever before collaborations with customers.”
From fleet management to fully autonomous machine operation, Cat said its MineStar technology has transformed the mining industry. Caterpillar provides building block technology packages that are scalable to meet the mining operation’s needs as it moves along the technology integration journey. Visitors will be able to experience interactive engagement with MineStar fleet management solutions at the exhibit’s conversation stations. A third station allows attendees to explore precision mining solutions dedicated to site optimization.
Visitors will also see the optional technologies available for the Cat 995 wheel loader, which include payload overload prevention, operator assist, and operator coaching.
Cat said it will launch two new technology offerings for the MineStar ecosystem at the show, a Collision Awareness System (CAS) and Terrain Payload Management. Delivering the next layer of safety, CAS is a site-wide solution that uses the latest in technology advancements to enhance situational awareness by warning operators of potential machine interactions before they have a chance to happen. CAS will be highlighted on the 995 and 798. A new office application for Terrain Payload Management expands the payload tracking technology for Cat electric rope shovels and draglines.
Virtual reality experiences will allow attendees to “get into the cab” of the Cat 7495 electric rope shovel and a 6060 hydraulic mining shovel. Showcasing the capabilities of Cat Command technology, two remote operating stations will give visitors the chance to operate a dozer or rotary blasthole drill located hundreds of miles away from the Cat exhibit. A third station will offer simulations of Cat Command for underground, demonstrating the technology’s versatility and ease of use.
The in-booth Caterpillar service bay and nearby displays will highlight options available to mining customers for maintaining the machinery and meeting production targets. Track pad displays for rope and hydraulic shovels and dozers will show the latest offerings designed to maximize undercarriage life.
The Cat 24 motor grader will also be displayed. It represents the range of haul road maintenance machines that includes the 14, 16 and 18 models. The C24’s High-Performance Circle provides a 16,000-hour service life and eliminates frequent inspection, wear strip replacement and circle shoe adjustments. It will be displayed with Caterpillar’s 28- ft moldboard option — 16% longer than the standard blade — to enhance safety at larger mines by reducing the amount of time spent in the middle lane to clear the wind row.
The largest of the Cat drill rig offering, the exhibited MD6310 rotary drill shares a common platform, parts, components and technologies across the product line. Ideal for high-production drilling on 39.4- and 49.2-ft bench heights, it is capable of drilling up to 12.25-in hole diameters and offers up to 30° angle hole drilling for cast blasting. With building-block technologies through semi-autonomous operation, the MD6310 was one key contributing factor to global mining services provider, Thiess, surpassing 1 million meters autonomously drilled milestone using Cat drills.
Conn-Weld Specializes
in Custom Fabrication
Conn-Weld Industries (West Hall,
10401) is a leading manufacturing and
engineering firm based in southern
West Virginia with a global reach. Taking
pride in manufacturing screening equipment from raw material to finished product, Conn-Weld specializes in custom
fabrication in separation technology
and process solutions. Conn-Weld’s vibrating
screens, sieves, screen media,
and parts are designed to meet each
unique application. Specialties include
onsite support, measuring to direct fit,
maintenance seminars, and more. Their
vertically integrated approach to manufacturing
ensures that miners receive
the best product, from the highest quality
materials, all backed by service they
can rely on. Since 1975, Conn-Weld
remains committed to gaining the trust
of their customers by delivering the kind
of service and support that makes them
stand above the rest.
Eriez to Unveil New
Equipment
Eriez (West Hall, 11851), a global leader
in separation technologies, will introduce
new feeding and metal detection equipment.
The new metal detector uses optimized
detection algorithms to reliably
detect damaging iron and manganese
steel. This equipment provides superior
protection for crushers, screens, and
conveyor belts. The new high-capacity
electromagnetic vibratory feeder offers
nearly 70% greater capacity than the
previous model, significantly enhancing
material handling efficiency. The Eriez
line of suspended electromagnets provides
tramp metal collection from conveyed
materials.
Flanders Offers an Agnostic
Options for Drills and Trucks
Flanders (West Hall, 11273) stands at
the forefront of the electrification industry
as the true agnostic world leader, catering
to the largest and most complex applications.
Since 1947, its expertise was
developed by designing, and manufacturing
electric rotating machines, and repairing,
servicing, and distributing them.
