Precision Surface Mining, the Next Steps

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Precision surface mining is gaining traction in the phosphate, iron ore, copper, iodine, limestone, bauxite, coal and gypsum markets. Precision surface mining allows following an ore body in three dimensions to increase ore quality over that possible from drill and blast techniques by keeping the ore separate from the waste. In addition to eliminating the need for a primary crusher, precision surface mining allows for production of a uniform material with a tight particle size distribution. Top-down cutting allows variation in product size, with fewer fines being generated than that obtained in the same material using drill and blast techniques. In this study, we present case studies in Chile (iodine) and South Africa (coal) to illustrate these results. Vermeer is committed to developing the capabilities of our surface mining machines to make them more efficient and environmentally friendly. The second section of the paper is focused on a new dust containment capability not involved with using water. The remainder of the paper describes step-by-step developments of the Vermeer “road to autonomy.” While true autonomous operations are sometime in the future, there are several necessary steps along the way which must be operational. These include a remote control capability to allow mining next to walls, an operating system (SmartTEC) which teaches the operator how to more efficiently run the machine – along with presenting operational data for management purposes. In addition this section includes a description of automatic steering using GPS techniques – both in a straight line and turning.