Equipment and suppliers news (September 01, 2003)

$55 million sale of equipment to Minera Escondida

Vancouver-based Finning International Inc. said its Chilean operation has sold 20 pieces of Caterpillar Inc. equipment to Minera Escondida Limitada, one of Chile’s principal copper producers. Minera Escondida Limitada is owned 57.5% by BHP Billiton, 30% by Rio Tinto and 10% by JECO. The sale is valued at approximately $55 million, and includes 11 CAT 797B off-road trucks, two D11R tractors, a 994D wheel loader and a 24H motor grader, as well as other smaller pieces of support equipment. Delivery of the package will take place before the end of 2003.

A complete Maintenance and Repair Contract (MARC) related to this sale is now being negotiated. This purchase by Minera Escondida Limitada is one of the first under a five-year global alliance, announced in February 2003, between BHP Billiton and Caterpillar for the supply of equipment and parts to support BHP Billiton’s diversified global resources operations. Finning International Inc. sells, rents, finances and provides customer support services for Caterpillar equipment and engines, and complementary equipment, in Western Canada, the U.K., and South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Uruguay). For more information visit www.finning.com.

Glamis orders mills

Glamis Gold Ltd. has placed an order with FFE Minerals for a semi-autogenous (SAG) mill and ball mill. FFE Minerals’ scope includes the design and supply of a 24-0 x 10-6 SAG mill and a 15-6 x 21-6 ball mill to process 244 tonnes per hour. The equipment will be installed at Glamis Gold’s El Sauzal mine in Chihuahua State, Mexico.

FFE Minerals has a long history of supplying equipment to Mexico. Recent mining projects include the Francisco Madero SAG and ball mill circuit and the Pea Colorada autogenous (AG) mill.

100XP drill at El Tesoro mine

Following the shipment of a used P&H 4100A shovel, P&H MinePro Services has provided a P&H 100XP drill to the El Tesoro mine near Antofagasta, Chile. The drill will be equipped with a drill-status monitoring system and a GPS navigation system for satellite-positioning drilling. A variable flow 3,000-cfm compressor, that is adjustable at 100%, 77% or 65% of capacity, will be included to facilitate drilling diameters between 10 L and 12 G inches. For more information visit www.minepro.com.

Albian purchases fourth 495HF shovel

Bucyrus International, Inc. has been awarded a contract by Albian Sands Energy Inc. for the supply of another 495HF Electric Mining Shovel. This shovel is the fourth 495HF purchased by Albian and will join its three predecessors at the Muskeg River mine, north of Fort McMurray Alta. The 495HF has already proven itself to be an extremely productive and reliable tool in Albian’s oil sands application. Assembly of this 495HF shovel has begun. Commissioning is scheduled for late summer.

The 495HF is equipped with the field-proven lower works design of the popular 595B shovel currently in operation at other oil sands operations. It is equipped with wide crawler links, which give the shovel the ability to operate in the soft underfoot conditions found in oil sands applications.

Bucyrus’ 495 High Performance Series Shovels (495HF=High Flotation and 495HR = Hard Rock) carry the new “Super Cab.” This new cab design is specifically designed for operator comfort, efficiency and work-face visibility.

Increased horsepower allows the 495 a 110-ton (100-tonne) single pass capability. It can provide up to 120-ton (109-tonne) capacity when specified. Powered by the latest Siemen’s AC-IGBT drive system technology, the brushless AC motors and fuseless drives are setting new standards for reliability and efficiency in the unique oil sands environment.

Bucyrus International, Inc. is a world leader in the manufacture of electric rope shovels, blasthole drills and draglines for the surface mining industry. Bucyrus also provides first quality OEM parts, components, maintenance and support services for that equipment. Located in South Milwaukee, Wis., USA, Bucyrus has been serving the mining industry for over 123 years. To learn more visit www.bucyrus.com.

Extended capabilities of the GS20 professional data mapper

Leica Geosystems has released a new firmware, Version 1.05, for the GS20 professional data mapper (PDM), featuring support for Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and Hypertrak GPS tracking.

Introduced in May 2003, the GS20 is the first GIS/GPS product to combine the accuracy of a sub-meter GIS mapping system, the ease of a handheld GPS receiver and the convenience of Bluetooth wireless connectivity.

The addition of WAAS capability in the new firmware release permits GS20 users to get sub-meter accuracy in the field without the need for dedicated DGPS reference station networks. The Hypertrak capability provides extended GPS tracking even under extreme foliage cover and in urban canyons. Other new functions provided in Version 1.05 include additional NMEA output strings for outputting data to external devices, and a new capability for interfacing with the latest DISTO handheld laser rangefinder for gathering data from inaccessible locations.

IPC Resistors upgrades ISO

Resistance grounding specialist IPC Resistors Inc. (IPC) has upgraded from the ISO 9001:2000 edition to achieve ISO 9000:2000 accreditation. The new certification was awarded after a successful audit by the company’s registering body, Orion Registrars. In order to prepare for the audit, IPC’s ISO manual was rewritten to reflect the changes to the standard. Four employees were designated as internal auditors and all employees received training on the new manual. Additionally, the company established four key metrics for gauging continuous improvement: tracking of fill rates, warranty levels and return materials, and a customer satisfaction survey.

ISO certification assures that a company has met a comprehensive set of standards set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) covering all aspects of operation: design, development, manufacturing, and service. The newer ISO standards represent several improvements including increased emphasis on key success factors such as customer focus/feedback and commitment to continual improvement. For more information visit www.ipc-resistors.com.

Hydraulic shim kits to maintain gap settings

Indiana-based Stedman has developed a new hydraulic shim kit designed to help maintain the desired gap settings on Stedman crushers, reducing costly downtime and maintenance and maximizing production. The hydraulic shim kits also eliminate wrench turning to raise or lower apron assembly.

Everything needed to keep impactors crushing to size is included in the kits. Included are lift bridge weldments for both front and rear apron assemblies, hydraulic cylinders for both front and rear apron assemblies, three-spool control valve to actuate housing cylinders or apron cylinders, and shims, counterbalance valves on both cylinders for added safety should one of the hydraulic lines fail, and all necessary hydraulic hoses and fittings.

Adding or removing the shims to maintain optimum size product production is completed by performing lockout/tag procedures and raising the apron using the hydraulic cylinder on the lift bridge. Lift bridge is controlled by a three-spool control valve mounted on the housing. Unlock the shim fasteners, add or remove the needed shims to reach or maintain the needed gap setting, and lock shim fasteners. Lower the hydraulic cylinder and return to crushing. For more information visit www.stedman-machine.com.

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