Competitive crushing

Unified global power

The new
LHD loaders:
The best of
two worlds

GROUND1.09
a magazine from sandvik mining and construction
Safety
is good
business
High-level
construction
in Finland

Cutting-edge
technology in India

Underground
revolution
Balwant Singh
Rathore and
Tushar Kanti
Chakraborty
of Zawar Mines in
Rajasthan, India,
enjoy the return
on investment.
WELCOME
Saluting successful
and profitable solutions
Welcome to Solid Ground! This is a magazine from
all of us at Sandvik Mining and Construction. In it we
want to profile things important to people who work in the
mining and construction industry anywhere in the world.
In our magazine you will be able to read about how
other companies – maybe facing the same challenges as
you do – have found solutions that make them even more
successful. We will show how we can contribute to
increased productivity through constant product develop-
ment – making your company more profitable.
But we also want to look in depth at issues that concern
all of us in our industry. In this issue we have focused on
safety, something that affects us all and something that
Sandvik Mining and Construction works with constantly.
We work systematically with environmental,
health and safety issues, and we have achieved fantastic
results through our efforts: At the end of 2008 the
frequency of lost-time injuries was reduced by 50 percent
compared to 2005!
We also continue to invest in leading product develop-
ment, to create the most ergonomically correct and safe
working environment possible for the operators through
automation and remote control of machines.
When we look to the future, towards the latter part of
2009, we realize we are facing a market situation we have
never seen before. No one was really prepared for the
power and speed of the downturn that started in the
second half of 2008, and this has resulted in drastic
measures for many companies around the world.
Sandvik Mining and Construction has also been
affected by the global situation and has acted in accor-
dance with the new market conditions. But
I want you as our customer to know that
we have done this without losing our focus
on you, the customer. On the contrary, we
are increasing our availability to our
customers and are sure that together we
can come out of this downturn stronger
than before, when the market begins to
rise.
Lars Josefsson
President
sandvik Mining and Construction
2 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction
30
High performance:
improved produc-
tivity with new
DTH hammers.
India: Zawar Mines praises
new technology ......................................................4
News: Delivery with control .........................10
The new LHD line – safe and reliable .....12
Arctic construction challenge ...................16
Increase your crushing power ...................22
Close-up:
Testing diamond core drill DE150 ............25
The business sense of safety ...................26
News: Efficient continuous mining .........30
The Big Picture:
London gets ready for the Olympics......32
Product range:
Find the right product ......................................34
SOLID GROUND is a business and technology magazine from Sandvik
Mining and Construction, SE-811 81 Sandviken, Sweden. Phone: +46 (0)26–26 20 00. Solid
Ground is published three times a year in English, Chinese, Finnish, French, German,
Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.
The magazine is free to customers of Sandvik Mining and Construction.
Published by Spoon Publishing in Stockholm, Sweden. ISSN 2000-2874.
Editor-in-chief and responsible under Swedish publishing law: Jeanette Svensson.
Account executive: Anders Ribba. Editorial manager: Peter Wiklund. Art director:
Erik Westin. Sub editor: Michael Miller. Language coordination: Sergio Tenconi. Layout,
language editions: Nina Körnung. Prepress: Markus Dahlstedt. Cover photo: Christina
Sjögren.
Please note that unsolicited manuscripts are not accepted. Material in the publication may
only be reproduced with permission. Requests for permission should be sent to the editorial
manager, Solid Ground. Editorial material and opinions expressed in Solid Ground do not
necessarily reflect the views of Sandvik Mining and Construction or the publisher.
Correspondence and enquiries regarding the magazine are welcome. Contact: Solid Ground,
Spoon Publishing AB, Kungstensgatan 21B, SE-113 57 Stockholm, Sweden. Phone:
+46 (0)8 442 96 20. Email: solidground@sandvik.com. Distribution enquiries email :
solidground@spoon.se Internet: www.miningandconstruction.sandvik.com/solidground.
AUBEMA, EJC, EXTEC, Fintec, TORO, @YOURSERVICE, AutoMine, iSure and Solo are all
registered trademarks of Sandvik Mining and Construction.
Solid Ground is issued for informational purposes. The information provided is of a general
nature and should not be treated as advice or be relied upon for making decisions or for use in
a specific matter. Any use of the information provided is at the user’s sole risk, and Sandvik
Mining and Construction shall not be liable for any direct, incidental, consequential or indirect
damage arising out of the use of the information made available in Solid Ground.
 CONTENTS 1.09
Getting ready:
London Olympics 2012. 32 Smiles for new
technology. 4

CHRISTINA SJÖGREN
LHD Line:
streamlined. 12
www.london2012.com

30

26
getty images

Safety builds
bottom line.

22 More power to
your crusher.

16
Esko Räty

Arctic challenge.

solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 3

sandvik Revolutionizes indian underground mining

Breaking
new ground
Rajasthan, india. The purchase of India’s first electro-hydraulic
long-hole rig has provided a solution to Zawarmala mine’s drill reserve
shortfall and put it at the cutting edge of the country’s underground
mining industry.

Some of the world’s earliest zinc
production took place in the area
around Zawar Mines in the state of
Rajasthan in western India. Archaeolo-
gists believe mining in the region dates
back nearly 2,500 years.
Today the mines are again at
the forefront of mining innovation.
Here, 200 metres below the
surface of the ancient Aravali Hills,
India’s first electro-hydraulic
long-hole drilling rig – the Sandvik
DL310-7 (Solo 5-7C) – is poised
to revolutionize its underground
mining industry.
Purchased by Hindustan Zinc Ltd,
the rig was installed in Zawarmala
mine – one of four mines at Zawar
– in September 2008. Overseeing its
operation has been Associate Manager
Tushar Chakraborty.
“I learned about the concept of
electro-hydraulic machines for
underground mining when I was a
student, but at that time no one had any
idea when they would arrive in India,”
Chakraborty says. “To think that I’m
the guy looking after the very first is
a great feeling.”
Hindustan Zinc’s decision to invest
in the DL310-7 was the result of an
urgent need to boost productivity and
efficiency.
Situated just south of the famous
“Lake City” of Udaipur, the region is
rich in deposits of lead and zinc. But
Zawarmala mine was struggling to
achieve production targets of 1,000
tonnes of ore per day because drill
reserves were not being generated fast
enough.
The DL310-7’s arrival has brought
confidence that these targets can be
sustained and even surpassed.
“Every mine in the entire world
wants to enhance its production, and
once you’ve done your explorations
and development, the first thing you
need for this is adequate drill re-
serves,” Chakraborty says. “This
machine takes care of that.
“Obviously, the initial investments
are huge, but at the end of the day what
counts is the return on investment. One
thing that’s absolutely predictable
about today’s figures is that we’ll have
a positive return on investment in a
very short time span – maybe less than
a year.”
Talks between Sandvik and
Hindustan Zinc about the DL310-7
began in 2006. The mine’s management
had been impressed by the rig’s
performance figures around the world.
“We considered offers from a
number of companies, but after
discussions it was agreed that Sandvik
was the one to go with,” says Balwant
Rathore, Zawarmala mine’s manager.
“A major factor in our decision was the
quality of their after-sales service.
Response time is quick, and they have a
very positive attitude.”
Chakraborty explains the compa-
ny’s thinking: “Technically, we had
three questions. How can we enhance
our rate of penetration? How can we
achieve a greater drilling depth? And
how feasible is it to move the machine

