Nominations 2010

Nominations are now closed.

Nominees

Exploration – Capital Equipment

1. Boart Longyear SC11
Designed to operate in remote locations, the SC11 coring rig is the only rig in its class that offers large diameter PQ drilling capabilities. It is also heli-portable, breaking down into nine modules, with features that allow very quick and reliable setup and breakdown.

2. Ingetrol Explorer Plus MD4
The Explorer Plus MD4 is intended for mining clients drilling in difficult-to-access areas. It features transportable modules that weigh under 150kg, with the exception of the four turbo diesel power packs. Its modular nature allows the rig to be assembled or disassembled for transport in one shift or less. It can be transported by helicopter, truck or by hand.

3. Schramm T455WS
The Schramm T455WS is a new compact, manoeuverable truck mounted drill rig with a large volume, high pressure air compressor.  A deck mounted diesel engine provides reliable power for all hydraulic and air systems. Separate drill rig sub frame design permits stable mounting on standard trucks, the Schramm tracked drill carrier and trailers.

Exploration – Ancillary and Analysis

1. Fordia OWL Self-Lock head assembly
Fordia’s OWL Self-Lock head assembly introduces a new patented latch design that comprises two self-locking and independent latches. Once they are deployed, the Self-Lock latches cannot be retracted as they are locked in position by a piston.

2. Geotech AirMT
The AirMT system is both Geotech Ltd’s and the airborne geophysical survey industry newest technology. It is unique in measuring magnetic fields in both the audio and sub-audio frequency range. This gives the system numerous advantages including an unprecedented depth of ground penetration.

3. Encom Discover 3D 6
Encom Discover 3D 6.0 for MapInfo Professional is the first fully integrated 3D GIS solution for the resource sector. Built on top of the functionality and power of the award-winning Encom Discover, Discover 3D turns the 2D environment into a full 3D GIS system.

Mine Planning/Resource Modelling

1. Mincom MineScape
Mincom MineScape allows mining companies to achieve optimal efficiency in mine planning operations, lowering costs, maximising mining operations and saving valuable time. Designed to automate mine planning and geologic analysis, Mincom MineScape streamlines engineering processes, improves productivity and increases profit potential.

2. Minemax Tempo
Tempo is a new generation mine planning and scheduling solution, designed from the ground up to enable your organization to create practical and optimal mine plans in a collaborative environment more easily and quickly than ever before.

3. MineSight Schedule Optimizer
MineSight Schedule Optimizer is a new production scheduling tool developed by Mintec using mixed integer linear programming techniques. It was developed to solve scheduling problems for surface and underground mining operations that involve multiple models, multiple processes, multiple destinations and blending requirements.

Underground Mining (Hard Rock) – Capital Equipment

1. Herrenknecht Shaft Boring System
For deep shafts in hard rock, the Shaft Boring System (SBS) uses conventional disc cutting in a unique set-up. The mucking system is an integral part of the system, and uses the principle of a bucket-wheel excavator and vertical conveyors.

2. Atlas Copco Modular Mining Machine
The Atlas Copco Modular Mining Machine (MMM) is a new tunneling machine that utilises the experience the company gained with the Atlas Copco Robbins Mobile Miner. This mechanical rock excavation system is anticipated to be able to achieve more than twice the performance of normal tunneling methods.

3. GIA Kiruna electric underground truck
The Kiruna electric truck has all the characteristics of traditional diesel-powered underground trucks but without the exhaust fumes and noise, while also offering much higher speeds on inclines. The design has been around a long time, but there has been renewed interest and deliveries due to the fuel savings and improved operator environment it provides.

Underground Mining (Hard Rock) – Ancillary and Analysis

1. Peterstow Aquapower – hydraulic drill
This new underground drill system uses a patented, closed-loop, hydraulic water technology and modular power packs. The closed-loop design dramatically cuts water usage and ensures more efficient transfer of power to the drill with greater reliability than other technologies.