Leveraging its electrification heritage, Flanders proudly provides state-of-theart AI-powered predictive maintenance platforms, tailored controls, seamless systems integration, and cutting-edge automation solutions such as ARDVARC Autonomous Drills, Truck Hybridization, electric repowering retrofits for drills and excavators, as well as DC-to-AC conversions for draglines.
IWT Combines Gas
Monitoring and
Communications
Innovative Wireless Technologies (IWT,
West Hall, 13281) is the industry leader
in underground wireless networks. Its
systems are comprised of integrated
components working together to build
an overall network that is not only reliable,
but increases safety, efficiency
and productivity. New products on
display include the Guardian Proximity
System, featuring game-changing
detection technology, and the all new
WGM+, which provides both wireless
gas sensing and communications in
one device. IWT’s communications,
tracking, data, sensors, tailings management,
and wireless gas monitoring
systems can help mines improve safety
and productivity.
Komatsu Will Focus on
Sustainability
Komatsu (Central Hall 7132) said its
theme for this year’s show will be “a sustainable
future together.” The company
will showcase innovative products and
digital solutions that empower sustainable
mining optimization. The overarching
goal, the company explained, is to
help miners balance environmental impacts
with operations priorities.
There will be many innovative product launches featured at the Komatsu booth, including alternative-fueled equipment, electrically-powered machines and new technology solutions driven by data analytics that can help unlock the full potential of mining operations.
Komatsu will display the 930E PADT, a power-agnostic mining truck with an adaptable drive platform that can be configured for different power sources or energy systems, such as diesel/ trolley, battery (with dynamic or static charging), battery/trolley or even hydrogen fuel cells.
Komatsu recently finalized its acquisition of GHH Group GmbH, a German manufacturer that specializes in underground mining, such as load-haul-dump (LHD) machines and mining trucks. Komatsu said the entire GHH product lineup will be folded into the its underground mining portfolio. The two machines featured at MINExpo 2024 will be the WX15 LHD (formerly GHH LF- 14) and the HX45 mining truck (formerly GHH MK-45).
The company will also discuss its advanced mining technologies such as MST Global’s underground communications systems and the Smart Quarry Site digital optimization and other cutting- edge and data-driven solutions. When it comes to sustainability, Komatsu said it understands that every operation is unique. The company has designed its MINExpo 2024 experience to help support customers at each stage of their sustainable journey. Komatsu representatives will be available in the booth to talk to miners, walk through key product launches and machine information and provide guidance on new technology solutions. Many interactive displays will also provide attendees with a fun, engaging and informative booth experience.
Liebherr to Showcase
Green Innovations
at MINExpo
Liebherr is planning a surprise as far as
mining equipment and the green energy
space. The reveal at MINExpo will
be a quite good thing for the mining industry,
said Dr. Jörg Lukowski, executive
vice president, sales and marketing
for Liebherr Mining. “The people that
we will have on site to help reveal that
machine will be fascinating as well,”
Lukowski said. “Many companies have
shown concepts over the years. We will
debut something that is ready to operate.
Miners can see it and touch it. If
they are interested in the green transition,
then they should have a look at the
Liebherr booth.”
One thing that sets Liebherr apart is its diversification, Lukowski explained. “We have good examples coming from other industries, not just from the mining business,” Lukowski said. “We will show some other innovative components on the booth and demonstrate a few ideas for the future. The presentation will give miners a glimpse of the future developments coming in the next couple of years.”
“The focus is to offer and assist our customers to be able to deploy a complete ecosystem for hauling, loading, and dozing that includes energy onboarding solutions, autonomy, and fleet management. This also includes new services such as pre-sales consulting, service support not just for machines but for systems, and training offerings for customers to get acquainted with, and start, the new technology. We take our customers on a complete journey into the future with us.”
“Today our portfolio is not only composed of trucks, excavators and other equipment, we also have a line of technology products including assistance systems, data services and autonomous operations,” Schuh continued. “Our service product line includes a full range of parts, support and upgrade options. Liebherr’s equipment has a long lifetime. Miners can buy truck and shovels today with diesel power and convert them to another power technology, such as battery or hydrogen, in the future or operate them as a hybrid.”
