Mining Equipment
Miners rely on innovative technology to maximize value
In mining, seemingly simple decisions can be analyzed in excruciating detail. Everything from choosing the appropriate haul truck, excavator, down to the tires is put through a process that considers cost, efficacy, durability and environmental impact. The sheer number of mines in operation and construction in Ontario makes it a lucrative market to sell into, and the fact that the miners tend to be highly regulated and ESG conscious makes the province an even more attractive place in which to focus.
For example, John Schellenberg, mining product manager at Hitachi Construction Machinery, who is overseeing the development of the company’s electric haul truck, noted that social and financial pressures are beginning to mount for companies, so it is beneficial to signal that your company has a vision to mine in a low impact way. One customer of Schellenberg's was willing to spend around US$7-10 million on a battery truck in development because the investment perception provided a better rate of return than the technology that he was investing in. While the technology may not be ready to scale into the mining industry today, the reason companies like Hitachi are so focused on replacing the diesel haul truck with BEV alternatives is because, as Schellenberg puts it: “A company can only buy so many carbon credits, and there is not enough out there for everyone in the mining industry to offset.” He continued: “What I like about a battery haul truck from an energy generation perspective is that we are still looking at 70% efficiency when that wheel hits the ground, from solar panel to rubber on the road.”
In comparison to diesel fuel, a variable speed engine is 30% efficient, and another 15% is lost in gearboxes, so there is approximately 25% efficiency in the current systems. “This is what drives me to be involved in these projects—we are going to be able to move a significant amount of materials with considerably less energy.”
Wajax, which is the exclusive Hitachi representative in Canada and provides Hitachi shovels, loaders and trucks, observed that the decision on equipment is always a balance of operational and financial goals while still trying to achieve ESG targets. “We often see our mining customers thinking in terms of the broad picture. It might cost them a bit more today to invest in electrical or more technologically advanced equipment, but they have certain environmental and sustainability benchmarks they need to hit,” Wajax president and CEO Iggy Domagalski, said. “If they don't invest in these benchmarks, they risk losing license to operate, be it social license or actual operating license. It is about balancing the profitability of today versus the long-term viability of the whole operation.”
In the tire domain specifically, companies such as Kal Tire are identifying sizable opportunities. In the past year, the company purchased 17 GCR Tires & Service stores in Eastern Canada, giving Kal Tire exposure to three of the most prolific mining jurisdictions in Canada— Val-d'Or, Chibougamau and Wabush. To meet tire recycling goals in Chile, Kal Tire pursued a thermal conversion process whereby the tire is converted back to its original components which can then be reused. “Thermal conversion is a much more circular option than just shredding,” noted Dave Allan, vice president Canada of Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group.
This complements Kal Tire’s ESG efforts through its Maple Program, which gives customers accredited data about the fuel and carbon emissions saved in choosing sustainable solutions such as retreading or repairs. Consequently, companies now have very clear metrics to report the environmental impact of their tires.
Material Handling
On the mineral processing and material handling side, FLSmidth has implemented its MissionZero program to help customers trend towards net zero by 2030. The focus is on optimizing water and energy usage by addressing areas like pit crushing conveying (IPCC) systems that could displace a significant amount of haul trucks at mines, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “We recently closed our acquisition of Thyssenkrupp's mining business (TK Mining), which strengthens our pit-to-plant range of technology, equipment and service expertise, as well as best-in-class digital solutions and market leading HPGR, Eccentric Roll Crusher, and Overland Conveyor technology. With the HPGR technology and our vertical roller mills, we are taking the dry grinding process further into the flowsheet before introducing water, thereby optimizing water and power usage,” said John Davidson, North American regional head of capital sales at FLSmidth.
Weir Minerals is also betting on HPGR technology to reduce particles by compressing and crushing the feed between two parallel rollers with an adjustable gap. Rob Fawcett, managing director at Weir Minerals, outlined that with the technology, a very high percentage of the energy input reports to the material, making it extremely efficient compared to conventional milling circuits. Added advantages are less maintenance requirements and ease of operation. “I believe HPGR technology will become a go-to milling option for mining projects looking for energy efficiency and a competitive edge. Where HPGR technology has replaced traditional methods of crushing and grinding such as SAG or ball mills, customers have witnessed energy savings above 40% depending on the material,” he explained, mentioning that both Côté Gold and Greenstone are the first Canadian hard rock mining operations to introduce this technology in their process.
Incorporating ESG
Metrics such as the ones FLSmidth, Weir Minerals and Kal Tire are able to track are important in that there are now third party ESG companies, like Digbee, who have developed software platforms that cater specifically to the mining industry and its investors. Jamie Strauss, CEO and chairman of Digbee, points out that the industry incorporates ESG on a day-to-day, minute-by-minute basis as part of its permitting process and ESG is embedded into operations to justify their social license. He mentioned: “The purpose of a Digbee accreditation is to provide a clear and credible communication of all elements of ESG to a wide spectrum of stakeholders and to demonstrate a commitment to the ESG journey for both the company and its assets.”
Strauss believes that this will allow the mining industry to raise competence and conviction within itself, and ultimately: “pull in new pools of capital and raise perception in society more generally.”
Underground Equipment
As mining operations are increasingly conducted at greater depths, various obstacles arise. Two of the most critical issues are related to air quality and energy consumption. Veteran technologist, and Maestro co-founder and CEO Michael Gribbons identified ventilation as the critical factor in managing those risks: “To start to control ventilation, you must monitor it first.”
Maestro’s new ModuDrives are a full digital system that allows real time data coordinate and control ventilation, resulting in lower energy costs. Gribbons points out that Maestro is getting RFQs all over the world. “Before companies did not care, they cared about productivity because in dollar terms, a 10% reduction in energy is not equivalent to a 10% increase in productivity. Companies always looked at productivity because energy had a small impact on bottom lines. That has now changed,” he said.
“Hydrogen will be transformational. Over the next few decades, there will be a significant shift to a hydrogen economy as it is the only viable energy alternative to mitigate the effects of CO2.”
Joao Araujo, VP Global Operations and Partner, H2 Tek
As a leading player in gas monitoring underground, Maestro has two key ecosystem partnerships with autonomous devices. One is with Exyn on their autonomous drones that can find their way around a mine. The other one is Boston Dynamics' Spot, the robotic autonomous dog. “The whole application is about getting data back to the face, and both Exyn and Boston Dynamics enable technology to go into places where there is no network. I see this foremost as a worker safety apparatus. If you have an explosion in a mine and the network is down, you can send in either Spot with a big payload, or you can send in an Exyn drone to get the job done quicker,” added Gribbons.
Howden’s Raphaël Pelletier, an account executive overseeing the Americas region, expressed optimism that, despite increasing technical challenges, underground mining can still be done safely: “Many mines have heat problems, but with proper ventilation, the heat loads can be managed to a certain point and help provide appropriate and safe working conditions for miners,” he said.
Howden supplies compressors, blowers, steam turbines, fans, rotary heat exchangers, and software solutions across various industrial end markets, mining being a crucial one. The company recently rolled out its Ventsim software suite, which includes a mining ventilation software that models the ventilation, cooling, and heating requirements based on mine design and scheduled production scenarios, which ultimately helps select the ventilation equipment required for the operation. Its Ventsim CONTROL offering is a ventilation control system that enables a mine to autonomously optimize fresh air distribution in real-time, adjusting the ventilation infrastructure based on airflow requirements, toxic gas concentrations, scheduled activities, or based on the location of personnel and engine status of the machinery.
Article header image courtesy of Sandvik