2. Wassara water-powered ITH technology
To meet new challenges in underground mass mining of very large ore-bodies, mining companies are in great need of new drilling solutions. The water-powered ITH technology developed by Wassara is the biggest step in this direction since the introduction of air ITH.

3. Sandvik AutoMine-Lite
A new version of the proven core AutoMine technology, AutoMine-Lite is an advanced alternative to teleremote and radio remote control (RRC) systems. Aimed at small to medium-sized operations, the system is simple to install, so that the loaders and the system can be quickly and easily moved between various areas within the mine as and when required.

Underground Mining (Coal/soft rock) – Capital Equipment

1.  DMS/Atlas Copco Coaltram
A unique collaboration between OEM Atlas Copco and Australian company Diversified Mining Services, the Coaltram low-profile vehicles can be delivered as a coal LHD or can also perform a wide range of utility functions underground with a range of other attachments.

2. Joy OPTIDRIVE AC shuttle cars
In early 2009, Joy Mining celebrated the delivery of its 500th shuttle car equipped with the company’s trademarked OPTIDRIVE AC variable frequency drive (VFD). Since the introduction of these models in the spring of 2003, Joy has made shipments to more than ten countries. OPTIDRIVE application has resulted in significant increases in power, speed and productivity for shuttle cars.

3. Hausherr underground auger
UK-based Mine Engineering, owner of the Hausherr trademark, has seen increased demand for its innovative new underground coal auger-drilling machines, which will enable mines to exploit previously uneconomic thin seams. The first example is a UCA250-4070 model, now working at a Spanish coal operation

Underground Mining (Coal/soft rock) – Ancillary and Analysis

1. Trolex Sentro 8 sensorstation
Sentro 8 from Trolex hugely simplifies a coal mine’s sensor infrastructure, as it can incorporate up to eight integral gas-sensing modules or eight auxiliary sensor-input combinations. The system is also very easily relocated and recalibrated.

2. Eickhoff EiControlSB
The latest development in the EiControl series of automated longwall technology offerings, EiControlSB is a flexible automation environment offering easy customisation of pre-defined sequences and the implementation of tailor-made cutting cycles.

3. Bucyrus PMC-R
At the core of Bucyrus’s longwall automation offering, the PMC family builds on the success of the PM4 series. The PMC-R system controls the roof supports and allows the automatic advancing of shields relative to the position of the shearing machine. But each one also has the know-how to control the entire longwall, with a full version of the control software.

Surface Mining – Capital Equipment

1. Hitachi ACII truck series
With the EH4000ACII recently joining the EH3500ACII and EH5000ACII trucks, the ACII series of AC-drive diesel-electric trucks is complete. AC-drive technology provides the trucks with lower life-cycle costs and better performance on grade uphill or downhill with superior rimpull and retarding capabilities. The brushless motors of the AC-drive systems also provide lower maintenance costs while providing increased uptime.

2. Bucyrus 495HR2 – the “Super 2”
The new “Super 2” shovel incorporates the latest Bucyrus innovations such as the HydraCrowd and the LatchFree Dipper systems, along with AC-IGBT electrics and enhanced propel power, along with a new operator’s cab and a bold new shovel appearance. The enhanced propel system according to Bucyrus offers a 12% increase in maximum propel torque.

3. Liebherr R 9800 excavator
Three of these all new hydraulic excavators have now been built, with the first performing very successfully for contractor Thiess at the Burton Downs project, achieving record productivity relative to existing models. The R 9800 offers a 42m3 bucket capacity, a new three-piece design with a stronger, heavier and wider centre girder, a higher travel speed and enlarged cooling surface.

Surface Mining – Ancillary and Analysis

1. BluPoint Pty Ltd – bucket teeth renovation
BluPoint has developed a new solution for renovating worn teeth of excavators used in large loaders in the mining industry. In this solution, a new tooth tip made of high wear-resistant steel with good weldability is welded to the remaining part of the cast tooth. This capability significantly reduces maintenance expenditure.

