The team at Progress Mining know that the world is a varied place. Different terrain types and weather extremes cause many challenges in mining across the globe. To help illustrate these challenges we will be examining different regions across the world and the challenges that are faced in each. The first article in this series looks at North America.
The continent of North America is made up of diverse terrains with extreme temperature swings, from mountainous ranges to vast great plains, from deserts to arctic tundra. With over 39 Machine installation sites currently across North America, the engineers at Progress Mining take all these factors into account when designing undercarriage components.
A good example of these extreme conditions in the region can be seen at Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada. The large open-pit oil sands mines in the area consist of flat, soft, and poorly drained ground composed of sand, clay, and bitumen. The area is also prone to heavy snowfall and ice accumulation with extreme temperature swings from +30 °C to −40 °C.
Operational challenges that arise in these conditions include:
- Continuous high-load operation in abrasive, sticky, and corrosive conditions leading to accelerated undercarriage wear.
- Extreme material packing in sideframe preventing the free turning of rollers leading to accelerated wear.
- Reduced visibility of undercarriage due to material build up inhibits component inspections.
- Lubrication challenges caused by extreme temperature swings.
Above: The ice formed on the undercarriage overnight and the material packing in the sideframe seen in these photos clearly illustrate some of the challenges faced by technicians on mine sites in the region.
Combined these elements work together to accelerate component wear. This information needs to be considered when designing and manufacturing undercarriage components that will last in these conditions. Continuous Condition Monitoring Inspections enable our team and the customer to learn more about what processes and design innovations can be implemented to improve performance and durability in these harsh environments.
If you are located in North America or your mining operations face similar harsh conditions to these visit https://progressmining.com/contact-us/ to find the nearest Sales Representative or Distributors in your region. Where ever mining is Progress Mining is there to help.