The equipment designed to work in underground construction must meet safety, maintenance and operation conditions above the demands made on equipment working on the surface. The conditions – including factors such as temperature, mud or visibility – are generally extreme; and an adequate configuration of the machines becomes essential.

In addition to the aforementioned operational conditions, there are also dimensional conditions: most underground mines have small sections, making the total size of the equipment and its manoeuvrability of great importance.

Here at Sam Technology you will find top quality materials handling equipment for top efficient results. Keep in mind that the use of inadequate equipment can lead to accidents as well as the paralysis of the work due to breakdowns.

It is important to consider the following factors:

Mobility in small spaces: For many sections, the machinery must have a low profile, as well as a small turning radius that allows optimal manoeuvrability in limited spaces.

Caterpillars or off-road wheels for uneven terrain: Wide caterpillars or all-terrain wheels help distribute the weight of the machine, preventing it from sinking or getting dirty on the track.

Stability: Since steep slopes are common in underground mining, a low centre of gravity, as well as tipping capacity and / or stabilizing legs contribute to safer operation.

Visibility in dark work environment underground: The existence of large windows in the cabin and cameras that provide rear and side vision, as well as gauge lights and navigation, help reduce accidents.

Security: Some fundamental aspects

To ensure the safety of the operator, it is important that the cabins are well armed against possible vehicle rollovers or landslides in the tunnel with the FOPS-ROPS protection certification. Likewise, a fire extinguishing system is necessary to prevent the associated risk posed by the propagation of a fire in a mine.

Reduced emissions

The quality of the air in a reduced space such as mines and tunnels is of great importance, and it is necessary that the machines emit as little pollutant substances as possible through catalysts and others.

Temperatures

Temperatures in mines can vary drastically from 40 ° C in mines such as Mponeng in South Africa; to subzero temperatures that are normally recorded in Rasvumchorr, Russia. This requires special adjustments in the starting system, the air conditioning as well as diverse types of oil.

Altitude

The extreme altitude of certain underground mines such as the Uchucchacua mine in Peru and consequent lack of oxygen implies the need for engines that compensate for the associated power loss and cooling defects.

Paint finish

The equipment must comply with strict standards to avoid corrosion of the highly acidic environment of a sub-arid mine, with a thickness of up to 140 μm.

Equipment design

It must allow easy access to service points to minimise downtime. This is especially important in underground mines, where the circulation of vehicles should not be impeded so as not to interrupt the productive process. Maintenance process is an activity that in addition to repair possible (or future) equipment failures, helps the productivity of mining projects by keeping the machinery used in constant operation.

Maintenance of Materials Handling Equipment

Among the different types of maintenance, are the preventive, predictive, corrective and scheduled, among others. The workshops and support stations, as well as a good computer support system and a qualified staff, are elements that support the correct development of mining machinery maintenance processes.

The mining activity includes a series of elements that must operate continuously and without pauses to maintain the production cycle and meet its objectives. Within these, is the machinery that must be always ready and for this it is essential that it is in optimal conditions. Failures in mining equipment, in general, hinder the production process and this leads to take the shortest time possible in the repair, with the minimum error margins for these tasks. And the growing capacity and technologies offered by these machines, make them an important investment in projects, so it also increases the responsibility and concern to keep them in optimal condition for as long as possible.

Therefore, in mining work, where everything is planned and coordinated, the arrests must be the least possible and the best solution to achieve this is through the prevention of breakdowns thanks to good maintenance, which also not only impacts the capacity productive, but also a key point to preserve the superior standards of security and protection that govern the industry.

According to different literature, a maintenance program for mining equipment that seeks to obtain better production with fewer arrests and costs, as well as making the investment profitable and lengthening the useful life of the machinery, must consider an adequate selection of the equipment to obtain the production.

Programmed, good training and motivation of the staff and availability of appropriate workshops. In addition, it must have the support and support of a good warehouse and the corresponding logistics, as well as a reasonable cooperation between the operation and maintenance departments, together with an effective communications system and the support of the documentation and collection centre. These last points are important, since during the planning and design phase of the project both the Operation Department, Maintenance and Engineering, supported in turn by the Purchasing Department, must determine the type, capacity, number and brand of the project the equipment necessary for exploitation.

According to the experts, this standardisation of the machinery is important in the sense that it offers familiarisation of the operators with the equipment, which can lead to reduce the need for a greater number of spare parts and specialization courses for personnel. In addition, an after-sales service from the same distributors. For an optimal maintenance, a department is set up to prepare a program, which responds to the necessary rigor to maintain the useful life according to what was established by the manufacturer of the product. In addition, this department must make decisions in case of finding deviations in any process, with the idea of not affecting the availability and shelf life of the product.

Here at SAM Technology Engineers you will find an authorised distributor of materials handling equipment in New South Wales. If you want to take your operations to another level and increase productivity here at SAM Technology, you will find what you need.