2. Leica Geosystems – Locata-enabled GNSS
Leica’s Locata-enabled GNSS augmentation solves a significant problem inherent in GNSS positioning technology, and the Boddington Gold Mine deployment is the first application of this technology in any industry. The ability to provide complete and reliable positioning signal coverage in a mine is crucial. The technology is also a significant step in enabling future developments including further advancement of collision avoidance and automation technologies.

3. Seeing Machines – DSS
The DSS Fatigue Monitoring System is an innovative new device that provides a unique way to monitor fatigue events at mine sites. Customers have documented in some cases over an 80% reduction in measured fatigue-related events. The system is a robust, automatic platform that uses cutting edge face tracking techniques to deliver information on mining machine operator fatigue and distraction.

Mineral Processing – Capital Equipment

1. Metso’s SUPERIOR 60-110E primary gyratory
The new SUPERIOR 60-110E primary gyratory crusher provides a redesigned Spider, a one-piece bottom shell and a new rim liner retention system. Additional benefits include a 10% reduction in weight but with no reduction in capacity, an increase from 514rpm up to 600rpm and the option of being installed on existing machines as a retrofit.

2. Joest record coal screens
Joest recently announced a key order for nine multi-slope screens at Teck’s Elkview coal preparation plant in Canada. These screens are part of a new heavy media plant upgrade to the existing coal plant. Three of the nine screens will be 4.3m wide, making them the widest screens in North America. Joest has built on its experience of supplying similar very large screens in the Chinese coal market.

3. Siemens flotation cell
The Siemens flotation cell is unique is that it operates without an agitator. The ore slurry is sprayed into the cell by a high-pressure nozzle, along with nitrogen, which is often used as a substitute for atmospheric air in molybdenum extraction. Thanks to this process, a larger proportion of tiny molybdenum particles, most of which were formerly lost, can now be separated from the slurry. The design is being used successfully at the Los Pelambres mine.

Mineral Processing – Ancillary and Analysis

1. Cidra SONARtrac
CiDRA’s SONARtrac flow technology is a new class of industrial flowmeter and utilises measurement principles that are distinct from other flowmeter technologies operating in the mining industry. SONARtrac non-intrusive flow monitoring systems make no contact with the liquid or slurry and can be removed and reinstalled without process interruption.

2. Scanalyse MillMapper
MillMapper, developed by Australian company Scanalyse, uses a 3D laser scanner to obtain fast and accurate wear rate data on the internal liners of grinding mills. The innovative technology can cut mill downtime and ensure the maximum life is obtained from a set of liners without risking safety or damage from breakages.

3. Outotec/Eesti Energia – Enefit
Outotec and Eesti Energia have developed a solution, which greatly improves the existing solid heat carrier process for the extraction of oil from oil shale and other hydrocarbon materials. In course of the development, large-scale test work was conducted primarily at Outotec’s research center in Frankfurt, Germany. The new sustainable process, called Enefit, utilises the latest fluidised bed technology.

Bulk Materials Handling – Capital Equipment

1. MMD Low Profile Mobile Sizer Station
The new MMD Low Profile Mobile Sizer Station represents a major shift in IPCC approach. The low angle of the apron plate feeder as well as the position of the sizer and transfer conveyor, mean that other design elements seen on in-line designs such as car body, slew table, slew bearing and slip ring can be eliminated. The new transverse design allows for continuous, uninterrupted operation as the shovel and sizer move together.

2. FLSmidth DTMS
The new FLSmidth Dual Truck Mobile Sizer (DTMS) incorporates haul trucks into the IPCC equation. In place of the earthen ramps required in other truck-fed crushing systems, the DTMS has large, flat-lifting hoppers on either side of the machine. Once a truck dumps its load on to the skip, the material is lifted hydraulically into a centralised hopper in a manner similar to the way in which truck beds deposit their payload at the end of an earthen ramp. The material is then passed via an apron feeder into a sizer. The whole system can be crawler mounted, or relocated using a crawler transporter. The DTMS can operate in conjunction with a shiftable face conveyor and other conveying equipment.

