Mining

Construction and mining the next frontier of robotics adoption

In the past, for heavy industry-related locations like mines, robots were controlled by teleoperation or navigate autonomously across uneven terrain or within subterranean interiors with little to no human interaction. This was the same for construction sites, where robots must understand changing floor plans, keep track of inventory, and navigate stairs. Thanks to advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), wireless telecommunications, location-based technologies, and navigation systems, this is being realised. Modern robotics tend to be associated with either indoor environments like factories and warehouses, or in the home. But there is a multitude of other, less structured and more challenging environments where AMRs are only just beginning to proliferate. Advanced mobility enabling autonomous navigation will empower robotics vendors in construction, extraction and elsewhere. While in 2018, 28.7% of commercial robots’ shipments had some degree of autonomous navigation, in 2027, the percentage will be 79.3%. Construction robots may be involved in specific tasks, such as brick-laying, painting, loading, and bulldozing. We can expect hundreds of AMRs in the next 2 years, mainly doing haulage. These robots help to protect workers from a hazardous working environment, reduce workplace injuries, and address labour shortages. For the robots to operate in challenging, hostile, and unsafe environments without human assistance, the key beneficiaries will be OEMs who choose to adopt navigation-providing operation systems (OS) from third-party providers. Specialist robot companies have a greater opportunity to attract capital due to increased interest, and with the formulation of cloud services from AWS and Google, have more opportunity than ever to develop advanced capabilities like mobile manipulation and advanced analytics. However, they will struggle to get an in-house solution off the ground without partnering with third-party providers on localisation and navigation technologies. Given the complexity of localisation, mapping, and navigation alone, a delegation of responsibility to third-party providers is […]

Gloucester Resources court decision benefits our competitors

Statement by Greg Evans, Chief Executive Last week’s decision by the NSW Land and Environment court to decline a development application for the Rocky Hill coal mine is detrimental for jobs and economic opportunities in regional NSW. It also places the approval process for new resource investment in a position of confusion and uncertainty. The beneficiaries from the latest NSW court decision will be producers with spare production capacity including those in the United States, Canada, Russia and Mongolia. Further, the decision potentially presents a set of new obstacles that producers in NSW could face with expansion and new mine approvals. Industry analysis by Commodity Insights in late 2018 relating to metallurgical coal demand, forecasts an increased import requirement in Asia of close to 100 million tonnes annually by 2030. In part this will be met by increases in output from other countries to the detriment of projects such as Rocky Hill. The potential missed economic opportunity is even greater if we reject new thermal coal developments. The basis of the court knock back includes the view that the project will add to global greenhouse gas emissions. The court indicates it can consider as part of its decision the greenhouse emissions from coal as it is used in the making of steel in another country. In other words, if this rationale became accepted all our resource exports would have to account for the emissions applying to their downstream use, including gas, iron ore and thermal coal. However, under the Paris Agreement it’s up to individual countries to put in place Nationally Determined Contribution plans to deal with emissions at their source. It’s not about the unilateral banning of particular industries or commodities in supplier countries. Of course, the United States, a significant coal exporter, is not even part of the […]

Rio Tinto completes sale of Dunkerque aluminium smelter

Rio Tinto has completed the sale of its aluminium smelter at Dunkerque, France, to Liberty House for $500 million. Liberty House, which is part of the GFG Alliance (Gupta Family Group), has committed to continuing operations at the smelter and has announced plans for the development of additional activity around the site. As previously announced, the proceeds will be returned to shareholders, with the precise timing and form to be announced with Rio Tinto’s 2018 full year results. Rio Tinto estimates that there will be no material tax payable on this transaction.

Rio Tinto Limited successfully completes A$2,871 million off-market buy-back

Rio Tinto has successfully completed its off-market buy-back, achieving its share purchase target of approximately 41.2 million Rio Tinto Limited shares, for a total consideration of A$2,871 million (US$2,081 million1). The Buy-Back Price was A$69.69 per Share which represented a discount of 14 per cent to the Market Price2. Rio Tinto chief executive J-S Jacques said “We are delighted to be returning US$2.1 billion to our Rio Tinto Limited shareholders through this off-market buy-back. Strong demand has enabled us to return the maximum amount, and at a discount of 14 per cent. The remaining US$1.1 billion of funds will be returned through our ongoing buy-back of Rio Tinto plc shares. In 2018 we have announced cash returns to shareholders of US$6.4 billion. Our strategic focus, with disciplined allocation of capital, is ensuring that we continue to deliver superior returns to our shareholders in the short, medium and long term.” The Rio Tinto Limited Buy-Back was announced to the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”) on 20 September 2018 as part of a US$3.2 billion share buy-back programme (the “Programme”), returning the post-tax proceeds from the sale of coal assets in 2018 to Rio Tinto shareholders. Rio Tinto Limited bought back 41,198,134 Shares, at an aggregate cost of A$2,871 million (US$2,081 million). This represents 9.99 per cent of Rio Tinto Limited’s issued ordinary shares (or 2.41 per cent of the Rio Tinto Group’s issued ordinary shares3). Following completion, Rio Tinto Limited’s issued share capital will stand at 371,216,214 shares. The portion of the Programme relating to the on-market buy-back of Rio Tinto plc shares will now total a maximum amount of US$1,119 million and will commence on 28 February 2019 and will be completed no later than 28 February 2020. All shares purchased will be cancelled. Due to the significant oversubscription for the […]

