Timely and rapid intervention to underground combustion events (fires, explosions, and spontaneous combustion) is the key to the successful control of the mine atmosphere and restoring of a coal mine to production. The focus of this paper is the utilization of a GAG 3A jet engine system to combat either large out-of-control fires or to render an entire mine inert when access to problem areas is difficult or impossible.

Originally presented at Longwall USA 2005. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been studying their operational aspects with regard to dust control performance. This research has shown that dust control performance is highly dependent upon engineering control application parameters. This paper discusses these optimal control parameters observed from numerous NIOSH laboratory and field studies.

The new Anglo Grosvenor mine has aggressive production ramp up requirements. Therefore, the introduction of the longwall gate road entry driver machines at Grosvenor needed to be flawless. Anglo American needed an entry driver at Grosvenor that could deliver the high productivity of the Joy Global continuous cut and bolt machines in the U.S., while also meeting the challenges of the greater roof support density requirements in Australia without compromising safety and productivity. “With the Grosvenor Mine being a major new project for Anglo, and facing the head winds of a tough coal market, we have high expectations on Joy Global’s entry development equipment,” said Glen Britton, head of underground operations for Anglo American Coal.

The mining industry is changing rapidly due to the need to improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase safety. With these challenges in mind, Joy Global is helping bring mining performance to the next level. Through JoySmart Solutions, Joy Global helps solve its customers’ toughest challenges using data-driven intelligence, collaboration through partnership and experienced-based service execution. It is a solutions-based offering designed to help reduce costs and increase productivity for customers, while helping them achieve or exceed their operating and financial goals. JoySmart Solutions are integrations of our smart connected products and systems, advanced analytics and direct services customized to solve customers’ toughest challenges.

A mining customer’s maintenance strategies were producing good availability results, but to achieve consistency, the customer wanted better visibility on potential upcoming causes of downtime. In this tough environment, major component failure events need to be controlled to minimize impact against budget, and an enhanced solution was required to improve margins. Joy Global approached an existing customer about engaging in a trial period where the two would partner through the company’s JoySmart Solutions offering to improve machine reliability and avoid catastrophic failures on major components. The customer agreed to give Joy Global six months to prove the value of the offering at its coal mine in Australia. The JoySmart team proposed implementation of a newly-developed automated monitoring system that trawls through machine data with the ability to detect any changes in component behavior to predict an onset of failure.

Mining is an expensive business. The costs of equipment, fuel, payroll and maintenance add up quickly, and every dime spent detracts from the mine’s profits. You want to get the most out of your mining operation, so it’s in your best interest to make sure all aspects of your operation are performing as cost-effectively as possible. Caterpillar understands this challenge, and we have the expertise and technology to help you meet it. We asked our customers to identify their biggest sources of increased costs, and many of them gave us the same five answers: process variability, unscheduled repairs, fuel costs, collisions and shift change. In this paper, we’ve gathered brief explanations of each of these challenges and offered our advice on how you can measure and respond to them. In addition, we’ve included information on how Cat® technologies can help you get the lowest possible cost per ton from your mining operation.

Dexter Sand and Gravel is part of Delta Companies, a subsidiary of Colas USA. Delta owned another sand and gravel operation near the current Dexter, Mo., site that was running out of reserves. So in 2009, Area Manager Mike Martin and Delta Mining Engineer Scott Jinks started looking for a new site close to the old operation. They found it in Dexter, just two miles south of the old site. The company broke ground at the Dexter site in February 2012. By April, crews were pouring concrete for the foundations, and construction was underway in May. The site was producing sand by the end of July. Problem “This site is a great sand deposit with a small amount of gravel that is easily separated,” Martin said. “The challenge with this deposit is that it contains trace amounts of lignite.” Martin said that lignite, a material similar to soft coal, causes problems with concrete sand because it is lighter than the sand and essentially pops out as the concrete sets, causing voids in the finished concrete. Martin and Jinks were concerned with the quality issues caused by lignite and looked at viable options from several aggregate processing equipment manufacturers. Ultimately, they decided to work with McLanahan Corporation, which was represented in Missouri by Mike McCarron, Sales Manager for Continental Equipment. The team came together to design the plant and make sure the equipment could separate the lignite and make the desired products.

The coal business finished weak in 2015 and it's off to a slow start in 2016. The information contained in the 2016 Longwall Census reflects a market in turmoil. This report will give you a deeper understanding of the changing market and how you might be effected.

Originally presented at Haulage & Loading 2015, this is an overview of how targeted training at an ASARCO mining operation improved efficiency and safety.

Originally presented at Haulage & Loading 2015, this is an overview of using the Remote Asset Monitoring Process™ to use advanced technology and analytics to enhance equipment performance and reliability throughout equipment’s life cycle.

Originally presented at Haulage & Loading 2015, this presentation contains an overview of emissions regulations and strategies for meeting requirements while maintaining operational performance with diesel-powered equipment.

Originally presented at Haulage & Loading 2015, this is an overview of inspection and certification services for OTR wheel and rim management for safety, cost management, and maintenance efficiency.

Originally presented at Haulage & Loading 2015, this is an overview of setting up mining lowboy optimized for your operations specific operational requirements.

Originally presented at Haulage & Loading 2015, an overview of using suspension data to reveal suspension and structural frame performance, tire performance, running surface performance, ongoing maintenance requirements, and Instant indicators that lead to life performance evaluations.

The annual Crushing & Breaking Spec Guide is published by the editors of Rock Products magazine. It contains a comprehensive guide to major manufacturers' crushing and breaking product lines along with company contact information.

Third edition of this important book containing extensive information about preventing, detecting, and fighting fires in your mine. Complete with exhaustive examples and detailed information.

An in-depth look at the companies, trends, and market conditions surrounding the U.S. aggregates industry.

The annual Crushing & Breaking Spec Guide is published by the editors of Rock Products magazine. It contains a comprehensive guide to major manufacturers' crushing and breaking product lines along with company contact information.

This edition of The Best of Germany focuses on work being done by VDMA Mining member companies to give the best possible support to the global mining industry. German mining equipment manufacturers have taken great efforts to optimize operational safety of the machines. In cooperation with their worldwide customers, this leads to a unique level of safety, particularly for underground mining.. This also leads to substantial improvements in energy consumption, optimized endurance of machines and plants, and higher efficiency in total.

Rock Products' regular feature overview of the policies, conditions, and trends in the aggregates market.

Rock Products' regular feature overview of the policies, conditions, and trends in the aggregates market.

This Special Section appeared in May 2015 Rock Products and features comprehensive resources on Frac Sand geology, production, news, equipment and technology. Frac sand is a specialized sand that is added to fracking fluids that are injected into unconventional oil and gas wells during hydraulic fracturing. While the principal source for frac sand is the traditional glass sands of the Midwest that are primarily pure silica, the high silica content is but one of the necessary criteria. Among the additional specifications are requirements for high sphericity/roundness, a uniformly medium- to coarse-grain size, high crush resistance, low solubility, low turbidity, and good friability. Additional factors that influence the economics of frac sand mining are the deposit’s accessibility at or near the surface, areal extent and thickness, textural uniformity, nearness to trucking and rail transportation routes, and proximity to the active unconventional petroleum basins.

An overview of recent developments in the iron ore market with a forecast of the near future opportunities.

The first of six papers showing how a mining enterprise supported by a maintenance organization performing at the “world-class” level stands to reap many benefits including sustained, continuing productivity and profitability. Over the course of this series, the actions needed to achieve world-class mining maintenance status are explained in six consecutive steps that lead to recognition as a first-rate organization with productive employees performing quality work, and consistently reliable equipment to meet production and quality goals. Developed by Paul D. Tomlingson, maintenance management expert and author of the book, “Maintenance in Transition—The Journey to World-class Maintenance,”

International Lead and Zinc Study Group's (ILZSG) 2015 overview of the market's supply and demand for lead and zing along with a forecast of the market for 2016.

The AZFAB Dewatering Screen is designed to replace or enhance sand screws and deliver a dryer, cleaner fine aggregate product.

The AZFAB Dewatering Screen is designed to replace or enhance sand screws and deliver a dryer, cleaner fine aggregate product.

The AZFAB Dewatering Screen is designed to replace or enhance sand screws and deliver a dryer, cleaner fine aggregate product.

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Concrete Products' insightful forecast of the business climate for the concrete industry complete with an in-depth overview of the economic and regulatory issues impacting the concrete industry.

For coal industry professionals, 2015 brought bankruptcies, layoffs, and continued contraction in production. Coal Age's 2016 Annual Forecast analyzes the political, regulatory, and economic issues that continue to impact the coal market.

This paper illustrates the crucial importance of developing a checklist culture to identify and eliminate human error throughout the mining operations lifecycle. It highlights the drivers for checklist development, training, coaching, and execution, as well as case studies from high reliability industries that depend on procedures-based cultures, where precision operations are mandatory. It concludes with a detailed look at how the combined expertise of Check-6 can help the mining industry deliver on its business objectives – ensure decision makers and crewmembers get the job done right, done safe the first time, every time.

Check-6’s Performance Coaching program dramatically reduces processing facility’s MSHA violations, increasing production while lowering cost per ton through enhanced leadership mentoring and hands-on workforce engagement.

Check-6’s Performance Coaching program greatly accelerates mining company’s efficiency by enhancing the collaborative relationship between production operations and mobile maintenance.

An in-depth analysis of the issues driving the market for aggregates including an overview of the FAST Act and wide-ranging effects it will have on the industry. Vital reading.

With the broadest line of mining equipment in the industry, Cat mining systems work harder, last longer and help move more material at a lower cost.

Universal Industries capabilities video

Telsmith T-Series Cone Crushers are engineered to deliver un-compromising productivity, safety and ease of maintenance for maximum uptime in tough, abrasive aggregate and mining applications.

Telsmith Hydra-Jaw models combine a century of experience with the most advanced jaw crusher technology available today. From a distance, the most obvious element of the Hydra-Jaw® is the sculpted, low profile look. The result is a dependable, highly productive line of jaw crushers that are safe to operate, easy to maintain and deliver greater uptime availability

Introducing The T900 - Engineered by Telsmith, specifically for mining applications, the T900 is packed with the power you need to deliver high productivity with lower operating costs, allowing you to maximize the efficiency of your mining operation.

For over 100 years, Telsmith, Inc. has been providing the global mining and aggregate industries with crushing and vibrating equipment, modular stations and portable plants through integrated solutions designed to improve efficiency, profitability and safety. A global network of dealers and factory representatives are available to provide the right solution for aggregate, mining, industrial, or recycling needs, as well as the parts and service to keep Telsmith products running for decades.

In this video we will walk through the publisher client application which is a part of the Airgon Hosted solution.

For more than a century, aggregates and mineral producers have been using woven wire screen cloth to size their product. Recently, studies have shown that new screening technologies such as Flex-Mat 3 have proven that woven wire screen cloth cannot fully screen material in a crushing and screening operation.

Masaba creates innovative aggregate solutions whether it is sand, gravel, limestone or concrete, we offer the most efficient and safest material handling equipment that will increase the productivity of your site. With custom mining equipment and full service operations, we will perfect the process from crushing and screening to material handling and conveying to washing and stockpiling.

2012 USGS overview of the production of construction sand and gravel in 2012 along with information about foreign trade, transportation, recycling, and prices throughout the industry. Includes an look forward at the industry through 2013.

USGS overview of the production of crushed stone in 2013 along with information about foreign trade, transportation, recycling, and prices throughout the industry. Includes an look forward at the industry through 2013.

USGS statistical overview of crushed stone production in 2015.

USGS statistical overview of crushed stone production in 2015.

Published by The Heartland Institute. The rate of silica sand mining in the United States has increased in recent years, due in large part to the tremendous growth in hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas using horizontal drilling techniques. Some environmental activist groups and community organizers contend silica sand mining presents significant threats to human health and the environment. Scientific evidence strongly refutes such claims.

Published by The Heartland Institute. As many as 9,000 non-metallic mines operate in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin – approximately one mine for every 3,000 residents. Until recently, those mines have operated without opposition. But industrial sand mining recently has become a more contentious issue as environmental groups have taken note of the growing number of mines meeting the growing demand for the industrial silica sand used in oil and natural gas development, referred to as “frac sand.” In this Policy Study, the third in a series addressing frac sand mining topics, the authors specifically address the potential impacts of frac sand mining on public roadways.

Published by The Heartland Institute. Hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production has dramatically increased the demand for industrial silica sand, known as “frac sand,” available in great abundance in the Upper Midwest. As new sand mines and processing facilities are proposed, the policymakers and citizens of counties with frac sand resources are being asked to evaluate the potential economic benefits and costs of industrial sand mining.

Learn about the misconceptions Americans have about energy, “fracking” and the natural gas and oil industry. Americans’ energy misconceptions can have a direct negative impact the industry and our country’s future. From the author of Just the Fracks Ma’am, the Truth about Hydrofracking and the Next Great American Boom. AUDIO ONLY.

Midwestern demonstrates how to change a screen with a center in a separator screener.

Part 1 - An explanation of ISO 55000 and its many benefits for mining operations. Future post: Part 2 -Implementation of ISO 55000

Originally presented at Haulage & Loading 2013. Too often, haul truck operator trainees don’t retain enough of the knowledge they learn during training. That can lead to longer on-boarding cycles, lower productivity and potential safety problems in the mine. Blended learning – providing training via multiple modalities using a highly structured, building-block approach – shows promise in addressing this challenge. This paper highlights insights gathered over a three-year period from mines in North America and provides examples of blended learning in action.

Originally presented at Haulage & Loading 2013. This white paper explores proximity detection in the open pit mine being used effectively as an operator assist strategy which improves digging production through enforcement of best practices, although it is normally thought of first as a safety tool, and second as a step toward full automation when combined with object avoidance.

STT Enviro Corp engineers and supplies a range of cost effective environmental and industrial products and services. By combining the highest quality products with cost competitive prices we deliver superior customer value to the biggest and most respected names in the mining and oil & gas sectors. Plus, we are continuing to work to find ways for our customers to reduce their environmental footprint, cost effectively. We’re the experts in the engineering and design of chemical makedown systems and liquid and bulk material storage and handling. We’re also the experts in how to optimize these systems afterwards.

Monitoring systems detected excessive startup torque on a 4,200-foot underground-to-surface conveyor system at an Illinois coal operation. Site operators needed the issue resolved quickly to avoid months of potential downtime, as the system is the main production artery for the mine. Through data tracking, consistent monitoring and quick action, JoySmart Solutions experts quickly addressed the issue and devised a solution.

Implementing ISO 55000

Automated Drone Systems enable mining companies to automatically gather aerial data to measure aggregate stockpiles and assist with mine planning and quarry operations, leading to time and cost savings. This product data sheet provides an overview and specification for the Kespry Drone System.

Clarity® Synthetic EA Gear Oils are readily biodegradable high performance gear oils that meet EPA Vessel General Permit (VGP) requirements for environmentally acceptable lubricants. They are designed to give maximum protection in industrial gear applications on vessels and in environmentally sensitive areas.

Clarity® Synthetic EA Hydraulic Oils are readily biodegradable high performance hydraulic oils that meet EPA Vessel General Permit (VGP) requirements for environmentally acceptable lubricants. They are designed to give maximum protection in hydraulic equipment used on vessels and in environmentally sensitive areas.

Rando® HD oils are formulated with premium base oil technology and designed to give robust protection to hydraulic pumps in mobile and stationary systems.

FLSmidth installed Dorr-Oliver® flotation mechanisms to replace old technology at Mount Isa Mines in northwest Queensland, Australia. The results included increased copper grade and recovery, lower cost wear parts, and reduced maintenance costs. FLSmidth continues to invest in forced-air, mechanical cell design improvements and introduced the innovative nextSTEP™ rotor/stator to the mining industry in 2015.

This detailed ROI case study compares measuring aggregate stockpiles using traditional surveying to using an automated drone system. Whitaker Contracting is already saving 22% measuring their stockpiles with Kespry drones, while surveying 2X more frequently and spending 4X less time overall, with additional benefits to their business

This paper highlights an assortment of case studies and explains how arc flash hazards were identified, measured and mitigated at various industry facilities. Case studies will include: Compliance with IEEE 1584-2002 Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations along with regional workplace safety standards for a multi-site global cement manufacturer; Implementation of an Arcflash Reduction Maintenance System™ in an airlock section of a main switch room for a minerals processing plant upgrade; Investigation of an arc flash incident at a chemical processing facility; and a “Safety by Design” upgrade for the iron ore division of a global mining business. The paper will examine the plans and processes reviewed and considered, the strategy deployed to manage/reduce arc flash hazards, and then discuss lessons learned in the implementation of new systems to improve electrical workplace safety.

OSHA has recently added a new regulation: “Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution and Electrical Protective Equipment.” This paper will outline the background of the changes and offer best practices for how you can make your business safer by protecting against arc flash hazards.

The authors describe the application of remote isolation systems in mining industry conveyance systems and offers case study details where these systems have been installed.

Common myths and documentation regarding circuit breakers utilizing Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) gas interrupters and switchgear using this gas for insulation. Regulatory, operational and total life-cycle costs associated with this technology and safety from the perspective of not just the electrical workplace but the impact of SF6 designs on the business and the impact on the planet.

This paper is a case study outlining the experience of a multisite cement producer and their experience in implementing an enterprise-wide electrical workplace safety program, including compliance with the National Fire Protection Association 70E-2012 standard.

Overview of arc-preventative motor control centers and how they enhance personal safety, protect equipment and support more reliable operations.

Adjustable frequency drive offering from Eaton improved reliability and enhanced safety with a small physical footprint. Estimated monthly energy savings up to $45,000, as well as an integrated design contributing to reductions in material costs and timely delivery minimizing plant downtime.

Working with Eaton can help you better manage costs, mitigate risk, protect people and equipment.

Lehigh Hanson implements an enterprise-wide arc flash compliance program

The mining industry is a competitive business with operators competing to uncover every advantage. Perhaps the biggest step forward could come from an unlikely source. Read about 10 things you may not have known about LED lighting in mining operations.

An overview of how the Kespry Drone System makes can automatically calculate the volume of any type of stockpile. Automatically measure any type of stockpile using a drone, from aggregate materials like sand, stone, gravel and rock, to biomass products like pulp, timber, logs, and lawn and garden like woodchips, mulch and fertilizer, even landfill stockpiles.

Mining managers should beware the maintenance organization that attempts non-maintenance work like construction or equipment modification unless they are organized and qualified to do so.

How can mine managers best support mining maintenance?

Blog post on pipe handling safety in the underground hard rock mining environment.

High pressure water as an ore flow solution: A mining innovation partnership between MacLean Engineering and Newcrest's Telfer mine in Western Australia delivers the world's first-ever sub level water cannon. http://www.macleanengineering.com/media-en/the-rig-report/180-wc3-water-cannon

Immersive Technologies has released further detailed verified results arising from their work with key mining customers. In partnership with mine management teams across Australia, North America, Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia Immersive has delivered dozens of Continuous Improvement (CI) projects that have helped miners control costs, lift productivity and maintain safety standards. Verified in-pit gains over the last 12 month period include: US$1,100,000 haul truck fuel savings for a North American Mine 72% reduction in machine abuse events for a North American Mine US$500,000+ fuel savings at an Indonesian Mine US$770,000 tire life savings at an Indonesian Mine 68% reduction in haul truck down time for a Latin American Mine 4.9% spot time improvement at a Latin American Mine 31% reduction in equipment abuse events at an Australian Mine 5.1% excavator dig rate improvement at an Australian Mine 13% reduction in breakdown hours for excavators at a European Mine 72% reduction in breakdown hours for wheel loaders at a European Mine US$400,000+ Fuel savings in a Brazilian Mine 28% reduction in tire replacements saving US$1,500,000 in a Brazilian Mine 99% engine fire pass rate – global average after training

WorksiteVR™ has a relatively low cost of delivery with training environments that can be customized to deal with many worksite training challenges. • High learner retention and recall levels – Learning environment is highly focused, highly memorable and free from distractions. • Multiple learning style compatibility (seeing, hearing, doing) – To cater for various adult learning principles • Safe learning environments – No risk to personnel or property, educate learners in relation to hazards and their potential consequences. • Portability – Transported in a small suitcase sized package.

Cipta Kridatama Talent Development Manager, Gemilang Adi Perdana, said “with commodity prices going down, like many sites, we are looking at ways to cut costs and fuel consumption was identified as problem area. We were over budget by nearly 10,000 liters per month at one site and identified the contributors affecting fuel consumption. Operator skill level was the focus of the fuel efficiency efforts,” Perdana said. Fuel records for 30 haul truck operators were collected over a one month period and 18 of the 30 were over the budgeted liters per hour consumption. All operators were assessed using an Immersive Technologies, Advanced Equipment Simulator to establish a baseline, simulation based training then occurred followed by a reassessment. Once operators passed the reassessment they were put back in the field. After one month operators were assessed again to confirm retention of the new haul truck operating techniques.

Training for the Safest Operations: • Practice for a range of possible emergency situations in a safe environment • Increase confidence in reacting to emergencies • Significantly reduce your risk of LTIs and fatalities • Compliance Refresher Training

Drawpoint hang-ups represent significant impediments to getting the resource out of the ground in the safest, most expedient way, while oversize blocks of ore are tough for scoops to handle. So the business case for keeping the ore flowing is compelling. A MacLean blog post on addressing the gap between block caving animations and block caving real-life. www.macleanengineering.com

Everyday thousands of operators across the world begin their shift by assessing and responding to equipment issues before they begin operations but how can mine sites be sure pre-start inspections are properly completed and that safety, machine uptime and maintenance costs have not been compromised? A new interactive and virtual tool from Immersive Technologies has been launched to ensure effective and consistent training and assessment of operators on machine inspection routines. Early detection of equipment that is unsafe or worn saves on maintenance costs and reduces likelihood of injury, downtime or environmental damage. The new Pre-Start Inspection tool by the world leading mining simulation technology provider, Immersive Technologies, trains and assesses mining personnel on the correct identification and actions to be taken in relation to equipment issues. This tool allows operators to demonstrate competency when real world training is not possible and where mistakes are costly if undetected.

A well defined maintenance program provides guidance in the organization of mining maintenance. It defines, documents and verifies what all mine personnel must do, how, when and why to ensure cooperation and support of maintenance to yield consistently reliable equipment.

Whether it’s a low hang-up in a drawpoint, or oversize rock on the ground that’s too large for scoops to handle and too disruptive to get rid of with concussion blasting, it’s your secondary reduction rig that solves the problem and ensures that production isn’t held up. And when it’s not tasked with this mission, it can be put to use for ancillary drilling for mine services. www.macleanengineering.com

GEN-3 Feeds on MacLean Bolter: Ground support innovation delivers installation quality, safety, productivity & versatility http://www.macleanengineering.com/media-en/the-rig-report/179-gen-3-scissor-bolter-feeds

Learn how Whitaker Contracting use Kespry Drones to automatically measure the volume of stockpiles at their aggregate quarries, including 3D aerial models for mine planning, mine operations and mine safety.

Oversized hang-ups present significant challenges to ore flow for mine operators. MacLean’s comprehensive suite of ore flow solutions starts with Water Cannons as a first line of attack to bring down hang-ups; it progresses to low, medium, and highreach Blockholer drills for persistent hang-ups and secondary breaking; then moves to the Mobile Rockbreaker for fragmenting the oversize at source without blasting. www.macleanengineering.com

The team organization can yield many operations/maintenance benefits well beyond consistently reliable equipment.