3. FAM Queensland/G&S – APCT X50 project
The A$818 million X50 project represents the second phase of expansion at the Xstrata-owned Abbot Point Coal Terminal in Queensland, which is owned by Xstrata Coal and dedicated to receiving coal from its mines. X50 will see its annual export capacity increase to 50Mt by mid 2011. Four huge new stacker-reclaimers are be installed by G&S Engineering under a contract with FAM Queensland Pty Ltd. Each stacker-reclaimer will be designed to deliver a maximum of to 8,000t/h.

Bulk Materials Handling – Ancillary and Analysis

1. ANSYS simulation software
Recently selected by Anglo Technical Services, ANSYS software solutions are used throughout the mining industry to enhance product performance, reduce energy use and minimise waste. Anglo plans to leverage structural mechanics and explicit dynamics analysis tools from ANSYS to perform mining equipment failure scenario studies. ANSYS has also worked with AngloGold Ashanti and Orica amongst others.

2. SKM – Truckless Mining
The SKM Queensland Mining and Metals team has been at the forefront of the development of leading-edge technology in Truckless Mining Systems (also referred to as IPCC). SKM does not manufacture the equipment but offers clients a full assessment of the best options – economically, socially and environmentally – for the materials handling needs of a project. Through cost-benefit analysis, SKM has been able to demonstrate the valuable contribution Truckless Mining Systems can make, particularly for projects with long haulage distances.

3. ABB Mining Conveyor Control Program (MCCP)
The new Mining Conveyor Control Program (MCCP) from ABB is a software package designed for bulk materials handling and conveyor applications. The mining software allows for the setting of conveyor functions and managing of the critical and high speed conveyor communication requirements on multi-motor conveyors.

Mine of the Year

1. Newmont Boddington
Officially opened in February 2010, with commercial production starting in November 2009, the reborn Boddington mine is set to soon become Australia’s largest gold producer. The mine will have an average production over its first five years of operations of 1Moz or more, with a current mine life estimate of at least 24 years. A number of key technology and equipment suppliers have been instrumental in making the new mine a success.

2. Boliden Aitik
One of the largest and most ambitious mine expansions ever undertaken in Europe is being completed at the Aitik mine in Sweden. A new concentrator has been constructed, with new facilities for concentration, ore production and outward deliveries. The project was started in 2006 and completed in the first half of 2010. Production is now successively being ramped up, and the mine will achieve an annual capacity of 36Mt of ore in 2014.

3. Vale New Caledonia
The new name for the Goro operation, Vale New Caledonia (VNC) in the South Pacific commenced production in September 2010. The mine has had a well documented series of setbacks for years including strikes, sabotage and environmental issues, but it looks to have finally overcome the challenges to achieve its first saleable product. VNC is the largest operation in the world based on a nickel laterite deposit, with an estimated nominal capacity to produce 60,000t/y of nickel contained in nickel oxide and 4,600t of cobalt.

Editor’s Award

1.  BioSigma Radomiro Tomic project
The bioleaching plant that BioSigma has built at the Radomiro Tomic copper operation in Chile is the first facility in the world to apply industrially-isolated micro-organisms to enhance natural, microbial activity in heaps and dumps on an industrial scale. The new US$5.5mn plant is processing mixed sulphide ore and is expected to bioleach 20Mt over three years. BioSigma is a joint venture between the mine owner Codelco and Nippon Mining & Metals.

2. Aker Wirth tunnelling machine for mining
The newly designed Aker Wirth machinery combines the flexibility of a road-header operation with the robustness of a TBM, and builds on a previous design that was developed in the early 1990s. The new tunnel-boring system is expected to arrive in Australia in early 2012, and be operational in trials at Northparkes by the end of that year. The technology is then destined for use in other Rio Tinto underground mines around the world.

3. CAT Integrated Object Detection System
Caterpillar’s Integrated Object Detection System has been purpose-built to integrate with the company’s large mining trucks and is intended to aid an operator when starting to move a truck and during low speed manoeuvering. It combines cameras, radar, and alarms to notify the operator when an object is close to the machine but not in the operator’s field of vision.

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