Operation Of Mining Equipment Research Articles

Actual technical condition assessment of mine excavators’ slewing gear based on the operating oil parameters

During mining equipment operation, great attention should be paid to durability and reliability increase of their units and assemblies, since the greatest number of equipment failures in Kuzbass mines occurs precisely because of the failure of excavators’ slewing gears. Today this very problem is relevant for coal mining enterprises. One of the ways to improve the reliability of gears is the introduction of additional technological processes to diagnose the mechanisms actual technical condition of an excavator-automotive complex. However, the equipment and methods used do not fully meet the requirements for a comprehensive analysis of the technical condition of gears. Thus, there is a strong need to develop a modern technique to diagnose assemblies, based on the parameters of the operating oil. With the help of experimentally identified dependencies of the oil temperature in a gear on the parameters of the operating oil, a mathematical model of the wear process of slewing gears rubbing parts was obtained; the mathematical model has the possibility to predict possible failures of excavators. The introduction of this model in production will significantly reduce the downtime of mining equipment in coal mines; it also will affect the reduction of total costs of enterprises.

Numerical modeling of the pattern and wear rate on a structural steel plate using DEM

The discrete element method (DEM) has been implemented to model abrasive wear on steel plates that interact with bulk solids, such as crushed copper ore. The Archard model was used to predict the rate and the wear pattern on a structural steel plate A37-24 ES under different types of copper ore. One of the key steps of the methodology consists of the proper characterization of the granular medium to calibrate the numerical model. The numerical results obtained are in good agreement with the values of the standard test method for measuring abrasion using the wear wheel (ASTM G65). This allows to establish that the model is able to correctly predict the phenomenon of abrasion wear. There are many processes where wear limits the life of equipment, affecting its productivity and operating costs. A numerical method such as the one developed here could be used to reduce costs in the design and operation of mining equipment, looking for configurations appropriate to the actual working conditions.

New ergonomic device to improve occupational safety of blasthole drill operators

The relationship between mining companies and the society is not limited to the local communities surrounding the operations. The evaluation of the working conditions of the operators of mining equipment is an important dimension of the relationship with the society. Even with the increasing level of automation, there are equipment and operating procedures that have to be adjusted to meet the employees’ capabilities and requirements. For instance, the bit replacement activity requires significant physical work from the employees involved in rock drilling operations. This means that modifications are required in blasthole drills to address the employee's accessibility to bit holders and toolboxes in the drilling platform. However, only a limited number of recent studies have considered ergonomic issues for mining equipments. This research proposes a new ergonomic device for blasthole drills to reduce the ergonomic risk of the operators without affecting the performance. The methods include simulation tools and ergonomic analysis based on the NIOSH Lifting Equation (NLE). The results of the application of the new ergonomic device in all bit replacement tasks have shown risk indexes below the critical limits established by NIOSH. The results have also indicated a performance improvement, with a 60% reduction in bit replacement time.

The research of operational temperatures of dump trucks tires

Oversized tires play a significant role in the mining process for ensuring continuous and safe operation of open cast mining equipment. The article presents the influence of large tires operating temperatures tolong life operation. The results of studies of the tire heating nature during the operation arealso presented. The regression models of studied multifactor processes of heating tires are obtained by methods of computational experiment and mathematical planning. The influence of the tread height at tire heating is evaluated.

Establishing the spatial conditions at the South Mining District Majdanpek to achieve the continuity in ore mining: A proposed technology for sediment layer removal

Development of mining works at the South Mining District Majdanpek in the following short-term period requires removal of water, sludge and sediment from the water collector on the open pit bottom in order to create the necessary exploitation and spatial conditions for undisturbed operation of mining equipment. This paper presents the technology of sediment removal from the inactive water collector on the bottom of open pit, which is a condition for maintaining the continuity of copper ore mining and processing at the South Mining District the Majdanpek Copper Mine. The technology is designed from the aspect of ensuring the maximum safety of people and mining equipment.

Conceptual development of the transition from drill and blast excavation to non-blasting methods for the preparation of mined rock in surface mining

This article is devoted to the conceptual development of the transition from drill and blast excavation to a non-blasting method for the preparation of hard rock before excavation at construction material deposits. The scientific and technical literature on the problems in the blasting of hard rock in preparation for excavation is analysed. A classification of mining equipment for the non-blasting development of a rock mass for excavation has been developed, taking into account the nature of the operation of mining equipment. The concept of the transition from drill and blast excavation to nonblasting methods in the preparation of mined rock in non-metallic material quarries is presented. The research results of the parameter determination of the elements of the system for the development of non-blasting equipment at a limestone quarry are presented. The economic efficiency of a hydraulic excavator with a ripper tooth for developing limestone with a strength of up to 30 MPa is established.

Method of operator safety assessment for underground mobile mining equipment

The paper presents a method of assessing the safety of operators of mobile mining equipment (MME), which is adapted to current and future geological and mining conditions. The authors focused on underground mines, with special consideration of copper mines (KGHM). As extraction reaches into deeper layers of the deposit it can activate natural hazards, which, thus far, have been considered unusual and whose range and intensity are different depending on the field of operation. One of the main hazards that affect work safety and can become the main barrier in the exploitation of deposits at greater depths is climate threat. The authors have analysed the phenomena which may impact the safety of MME operators, with consideration of accidents that have not yet been studied and are not covered by the current safety standards for this group of miners. An attempt was made to develop a method for assessing the safety of MME operators, which takes into account the mentioned natural hazards and which is adapted to current and future environmental conditions in underground mines.