An ideas instead of mining boom has a nice ring to it as a slogan, but what if mining booms and ideas booms are one in the same? http://www.macleanengineering.com/blog/getting-innovation-right

By using the business unit one person controls both operations and maintenance. Under specific conditions, there are real benefits.

Frustrated by its drilling costs, a U.S. mine agreed to let Joy Global run tests comparing our Montabert HC110 to a leading competitor’s hydraulic drifter, to see if the Montabert drifter could help the mine reduce costs while improving safety and performance.

Electric rope shovels are high value assets that carry ultra-high criticality in surface mining operations. In the current environment of depressed commodity prices, many customers are seeking opportunities to make investments in technologies that improve operational costs of these assets.

One of the biggest inefficiencies in the continuous mining process is waiting for a batch haulage unit to arrive and get into position. Any reduction in this wait time is time spent cutting and loading material. Understanding these delays is key to a successful mining operation, and is seldom obvious. A customer in the Midwestern United States recognized this inefficiency in its own operation, but could not achieve long-term results because whenever they focused and improved on one aspect of the process, the inefficiency seemed to take another form. The end result was no overall improvement.

Today’s mining market is a challenge, but Joy Global has the solutions to help mining operations reduce costs and increase productivity, while achieving or exceeding operating and financial goals. The company’s JoySmart Solutions are integrated offerings of its smart connected products and systems, advanced analytics and direct services, customized to solve the toughest mining challenges.

Joy offers a complete range of longwall equipment to suit the needs of mining operations worldwide. Globally recognized as the leading manufacturer of complete longwall systems, Joy provides its customers with a single, accountable source for shearers, roof supports, face conveyors, stageloaders, crushers and mobile belt tail pieces.

Through JoySmart Solutions, Joy Global helps solve its customers’ toughest challenges using data-driven intelligence, collaboration through partnership and experienced-based service execution. It is a solutions-based offering designed to help reduce costs and increase productivity for customers, while helping them achieve or exceed their operating and financial goals.

Joy Global Life Cycle Managment (LCM) solutions reduce mining costs by enabling us to partner with customers to optimize machine performance throughout the asset’s life cycle. Joy Global’s direct service teams work on-site and in local service centers to provide superior maintenance and repair services along with quality service products and consumables (SP&C) to meet the unique requirements of each mining environment. These teams work alongside mine personnel and recommend productivity-enhancing options and modernization's to help keep the asset available to achieve the lowest cost per ton throughout its life cycle.

Joy Global applies unparalleled experience, service capabilities, facilities and personnel for delivering “like-new” performance at a cost significantly less than purchasing a new machine. Partial rebuilds are designed to be flexible ensuring machine performance and minimizing downtime between major rebuilds. Machine rebuilds or exchanges can also be bundled per an agreed-upon schedule.

Construction TV spoke with Kespry's Director of Business Development, Grant Lee, about how Construction companies are using the Kespry Drone to track progress and conduct site surveys on the job site. Daily flights, aerial images, maps, 2D and 3D models provide construction project managers, general contractors and survey managers with the up to date reporting.

A few extra metres per day of advance can represent significant increases in the value of an ore body over a mine’s life, so rapid development isn’t just a buzzword, it’s now a business imperative. www.macleanengineering.com

With over 100,000 operator training sessions analyzed we know that less than 50% of experienced operators can recall the procedure to respond to an emergency machine failure. We can deliver over 90% pass rates through Immersive Technologies’ proven training solutions.

Steep declines in the price of coal have placed an emphasis on existing operators improving their productivity by improving cut sequences. Using an IM360 Advanced Equipment Simulator from Immersive Technologies an experienced operator trainer first observed the operators in the field and then operated the Continuous Miner to observe the unique conditions present at each of the mines. The trainer then developed a tailored curriculum within simulation, replicating coal tensile strength, rock bands, top height and other significant operational characteristics.

Making front suspension the standard, not the option: An increasing body of research is linking chronic Whole Body Vibration exposure to musculosketal disorders such as lower back pain, and these disorders are now the leading cause of chronic injury and absenteeism in the Canadian and US workforces. So for a mining industry facing prolonged pricing headwinds, keeping workers healthy and productive isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also essential to surviving the downcycle to prosper on the other side.

Learn how by using the Kespry Drone System, Lehigh Hanson is getting cost efficient and accurate measurements of their stockpiles every month, versus the quarterly measurements they were previously getting.

Hexagon Mining is the only company to solve surface and underground challenges by integrating design, planning, and operations technologies for safer, more productive mines. With its commitment to shape smart change, Hexagon Mining does not just imagine bridging the gap between short-term planning and operations, connecting eet operations with mine planning, or making analytics and business intelligence holistic and universal - it is making these solutions a reality.

MineSight 3D visualizes output from MS3D and other MineSight products. Core functionality includes creating and manipulating 2D and 3D data, editing, querying, and plotting/display of all types of geology and mining data.

Jmineops is the fleet management software at the heart of the Jigsaw solution. It is the window into your mining operations, providing critical information – all updated in real- time – allowing dispatchers, administrators and maintenance personnel to seamlessly interact with the Jigsaw Jfleet, J2guidance and J3autonomous solutions.

The development and application of systems that can protect drivers and operators from collisions in busy surface mines, particularly where large haul trucks are interacting with smaller personnel vehicles, has been a major industry focus in recent years. Companies committed to safer surface mining turn to SAFEmine, the leader in Collision Avoidance and Fatigue Monitoring systems, delivering extensible solutions that save lives. Currently protecting more than 20,000 vehicles in over 50 mines worldwide, SAFEmine provides a complete range of advanced traffic safety solutions for surface mining and sets the benchmark for Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS). SAFEmine offers an array of products and services that include CAS, real-time full-fleet tracking, fatigue monitoring, systems to protect clean up equipment around heavy rotating machines, and sophisticated displays that integrate vital safety information intuitively in cabins. • 360° protection at any speed or visibility • Best proven and reliable Collision Avoidance System in surface mining • Upgradeable and customizable to mine’s requirements • Cost effective, can reduce downtime and improve SAFETY SAFEmine CAS LIVE REPORTING Track TrackingRadar ShovelAssist Reduce collision risks SafetyCentre FATIGUE MONITORING FatigueMonitor COLLISION AVOIDANCE Increase productivity Global Support productivity

Hexagon Mining is the only company to solve surface and underground challenges by integrating the world's best measurement solutions with proven technologies for planning, operations, and safety. We bring surveying, design, fleet management, production optimization, and collision avoidance together in a life-of-mine solution that connects people and processes. Out customers are safer, more productive, and can make sense of their data.

SHAPING SMART CHANGE FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR MINE Hexagon Mining is the only company to solve surface and underground challenges by integrating design, planning, and operations technologies for safer, more productive mines. By combining the experience, leadership, and expertise of MineSight, Leica Jigsaw, SmartMine UG, and SAFEmine, Hexagon Mining delivers an unprecedented portfolio of technologies.

Senior MineSight Specialist Ernesto Vivas and Luis Zozaya, Chief Engineer, Cobre del Mayo, discuss how the alignment of mine planning with operation has dramatically improved performance at the Piedras Verdes mine.

Alois Geierlehner, Director Business Development Geosystems, explains how Hexagon mine360 is connecting planning, operations, geodetic slope monitoring, surveying, UAV, and radar-based monitoring systems for a holistic view of a mine.

UAS Sales Manager, Bryan Baker, and Mine Planning Specialist, Johnny Lyons-Baral, explain the many advantages of using UAS and point clouds in blast optimization and general mining operations.

Safety Product Line Manager Cyrille Sauvain discusses how Hexagon Mining’s collision avoidance and fatigue monitoring technology is helping mines to respond to the ever-increasing demands for safety.

Episode Description: Hexagon Mining is combining integration and innovation to deliver real-time information that makes mines safer and more productive. EVP Technology and Innovation, Glenn Wylde explains the highlights.

Hexagon Mining is unique among technology providers in integrating solutions for planning, operations, and safety. President Hélio Samora discusses how the company is helping mines to prevail amid tough economic times.

A discussion of how to overcome resistance to organizational change.

Enrique Sánchez, Asesor Técnico Senior Grupo México, explains how the company has seen unprecedented levels of efficiency and control at its Toquepala mine in Peru by integrating fleet management with mine planning.

EVP Technology and Innovation, Glenn Wylde explains how Hexagon Mining is solving miners’ most complex problems - from autonomous mining to distributed computing - by adopting technology and innovating.

Times may be tough for the mining industry but President Hélio Samora explains how Hexagon Mining’s integrated approach to technology is relieving pressure on customers.

EVP of Technology and Innovation, Glenn Wylde, explains how Hexagon Mining is integrating planning, operations and safety technologies to solve surface and underground challenges.

Mines in the Asia-Pacific region are not alone in seeking more from their operations: more productivity, increased safety and a healthier bottom line. Hexagon Mining is uniquely positioned to solve these challenges in the region, explains Hexagon Mining President Hélio Samora.

African Barrick Gold (ABG) needed help to address rising energy costs and tightening profit margins at its North Mara mine in Tanzania. North Mara is a high-grade open pit gold mine with a life-of-mine estimated at 10 years, and the potential to process 8,000 tonnes of ore per day.

In 2013, Mexico’s Cobre del Mayo (CDM) was attempting to solve common, yet complex issues at its open-pit copper mine in southern Sonora, 21 kilometers from the town of Alamos. CDM produces grade-A copper cathode, supplied as refractory, and vein-type ore for processing into concentrate. The mine is a copper porphyry system, structurally controlled by shear faulting with mineralization stockwork, disseminated and variable depth ranging oxidation.

The Pueblo Viejo gold mine in the Dominican Republic is a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Gold Corp., which hold 60% and 40% ownership respectively. The mine is operated by Barrick Gold and 2013 was the mine’s first full year of production.

Pan American Silver subsidiary, Minera Corner Bay, operates the Alamo Dorado open pit silver mine in Sonora, Mexico. Commercial production began on April 1, 2007. Production from Alamo Dorado generates most of its revenue from silver with the remainder from gold.

The Greens Creek mine, owned and operated by Hecla Mining Co, produces gold, silver, lead and zinc from an underground mining operation on Admiralty Island, Alaska. Employees must travel a 19-kilometer, single-lane access road to access the mine site, which is shared with ore haulage and freight trucks. Hecla sought a simple and robust way to augment its radio call-out procedures to increase driver awareness of approaching traffic and improve safety on the access road.

Teck is Canada’s largest diversified resource company and the number-two exporter of seaborne steelmaking coal worldwide

Effective planning helps maintenance to provide consistently reliable equipment to operations.

Learn how Kespry Automated Drones are used by aggregates companies for aggregate stockpile measurement, inventory management and mine planning, thereby saving time and money.

Description of essential planning steps: establishing criteria to help determine which work should be planned: discussion of scheduling procedures.

Criteria for planning work; Planning steps; Scheduling procedures.

Kespry Cloud makes it easy for Aggregates companies to measure cut and fill volumes, distances, areas, and perimeters, overlay PDFs and drawings on their maps, make annotations for collaboration, view contours, elevation maps, 3D models, inventory reports and more.

Read an article by Rock Products about how aggregates producers are quickly finding out that automated drone systems can improve how a company measures aggregate stockpiles, and save them a lot of money.

Situation – Today, many maintenance organizations are still not satisfied with the expensive, often complex and difficult to use information systems intended to help them control work. After many years problems still exist that should have been resolved long ago.

Discussion of why many fully-integrated industrial information systems fail to effectively support maintenance work control needs.

Maintenance supervisors have difficulty using work order system elements forcing them to use inadequate work control methods that provide neither control nor data required to develop essential information.

Watch a video about how Sully-Miller, an aggregates and asphalt company, part of Colas USA, is using Kespry's Automated Drones for mine planning and operations.

Information system elements are inadequate for some aspects of maintenance work control. But, maintenance organizations who have failed to define their programs and specify information needs have contributed to this problem.

Learn how Kespry's Automated Drones can assist Construction companies involved with asphalt production and road paving, including DOT (Department of Transportation) organizations.

The successful introduction of battery power to hard rock mining isn’t going to be about the correct choice of battery chemistry alone, it will be about engineering a battery propulsion system that is fit-for-purpose with the mining application and duty cycle, and one with maximum flexibility to allow for the rapid pace of battery technology advances that will inevitably open up options for diesel-free mine planning and retrofitting. http://www.macleanengineering.com/media-en/blog

A quality mine maintenance program is the best assurance that the 35% of operating costs typically spent on maintenance yields consistently reliable production equipment upon which mine performance depends. The accompanying Powerpoint presentation: Implementing the Plant/Mine Maintenance Management Program (93 slides) is provided as a professional courtesy to help evaluate your existing program or develop, document and implement a similar program. Additional Powerpoint presentations are available. A listing appears at the end of the presentation.

Read an article by Rock Products about how Whitaker Contracting uses Kespry's Automated Drone System to measure stockpiles at its three quarry operations.

Increase Profit and Reduce Risk - We provide a managed solution including trainers, consultants and supervision at the level you require. Capabilities: Risk Management. Instructional Design and Curriculum Development, Training Center Design and Management, Training Needs and Performance Analysis, Staffing - all levels and all roles, part time or permanent, Continuous Improvement, Workforce Development Planning (for mines, regions and educational institutions)

What can drones do for you? If you are wondering how drones can be integrated into your operations, we invite you to read our Drone Mapping Considerations whitepaper. It discusses our experiences in research and development of drone systems and offers advice on integrating drones into your business.

Learn how Kespry's Automated Drone System is a complete inventory management solution for aggregates.

Part 4 – Information Systems and Maintenance Work Control - Parts 1, 2 and 3 of this series established that many existing fully-integrated information systems do not provide adequate support of supervisor’s maintenance work control needs. Work order elements are too complex and time consuming for use in the ‘pressure-cooker’ working environment of maintenance supervisors. As a result many supervisors are using ineffective work control procedures that neither control work nor provide field data for required information. In turn, maintenance planners are compelled to prepare ‘official’ work order documents to capture missing data. Many planners are simply ‘work order administrators’ with no time left to plan. When management requires information, these planners may be ‘creating’ bogus information misleading management decision-makers. Since not all work requires planning, a simpler work order element for supervisors can meet their work control needs and also allow them to control all non-planned work. Information system problems are acknowledged by system developers but without being corrected. However, many maintenance organizations have contributed by not developing a well-defined maintenance programs and specifying their information needs. Instead, they have accepted and tried to use the generic information output of overly complex package systems. This ‘log jam’ requires corrective actions. An outstanding PC-based system that satisfies the supervisors work control requirements, returns planners to their full time planning tasks and creates essential information has been identified. The system developer’s introductory presentation was obtained and is attached.

The Kespry Drone System provides customers the tools needed during mine development to evaluate production potential and plan scheduling using PDF overlays, 3D Models, Contour Maps, Property Boundary Surveys, Geologic Borehole Locations - easily accessed and shared online with Kespry Cloud.

The maintenance workload is the identification of the essential work carried out by maintenance. When properly identified it avoids confusion by clarifying the nature of required work and, most importantly, provides a direct means of establishing the correct size and craft composition of the workforce required to carry it out.

Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) is one of the most effective ways to improve the impact of preventive maintenance. While traditional preventive maintenance can avoid some premature failures, RCM adds advanced condition monitoring technologies to identify potential failures far more quickly and accurately while concurrently identifying root causes to eliminate or reduce their impact. A series of 6 phases examines the implementation of Reliability Centered Maintenance.

Topolyst is an advanced desktop application designed to make easy work of extracting information and derived products from data collected by small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS, UAVs, drones). Topolyst works with point clouds derived Structure from Motion (SfM, dense image matching, point clouds from imagery, multi-ray, photogrammetry) point clouds. For sUAS data collection and processing, Topolyst picks up where point cloud generation tools such as PhotoScan and Pix4D leave off. Topolyst has a very rapid Return on Investment (ROI), paying for itself within just a few stockpile edit sessions.

Part 2 provides an outline of the eight (8) steps recommended for the implementation of Reliability Centered Maintenance.

When mining maintenance requires improvement an evaluation is the essential first step of the improvement effort and a guarantee of its success. The evaluation avoids guessing at what needs to be improved, how and the priorities of corrective actions. The result is a realistic plan of action instead of confusion, frustration, disappointment and no improvement. Here’s how to get started.

Part 3 of Implementing RCM discusses Identifying Critical Equipment; Reliability and identification of failure patterns and Responses to general failure patterns.

Learn how a power plant in North Dakota decreased their quicklime consumption & operating costs by almost $1 million annually. Highlights: Quicklime consumption decreased by over 10% annually; Reduced slaking system maintenance costs by $120,000 annually; Increased Sulphur scrubbing efficiency; Reduced Carbon footprint by 5,300 tons CO2 annually Increased slaking system throughput from 63% to 100% of name-plate capacity. The installed cost of the upgrade was under $200,000 – payback was less than 3 months.

Complete a free self-guided system review that provides you a customized report outlining simple, cost-effective ways to improve the operation of your dry chemical handling system.The System Health Check uses our expertise & data to help you take a proactive approach to identifying potential safety, reliability and process challenges before they become a problem.

The three forms of chemical lime are Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), Calcium Oxide (CaO), and Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). These three are directly linked, and together form what is often referred to as the Calcium or Lime Triangle.

Choosing the right lime slaker for your application is no easy task. Here you will find information on each type of lime slaker and we’ll help you to understand the advantages and disadvantages between Detention slakers, Paste slakers, Horizontal Ball Mills, Vertical Ball Mills and Mixtank/ Batch slakers.

Our optimization specialists devised an experiment to show exactly how important slaking temperature is to lime reactivity and lime consumption. The results of which are displayed in this case study.

Reliability Centered Maintenance identifies and applies maintenance responses to specific types of failures.

Updating the PM Program - RCM implementation will alter the nature of the PM program by changing the ‘detection’ processes. Inspections conducted on time-based intervals, for example, might give way to condition-based monitoring. Some time-based services might be supplemented with condition-based monitoring and some equipment might be subjected to redesign to better meet new requirements for reliability. Still other equipment especially of a non-critical nature might be allowed to run to failure. Explore these significant and worthwhile benefits.

Part 6 – Implementing Reliability Centered Maintenance describes the repair history capability and the use of analytical tools to support RCM implementation and ooperation.

The diversity of mining operations, experiences of personnel and numerous other factors may preclude standardizing mining maintenance terminology. However, a clarification of maintenance actions and procedures can improve common understanding and communication among all who perform maintenance, support it or depend on its effectiveness. Toward those objectives the following Mining Maintenance Terminology definitions are offered for your consideration. Any feedback can be incorporated into a revised document for subsequent publication. Contact: [email protected].

My 'best effort' at listing maintenance terminology was posted a few days ago. So far lots of 'views' and 'downloads' but very little 'feed back.' Let's take a second look and make this a document that proves mining maintenance really knows what we are talking about. Your input will be incorporated into a revised document for subsequent publication.

The primary purpose of posting Maintenance Terminology was to solicit feedback adding, modifying or removing the definitions listed. So far there have been numerous views and downloads and only one offer to add a definition. My 'best effort' at listing these definitions of common mining maintenance terminology warrants a closer look and some feedback. It seems important that mining maintenance establish that 'we do know what we are talking about.' And more importantly we inform those who rely on maintenance to know as well. Feedback to: [email protected]. A subsequent listing will incorporate your additions or modifications.

Learn more about the Patent Pending VERTIMILL® Retrofit Kit. VERTIMILL® slakers have been utilized as a premium lime slaker that eliminates the grit handling requirements and also produces a superior quality, more reactive, lime slurry. A typical VERTIMILL® slaker, as supplied from the factory, may allow short-circuiting of the fresh feed, resulting in large particle carry-over downstream. A small, but meaningful, percentage of the fresh feed will pass directly from the top of the slaking/grinding chamber directly into the Separating Chamber before effective slaking or grinding of the grit has occurred.

Drawing on a long history and solid foundation of shovel knowledge, Caterpillar is taking hydraulic shovels to even higher levels of performance. With new technologies, precise engineering and rock-solid construction, the latest generation of Cat® shovels deliver unprecedented levels of productivity and efficiency.

Choosing the right lime slaker for your application is no easy task. Here you will find information on each type of lime slaker and we’ll help you to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The Cat® 793 Mining Truck has a long-standing reputation as one of the most reliable haul road workhorses in the industry. One mine in the western United States recently put a pair of brand new 793F trucks to work. The results from their first full year of operation on the demanding Montana mine site are nothing less than spectacular.

With the introduction of the Cat 794 AC, more and more mines are discovering its advantages over existing 320-ton trucks. As these mines replace aging eets with Cat 794 ACs, they’re seeing substantial improvements in truck performance and cost per ton— without having to adjust their operations to a different sized truck or a different drive system. Here are seven ways the Cat 794 AC outperforms the most popular competitor in the 320-ton electric drive truck class.

The Cat® 797 Mining Truck has always delivered the industry’s lowest cost per ton. And it’s the truck miners count on when nothing else can get the job done. Of course, there’s always room to grow, so today’s Cat 797F is undergoing updates in the eld and at the factory that focus on reducing operating expenses and service needs, bringing your cost per ton even lower on every haul.

Today, mining companies are on the lookout for opportunities to improve productivity and ef ciency in every aspect of mine site operations. Here are three ways Cat® Terrain technologies have helped mining customers improve the productivity of machines, processes and people.

The productivity of your mine site hinges on the ef ciency of your load/haul system. Here are six ways Cat® MineStarTM technologies—including Cat Fleet and Cat Terrain for loading—can help you make sure that every truck gets loaded with the optimum tonnage, hauls it to the right place and works ef ciently all shift long.

Fatigue is a hidden hazard that affects most mine sites. Fight fatigue with this multi level approach. Get in-depth details on operator safety features of Cat Detect with this whitepaper.

Employing operational excellence to optimize underground haulage systems

Monitoring systems detected excessive startup torque on a 4,200-foot Joy underground-to-surface conveyor system at an Illinois coal operation. Site operators needed the issue resolved quickly to avoid months of potential downtime, as the system is the main production artery for the mine.

Contura Coal West, based in the Powder River Basin (western US), needed additional machines but did not have the capital budget to invest in new equipment. Contura did, however, have two idled shovels in the eastern United States it could relocate. To meet production requirements, these machines had to be moved, reassembled, upgraded and operational within eight months.

What kind of work does maintenance perform and how is it controlled?

Chevron Products Company has a competitive family of hydraulic oils. Our hydraulic oils, when combined with an effective maintenance program including system cleanliness, can help to improve productivity, reliability and uptime and help minimize costs including fuel costs, and in many cases create a material improvement to your bottom line.*

UNDERSTANDING THE BACKLOG - It is not . . . “the work we ain’t done yet” . . . as many think. Rather, it is a valuable management tool enabling workforce size and craft composition to be determined and labor more effectively managed.

This short PowerPoint tackles the many misconceptions about bolted tanks and leakage. Get the facts!

Fusing glass to the steel is unlike traditional coatings such as paints and epoxy that are superficial. Understand the difference.

Three dimensional animations integrated into a process plant computer-based training program can greatly enhance trainee understanding of process equipment. This is an example of an animation used as part of an overall training program for a plant that uses an air-swept vertical roller mill. This type of mill is typically used in cement plants. Para ver este video en español, haga clic aquí.

