- Location: Australia
- Operation Type: Open cut gold mine
- Application: Stockpile
- Equipment Solution: Transmin Low Profile Feeder
The existing extraction method utilised conventional feeders submerged in conventional pre-cast concrete tunnels. Installing a secondary tunnel with conventional belt or apron feeder extraction and associated chutes onto a collector conveyor belt would prove expensive, not least due to the height requirement (5m plus), and would take the plant out of production for excessively long periods. One alternative would be to use a front end loader to supplement the extraction, but this too would prove both time and labour intensive.
The Solution:
Transmin’s solution, was to utilise the Low Profile Feeder (LPF) with its low 1<m installed height advantage, and ability to incline within a single machine. The LPF would be located in an additional precast concrete tunnel submerged under the stockpile, with an extraction slot approximately 7m long.
The LPF would act as both feeder and conveyor – extracting and carrying ore from the stockpile simultaneously on the same machine for approximately 40m towards an inclined section, where it would be deposited directly onto a conventional conveyor.
Thanks to the LPF’s ultra-low profile, the height requirement of the pre-cast tunnel sections could be brought down, and the need for additional chute-work eliminated thanks to the built-in incline section. The end result would be a substantial reduction in civil-works.
Thanks to the LPF’s ultra-low profile, the height requirement of the pre-cast tunnel sections could be brought down, and the need for additional chute-work eliminated thanks to the built-in incline section. The end result would be a substantial reduction in civil-works.
This in turn meant installation could be completed with minimum disruption to stockpile operations. A culvert would be dug-out using excavators and the new pre-cast concrete tunnels dropped into place, allowing the stockpile to be quickly reformed and put back into full service.
Benefits:
The benefits of using the Low Profile Feeder include;
- Significant improvement to stockpile extraction efficiency
- Substantially reduced retrofitting costs – both
capital equipment and civil-works, due to;
- Ability to extract, convey and incline within a single machine
- Eliminating the need for additional chute-work
- Significantly reduced sub-stockpile construction requirements
- Minimal disruption to operations – reduced civil-works means installation can be completed during normal operations
The overall result: Higher productivity at a reduced cost.
Transmin is a world-class provider of innovative engineered equipment, supplies and services to the mining-resources and bulk materials handling industries. Established in Perth, Western Australia in 1987, Transmin sets the standard for mechanical equipment design and application, led by our specialist Engineering division and backed by our dedicated ...