Crushed rock pad capability under mining equipment operation

Operating mine equipment frequently causes adverse loading on the ground beneath the equipment. Poor ground conditions often result in equipment structural damage due to poor bearing capacity and resulting stability issues. An improved understanding of ground material behaviour under cyclic loading from operating equipment may indicate improvement considerations in operating plans and corresponding mine designs, and lead to reduced machine maintenance. The applicability of crushed limestone as a cap for multi-layer constructed operating surfaces over a weak in situ base was investigated via revisiting the applicability of the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test. This research improved the test by considering the behaviour of an operating surface while under repetitive cyclic loading due to a mining shovel track system, modelled as a scaled cyclic plate load test. The results suggest a relationship between ground pressure stiffness and track footprint shape. A stress-deformation correlation also suggested a linear correlation proportional to pressure stiffness; common to the outcome of the more conventional CBR test. The resulting proposed relationship was shown to be a function of both the total deformation experienced by the operating surface and the number of cycles imposed.

СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕ СИСТЕМЫ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ РАБОТЫ ГОРНОТРАНСПОРТНОГО ОБОРУДОВАНИЯ НА ПРЕДПРИЯТИЯХ ОТКРЫТОЙ УГЛЕДОБЫЧИ АО ХК «СДС-УГОЛЬ»

СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕ СИСТЕМЫ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ РАБОТЫ ГОРНОТРАНСПОРТНОГО ОБОРУДОВАНИЯ НА ПРЕДПРИЯТИЯХ ОТКРЫТОЙ УГЛЕДОБЫЧИ АО ХК «СДС-УГОЛЬ»

Mining Robotics and Media Change

Mining Robotics and Media Change

Examination of Vibration Characteristics, and Reported Musculoskeletal Discomfort for Workers Exposed to Vibration via the Feet

The frequency and amplitude characteristics of vibration experienced at the feet under typical mining equipment operation were documented in this study. Foot-transmitted vibration (FTV) was measured using a tri-axial accelerometer mounted at the location where the worker stood. A musculoskeletal disorder questionnaire, work history and demographic information were also collected. Vibration from locomotives (primary source exposure) had a dominant frequency below 6.3 Hz; whereas, drilling and raise platforms (secondary source exposures) were predominantly in the 31.5 to 40 Hz range. All workers reported lower limb discomfort and two had been diagnosed with vibration induced white feet. All raise platforms exposed the workers to vibration levels that placed them above the ISO 2631–1 health guidance caution zone for an 8-hour exposure. Further investigation using both ISO 2631–1 and ISO 5341–1 standards is needed to determine long-term health effects to the whole-body and feet of workers exposed to FTV.

Remote Operation of Mining Equipment Using Panoramic Display Systems: Exploring the Sense of Presence

Remote Operation of Mining Equipment Using Panoramic Display Systems: Exploring the Sense of Presence

An oil sand pseudo-elastic model for determining ground deformation under large mobile mining equipment

Strain softening of oil sand under dynamic loading from large mining equipment inhibits the ability of the equipment to function at optimal design performance. This paper looks at the findings of dynamic plate load tests, which effectively mimick the loading and unloading action of a shovel track pad. A pseudo-elastic model was proposed based on the results of the dynamic plate load testing to predict the deformation of oil sand under cyclic loading. Both field and laboratory cyclic plate load tests were performed on oil sand materials. The field tests were performed with different plate sizes, or footprints. The load was normalized based on the pressure stiffness concept in units of pressure per unit deformation. FLAC was used to model the field plate load test deformation with the elastic concept. The laboratory tests were performed at room temperature with more control on the load, loading rate, and cycles than possible during the field testing. Tests were conducted using a circular plate of 14.9 cm diameter, at stress magnitudes of 200, 400, 500 and 600 kPa. The plate load tests were conducted for varying loads, holding, and relaxation times of 0, 2, 5 and 10 min respectively for each magnitude of stress. The outcome of laboratory plate load tests show that after frequent cycles, the pressure stiffness (ratio of stress to deformation) converges on a plateau value of 8 kPa/mm. The proposed approach can be used to evaluate oil sands ground performance, enhancing the prediction process for ground deformation under the operation of ultra-class mining equipment.

Virtual Jack in a Virtual Machine

Computer simulation is beneficial for investigating visibility during mobile mining equipment operation.

Effect of subway car design on vibration exposure

A field study was conducted to determine the vibration characteristics of subway train cars in terms of the whole-body vibration exposure levels transmitted to train operators. A total of five car types was tested and analyzed. To be able to compare different car types, vibration measurements were made under conditions for which all variables other than the car type were constant. The study was carried out in accordance with the measurement and evaluation techniques outlined in the ISO 2631 (1985) standard on whole-body vibration. The results obtained were analyzed to assess the effectiveness of each car type in reducing the mechanical vibrations transmitted to train operators. Up to 31% lower overall vibration levels were observed for cars with air-cushioned suspensions than for the cars with spring-based suspensions. Relevance to industry Operators of trucks, buses, trains, helicopters, fork-lifts, and forestry, mining, and agricultural equipment are exposed to occupational vibration. Daily exposure to whole-body vibration over many years may cause psychological and physiological disturbances. Studies that investigate the sources of vibration and factors that influence vibration exposure levels, and that compare different equipment to provide options to industry, may contribute to the improvement of health, safety, and well-being of the operators.