Features

Nordic Minesteel delves deeper into sustained mine safety

Nordic Minesteel

The Nordic Minesteel Technology group has decades of experience in providing and customising unique solutions and equipment for the international mining industry.

Much like any workplace, every mining site has its own individual safety concerns that have to be taken into consideration when designing infrastructure.

Factors such as the geographical location of the mine, the flow and consistency of the waste created, on-site temperature, and shape and size of the ore being mined all contribute to safety decisions that have to be made when deciding what haulage solutions will be built.

Priding itself on developing technology in collaboration with its customers, the Nordic Minesteel Technology (NMT) group takes these types of factors into consideration on an individual basis, working with businesses to ensure the heavy-duty machinery they provide is going to be effective and, most importantly, safe in the unique environment of a specific mine.

In 2011 The NMT Group was asked to develop a driverless electric haulage system for a large iron ore project. This system included Nordic chutes, mine cars, unloading stations, locomotives, control systems and train control automation with overhead catenary integration.

The company’s development process began with engineering and project management working closely with the end goals of the customer in mind. Before production of the system began a scale test facility was made on site in North Bay, Ontario, Canada to guarantee all safety and functionality.

With successful testing the system was implemented underground from between the years of 2011 and 2014 with the commissioning of equipment by experienced on-site technicians.

Not all of the equipment can be tested at the head office of NMT, some of the mobile equipment built to make maintenance safer on ultra-class haul trucks is prototyped and tested using a partner’s facility in Tucson Arizona.

When a haul truck is not available, NMT have built a hydraulic press to mimic the load it would experience to ensure quality on all equipment leaving the facility.

NMT spokesperson, Heather Johnston describes a continuous partnership between the NMT group and the client throughout the working life of the product.

“As soon as a piece of our equipment leaves one of our manufacturing plants, that piece is ready to be used by the customer,” Johnston told Safe to Work. “However, our partnership doesn’t end there.

“We are committed to working with those we provide to throughout the entire operational life of the equipment.”

“Whenever there are new technical developments, the technicians provide updates and thus ensure continual product improvement. Most software updates can be done using remote access through an internet connection from our head office in Canada. In addition, the supply of spare parts is guaranteed throughout the equipment’s entire operational life.

“It’s like a long-term relationship; any repairs are undertaken in the shortest possible time and we are always able to provide technical support and advice to customers on-site. When travel restrictions are in place, we have adapted to be able to provide virtual instructions for service.”

Offering completely integrated haulage systems to unloading stations, the NMT group understands that providing safety promises goes beyond engineering a well-designed piece of equipment.

Incorporating advanced technology from the design process to manufacturing, new technology and trusted systems are combined to create reliable fail-safe mechanisms.

In addition, the NMT group offers hands-on and in-person training, which can also be conducted virtually if the customer prefers. Complementing the company’s commitment to its equipment, the NMT group’s service team can provide ongoing training and updates as staff rotate on-site.

NMT also have an on-site test tower that is available to conduct drop tests on shaft conveyance lines before they go to site.

“Safety success is built into operator training, preventive maintenance, access to information, remote diagnostics and after-market service,” Johnston said. “The NMT group have developed libraries of manuals and training videos in multiple languages to best serve our end users both virtually and in-person.

“We offer top-of-the-line safety options that are in collaboration with our customers’ needs and specifications, including team members of different cultures, education and experience to foster the best possible ideas around safety.

“At the end of the day, combining advanced technology with our collaborative efforts of our customers allows us to employ safety solutions which are intuitive and ‘back to basics’ in terms of employing them in use.”

Though looking forward in developing the safety features of its technology, NMT group is aware of and avoids over-engineering solutions, refining fail safe safety systems that work in its positive locking Nordic Chutes and separate Titan220e truck jack mechanical locking arms.

The fail-safe counter-weight locks in the Nordic Chutes and the mechanical locking arms on the Titan220e both work under similar approaches in engineering. They are secondary locking mechanisms, that provide a gravity-fed locking system that operators can see and hear in order to confirm the equipment is locked and safe.

The NMT group offers a competitive product and extensive after-care system that ensures its equipment remains safe and performing as expected until the end of its lifespan.

“Competition around equipment safety features will only benefit the end users by re-defining their expectations and pushing all designers and manufacturers to do better,” Johnston said.

Send this to a friend