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By Norm Clegg

The Plant Engineering and Maintenance Association of Canada PEMAC is a national, not-for-profit industry association for plant and facility maintenance, engineering and physical asset management in all industry sectors in Canada. Our mission is to provide professional development for our members and the profession in Canada

Feb 1, 2008

By P. R. Warner

This paper reviews the development of certain aspects of the electrical specifications of Anglo American?s suite of specifications for gearless mill drives (?GMDs?). These specifications are based on experiences in both Anglo American?s and others? operations, benchmarking against large hydro generators, the advice of industry and university experts, and continuous close co-operation with OEMs. To achieve a step change in availability additional final testing and electrical protection have been implemented, insulation requirements have been specified for machines to be operated at high altitude and clean area and access control systems have been developed.

Nov 1, 2011

By P. R. Warner

This paper reviews the development of certain aspects of the electrical specifications of Anglo American’s suite of specifications for gearless mill drives (“GMDs”). These specifications are based on experiences in both Anglo American’s and others’ operations, benchmarking against large hydro generators, the advice of industry and university experts, and continuous close co-operation with OEMs. To achieve a step change in availability additional final testing and electrical protection have been implemented, insulation requirements have been specified for machines to be operated at high altitude and clean area and access control systems have been developed.

Jan 1, 2012

By Malcolm Powell

"Predicting the performance of the whole mining process is surely the holy grail of predictive simulation. This can be named ‘Integrated Process Prediction’.The objective is to be able to predict the response of the processing chain, from mining to concentration, to changes in the ore type. This can apply to greenfields design – selecting processing options to optimise the overall mine performance within the constraints and aspirations of the greater community and environment; expansion and optimisation of existing plant to deal with changes in economic drivers and ore types; and on-line control – predictive reaction to ongoing changes in ore processing types in an operation.In order to achieve this there are several broad key components that are required: ore characteristics based on in-situ rock properties; a reliable 3D map of the ore body by the key processing parameters; prediction of how the rock fragments and the energy requirement to break it; the ability to predict and track progressive mineral liberation of the rock through the reduction process; the response of rock to separation processes as a function of the rock mineralogical properties. This requires the identification of primary rock properties and associating them with the rock particles as they move along the mining process chain to a concentrate or various forms of waste.This paper looks at the value of this integrated approach; the challenges it poses; the technology and capability we require; and how as a mineral processing community we can address the challenges."

Jan 1, 2016

By John S. Stevenson

The Twin ''J' mine is on mount Sicker; 8 miles by road northwest from Duncan; on Vancouver island. It includes the old Lenora; Tyee; and Richard III mines; formerly under separate ownership but now under the single ownership of Twin "J' Mines; Limited.

Jan 1, 1954

By Michael Fuller

Roadmap ? Examples of Partnership from UBC ?? Event Sponsorship ?? Recruitment & Connections ?? Opportunities ? National Recruitment Survey Results ? Conclusion with Key Points Event Sponsorship ? Annual Canadian Mining Games competition ?? 160 senior mining engineering students, from 10 universities ? Field Trips ?? 2nd year: Open pit ? Highland Valley Copper ?? 3rd year: Underground ? Myra Falls, Quinsam Coal ?? 4th year: Self-organized ? Chile, China, Poland, Brazil

May 1, 2008

By Warwick Bullen

A hypothetical economic model has been developed for diamond projects in the Canadian Arctic using data from recent exploration and mining projects. The model reflects economic conditions as it applies to the diamond mining industry in the Canadian Arctic at the present time. The economic model captures pre-production expenditures, production data, and post-production costs. Before- and after-tax cash flows are derived from the data along with the relevant economic criteria. From the corporate perspective, the model provides guidance as to the minimum size and/or in-situ value per tonne requirements of targets being sought in order to ensure economic success and probable exploration and development expenditures. From the government perspective, the model provides an indication of income and mining tax revenues that can be expected from a particular diamond project. The model shows, on average, diamond projects in the Canadian Arctic are expensive to explore for and develop, but are economically robust. They generate great economic return for mining companies and significant amounts of tax revenue for governments. The fact that diamonds can be transported directly from the mine site by air makes them particularly attractive targets for mining companies that operate in the Canadian Arctic.