“We want to be involved during the early stages of the decision-making process so that we can share our experience,” Lukowski said. “For example, if a mine is considering trolley, we can discuss the challenges and how to prepare for them. You can’t simply say, ‘here’s the machine with the hardware, good luck.’ We want to take the journey with them, and planning for that journey starts very early in the decision- making process.”
Sandvik Shares Its Vision
for the Future of Mining
Sandvik (Central Hall, 7415) said it
will introduce innovative new solutions
and showcase its latest technologies at
MINExpo, including battery-electric and
diesel-electric equipment to help customers
improve their sustainability. The
company’s display will include its new
Toro diesel-electric truck demonstrator
and latest battery-electric concept surface
drill rigs.
The Sandvik exhibit will demonstrate its vision for the “future of mining,” a theme that emphasizes its focus on the technologies and solutions that will help customers mine more sustainably without compromising productivity or efficiency. “As the mining industry helps drive the global green transition and decarbonization efforts accelerate within our own sector, we continue to innovate within automation, digitalization and electrification, key areas that empower our customers to mine more sustainably,” said Mats Eriksson, president of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions.
Sandvik is expanding its technology portfolio by developing a diesel-electric range of underground loaders and trucks to complement its leading BEV offering, expected to boost productivity, reduce total cost of ownership, improve availability and extend component lifetimes. Sandvik first showcased its Toro diesel-electric truck demonstrator to customers at a technology workshop in Turku, Finland in 2022. Boasting a capacity of 60-plus tons, the demonstrator has since undergone extensive performance testing and the Sandvik product development team is using customer feedback to ensure its future commercial offering meets industry needs.
On the surface drilling side, Sandvik will showcase its Sandvik DR411i rotary blasthole drill rig and Pantera DP1510i top hammer drill rig, as well as its latest battery-electric concept surface drill rig. On display for the first time outside of Finland, the down-the-hole BEV is the first in its size class, capable of drilling DTH holes up to 9 inches (229 mm) in diameter and blending the autonomy of battery with the continuous endurance of power cable.
On the underground drilling side, Sandvik DL422iE longhole drill will be on display together with Sandvik’s future direction for battery-electric underground drilling applications, a new rock drill offering and the latest in iSURE and Sandvik DrillConnect capability. Underground drilling and Deswik integration for longhole mine planning will also be presented, alongside Sandvik ground support solutions including its ARI System, resin injection head, pump resin kit and mesh products.
Sandvik will display some of its latest rock tools at MINExpo, including the new CT55 and CT67 curved thread top hammer tool systems for surface bench drilling and underground longhole drilling, Golden Shank with unique corrosion resistance, push bore reamer system for underground slot hole drilling and Sandvik RR340 single seal roller bearing rotary drill bit. Sandvik will also launch new rock tools at the show, including a new DTH hammer and bit family and a new collective concept for its digital rock tools suite.
Sandvik’s parts and services exhibits will showcase the company’s comprehensive lifecycle support, blending the unparalleled OEM expertise of Sandvik service technicians with advanced technology to maximize performance and longevity for Sandvik equipment – whether it’s diesel, hybrid or electric. Sandvik will also present its latest developments within its suite of digital services, which leverage data and insights from its connected equipment.
For rock and mineral processing applications, the Sandvik booth will feature a display of Sandvik hydraulic hammers as well as the company’s latest lineup of high-capacity vibrating screens and feeders. Recent acquisitions enable Sandvik to offer one of the most comprehensive ranges of vibrating screens and feeders on the market, with equipment capable of handling up to 8,000 tons per hour.
Attendees will see the SL3672M, a double deck flat screen that measures approximately 12 feet (3.6 m) in width and 24 feet (7.3 m) in length and weighs around 33 tons. Also on display will be Sandvik’s new screen condition monitoring and screening media management systems, designed to help operators maximize processing plant uptime and efficiency.
Representatives from Sandvik Financial Services will be available at the booth to discuss equipment financing opportunities.
Superior to Unveil
Endeavor Cone Crusher
Superior Industries (West Hall 12731),
a U.S.-based supplier of bulk material
handling systems, will display its latest
crushing technology in addition to new
solutions for its screening, washing, and
conveying products.