Eliminating Large Particle Carryover – Improving Milk of Lime Reactivity STT's Patent Pending VERTIMILL® Retrofit has exceeded performance expectations. After 8 months of operations: Elimination of large particle carry-over.; 16% reduction in lime consumption per ton of SO2 removed; Higher scrubbing efficiency was achieved (less SO2 discharged to the environment); Maintenance intervals and tank cleanout frequencies have been improved due to reduced largeparticle carry-over. This is a ‘Patent Pending’ improvement is suitable for all sizes of Lime Slaking VERTIMILL® in lime slaking duty.

Setting Maintenance Work Priorities - By setting maintenance work priorities, the relative importance of a single job in relationship to other jobs, operational needs, safety or equipment condition is established and a time period is assigned within which the work should be completed.

Joy Global debuts Joy 4LD loader for narrow vein mining

Joy Global introduces new Joy 22RU cutter for hard rock and industrial mineral applications

Joy Global presents new Joy hybrid diesel LHD line at MINExpo INTERNATIONAL 2016

Joy Global unveils new equipment, technology and services at MINExpo INTERNATIONAL2016

Joy Global rolls out JoySmart Solutions, integrated offerings delivering improved mine performance

Joy Global debuts highly versatile P&H 77XD Blasthole Drill

Joy Global unleashes first hybrid shovel, the P&H 2650CX

Joy Global introduces DynaMiner prototype featuring DynaCut technology for continuous hard rock mining

Joy Global debuts new Montabert drill attachment, the CPA 295

This video provides an example of the content and structure of a Performance Associates International computer-based operator training program. In this video, we focus on the user experience of our eLearning module for operators in a gold mill grinding circuit. This example demonstrates the following program features: • Language toggle controls. • Interactive process flowsheets. • Process descriptions. • Principles of operation. • Workbook feature. • Equipment (SAG mill) 3D animation. • Process variables. • Control loops. • Interlocks. • Alarms. • Interactive plot plan. The grinding circuit is just one of 11 modules included in the complete plant operator training program. Each individual module covers the technical aspects of a specific plant area. The program also contains modules presenting basic introductions to many applicable unit operations and a variety of basic mechanical skills. Additionally, detailed maintenance training modules cover each significant piece of equipment in the plant. A comprehensive training component to develop supervisory skills is included as well. Building, running, and maintaining a new plant is a significant investment. A work-force well-trained from top to bottom is the best way to protect that investment by ensuring a successful start-up and continued operations at peak performance. If you are building a plant and preparing your operators and supervisors for start-up and operation, please stop and ask the question “what components of this training program do I NOT want my operations team to be thoroughly familiar with?”

Although many mines and processing plants have sophisticated maintenance cost information systems, cost control relies ultimately on management actions based on the information such systems generate. A systematic management approach to solving problems and implementing solutions is the key to effective maintenance cost control

Founded in 1983, Performance Associates International (PAI) is the worldwide leader in mine and plant industrial training. Our custom interactive modules have improved start-up success and operations for hundreds of clients on nearly every continent. In this training module, we cover how activated carbon is used to concentrate gold and silver from pregnant leach solution. The concentrating process is based on the concept of adsorption, in which complex gold, silver, and (if present) mercury molecules are adsorbed—or adhered—onto small, millimeter sized particles of activated carbon. The adsorption process is carried out at atmospheric temperature and pressure. During the process, the metals migrate from a cyanide leach solution to the surfaces of carbon pores. In addition to the animation, this module includes an animated process flowsheet, process variable target ranges and control methods, as well as alarm response procedures. This module covers one area of a gold ore processing plant. In a typical plant of this type, there would be another 4 to 8 modules that would cover the other plant areas with each module containing the same type of training materials, but specific to that plant area. In the training environment, some concepts are difficult to explain using still 2-D or even 3-D images. When this is the case, we develop animations and/or simulations in order to ensure better transfer of knowledge to our trainees.

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS or drones) along with exciting new image processing algorithms are enabling a fundamental change in how stockpile volumetric computations are performed. It is now possible to create accurate three dimensional models of stockpile areas using inexpensive cameras carried by a low cost sUAS (drone). From these 3D models, volumetric computations are easily derived. These new technologies result in significantly lower cost of collection, improved accuracy and non-disruptive data collection. Best of all, they keep data collectors out of harm’s way with collection preformed from a low altitude drone.

What do you need to know to choose the right hydraulic oil to optimize you operations, and what are your options? Now that you’ve determined what properties are needed for your plant’s plastic products manufacturing machinery, have you considered the cleanliness of that fluid? Fluid cleanliness is important in hydraulic system, and particularly in precision equipment like plastic products manufacturing machinery operating at high pressure.

What do you need to know to choose the right hydraulic oil to optimize you operations, and what are your options? Now that you’ve determined what properties are needed for your plant’s plastic products manufacturing machinery, have you considered the cleanliness of that fluid? Fluid cleanliness is important in hydraulic system, and particularly in precision equipment like plastic products manufacturing machinery operating at high pressure.

Effective plant-specific computer-based training (CBT) used in a formal training program can make the difference between a successful start-up and a failure. Or, in the case of an existing plant, it can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of operating results—particularly if turnover of experienced personnel is a factor. Once the plant process design and control strategies have been established, equipment has been ordered, and the plant is either operating or under construction, the only major variable affecting success is the capability of plant operating personnel. It is essential that the myriad details concerning plant operation are documented in a comprehensive CBT system suitable for training the non-technical personnel who will operate the plant.

In this training module, Performance Associates International (PAI) covers the characteristics of a gyratory crusher that’s designed to be the first stage in the size reduction of run-of-mine ore. A gyratory crusher receives ore from a mine and crushes the ore between a gyrating main shaft and stationary liners called concaves. This module explains the gyratory crusher’s principle of operation and provides detailed descriptions of the major components and the role that each component plays in its operation. You'll learn how the drive system operates, the details of the dust sealing system, the importance of the various lubrication systems, and the two functions of the main shaft positioning system, or MPS. We’ll also explain the operation of the balance cylinders and how they’re designed to prevent oversize boulders from causing damage. We’ll also cover the apron feeder, which conveys the crushed ore from the crusher to a downstream discharge conveyor belt. The principle of operation and detailed descriptions of the components of the apron feeder—including the drive chains, pans, rollers, and an electric or hydraulic motor—are illustrated. This is one of many plant area modules that is covered in a typical PAI operations training module.

Read an article by Rock Products about Kespry's new Drone 2.0. Kespry Drone 2.0 flies over 30 minutes per flight, covering up to 150 acres at a 400 foot altitude, and can operate effectively in up to 25 mph sustained winds and 35 mph wind gusts. Aggregates customers like Lehigh Hanson have shared that by using Kespry Drone 2.0, they'll be able to map larger areas faster.

Determination of equipment availability levels to meet production targets is strongly influenced by the quality of maintenance support. But for maintenance to deliver reliable equipment and operations to meet production targets, mutual understanding of the elements that impact availability is essential. Comments on the illustration are most welcome.

Addition of nano-sized WS2 additives to oil enhances the performance of the oil, reduces metal wear and increases productivity of engines and hydraulic equipment. Fleet trials have shown the product's value in a range of engines in different vehicle sizes.

As a fledgling democracy in a resource-rich nation, stability and continuity is important for the future development of Mongolia. Techenomics Mongolia is one of a number of mining technology companies playing a part in Mongolia's ongoing growth.

A trial of the use of nano-sized WS2 oil additives in various fleet vehicles operated by a council in a mining area of regional New South Wales, Australia, has demonstrated considerable cost savings for the council and important environmental benefits. The trial showed that the additives increase the life of the oil, and its performance, thereby boosting productivity and reducing maintenance costs. The additives reduce friction and limit metal wear. They are reduce the production of harmful emissions, thus reducing the council's environmental footprint.

What would it mean to your process if the variation in your key process variables could be cut in half? For example, consider greatly reduced variation in: • Leach circuit pH. • Thickener flocculant concentration. • CIL circuit cyanide concentration. • Cyclone feed density. Do your operators know if variation is random or non-random? If your operators were more familiar with the process control methodology, would it make a difference? What would be the result if your operators could troubleshoot and optimize each process control loop? At Performance Associates International (PAI) we believe that if the process variables in the plant are controlled at or very near their individual target ranges, the plant should be operating at near optimal efficiency. This translates into the lowest operating cost per unit production. This white paper describes how PAI approaches this component of training for your specific plant. We train on your process variables, their target ranges, the method of controlling those process variables, as well as the impact on the process if the process variables are not properly controlled.

Far too often, natural resource companies start up new plants without a properly trained operations and maintenance team. The results can be disastrous for both safety and revenue. Obviously the ultimate objective is a plant that operates in a safe and profitable manner. In most cases, the pre-start-up safety training is satisfactory, resulting in few if any accidents during start-up and ongoing operations. However, many plants drop the ball when it comes to properly training operations and maintenance personnel. The payback on a properly executed training program far outweighs the cost. If you are going to budget for high-quality engineering, efficient procurement, and experienced and proven construction management (including commissioning), why leave training open to chance? Performance Associates International (PAI) developed an extensive operations and maintenance training program for Torex Gold’s El Limón-Guajes project in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. In 2015, PAI industry training specialists traveled to the project site to carry out the training for Torex Gold employees in anticipation of plant start-up and gold production. The venture was a “massive success,” according to Nelson Bodnarchuk, Director, Operational Systems. This video tells the story of that success, including generous feedback from the executive officers at Torex recognizing our role in the partnership.

These recommended duties and responsibilities of key maintenance personnel provide guidelines for efficient maintenance interactions and interdepartmental cooperation that can enhance the overall maintenance performance,

Con demasiada frecuencia, las compañías de recursos naturales ponen en marcha plantas nuevas sin contar con un equipo de operaciones y mantenimiento debidamente capacitado. El resultado puede ser desastroso tanto en términos de seguridad como de ingresos. Obviamente el objetivo fundamental es una planta que funciona de forma segura y rentable. En la mayoría de los casos, la capacitación sobre seguridad que se da antes del arranque de la planta es satisfactoria, resultando en pocos accidentes (o ninguno) durante la puesta en marcha y operaciones subsecuentes. Sin embargo, muchas plantas son negligentes cuando se trata de la buena capacitación de su personal de operaciones y mantenimiento. Un programa de capacitación bien ejecutado compensa con creces los costos de ejecución del mismo. Si se va a presupuestar una ingeniería de alta calidad, un proceso de adquisición eficiente y una gestión de construcción experimentada y comprobada (incluyendo el comisionamiento), ¿por qué dejar a la suerte la capacitación? Performance Associates International (PAI) desarrolló un programa de capacitación por computadora comprensivo, el cual abarca operaciones y mantenimiento, para su planta de oro El Limón-Guajes en el estado de Guerrero, México. En el 2015, los especialistas de capacitación industrial de PAI viajaron al lugar del proyecto para entrenar a los empleados de Torex Gold en anticipación de la puesta de marcha de la planta y la producción de oro. El emprendimiento fue un “éxito masivo,” según Nelson Bodnarchuk, Director, Sistemas Operacionales. Este video cuenta la historia de ese éxito, incluyendo comentarios generosos de los oficiales ejecutivos de Torex, quienes reconocen nuestro papel en la colaboración.

Dry drilling on MacLean Small Section Bolter - In 2015, MacLean worked with Petra Diamonds’ Finsch mine in South Africa, the second largest diamond mine in the RSA, to develop a dry drilling option that was required for Finsch’s unique application / mine plan needs. www.macleanengineering.com

For more than 122 years, Whitmore has been providing high quality performance products to industry. We continue to set the protection standard for the lubrication and reliability industries in the most adverse conditions and demanding environments. Whitmore is a leading provider of innovative products and services which increase the reliability, performance and lifespan of industrial assets. We manufacture reliability products, high performance lubricants, friction modifiers, rail lubrication equipment, lubrication management systems and cleaners designed to meet the specific needs of each industry and application.

This paper is an introduction to AirGon’s Bring Your Own Drone (BYOD) Mapping Kit. This kit contains all of the software components and training that you will need to conduct successful mapping operations using a DJI Phantom or Inspire. While it is unabashedly an advertorial for our products, I think you will also gain understanding of where low cost drone mapping can be effective and the steps you will need to take to execute a project.

Learn how Peckham Industries uses the Kespry Automated Drone System to measure stockpiles. Before discovering Kespry, surveys were done once a year at a handful of locations. Today, they can measure stockpiles whenever they’d like and as often as they’d like.

The availability of skilled mining workers is a common struggle in many countries throughout the world, impacting mining productivity, safety and ultimately profitability. Many countries are forecasting dire shortages in the coming years due to unskilled talent pools, an aging workforce and increased mining production. The development of training programs is a key focus for governments, mines and educational institutions. In support of this industry challenge, Immersive Technologies’ solutions have proven to be vital at numerous training centers around the world. In this case study one customer shows how the introduction of a simulation based training center accelerated operator learning and retention. Over the past five years this type of training center has been on the rise for Immersive Technologies. More case studies are available by emailing [email protected]

What are your operators really costing you? Operator skill and behavior directly affects site safety, tire life, bucket fill, machine availability, fuel usage, cycle times and machines repair & maintenance costs. Successfully managing each of these aspects can be the difference between a mine that is profitable and one that is not. Immersive Technologies can show you the financial gain of improving each of these through Operator Optimization on your mine. We’ve done it many times before. We’re yet to find a mine that has no opportunity for significant financial gain.

Simulation based operator training has been successfully applied to a range of diverse industries where high risk and high costs are everyday issues requiring smart solutions. Whether piloting a plane or launching a space shuttle, simulation training has been proven to dramatically reduce risk, cost, unscheduled maintenance, increase trainer effectiveness and efficiency while maximizing productivity. Within the often hazardous mining industry, simulation training has quickly gained recognition as a significant method of increasing site safety and profitability through improved operator skill and knowledge. Simulators provide operators a safe environment to learn and practice their skills while allowing the operator to practice for a range of possible emergency situations. Many of these situations are too dangerous, too difficult or too expensive to test in an actual mine. Operators can also be shown and assessed for the proper operating technique much more quickly and accurately than the traditional in machine approach. Focus on improving operator technique with Immersive Technologies’ simulators has delivered proven results including longer tire life, reduced spot time, reduced brake abuse, improvements in fuel use, reduction in engine overspeeds and more. Simulator training allows operators to be shown and assessed without the need to borrow machines from production. This allows new operators to practice many skills before being placed into a production circuit. Because operators are consistently shown and assessed on the proper operator techniques they have a better understanding and knowledge of the real machine. Following Immersive Technologies release of the world’s first mining dump truck simulator in 1998, their customer results, support network, machine range, global mining footprint, level of realism and OEM endorsements are without equal in the industry. Highlighting the benefits of simulation training, four leading Original Equipment Manufacturers, Caterpillar, Hitachi, Komatsu and Liebherr have chosen to exclusively sign technical information licensing agreements with Immersive Technologies, providing access to proprietary technical information necessary to accurately replicate the operation of their mining equipment. After significant supplier evaluation each major OEM has chosen to exclusively recommend Immersive Technologies' Advanced Equipment Simulators. This unprecedented support and commitment from the OEM's has helped to firmly entrench Immersive Technologies' Simulator technology as the industry leader. This provides customers the comfort of knowing they are investing wisely in a proven and accepted technology that is here to stay. As the world’s largest supplier of mining equipment simulators, Immersive Technologies’ has a customer base that includes many of the world’s leading mining operations, mining contractors, training schools and original equipment manufacturers. Widely recognized as the global industry standard, Immersive Technologies’ has extensive experience in delivering complete training solutions to the mining industry with measurable safety and business improvement outcomes. Immersive Technologies has worked closely with thousands of mining training professionals, managers, and executives to deliver comprehensive solutions that have been proven to improve safety and mine profitability.

Optimisation and productivity are buzz words in mining at present and they also apply to maintenance. In order to have sustainable mining operations, it is important that due attention is given to optimising maintenance, which Techenomics does with its oil analysis, condition monitoring and fluid management services, complemented by the tungsten disulphide additives it distributes.

The annual Crushing & Breaking Spec Guide is published by the editors of Rock Products magazine. It contains a comprehensive guide to major manufacturers' crushing and breaking product lines along with company contact information.

483 MSHA reportable injuries involving jacklegs occurred at US mines between 2003 and 2012, according to a recent study published by NIOSH (Clark et al., 2016). And these are just the reportable injuries - if you consider the “Heinrich Safety Triangle”, this can be viewed as the tip of the iceberg. What are the options for mechanization?

Any maintenance improvement effort should be initiated with an evaluation to identify and prioritize essential improvement needs. Comparing current performance against proven standards is an effective means of evaluating to establishing a realistic improvement plan and guide the improvement effort.

Competition among industries has become globally oriented. Thus, every industry will be examining how they can become more profitable. Increasing the productivity of equipment will be among the logical steps. In turn, older, less productive equipment will be replaced. Modern production equipment will be expensive as well as more complex. Thus, as new capital outlays are considered, there must be more careful consideration than ever before. The singular economic approach to replacing equipment involving primarily accounting personnel must give way to a company team approach. To assure that the best equipment for the job at the best price is purchased, economic as well as performance considerations must be weighed. Maintenance is especially sensitive to this requirement since the new equipment is likely to have many new technological advances that will make it more difficult to maintain. Thus, new maintenance techniques must be introduced and maintenance personnel must be properly trained in applying these techniques. Therefore, plant managers should provide policies that ensure each department recommends features of the new equipment that impact performance and maintenance. Although decisions must embrace performance and maintenance, acquisition cost and long term capital expenses remain an important ingredient. Then, as team decisions are made, there will be better assurance that the right choices are made and that the equipment will effectively support the productivity and profitability requirements of the future

There are no world class maintenance organizations. Rather, there are ‘world class’ mining organizations that include a world class maintenance organization. Maintenance, by itself, is a service-provider. When that service is exceptional, it is made that way because maintenance is operating in a mining environment that requires it to be exceptional. Mining managers will have created a working environment in which maintenance can be exceptional. They have caused operations to accept responsibility for the effect utilization of maintenance services and staff departments like warehousing or purchasing to provide exceptional service because it is expected of them. World class status is only achieved when there is a total operation effort.

A fragmentation model developed in-house by Dyno Nobel was employed to model the fragmentation that would result from changes in the various blast design parameters.

The use of SHA (Signature Hole Analysis) and electronic detonators allowed the mine to dial in optimum timing sequences regardless of the number of holes per delay, resulting in reduced vibration and better digging rates allowing for faster removal of overburden.

As a new mine starting up development, this gold mine in Northern Ontario used much of the blasted rock for infrastructure in building up roads and construction pads.

This operation was undergoing a complete review of its blasting practices and blast designs in order to ensure the most optimized results were being achieved.

Using Differential Energy, Dyno Nobel was able to reduce the number of boulders at a quarry without adding more blast holes.

Learn how aerial data is collected by drones at Lehigh Hanson, one of the largest aggregate companies in North America. Free online webinar January 17th at 11am PST. Register here.

MacLean Hard Rock Equipment R&D Report: The last 12 months at MacLean have seen the culmination of a two-year phase of intense product development activity, including fleet electrification; face bolting on the MacLean 975 Omnia Bolter; and, a new, ultra-versatile utility vehicle for high reach/heavy load applications - the MacLean LR3.

Columbia Steel manufactures long-lasting wear parts for the world's most demanding industrial equipment. We invite you to learn more about our company, its people, its products and unwavering guarantee.

Columbia Steel manufacturers wear parts that go the distance in the world's most demanding industries. We work hard to make to make long-lasting castings that our customers have come to expect and demand. Tough Customers Welcome.

Columbia Steel manufactures long-lasting wear parts for the world's most demanding industrial equipment. We invite you to learn more about our company, its people, its products and unwavering guarantee.

Columbia Steel manufacturers wear parts that go the distance in the world's most demanding industries. We work hard to make to make long-lasting castings that our customers have come to expect and demand. Tough Customers Welcome.

Columbia Steel manufactures long-lasting wear parts for the world's most demanding industrial equipment. We invite you to learn more about our company, its people, its products and unwavering guarantee.

Tank Connection’s precision bolted RTP (Rolled, Tapered Panel) silo was designed to house granulated blast-furnace slag at this terminal in Australia. It is 44’ wide and 107’ in height. The tank has a volume of 93,566 cubic feet. It was erected using Tank Connection’s synchronized jacking process, which keeps crews at ground level and commands the safest field installation rating in the industry.

Tank Connection is a global leader in Dry Bulk Storage solutions and processes. Our bolted RTP storage silos are precision engineered, won't leak, feature a smoothwall tank interior, are manufactured with a powder coat system, and have unlimited options. Construction of our silos is at grade-level using a proprietary synchronized jacking process.

This multiple tank load-out terminal features 4 precision bolted RTP silos 27 feet in diameter and 85 feet tall. For lime storage, we lead the industry in turnkey storage systems for limestone, lime, hydrated lime, pebble lime and quicklime applications. When you are looking for a mineral storage tank system, you can't beat the quality and service provided by Tank Connection.

With a dizzying array of letters, numbers, markings and ratings, purchasing new construction or mining tires can be a challenge. But there are definite benefits to learning the terminologies as tire styles can differ greatly, and so can their intended uses. Familiarizing yourself with the tire codes and acronyms to make an informed decision will ultimately lead to increased productivity and longevity of your tires. Learn more in our Tire Codes 101 white paper.

The Van der Graaf Brush Belt Cleaner offers a belt cleaning solution to remove residual materials from conveyor belts without the wear and tear of a conventional belt scraper. The compact, low profile design provides space savings, efficiency and reliability with virtually no maintenance. As a one component brush assembly, it can be easily installed behind the head pulley or inside the belt conveyor frame. This durable drum motor design is entirely sealed from the most challenging cleaning environments, providing a completely reliable, less complex solution.

The purpose of this experiment is to compare efficiency, losses and overall energy cost between a conveyor powered by the conventional motor/gearbox conveyor drive and a conveyor powered by the internally driven drum motor.

Pinetree Power, a subsidiary of GDF Suez Energy North America, in Fitchburg, MA, upgraded their conveyor drives to Van der Graaf Drum Motors. This upgrade allowed them to free up between 300 and 500 homes worth of electricity, increasing their revenue, while lowering operating and maintenance costs.

Drum Motors for Mining and Aggregate Applications Requiring High Power Conveyor Drives The rugged design of the Van der Graaf drum motor is ideal for the harsh and abrasive environmental conditions of the mining and aggregate handling industry. The drum motor encloses all moving parts within an oil bath that prevents dust and grit from wearing out key components. The benefit of this design eliminates the maintenance required on conventional exposed conveyor drives. • Engineered for Harsh Abrasive Environments • Lower Energy Costs • No Maintenance • Up to 300 HP

Van der Graaf is a leading designer and manufacturer of specially engineered drum motors. Built to endure the demands of the bulk handling industry – from ship loading, to power generation, to surface and underground mining. Van der Graaf products are manufactured and marketed worldwide through a respected international network of distributors. As the leading global supplier of conveyor belt drives, Van der Graaf has proven to be highly intuitive in projecting and reacting to changing market demands. The Extreme Duty Series offers a conveyor drive in which all components are housed internally. This advanced design eliminates the need for external features including the motor, gearbox, sprockets, chain, chain guard, and pillow block bearings, making it ideal for the harshest of environments. The Van der Graaf Extreme Duty Mining Series incorporates the benefits of a tried and tested drum motor with an increase in power and capacity. This durable design is entirely sealed from the most challenging work environments, providing a completely reliable, less complex, and virtually maintenance-free belt drive solution.

