Automation in the Australian mining industry

• Autores: Grant Field
• Localización: Industrial Minerals, ISSN 0019-8544, Nº. 550, 2013
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Mining has long been engraved in Australia's cultural, political and economic landscapes. The mining sector employs an estimated 2.2% of the total labour force and contributes about 5.6% of Australia's gross domestic product (GDP). In contrast, mineral exports contribute around 35% of Australia's exports and Australia serves as the world's largest exporter of coal, iron ore, lead, diamonds, rutile, zinc and zirconium, as well as the second largest exporter of gold and uranium.

    Autonomous tramming between hole locations is achieved by the use of high-precision Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS receivers. Additionally, four hazard avoidance cameras (HazCam) detect obstacles in the drill's path, and the area the drill is operating in is surrounded by a geo fence that prevents the drill from tramming into terrain that may be hazardous. Once in position, the machine levels up, sets the mast angle to the required angle, and begins to drill. The machine autonomously adds drill rods to achieve the desired hole depth and then removes them upon completion. Finally, the drill retracts its jacks and moves on to the next hole.

    At present Sandvik Mining has a fully functioning autonomous D90KS multi-pass rotary drill at a customer site in Australia, and a number of drills to be deployed this year. AutoMine rotary drilling is part of Sandvik Mining's autonomous offering that covers underground and surface drilling equipment.