4 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

 CHRISTINA SJÖGREN
“At the end of the day
what counts is the
return on investment.”
Tushar Chakraborty, associate manager

Balwant Singh Rathore and

Tushar Kanti Chakraborty
of Zawar Mines in Rajas­
than, India.

solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 5

 business report
A need for
investments
Since privatization in 2002, Hindustan
Zinc’s metal production capacity has
soared from 204,000 tonnes per year
in 2002 to 754,000 tonnes per year in
2008. In the same time span Indian
imports of zinc have dropped from
150,000 tonnes per year to 40,000
tonnes.
The company’s challenge is to
continue to increase production and
sustain cost management in the face
of falling global metal prices.
Investment in eco-friendly technology
is a key component of its strategy.
Hindustan Zinc’s mission is to
produce 1 million tonnes of metal per
year by 2010 and thereby become the
world’s largest integrated producer of
zinc-lead.
In India consumption of zinc rose
from 388 ktpa in 2005 to 492 ktpa in
2008 and is predicted to remain the
same in 2009.
CHRISTINA SJÖGREN
Balwant Singh
Rathore prepares
for a visit down the
mine.
6 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction
“A major factor in our decision was the
quality of their after-sales service.
Response time is quick, and they have
a very positive attitude.”
Balwant Rathore, Zawarmala mine’s manager
from one place to another? In all these
three parameters, the DL310-7 fit
perfectly.”
Previously, two separate rigs – each
requiring two operators – were in use at
the mine: a conventional pneumatic rig
for upward drilling and a down-the-hole
(DTH) rig to drill downwards. The
DL310-7’s ability to rotate its boom 360
degrees – and thus drill in all directions
– enables it to take over the work of both
and requires just one operator.
The Sandvik rig is already achiev-
ing consistent top-hole drilling rates,
and bottom-hole drilling is currently
under stabilization.
A further decisive factor convincing
Hindustan Zinc to invest in the
DL310-7 was that an entire sub-level
can be eliminated. The rig’s capacity
to drill holes accurately up to 38 metres
long means that, on average, one extrac-
tion level and one sub-level can take the
place of one extraction level and two
sub-levels.
At Zawarmala, the cost of a
100-metre sub-level is around 1.2
million Indian rupees (18,000 euros),
so this will be a huge saving in cost as
well as time and labour.
Rathore also points to other
advantages such as reduced noise
levels and ease of operation. There is
also an unexpected benefit: a massive
boost in staff morale.
CHRISTINA SJÖGREN
sandvik solution
Raising targets with confidence
The major challenge for the
Zawarmala team was to dramati-
cally boost drill reserves.
The Sandvik DL310-7 has
enabled them to do this as a result
of its:
>>enhanced drill penetration
>>extended drilling reach
>>ease of mobility and operation.
Previously, the mine was achieving
upward drilling rates of 75 metres
per day – a quarter of the 300
metres required to reach
production targets. To increase
drill reserves, the mine’s manage-
ment regularly outsourced drilling,
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 7
but targets still could not be met.
Since arriving, the DL310-7 has
achieved penetration rates of
between 0.9 and 1.1 metres per
minute and is routinely reaching
300 metres per day. As a result,
targets have been raised to
between 400 and 450 metres per
day, which Sandvik is confident of
realizing.
The DL310-7’s best perfor-
mance at Zawarmala to date is
160 metres in an eight-hour shift.
In November 2008 a total of 4,239
metres was chalked up. This rose
to 4,343 in December 2008.
“We have achieved an average
of four to five times more drilling
per shift than we were getting
with the previous solution,” says
Zawarmala mine’s Manager
Balwant Rathore.
“Another major advantage is the
ease with which it can be
transported. Previously, it took
three eight-hour shifts to move
the rig. First it had to be disman-
tled, then we had to get a vehicle
to tow it further down the mine,
and then it had to be reassembled
again. This rig’s integrated carrier
eliminates the need for all that. It
can easily be driven to the next
location, and we can get on with
Operating 200 metres
below the ancient Aravali
Hills, the new machine
boosts productivity in
the mine.
drilling straightaway.
“And with the previous rig, we
had to change rods manually,
whereas with the DL310-7, rod
handling is fully mechanized and
they can be changed automati-
cally.
“We’re delighted with what has
been accomplished so far, but we
have greater expectations from
this machine and want to increase
our production still further. We’re
definitely thinking of extending the
advantages to other mines too.
“I’m proud that it’s in Zawarmala
mine that this rig is being used for
the first time in India.”
 CHRISTINA SJÖGREN
“It’s a smooth, cool, good-
operating machine that is
going to revolutionize
mining in India.”
Chakanath Tamatat Premnath

Amit Kumar Bhaumik,

general manager,
Zawar Mines,
Rajasthan, India.

DL310-7 operator Chakanath
Premnath agrees: “It’s a smooth, cool,
good-operating machine that’s going
to revolutionize mining in India.
Previously drilling was a big task, but
this machine makes it easy to achieve
all our targets. I’m proud that I’m first
man in India to operate it.”
Premnath was one of two Zawarmala
mine employees to be trained as
operators by a team of Sandvik
engineers who came from Finland to
oversee the DL310-7’s startup. The rig
has proved so straightforward to handle
that three more operators have since
been trained in-house.
According to Zawar Mines General
Manager Amit Kumar Bhaumik,
the DL310-7’s performance looks
set to further investments in Sandvik
rigs.
“Hindustan Zinc has a very
ambitious future, and we think
of Sandvik as our partners,” he says.
“We have a lot of new developments
coming in – new mines, new expan-
sions. So there’s a great deal of scope
for these machines.”
Chakraborty adds, “Hindustan Zinc
has taken a very big initiative to
modernize its mines. We’re already
working in a highly mechanized mine,
and the arrival of this rig is a major
benchmark.”
jean macfarlane

Prabhat Mittal, sales manager for Sandvik Mining and Construction:

“The DL310-7 has revolutionized the drilling scenario.”