Syntron Material Handling - Link-Belt idlers

Syntron Material Handling - Link-Belt underground catalog

SMH provides quality Syntron Heavy-Duty Feeders for all your Material Handling needs

Syntron vibrators off an efficient, cost-effective means to maintain free flow of product from bin, hopper and chutes, with a direct and positive result on the bottom line.

Syntron Material Handling is the answer for all you Coal Mining Material Handling needs.

Link-Belt is the industry standard for screw conveyors, feeders and components. We make a complete line of screw feeders, conveyor screws, troughs, trough ends, hangers, bearings, shafts, seals and drives.

Link-Belt bucket elevators manufactured by Syntron Material Handling have long been the industry standard for any bulk material elevating application. Service-proven performance under the most demanding operating conditions in thousands of installation from rural grain elevators to large manufacturing and processing plants...the result of over 100 years experience as and engineering pioneer and leading manufacturer.

Let SMH be your source for all Link-Belt and Syntron Aggregate Industry needs.

Syntron Material Handling Working with Hoppers

Let Syntron Material Handling be your source for all Syntron and Link-Belt replacement parts

Successful implementation of Reliability centered maintenance (RCM) creates circumstances that sharply increase the equipment problem detection capabilities of preventive maintenance. In turn, gains in the ability to plan more work help maintenance to deliver consistently reliable production equipment for its mining operation.

The authors describe the application of remote isolation systems in mining industry conveyance systems and offers case study details where these systems have been installed.

This paper will explain some of the physiological aspects which give us our hearing capabilities. It will also describe how damage to the ear should be considered as part of an electrical safety program, as well as potential methods for reducing the hazard.

Customer success story on Deilmann Haniel explaining how Eaton increased safety and operational performance in a difficult climate.

Overview on how to improve flexibility; maximize space while lowering total installed cost of supports in electrical, mechanical, and plumbing (MEP) facility-subsystems.

FLEET ELECTRIFICATION THAT CONNECTS THE MINING CYCLE TO THE BATTERY CYCLE: The MacLean approach to battery propulsion is built on giving our customers access to best-in-class battery, electric motor, onboard charging, and vehicle analytics technology, and then successfully integrating these components into mobile underground equipment by leveraging our multi-discipline engineering expertise, hard rock mining knowledge, and custom manufacturing experience. In other words, you can’t just understand the battery cycle, you need to understand the mining cycle in which it will be used. This is how MacLean has developed battery power, engineered for life underground.

As construction equipment has grown in the last couple decades — in size, power, weight and speed — so too has the need for off-the-road tires that can keep up with the increased demand. As such, a tire market that was comprised of 100 percent bias designs only a couple decades ago has now moved primarily to radial for larger earthmoving equipment. While radial technology outperforms bias in many instances (justifying the increased cost), bias tires, when used in the proper application, can provide significant cost savings and performance benefits over radial — proving the latest isn’t always the greatest.

Site simulation, Volvo articulated haulers and excavators, and flexible financing from Volvo Financial Services play a pivotal role in a family-owned garnet mining business.

The Volvo A45G articulated hauler is designed to be both powerful and productive, while remaining incredibly nimble and efficient. The A45G — powered by the latest Volvo D16, Tier 4 Final engine — boasts 469 horsepower (350 kW) and is capable of 45-ton payloads. New improvements include the Volvo Dynamic Drive system, which provides an enhanced gear-shifting strategy that increases customer fuel efficiency by 3 to 10 percent. New standard safety features include Hill Assist and a dump support system.

The A60H, the new 60-ton articulated hauler from Volvo, opens increased production opportunities and cost savings potential. The 673-horsepower (502 kW) Volvo D16J engine offers ample power, and the active hydraulic front suspension, hydro-mechanical steering and high ground clearance at the articulation joint allow for easy navigation of tough terrain. A range of new features come standard, such as Hill Assist, a dump support system, on-board weighing and serviceability improvements.

The new 75-ton EC750E excavator from Volvo boasts significant improvements to power, productivity and efficiency compared to its predecessor. It is equipped with the Volvo D16J 516-horsepower (392 kW), Tier 4 Final engine, providing an 11 percent increase in horsepower and 7 percent increase in digging force. Its 5 percent gain in fuel efficiency enables higher production at a lower cost per ton. A 4 percent boost in hydraulic flow is made possible by its new electro-hydraulic control system that reduces loss of flow and pressure for increased production.

Is bigger always better? When it comes to articulated haulers, the industry certainly seems to be moving in that direction. While capacity increases can boost production numbers, and ultimately reduce cost per ton, there are many more factors at play that must be evaluated by a fleet manager to ensure the site can reap the rewards of a larger machine. Learn how site simulation and telematics can help you determine the ideal size hauler fleet for your aggregate site.

Site simulation, Volvo articulated haulers and excavators, and flexible financing from Volvo Financial Services play a pivotal role in a family-owned garnet mining business.

LP360 for sUAS is an advanced desktop application designed to make easy work of extracting information and derived products from data collected by small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS, UAVs, drones). LP360 works with point clouds derived from LIDAR systems as well as Structure from Motion (SfM, dense image matching, point clouds from imagery, multi-ray, photogrammetry) point clouds. For sUAS data collection and processing, LP360 picks up where point cloud generation tools such as PhotoScan and Pix4D leave off. LP360 has a very rapid Return on Investment (ROI), paying for itself within just a few stockpile edit sessions.

Confusion abounds on the determination of which maintenance work should be planned and scheduled. Two major problems exist: 1 - When all new maintenance work is routed to the planner, he is buried in the process of sorting out which jobs should be planned and dealing with the volume of those that don’t. The immediate result is that this distraction prevents him from adequately planning the jobs that demand to be well planned. 2 - Maintenance supervisors, on the other hand, wait while planners sort through the ever increasing volume of new jobs only to find that many initially small, simple jobs have now deteriorated into near emergencies requiring them to deal with a new volume of crisis actions. What’s the solution?

Effective maintenance should provide consistently reliable production equipment to meet production targets and contribute to a profitable operation. Not happening? There is a remedy.

Education – A Counterbalance to the Mining Maintenance Challenge. The already difficult circumstances of mining maintenance are compounded by remote locations, indigenous workforces, recruitment of management personnel and a whole range of difficulties, some unexpected. Many of these adverse circumstances can be offset by educating the mining workforce on how they can help to make maintenance more effective. Please see the Mining Maintenance Management Course.

Titan is the only company with the ability to design, test and produce both wheels and tires for OTR markets. For a complete lineup of Titan's OTR styles and sizes, download the databook now.

Unified Screening & Crushing Crushing Parts Brochure 2017 http://www.unifiedscreening.com/

In this webinar, we answered questions received at CONEXPO about how our automated drone system works and discussed common use cases and data insights for the Aggregates and Construction industries. Questions were submitted before and during the webinar. Watch the video recording here.

The maintenance supervisor holds the most difficult job in mining. Don’t think so? Then consider his daily situation.

Consider the impact these five educational steps could have to help improve maintenance performance. Initially, clarify internal maintenance actions. Then specify help needed from other departments. Finally, secure the dedicated overall direction from mine management in a mine-wide coordinated maintenance effort

Since its inception, AirGon (a wholly owned subsidiary of the GeoCue Group) has focused on high accuracy small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS or drone) for surface mine, industrial and construction site mapping. As our customers have requested more and more services from us, it became evident that their requirements are not always mapping solutions where high network accuracy is required but where relative accuracy can suffice. The prime examples are volumetric analysis and orthophotos for planimetric mapping. These products do not require high network (absolute) vertical accuracy so long as a known scale can be achieved. Whether you are the owner/operator of a site or a service provider to the site, our BYOD (Bring Your Own Drone) Mapping Kit is intended for just these applications. Rather than acquiring all the necessary components in a piecemeal fashion resulting in a steep learning curve, our BYOD Mapping Kit includes all of the surround components necessary to perform local (relative) accuracy mapping with a user supplied low cost drone such as the Phantom or Inspire.

Solving the Mystery of Improving Maintenance Maintenance often represents over 35% of total mine operating costs. Yet, little is known by the general mining population of the details of what maintenance does, how they do it and the help, support and cooperation they require. Many see maintenance as a ‘closed book.’ Herein are both the problem and the solution. Maintenance has done little to explain what they do, how they do it and specify the help that they need.

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Establishing a strategic tire management plan is crucial for companies with large fleets of equipment. Each machine requires a unique tire replacement schedule, and managers who develop a tire buying and maintenance strategy are ultimately more productive than managers who wait until a problem occurs. Throughout the life span of a piece of equipment, tires need to be replaced more frequently than any other component, and as such, their efficient life cycle management offers arguably the greatest opportunity to control costs. With a well-informed and well-defined tire maintenance and replacement strategy in place, a fleet manager can proactively manage these valuable equipment assets, while reducing the costs associated with unplanned downtime. Here are five steps to help you create and implement a successful tire management plan.

Mining is unique among all industries as are the challenges of maintaining its equipment. Successful maintenance will require fully-coordinated help from all departments and knowledgeable, dedicated management oversight. Effective training can help to meet these requirements. Un fortunately, public seminars on maintenance management are seldom mining-specific and are usually generic. Little that is useful can be learned from these generalizations or from non-mining attendees. Attendance fees and travel expenses can be prohibitive. Attendance from remote mining locations is seldom possible. These remote workforces can include local recruits unfamiliar with mining and are often staffed with ex-pats with widely diverse backgrounds and experiences. Training can enable them to perform consistently as a reliable team. All of these training needs can be met by the Mining Maintenance Management Course specifically designed for on-site training conducted by your own personnel.

Establishing a strategic tire management plan is crucial for companies with large fleets of equipment. Each machine requires a unique tire replacement schedule, and managers who develop a tire buying and maintenance strategy are ultimately more productive than managers who wait until a problem occurs. Throughout the life span of a piece of equipment, tires need to be replaced more frequently than any other component, and as such, their efficient life cycle management offers arguably the greatest opportunity to control costs. With a well-informed and well-defined tire maintenance and replacement strategy in place, a fleet manager can proactively manage these valuable equipment assets, while reducing the costs associated with unplanned downtime. Here are five steps to help you create and implement a successful tire management plan.

No Maintenance Program – Major Omission Attention Mine Managers – If maintenance does not have a program parallel to the one described in this article, don’t expect them to be able to deliver consistently reliable production equipment. Here is how to correct that situation. See an important notice at the end of the article.

The drivers pushing mining companies to seriously look at the EV transition encompass a broad range of benefits – reduced ventilation requirements (30-50% less) and associated energy costs, elimination of diesel fuel costs (tens of thousands of dollars per EV unit, per year), reduced maintenance costs (some 25% fewer parts on EV propulsion vs. diesel propulsion rigs), elimination of diesel fine particular matter in the underground environment, and last but definitely not least - less noise, vibration and heat for miners operating the equipment underground. So how do you quantify the operational savings?

A maintenance program that prescribes who does what, how when and why is the primary necessity for effective maintenance. Without it you are wasting your time. Here's the proof.

A maintenance program that prescribes who does what, how, when and why in the execution, support of and management guidance of maintenance is an absolute necessity. Any effort to try to improve maintenance without it will fail. Here's why.

See how two models of Volvo excavators fared against industry-leading competitors in terms of productivity and fuel efficiency during truck loading.

Maintenance Planning Essentials Please review the PowerPoint presentation to learn the essential, proven planning techniques that ensure the significant benefits of well-planned work are achieved. Note especially the illustrative diagrams, informative captions and the detailed instructor’s notes that ensure effective training.

The mining operation that understands who does what about performing or supporting maintenance, how, when and why can meet the objective of providing consistently reliable production equpment. A well informed workforce confident in all aspects of achieving effective maintenance guarantees this reality. The reality is the development, documentation, implementation and operation of a proven mine maintenance management program.

Consulting Solutions on Maintenance Planning A veteran consultant offers cites proven solutions that have dramatically improved maintenance planning capabilities among clients.

Maintenance in Transition – The Journey to World Class Maintenance is the classic text book on every phase of maintenance management.

Maintenance Management Course – This course provides proven training materials to enable industrial plant personnel at all levels to understand, appreciate and support the: who, what, how, when and why of maintenance commit to its success

Learn what World Class mining organizations do to make maintenance planning more efficient, deliver reliable production equipment, reduce cost and help ensure mine profitability. Implementation of these 10 actions can have a direct, positive impact on maximizing maintenance performance. A must read for all mining and maintenance managers whose objectives include improving maintenance.

This classic mining maintenance management textbook was written to meet the unique, challenging demands of the mining industry. It is a plan by which mining organizations can transform maintenance into world-class status. Written with the authority that 44 years of world-wide consulting experience provides, the book is a treasure of practical advice to help solve today’s maintenance problems. This 395-page book of 32 chapters embraces all critical aspects of maintenance management. Its 5 informative appendices include proven maintenance performance standards to identify and prioritize improvement needs and plot the journey to world class status. Each informative chapter offers practical, useful advice supported by case studies, illustrations and diagrams. Acclaim for the author’s previous textbooks confirms his designation as “One of the greats of maintenance and reliability.” Publication of over 100 articles in Mining Engineering, Coal Age, World Mining, Plant Engineering, Maintenance Technology, Coal, Engineering and Mining Journal, World Coal and Production Engineering indicate an exceptional dedication to the betterment of mining industry maintenance.

The utilization of professional training materials in the conduct of on-site maintenance management training has many advantages. Training can accommodate the availability of key personnel to avoid conflicts with operating schedules. As many personnel as necessary can be trained, singly or in logical organizational groups. Personnel from several departments can be trained together to clarify interdepartmental roles and actions. Presentations can be repeated for new personnel or those assigned new responsibilities. Individuals can train themselves. Training needs at remote mining locations are met avoiding expensive attendance fees and travel expenses to distant venues. Training solutions and recommendations are based on actual, realistic and proven situations unique and directly applicable to the mining industry.

Enterprises everywhere are using drone technology to increase their bottom line and get an edge over the competition. If you’ve been thinking about implementing drone technology but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone - understanding all of the elements of a drone program can be complicated. Here are 5 steps for getting started.

Large enterprises are adopting drone technology at an incredible pace and the drone industry is adapting to meet their needs. As businesses around the globe implement drone programs they are pushing out the boundaries of what drones can do and what the drone industry delivers. Click here to learn how large enterprises are seeing a clear ROI using drone technology.

Little differences in quality can make a big impact when it comes to machine durability. See how two models of Volvo excavators compare to the competition.

When compared to two industry-leading competitors, the Volvo EC350E and EC380E excavators far exceed the safety and productivity features of the other brands. See how.

See all the ways that Volvo excavators are easier to service in a side-by-side comparison to two industry-leading competitor machines.

The EC350E and EC380E excavators from Volvo were placed against comparable models from two industry-leading competitors. The result: Volvo has up to 12.5% greater reach during lifting and lifts up to 109% faster while traveling

Download an Interactive Overview of aggregate processing technologies and services provided by Phoenix Process Equipment. See why We're All About The Process.

See how the PHOENIX Belt Filter Press dewaters slurry of pre-thickened solids from a pumpable, liquid state to a solid, belt conveyable and stackable dry cake.

See how the PHOENIX Belt Filter Press dewaters slurry of pre-thickened solids from a pumpable, liquid state to a solid, belt conveyable and stackable dry cake.

This video by PHOENIX Process Equipment shows the steps in dewatering slurry into a dry cake discharge with a Recessed Chamber and Membrane Filter Press.

PHOENIX provides process solutions to reduce slurry pond area with a rake-less Ultra High-Rate Thickener that provides mixing, flocculation and internal dilution followed by clarification and positive sludge collection and removal in a single tank. Complete elimination of slurry ponds can be obtained by adding a Belt Filter Press or Recessed Chamber Filter Press to dewater the thickened slurry.

Need a solution to reduce your slurry pond area? Clarifies the water while thickening the slurry from a wash plant to 40-45% solids to reduce the volume going to the slurry pond. For complete elimination of the slurry pond, a PHOENIX Belt Filter Press or Recessed Chamber Filter Press may be added to dewater the thickened slurry either initially or at a later date.

Browse the directory for Haulage & Loading 2017. This includes complete exhibitor list and contact information along with the technical program for the conference.

The cut size can be varied over a broad size range, while density sorting of light weight contaminants from sand or silica sand from heavy minerals is feasible. The HYDROSORT™ consistently produces high quality, spec sand from variable quality raw material.

Capture, de-slime and dewater granular solids including construction aggregate, specialty sands, mine tailings, dredger slurry and more.

Today’s fleet manager is empowered to make incredibly informed decisions based on real site data. Fleet management software can calculate optimized haul routes. Site simulation software can ensure the equipment fleet is perfectly suited to the operation and its production goals. Telematics software helps predict and plan for service, track locations for better fleet utilization and even helps identify needs for operator training. With all this data at a fleet manager’s fingertips, there is enormous potential to positively impact the operation’s bottom line. All too often, however, a critical part of the equation is left inadequately monitored and tracked — tires.

Recognized for innovative products, quick turnaround times and exceptional customer service, Luff conveyor components can be found in a variety of industrial material-handling applications around the world. Manufacturing a complete line of idlers for every application, industry-leading pulleys and many other products, Luff Industries provides the most complete line of conveyor components in the industry.

Numerous problems can develop when there are no criteria for determining which new maintenance work should be planned. Typical: confusion, wasted time, equipment problems get worse while supervisor and planner haggle, planners and supervisors at cross purposes, arguments. Sending all work to the planner only delays reaction while planner arranges a work order for simple jobs that do not require planning. Supervisors knows actual equipment condition - - planner often does not. Planner wastes time acting as a work order clerk. Valuable planning time wasted while planner prepares simple WO document handled better by supervisor. Supervisor waits for work order from planner while watching equipment problem turn into a potential emergency. Problem often made worse because work order system has no simple format to handle simple jobs. Supervisor may feel work order system too complex to use and resorts to simple (yellow pad) procedure that fails to record what happened or collect work related information.

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A maintenance organization was found to be planning only 21% of all work. Study revealed that most equipment deficiencies were being discovered just before failure. Major jobs that required detailed planning were being attempted as unplanned work. As such, they cost too much, took much longer to complete, were hurried and often failed again prematurely. How was this situation corrected?

Check out Luff Industries manufacturing facility and processes in this quick overview of the main branch in Calgary, Alberta.

Brian Biggerstaff, Environmental Manager at CSA Materials, will discuss how their company uses drone data for inventory management, environmental management and visualizing shot blasts. Questions can be submitted before and during the webinar. Register here.

I have attached a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation on how to implementing a Mine Maintenance Management Program. But before you study it please understand that superior maintenance performance is built on three conditions: 1 - Maintenance proficiency – Maintenance personnel from manager to worker are proficient in all aspects of management, control and work execution. 2 - Knowledgeable support – All mining departments understand the help needed to make maintenance successful and provide it. 3 - Strategic direction – Mine managers assign mutually–supporting departmental objectives, provide policies to guide interdepartmental actions and verify performance. The one proven answer that meets these conditions is a quality maintenance program. That program must spell out who does what, how, when and why. These guidelines must be applied to the nine essential maintenance management phases: How to (1) Request or (2) Identify work, (3) Classify it to determine the best reaction, then how to (4) Plan, (5) Schedule, (6) Assign, (7) Control and (8) Measure the resulting work and finally, (9) Assess accomplishments against goals such as performance standards and budgets. All personnel in maintenance as well as those who interact with maintenance must be included in the program since every maintenance action requires a supporting or cooperative interdepartmental reaction. Just as the maintenance planner follows specific planning procedures, so must the purchasing agent who orders major component replacements for the job the planner is organizing. After 44 years as a mining maintenance management consulting in all types of mining operations, I can confidently state that the absence of a quality program will preclude meeting these three conditions and frustrate all efforts to achieve superior maintenance performance.

Maintenance in Transition - The Journey to World Class Maintenance - This 385-page textbook of 32 chapters and 5 appendices is an action plan for achieving World Class status.

Mining Maintenance Management Course - The Course includes 22 essential maintenance management topics presented in a logical, straightforward PowerPoint format. Strategies, techniques, methodologies, technologies and procedures are accompanied by step-by-step instructions, illustrations, case studies and detailed instructor’s notes.

This paper outlines the experience of one global cement producer that embarked on site surveys and studies to achieve arc flash safety compliance at 13 cement plants in the U.S. and Canada.

The purpose of this paper is to review a case study of a successful energy project at the ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor facility involving the addition of five new adjustable frequency drives (AFDs) used to regulate flow of the high-volume water spray system for the runout table (ROT). The paper will outline 1) processes used in justifying new technology updates, 2) mill alignment with the serving electric utility to leverage energy credits, 3) equipment selection and installation and 4) metrics used to demonstrate the project delivered the desired payback.

Luff Industries has partnered with Richwood Molded Rubber products to provide its customers with the ultimate drive pulley solution.

Download PowerPoint instructions - How to Implement a Maintenance program.

A maintenance workforce expected to perform maintenance as well as non-maintenance work like construction should be aware of significant potential problems.

Luff Picking Idlers are specifically designed to fit seamlessly into your screening and wash equipment.

The Mining Maintenance Management Course is ideal for training maintenance personnel on the procedures, techniques, strategies and methodologies required to manage maintenance effectively. While maintenance personnel are the primary audience, staff organizations and operations will learn how to focus their support and cooperative efforts to enhance maintenance performance. Mining managers will appreciate recommended policies and key indices to guide and monitor the overall maintenance effort. The overall course objective is the development of a cohesive, efficient team from manager to worker to meet the unique maintenance requirements of the mining industry.

Learn how quick-change technology such as the Titan Accelerated Change Technology (ACT) Wheel System can help you reduce downtime associated with tire changes or rotations by up to 50 percent. Consisting of a two-piece lock ring, the quick-change technologies release the inner tire assembly from the wheel while the outer wheels stays mounted to the truck, eliminating the need to torque and re-torque.

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Tony Cinkovich, Senior Project Manager at Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel, will discuss how their company uses drone data for inventory management, mine planning and haul truck road construction. Register here.

When non-maintenance work, like construction, is attempted by a maintenance workforce not staffed and prepared to do so, major problems of cost, workforce utilization and performance often occur. Here is how to avoid them.

Dewatering equipment and processing solutions for Aggregate Processing from PHOENIX Process Equipment.

The Elusive Qwest for World Class Maintenance - ‘Seat of the Pants’ Maintenance Isn’t Good Enough - A major deficiency of too many mining operations and the explanation of most maintenance problems is no program. As a result, maintenance personnel who are to carry it out or support it (like purchasing, warehousing and operations) are confused and uncertain about how to help. Mine managers are frustrated and impatient, expecting that maintenance should, by now, know what they are supposed to do and how. Too many assumptions have been made starting with the mine manager who should have said, "I want a logical, well-defined program about maintenance that fits our operating plan and I want all mine personnel to understand it, support it and make it work." To those mining operations and their maintenance departments who insist they know what to do, have them prove it with a well-documented program. Many can’t.

Learn how our unique Titan LDR150 58/80R63 radial mining tire was specially built for Cat 994H high-lift models to improve machine stability and breakout force. Working at the face, these tires lasted up to 23,000 hours when tested at a British Columbia coal mine. That's 27 percent longer than the competitor's longest-lasting 53.5/85-57 bias tire.