Apr 1, 2005

Presentation Overview ?WRDC Purpose and Activities ?Women in Trades, Technology and Operations (TTO) Occupations ?Factors in Successful Recruitment / Retention of women (VBNC) ?Recruitment and Retention Strategies ?Conclusion Women in Resource Development Committee (WRDC) ?Incorporated in 1999 as a Not for Profit Organization ?Based in Newfoundland and Labrador ?Works to Increase the Participation of Women in Natural Resource Industries ?Research (Using Gender-Based Analysis) ?Career Exploration Programs for Women and Girls ?Outreach and Advocacy ?Policy Development ?Public Awareness and Education ?Gender Sensitivity Training ?WRDC Educational Resource Centre

May 1, 2006

By Lizelle Glaner

An investigation was carried out by Mintek to investigate the influence of additions of gold to ?Fecraloy?, alloys based on Fe-Cr-Al. The aim was to try and improve the oxidation resistance of the ?Fecraloy? alloys at elevated temperatures over extended periods of time. The ?Fecraloy? alloys are very oxidation resistant alloys already employed in industry as substrates for metallic catalysts in auto-catalyst systems for high performance cars. Since their life and durability is limited by the slow, but steady, oxidation of the substrates, any change in the growth or stability of the oxides could be an improvement.

Oct 1, 2003

By J. -C. Sztuke, M. Cao

ABSTRACT Wash water and polyethylene oxide (PEO) were used in the flotation of quartz and coal. Wash water decreased entrainment of –15 µm quartz. The optimum superficial wash water rate was 0.05 cm/s. PEO also lowered entrainment. The combination of wash water and PEO led to a slight further reduction in entrainment. For 1:1 mixtures of –15 µm quartz and –300 µm oxidized coal, the combined use of wash water (0.05 cm/s) and PEO increased the separation efficiency from approximately 30% to > 70%, whereas wash water alone at 0.05 cm/s did not lead to a discernible increase.

Jan 1, 2014

By J. E. Danoczi, J. A. Herbst

"Shore Gold Inc. (Shore) is presently designing a diamond processing plant for the Star and the Orion South kimberlite deposits in the Fort à la Corne (FalC) area in central Saskatchewan. The first step in the plant is diamond liberation and occurs in the comminution section. Diamond liberation is the process of breaking up the kimberlite rock, as gently as possible so as not to damage the diamonds.Autogenous grinding mills (AG mills) use a combination of impact crushing, abrasion and attrition to break up the kimberlite. The forces that occur during the actions of abrasion and attrition cause the kimberlites to break up preferentially along lines of weaknesses which offers a “diamond friendly” method of comminution.Hard competent kimberlite is commonly found in the diatreme zone as well as the root zone of the volcanic pipe and is the source of kimberlite for most of the Southern African diamond mines. Softer kimberlite is typically found in and around the crater area of a volcanic pipe and it is this kimberlite that makes up the majority of kimberlite for both the Star and Orion South deposits. These softer kimberlites can be readily broken up using abrasion and attrition imparted by AG mills. In order for Shore to benefit from the softer kimberlite found in the Star - Orion South diamond project, two large (10.97 m diameter x 7.10 m long) AG mills were designed for the comminution section based on extensive test work and simulations by Metso Minerals (Metso)."

