Category: Tech Talk

Industrial mining and manufacturing operations feature a diverse range of critical plant equipment and components that need to be constantly monitored around the clock to avoid any potential shutdown that can lead to costly downtime and maintenance. Due to the harsh conditions and heavy wear that plant equipment is subject to when production processes are in full swing, the need for intelligent technology that can diagnose and eliminate faults in advance and help facility managers make more informed decisions to improve operational performance. Global automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler combines smart condition monitoring and lubricant management to form one predictive maintenance solution. It offers intuitive operation via a mobile app to ensure the smooth running of machines and production processes,…

Mining and dredging operators are seeing an increase in production due to socioeconomic trends and increased demand for mined goods. While this increase is a good thing for the industry, it means that operators need to consider the costs of pump maintenance and replacement as well as the cost benefit of utilising fewer larger pumps versus additional smaller pumps to perform the same work. Larger pumps equal longer wear lives, lower maintenance, energy costs, and TCO With the advent of increased mining and dredging operations, larger slurry pumps can benefit global mine operators in multiple ways. One of the main advantages to larger pumps is that larger pumps reduce the amount of maintenance outages because they rotate slower, provide longer…

In the world of traditional surveying, the measurement of critical infrastructure can be time-consuming and prone to error, with only a few hundred measurements done in a day, while also carrying safety risks the longer personnel are on site. Now, laser scanners have the ability to capture more than one million three-dimensional measurements per second, with entire plants and mine sites scanned in a few minutes or hours, creating a “digital twin” of the infrastructure. Reality capture, as it is called, creates a “digital twin” of the infrastructure or physical object, providing better visualisation and faster modelling on to a computer or a handheld device through the cloud. Delonix founder and structural engineer Philippe Vatin says the speed and precision…

Underground mining operations have long relied on accurate surveying techniques to ensure safety, optimise production, and maintain operational efficiency. Although traditional surveying methods are effective, they can be a time-consuming and complicated task often at the expense of mining production, subsequently leading to cost implications. Globally, mines are adopting new technologies to further improve workflows, and provide a larger return on investment, whilst keeping safety and efficiency at the forefront of everything. For mine engineers, frequent and accurate underground data is valuable for ensuring regular safety checks, planning, and analyses. In the past decade, SLAM technology has further optimised this process, providing a less intrusive and faster way to capture 3D information. Early adopters of SLAM solutions have entered a…

In 1983, Perth based radiator and coolant specialist Browns Radiator Service commenced operations as a small radiator service and supply company but has since evolved into one of Western Australia’s most agile and knowledgeable radiator companies servicing the mining and other sectors right across the state. Headed up by director Glenn Brown, who took over the business from his father Robert around eight years ago, the proudly second-generation family-owned business initially started out by selling and servicing copper, brass and bolted tank radiators before gradually progressing to become a much more multifaceted operation with almost everything being done inhouse. Throughout the years Browns Radiator Service has worked closely with original equipment manufacturers to overcome and redesign cooling system issues to…

We should all congratulate the new Federal Government on being able to produce their first budget with a surplus. The first in a decade! If you saw the budget speech on television you would see very pleased looking people taking credit for that turnaround. What we missed out on seeing was details of exactly how it was achieved, particularly the part that our industry, Mining, played in this reversal of fortune. Of course, at the end of Covid and prices for other commodities, including agricultural, play a part in this as well. Shortly after the budget was produced, we also see the Western Australian Government coming up with a $4B surplus. Again, looking very pleased with themselves. How did they…

As the Australian mining industry transitions to clean energy, mine sites are taking steps to reduce their environmental footprint and reach net-zero emissions over the next few decades. Decarbonisation and sustainability goals remain the focus for the mining majors, notably BHP targeting a 30% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030, Rio Tinto aiming for 15% and Fortescue Metals Group committing to net zero (which includes Scope 3) by 2040. Most of Australia’s emissions stem from energy production, transport, agriculture and industrial processes, with about 90% of the world’s carbon emissions coming from the burning of fossil fuels, according to the CSIRO. Within the context of energy production in Australian mining, the majority of mine sites in remote…

It’s inevitable that with advances in technology comes the need for transformation to take advantage of these technologies. Mining companies must regularly consider investing in their IT infrastructure to deal with an influx of connected devices, automated plant and equipment processes, and challenges of collaboration across geographically dispersed sites. There are also the complexities of managing mine asset themselves, from high production costs of extracting and processing minerals, investment in critical equipment, maintenance and labour, to fleet tracking, logistics and transportation, all whilst trying to hit targets and maximise ROI. Smart automation is essentially driving the need for asset owners to implement more efficient, more secure software that can help streamline their processes, including the real-time collection, analysis, storage and…

Brine mining has the potential to add a significant revenue stream to sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO) – and possibly be a more profitable business than the production of fresh water itself – while simultaneously reducing the amount of brine discharged into the sea and increasing SWRO plants’ freshwater output. That’s why Saudi Arabia’s SWCC recently announced a major initiative to start brine mining in connection with its Jubail 2 desalination plant, which in addition to fresh water is expected to produce two million tons of sodium chloride and 3,600 tons of bromine annually. Indeed, other SWRO operators from Spain to Indonesia are beginning to mine their brines. Other valuable chemicals extractable from seawater, albeit in smaller quantities, include magnesium…

GJ Drivelines in Victoria, guide the Australian Mining Review through the process of building a new driveshaft to replace a broken unit from a Volvo off-road loader. Driveshafts fail – that is a fact of life in the mining world. Continuous use, heavy loads, harsh conditions and the inevitable ingress of dirt all work to shorten the life of tailshafts, driveshafts and PTO shafts across the industry. In some cases, it is a lack of maintenance that causes the failure. The driveshaft featured in this article suffered from a universal joint failure, resulting from dry needle bearings that ultimately disintegrated and allowed the trunnion to tear out of its cap. This then caused the universal joint to break the flange…

Driveshaft failure can cause a machine to be out of commission for weeks, using a locally engineered and built driveshaft can dramatically reduce machine downtime and improve shaft longevity. In the vast and demanding landscape of mining and heavy-duty trucking, a reliable and robust drivetrain is essential for optimal performance and operational efficiency. Drivetrain, a renowned Australian company, is a prominent manufacturer of driveshafts, offering a high quality, cost effective and timely alternative to OEM options. With in-house engineering expertise, a commitment to Australian manufacturing, branches across the country equipped with state-of-the-art dyno testing equipment, fast turn-around times, and partnerships with industry leaders like Dana and Kessler, Drivetrain is a leader in the driveshaft industry. Kynetic Energy Drivetrain released their…