Category: Tech Talk

WELDING is as much an art as it is a science. While it takes time and perseverance to master the art, the fundamentals of each type of welding must be taught and understood first. Skilled welding personnel are at the forefront of the resources industry in Australia and their work is essential for the ongoing operation of process equipment and the fabrication of the largest infrastructure. Welding for industry goes far beyond simply joining pieces of metal, it also involves equipment and consumables selection, weld procedure qualification and planning, inspection, thorough record keeping (to ensure traceability to industry standards) and testing and certification of personnel. With so much at stake, a modern welder requires training, testing and certification. ENRYB Welding…

MALCOLM Thompson Pumps has a proven history delivering quality pumping solutions to a wide range of Australian applications. This 50-year-old company is now the proud owner of Stalker Pumps, providing even more solutions for its customers with the benefit of still being manufactured on Australian soil. The recent redevelopment of Stalker Pumps – a reliable pillar in the Australian Pumping industry for more than 90 years – is delivering customers a quality solution for removing water from underground mine sites. This culmination of Stalker Pumps and Malcolm Thompson Pumps (MTP) has created an unbeatable workhorse delivering exceptional pumping solutions for Australian mining. Stalker Pumps have been engineered to provide exceptional durability, higher flow and reduced maintenance to meet the end…

RENEWABLE energy is an essential end goal for any responsible corporate citizen but until recently alternate energy systems have struggled to fully replace grid or diesel/LNG generated electricity. The SolarGEM system from Sequentia Services, in Queensland, provides a proven and reliable solution for remote power generation, delivering flexible and relocatable renewable energy from a hybrid power station. Containment policy The foundation of the SolarGEM system is the container-mounted integrated photovoltaic (PV) system, which includes an inverter, an AC distribution board, communications and fire protection. A total of 200 PV panels, mounted on 40 hinged frames, concertina into a single 20-foot container. When the side doors of the container are opened a pair of tracks are withdrawn and set up on…

Transformers Crushing and screening is at the heart of any mining operation and any improvements made in this area reflect positively on the bottom line. ALLU Transformer D and M-Series attachment buckets are entirely driven by the hydraulics of the carrier machine and were designed to deliver a one-step screening and loading solution capable of handling all materials from wet soils to coal and rock. The M series was developed specifically for the mining industry and has attachments to suit 50-160 tonne excavators and 30-90 tonne wheel loaders. The D-series was designed for use in soft rock quarries, handling of sand and gravel aggregates, material loading at ports, de-clumping of hardened materials and processing of green waste and compost materials.…

THE days of running a single, large genset to power an entire camp or processing plant are long gone. Using clever controllers to manage and synchronise a number of smaller generators saves not only upfront capital costs but also ongoing operating costs. The fuel savings alone, enjoyed by adopters of this technology, have been between $1-2m per year. Genset Hire and Sales Australia (GHASA) is a WA company with more than 40 years’ experience in remote power generation. In that time, it has been instrumental in developing power installations that do away with a single large generator and instead utilises several smaller generators with the same total output. The benefits of this system are manifold and impact directly on the…

SORTING quality earth from rubble, rock and rubbish has long been driven by an innovative Australian product – the Mobile Integrated Screening Unit (MISU). The MISU combines simplicity and speed to deliver piles of clean fill in the most efficient way possible. MISU is the original screening bucket, which many subsequent designs around the world were originally based on. The patent originated in Albury, Australia and since 1999 over 700 buckets have been sold and supported around the world. MISU was recently purchased by Queensland company Premier Rock Machinery who are renowned for their innovative and diverse excavator-mounted attachments, representing quality brands such as Montabert Rock Breakers and Drills and Movax Piling attachments. Premier Rock Machinery was also recently recognised…

ENERGY Power Systems Australia (EPSA) undertakes the fast mobilisation, set-up and commissioning of power stations across Australia. Business development manager Terry Knott said rapid deployment was important because it reduces risk of delays or shutdowns, therefore decreasing the potential costs involved in lost operational days. EPSA is the trusted advisor for multi-megawatt rapid deployment power stations. They combine all internal capabilities to ensure mines stay fully operational. The services EPSA provide include electrical engineering, onsite technicians, logistics support and operations. EPSA’s deployment capability has resulted in responsive deployment of power stations around Australia. Mr Knott said that in November 2017, a mining customer suffered a mechanical tap changer fault that caused one of its main transformers to explode. The loss…

WHEN it comes to maintaining and repairing heavy earth moving equipment, it takes knowledge and experience to carry out the work to the highest standard and in the least amount of time. Elphinstone Mechanical Services (EMS) is a family-owned WA-based company that has grown to service clients across Australia and South Africa. Keeping a minesite up and running 24 hours a day is no mean feat and it takes a diversely skilled team to manage everything from unexpected repairs to scheduled maintenance and rebuilds. EMS has grown to cater to the demands made by modern mining companies to keep production processes in motion – particularly in the area of large haul and dump trucks and the huge excavators they serve…

C.R. Kennedy is a nationwide organisation which employs more than 250 people within various significant divisions. The largest of these divisions is the ‘survey division’ which distributes land surveying, construction, laser scanning, machine control, laser levelling and laser distance measuring equipment throughout the country. CR Kennedy’s major distribution partnership for the survey division is with Leica-Geosystems, a Swiss organisation with more than 200 years of history. The Leica Aibot sits quite significant within this UAV product offering. Drones Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), or perhaps even the remotely piloted vehicle (RPV), are here to stay, and CR Kennedy has a range of multi rotor and fixed wing solutions for mapping, aerial photography, aerial inspections, mine mapping, LIDAR…

AXIS Mineral Services runs a modern fleet of crushing and screening equipment from Terex Finlay and McCloskey. Whether clients need equipment to sort mill feed, in-pit or remote crushing and screening, oversize rock breaking, or ROM Pad management, Axis has the right equipment for any mining operation. Axis operations director Mark Thompson said the company enhances the performance of its customers in crushing, production and mining requirements by understanding their needs, and providing cost effective crushing and mining services within a safe and innovative environment. “We can screen aggregates to all specifications. If you need concrete, road, sand, filter rock or armour rock crushing and screening – we can help,” he said. With extensive experience in the industry, Mr Thompson…

POWER reliability is vital for mining operations and with a wide range of compact generators available, Kubota has a solution for almost every application. From 5.5kVA through to 30kVA, Kubota GL and SQ series diesel generators are powered by genuine Kubota engines and renowned worldwide for their superior reliability and long service life. The Kubota GL and SQ series diesel generators are built to withstand Australia’s tough conditions, easy to transport and maintain, and are safer and quieter to use – which is ideal for the mining industry. With back-up power you can trust for off-grid energy mining operations, Kubota cazn be relied upon when unexpected power outages hit or the off-grid solar system lets you down. The GL series…