Mining section at bauma larger than ever

Powerful technology in mining
The mining sector is continuing to expand – and so, too, is the number of exhibitors in the mining section at bauma 2013. Almost 700 companies involved in mining are showcasing their products and solutions at the upcoming bauma, from April 15 to 21, 2013, in Munich – up from just over 600 companies in 2010. Outlined in the following are a number of products and techniques for deep drilling, tunnel driving and mining in general.
Together with Rio Tinto, one of the world´s biggest mining companies, Aker Wirth has developed the Mobile Tunnel Miner (MTM), which has also been nominated for the bauma Innovation Award 2013. The concept behind this machinery combines the flexibility of a roadheader with the robust qualities of a tunnel-boring machine. The self-propelled MTM moves via a crawler and a walking mechanism. It cuts through the rock with six powerful hydraulic arms fitted with disk cutters. The cut material is transported by a loading apron with loading disks and on a chain conveyor to the rear of the machine where it is then loaded. The undercutting technology employed in the MTM 6 makes it especially efficient in driving tunnels in hard rock (up to a maximum of 300 MPa). It exploits the considerably lower tensile strength of the rock in comparison to its compression strength. The disk cutters, mounted at a slight angle to the drilling arms, “undercut” the face, chipping off the rock in pieces the size of a man´s hand. The energy required for undercutting is only half that used in conventional reaming.
Prakla Bohrtechnik GmbH, a BAUER Group company, is supplying six universal drilling rigs of type RBT90 to the Chinese coal extraction company China National Coal Development Co. Ltd. The rigs will be used as necessary to sink emergency shafts in order to rescue trapped miners quickly and safely. 
A key feature of these drilling rigs is their mobility: Built on a truck trailer, they can be moved quickly to any location where they may be needed. Universal drilling rigs are designed to cover a wide variety of applications and implement many different drilling methods. They offer a maximum load-carrying capacity of 90 tonnes. Their maximum drilling depth with small diameters is 3,000 meters. When drilling at 700 millimeters diameter, as specified by the customer in China, bores can be sunk down to a depth of 700 meters.
For CDE Global Ltd. of Northern Ireland, the focus at bauma will be on the theme of ore processing, and on their M2500 series for washing iron ore, quartz and frac sands. CDE Mining is also showcasing equipment for spoil management, for example, their AquaCycle thickener and GHT filter press.
ESCO of Portland, Oregon, USA, is presenting the Hydra cutting drum for underground cutting operations in coal mining with methane-gas and coal-dust control systems. A water-spraying system suppresses coal dust and helps prevent sparks. Equipped with radial picks they can cope with difficult geological conditions and increase extraction volumes. The pick holders are set back to ensure a streamlined profile and keep wear and tear low. Changing the picks is a fast operation, to keep machine down-times as short as possible.
HAVER NIAGARA GmbH is a specialist in machinery and systems for handling primary and secondary raw materials in the mining, building materials and recycling sectors, with the emphasis on sifting, washing and pelletizing. The company´s highlights at bauma 2013 will be the new F-class sifting machine, the Hydro-Clean 2000 high-pressure cleaning system and the Snap-Guard wear protection system.
IBS Industriemaschinen-Bergbau-Service GmbH is presenting a brand new cleaning system with primary and secondary cleaners. The manufacturer says the new system delivers advantages in terms of low surface pressure, low wear and tear of the cleaner and belt, and significantly improved cleaning power with almost maintenance-free operation. Following a first practical trial in limestone extraction, the cleaners have been further improved and are now ready for use in underground mining operations.
A chain manufacturer with its own drop forge, THIELE is one of the leading companies in this segment. In chain conveyors forged flight bars are used for conveying goods. The company offers a wide range of flight bars for face conveyors and stage loaders with chain sizes of Ø 14 mm – Ø 48 mm. All flight bars are drop forged, calibrated and sandblasted. The strength of the bar will depend on the material used. By using a precise heat treatment process THIELE is able to guarantee high notch-impact values at hardness levels of 270-380 HB (910-1290 MPa).
The Vermeer Corporation of Iowa, USA, is presenting a surface miner for digging through harder rocks. The T1255 terrain leveler was developed specially for cutting hard rock of different strengths, mineral compounds and for gypsum, coal and ores. The cut material lies in front of the cutter and is easy to further process using crushers. The customers can choose between a chain-driven or a direct hydrostatically driven milling drum. Both options work with a patented system that allows the milling drum to be tilted by up to 5° laterally upwards or downwards, to ensure an even milling surface. The direct hydrostatic drive of the crawler track enables fast turning through 360° in both directions, so as to enable immediate continued milling. A load control system automatically regulates the milling speed, to make full use of the engine power, and to optimize production. The terrain leveler has a dead weight of 111 tonnes and a CAT C18 ACERT Tier 3 engine with 447 kW (600 hp) of power.
The Wirtgen Surface Miner is designed for use in opencast mining. It enables selective mining of mineral ores, coal, limestone, gypsum, bauxite, phosphate and iron ore in high purity. It is also used for application in the mining of salt, granite, kimberlite or oil shales. The mechanical process of material extraction is achieved without drilling, blasting or preliminary crushing. Instead Wirtgen Surface Miners cut and crush the rock using a special cutting drum and loads it via stable conveyor systems in one working step onto dump trucks. Alternatively the rock can be deposited at the side of the machine; it is also possible to place it as a windrow in the track. The Surface Miners cut in widths of 2.20 to 4.20 m and at a depth of 20 to 83 cm – up to a monoaxial compressive strength of 120 MPa. Special machines for can even cut hard granite at up to 260 MPa.
Further information: www.bauma.de