A mining excavator is an essential machine for performing the first steps of the mining process, which include breaking up and loading (overburden/waste rock/ore) the extracted material from the working face into haul trucks for transporting.
It provides the "muscle" at the excavating site by extracting material as outlined in the mine plan. The purpose as a machine may be broken down to several major functional areas:
1. Digging and Fragmenting
Break and Loosen Material: The primary role of the mining excavator is to dig down through, break and/or loosen the blasted material (muck pile) at the face of the mine, although some excavation may occur in softer materials.
Continuously Excavating: The majority of large excavators/dig lines may excavate directly into soft materials (ex. coal/unconsolidated overburden) without pre-blasting.
2. Selective Loading and Material Handling
Load Haulage Units: The major cyclic function of the mining excavator is to load trucks rapidly and efficiently. The capacity of the excavator's bucket should match or exceed the capacity of the truck being loaded and cycle time allowed, thus minimizing the waiting time for trucks to be loaded.
Ore Control: A major reason for using excavators is to accurately recover ore during the loading process. The specific grade of different ores will determine the way they will be separated from the waste rock by looking at maps and observing visually.
Feed Primary Crushers: Excavators can also be used to directly feed the oversized rocks into the grizzly or primary crusher, depending on the operation. Typically, they are equipped with a larger, specially designed rock grapple bucket to facilitate this type of loading.
21
Nov
21
Nov
21
Nov
"The difference in cycle time and fuel consumption compared to our older models is staggering. The advanced hydraulic system provides the perfect balance of speed and power for loading our haul trucks. In our last quarterly review, we saw a 17% increase in material moved per operating hour. The cabin ergonomics have also been a major win for operator morale during our long, cold shifts. "
" Access panels are logical, and the onboard diagnostics have prevented three potential major failures by giving us early warnings. Parts availability through their global network has been reliable. For a mechanic, a machine that's built to be repaired easily is just as important as one that's built to dig. These units have minimized our unscheduled downtime dramatically."
EN