A maintenance organization was found to be planning only 21% of all work. Study revealed that most equipment deficiencies were being discovered just before failure. Major jobs that required detailed planning were being attempted as unplanned work. As such, they cost too much, took much longer to complete, were hurried and often failed again prematurely. Read how this situation was corrected.

ActiveCare Direct monthly reports provide insights on idle percentages versus work percentages across your entire fleet, by individual machine and by machine type. This allows you to easily compare utilization by operator and machine, as well as set goals for increased utilization over time. Doing so can have an immense impact on your fleet’s profitability.

Using insights and alerts gained through ActiveCare Direct monthly reports allows for operator training that will help avoid five common instances of machine misuse, saving thousands of dollars in machine repair costs down the road.

Pat Weaver, Vice President of Production at Preferred Materials (Oldcastle), will discuss how their company uses drone data for inventory management. Register here.

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The cause for the large drop in fall-of-ground fatalities in Ontario, Canada since the 1960s can be attributed to a variety of factors including increased regulation, better engineering and ground support practices, and the buildup of a stronger culture of safety in mines.

Here are some of the maintenance planning/scheduling questions that require resolution if this activity is to be carried out efficiently.

Significant work control problems are needlessly created when there are no criteria for determining which maintenance work requires planning.

Determine production utilization required to determine minimum equipment availability. Comments welcome.

The mining industry in the 21st Century will use equipment with much greater productive capacity and improved reliability. But, it will also be much more complex. Maintenance must provide the means of applying the newest technology and quality information along with modern management techniques. But, who will ensure that the personnel who do the actual work are used productively?

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David Lloyd, Mine Planning Engineer at APAC-Central, will discuss how their company uses drone data for mine planning. Register here. http://click.kespry.com/mineplanningwebinar

The robots are coming: Taking the miner out of mining is the common theme these days as the pace of advance of artificial intelligence quickens, as big data goes from a buzz phrase to business-as-usual, and as the move through semi to full automation continues. Autonomous operation is on all the major mining companies’ innovation roadmaps. At some point down the road, that is where the bulk of the industry will end up. But we have lots of ground to cover and many years of advances to get through, before we get there in a broad sense. How to manage the transition years is the big question, for mining companies and manufacturers alike.

Drone data is being used by leading mining companies all over the world to save time and money, while increasing safety. From waste rock material management to mine planning, companies are seeing a strong ROI. In this webinar, the most popular use cases for the following industries will be discussed: Aggregates, Coal, Frac Sand, Gold and Iron Ore. Register here.

How to Utilize Maintenance Planners Effectively Don’t waste this valuable resource Paul D. Tomlingson A Key Player - Maintenance planners are utilized in larger organizations where there is considerable major work requiring detailed and advance preparation before the work can be scheduled. Smaller organizations still have a need for planning but, the task is often carried out by supervisors or team members. For those organizations using planners, it is important to establish what the planner should do, how it is done and what tools are required to do it well.

Eaton’s B-Line series metallic cable ladder systems are engineered to provide superior strength to weight ratio while providing the lowest total installed cost of any cable management system in the industry today. This is achieved through continuous innovation, market and customer based knowledge.

Too often training is done “for the sake of it” or only to fulfill a compliance requirement. In reality the biggest return on investment from training equipment operators is achieved by targeting actual performance variance identified through data including fleet management system data. Performance variance in production, machine abuse and safety costs an average mine millions of dollars per year.

A new era of underground mining is underway. BEV (battery electric vehicle) propulsion on mobile fleets means less energy required for ventilation and less additional heat generated as mines go deeper. It means a working environment free from diesel fine particulate matter. And it means reduced planned maintenance requirements and total cost of ownership for high-tramming utility vehicles like the MacLean EV Series BT3 Boom Truck. MacLean connected the battery cycle to the mining cycle by engineering the integration of best-in-class electric drive components from around the world to deliver a BEV solution that is safe, proven and data-rich. Battery electric power, built for life underground.

Establishing criteria for determining which maintenance work requires planning can improve work control efficiency.

The decision to replace production equipment as it nears the end of its life-cycle is both an economic and a performance decision. Economics are involved in the identification and procurement of the best equipment for the capital outlay constraints involved. Performance considerations are important in selecting the best equipment for the job.

Ramp trials of the MacLean BT3 battery electric boom truck in Canada - Switching out diesel fuel for battery electricity on mobile equipment in underground mining is as much of a user experience exercise as it is an engineering exercise.

Dyno Nobel’s Titan ∆E 1000 was trialed over a period of four (4) months at AngloGold Ashanti's Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Co. (CC&V) in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Performance of the Titan ∆E 1000 product was measured against typically loaded production blasts of similar size, in similar geology. Blast designs (drill pattern and blast hole sequence) for the performance and baseline blasts were not altered during the trial, and all blasts, except for one, were initiated using Dyno Nobel’s DigiShot® Plus electronic initiation system. Measured results confirmed that significant value in productivity, cost and blast performance were delivered. The mine reduced its overall powder factor by 18%, realized an 8% increase in shovel productivity in both waste and ore, and in the case of ore, experienced no reduction in crusher throughput. Additionally, they completely eliminated visible NOx after blast fumes in even the wettest areas of the pit.

The primary benefit from the TITAN emulsion technology is being able to note on the post blast reports that no postblast NOx fumes were present. Additional benefits include increased water resistance, increased actual energy yield verses theoretical value, increased product sensitivity resulting in high order detonation, ability to control density, redistribution of energy, increased detonation pressure, same cost per loaded foot, greater fragmentation versus cast movement, and allowing emulsion to be loaded to a lower density in highwall row resulting in the same pounds stretched to a greater height. Success measurements in the overburden truck/shovel blasts included consistent productivity (bucket fill times and bucket volumes) even in harder material located below the sandy strata, reduced post blast NOx fumes based on fume classification chart, few shovel operator complaints, and equal or reduced drill and blast budget. Seventeen blasts were completed without NOx fumes. The pounds per loaded foot was reduced from 51.5 with 40/60 HANFO to 43.1-47.1 range loading TITAN XL 1000. The average difference lbs/ft = 12.36% when 7.6% was needed for cost neutral. Stemming height was reduced from 22 ft to 20 feet to improve surface material displacement. Success measurements in the coal blasts included no roll crusher plugs from slabs, improved shovel production through uniform fragmentation, and equal or reduced drill and blast budget. Ten blasts were completed over afive-week period with no post blast fumes. There was good material movement, uniform fragmentation and generally no complaints or negative comments from shovel operators. Average difference lbs/ft = 11.98% when 4.5% was needed for cost neutral. Pounds per loaded foot averaged 45.33 compared to 51.5 with HANFO.

Coal Case Study

A review of seismic data from both blasts showed a twenty percent reduction in vibration using the timing solution developed using DYNO 42 compared to competitor timing sequence.

After speaking with Dyno Nobel, the mine decided to implement BlastWeb®, a centralised blasting system that is specifically designed for use in underground mining operations. BlastWeb allows reliable remote initiation of development, production and stope blasting from a safe and controlled location on the surface. The blast areas can be completely evacuated as no-one is required to be underground for the blasting. In addition to the obvious safety benefits, the other main benefit of the system at this mine is a reduction in the re-entry time. After the implementation of BlastWeb, a comparison was made of the blast completion times before and after its introduction. It was determined that centralised blasting reduced the blast completion time, on average, by 10 minutes. The implementation of Dyno Nobel’s Centralised Blasting System supports both the safety of the mine employees during blasting and an increase in production time.

This underground nickel mine in the Midwest United States is relatively young with only a few years of production blasting. The operation is employing a sublevel stope mining technique. The operator purchases Dyno TITAN® RU emulsion and electronic detonators for blasting. The customer was experiencing poor blast results over a substantial period of time. When the customer first contacted DynoConsult® for assistance, the concern was the under-breaking of the ore which left valuable material along the ribs. At that time the mine engineers were looking for guidance on the delay times they should be using to improve the recovery of ore. During the site visit by DynoConsult, it was also discovered that there were a few instances of benches and bridges being left in the stope after mucking. In one stope it was estimated that over $1 million worth of ore was left unrecoverable in the stope. It was also revealed during the site visit that there were issues related to tight digging of the muckpile even though the fragmentation was adequate.

Wyoming surface coal mine determined the time to start planning for future mine progression was before the long term mine plan took them closer to public county road located adjacent to their permit boundary. The mine used a 40/60 HANFO augured blend with good results but sporadic post blast fumes. The mine struggled with past results when introducing new technology that didn’t deliver as promised. Possible post-blast fumes as the mine advanced closer to the county roads was an area of concern with the chance of fumes travelling in this direction and sometime creating a blast delay. The goal of reducing post blast fumes has been part of blasting focused continuous improvement projects in the past but renewed focus has made this a higher priority. Most technology advances occur when the right people with the right need place value in trying technology with hope that a better blasting practice will result.

Would you like to know why world class mining maintenance organizations produce consistently reliable equipment when others don’t?

You are invited to contrast your existing maintenance program with the ISO 55000 performance standards that establish an asset management system to align all mining operation functions to deliver value and mitigate risk.

Many level applications pose special problems for process level equipment and technologies. Whether the industrial site is a mine, power generation facility, or cement plant, these sites all require technologies that will withstand the tough environmental conditions as well as the harsh nature of the solids applications. These include heavy dust in the airspace, steep angles of repose, high temperatures, changing process conditions, corrosive media, abrasive solids materials, and more. In addition, so many different sizes and shapes of containment mean that many installations have to deal with obstructions like mechanical bracing for structural support

Many level applications pose special problems for process level equipment and technologies. Whether the industrial site is a mine, power generation facility, or cement plant, these sites all require technologies that will withstand the tough environmental conditions as well as the harsh nature of the solids applications. These include heavy dust in the airspace, steep angles of repose, high temperatures, changing process conditions, corrosive media, abrasive solids materials, and more. In addition, so many different sizes and shapes of containment mean that many installations have to deal with obstructions like mechanical bracing for structural support

Review these 35 standards to learn how to achieve more planned work, schedule compliance and delivery of reliable production equipment.

The Aerodyne Vacu-Valve is an economical alternative to rotary valves. Its unique design allows it to provide an airlock with no moving parts on dust collectors that are operating with a slight vacuum. Material that is fine, free flowing and will not bridge drains from the Vacu-Valve sleeve, while maintaining an airlock.

Under our Life Cycle Services offer, Metso Metrics Services is now available for our aggregate customers. Comprised of a cloud-based, remote monitoring and data visualization service for Metso Lokotrack® mobile crushing plants, you gain critical data and insight on your fleets operational performance and maintenance needs.

Under our Life Cycle Services offer, Metso Metrics Services is now available for our aggregate customers. Comprised of a cloud-based, remote monitoring and data visualization service for Metso Lokotrack® mobile crushing and screening equipment, you gain critical data and insight on your fleets operational performance and maintenance needs. Coupled with access to Metso and our partner’s expertise, you can take appropriate actions to improve utilization rates and get more from your assets.

How Much is Your Baghouse or Cartridge Collector Costing You? This whitepaper highlights: 1. the Top 5 Reasons to use a cyclone as a pre-filter for baghouses or cartridge collectors. 2. how pre-filter help to extend bag or filter life, and improving removal efficiencies.

Ten guidelines explain how to improve planning and scheduling.

Sometimes a turning point can only be seen clearly in hindsight. Such is the case for the mine of the future as we begin 2018, coming out of a 2017 where major mining companies continued to demonstrate capital spending austerity and focus on debt reduction. All the while, there were growing signals that digitalization, electrification and automation were all gaining momentum, even though actual examples of minesite implementations could as of yet, still be counted on one hand. MacLean took the opportunity that industry downturn presented over the past several years to focus intensely on three key product development ventures – first and foremost, the battery electrification of our entire fleet, which will be complete by the end of 2018; second, the successful introduction of face bolting as a feature on our 975 Omnia bolter; and, third, the launch of the latest addition to our utility vehicle product line – the LR3 Boom Lift for heavy load and high reach applications. The past year was one where for the first time we had a fleet of battery electric vehicles working underground, allowing us the ability to validate our performance and total cost of ownership (TCO) models with real-world data, while at the same time continuing to build out our EV offer across the product lines. Looking forward, as we work hard to fully electrify our fleet of ground support, ore flow/secondary reduction, and utility vehicles, we’re keenly aware that electrification is but one step in the ongoing mechanization of underground mining, a transition to the mine of the future that will be increasingly efficient through digitalization and automation that will increase production and reduce costs.

Guidelines for the Utilization of Contractors to Perform Maintenance and Capital Work

Drone technology and aerial intelligence data enables companies to complete more accurate inventory management and maximize revenue. Download this report to learn more about drone technology for your organization.

The GPC Dust Collector is an efficient way to handle your dust collecting needs. The GPC dust collector’s small size makes it easy to solve dust collecting problems for plants and workshops with limited floor space or overhead clearance, making it an ideal solution for your dust collecting problems.

Evaluate your current dust collection system for operational efficiency. Explore these five crucial areas and assess the effectiveness of your: Pickup points, Duct work, Dust Collector, Cyclone, and Exhaust fan. Pinpoint how these major areas may affect your dust collection.

Wheel maintenance often takes a back seat to tire maintenance, but fleet managers should realize wheels are equally as important. Tires are only as good as the wheel assemblies on which they’re safely mounted, and business owners should never be tempted to mix and match components or guess if something will fit correctly. Without the proper wheel and components, not only are the wheels and tires put at risk — so is the safety of the operator. Here are five tips to enhance wheel and tire safety as well as machine uptime — saving you time and money in the long run.

Criteria for determining which maintenance work should be planned is explained in the PowerPoint presentation.

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Learn how Firmatek's new strategic Drone Program addresses the complex needs of clients and delivers the same precise measurements and data analytics that our customers have come to know and trust from our LiDAR scanning services. We can integrate drone and LiDAR data into our Data Analysis and Reporting Platform to give our clients the information they need. We help you increase site safety and efficiency, streamline decision making, and greatly reducing operating by providing your team with key business intelligence with a custom tailored solution to fit your unique site needs.

Learn how Firmatek's new strategic Drone Program addresses the complex needs of clients and delivers the same precise measurements and data analytics that our customers have come to know and trust from our LiDAR scanning services. We can integrate drone and LiDAR data into our Data Analysis and Reporting Platform to give our clients the information they need. We help you increase site safety and efficiency, streamline decision making, and greatly reducing operating by providing your team with key business intelligence with a custom tailored solution to fit your unique site needs.

This PowerPoint presentation explains why criteria are needed to determine which maintenance work should be planned.

Drone technology is proving to be the most valuable tool available for industrial use cases. Companies using Kespry drone solutions are realizing better inventory management and data reliability, which increases profitability.

This paper expands on "What's Maintenance and What's Not." It explains and illustrates the techniques and procedures for successful management of non-maintenance projects.

This maintenance management course is unique to the mining industry. Its objective is to improve maintenance through the education of personnel at all levels of the mining organization. It represents over 40 years of direct, world-wide mining maintenance consulting experiences to provide proven, useful and practical improvement guidelines. Topics are logically arranged and emphasize the interdependence of maintenance actions, essential interdepartmental coordination and knowledgeable management guidance. The accompanying textbook reinforces the course and stands alone as a classic source on mining maintenance management to guide achievement of World-Class status. Inquires: [email protected]. Paul D. Tomlingson, Mining Maintenance Consultant Denver, Colorado USA Member, Society of Mining, Metallurgy ad Exploration (SME)

One of the easiest ways to ensure that each job you bid is accurate and profitable is to do the work up front. You may have spent years at this point becoming a bidding expert; you know how long it will take to complete a job and how many machine and operator hours — but what if it could be easier and even more accurate? Using telematics, and ActiveCare Direct from Volvo in particular, can be a useful job bidding tool.

Data overload is a problem that many business owners and fleet managers fear when it comes to telematics adoption. There is only so much time in a day, and unfortunately, working to analyze the mountains of data that telematics provides is not something many have the time or expertise to manage effectively. ActiveCare Direct, the 24/7/365 telematics monitoring solution from Volvo helps take the added work out of using telematics data to improve your business.

ActiveCare Direct is the 24/7/365 telematics solution offered directly from Volvo. At the Volvo Uptime Center, thousands of data points from machines are delivered and sorted through using a proprietary system which removes all the guesswork for customers. As telematics solutions become more common, it may be a challenge to see how any program differs from the next.

Are you using telematics beyond scheduling service intervals? Many business owners find it challenging to find the time and resources to use telematics beyond its basic functionality. With ActiveCare Direct, the 24/7/365 telematics monitoring service offered directly from Volvo, you can add an entire team of experts to your fleet from the Volvo Uptime Center and your dealership. With the additional support and the monthly fleet utilization reports you receive, it is easy to use telematics to its full potential, setting goals and business decisions that will keep your business more profitable in the long run.

Do the rotary valves under your dust collectors cause maintenance headaches? Are they clogging? Are you having to drop everything and assign extra labor to fix them? Aerodyne™’s Vacu-Valve ® is the solution! Have a look at this infographic and to learn how the Vacu-valve solves these issues and improves the discharge efficiency of your baghouse, filters and cyclones.

The All-Electric Mine of the Future, and the Need for Good Roadbeds NOW Click the link below to learn more: http://www.macleanengineering.com/blog

The costs of replacement bags, machine downtime and wages accumulate quickly. Our infographic shows how placing a cyclone dust collector in front of a baghouse can lower expenses by extending filter life and reducing maintenance. See the components of an efficient, low-maintenance system. Download this infographic now to get more information about: 1) Components of a low-maintenance system. 2) 5 reasons to use a cyclone before a baghouse. 3) Animation of a counter-cyclonic dust collector.

How Much is Your Baghouse or Cartridge Collector Costing You? This whitepaper highlights: 1) The Top 5 Reasons to use a cyclone as a pre-filter for baghouses or cartridge collectors. 2) How pre-filters help to extend bag or filter life, and improving removal efficiencies.

Hawk Measurement acquires SIL2 / SIL3 certification for its Centurion Guided Radar to improve reliability in safety instrumented systems in hazardous operations. Hawk Measurement Systems (HAWK), a global leader in measurement solutions, has announced that it has earned Safety Integrity Level rating SIL2 / SIL3 to aid in reducing safety risks in hazardous applications from the International Electrotechnical Commission. This Commission's (IEC) standard IEC 61508 defines SIL using requirements grouped into two broad categories: hardware safety integrity and systematic safety integrity. A device or system must meet the requirements for both categories to achieve a given SIL. Achieving this SIL certification means HAWK’s Centurion Guided Radar measurement systems will provide operators with the added insurance that it will consistently and reliably identify all processes considered hazardous and, if failure was to occur, determine that level of risk. The rating will help evaluate whether this specific technology for the measurement of multiple mediums such as liquids, sludge, powders and granules to a range of 18.5m (60ft) for level meets the selected risk tolerance level. These standards have been widely accepted globally to help define Safety Instrumented Systems and their reliability as a means of assessing and improving their safety. According to Jack Evans, President (Hawk Measurement America), “Risk reduction can be an expensive procedure and operators are looking to reduce that risk to a level as low as reasonably practicable. We take great pride that our Centurion Guided Radar measurement systems have sufficient operating history and that they have a proven track record. HAWK has long been committed to safety and risk reduction and earning SIL2 / SIL3 compliancy will establish a rigorous development process so that our customers can benefit from the advancing technologies that we have to offer. This certification is just another way we assist our customers achieve compliance while demonstrating our involvement to reduce risk.” HAWK is a world leader in level, positioning and flow measurement, providing cutting edge equipment to the global industrial market. With 30 years of experience and a record of success in a wide range of areas including mining/mineral processing, water supply/waste water, bulk material handling and chemical, our on-going commitment is to provide industry leading technology with cost-effective solutions. For more information and global representatives: [email protected]

Since its inception, AirGon (a wholly owned subsidiary of the GeoCue Group) has focused on high accuracy small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS or drone) for surface mine, industrial and construction site mapping. As a result of helping many customers piece together workflow solutions, it became obvious that a well-integrated softwate kit would save considerable time and frustration. Whether you are the owner/operator of a site or a service provider to the site, AirGon Mapping Suite is intended for just these applications. Rather than acquiring all the necessary components in a piecemeal fashion resulting in a steep learning curve, the mapping suite includes all of the software components necessary to create a smooth workflow solution for high accuracy data acquisition, processing, analysis and data delivery

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS or drones) along with exciting new image processing algorithms are enabling a fundamental change in how stockpile volumetric computations are performed. It is now possible to create accurate three dimensional models of stockpile areas using inexpensive cameras carried by a low cost sUAS (drone). From these 3D models, volumetric computations are easily derived. These new technologies result in significantly lower cost of collection, improved accuracy and non-disruptive data collection. Best of all, they keep data collectors out of harm’s way with collection performed from a low altitude drone.

GeoCue Group Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary, AirGon LLC., is bringing to market Loki, our third generation direct geopositioning system for small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS or drone). Direct geopositioning reduces or, in some cases, eliminates entirely, the need for ground control points in high accuracy aerial mapping.

Drone Mapping is the direction that small industrial site and construction mapping is headed. It has significant advantages over all ground based models and generally is less expensive than traditional manned aircraft mapping approaches. Best of all, drone mapping, with the new FAA regulations passed in August of 2016, is a technology that you can fully internalize, resulting in both increased responsiveness and reduced cost when compared to contracted services. This paper will provide you with an overview of the different models that can be used for drone mapping with sufficient detail for you to make an informed choice. You will discover that, with all factors included, acquiring your own technology (hardware and software) may be the most economic long term approach to modernizing your mapping operations.

These are just some of the questions that should be addressed when considering a material handling valve for your application. What type of material is being handled? How much should be spent? What kind of power source can be supplied? This white paper offers an easy how-to-guide for selecting the right material handling valve for your specific application.

Watch this quick video to learn how the AirGon Mapping Suite includes everything needed to perform local area mapping.

This video from the Dust Efficiency Clinic discusses five warning signs that your dust collection system needs a pre-filter. Pre-filtering may reduce operating and maintenance costs by extending bag or filter life and improving removal efficiencies.

At Firmatek, we do a lot of inventory measurements for our clients. Often times, we know plant managers aren't thrilled about getting their inventory measurements because of problems they've experienced with past vendors. However, we serve as a trusted advisor for our clients and make the inventory process as easy as possible from start to finish. With our share of success, we see our share of issues. In this study, we discuss the top issues we see with inventory measurement and how we work to mitigate these issues.

Firmatek provides independent, third-party measurement and reporting to help manage your business and inventory needs. Our data analytics solution utilizes both advanced drone data collection technology and LiDAR, and allows us to serve the unique needs of your sites, from one acre to over 1,000. We know stockpile measurements are more than just a number on a balance sheet, so we deliver confidence in your data, equipping you to make important decisions for your business.

These are just some of the questions that should be addressed when considering a material handling valve for your application. What type of material is being handled? How much should be spent? What kind of power source can be supplied? This white paper offers an easy how-to-guide for selecting the right material handling valve for your specific application. Simply fill out the form and you will have immediate access to the guide.

Firmatek conducted a study comparing 3 types of equipment across 29 piles ranging in size on a site where we have significant historical data. In this analysis, we look at how two types of drones compare to Lidar.

Learn why long-time Firmatek client, Brox Industries, chose to move to Firmatek's Drone Solutions program.