The Endeavor Model SS400 offers outstanding performance with its floating shaft design, which uses a single cylinder to maintain consistent closed side settings and ensures efficient crushing operations. Its universal chamber provides flexibility for various applications, from coarse to fine crushing, while the integral countershaft housing eliminates the need for maintaining a countershaft box seal, improving durability and reducing maintenance. Additionally, the SS400 features a spiral bevel gear set, which minimizes vibration and noise, enhancing overall operational stability.
Superior also offers impact cradles that feature a curved design that eliminates the space between the belt and the bed, providing additional support to prevent tears and other impact damage. The cradle includes urethane segments that absorb shock and dissipate contact energy, while its modular design, fitting into existing idler mounting footprints, ensures easy installation and maintenance. Replaceable impact bars can be quickly slid off the side of the frame, reducing downtime and operational costs.
Tema Isenmann to Display
Wear Protection
Tema Isenmann (Central Hall, 5201) is a
leading manufacturer of American-made
polyurethane screening products and
systems. For more than 35 years, the
company has been providing solutions
for the North American mining and aggregate industries. Tema Isenmann’s
WS 2.10 magnetic systems are patented
wear protection products that can be
applied to any steel that sustains wear.
This high-quality, wear-resistant protection
system is one of the most innovative
products developed for mining and aggregate
plants. The use of high intensity
rare earth magnets allows for ease of installation
and removal when worn reducing
maintenance downtime and costs.
Tema Isenmann said all its systems provide screening and wear solutions with products engineered with simplicity in mind to deliver higher wear life, improved efficiency and reduced labour resulting in lower costs per ton processed. The company is also the official distributer of the Multotec Manufacturing range of screen panels including polyurethane, rubber, wedge wire and saddle top rail systems that complement its own range of products.
Weir to Showcase New
Equipment and Technology
Weir (Central Hall, 8833) said it will
debut its newest ground engaging tool
(GET) system — the ESCO NEXSYS
GET and lip system for rope shovel dippers.
Weir believes the NEXSYS GET
and lip system will deliver exceptional
performance with significantly less
maintenance and downtime. The new
system extends service life due, in part,
to its revolutionary leading-edge inserts,
improved adapter protection, new rear
wear cap and advanced tooth profile.
The NEXSYS optimized nose position
and geometry extends adapter life, providing
better penetration and loading.
The new tooth system requires fewer
point changes, while the single, sealed
lock reduces impacted fines for easier
removal with an off-the-shelf hand tool.
Notably, mines have relied on ESCO products for industry-leading lip and GET systems for nearly 100 years, and rope shovel dippers have been a mainstay for that entire period. Weir’s experience when it comes to designing, manufacturing and optimizing its ESCO mining-class dippers ensures it delivers value and performance to its customers all over the world. The ESCO Production Master dipper improves performance and reduces maintenance load and can be engineered to suit any machine and customer application.
Weir’s Motion Metrics will showcase AI and computer vision technology that delivers accurate real-time particle size analysis throughout the mining process, from extraction to processing. These systems integrate seamlessly with shovels, loaders, conveyor belts and haul trucks, ensuring uninterrupted productivity. It helps mines minimise equipment downtime and enhances performance by precisely detecting missing GET, monitoring material volumes, analysing particle sizes and addressing oversized elements.
Weir’s latest tooth wear monitoring innovation and advanced Payload Monitoring (PLM) system developed for ShovelMetrics Gen 3 will be displayed in the Weir booth. Continuous monitoring of bucket teeth, lip shrouds, and the addition of wing shrouds releasing later this year – coupled with active tooth wear tracking – assists maintenance crews in anticipating change-outs. With PLM for ShovelMetrics Gen 3, operators can now accurately measure the weight of material bucket by bucket, overcoming challenges like overloading and underloading and maximising the efficiency of loading and hauling cycles.
Weir will also launch its new Enduron Elite screen, which is a double-deck banana screen, available in a range of sizes, the largest of which has a deck measuring 4.3- x 9.7-m and weighing nearly 50 metric tons (mt). The Enduron Elite screens are driven by Weir’s new ETX exciters. It’s developed three new models — the ETX150, ETX200 and ETX250 — that are able to drive these large, high-capacity screens with just two exciters. There isn’t another machine on the market that can do that. This delivers advantages in terms of efficiency, lowering energy consumption, as well as simplifying the maintenance requirements.