Jan 1, 2012

By K. Cybulski

Coal dust explosions still remain the main hazard in the coal mining sector, notwithstanding their relatively wide recognition compared to other hazards and the development of effective methods of prevention. Coal dust explosions are still the cause of numerous catastrophes, often leading to fatalities. Fortunately, they rarely occur, and it is for this reason that their hazardous impact is often underestimated. This problem in Poland is being exclusively solved by the Central Mining Institute, Experimental Mine Barbara. Here, basic research on the phenomenon of coal dust explosions and prevention methods is carried out, as well as investigations into the causes and circumstances of past accidents. After 15 years of no coal dust explosion accidents in Poland (1987?2002), a few coal dust explosions have recently occurred, with tragic consequences. These events have taken place not only in hard coal mines, where the presence of dangerous coal dust is the result of common production cycle, and safety measures against coal dust explosions are subject to specific regulations, but also in coal-fired power plants. This is of special concern because prior to 1987, such accidents had been been reported only for coal mines and not for coal-fired power plants. In recent years, two dust explosions occurred in Polish power facilities: the Dolna Odra and Turow power plants. In both cases, coal dust explosions occurred in the fuel supply system, but biomass dust was also involved. The explosions caused significant damage to the systems and buildings. This paper gives description and schematics of the regions of catastrophic coal dust explosions that have occurred in recent years in Poland, as well as the results of post-accident investigations, presenting the coal dust explosion hazard at the accident scene The results specify in detail the state of safety measures against coal dust explosions in light of the relevant regulations in force, including amount of deposited coal dust, content of incombustible matter in coal dust, free moisture content in coal dust, state of coal dust explosion safety zones, and state of explosion barriers. The conclusions from the site inspection and post-accident investigations presented enable us to determine locations of explosion initiation, probable ignition sources, range of explosion flames, and explosion barrier performance. A complete elimination of coal dust explosion hazard at the site of dust deposition is practically impossible to achieve. Similarly, a total elimination of ignition source, which may be related to the occurrence of other natural hazards, equipment malfunction or human errors, is impossible. The examples of tragic events that took place in Polish coal mines and coal-fired power plants highlight shortcomings and mistakes made in terms of assessment and prevention measures taken against the coal dust explosion hazard.

Aug 1, 2013

By L. Rahnenfuhrer

"Hoisting equipment is a vital part of the operation of most producing mines. Safety and continuation of operation necessitates ultrasonic preventive maintenance inspection on a regular basis.Ultrasonic inspection of hoist shafting, brake linkage and draw bars will contribute to a safe operation and can prevent costly unscheduled shut-down time. With little dismantling, ultrasonic testing techniques can be applied to. determine the conditions of shafting and linkage in hoisting equipment, mining equipment and other miscellaneous mining equipment."

Jan 1, 1969

By X. T. Feng, Y. H. Hatzor, Y. Tal, G. Yagoda-Biran

"When studying jointed rock mass deformation around underground openings it is of great importance to model correctly the excavation sequence during the numerical simulation. This is because for effective arching mechanism to develop in the roof minute block displacements must take place and some of the available discontinuities shear strength must be mobilized. If from the beginning of the simulation the underground opening already exists in the numerical model, block displacements into the excavation space will initiate and develop from time zero, before the initial stresses in the model have attained their actual initial level in the field. These initial block displacements are therefore artificial and exist only in the numerical model, not in the physical reality, and may lead to erroneous assessment of the stability of the designed structure, typically on the conservative side. We have introduced sequence excavation capabilities both in the numerical manifold (NMM) and the discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) methods and show here the advantages of this modification using three different case studies, each illuminating a different aspect of this enhancement.We begin with the 25 meter deep 2000 year old underground Zedekiah limestone quarry below the old city of Jerusalem, Israel, which is still standing today unsupported with a free span of 40 m. We show that when the opening exists from the beginning of the numerical simulation the required friction angle for roof stability is 25 degrees, whereas when the opening is removed after all stresses and displacements in the model have been stabilized the required friction angle for stability is only 15 degrees.We then model the excavation sequence of a tunnel model representing a 2500 meter deep research tunnel in the Jinping hydroelectric project, China, in order to determine the in situ stress field at this depth by a grid search inversion of displacement data obtained using the sliding micrometer technology in the course of tunnel excavation. Thus we are able to constrain the in situ stress field at these depths where standard in situ stress measurement procedures are extremely difficult to execute properly.Finally, we use sequence excavation modeling capability to find the total height of the expected loosening zone around tunnels excavated through columnar jointed basalts which pose a great engineering challenge because of the characteristic dense network of slender prismatic blocks that transect the opening at a steep inclination. We use MPBX data obtained during excavation of a deep tunnel through such a rock mass to validate our numerical results and show that application of standard empirical guidelines for dimensioning rock bolt reinforcement in such rock masses may in fact result in very un-conservative design because existing empirical approaches typically ignore the anisotropic nature of the structure of such rock masses which, as we show, plays a very significant role in determination of the extent, shape, and geometry of the loosening zone around the opening."

