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This year’s bauma trade fair is to be held in Munich/Germany from 24th to 30th October and mining is set to be the key theme of this important international venue for the construction, building materials and mining equipment industries. At the last bauma in 2019 some 25 % of the exhibitors were showcasing products for the mining sector and more than a quarter of all visitors used the event to gather information on the latest trends, make new contacts and finalise business deals. With raw material prices on the rise and international mining companies registering positive results the mining sector in general is anticipating renewed growth …
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With my best regards // Mit freundlichem Glückauf
Dipl.-Ing. Andreas-Peter Sitte
Chief Editor Mining Report Glückauf, Essen

ISSUE 05/2022 // FOCUS OF THIS ISSUE: TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS

Mining Engineering Aspects of Underground Waste Utilisation in Saliferous Formations Based on the Mine GTS Grube Teutschenthal

Location of the backfill field in the salt formation Source: Grube Teutschenthal Sicherungs GmbH & Co. KG

Backfilling of the cavities created by mineral extraction to support the surrounding rock is understood to be an integral part of mining engineering. In contrast to this, underground waste disposal/utilisation is often referred to as a post-mining use of the mine workings, although it requires the same technology and know-how as extraction mining, however with one small decisive difference – the “valuable” materials are not extracted from the mine, but rather brought into it. This paper discusses the mining operations of GTS Grube Teutschenthal Sicherungs GmbH & Co. KG (GTS), Teutschenthal/Germany, focusing on …

Authors: Yusuf Jinadu M. Sc., Mine Foreman, Dipl.-Ing. Lucas Kempe, Mine Operations Manager, GTS Grube Teutschenthal Sicherungs GmbH & Co. KG, Teutschenthal/Germany

Example of a photogrammetric analysis of a round of shots in the bottom-cut phase. Source: SSW

The extraction of rock salt at Heilbronn mine by conventional drilling and blasting is investigated on the basis of three key themes:

Tests aimed at adapting the blasting pattern show that higher charging densities at the working faces result in greater efficiency in terms of advance per round and, even when all cost variables have been taken into account, can prove to be economically advantageous. Moreover, the grain quality in terms of the commercial usability of the product is not adversely affected.
A two-month study into the use of a commercially available emulsion explosive established that it was possible to achieve a significant reduction …

Author: Markus Mathey Ph.D., Betriebsleiter Bergbau & Salz, Südwestdeutsche Salzwerke AG, Heilbronn/Germany, Visiting Adj. Prof., WITS Mining Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg/South Africa

Schematic diagram showing the excavation of the deposits by continuous miner in the top cut and by drilling and firing in the lower levels. Source: SSW

Heilbronn mine, which is owned by Südwestdeutsche Salzwerke AG, Heilbronn/Germany, has for many years been producing rock salt by both conventional mining and mechanical cutting, the two methods being operated separately. With the rearrangement of the mining sections the mine has now recently managed to combine the two techniques in such a way that staff productivity has been increased, average production costs reduced and the mine’s delivery capability improved, even when customer demand is at a very high level. In these “combination sections” the bottom bench of the mining panel is excavated by continuous miner machines while the upper bench …

SRS QV-System – schematic representation. Source: Sibelco

Dewatering in clay mining is one of the most important tasks in the extraction of raw materials, which have a direct influence on production processes as well as on the environment and water protection. The environmental awareness of the clay raw materials industry is of great importance in the Westerwald and against this background, a framework agreement on the discharge of waters from clay mining into surface waters was concluded on 19th December 2017 between the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, represented by the Ministry of the Environment, Energy, Food and Forestry, the Ministry of Economics, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture and the Federal Association of Ceramic Raw Materials and Industrial Minerals. According to this agreement, the value of filterable substances …

Author: Dr.-Ing. Withold S. Groborz, Sibelco Deutschland GmbH, Ransbach-Baumbach/Germany

With battery powered machines and the introduction of automation of machines and processes, the mines of the future are being developed. Photo: Epiroc

Negative environmental effects in connection with mining and tunneling are repeatedly highlighted in the media. Particularly critical are the issues of emissions and occupational safety. Through battery electric machines and automation of processes and machinery, a mine can unlock a number of benefits: improved health and safety, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower operating costs. At the same time, battery electric equipment and automation of machines and processes are developing mines of the future. The mine of the future will not look the same as it does today and the content of work …

Author: Dipl.-Ing. Christel Füllenbach, Epiroc Deutschland GmbH, Essen/Germany

Installation of shotcrete in the shaft. Source: Redpath Deilmann

Aong with steel, concrete is used as one of the most important materials in shaft construction and is used in almost every job. Concrete is also used as a building material in construction areas such as structural and civil engineering. Only the working conditions in shaft construction are completely different from those in other construction areas such as building construction or civil engineering. There, the construction sites are accessible with truck mixers right up to the excavation pit, the further transport routes are short and there is usually plenty of space available all around. Shaft construction always requires individual solutions …