“It’s a privilege for me to have scenario at Zawarmala and is a between Sandvik and Hindustan partnership with Hindustan Zinc
been part of the team that perfect example of the right Zinc Ltd. Sandvik perfectly to make preparatory arrange-
introduced the very first technology in the right place. This understood Hindustan Zinc’s need ments in the stope, and a team of
electro-hydraulic rig is an ideal for more drill reserves, and we Sandvik experts made two visits
long-hole drilling solution for worked closely with the com- from Finland to train operators
rig to India,” says sub-level stoping pany’s planning team for almost a and maintenance staff.
Prabhat Mittal, method in any year on feasibility studies and cost “Thanks to the quality and
Sandvik’s sales mine. comparisons. It was a dream come commitment of everyone
manager in “It has come true when they placed their order involved, the DL310-7 was soon
Udaipur. about as the in mid-2007. giving unbelievable results. It has
“The DL310-7 result of an “Our next challenge was to achieved as many metres drilling
has revolutionized excellent working establish the rig successfully. in just two months as the mine
the drilling partnership Again, we worked in close had previously achieved in six.”

Prabhat Mittal
8 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

zawar mines
Zawar Mines are owned by
Hindustan Zinc Ltd, India’s only
integrated producer of zinc and
lead. Formerly an Indian govern-
ment enterprise, the company was
privatized in April 2002 and is now a
subsidiary of Sterlite Opportunities
& Ventures Ltd and Vedanta
Resources Plc. The government of
India retains a 30 percent stake.
>>Net profit 44 billion Indian rupees
(675 million euros) in the
financial year ended March 31,
2008.
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 9
>>Achieved in the same year
record zinc and lead metal
production of 426,323
tonnes and 58,247 tonnes
respectively, up 22 percent and
31 percent from the previous
financial year.
>>Total mined metal production
was 629,019 tonnes, up 10
percent from the previous year.
>>Around 25 percent of the zinc
production is exported. The
remainder, and all the lead, goes
to the domestic market.
>>The company currently supplies
around 82 percent of India’s zinc
demand.
>>The company prides itself on its
growth rate since privatization,
and its stated aim is to be a
world-class zinc company with
a zinc-lead metal capacity of
1 million tonnes by 2010.
>>A total staff of 1,160 of whom
195 (15 executives and 180
labour force) are employed at
Zawarmala.
Hindustan Zinc
has a lot of new
developments
coming in.
In addition to Zawar, Hindustan Zinc
operates two underground mines
(Sindesar Khurd and Rajpura
Dariba) and one open-cast mine
(Rampura Agucha).
It also has smelter operations
in Chanderiya, Debari and
Visakhapatnam. The mines have
combined lead and zinc ore
reserves of 7.18 million tonnes and
an annual capacity of 1.2 million
tonnes of ore. Zinc is grade 4.4
percent and lead is grade
CHRISTINA SJÖGREN
2.3 percent.
news

Crushing makeover
With extensive upgrades on all its systems,
Sandvik Mining and Construction has
relaunched its CH660 cone crusher. The
makeover was designed to meet the demands
of quarrying and mining customers. The
enhancements include a reinforced top shell
prepared for an optional temperature sensor in
the bearing, thus preventing major failure, and a
feed hopper bolted with lock nuts.

German high-capacity
provider fully integrated
Last year, Sandvik acquired the German
system technology provider AUBEMA Crushing

Technology GmbH. Their offering is now
successfully integrated into Sandvik’s already
broad range of mining crushing equipment.
The Sandvik CR series is ideal for a broad
range of high-capacity crushing applications.
These include coal, overburden and oil sands,
and the crushers may be integrated into
semi-mobile, fully mobile or stationary
materials handling systems.
getty images
Sandvik enables electronic management for all companies.
More power from order to delivery
Full control always available with @YourService
In markets all over the world tools, consumables and spare including price and availabil-
and operations above and parts, Sandvik has introduced ity. Once the order is placed,
below the surface, online @YourService to provide ease the user gets a confirmation
solutions for procurement and and power in electronic order and can subsequently track the
order management are gaining management. @YourService order’s status.
ground. The appeal is the is accessible via a Web portal In addition, @YourService
ability to make informed or with a direct connection to offers a breadth of informa-
product selections, verify a company’s existing tion — catalogues and
prices, confirm deliveries and enterprise resource planning manuals, technical
track orders quickly and system. information, commercial
conveniently. Users get detailed product documents, service bulletins
For mining and construction information immediately, and more.

A tried and tested alternative to trucks

In-pit crushing and conveying — a flexible way to savings

Give me a break
A new mid-range hydraulic hammer offers
customers in demolition, recycling, quarrying
and other areas flexible options. The BR2577
features Sandvik’s Fixed Blow Energy System,
which ensures optimum impact energy with
every blow, regardless of hydraulic flow
fluctuations. Its flexible design makes it
especially suitable for retrofit applications.
Falling mineral prices and
tight credit could force mining
companies to cut back on
production and new project
development in a bid to cut
costs and conserve cash.
In response, in-pit crushing
and conveying (IPCC) points
the way to a partial or
complete substitute for trucks.
In 13 of 14 studies since 2007
comparing IPCC with
truck-optimized pit designs,
IPCC generated operating
savings ranging from 18 to 82
US cents a tonne over trucks.
IPCC can be more flexible
than trucks, with their high
operating, maintenance and
energy costs. New emission
standards on diesel engines
make them more emission-
friendly but less efficient in
terms of energy usage.
IPCC is a proven process
that, with a fresh mindset, can
make a significant improve-
ment to mining operations.
A completely new, fully
mobile crushing advancement
for on-face mining applications
is now available. With a
unique and compact design
from Sandvik, a true mobile
machine builder, the PF300
series is expected to effect
a big breakthrough as an
essential part in the area
of in-pit crushing and
conveying and offers signifi-
cant benefits for mining
applications.

10 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction


Railroad revival
Adding tracks and expanding tunnels increases business opportunities
Hauling coal and timber
has been US railroads’ main
task for many decades, but
today they are increasingly
moving finished consumer
goods, often made in Asia.
This transition, together
with rising fuel costs has
triggered a call for a railway
build-out. The old infrastruc-
ture is plagued with poorly
maintained lines and freight
jams. Many tunnels are too
low for double-stack railcar
containers.
CORBIS
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 11
Growing US demand for
Chinese goods and China’s
huge appetite for coal
causes the same need for a
railway build-out in China.
The railroads there carry a
quarter of global train cargo
and passenger traffic on
only 6 percent of the world’s
track, making its system the
busiest on the planet.
The US railway industry
estimates that it needs
to spend $148 billion on
new tracks, freight yards,
locomotives and bigger
tunnels to carry the amount
of US traffic anticipated by
2035, according to the
Washington Post.
A new railway era has
also evolved in other
countries around the
world. Kuwait is preparing
a massive build-out,
investing $132 billion in
its “Silk City,” which
encompasses an ambitious
rail network from Israel
through the Middle East
market outlook
and beyond. “This is where
we want to put our money,”
says Sami Alfaraj, president
of the Kuwait Center for
Strategic Studies. “We
want to build railways all
the way to China.” The
Chinese plan to spend $248
billion through 2020 on
120,000 kilometres of
new track, according to
BusinessWeek, although
the profitability of the
investment is somewhat
doubtful.
 The LHD line will
guarantee more uptime
and less maintenance.

lhd loader line – safe and reliable

streamlined
loading
Merging two product lines resulted in the best of two worlds.
Meet the new streamlined LHD loaders from Sandvik.