Wheel maintenance often takes a back seat to tire maintenance, but should be considered equally as important. A set of tires is only as good as the wheel assembly on which it’s safely mounted, and one should never be tempted to mix and match components or guess if something will fit correctly. Without the proper wheel and components, not only are the wheels and tires put at risk — so is the safety of the operator. Download our white paper to learn five tips on enhancing wheel and tire safety, as well as machine uptime — saving you time and money in the long run.

Is your dust collection system working at peak efficiency? A quick, do-it-yourself examination may identify symptoms that your system needs a check-up. Enjoy this video from The Dust Efficiency Clinic at Aerodyne. You'll be able to identify five signs that may diagnose a sluggish system so that you can return your system to full efficiency.

See a live demo of the MAC 360 in application and learn a little more about how it can save you money. MasterFiber MAC 360 FF, a synthetic hybrid fiber, is manufactured from a proprietary blend of polypropylene resins for use in making fiber-reinforced concrete in compliance with the requirements of ASTM C 1116/C 1116M “Standard Specification for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete.” It is a blend of synthetic micro- and macrofibers engineered for use as shrinkage and temperature (secondary) reinforcement and, specifically, to provide optimum finishing performance in hard-troweled concrete applications. MasterFiber MAC 360 FF hybrid fiber has also been engineered to provide post-crack flexural performance equivalent to that provided by most commercially-available synthetic macrofibers, at equal dosages. Click here to read more.

See a live demo of the MAC 360 in application and learn a little more about how it can save you money. MasterFiber MAC 360 FF, a synthetic hybrid fiber, is manufactured from a proprietary blend of polypropylene resins for use in making fiber-reinforced concrete in compliance with the requirements of ASTM C 1116/C 1116M “Standard Specification for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete.” It is a blend of synthetic micro- and macrofibers engineered for use as shrinkage and temperature (secondary) reinforcement and, specifically, to provide optimum finishing performance in hard-troweled concrete applications. MasterFiber MAC 360 FF hybrid fiber has also been engineered to provide post-crack flexural performance equivalent to that provided by most commercially-available synthetic macrofibers, at equal dosages. Click here to read more.

See a live demo of the MAC 360 in application and learn a little more about how it can save you money. MasterFiber MAC 360 FF, a synthetic hybrid fiber, is manufactured from a proprietary blend of polypropylene resins for use in making fiber-reinforced concrete in compliance with the requirements of ASTM C 1116/C 1116M “Standard Specification for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete.” It is a blend of synthetic micro- and macrofibers engineered for use as shrinkage and temperature (secondary) reinforcement and, specifically, to provide optimum finishing performance in hard-troweled concrete applications. MasterFiber MAC 360 FF hybrid fiber has also been engineered to provide post-crack flexural performance equivalent to that provided by most commercially-available synthetic macrofibers, at equal dosages. Click here to read more.

See a live demo of the MAC 360 in application and learn a little more about how it can save you money. MasterFiber MAC 360 FF, a synthetic hybrid fiber, is manufactured from a proprietary blend of polypropylene resins for use in making fiber-reinforced concrete in compliance with the requirements of ASTM C 1116/C 1116M “Standard Specification for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete.” It is a blend of synthetic micro- and macrofibers engineered for use as shrinkage and temperature (secondary) reinforcement and, specifically, to provide optimum finishing performance in hard-troweled concrete applications. MasterFiber MAC 360 FF hybrid fiber has also been engineered to provide post-crack flexural performance equivalent to that provided by most commercially-available synthetic macrofibers, at equal dosages. Visit for more information: https://www.master-builders-solutions.basf.us/en-us/products/masterfiber/masterfiber-mac-360-ff

Drones have exploded in popularity thanks to their versatility and the growing accessibility of the devices. Flown carelessly, drones can be dangerous. While drones work to keep employees safe and out of dangerous environments, it's important to be aware of the regulations enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration. Check out our Drone Regulation Guide published in Occupations Health & Safety to review a couple of important considerations in maintaining safe and legal flying practices.

Join AirGon staff for closer look into our proven drone mapping workflow. Over the course of 1,000+ successful drone mapping missions, we have perfected our workflow to achieve accurate results in a timely manner. With the addition of our Post-Processing Kinematic direct geopositioning system, Loki, we are able to alleviate the need for dense ground control and cut field time down tremendously without sacrificing accuracy. In this webinar, we will present an overview of the entire AirGon workflow from mission planning to hosting your data and the products we use to power our process. Click download to view the webinar.

"Reliability – A measure of the capability of a unit of production equipment, process or circuit to operate at designed capacity within its specified operating envelope while adhering to prescribed maintenance requirements within a designated time period and meet established levels of product output or service duration."

We put our Titan Accelerated Change Technology (ACT) wheel in a head-to-head test against a standard wheel on a rigid dump truck in an Alabama mine. Watch to see the results for which wheel increased cost savings and productivity.

Screen Machine products are better ... by design, by manufacture and by performance. Here's why ...

In order to control inventory in a typical aggregate operation, the producer must understand the whole process, from production through sales. Inadequate control in any one of these areas leads to inventory uncertainty and makes it more difficult to make decisions based on a strong understanding of the operation. In this report, we cover the basics of aggregate inventory management and suggest best practices.

Electrification now competes for attention in underground mining projects. Click the below link to know more: https://www.macleanengineering.com/blog-view-all/ev-momentum-inevitability

See how world-Class mining organizations conduct effective maintenance.

A true service provider is called upon to bring all of their tools, knowledge, and expertise in times of crisis. We provide our clients with confidence in their data, and go above and beyond to serve them and work with them to solve critical problems. One of our clients was facing a serious problem when an underground tunnel was in grave danger of collapsing or causing a major flood. Read our case study to find out how we used the right tool for the job and found a solution to their problem.

Learn about Telsmith's annual Technica Trainings. Training focuses on Telsmith T-Series and SBS Cone Crushers, Iron Giant and D-Style Jaw Crushers and Inclined Vibrating Screen products.

Drone technology is still relatively new, but the adoption of drones is revolutionizing the way we work in countless industries. The aggregate industry rarely leaps at the latest and greatest technologies, preferring to stick with known commodities, but those who incorporate drones will discover that they have the potential to create a far safer and more efficient job site. First published in Cement Americas Spring Edition 2018, this article discusses 3 steps to follow to incorporate drone usage into your workflow.

Between 1972 – 2012 maintenance seminars were conducted on-site at 61 mining and mineral processing operations in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE and the US. Most types of minerals were mined and processed and coal extracted, cleaned and shipped. In these open-pit and underground operations maintenance workforces ranged from several hundred to over a thousand. Here is what we learned.

Maintenance evaluations and seminars carried out at 61 mining operations found a common need for documentation of maintenance operating details. We especially noticed that overseas operations using local nationals and ex-pats always had exceptionally good maintenance program documentation. As a result there were few interdepartmental coordination problems. They made efficient use of local personnel despite language barriers and achieved cohesive use of ex-pats despite their diverse backgrounds. We established that documentation of maintenance operating details assured the efficient conduct of internal maintenance activities. It also guaranteed a cohesive effort by all mining departments to support and cooperate with maintenance. And it provided well-informed management oversight. Our conclusion: When everyone in a mining operation knows what to do, how, when and why about maintenance, it is successful. A well-defined program creates an educated workforce to result in effective maintenance. This paper explains how.

This guide describes our recommended best practices for setting, maintaining, and capturing Ground Control Points suitable for creating 3D maps using drones. We've included tips for GCP placement, as well as how to properly maintain your GCPs to ensure you are establishing an accurate position of data.

The amount you pay for your measurement is not your only cost when it comes to inventory. In the industry, we talk about what it costs to measure your inventory, but rarely do we discuss the cost of not measuring your inventory. Cutting costs by rarely measuring inventory could actually be costing your business more money. We invite you to download our article on the costs associated with not measuring your inventory for more information.

Volvo CareTrack is the telematics system that collects machine information, alerts the customer with alarm codes and provides an online portal for customers to dig deeper into fleet data. Volvo also offers ActiveCare Direct (ACD) — a 24/7/365 machine monitoring and monthly fleet utilization reporting service that relies on CareTrack data. But it’s managed by Volvo on behalf of the customer — helping ease the burden of telematics management, while enhancing remote diagnosis and catching problems before they occur. Each tool is valuable in its own right and can be used independently or in conjunction with each other — depending on customer preference. Here are a few of the differentiators between the two services and their benefits.

Firmatek has been measuring stockpiles and helping the Aggregate Mining Industry manage its inventory for almost 30 years. The industry has used a variety of different technology over the years. From wheel and tape, to drone solutions, Aggregate Mining companies have continued to develop innovative solutions for measuring inventory. With each evolution in the technology, there have been improvements in everything from accuracy, to safety, to management systems. Let’s take a look back at how we got to where we are today.

Businesses are collecting more data than ever before, but data is only valuable if it can be turned into insights. It’s no surprise that despite huge investments in data collection, executives frequently fail to see results from the massive amounts of data they collect. With technology advancing at an increasingly fast rate, business leaders are going to have even more data to manage before they know it. If you've started to integrate data collection and analytics into your business, you're on the right track. Download our article for more information on how to maximize your data efforts.

Data is everything, but gathering it can be a challenge. There are several factors that go into choosing the right technology for your site. LIDAR and drone technology are both effective data collection methods, so how do you know which method is the best tool for the job? For aggregate producers, there are a few key questions you should ask when deciding which technology is best for a particular job. Download our article to learn more about the 4 questions you should keep in mind when choosing between LiDAR, drone technology, or both.

Planners are most effective when they plan the right work. Here are some recommendations for determining which work should be planned in your organization.

Planning and scheduling maintenance work should follow specific procedures. Here are some suggested guidelines.

Fresh ideas aren't just welcomed, they are needed. Sustainable mining practices have been a concern for years and they are now more important than ever. As demand for resources continues to grow, mining companies are focused on figuring out how to deliver raw materials as efficiently and sustainably as possible — and the driving force behind this effort is technology. Download our article for more information on the 3 Ways to Continue Mining's Journey Toward Sustainability.

Firmatek's strategic Drone Program addresses the complex needs of clients and delivers the same precise measurements and data analytics that our customers have come to know and trust. Our drone solutions are simple, fast, and accurate. Simply fly the drone on your site, and upload the data to our client portal for processing. Firmatek doesn't stop there, we make sure you understand what the data is saying so you can be confident in the decisions you make for your operation. We invite you to watch our Drone Program video for more information. Get started with Firmatek Drone Solutions today!

Underground mining is at an interesting place right now, with the availability of diesel-free, battery electric equipment in most of the vehicle categories except heavy haulage, with that gap being actively addressed by a number of OEMs and the solution, not something to be relegated to the distant future as a theoretical. It’s coming, along with fast charge capabilities underground.

Manual mapping methods are expensive, time consuming, and dangerous. Firmatek is breaking that paradigm using drones to simplify the mapping process. We use drones to collect mapping data from our client's sites and integrate technology into our service offering. Download our article to learn how.

What We Do At O16 LabsAt o16 Labs, we work with passion and clarity on the development of full-stack software solutions for disruptive companies, providing support for decision making and developing systems that are true to the core ideas.Whether you’re looking for end-to-end mobile services from strategy through deployment or augmentation of your existing mobile team, O16 Labs has the capabilities to customize a solution to fit your needs.

What We Do At O16 LabsAt o16 Labs, we work with passion and clarity on the development of full-stack software solutions for disruptive companies, providing support for decision making and developing systems that are true to the core ideas.Whether you’re looking for end-to-end mobile services from strategy through deployment or augmentation of your existing mobile team, O16 Labs has the capabilities to customize a solution to fit your needs.et

What We Do At O16 LabsAt o16 Labs, we work with passion and clarity on the development of full-stack software solutions for disruptive companies, providing support for decision making and developing systems that are true to the core ideas.Whether you’re looking for end-to-end mobile services from strategy through deployment or augmentation of your existing mobile team, O16 Labs has the capabilities to customize a solution to fit your needs.

What We Do At O16 LabsAt o16 Labs, we work with passion and clarity on the development of full-stack software solutions for disruptive companies, providing support for decision making and developing systems that are true to the core ideas.Whether you’re looking for end-to-end mobile services from strategy through deployment or augmentation of your existing mobile team, O16 Labs has the capabilities to customize a solution to fit your needs.

What We Do At O16 LabsAt o16 Labs, we work with passion and clarity on the development of full-stack software solutions for disruptive companies, providing support for decision making and developing systems that are true to the core ideas.Whether you’re looking for end-to-end mobile services from strategy through deployment or augmentation of your existing mobile team, O16 Labs has the capabilities to customize a solution to fit your needs.

MAKING EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT DECISIONS - The decision to replace production equipment as it nears the end of its life-cycle is both an economic and a performance decision. Economics are involved in the identification and procurement of the best equipment for the capital outlay constraints involved. Performance considerations are important in selecting the best equipment for the job. Chapter from Maintenance in Transition - The Journey to World Class Maintenance

A lot can happen in a month or quarter on your site, making it difficult to prepare for your month end inventories. Firmatek’s Drone Solution allows you to fly your sites and then upload the data to our team for processing. This gives you the flexibility you need to capture data when you need it. With this in mind, we've developed three tips to remember when preparing for your month end inventories. Download our article to learn more!

Technology is adding unparalleled value to the mining and aggregate industries. Executives and plant managers are able to access more information than ever before, allowing them to make better, more informed business decisions. However, technology adoption in mining could frighten many employees in the industry for various reasons. To help ease their fears, we've developed 4 things to keep in mind. Download our article to learn more!

Complimentary Mining Maintenance Management Course - Maintenance is always more successful when operations, management and staff departments have a more comprehensive understanding of how maintenance works. Then their roles in the support, cooperation and direction of the interdepartmental maintenance effort can create the circumstances that can yield improvement. Education and training of operations, management and staff department personnel adds directly to the effort of improving maintenance.   Those who perform and control maintenance possess significant diagnostic and repair talent. But these skills do not automatically yield management skills. As a result, maintenance often struggles to limit downtime and meet equipment reliability needs. Within maintenance there are many capable personnel who could easily acquire essential management skills providing training and education are provided. The unfortunate reality is that no such training is being provided. Instead, the unfortunate practice of promotion from within does not always produce capable maintenance managers. Typically, an outstanding craftsman is, over time and attrition circumstances, promoted to maintenance manager. Through no fault of his own he had not acquired the requisite management skills for the job. Nor had training been provided. The end result is poorly managed maintenance that ultimately impacts mine operation performance. This oversight requires correction.   When effective maintenance education and training are available and accessible, those who can influence maintenance improvement will use it. Outstanding craftsman will aspire to efficient supervision and management.Operations managers will connect better maintenance to greater availability.Managers will realize cohesive interaction among departments to assure profitability. Complimentary Mining Maintenance Management Course - Over 600 Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) member organizations are benefiting from the Mining Maintenance Management Course (see attachment) being offered as a complimentary professional courtesy. If you are member of SME you may access the course: Log into http://community.smenet.org Click: Browse then select link to Mining Maintenance Management Course Library. PPT course topics (01 – 22) appear with Word reference (MIT) files for each course topic. Select and download course topics to make them available to your personnel. If you are not an SME member, the course can also be made available for transmission to your organization. Please inquire.   Paul D. Tomlingson, Mining Maintenance Consultant (Retired) Legion of Honor Member – Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) Denver, Colorado USA [email protected]                  

Technology has made business operations more seamless, but in order to understand exactly what customers need, you have to spend time with them and get to know their business. It’s more than a sales pitch — we like to partner with our customers to create the best technology solution. Despite the constant stream of technological advancements we enjoy, the human element isn’t going out of style. If your company is looking to stand out from the crowd, incorporating the human element into your company-wide strategy will help you reach your full industry potential. Download our article for strategies on how to maintain a personal touch in your tech company. 

Stedman has the engineering experience to design, manufacture, and install custom crushing and bulk material conveyor handling systems. Bulk material conveyors are useful in handling and transporting a variety of materials throughout processing. Designing and deploying size-reduction systems takes experience. See how teamwork integration can help improve design, manufacturing and installation processes by reading this ROCK PRODUCTS magazine article .     • Custom Crushers    • Stainless Steel Crushers    • Grinding Rooms    • Retrofits    • Turnkey Plant Solutions    • Aggregate Plants    • Structures & Chutes    • Bulk Material Conveyors     • Specialty Conveyors    • Screening & Classifying     • Silos, Bins & Hoppers     • Feeders – Apron, Vibratory & Belt     • Dust Collection     • Tramp Metal Detection    • Process Design    • Installation & Startup Whether you are starting a new process or retrofitting an existing one, contact Stedman to discuss your custom size reduction system, bulk material conveyor and project needs.

This Course is specifically designed to instruct maintenance personnel on maintenance management skills and - - help operations, staff departments and management support, cooperate with and direct the interdepartmental maintenance effort.   I have attached a Course description.   Paul D. Tomlingson, Mining Maintenance Consultant (Retired) Legion of Honor Member – Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) Denver, Colorado USA [email protected]  

Our size reduction crush testing equipment is available for your products, whether you are interested in testing or in our full service toll grinding services facility.Just minutes from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, it is perfect for one day testing visits. Highly trained and experienced technicians guide you through the testing processes with your material to help determine which equipment is best for your needs.Impact Crushing MethodLearn the basics of controlled impact crushing, pulverizing or upgrading of your material. See how we prepare and load your material and set RPMs for fine to coarse production. Watch real time horsepower consumption through start up and full load. You will see our crusher testing process personally and receive your end product on site with a confidential, written report including:Moisture analysisRaw feed gradation analysisProduct gradation analysisBulk densityAbrasion testEstimated metal replacement costsPower requirements for startup and operationTest Crushing MachineryWe provide assurance that you are buying the right equipment for the job. Stedman offers the following crusher testing machines to test your products:Grand-SlamTM HSI ImpactorH-SeriesTM Multi-Row Cage Mill PulverizerV-SlamTM VSI ImpactorMicro-MaxTM Fine Grind Air Swept MillAuroraTM Dual Rotor CrusherHammer Mill

Impact size reduction incorporates striking to pulverize material. The primary types of impact crushers include -- horizontal shaft impactors (HSI), cage mill pulverizers, and vertical shaft impactors (VSI). Each impactor can be further designated as primary and secondary rotor crusher as well as tertiary and quaternary crushers. This particular designation is dependent on which processing stage the equipment is being utilized. Crusher Throughput ProductionFeed enters the crushing chamber and meets the breaker bars or plates propelling feed against the breaker plates resulting in impact reduction. There are no screens or grates holding material inside impact crushers, so material is efficiently processed at high rates for low costs.Secondary Impact Crush ApplicationsLimestoneGravelClay & ShaleFrac SandCoalSlag (Aluminum Dross, Copper, Steel, etc…)Fired ClaysRAP – Asphalt recyclingConcrete without RebarFloor Tile GlassConcrete BlockStone CrusherResidential, Commercial & Paving BricksGranite

A solid performer since its ground-breaking introduction, the Stedman Mega-Slam horizontal shaft impactor effectively handles large feed sizes - beyond the range of secondary HSI crushers. Horizontal Impactor ApplicationsAluminum DrossAsphaltBrickGravelLimestone Impact Crusher Lead SlagShaleClick here for more applicationsMega Slam Features and BenefitsReduction ratios up to 20:1360° Bearing contact = long bearing lifeFeatures 2” thick housing linersSolid Rotor with 3 or 4 breaker bar rowsDependable product control and rugged wear partsManual or power assist apron adjustmentMax-Yield™ automatic apron adjustment systemMega-sized processing requires more than guesswork.Stedman’s unique, full scale Testing and Toll Processing Facility takes the guesswork out of selecting particle size reduction technology and equipment. Contact Stedman to schedule your testing in our full-size HSI. To learn more about what to expect from testing, read this article that ran in POWDER BULK ENGINEERING magazine.

The Stedman V-Slam™ is the vertical shaft impactor for all your coarse-to-fine crushing needs. It offers significant savings over higher-priced competitive crushers. The V-Slam, with its low horsepower per ton of throughput, minimizes operating costs. Our vertical shaft impactors feature multiple rotor configurations for various applications. From open and enclosed rotors to the Stedman Patented Tubular Rotor, each machine is configured to provide customers exactly what is needed for their unique application.The V-Slam has a wide speed range as well as the highest rotor tip speed allowing a high degree of process control.The new Patented Tubular Rotor provides many benefits over the standard shoe and anvil designs as well as rock-shelf applications. The easily replaceable and indexable rotor tubes, cut your total operating cost and maintenance time in half, making V-Slam the easiest VSI to maintain and one of the best impact crusherson the market.Vertical Shaft Impactor ApplicationsLimestoneSand & GravelGlassFerro Silicon & Silicon CarbideAluminum Dross & Other SlagsBurnt MagnesiteTungsten CarbideTrona SulfateBariteBakery WasteZeoliteand much more...Click here for information on retrofitting your existing VSI to the NEW Stedman Tubular RotorGive Your Materials a Spin in our Test Facility VSIThe Stedman Testing & Toll Processing Facility is the place to test your material in our full size VSI. If it can be crushed, ground, pulverized or mixed, chances are we’ve done it. We have more than 10,000 test reports to help get you to the best solution quickly. To learn more about what to expect from testing, read this article that ran in POWDER BULK ENGINEERING magazine.

H-Series™ Impact MillsThe Stedman H-Series multi cage mill is best at pulverizing, grinding, crushing and mixing abrasive and non-abrasive materials – wet, sticky or dry. The H-Series works more efficiently than other types of pulverizer machines and provides a finer, more uniform grind.H-Series cage mills can handle up to 240 tons per hour and are reversible for extended wear life. The H-Series cage mill is engineered and constructed to operate at or near-peak efficiency longer, providing a greater return on capital investment over its life than competing equipment.H-Series Features and BenefitsCapable of producing a variety of product gradations, easily altered by changing the impact mill speedQuick-opening housing for inspection and maintenance allows for minimum downtime for wear part replacement and inspectionInspections typically require only 5 minutes and complete change out of wear components in as little as one hour or less versus 4 hours or more with other millsCompact, unitized construction, occupies up to 45% less floor spaceReversible DesignProvides optimum utilization of crushing componentsImpact Mill Applications:AglimeAgricultural GypsumRoof & Floor TileClay & ShaleCoalFertilizerSaltsBreak Into Your New Cage MillThe Stedman Testing & Toll Processing Facility is the place to test your material in our full size equipment. If it can be crushed, ground, pulverized or mixed, chances are we’ve done it. Schedule your product testing in our H-Series today. To learn more about what to expect from testing, read this article that ran in POWDER BULK ENGINEERING magazine.PotashCornAnimal FeedsAluminum DrossCorn FiberGrainsGelatin

Training is a make or break customer satisfaction opportunity. If not executed well, it can actually chase your clients away. It's our job to make sure our clients are prepared and equipped to capture great data. With this in mind, building a strong training program has been a key focus this year at Firmatek. Our Chief Drone Officer, Andrew Maximow, identifies 3 key take-aways that he believes make training programs great. Download his article to learn more.

Each individual will require more than 3 million pounds of minerals, metals and fuel during his or her lifetime, meaning companies must optimize to meet increased demand. Big data can help achieve that goal, but only if it's used correctly. Because data is being collected more frequently, it's more important than ever for everyone to understand the basics of data collection, analysis, and delivery. The best way to do this is by forming an accurate  picture of the end-to-end process. Download our published article to learn more. 

