Canadian company breaking ground on mine extraction tech

At Hard-Line Solutions, innovation is part of the tech development process. “Our customers come to us for solutions that would not only enhance the safety of their workers but also increase production and mine profitability,” said Nikita Di Gioseffo, communication specialist at Hard-Line, based out of Dowling, Ont.

While the exact statistics are not easily researchable, it is not uncommon for mining equipment to get buried in mines. Unstable ground conditions created while digging and quarrying sometimes lead to critical mining equipment getting buried. As a result, companies lose valuable time retrieving the equipment.

“It could be several weeks before the buried equipment can be retrieved which results in downtime and added costs for replacing the buried machinery,” Di Gioseffo said.

Some of the common extraction methods include using other mining equipment such as loaders and haul trucks to pull out the buried machines. These methods could present several problems such as vehicle and mine damage. They may also put operators and spotters in unsafe situations.

Earlier this year, Hard-Line collaborated with Australia-based Murray Engineering and Beltor Engineering on the Beltor machine extraction device 210 (MED). In their most recent collaboration, the MED was fitted with Hard-Line’s radio remote control (RRC) system, allowing the MED to be controlled from over 100 metres away. This function especially helps machine operators maintain a safe distance from the 190-tonne pulling force of the extraction machine and its various high pressure hoses.

The units have been deployed around 22 times to attempt recovery of buried loaders with a success rate in excess of 90%, Hard-Line claims.

Despite its Canadian roots and its international presence – including offices in America, Chile and Peru – Hard-Line long recognized the importance of the Australian market.

“As a company wanting to get a foothold in a new marketplace, you need to know your customer profile just as much as your distributor criteria,” Di Gioseffo said. “The Australian mining industry is a key marketplace for Hard-Line as our solutions are geared towards ensuring not only the safety of the machine operators in the mines but also ensuring continuous production and increased profitability for the mining companies,” she added.

“We are always looking to expand, and we value our partners across the globe, including Murray Engineering. All of Hard-Line’s partnerships across the globe, including Murray Engineering, are testimony that all good things take time,” said Di Gioseffo.

In 2018, Hard-Line pledged $250,000 towards the mechatronics program at Laurentian University’s Bharti School of Engineering. As of December 2022, the mechatronics, automation, and robotics lab was fully upgraded with new workstations, furnishings, and multimedia equipment for the students.

“Our president, Walter Siggelkow believes that investing in students is crucial as they are the future of our industry. He believes if students have the best learning environment today, they will bring their best into the workforce tomorrow,” Di GioSeffo said.