12 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

“We’ve really paid a lot of
attention to creating a
good working environment
for the operators.”
Olli Koivisto, LHD product line manager.
Sandvik’s new LHD loader line,
featuring machines with capacities
ranging from 1 tonne to 25 tonnes,
incorporates new safety and reliability
features into every product in the range.
The result of a merger and streamlining
of two separate product lines, Toro and
EJC, the new LHD loaders were
designed with the customer in mind.
Drawing on key requests identified
in Sandvik’s Global Customer
Roundtable, the product range has
several focus areas: safety, reliability,
durability and operator-
friendliness. Riku Kesäläin-
en, global product line
manager, loading and
hauling, says some of the
tangible effects of the
improvements, based on
input from customers around
the world, are more uptime
and less maintenance. Riku Kesäläinen
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 13
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fsdfsdf sd s d fs dasd
“We have the most productive
products on the market if you consider
how many tonnes our customers can get
out of the machine per hour,” he says.
By maximizing uptime, the LHDs
allow underground hard rock mining
customers to boost their productivity.
The reliability of key systems,
especially electrics and hydraulics, has
also been a major focus. Specific
upgrades include the introduction of the
advanced Vehicle Control & Manage- Durability
ment (VCM) System, which enables technology. With only 150 connections, and operator-
friend­liness are
enhanced features and failures are much less likely than with two of the focus
utilizes a simplified system 800 points of connection. areas for the LHD
design. “When it comes to the electronically range.
For example, an LHD controlled LHDs, we have introduced a
typically has more than 800 CANbus-based control system,” says
electrical connections. But Olli Koivisto, LHD product line
on the Sandvik LH514, the manager. “In addition, we made
number of connections has improvements in the machine electrics.
been reduced to about 150 We paid a lot of attention to developing
by switching to CANbus a highly reliable electric system for
“There are fewer parts,
which means less stock
and less complicated
ordering practices for
maintenance.”
Riku Kesäläinen, global product line manager,
loading and hauling.

these new upgraded loaders that

complements the electronic control
system.”

The electronic control system has

allowed Sandvik to more easily
introduce safety features, such as
interlocks, into the loaders. “It also
brings the benefit of having only one
display unit in the cabin, so the user
interface is a lot simpler and more
interactive than it used to be,” Koivisto
says. “A single display panel communi-
cates all the necessary information
about the loader to the operator. Any
alert appears as a pop-up window. It
makes it easier for the operator to focus In addition, the same control system identify and locate any potential
on making the tonnes.” software works for all the loaders. “It’s problems. “It saves a lot of time in
Furthermore, using the same parts on easy to upgrade the software,” Koivisto troubleshooting, which translates into
all the machines means improved says. “When we release new patches, productivity improvements and
maintenance. “There are fewer parts, it’s simple to upload those to the control uptime,” he says.
which means less stock and less system of any of these loaders.” Operator comfort, which means
complicated ordering practices for The control system also incorporates improved performance and productiv-
maintenance,” Kesäläinen says. onboard diagnostics, making it easier to ity, has also been a focal point, with

SANDVIK SOLUTION

The entire Sandvik LHD loader line has
been designed with safety as the top
priority. Features include ground level daily
maintenance, three-point mounting and
dismounting, fall protection systems and
fire prevention.
In particular, all daily routine mainte-
nance points are now accessible from
ground level to reduce the chance of slips
and falls. “You don’t have to climb onto the
machine anymore to do your daily checkup
and maintenance,” explains Olli Koivisto,
LHD product line manager.
For monthly preventive maintenance
services, engineered access systems
around the unit allow safe access to the
top of the machine. Hoods and fenders are
flat and free of tripping hazards, and
fall-arrest systems can be provided where
required by regulations. Other optional
features include handrails.
The introduction of VCM has also
improved automation of safety features.
“The new electronic control system allows
us to more easily introduce safety features
such as interlocks into the machine, and to
better control those features on our
products,” Koivisto says.
In addition, safety and a better-
­designed operator cabin go hand in hand.
With improved lighting both inside
and outside the cabin, the redesigned
operator cabin gives better visibility all
around. In addition, a new dash area
features ergonomically positioned controls
for ease of use. Gauges and meters have
been combined into one LCD display.
Access to the cabin has also been
improved with wide steps and three-point
mounting.
Each unit is also redesigned to reduce
the risk of fire. Certified fire suppression
systems are available to further protect
people and property.

14 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

 Test customers
directly ordered
several machines.
features such as air conditioning, sound
insulation, vibration reduction and
ergonomic controls. “We’ve really paid
a lot of attention to creating a good
working environment for the opera-
tors,” Koivisto says.
The LHD loader line was put to the
test in the toughest conditions at
Phalaborwa, in South Africa’s Limpopo
province, where the Rio Tinto-owned
Palabora Mining Company operates a
massive underground block cave
operation to mine copper and magnetite.
“In the case of Palabora, it’s a block
cave, so their production is dependent
on LHDs,” Kesäläinen says. “The cycle
time and reliability of the LHD are the
key factors in their productivity.”
At Palabora, due to improved
machine control and operator ergonom-
ics, the LHD was able to reduce its
normal cycle time, contributing about
one extra bucket of ore per hour. “That’s
a lot of buckets in a year,” Kesäläinen
says. “It all adds up when you calculate
it based on the fleet number.”
Koivisto adds, “In addition to
improved cycle times, the electric
system proved to be very reliable and
the onboard troubleshooting extremely
helpful.”
charlotte west
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 15
tech spec LHD Line
Improvements introduced with the new LHD line include:
>>Vehicle Control and Management (VCM)
system: onboard diagnostics and
troubleshooting for reduced downtime
based on CANbus technology as well as
simplified user interface by use of
interactive display.
>> Advanced electrical system: wiring
harnesses with Deutsch DT connectors for
increased reliability and ease of service.
>> Redesigned operator cabin: easier access,
improved visibility, efficient air condition-
ing, lower noise level.
>>Unified systems: joint electric and hydraulic
With improved
operator comfort,
the LHD loaders
boost productivity.
Moving more, faster
The true test of a machine is how
well it functions in the field. Sandvik’s
new LH514 proved itself during a
four-month trial at Palabora mine in
South Africa in mid-2007. Success at
underground block caves such as
Palabora depends upon efficiency at
every step of the way.
“Trackless mining also demands a
tight relationship between the mine
and the equipment supplier. There has
to be a mutual understanding of each
other’s problems and a respect for
each other’s knowledge. This is why
Sandvik is one of the suppliers to
systems throughout the line for ease
of maintenance.
>> Improved cooling – higher ambient
temperature capabilities, longer compo-
nent life.
>> Load-sensing hydraulic system: reliable
piston pump delivers power only where
and when needed — more power but less
wear on the entire system.
>> Stronger bucket to increase bucket life.
>> Safety: ground level daily maintenance,
three-point mounting and dismounting,
fall-protection systems, fire prevention.
this mine,” says mining maintenance
manager Ronald du Toit.
Palabora was so impressed with the
performance of the LH514 during the
four-month test period that it
purchased the trial model, and
immediately ordered a second
machine.
“The LH514 has proved itself a
very reliable machine and a nice
Ronald du Toit,
progression on the Toro 1400,” says mining mainte-
Matthew Gili, Palabora’s general nance manager
manager for underground operations. at Palabora mine,
South Africa.
“It is a robust machine and stands up
to hard use.”
 Russia

