ABSTRACT

CONTENTS

................................................................................................. 1
......................................................................................... 1
............................................................. 1
.......................................................... 3
........................................................................................................... 4 
........................................................................................... 4
....................................................................................................... 5
.............................................................................................. 6 
.............................................................................................. 7
............................................................................................... 7 
................................................................................................. 11
...................................................................................................... 11
...................................................................................................... 12
................................................................................................................. 12
.................................................................. 13
................................................................................ 13
Localization ............................................................................................................. 13
Dead reckoning......................................................................................................... 13
Opportunistic Localization......................................................................................... 14
.................................................. 14
AutoMine ................................................................................................................ 14
MINEGEM ........................................................................................................... 17
Scooptram automation system ..................................................................................... 18
.................................................... 21
.............................................................................................. 21
................................................................................. 22
LKAB, Kirunavaara mine ........................................................................................ 22
LKAB, Malmberget Mine......................................................................................... 23
Lappland Goldminers AB, Zinkgruvan ...................................................................... 24
BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam Mine ........................................................................... 24
Codelco, El Teniente mine ........................................................................................ 25
Newmont Mining Corporation, Jundee mine ............................................................... 25
INCO, Stobie mine and Creighton mine ................................................................... 25
Inmet, Pyhäsalmi mine ............................................................................................. 26
Northgate Minerals Corporation, Stawell mine ............................................................ 26
RioTinto, Northparkes mine ..................................................................................... 26
Rio Tinto, Diavik mine ............................................................................................ 27
 Boliden Mineral AB, Garpenberg mine ...................................................................... 27
............................................................... 27
Outokompo, Kemi mine ........................................................................................... 28
XSTRATA, Brunswick division ............................................................................... 28
BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam Operation .................................................................... 28
.................................. 29
............................................................................................... 31 
.............................................................................................. 32
INCO, Stobie mine ................................................................................................. 32
Codelco, El Teniente mine ........................................................................................ 33
BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam Operation .................................................................... 33
........................................ 33
Underground mine, Canada, case study ...................................................................... 33
Underground mine, Palaboura mine, South Africa ....................................................... 33
Underground mine, Chile, case study ......................................................................... 34
Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold open pit mine, Sierrita, Arizona ........................ 35
.................................................... 37
........................................................ 37
...................................................................................................... 37 
.................................................................. 37 
................................................................................... 39
 CHAPTER 1
Introduction

Purpose of the research study

Objectives and limitations of the research study

1
ƒ

2
 CHAPTER 2
Load haul dump machines and trucks

Figure 1 Load Haul Dump machine (courtesy of Sandvik)

3
Figure 2 Underground mining truck (courtesy of Caterpillar)

Manual operation

Figure 3 Manually operated LHD working in an underground mine (courtesy of

Line of sight remote control

4
Figure 4 Line of sight operation (courtesy of Sandvik) and a radio remote control
(courtesy of Atlas Copco)

Tele-remote control

5
Figure 5 Tele remote operation (courtesy of XSTRATA)

Fully automated operation

6
Figure 6 Physical barrier system

Semi-automatic operation

Manufacturing companies

7
Figure 7 Automated LHD system from Sandvik with the operator’s environment
(courtesy of Sandvik)

Figure 8 Automated LHD system from Atlas Copco with the operator’s environment
(courtesy of Atlas Copco)

Figure 9 Automated LHD system from Caterpillar with the operator’s environment
(courtesy of Caterpillar)

8
Table 1 Manufacturers of automation systems and LHDs

Brand name Producer company Producing country

9
10
 CHAPTER 3
Navigation

Absolute navigation

11
Reactive navigation

Figure 10 Operation modes of the automated system (Duff et al. 2002)

Environment

12
Requirements for underground navigation

Underground positioning systems

Localization

Dead reckoning

13
Figure 11 Dead reckoning, drift and its correction (Mäkelä 2001a)

Opportunistic Localization

Commercially available navigation systems for LHDs

AutoMine

14
 ƒ

Figure 12 AutoMine system overview (courtesy of Sandvik)

15
ƒ

16
MINEGEM

17
Scooptram automation system

Figure 13 Scooptram automation system (Atlas Copco 2009 b)

18
Figure 14 The sensors used for the Scooptram automation system (Atlas Copco 2009 b)

19
20
 CHAPTER 4
Past experiences with LHD automation

Prototypes and field tests

21
Automatic tramming and hauling
LKAB, Kirunavaara mine

22
LKAB, Malmberget Mine

23
Lappland Goldminers AB, Zinkgruvan

BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam Mine

24
Codelco, El Teniente mine

Newmont Mining Corporation, Jundee mine

INCO, Stobie mine and Creighton mine

25
Inmet, Pyhäsalmi mine

Northgate Minerals Corporation, Stawell mine

RioTinto, Northparkes mine

26
Rio Tinto, Diavik mine

Boliden Mineral AB, Garpenberg mine

Figure 16 Mobile operators station located in a van (Sandvik d)

Automatic loading and backfilling operations

27
Outokompo, Kemi mine

XSTRATA, Brunswick division

BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam Operation

28
Summary of the mines using/have been using automatic LHDs

Figure 17 Mines using/have been using automated LHDs

29
Table 2 Overview of automated mines

Company Mine Country Using Manu- Automatic LHD/

30
 CHAPTER 5
Maintenance

31
 -

Maintenance experiences

INCO, Stobie mine

32
Codelco, El Teniente mine

BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam Operation

Maintenance experiences for manual LHDs and truck fleets

Underground mine, Palaboura mine, South Africa

33
Underground mine, Chile, case study

Table 3 Manufacturers of Scoops (Hall et al. 2000)

Figure 18 Scoop fleet failures (Hall et al. 2000)

34
 x

Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold open pit mine, Sierrita, Arizona

35
x

36
 CHAPTER 6
Past experiences with truck automation

Teck Cominco and Barrick Gold, Williams mine

INCO, Stobie mine

DeBeers Consolidated Mines, Finsch mine

37
38
 CHAPTER 7
Concluding remarks

39
40
REFERENCES

41
42
43
44
45
46