Rio Tinto’s vision of ‘mining as manufacturing’ comes a step closer

What is manufacturing? It could be said to be a series of discrete often automated operations, co-ordinated and linked by sensors and data, to create an efficient and seamless production and logistics process from raw material to product. Rio has for many years been pursuing a vision of mining as just such a thing – a factory if you like, just a very de-centralised one. Thus drill hole creation at its Pilbara mines are an automated process, the drilling begun or ‘pulled’ through the system by the requirements of specific ships approaching Port Hedlend to pick up blended iron ores for individual customers. Just as cars are built for specific customers, ore is only mined when sold. The company has been automating key elements of the iron ore production chain – automated mine trucks, ore crushers, ore blenders, ship loaders etc…..and now the company has run its first driverless train. (see story) All this is controlled from a single centre located from Perth. Ultimately the company sees its Port Hedland operation working like a well oiled Toyota factory – a series of standardised operations, linked by logistics, centrally controlled and making only product that customers have already bought. An exciting concept – maybe our definitions are more out of date than we think.

Konecranes units and onsite maintenance scales new heights at Sino Iron

In the picture: One of the 125 Konecranes units assisting in the smooth running of CITIC Pacific Mining’s Sino Iron project One of Australia’s largest crane installations at CITIC Pacific Mining’s Sino Iron project is benefiting from the safety, efficiency and reliability of Konecranes CXT and SM cranes. Konecranes supplied a total of 125 units – a mixture of CXT wire rope hoists and SM winches from 1.5 tons -125 tons lifting capacity to the Sino Iron project, Australia’s largest magnetite mining and processing operation located at Cape Preston, 100 kilometres south west of Karratha in WA’s Pilbara region. The SM winches, in 75t and 125t options, are generally used for process related tasks in the ball mills, aggregate mills and magnetic separators, such as loading new balls into the mill. The CXT monorail hoists handle the comparatively lighter loads and are generally performing non-process related tasks such as service and maintenance. Konecranes’ world leading safety and efficiency technology is backed by local knowledge and support with over 31 sales and service locations across Australia and New Zealand. “The Konecranes units certainly benefit our operations, particularly where there’s no pedestrian access,” says Mr Alan Shepley, Senior Coordinator, Maintenance Services, CITIC Pacific Mining. Konecranes has just recently completed the assembly and installation of several new 75t and 125t SM cranes for the concentrator at Sino Iron. Konecranes Branch Manager for North West WA, Mr Steven Greenshields said the operation went very smoothly. “It has to date been a safe and highly successful build and install carried out by a professional and competent on-site install team.” To provide further support to the Sino Iron project, Konecranes has two technicians permanently stationed on site for 12 hours a day, every day of the year to perform service and maintenance on all the cranes, […]

Avoid the damage and disruption in mineral processing by unchecked vibration

In the picture: Marsh Mellows from Air springs Supply, an engineered solid rubber alternative to coil springs Vibration and noise are old enemies at mine, quarry and mineral processing sites, hazards that have been pushed into the spotlight in recent years by concerns both about worker safety and about plant efficiency and reliability. Vibration occurs in all rotating or reciprocating machinery as a result of forces generated within it. Sometimes the vibration is intended – as in vibrating screens and vibrating conveyor sections, for example – and sometimes it is caused by imbalances in rotors, bearings, springs and gears as vibration migrates from the source to surrounding structures and wear-prone components. If vibration is left unchecked, the consequences can include: – Breakdowns and downtime including Bearing failures, metal spring cracking and collapse, metal structure cracking and weaknesses potentially leading to unexpected plant shutdowns. – Operator fatigue and noise nuisance (NVH – noise, harshness and vibration is increasingly a factor in workers compensation issues) – Energy waste due to kinetic energy required for vibration – Interference with nearby computer, electrical and electro-magnetic equipment, potentially leading to production disruption. A simple, robust and effective means of solving vibration and isolation problems created by such equipment is provided by Marsh Mellow® springs, which are fabric-reinforced solid rubber isolators used for quiet isolation of machinery vibration and for general shock absorption throughout industry. The cylindrical springs, developed by Firestone – the world’s biggest producer of air springs for isolation and actuation – are used world-wide as an alternative to metal coil springs for applications involving quarries and mineral processing as well as building, construction, computer, electrical and electronic equipment including motors, gearboxes, compressors, conveyors, materials handling machinery and shock absorbers. Marsh Mellows give consistent performance regardless of changing loads, while offering high lateral stability […]