Finland

Sweden

circle
arctic
the

Ruka, Kuusamo

Challenging
construction
New Hydraulic Hammer AS A Primary Breaker in Lapland

lapland, finland. Construction workers in Lapland face

challenging conditions in beautiful surroundings. Sandvik’s
new hydraulic hammer gets a chance to shine at a luxury
chalet site on top of a mountain.

Helsinki

16 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

 It is essential to be able
to turn the devices on
in minus 20 degrees
Esko Räty

Celsius.

solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 17

 Snow, ice and temperatures down to
minus 30 degrees Celsius – these are the
challenging conditions for construction
work in wintry Lapland.
Lapland is also a place of amazing
natural beauty, attracting tourists from
all over the world with unique opportu-
nities for outdoor life. The most popular
ski resort in Finland is situated on the
Ruka hillside near the Arctic Circle. In a
spectacular spot on top of the mountain
are eight luxury chalets, and a ninth is
currently under construction.
The location demands special
requirements for construction work, as
there are other buildings and structures
in the vicinity, and the chalets are built
into a steep rock slope. Explosives
cannot be used for primary breaking
here. The tried and tested answer is a
hydraulic hammer.
Koillismaan Työkonepalvelu Oy, the
company in charge of excavation work
at the site, has used hydraulic hammers
as primary breakers for more than 20
years. The company was also the first
in Finland to purchase Sandvik’s new
BR2155 hammer. Results have been
very positive since it acquired the
hammer last autumn.
“It’s an excellent, effective hammer,”
says Teijo Määttä, an excavator
operator who has worked at various
sites in the Ruka area for more than
10 years.
“We had used the old E65 hammer
for a few years, and our experiences
were extremely positive,” says Timo
Salmivaara of Koillismaan Työkone­
palvelu Oy.
When Salmivaara heard of the new
BR2155 hammer, he was ready to make
the purchase decision right away. “Our
company has been eager to acquire the
best possible machinery since the
1970s”, he says, “and we have been
especially interested in new technology.
This is how we maintain our competi-
tive advantage and market value.”
The company has also been eager to
try out new methods. It was the first to
use a hydraulic hammer as a primary
breaker at least in the Ruka area, and
possibly in all of Finland.
Salmivaara recalls that time in the
1980s. “When we first introduced this
method, others thought it was sheer
madness,” he says. “Now we have used
hammers as primary breakers for more
than two decades, and others have
followed our example. This method

“Our company has been eager

to acquire the best possible
machinery since the 1970s.”
Timo Salmivaara, Koillismaan Työkonepalvelu Oy
Esko Räty

Site on top
of a mountain
Ten luxury chalets have been
planned at a construction site on
top of the Ruka hillside in Kuusamo,
Finland. Eight of them have been
completed, starting around five
years ago, one is under construc-
tion – it will have three floors, one
of which will be inside rock – and
there is one empty plot left.
Challenges include cold weather,
the site’s location on a steep rock
slope and the fact that there are
other buildings in the vicinity. Timo Salmivaara and Teijo
Esko Räty

Määttä of Koillismaan
Työkonepalvelu Oy.

18 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

 Juho Tastula
Timo Salmivaara, Koillismaan Työkonepalvelu

Integrated lubrication device

optimizes the use of grease
One of the optional features
the user can choose for the
Sandvik BR2155 hydraulic
hammer is an integrated
lubrication device mounted
inside the hammer. The device
optimizes lubrication, providing
maximal effect with the
smallest possible amount of
grease. Besides saving money,
the new solution helps the
environment by minimizing the
use of grease.
“BR2155 has taken a long
step forward in maintenance,”
says Timo Salmivaara of
Koillismaan Työkonepalvelu.
“The lubrication solution is
ingenious. Lubrication takes
place automatically, and
as new grease is inserted with a
special filling device, there is
no longer any need for tubes.
The integrated lubrication
system is also less susceptible
to vibration.”
Other optional features of
BR2155 include a safety valve,
which protects the hammer from
severe hydraulic installation
abuse, and a heavy-duty housing
with a stone claw, aimed at
demanding applications.
The basic model provides the
user with the latest in breaker
design. Its slim body ensures
good visibility and accessibility.
Its robust housing, made of
wear-resistant steel, is sound
suppressed, and its bottom
plate is replaceable.
The new hammer boasts a
high power-to-weight ratio:
Although while its working
weight ranges from 1,190 to
1,220 kilograms, the impact rate
is 490 to 760 blows per minute.
The hammer enables the use of
smaller carriers than its
predecessors. It is designed for
carriers in the 20- to 22-tonne
operating weight class.

saves costs, as there is no need to
protect the surroundings against
vibration and flying stones, unlike when
using explosives.”
Seppo Pihlajamäki, product line
manager for Sandvik breakers, agrees.
“In regional building the great
advantage of hydraulic hammers over
explosives is that the required safety
distance is only 10 to 20 metres,” he
says. “Therefore, work at the site can
continue normally during primary
breaking.”
The BR2155 hammer is a versatile
and flexible product. A key feature is its
modular design, which means the user
can choose the inexpensive basic model
and then add retrofit options to suit the
application and the rock. Available
options include an integrated lubrica-
tion device, a safety valve to protect the
hammer and a heavy-duty housing for
demanding applications.
The hammer can be used in
demolition, trenching and boulder
breaking. “Before, the user had to
buy hammers with three different
specifications,” says R.S. Raghavan,
general manager for Sandvik Mining
and Construction, product line breakers.
“Now this one single hammer can be
used for many different applications.”
As Pihlajamäki points out, “Replac-
ing the hammer with a bucket and vice
versa can be done quickly and efficient-
ly. This is a huge benefit for the
customer.”
Koillismaan Työkonepalvelu has so
far used the hammer for trenching and
primary breaking. “It’s an excellent
hammer,” Salmivaara says. “There’s a
substantial improvement in the blow
power. It’s also a bit more compact and
slimmer than the earlier models we
have used before. Therefore it fits well
in small spaces, which is important in
trenching.”
When working close to other
buildings, low noise levels are a definite
plus. Sandvik aims at minimizing all

solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 19


R.S. Raghavan
SANDVIK SOLUTION
Devices for demanding conditions
In Lapland, hydraulic hammers
and other devices have to stand
the test of cold. This is no problem
for Sandvik hammers.
“One criterion when developing
new products is that they need to
function in the local conditions,”
says Seppo Pihlajamäki, product
line manager for Sandvik breakers.
“In Lapland it is essential that you
can turn the devices on in minus
20 degrees. If the temperature
drops to minus 30 degrees, the
hammer blade needs pre-heating.
Sandvik hammers are designed
to handle both extreme cold and
heat.
20
“Sandvik is well experienced in
designing hammers for hard and
difficult working conditions. Our
products are well suited for
demanding boulder breaking and
primary breaking. We understand
the importance of performance
and reliability in extremely
demanding conditions.”
The new hydraulic hammer
has been well received by
customers. So far, BR2155 has
been sold in 50 countries around
the world.
R.S. Raghavan, general
manager for Sandvik Mining
“We understand the
importance of performance
and reliability in extremely
demanding conditions.”
and Construction, product line
breakers, emphasizes the
importance of customer feedback
when developing products.
“We are driven by customer
needs and market demand,” he
says. “Customer feedback is shared
with our engineering department,
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction
Esko Räty
The hammer offers a
substantial improvement
in blow power.
and we are constantly redesigning
our products. Design and
development is a continuous
improvement process.
“Sandvik is launching several
new products in the near future,
and they will all have the same
flexible concept as BR2155.”
 kinds of pollution, including noise. Koillismaan Työkonepalvelu Oy
“BR2155 comes standard with a
noise-suppressed housing,” Pihlajamäki
says. “This feature is especially
Invests in new
important in urban environments.”
Sandvik’s commitment to the
devices and training
environment and a green future begins
Based in Kuusamo, Finland,
long before its products arrive on site. Koillismaan Työkonepalvelu Oy is an
As an environmentally aware company, enterprise that offers excavation,
Sandvik has long recognized the need lifting and special transport services.
to reduce the environmental impact of The number of employees varies
its products and the processes used to between six and eight.
manufacture these products. A special feature of the company
“The use of the latest model BR2155 is its pioneering spirit. “We have
produces fewer engine emissions and actively invested in new products
and technology, and our company
less accumulated noise,” Raghavan
has been the first user of many
says. “The addition of a
products in Finland,” says Maija
patented sealing system Salmivaara of Koillismaan
Esko Räty
ensures that hydraulic oils do Työkonepalvelu. “As we are eager
not find their way into the to try out novelties, we have also
ground.” worked in cooperation with factories
news-lab oy in the industry.”
Salmivaara likes to visit interna-
tional fairs. “I often see interesting
new products that have not yet been
imported to Finland. Then I talk to the
R.S. Raghavan
Esko Räty
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 21
producers about how to get the
products to this country. In this way,
our company maintains its leading
position in technology.”
Besides acquiring new technology,
the company invests in training its
staff. “We find it important to keep
the employees’ skills up-to-date,”
Salmivaara says. “We have also made
apprenticeship contracts, and many
of our employees have learned their
occupations through working with us.”
Koillismaan Työkonepalvelu trusts
Sandvik as a supplier and developer
of products. “I’m certain we will use
the same supplier in the future when
there’s need for new equipment,”
Salmivaara says.
Sandvik breakers are sold,
serviced and supported in Finland
by Marakon Oy.
There will be a total of 10
luxury chalets on the top
of the mountain.
 Duncan McGregor and Kauko Juuri
feel expectant, having a global
presence and improved after­
market support.

increased crushing power

a unified brand
leading the way
Advances in mobile crushing equipment in the past decade
have raised the profile of the contractor segment, and the
acquisition of two UK leaders in the field has opened up a world
of new customers.
22 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

In the spring of 2007 Sandvik
acquired two United Kingdom
manufacturers of mobile crushing and
screening equipment: Extec Screens
and Crushers Ltd, near Derby,
England, and Fintec Crushing and
Screening Ltd, close to Belfast,
Ireland.
As leaders in the design and
manufacture of mobile crushing and
screening equipment, including
consumables and services to the
international construction industry,
Extec and Fintec have provided a way
for Sandvik to add mid-size and light
equipment to its customer offering,
positioning it to become an even
stronger supplier in a rapidly growing
industry.
These acquisitions have opened
up new customer segments for all
parties. “Sandvik will bring its
global network with access to quarry
and mining customers,” says
Managing Director Kauko Juuri.
“Extec and Fintec bring access
to contractor customers and a
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 23
“What used to be
impossible to achieve
with mobile equipment
is now possible.”
Duncan McGregor, sales and marketing director
competitive product line of tracked
mobile crushers and screens.”
Extec and Fintec benefit from
Sandvik’s global resources and
technical know-how. “Sandvik brings
advanced crusher and screen product
technology combined with excellent
process knowledge,” Juuri says. “In
other words, we are introducing two
new mobile cone crusher plants
equipped with cone technology that
many customers consider to be the best
in the world.”
For example, the new QH330
(former Fintec 1080) track-mounted
cone crusher system combines Fintec’s
The mobile crushers are compact,
stable and low in weight.
track-mounted chassis designs with
Sandvik’s quality crushing equipment.
The QH330’s cone plant features a
Sandvik CH430 crusher, developed
with the Sandvik cubical shape crushing
technique.
In addition, Fintec and Extec have
taken on all Sandvik corporate policies
and guidelines, such as Fair Play, which
takes into account not only financial
goals but also environmental and social
responsibility when making business
decisions.
Duncan McGregor, sales and
marketing director, echoes Juuri’s
sentiments that the biggest customer
advantages of bringing Fintec and Extec
together under Sandvik are its global
presence, in particular worldwide
distribution, and improved aftermarket
support.
Mobile crushing equipment has
come a long way in the past 10 years, he
says. “What used to be impossible to
achieve with mobile equipment is now
possible. The contractor segment,
“We have not been shy in saying that we
will be undisputed No. 1 in the mobile
crushing and screening business.”
Kauko Juuri, managing director
complete with its own special business
logic, has become a major part of the
materials processing business all over
the world, and Sandvik has the right
background to address the needs of this
particular customer segment.”
According to McGregor, the
traditional business where Sandvik is
particularly well aligned consists of
customers who are not contractors.
“They own and sell minerals, whether
for construction materials or for what
they are worth in terms of content. This
is a new area of development for the
acquired businesses but quite normal
for the heavier range from Sandvik, for
example.”
DUE TO Fintec’s and Extec’s
extensive product line, Sandvik has
chosen to unify its mobile crusher and
Duncan McGregor is optimistic: “Our
customer business will be among the
screen range under a single brand, signi-
first to come out of recession.” fied by new model nomenclature and
machine colours. “Going to one brand
increases customer awareness of
Sandvik’s full offering,” Juuri explains.
“Branding and segment strategy helps
Sandvik to improve and broaden services
to a variety of customers by using the
wider breadth of our organization.”
Although he admits “the economy
will have an effect,” Juuri believes the
Sandvik family is well positioned for
quick recovery. “Regardless, you will
see many new Sandvik mobile crushing
and screening products in 2009,” he
says. “Sandvik has successfully
survived various economic situations
for almost 150 years. We’ll surely also
come out from this recession stronger
than before.”
McGregor concurs with Juuri’s
cautious optimism: “The next couple of
years are going to be very difficult for
us. I remain optimistic that our
customer business will be among the
first to come out of recession as it has
done in previous recessions, and we will
be in the best shape to respond and
improve our market share.”
Juuri is also confident in stating the
company’s goals for the future: “We
have not been shy in saying that we will
be undisputed No. 1 in the mobile
crushing and screening business.”
CHARLOTTE WEST