Jan 1, 2015

By Mohammed Rachek

Résumé : la mine d?Elhammam, opération du groupe minier Marocain Managem, est située au sud de la ville de Meknes à 63 km, elle exploite un gisement de fluorine depuis 1974. La minéralisation se présente sous forme de deux filons principaux orientés N45° avec un pendage variant de 65 à 90° NW, entre ces deux filons on note la présence d?une succession de filons satellites sécants. La méthode d?exploitation pratiquée depuis le démarrage de la mine est celle des chambres magasins, elle assure une cadence d?extraction annuelle de 250000 tonnes. Cette méthode favorisée par une très bonne compétence mécanique des épontes de la minéralisation a offert à l?exploitation une rentabilité très satisfaisante grâce à son faible coût mine. Les travaux de recherche géologique menés en parallèle à l?exploitation ont permis la découverte d?un nouveau secteur ?K-Est Gouaïda? (KEG) qui fait l?extension nord-est du gisement principal, la minéralisation de ce secteur se présente sous forme de deux filons très étendus latéralement (900 m d?extension) et présentant une puissance minéralisée irrégulière et très faible 1.2 m en moyenne, les épontes de la minéralisation sont constituées de schistes de qualité mécanique très faible. Vers la fin des années 1990, l?exploitation s?est orientée vers le développement minier du secteur KEG. Ce développement consiste à faire le choix adéquat de la méthode et de l?infrastructure minière pour l?exploitation de ce nouveau secteur, KEG. La méthode des chambres magasins, pratiquée dans le gisement principal avec un faible coût mine, n?est pas praticable dans le nouveau secteur à cause de la qualité de ses terrains, l?irrégularité de la morphologie de sa minéralisation et de la faible puissance des ses filons. Seule la méthode des tranches montantes remblayées (TMR) peut être applicable techniquement vu les spécifications suscitées de la nouvelle minéralisation, la TMR doit être appliquée sous sa variante mécanisée pour faire face au niveau exigé de la production. Après le pilotage de l?exploitation par TMR mécanisée dans le secteur KEG, il a été confirmé que cette méthode donne une grande satisfaction en matière de stabilité des terrains, sécurité, sélectivité, productivité et récupération du gisement, néanmoins elle reste pénalisée par un coût mine trop élevé pour garder le niveau de rentabilité recherché par l?exploitation d?un produit de faible valeur marchande telle que la fluorine. Dans l?objectif de rentabiliser l?exploitation du secteur KEG qui représente en réserves l?équivalent d?une durée de vie de 4 à 5 ans et d?assurer la pérennité de l?activité, l?exploitation en collaboration avec Reminex, la filiale d?ingénierie de Managem, a adapté une nouvelle variante de la TMR mécanisée dite TMR avec plan incliné sur remblai. Cette nouvelle variante de la TMR consiste à réduire au maximum les travaux dans le stérile en reconstituant un plan incliné sur le remblai à l?intérieur des filons pour faire évoluer en vertical l?exploitation des tranches en montant vers la tête d?un panneau de minerai. La variante des tranches montantes remblayées mécanisées avec plan incliné sur remblai a été imaginée et appliquer en 1978 dans la mine de fluorine de Burc située au Sud-Ouest de la France (Sicard et Mailloux, 1983). Imaginée pour une cadence annuelle de 30000 tonnes et une mécanisation très modérée cette variante a été adaptée par l?exploitation de la mine d?Elhammam en 2002 pour un haut degré de mécanisation et une cadence d?extraction annuelle de 250000 tonnes de minerai. Cette variante de la TMR est appliquée depuis le début de 2003 dans les chantiers du secteur KEG, elle présente les mêmes avantages techniques que la TMR mécanisée classique et elle a permis la réduction du volume des travaux d?infrastructure de 17.65 m à 6.25 m de travaux par 1000 tonnes de minerai. Ceci s?est traduit par une baisse du coût technique de la mine de 34% ce qui a donné un nouveau souffle à la mine pour assurer sa production et pour poursuivre la recherche géologique d?éventuelles zones à mettre en valeur.