In an industry where technology is constantly evolving, you can’t just listen to what everyone is saying. When there’s a new drone or app introduced every few weeks, how can you keep up and separate the truth from the hype? In our latest blog, Chief Drone Officer Andrew Maximow debunks 3 popular myths about drones in the commercial & industrial space. Download his full article here!

Turner Mining Group continues to embrace new technology to increase efficiency and keep their employees safe. Drones have had a big impact on both of these factors. From billing reconciliation to safety, adopting Firmatek’s Drone Solutions across Turner Mining's nationwide organization has helped them improve efficiencies in a number of areas. Download our case study to learn how drone solutions can help improve your operations.

                  No, I’m not talking about piles of leftover debris or even the kind of “trashy” look that’s common on construction sites. While neatness is nice, especially on a highly visible site, the waste I’m referring to is all those insidious, sometimes hidden, wastes that may not look messy but can make a real mess of budget forecasts and construction schedules.Jobsite waste – and the losses it creates – is a serious problem throughout the HBM industry. In fact, according to a 2016 McKinsey study, “Large projects across asset classes typically take 20 percent longer to finish than scheduled and are up to 80 percent over budget.”Most budget overruns are not the result of leftovers or throwaways. Most are a result of squandering 1) time, 2) motion, and/or 3) accuracy. Eliminating waste is an ongoing challenge, but these best practices can help you recognize – and correct – this resource-draining scourge:1) TIME. Wasting time is probably the most common and costly jobsite activity, especially since it’s virtually always unintentional and unobtrusive. What’s the best way to spot it? Recognize that all wait time is wasted time. Any person, place or thing that sits idle or is not ready when needed is generating waste.When workers wait on instructions or tools or equipment or approval or inspection, their time is being wasted. When tools, parts or equipment are unavailable or inoperable, time is being wasted. When one process or procedure is stalled waiting for another to be completed, valuable time is being wasted.Wasted time typically results from inadequate planning, communication or resource allocation, so invest in these timesaving preventive measures instead:1) TIME. Wasting time is probably the most common and costly jobsite activity, especially since it’s virtually always unintentional and unobtrusive. What’s the best way to spot it? Recognize that all wait time is wasted time. Any person, place or thing that sits idle or is not ready when needed is generating waste.When workers wait on instructions or tools or equipment or approval or inspection, their time is being wasted. When tools, parts or equipment are unavailable or inoperable, time is being wasted. When one process or procedure is stalled waiting for another to be completed, valuable time is being wasted.Wasted time typically results from inadequate planning, communication or resource allocation, so invest in these timesaving preventive measures instead:Begin with informed planning that includes all pertinent people. Early integration and transparent information sharing improve efficiency at every operational stage.Forecast construction schedules, budgets and requirements so that you can realistically anticipate tools, materials and labor.Create and communicate contingency plans so that the entire crew stays up to date and in sync.Use technology to communicate.  Radios, mobile phones, tablets and other digital tools speed communication and improve clarity. 2) MOTION. Going back to the truck to grab another tool, hunting down a colleague for collaboration, moving critical materials or machinery from its current location to where it’s needed, dispatching and transporting workers, even unloading deliveries and distributing parts are all costly operations that reduce productivity. Any unnecessary or unplanned movement of people, equipment, tools or materials wastes valuable time and energy.To minimize wasted motion, use efficient workplace procedures and productivity-enhancing devices:Plan ahead to place and prepare critical equipment for use at the point of operation.Corral required tools, parts, kits and equipment in well-stocked, well-organized, well-maintained work carts.Equip workers with tool belts, trays, bins and pouches for easy accessibility.Use rail-lock aerial accessories (tool bins, pipe racks, cradles, panel carriers, etc.) when working on scissor lifts, boom lifts or other platforms for safe, secure, fast access.Use communications technology to locate misplaced or misappropriated resources.Designate a worker to make deliveries and tools runs as needed.3) ACCURACY. Precision in quality control, inventory management, and maintenance and replacement programs is vital for preventing wasted materials and labor. Symptoms of sloppy jobsite practices include tasks that can’t be done due to damaged, defective or missing materials; rework due to poor quality or specification mismatches; “shrink” due to lost or stolen tools or inventory; breakage due to careless handling or improper use; and mistakes in ordering, stocking, storing, handling and accounting for materials.Verifying resources and quality takes attention and vigilance. These common-sense practices can bring valuable order and discipline to your jobsite:Make sure all workers have a clear project understanding, including the latest drawings, specifications and contingency plans.Lock up tools and equipment at days’ end and when not in use.Remove and replace damaged tools or materials immediately.Designate a specific person to order, inspect, label and monitor materials, especially near job’s end, to avoid leftover inventory.Are time and resources going to waste on your bsite? Command Alkon helps make fast work of unnecessary jobsite losses.To reduce the costs, risks, and waste that result from out-of-stock and over-stock situations, inefficient hauling practices, and lack of transparency, the HBM industry relies on Command Alkon’s supplyCONNECT to manage daily replenishment plans. By promoting collaboration among supply chain trading partners, supplyCONNECT saves money and time – ensuring that the right amount of inventory is delivered to the right place at the right time.

No, I’m not talking about piles of leftover debris or even the kind of “trashy” look that’s common on construction sites. While neatness is nice, especially on a highly visible site, the waste I’m referring to is all those insidious, sometimes hidden, wastes that may not look messy but can make a real mess of budget forecasts and construction schedules.Jobsite waste – and the losses it creates – is a serious problem throughout the HBM industry. In fact, according to a 2016 McKinsey study, “Large projects across asset classes typically take 20 percent longer to finish than scheduled and are up to 80 percent over budget.”Most budget overruns are not the result of leftovers or throwaways. Most are a result of squandering 1) time, 2) motion, and/or 3) accuracy. Eliminating waste is an ongoing challenge, but these best practices can help you recognize – and correct – this resource-draining scourge:1) TIME. Wasting time is probably the most common and costly jobsite activity, especially since it’s virtually always unintentional and unobtrusive. What’s the best way to spot it? Recognize that all wait time is wasted time. Any person, place or thing that sits idle or is not ready when needed is generating waste.When workers wait on instructions or tools or equipment or approval or inspection, their time is being wasted. When tools, parts or equipment are unavailable or inoperable, time is being wasted. When one process or procedure is stalled waiting for another to be completed, valuable time is being wasted.Wasted time typically results from inadequate planning, communication or resource allocation, so invest in these time-saving, preventive measures instead:·         Begin with informed planning that includes all pertinent people. Early integration and transparent information sharing improve efficiency at every operational stage.·         Forecast construction schedules, budgets and requirements so that you can realistically anticipate tools, materials and labor.·         Create and communicate contingency plans so that the entire crew stays up to date and in sync.·         Use technology to communicate.  Radios, mobile phones, tablets and other digital tools speed communication and improve clarity.2) MOTION. Going back to the truck to grab another tool, hunting down a colleague for collaboration, moving critical materials or machinery from its current location to where it’s needed, dispatching and transporting workers, even unloading deliveries and distributing parts are all costly operations that reduce productivity. Any unnecessary or unplanned movement of people, equipment, tools or materials wastes valuable time and energy.To minimize wasted motion, use efficient workplace procedures and productivity-enhancing devices:·         Plan ahead to place and prepare critical equipment for use at the point of operation.·         Corral required tools, parts, kits and equipment in well-stocked, well-organized, well-maintained work carts. ·         Equip workers with tool belts, trays, bins and pouches for easy accessibility.·         Use rail-lock aerial accessories (tool bins, pipe racks, cradles, panel carriers, etc.) when working on scissor lifts, boom lifts or other platforms for safe, secure, fast access.·         Use communications technology to locate misplaced or misappropriated resources. ·         Designate a worker to make deliveries and tools runs as needed.3) ACCURACY. Precision in quality control, inventory management, and maintenance and replacement programs is vital for preventing wasted materials and labor. Symptoms of sloppy jobsite practices include tasks that can’t be done due to damaged, defective or missing materials; rework due to poor quality or specification mismatches; “shrink” due to lost or stolen tools or inventory; breakage due to careless handling or improper use; and mistakes in ordering, stocking, storing, handling and accounting for materials.Verifying resources and quality takes attention and vigilance. These common-sense practices can bring valuable order and discipline to your jobsite: ·         Make sure all workers have a clear project understanding, including the latest drawings, specifications and contingency plans.·         Lock up tools and equipment at days’ end and when not in use.·         Remove and replace damaged tools or materials immediately.·         Designate a specific person to order, inspect, label and monitor materials, especially near job’s end, to avoid leftover inventory.Are time and resources going to waste on your jobsite? Command Alkon helps make fast work of unnecessary jobsite losses. To reduce the costs, risks, and waste that result from out-of-stock and over-stock situations, inefficient hauling practices, and lack of transparency, the HBM industry relies on Command Alkon’s supplyCONNECT to manage daily replenishment plans. By promoting collaboration among supply chain trading partners, supplyCONNECT saves money and time – ensuring that the right amount of inventory is delivered to the right place at the right time. 

There’s some good, solid news for the construction industry: Dodge Data & Analytics Index projects that we’ll have “moderate strengthening” through the end of 2018. But in terms of productivity, we appear to be heading in a different direction. Of note, a recent survey of 600 global construction leaders* compiled by PlanGrid and FMI Corporation mentions: ·        •Poor communication, rework and bad data management cost the construction industry; $177 billion annually in labor costs in the United States alone.        •Construction workers lose almost two full working days per week solving avoidable issues and searching for project information. ·       • Each construction project team member spends more than 14 hours weekly on average dealing with conflict, rework and other issues. ·         •Almost half of all rework is due to poor communication among project stakeholders, and poor project information, while 26% of rework is due to poor communication or miscommunication between team members caused unresponsiveness of team members; the inability of project stakeholders to collaborate effectively; and the lack of a common platform for all team members to communicate and share project data. ·        •The most common goals for technology adoption included providing better access to project data, improving project productivity and increasing the accuracy of project information. ·        •Workers are not taking full advantage of mobile devices and IT investments.      Stamp Out Non-Productive Driver and Fleet Time for Big Productivity Gains It stands to reason that companies who address productivity issues will not only avoid scrambling for information and wasted hours and energy but also quickly gain competitive advantage. If you’re managing drivers and trucks that wheel in and out of numerous sites during the day or week and aren’t using automatic processes via technology to more efficiently track and manage your fleet, there’s more good news. You can increase driver productivity and avoid the 20-40 minutes per truck per day that’s lost through clocking in and out and other non-productive activities during: ·         •Time in Transit ·         •Time at the Job Site ·         •Time in the Yard Forty minutes per day, per truck may seem marginal at first glance. But 200 minutes/week x 48 weeks/ year = 9,600 minutes, 160 hours or a total of 4,000 hours of inefficiency for a fleet of 25 trucks. Time in the yard is the lever most within a producer’s control and represents over half of the total nonproductive time per truck. So, rather than simply adding incremental trucks and drivers to the fleet to boost productivity (which unfortunately only adds to the total non‐productive hours and fails to improve operational processes), consider a solution that: ·         •Uses automatic processes via technology to more efficiently track and manage your fleet. ·         •Enables your drivers to punch the clock from in the cab, an efficiency enhancer that alone could save you up to 20 minutes per day (this is time spent in your own yard, under your own watch, that you can act on quickly to recapture those minutes, regardless of what happens away from your yard). ·         •Captures a meaningful portion of that lost time from each driver. ·         •Provides a constant view into the location and performance of your entire fleet. ·        •Is adaptable and helps your teams collaborate in real-time with a “central source of truth” and access to relevant data when you need it. At least 50% of employees’ non‐productive time can be captured back efficiently and effectively when the right combinations of levers are pulled – both in terms of area of focus (i.e., time in yard) and adaptability to each individual customer’s business process requirements. This equates to big productivity increases over both the short- and long-term. Learn more about how Command Alkon’s TrackIt solution offers an industry specific, flexible and fully customizable solution to track your fleet and meet your specific needs, including in-cab time and attendance functionality focused at recapturing lost time in the yard, helping you drive a more efficient fleet and improve your profitability. *500 respondents from the United States and 99 from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Canada. Of those surveyed, 49% work for general contractor firms, 36% came from specialty trades and 15% were owners. Over 300 respondents came from the commercial sector and the other respondents represent industrial and manufacturing, heavy civil, healthcare, power (oil and gas, and energy), education and government.

There’s some good, solid news for the construction industry: Dodge Data & Analytics Index projects that we’ll have “moderate strengthening” through the end of 2018. But in terms of productivity, we appear to be heading in a different direction. Of note, a recent survey of 600 global construction leaders* compiled by PlanGrid and FMI Corporation mentions: ·         Poor communication, rework and bad data management cost the construction industry; $177 billion annually in labor costs in the United States alone. ·         Construction workers lose almost two full working days per week solving avoidable issues and searching for project information. ·         Each construction project team member spends more than 14 hours weekly on average dealing with conflict, rework and other issues. ·         Almost half of all rework is due to poor communication among project stakeholders, and poor project information, while 26% of rework is due to poor communication or miscommunication between team members caused unresponsiveness of team members; the inability of project stakeholders to collaborate effectively; and the lack of a common platform for all team members to communicate and share project data. ·         The most common goals for technology adoption included providing better access to project data, improving project productivity and increasing the accuracy of project information. ·         Workers are not taking full advantage of mobile devices and IT investments. Stamp Out Non-Productive Driver and Fleet Time for Big Productivity Gains It stands to reason that companies who address productivity issues will not only avoid scrambling for information and wasted hours and energy but also quickly gain competitive advantage. If you’re managing drivers and trucks that wheel in and out of numerous sites during the day or week and aren’t using automatic processes via technology to more efficiently track and manage your fleet, there’s more good news. You can increase driver productivity and avoid the 20-40 minutes per truck per day that’s lost through clocking in and out and other non-productive activities during: ·         Time in Transit ·         Time at the Job Site ·         Time in the Yard Forty minutes per day, per truck may seem marginal at first glance. But 200 minutes/week x 48 weeks/ year = 9,600 minutes, 160 hours or a total of 4,000 hours of inefficiency for a fleet of 25 trucks. Time in the yard is the lever most within a producer’s control and represents over half of the total nonproductive time per truck. So, rather than simply adding incremental trucks and drivers to the fleet to boost productivity (which unfortunately only adds to the total non‐productive hours and fails to improve operational processes), consider a solution that: ·         Uses automatic processes via technology to more efficiently track and manage your fleet. ·         Enables your drivers to punch the clock from in the cab, an efficiency enhancer that alone could save you up to 20 minutes per day (this is time spent in your own yard, under your own watch, that you can act on quickly to recapture those minutes, regardless of what happens away from your yard). ·         Captures a meaningful portion of that lost time from each driver. ·         Provides a constant view into the location and performance of your entire fleet. ·         Is adaptable and helps your teams collaborate in real-time with a “central source of truth” and access to relevant data when you need it. At least 50% of employees’ non‐productive time can be captured back efficiently and effectively when the right combinations of levers are pulled – both in terms of area of focus (i.e., time in yard) and adaptability to each individual customer’s business process requirements. This equates to big productivity increases over both the short- and long-term. Learn more about how Command Alkon’s TrackIt solution offers an industry specific, flexible and fully customizable solution to track your fleet and meet your specific needs, including in-cab time and attendance functionality focused at recapturing lost time in the yard, helping you drive a more efficient fleet and improve your profitability. *500 respondents from the United States and 99 from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Canada. Of those surveyed, 49% work for general contractor firms, 36% came from specialty trades and 15% were owners. Over 300 respondents came from the commercial sector and the other respondents represent industrial and manufacturing, heavy civil, healthcare, power (oil and gas, and energy), education and government.

What's All the Buzz About Electronic Tickets?Paper tickets - this has been a trending topic across the Heavy Building Materials industry for quite some time. Why? Because paper processes are entirely outdated and inefficient, and in an industry that is on-the-go, they can be a hassle to keep track of. Using paper discourages quick billing and quick driver turn around. With the use of mobile technology, drivers can now deliver electronic tickets as soon as materials are delivered. This means quicker invoicing to suppliers and enhanced partnerships. Let's Break It down for You - How Can MOBILEticket Improve Your Business?·        MOBILEticket provides paperless tickets that can’t be lost, rained on, or thrown away. The ticket is an electronic document that is distributable via email without scanning.·        MOBILEticket’s native integration with MCM’s Apex system provides seamless data routing from dispatch to the drivers.·        The intuitive workflow within MOBILEticket makes it easy to learn for new employees.·        Using tablets in their trucks, MOBILEticket can be set up and implemented quickly.Midwest Concrete Materials Sees the Advantages of Implementing MOBILEticketBeing a Command Alkon customer for years, Midwest Concrete rolled out MOBILEticket to the aggregate side of their business. The implementation and training process was straightforward as MCM was already using a number of Command Alkon products. The results of this tool were almost immediate - radio traffic decreased, driver time in the yard decreased and MCM’s internal staff were able to invoice quicker.Placing Focus on What MattersMCM’s drivers appreciate not having to contact dispatch for questions on their tickets. With the paperless tickets they no longer have to manually fill out paper tickets and they get their next ticket displayed on their tablet as soon as they submit the existing ticket. Having all the ticket information on their tablets reduces the amount of questions they have to ask dispatch and there is no risk of the ticket being lost on the jobsite. The reduction in radio traffic increases driver efficiency and allows dispatch to focus on coordinating schedules and getting orders into the system.A+ Customer Experiences and Strengthened Partnerships·The MCM internal staff has seen increased speed at which they can invoice their tickets. The MOBILEtickets are downloaded directly to their financial software and after importing, the tickets are immediately billed. This has reduced time to invoice and eliminated double data entry.Mike Sanson, IT Manager at Midwest Concrete stated, “Our trucks are more efficient, in that they have their assignments immediately upon completion of the previous order. Our drivers have the order information available at their fingertips. The drivers no longer have to fill out paper tickets, and therefore we do not have to double enter to get them into our billing system, eliminating time and mistakes. Our customers receive an email of their ticket immediately in the office alerting them that the material has been delivered, and not waiting on a worker on the job to deliver the paper ticket. Overall, this has streamlined the whole process, and MOBILEticket is a win-win for both our company and our customers.”Want to start a conversation about MOBILEticket? Click here to contact us!

Spend More Time in the Field Generating Business Mobile technology that allows real-time information to be collected and shared is changing the face of the construction industry. This technology is being used to track daily activities and critical information, and streamline collaboration between teams in the field and at the office. What's shaking up sales processes in the technology world? Mobile sales solutions. Many sales people love their current manual or isolated quoting processes because they’re easy and have very few constraints. However, the rest of the organization often suffers from the headaches resulting from the lack of visibility or audit trails inherent to these processes, which ultimately negatively impacts your organization’s operational stability and growth plans. If this sounds like your organization, it may be time to investigate automated solutions that are designed specifically for the Heavy Building Materials industry that can empower accurate sales forecasting and minimize quoting inaccuracies. What Can A Mobile Sales Solution Do for My Business? Three problems that a mobile sales solutions address includes: 1) Generating timely and accurate quotes: Roughly 25% of Heavy Building Materials production volume is quoted and shipped within 24 hours. Without real-time information, there is room for unintended errors to easily creep into the process; such as outdated pricing and unauthorized discounts. According to well-regarded research firms, these rebills can cost companies up to 5% of the original transaction value. Progressive Ready-Mix Producers and Bulk Material Suppliers are using mobile sales solutions to more effectively perform quoting, monitoring, and forecasting through an investment that can easily pay for itself by eliminating just a handful of credit and rebill situations. 2) Maintaining realistic pipeline estimates and forecasts: Recent research by the Aberdeen Group shows that only around 55% of companies that do not implement a best-in-class forecasting process achieve their sales quotas, compared to 97% of companies that choose to implement advanced forecasting approaches achieving theirs. With a sales solution in place that provides real-time visibility into both an accurate backlog and an accurate sales forecast, you are empowered to make decisions and adjustments that steer your organization in the right direction on a daily basis (even a hourly basis, if needed) instead of relying on a monthly snapshot of quickly outdated information.  3) Missing opportunities due to lack of visibility in the field: How often does your company miss opportunities simply because a bid date is missed?  Does each sales team member have their own approach to selling, quoting, and closing opportunities?  Is pricing consistency a problem you deal with? With a mobile sales solution designed specifically for the industry in place you can gain the visibility you need to monitor and enforce sales activities and ensure a consistent and professional buying experience to your market. MOBILEsales is Command Alkon’s mobile sales solution for the Heavy Building Materials industry. This tool helps you standardize your sales approach across your team and eliminate issues that arise from inaccuracies and inefficiencies.

Every job site demands unique attention. That’s why every Bridgestone and Firestone Off-the- Road tire must meet our standard of engineering and innovation. Our UGHR line-up provides the cut resistance and durability required for underground mining, while delivering a high level of stability and traction to meet the varying heat- severity requirements of our customers.

“In 1533 a noblewoman in Calais presented a visiting grandee with a peculiar gift: her personal toothpick, which, she was eager to point out, she had used for seven years.” The visitor’s reaction was not recorded but this tale launched an unusual conference “dedicated to keeping things in good nick.” Held at the Museum of London, its observations were reported in the October 20th issue of the Economist (attached). “Events about making new things are ten-a-penny but less common are events about keeping things as good as new. Maintenance is often dismissed as mere drudgery but - - repair is often trickier than making them.”  “Maintenance lacks the glamour of innovation and it is mostly noticed by its absence -- the tear in a shirt, the mold on a ceiling, the sputtering of an engine.” “It (wear and tear or ‘consumption of fixed capital’) is also more difficult to measure. Statisticians must estimate the lifespan of (assets) and make assumptions about how they deteriorate. Some are like light bulbs, which work well until they stop altogether while other assets were assumed to wear out in a straight line.”   These observations suggest that maintenance is a difficult to execute, measure or manage activity. But they also raise questions. Why is maintenance improvement a perpetual mining industry goal? Are enough of the right things being done to achieve necessary improvements? Do decision-makers know what to do? Is there acknowledgement that effective maintenance is the single most important guarantee of reliable equipment that can ensure a successful mining operation?    

“In 1533 a noblewoman in Calais presented a visiting grandee with a peculiar gift: her personal toothpick, which, she was eager to point out, she had used for seven years.” The visitor’s reaction was not recorded but this tale launched an unusual conference “dedicated to keeping things in good nick.” Held at the Museum of London, its observations were reported in the October 20th issue of the Economist. “Events about making new things are ten-a-penny but less common are events about keeping things as good as new. Maintenance is often dismissed as mere drudgery but - - repair is often trickier than making them.”  “Maintenance lacks the glamour of innovation and it is mostly noticed by its absence -- the tear in a shirt, the mold on a ceiling, the sputtering of an engine.” “It (wear and tear or ‘consumption of fixed capital’) is also more difficult to measure. Statisticians must estimate the lifespan of (assets) and make assumptions about how they deteriorate. Some are like light bulbs, which work well until they stop altogether while other assets were assumed to wear out in a straight line.”   These observations suggest that maintenance is a difficult to execute, measure or manage activity. But they also raise questions. Why is maintenance improvement a perpetual mining industry goal? Are enough of the right things being done to achieve necessary improvements? Do decision-makers know what to do? Is there acknowledgement that effective maintenance is the single most important guarantee of reliable equipment that can ensure a successful mining operation?      