tech spec mobile crushers

Easily combined units Sandvik offers a wide range configurations to produce a

of mobile crushing for
quarrying, recycling, contract-
ing and mining applications.
Available on crawlers or on
wheels, they are compact,
stable and low in weight. Since
the units are compatible with
one another, it is easy to
combine two, three or more
units, depending on the
fractions required.
Units on crawlers
Sandvik track-mounted
crushing units combine high
mobility with high productivity
and great flexibility. They can
be linked together in various
range of fractions. With a high
level of automation and
excellent interlocking
characteristics, several units
can be controlled by a single
operator.
Units on wheels
Sandvik wheel-mounted
crushing and screening
units are stable, highly
productive and very flexible.
They can be linked together
to produce a range of
fractions. Certain models
on their own can produce
three or four different fractions
plus fines.

24 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

 close-up DE150 diamond core drill
Drilling deeper and larger holes
Limited supplies, lower ore
grades and smaller discoveries
demand tools that can reach
deeper and more complicated
ore bodies. Sandvik is
responding to meet the need
by creating the DE150
diamond core drill.
The diamond core drill
DE150 prototype has recently
been tested on the hard
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 25
crystalline rock type in
Forsmark, Sweden, by diamond
core and raise drilling
contractor Drillcon.
“We had a suitable project,
an assignment for the
Swedish Nuclear Fuel and
Waste Management Co., where
we had a chance to see if the
DE150 could live up to
our expectations
and meet the goal we had,
namely to drill three holes
according to a set standard,”
says Mikael Berglund, CEO of
Drillcon.
As the new prototype is
different from previous
Sandvik models, Berglund
says he was in particularly
interested in how the machine
lived up to expectations
when it came to added
technology resulting from the
most recent development at
Sandvik Nora AB, mainly the
electro-hydraulic power pack,
the feed boom and the control
panel.
“I am happy with the results.
It worked well. We had no
problem with the new
technology,” Berglund says.
Testing the
Sandvik DE150
on hard
crystalline rock
in Forsmark,
Sweden.
 getty images
Fostering
a culture
of safety
After thousands of years of mining and
countless disasters, the industry that provides
many of the materials we use and value in the
world today is undergoing a safety revolution.

26 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

 SANDVIK RESEARCH

Other Sandvik solutions for improving safety

Sandvik is continuously deve-
loping new solutions to solve all
kinds of problems when it comes
to safety, ergonomics and tech-
nology in general.
At the MinExpo 2008 trade fair in
Las Vegas in September 2008,
attended by 30,000 mining
professionals, Sandvik unveiled its
new LH 514 loader line. Its design,
improved serviceability, safety and
operator-comfort features address
key customer requests received
from the company’s Global
Customer Roundtable.
These hard rock mining loaders,
which replace the popular Toro and
EJC brands, were designed with
safety as the top priority. All daily
routine maintenance points are
now accessible from ground level to
reduce the possibility of slips and
falls. For monthly preventive
maintenance, engineered access
systems around the unit allow safe
access to the top of the machine.
Hoods and fenders are flat and free
of tripping hazards, and fall-arrest
systems can be provided where
required by regulations.
At the North Karelia Adult Educa-
tion Centre in Finland, Sandvik
launched its first simulator-­aided
operator-training programme,
which it hopes to spread to regional Like the AutoMine, Tele Remote
competence centres around the Drilling allows the operator to stay
world. In the first phase, training is clear of hazardous areas while at
available for Sandvik’s surface top the same time increasing
hammer drilling. productivity.
“Simulation is a forgiving training
method,” says Arto Suokas,
manager of the Talvivaara mine in
Finland. “We can repeat the
exercises as many times as needed
without any risks to the trainees or
to the machines and tools.”
If simulation increases safety at a
worksite, so do Tele Remote Drilling
systems, which enable a drill
operator to control a production
drill from a remote location.

Automated
mining products
are supplemented
from safety
While mining fatalities periodically safe systems of working and human injuries in American mines. Between research.
capture world headlines, advances in behaviour as it is about engineering,” 2006 and 2007, there were 69 deaths
technology and mining methods says Stuart Evans, global environment, and 11,800 injuries.
together with proactive risk assessment health and safety director at Sandvik Half of the active mines in the United
methods are making mines safer. Taking Mining and Construction. “It is vital to States were completely free of lost-time
a proactive approach means assessing develop a strong safety culture in any injuries in 2007.
risks before anything happens. workplace. Good safety is good While China can claim to have some
“This is a big change for the industry,” business, and it is mines with excellent
says Professor Jim Joy of the Minerals increasingly a key safety records, it had
Industry Safety and Health Centre element in becoming an the world’s deadliest
at the University of Queensland in equipment supplier of mining industry in
Australia. Professor Joy is an expert choice.” 2007, claiming 3,800
consultant for mining industry regula- lives, according to
tors and major mining companies Sandvik Mining and the China’s State
alexander farnsworth

