Technology and innovation
A new disruptive tunnel boring solution
was unveiled at the Mining Indaba in
Cape Town recently. Master Drilling, based
in Fochville, South Africa, introduced the
mining fraternity to its new mobile tunnel
boring (MTB) solution. According to
Danie Pretorius, CEO of Master Drilling,
the technology will be commissioned in
the third quarter of the year.
The MTB allows continuous mining
and requires no blasting, thereby
significantly enhancing mining efficiencies.
“It is as advantageous at the capital stage of
mining projects, with quicker deployment
and access to the ore body, as it is at the
production stage through substantial
productivity increase when opening up
blocks of ground or increasing a mine’s
footprint,” says Pretorius.
Pretorius adds that the technology
can bore out an excavation of 4.5m
and/or 5.5m in diameter, at a rate
that exceeds conventional tunnel
construction methods. Moreover, the
MTB can deliver various infrastructure
solutions, such as for declines, ramps,
haulages, and contact tunnels in hard
rock with compressive strengths more
than 300MPa. Its modular construction
makes it possible to retrofit to existing
operations.
According to Koos Jordaan, executive
director of Master Drilling, the concept
phase of MTB started in April 2017 and
Disruption soups up tunnel boring
The Master Drilling team in a tunnel at
Cullinan Diamond Mine in Gauteng.
after considering various alternatives,
Master Drilling made the decision
to pursue a collaborative option in
the market to realise the concept.
“We have partnered with Italy’s Seli
Technologies, a company with half a
century’s experience principally in civil
mechanised tunnelling, to manufacture
and assist us during operation of our first
MTB,” says Jordaan.
The continuous process involves
excavation, support, and waste removal,
which creates a smooth circular
excavation that does not disturb the
side walls of the tunnel. In addition, the
geometry makes for a stable and strong
tunnel and, because it is a non-explosive
process, it increases the on-face time and
delivers higher production advances on a
cost-efficient basis.
The MTB solution will be deployed
through a newly established and
dedicated division: Master Tunnelling.
Pretorius says that Master Drilling is
also exploring other opportunities in the
civil tunnelling industry.
Bigger dozer fleet improves production
[36] MINING MIRROR MARCH 2018
Liviero Mining has acquired two Komatsu
475 dozers after assessing performance,
efficiency, and cost considerations.
endeared themselves to Liviero
operators,” says Steyn.
Steyn says that the first operators
trained were selected on the strength
of their ability and experience, and
Contractor Liviero Mining, a
subsidiary of the Liviero Group, has
increased its dozer fleet to improve
production at its two major coal sites
in Mpumalanga. Liviero is the contract
miner at Tweefontein Colliery, owned
by Glencore, and at Vanggatfontein,
which it manages for Keaton Energy.
Liviero entered the mining industry
in 2012 and today has a wide range of
opencast equipment that collectively
moves about 40 million banked cubic
metres of material a year.
According to Jan Steyn, plant
director at Liviero Mining, the
company decided to acquire
Komatsu 475 dozers after assessing
performance, efficiency, and cost
considerations. “Two D475s are
now in service following a seamless
delivery, commissioning, and operator
training process, and early indications
are that the dozers are not merely
performing to expectation but have
they immediately adapted to the new
machines. “The new dozers are easy to
operate and are relatively quiet, with a
very comfortable air-conditioned cab,”
says Steyn.