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Transform your site data into business intelligence. Conducting inventory measurements on a monthly basis gives you key insights about your operation. The measurement itself is just data, but when you turn the data into insights, you're building your level of business intelligence. This allows you to manage and improve your overall operation. Download our article to learn more about the 3 Reasons to Conduct Monthly Inventories and how you can improve your operation.

Let's face it: Pipeline planning and upkeep require a huge investment of capital. Technology is taking pipeline construction and maintenance to another level. Ignoring the benefits of tech is no longer an option. If you want to keep up with the competition and improve safety, efficiency, and profits, you have to jump on board and make the most of what's available. Download our resource to learn more.

FORECASTING COMPONENT REPLACEMENTS How to Streamline Maintenance Planning and Scheduling   Forecasting is the identification of the most likely future time when major equipment components like engines, transmissions, pumps or conveyor drives may have to be replaced. It is not be an automatic action in which, for example, a component is simply replaced after the accumulation of a certain number of operating hours or the passage of so many weeks. This type of 'guesswork' can result in many 'perfectly good components' are being replaced prematurely only to increase the rate of material consumption and its cost.

Forecasting is the identification of the most likely future time when major equipment components like engines, transmissions, pumps or conveyor drives may have to be replaced. It is not an automatic action in which, for example, a component is simply replaced after the accumulation of a certain number of operating hours or the passage of a number of weeks. This type of 'guesswork' can result in many 'perfectly good components' being replaced prematurely only to increase the rate of material consumption and its cost. Information extracted from Mining Maintenance Management Course. Courtesy of Paul D. Tomlingson

Recommendations for More Efficient Maintenance Work Planning The amount of work that can be planned can be increased by 26% by establishing a logical equipment numbering scheme and standardizing work descriptions.   These recommendations are extracted from the Mining Maintenance Management Course. Courtesy - Paul D. Tomlingson

The Best Training Results - Industry-specific maintenance management training yields positive results. Public maintenance management seminars are often generic and provide few ideas that have immediate application to the mining industry. Other attendees usually have little understanding of mining and cannot share any useful experiences. Expensive attendance fees often preclude attendance and associated travel costs further limit those who might attend. Some topics like ‘supervision’ may have universal themes but the chief janitor has little in common with the smelter foreman. Off-site courses can pull key personnel away from the operation for the seminar duration plus travel time creating a troublesome gap in essential control of work. The timing of potentially useful courses might be in conflict with shutdown schedules further limiting attendance. While specialized topics like condition-monitoring technologies have potential utilization, the factors of cost and absence may outweigh the value gained. Similarly, specialized reliability topics can be valuable but the absence of a maintenance program platform can preclude their useful implementation. And remote mining operations often cannot even consider off-site training no matter the topic or its potential value. Their response is no training no matter the urgency. The tradition of promotion from within ultimately to maintenance manager has produced dismal results primarily because no training is being provided. No public seminar or course can fill this need. This training must come from within. It must not only be industry–specific, it must be site-specific.   These factors were the incentive for creation of the Mining Maintenance Management Course. It mitigates all of these negative training factors by providing complete on-site maintenance management training available to all - - anytime - - without limits. See attachment.

ISO 55000 is a standard for establishing an asset management system. When applied by mining operations to maintenance the outcome is consistently reliable production equipment sufficient to meet production goals that assure profitability. When internal maintenance functions are assessed, the procedures used confirm a world class performance level. Numerous such assessments have resulted in a compilation of performance standards, which upon successful application can help align an organization to achieve world class designation. Please examine the 25 performance standards applicable to Preventive Maintenance (PM). Subsequently, standards applicable to other critical maintenance functions such as planning, scheduling and work control will be posted. This information extracted from: Maintenance in Transition – The journey to World Class Maintenance. Courtesy: Paul D. Tomlingson  

Are you a DIY-er? Or do you prefer hiring a full-service provider? The choice between the two comes down to what you value most: time, cost, or the experience you want to have. At Firmatek, we believe that clients deserve a tailored solution and we work with them to determine which option on the spectrum of full service to partial DIY makes sense for them. We work with clients to uncover what value choices are right for them. Download our article to find out where your business falls on the DIY spectrum. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Lato}

When maintenance understands maintenance - - reliable equipment can follow. When operations understands maintenance - - full cooperation can follow. When staff departments understand maintenance - - quality support can follow. When mine managers unify the effort - - reliable equipment follows.    The Mining Maintenance Management Course provides mining operations with the means to educate everyone on who does what, how, when and why of maintenance. This ensures the support and cooperation from all departments and its reinforcement by knowledgeable mine managers. The result is consistently reliable equipment to gain operational efficiency and assure profitability. I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity. Please review the Course content (attached).   Paul D. Tomlingson Mining Maintenance Management Consultant (Retired) Role of Honor Member, Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME)   

If its equipment and you do something to keep it running, make it run or make it run better then it’s maintenance. If its equipment and you modify it or move it, that’s not maintenance. If you build, construct or install something, you can’t maintain it until it exists. Wait, there’s more . . .   All equipment is in a constant state of deterioration. That’s why PM is ‘detection oriented.’ The idea is to find the problem and fix it before it blows up!   An overhaul can’t be PM as some think. When an overhaul is required there is so much wrong with the equipment that it must be removed from service. There is nothing left to prevent.   Overhauls and rebuilds are not the same thing. You rebuild the truck engine. And you overhaul the truck.   If your objective is to avoid premature equipment failure and extend equipment life, it’s PM.   If the idea is to use continuous monitoring to asses equipment performance to extend equipment life and avoid the consequences of failure its Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM). And if you are trying to identify the causes of failure and reduce or eliminate them, you must be able to define reliability. Try this:    Reliability – A measure of the capability of a unit of production equipment, process or circuit to operate at designed capacity within its specified operating envelope while adhering to prescribed maintenance requirements within a designated time period and meet established levels of product output or service duration.     Other stuff  - -     When maintenance has not determined which work requires planning, bad stuff happens. First, planners are overcome with processing work orders for jobs that don’t need planning. Then, by the time the maintenance supervisors are alerted, these small jobs have become emergency repairs. And, when the planner realizes he has been conned into ‘the work order administrator’ he has no time left to plan anything.   The term ‘CMMS’ doesn’t really exist. Few maintenance organizations have a dedicated information system. Most use a work order system which is part of a fully-integrated system also used for inventory control, payroll or purchase order tracking all tied to an accounting. It’s a mystery why other departments think the work order system is the exclusive means of maintenance work control. If you do work - - of any kind - - like road grading in the pit - - use the work order system.      The most successful maintenance managers are those who have figured out that they need help from other departments and have managed to tell them how!   The best mine or plant managers are those who recognize that maintenance needs help from other departments and verifies that they get it.   Operations supervisors are really diplomats. They must ensure that operators don’t bust the equipment while trying to find out what maintenance really does and how to get it.   Maintenance craftsmen are actually ‘frustrated art appreciators’. They know that well-planned work make their jobs easier and allows them to perform higher quality work.   Maintenance foremen have the most difficult jobs in industry. No matter who busted the equipment or who is responsible for the ‘no show’ preceding the sudden failure, it’s their fault!   In the view of most operations folks, ‘downtime’ is only a maintenance term.                   

It will take more than pay increases to attract new drivers. Rather than harping onneeding more trucks and drivers, a new approach needs to be taken to determine asolution for the existing problems; the industry needs to consider ways to better utilizeexisting trucks and drivers.

Construction accounting is more than keeping the books. It’s the basis for evaluating the status and ensuring the profitability of current projects as well as a vital predictive tool for planning and calculating bids on future jobs. Count on Command Alkon’s AI solutions and technologies for a seamless flow of information to inform and support your decision-making.

Mixing things up in the work place often causes people to go into panic mode. Uncertainty registers as an error, gap, or tension in the brain: something that must be corrected before one can feel comfortable again.For example, many sales people in the Heavy Building Materials industry love their current manual or isolated sales processes because they’re easy, they are familiar with these processes, and they have very few constraints. However, the rest of the organization often suffers from the headaches resulting from the lack of visibility associated with these processes. This ultimately negatively impacts your organization’s operational stability and growth plans. Having an easily accessible tool that can house information electronically in one place makes it much easier for the entire organization to view order information and access historical data.

Introducing BuildIt to revolutionize the Construction industry.

Moving from using traditional surveying techniques to using drones for aerial data capture can increase productivity as much as 200%.  You can deliver the data you have always produced for your customers quicker and take on new projects that were too complex or hazardous before.With Firmatek’s Data Analysis and Reporting Platform, you can quickly fly a site and process the data in hours, providing a fast, cost-effective way to perform surveys. Our platform turns your drone captured aerial imagery into high precision 2D maps and 3D models, reducing expensive and time-consuming field work, while expediting the output of reporting and analytics, while providing you with survey-grade accuracy, custom reporting and reliable analytics designed for surveying and mapping.

Once upon a time, decision makers in the aggregates industry had to rely on guesswork to figure out whether they could meet a client need. Fast-forward to today, and drone technology has taken much of the guesswork out of the equation. Plus, mines are safer because data collectors are spending less time in the field.As drone tech continues to improve, there will be fewer and fewer reasons for decision makers not to incorporate drones. In the aggregates industry, it's imperative that executives begin to prepare even their most tech-challenged employees for a drone-filled future. Download our article, published in Rock Products, to learn about four tips that can help you get started. 

 You will find this English/Spanish mining terminology very useful. Please download and utilize. More technical mining-related  English/Spanish terminology to follow.

At Firmatek, we love technology. Who wouldn't want to have cool drones, lasers, and software? But cool tech isn't what makes our clients' operations more successful. It's the insights we provide from the information tech gathers. We often see clients start with the "what" when they need to be looking at the "why." Why do you want to use technology? How will it help your business? We use tech to give you more than just another data point or inventory volume. We give you insights that help you increase your business intelligence. Download our resource to learn more about business intelligence.

Telsmith offers a full line of vibrating equipment with models specifically designed to serve industries ranging from 24 hour mining operations, to heavy-duty aggregate processing and sizing, to recycling asphalt and concrete products. Products include grizzly and pan feeders, inclined screens, horizontal screens and inclined vibrating grizzly screens.

We consistently tell our clients one thing: you can't manage it if you can't measure it. The increased demand for data analysis and use of drones for 3D mapping has prompted more questions around additional case uses for drones. And in 2019, we see this trend continuing. As the "early majority" adopters in the commercial/enterprise drone industry climb up the "slope of enlightenment", there is a need for different ways to measure its growth beyond the number Part 107 license and drones being deployed. For us the key to growth is in the demand for data analytics. This demand, in turn, will further drive the supply of drones and Part 107 pilots. How does Firmatek plan to facilitate demand and drive growth in the drone industry? Download our resource from Chief Drone Officer, Andrew Maximow, to learn more.

Tsubaki SMART TOOTH offers users the ability to identify and schedule drive system maintenance before critical component failure occurs. Strategic placement of our patented Wear Indicator pins on one or more sprocket teeth provides visual indication that a sprocket is still within the allowable wear tolerance, or that it needs to be replaced. When factoring in the cost of critical drive systemcomponents, implementation of Tsubaki Wear Indicator technology makes sense for applications that are driven by capital equipment, or where non-scheduled downtime is simply not acceptable.

Tsubaki’s patented SJ3 Sealed Joint Technology effectively protects and defends a chain’s bearing areas by impeding the infiltration of aggressive fine and sticky particulate. In doing so, the risks of premature elongation, joint lockage and/or dry cavitation are greatly reduced, thus allowing for more effective chain performance and extended life.The Tsubaki SJ3 design, made in the U.S.A., utilizes a unique combination of three distinct seals (a barrier, a polymer face and a stainless steel inner ring) to create an innovative labyrinth structure that effectively hinders the infiltration of foreign matter without compromising any strength or dynamic performance. Depending on the temperature and severity of the application, seal materials and selection can be custom tailored. Please contact your local Tsubaki Representative or Tsubaki Engineering to discuss your specific application in detail and schedule an onsite technical analysis.

The South Cobb Tunnel Lift Station in Austell, Georgia, was the largest expansion project and deepest tunnel construction undertaken by the Cobb County Water Authority (CCWS), and it was completed a year ahead of schedule. Part of a comprehensive sewage and wastewater treatment system, the 5.5-mile-long tunnel was built through hard rock at a maximum depth of 400 feet. The project also included a 130 million gallon/day lift station to transport wastewater flows; the height of the station is about 212 feet. PENETRON ADMIX was used to ensure the concrete structures, tanks, foundation slaps and containment structures could resist the high levels of water pressure remain watertight. The admixture was also added to the concrete lining used to support areas of fractured rock and groundwater inflow.

The South Cobb Tunnel Lift Station in Austell, Georgia, was the largest expansion project and deepest tunnel construction undertaken by the Cobb County Water Authority (CCWS), and it was completed a year ahead of schedule. Part of a comprehensive sewage and wastewater treatment system, the 5.5-mile-long tunnel was built through hard rock at a maximum depth of 400 feet. The project also included a 130 million gallon/day lift station to transport wastewater flows; the height of the station is about 212 feet. PENETRON ADMIX was used to ensure the concrete structures, tanks, foundation slaps and containment structures could resist the high levels of water pressure remain watertight. The admixture was also added to the concrete lining used to support areas of fractured rock and groundwater inflow.

To keep a live tiger mascot happy at Louisiana State University (LSU), you need a substantial water area (including a large pond and waterfall for hot weather), an enormous synthetic rock (with a heated or cooled surface, as a lookout for the tiger), and new landscaping. Construction of the upgraded habitat specified PENETRON ADMIX SB (in soluble bags) to provide an integrated crystalline waterproofing solution. Applied as a wet process shotcrete application, the PENETRON ADMIX SB was added to the PENETRON ADMIX-Enhanced Shotcrete (PAES) to create a durable and naturalistic surface for the lookout rock and provide a new, waterproof surface for the pond and waterfall area. Mike the Tiger attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year and can be viewed via the live webcam at www.MiketheTiger.com.

The expansion of the Canpotex Marine Terminal 5 in Portland, Oregon, enlarged the facility’s capacity to process and ship white potash to overseas markets. Initially, a membrane solution was specified to protect the concrete piers, tunnel and building foundations. However, the project owners opted for an integral solution, thanks, in part, to many contractors who said they saved time and reduced construction costs when switching from a traditional surface applied waterproofing to a Penetron crystalline solution for projects located in a marine environment. Penetron worked with Cal Portland to design an optimal concrete mix that met the demands of the marine environment. PENETRON ADMIX was used to waterproof all new concrete. PENETRON slurry and PENECRETE MORTAR were applied to the tie holes and to patch previous honeycombing and defects.

The expansion of the Canpotex Marine Terminal 5 in Portland, Oregon, enlarged the facility’s capacity to process and ship white potash to overseas markets. Initially, a membrane solution was specified to protect the concrete piers, tunnel and building foundations. However, the project owners opted for an integral solution, thanks, in part, to many contractors who said they saved time and reduced construction costs when switching from a traditional surface applied waterproofing to a Penetron crystalline solution for projects located in a marine environment. Penetron worked with Cal Portland to design an optimal concrete mix that met the demands of the marine environment. PENETRON ADMIX was used to waterproof all new concrete. PENETRON slurry and PENECRETE MORTAR were applied to the tie holes and to patch previous honeycombing and defects.

San Diego’s Metropolitan Transportation Service (MTS) new, high-efficiency wheel truing pit keeps MTS rail cars rolling smoothly. When the general contractor began construction, water quickly filled the construction site (almost three feet under the water table). To finish the excavation, seven dewatering pumps were installed to keep water out. The project was a small but complex mix of new and existing construction with numerous unique conditions, all requiring  a waterproofing solution Ultimately, Penetron crystalline products were chosen over traditional waterproofing solutions, including PENETRON ADMIX for the footings, slab and walls of the truing pit, PENEBAR SW waterstop strips to seal all cold joints, and PENECRETE MORTAR to patch any remaining cracks and imperfections in the new concrete structure. The choice saved construction time and money.

The expansion of the Oyster Creek propylene production facility in Freeport, Texas, was a key part of Dow Chemical’s multi-billion-dollar investment (Gulfstream) program to take advantage of low market prices for locally-produced shale gas. The massive scope of construction made easy application and reliability of the concrete treatment solution a priority. PENETRON ADMIX SB was specified as a robust waterproofing solution for all concrete used for the water containment tanks – each with a capacity of 1.5 million gallons (5.7 million liters). As an integral waterproofing protection, it prevents penetration of water and aggressive agents into the concrete and also features a self-healing capability. Delivered in pre-measured soluble bags, the admixture simplified accurate dosage during batching and saved time in the construction schedule.

Modera Coral Gables is a 237-unit luxury apartment mid-rise building in Miami, Florida, located on an urban infill area and only one block south of Coral Gables’ Miracle Mile, a pedestrian-friendly entertainment and retail hub. The building is LEED Silver-certified and has six residential floors above three levels of parking. A large pool is situated on an expansive elevated deck on the fourth floor. Originally, a bentonite mat was specified for the foundation. Because excavations were five feet below the water table, it became impossible to eliminate enough water to install the mat. Cemex, the ready-mix supplier, worked with Penetron on a solution. PENETRON ADMIX was mixed into the concrete for all below-grade structures (and also the three-level parking garage and the fourth floor pool structure), allowing placement of the concrete into the waterlogged site.

Actual Time-lapse of Crystal Growth with Penetron crystalline technology.

Learn how Penetron crystalline technology helps seal cracks and extended the lifespan of concrete.

Introduction to the Penetron system of products  and how Penetron crystalline materials will save your project time and money. 

Introduction to the Penetron system of products  and how Penetron crystalline materials will save your project time and money. 

StrataConnect DigitalBRIDGE™ is a point-to-multipoint Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) digital network for underground applications. It delivers both power and high speed digital data over a single coaxial cable to any location where digital end-point devices are desired. DigitalBRIDGE™ provides data speeds and capabilities comparable to fiber and can be used for a wide variety of applications such as, Voice-over-IP (VoIP) communications, Wi-Fi access, video, cameras, telemetry, tracking, tele-remoting and more.

Safety, quality control and efficiency rule at two of the industry's newest urban operations: National Ready Mixed Concrete Co. Vernon (Los Angeles) and Superior Concrete/U.S. Concrete Inc. District of Columbia plants. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from industry experts sharing video tours and how they are responding to:Market conditions driving new ready mixed concrete capacity in urban areasTruck routing and material handling system pointers boosting safety & efficiencyProcess or storm water management and recycling measuresDust control plansAdvanced dispatch and fleet tracking technologyAdmixture and cementitious material factors unique to plants and urban market customers & orders

Safety, quality control and efficiency rule at two of the industry's newest urban operations: National Ready Mixed Concrete Co. Vernon (Los Angeles) and Superior Concrete/U.S. Concrete Inc. District of Columbia plants. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from industry experts sharing video tours and how they are responding to:Market conditions driving new ready mixed concrete capacity in urban areasTruck routing and material handling system pointers boosting safety & efficiencyProcess or storm water management and recycling measuresDust control plansAdvanced dispatch and fleet tracking technologyAdmixture and cementitious material factors unique to plants and urban market customers & orders

We're always looking for new ways to help clients solve problems, increase productivity, reduce waste, and improve safety. So when our client approached us about finding a better way to identify joint sets, we created this deliverable with a services-led, technology enabled approach. Download our resource to learn more about the importance of identifying joint sets and how they effect operational efficiency and safety.

We talk a lot about providing insights to our clients and equipping them with business intelligence. Researching and testing new technology helps ensure we can do that. With this in mind, we recently had a field tech training day where we introduced our team to two new members of our drone fleet: the FireFLY 6 Pro and the DJI Phantom 4 RTK. Training is an important part of setting up our team and our clients for success. It is critical for our team to have the skills to succeed. If we just give them the tool, but don’t give them knowledge to use it, we are not going to be successful. We give them the knowledge to raise the bar. Download our resource to learn more about what our team is saying about our new drone technology!

Stockpile measurements are an integral part of running a successful aggregates business. Operating efficiency and profits depend on stockpile measurements, yet many aggregates operations are guilty of making numerous common mistakes. Stockpile measurements aren’t 100 percent perfect, but you should focus on making accuracy one of your top priorities. With a more refined picture of your stockpiles, you can base decisions on sound data instead of deceptive estimates, improving efficiency and boosting profit margins. To solve some of the most common measurement problems, there are a few strategies to keep in mind. Download our resource to learn more! 

StrataConnect WirelessMonitor. Control. Track. Alert.Completely wireless and battery-powered components to build and expand your network, for permanent or temporary needs.

Proximity detection and collision avoidance is one of the most vital of today’s technologies for keeping workers safe around heavy machinery. The ever-enhancing Strata HazardAvert® is designed to be used in both underground and surface mining operations and the system promotes safer work practices through increased safety awareness and modified worker behavior. It works to prevented accidents and collisions which in-turn improves overall productivity and efficiency.

Proximity detection in mining is one of the most vital of today’s technologies for keeping workers safe around heavy machinery.  Strata HazardAvert® for coal mines is specifically designed for the underground coal environment and is MSHA approved to be used mine-wide on both production and haulage equipment. The system promotes safer work practices through increased safety awareness and modified worker behavior. It works to prevented accidents and collisions which in-turn improves overall productivity and efficiency.

Measuring and monitoring aggregates in piles, bunkers, and warehouses is necessary for many facilities. This article explains how software and cameras can help make inventory management more accurate in these locations.

We frequently get asked about the drones or UAVs that we use. What is the best drone? Why do you use such-and-such vendor? Utilizing the best technology available helps ensure that we can equip our clients with the business intelligence that they need to improve their operations. A one-size-fits-all solution in our industry isn’t practical, so we work with our clients to determine the best tool for precise and efficient data collection. Check out part one of Andrew Maximow's article series, Guide to Drone, to learn more about how we choose the right tool for the job. hashtag

What if there was a cost-effective way to get accurate, timely, and frequent data? Drone technology is changing the game. Tech has transformed the way you manage your dirt-moving operation and is drastically improving efficiencies. New tech can be hard to embrace and hard to implement. That's why we believe in supporting our clients through that transition process. It is worth the challenge of a new process to have the information you need to improve your operation. Download our resource to learn more!

Geospatial mapping is becoming a game-changer in the quality of the construction process. The construction industry is continually evolving, trying to find the best ways to maximize their profits and ensure efficiency. Cutting-edge drone technology has been a key influence working towards goals of better documentation; project management and inspections; and designing, planning, and estimating. Download our resource to learn more about the advantages of utilizing geospatial mapping data in your operation.

Does Firmatek hire drone pilots? The short answer is no. Providing key insights is our WHY. Collecting data, whether with drones or other tools, is just the tip of the iceberg of WHAT we do. Because of this, when we hire we look for skill sets beyond Part 107. We hire people who speak our client's language— mining, geology, construction, energy, and civil engineering. Andrew Maximow provides an in-depth explanation on our blog. Check it out here!

Spivey Disposal, the leading hauler and construction and demolition (C&D) recycler in southeastern Virginia, needed to replace their concrete tipping slab due to the abrasive environment of the waste separation facility. The life expectancy of a typical concrete tipping slab is a very short 3 to 4 years. Spivey needed a longer, more durable concrete life. PREVent-C technology, in combination with 1.5" steel fiber, allowed for a jointless slab solution with high impact resistance and a compression strength of 7000 psi.