Author: Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Ahlbrecht, Redpath Deilmann GmbH, Dortmund/Germany

Extraction Drilling and the Resulting Possibilities

Excavation concept and layout for the MRM 100/71M. Source: Perforator

In the course of the development of new types of drilling rigs for use in the surface and subsurface areas, which has been ongoing since 2017, a large number of concept ideas and resulting application options have been developed. One focus of these developments is the efficient extraction of reef and gangue ore deposits. The challenge is to develop the technologies needed for extraction. Other areas of application are large-hole degassing wells in coal mining, as well as supply, weather and rescue wells, which are of interest regardless of the deposit type. A special case …

Author: Marcus Trenke M. Sc., Perforator GmbH, Walkenried/Germany

Rail Conveyor system showing carry side beneath return side. Source: tk

The energy consumption of modern belt conveyor systems has fallen considerably in recent decades. Although extensive research has been carried out to produce energy-efficient belt conveyors, there is still considerable scope for further reducing energy consumption, especially for heavily loaded or long overland conveyors. From this starting point, a new rail-based conveyor system has been developed to reduce the energy consumption of heavily loaded and long overland conveyors. The new technology is aptly named the Rail Running Conveyor by combining two proven transportation technologies …

Authors: Prof. Craig A. Wheeler PhD, Michael J. Carr PhD, Peter W. Robinson B. Eng. and Bin Chen PhD, Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW/Australia, Martin Lurie M. Sc., thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (USA) Inc., Greenwood Village, Colorado/USA, Stefan Ebert M. Sc., thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG, Essen/Germany

The E-PrimeTracker enables the integration of belt conveyors into preventive maintenance systems. Photo: ScrapeTec

Mining companies that rely on preventive maintenance should visit the stand of ScrapeTec Trading GmbH, Kamp-Lintfort/Germany, at bauma. The company, which specialises in optimising belt conveyor systems and is known for its contactless AirScrape sealing system, integrates robust sensor technology into a guide roller, evaluates the data in an industrial computer and sends it by radio, e.g., to maintenance software. At bauma, the E-PrimeTracker, as the system is called, can be seen live for the first time.

Author: Dipl.-Ing. Wilfried Dünnwald, Geschäftsführer, ScrapeTec Trading GmbH, Kamp-Lintfort/Germany

Gasser Felstechnik AG in Switzerland was very satisfied with the technical and environmental conditions resulting from the use of the substitute product in the machine hydraulics. Photo: Dirk Budny (GHH)

The Corona pandemic and the Ukraine war are rocking the economy and society. Climate protection is an ongoing issue. Supply chains are partially broken and container ships are waiting to be unloaded in all parts of the world, including Germany. The issue of procurement applies to many companies and the question is: How can we become more independent? As a company, can we now use substitution as a means to make a positive contribution to environmental and climate protection while not losing sight of our own goals? With the help of various practical examples from operators of hydraulic systems, this report illustrates the sometimes different reasons …

Author: Dipl.-Betriebsw. Volker Bremer, FLUID COMPETENCE GmbH, Kamen/Germany

There is plenty of space for photovoltaic plants on the embankments for the future lake that are gradually being created in the Hambach opencast mine. Photo: RWE

On 28th June 2022, representatives from various spheres of influence such as ministries, companies, universities and law firms gathered for a virtual, interdisciplinary conference on the topic of the coal phase-out. It served to shed light on the current situation and to discuss it critically. After the welcoming address by Prof. Walter Frenz (Department of Mining, Environmental and European Law, RWTH Aachen University) and Prof. Axel Preuße (Institute for Mine Surveying, Mining Damage Science and Geophysics in Mining, RWTH Aachen University), the individual presentations were introduced. The objective of this conference was …

Author: Maximilian Lübeck B. Sc., Lehr- und Forschungsgebiet Berg-, Umwelt- und Europarecht der RWTH Aachen University, Aachen/Germany

MINING REPORT

Glückauf!

Mining Engineering Aspects of Underground Waste Utilisation in Saliferous Formations Based on the Mine GTS Grube Teutschenthal

Tests Aimed at Improving Conventional Salt Mining at Heilbronn

Optimisation of Salt Extraction at Heilbronn Mine by a Combination of Conventional and Cutting Mining Technology

Sibelco Water Management System (SWM) with Rapid Cleaning System (SRS/QV) Increases the Efficiency of the Sedimentation Process in Clay Mining

New Technology for Mines in Regards of Emission and Automation

Practical Examples from Concrete Logistics in Shaft Construction – a Conveying Challenge

Rail-Running Conveyors: A Disruptive New Belt-Conveying Technology

New Concept for Preventive Maintenance of Belt Conveyors

Mineral Oil-Free Hydraulic Fluid – Proven and in Demand Nationally and Internationally: Substitution of Mineral Oil with Existing Technology in Hydraulics

Raw Material, Environmental and Climate Protection Issues Relating to the Coal Phase-Out