Oct 1, 2004

RISKGATE is an interactive online risk management system developed by the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC; University of Queensland) to assist the mining industry in implementing continual improvement in management of major unwanted events so maximising health and safety performance. A comprehensive body of knowledge has been compiled from diverse mining industry experts for risk management of tyres, collisions, fires, isolation, strata underground, ground control open cut, explosions, explosives, manual tasks and slips/trips/falls. This paper presents an overview of the RISKGATE body of knowledge captured specifically for the management of unwanted events that stem from the handling and use of explosives (drill and blast) within surface coal mining operations. The knowledge presented is divided into a series of initiating events (listed below) within which there are further degrees of classification based on design, operation, and management concerns. Initiating events: ? Loss of control of explosives and associated chemicals in storage on site ? Loss of control of explosives and associated chemicals during transport ? Loss of control of explosives and associated chemicals during manufacture ? Loss of control of explosives and associated chemicals during handling and blast operations ? Loss of control of explosives and associated chemicals during disposal The system guides the user in generating substantive and leading-edge controls to assist in the design, management and reporting of drill and blast operations to meet stringent internal and external requirements. From a broader industry perspective, RISKGATE provides an environment for knowledge capture and knowledge exchange to drive innovation and best practice in the identification, assessment and management of risk. By capturing operational knowledge from industry experts, RISKGATE provides a cumulative corporate memory at a time of high personnel turnover in the coal industry.

Aug 1, 2013

By L. St-Georges

In aerospace and transportation industries, severe problems are related to fatigue failure. Aluminium is frequently used in these industries to optimize the solidity and minimise the weight of the structures. Nevertheless, the fatigue life of aluminium alloys is limited and specific efforts have to be made to reduce the vibratory stresses in the mechanical parts. When riveted, the life of the sheet metal structures can be increased compared to welded structures, due to the energy dissipated by the friction between the rivets and the sheet metal and the sheets themselves. In the past decade, a new tool was developed to assemble aluminium structures; the friction stir welding. With this new technique, fatigue life of the aluminium welded joints can be increased by a factor from two to ten. However, less energy can be damped by the friction between the components and increased vibratory stresses may occur. In this investigation, the potential of the friction stir welding to create damped aluminium sheet metal structures is evaluated.

Jan 1, 2006

By D. O. DeGagné, J. F. Archibald

Spray-on polymer linings, as partial or full replacement for traditional forms of area rock support, have seen rapid growth in interest within Canada. A wide variety of lining types, ranging from polymer chemical to water-based cementitious materials, have been developed and commercially introduced to the underground mining market. Following approximately one decade of development work, several general conclusions have been reached regarding the performance of this class of area support media, these being that: health and safety assessment of the broad range of materials has shown the majority of them to be acceptable and safe for underground use; significant ground support potential can be offered by them, being equivalent to or better than capabilities offered by traditional support forms such as bolt-and-screen or shotcrete, and; their abilities to be rapidly deployed and provide near instantaneous support restraint offer considerable operational and cost benefits to underground operators. A review of currently available liner materials, their historic development within the Canadian mining industry, and overviews of support, health and safety, operational considerations and cost benefits are provided in this paper.

Jan 1, 2001

By A. J. Goodman

Introduction The position of Turner Valley in the foothills of Alberta, some thirty-five miles southwest of Calgary, is too well known to need further description. This attempt to interpret in detail the nature of the structure, and its relationship to neighbouring structures, together with general observations on the foothills belt, is based on work carried out in the office of the Supervisory Mining Engineer, at Calgary. The object in view was the correlation of the mass of evidence which had accumulated from the detailed examination of drill cuttings, and to discover, if possible, its structural significance. Unfortunately it is not possible to publish most of this detail owing to its confidential nature, and in consequence the reader is asked to accept certain statements, which under other circumstances would not be made without supporting evidence. The main argument for the general structural interpretation rests on evidence which has already been made public, and it is possible to proceed to logical conclusions on the main points. The evolution of ideas concerning the structure of Turner Valley is somewhat difficult to follow, as, compared with all that has been said on the subject, there is not a great deal on record.

Jan 1, 1930

By Rainer Süss

An investigation was carried out by Mintek to investigate the influence of a range of alloying additions (vanadium, cobalt, zirconium, antimony and germanium) on the formability and hardenability of alloys with gold content >90 wt%. This paper reports on the hardening mechanisms that can be utilised to increase the hardness of gold (>90 wt% Au) by conventional alloying, as well as the hardening effect obtained by alloying with specific elements. Preparation methods for the alloys are described, which include the steps of melting, annealing, quenching, cold working and age hardening. Focus is given specifically on alloys that were developed at Mintek with a gold content >90 wt%, which are not only harder, but exhibit good resistance to tarnishing and corrosion.

Oct 1, 2003