around the world. Construction implement- Administration of

Even though many countries have
declared a policy of zero tolerance of
fatalities, serious mining accidents
still happen. One of the latest was in
November 2008 when an explosion
in a coal mine killed 12 miners in
Petrila, Romania.
“In the last 20 years, there have
been some dramatic improvements
in mining safety around the world,”
Professor Joy says. “Much of this is
due to new technologies and methods,
like long-wall mining for coal, which
ironically save lives but also pose their
own risks.”
“Mining safety is as much about
ed its own environment,
health and safety policy
in 2007, and Evans says
the safety systems and
culture within the
company are getting Stuart Evans
stronger day by day.
By the end of 2008, the
frequency of lost-time injuries at
Sandvik Mining and Construction
sites around the world had decreased
by 50 percent from 2005.
According to the US Department of
Labor’s Mine Safety and Health
Administration, between 1936 and 1940
there were 1,546 fatalities and 81,342
Work Safety agency.
Many people believe
this number under-
states the full figure
considerably.
In South Africa,
240,000 miners took
part in a nationwide strike in December
2007 to protest poor safety standards.
The strike was in response to an
incident in October in which 3,000
miners were trapped in a gold mine for
a day. In 2006 there were 199 fatalities.
“Workers are saying enough is
enough,” Erick Gcilitshana, head of

solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 27


SANDVIK SOLUTION
Keeping mining workers safe
There is surely no better
way to improve safety than
to get humans away from the
risks entirely.
Enter AutoMine, Sandvik’s
automated ore-collection
system, a comprehensive
solution for improving safety
and efficiencies for underground
mining operations through
automation technology.
With AutoMine, loaders
in underground mines are
28
Sandvik develops
solutions for keeping
workers away from risks.
operated remotely, more
productively, longer and
with less wear and tear,
thereby reducing the cost
per tonne.
“People increasingly want
safer and more efficient
solutions,” says Taina Heimonen,
global product line manager,
mine automation, at Sandvik
Mining and Construction.
“This is one of the driving
forces in mining.”
The company has been
developing automation
technology since 1990.
Today AutoMine technology
is present in some major mines
around the world.
One of the first AutoMine
installations, commissioned
in 2005, was at the DeBeers
diamond mine in Finsch,
South Africa. There, autono-
mous trucks navigate a haulage
loop between loading points
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction
in the mine and the primary
crusher.
Under South African law,
mining equipment with opera-
tors onboard has a maximum
allowable speed of 16 kilo­
metres per hour. But according
to the Engineering and Mining
Journal, AutoMine allows the
haulers in Finsch to reach
speeds of 35 km/hr, driven
from the comfort and safety
of a remote control room.

health and safety at South Africa’s
National Union of Mineworkers, told
African Business magazine. “Safety is
needed now. Employers need to take a
leadership role and invest in safety in
the same way they invest in produc-
tion.” The underreporting of lost-time
injuries has been a problem in the
industry, in part due to the now largely
discontinued process of giving bonuses
for an injury-free record. Today, gross
and willful negligence that leads to a
fatal incident is punishable in many
countries by large fines and prison
sentences for senior company manag-
ers. “The trend in the industry, although
it is still new, is to move away from
lagging indicators [the number
of injuries or fatalities] and look
at leading indicators [what has been
done to prevent incidents] as a measure
of having done a good job,” Professor
Joy says. “It is about rewarding
proactivity.”
The winds of safety are blowing
through the industry as mining vehicles
and tools increasingly feature more
ergonomic and safety-related improve-
ments. The new Sandvik LHD line of
loaders, for instance, provides ground
level and easy-to-access service and
maintenance points on the machine.
(See sidebar and pages 12–15.)
“The trend in the industry is about
rewarding proactivity.”
Professor Jim Joy of the University of Queensland in Australia
Advances in computer technology
are increasingly allowing companies
like Sandvik to develop systems to
operate machinery remotely. Sandvik
was first on the market with its
AutoMine system where haulage trucks
in a mine are operated not only
remotely but also automatically (see
sidebar).
Developments are never-ending.
New mining products are continuously
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 29
An expert’s perspective
Getting beyond the standards is vital
“One of the major safety
challenges in the mining industry
is to better understand the
human factor,” says Professor
Jim Joy of the Minerals Industry
Safety and Health Centre at the
University of Queensland,
Australia,
“It is not just about behaviour
modification,” Professor Joy says.
“It is about understanding why
people do what they do and
managing that.”
Another challenge is to
design-out risk on mining
machinery above and beyond
what international and local
standards stipulate.
Many standards dictate
thickness, noise and vibration
levels on heavy machinery but
don’t take into account issues
about operating or maintaining
the equipment.
being presented — everything from
new helmets and lighting systems to
harnesses, boots and simulation tools
— to promote safety in mines.
After a dozen miners were killed in
the disaster at the Sago Mine in West
Virginia in the USA in 2006, the US
Congress passed a bill that requires
mining companies to improve the
means of safely rescuing people
involved in mining incidents, including
keeping track of where each worker is
deep underground.
While mining companies have until
2009 to implement the Miner Act of
2006, there is little consensus on what
earthmoving equipment to
suggest safety improvements to
the original equipment
manufacturers.
A similar roundtable event
will be organized shortly for
underground drilling equipment.
So what does the future
hold?
“There is definitely a trend
towards mass mining [producing
more ore with less energy],
increased automation, even
Jim Joy moving processing plants
underground where the only
To this end, Professor Joy thing coming out of the mine is
helped organize the Earth a gold ingot,” says Professor Joy.
Moving Equipment Safety Round “There are a lot of major
Table in 2006, involving a group innovations out there, but I don’t
of major mining companies. The know how the current financial
result was a nuts-and-bolts crisis will affect this. Either way,
analysis of every system, control innovation always poses new
and piece of hardware on risks and hazards.”
technology to use, as antennas and other
communication technology are not
fail-safe when working underground.
Equipping miners with electronic
chips in their headlamps is one
alternative that uses a through-the-earth
ultra-low-frequency paging system to
ensure miners can be contacted in the
event of an emergency.
While fatality and lost-time injury
rates have improved in recent years,
they differ between countries and
commodities, and the mining industry
as a whole is still underperforming
when it comes to safety.
“We are still a magnitude away from
what a community would consider safe
and acceptable,” says Professor Joy,
citing social research that defines safety
as one fatality per 100,000 people
working in an industry per year. The
corresponding figure for a leading
mining company is one death per
10,000 people per year.
“As you can see, there is still a lot
of work to do,” he says.
alexander farnsworth
news
How to cut and keep running
Continuous mining with efficiency and safety focus
In response to customer
demand in the coal industry,
Sandvik Mining and Construc-
tion has introduced its first
continuous mining machine,
the MC350, for place-change
room-and-pillar operations.
Sandvik’s decades of
experience in rock-cutting
applications has been put to
good use in the design of the
new continuous miner. In
particular, the new machine has
been designed to support
reliable operations with high
machine availability.
To complement the MC350,
New DTH hammers raise productivity
Three new families lower the cost and facilitate system tailoring
For surface and underground
mining, quarrying and
deep-hole drilling, Sandvik
Mining and Construction
launched Sandvik RH550, the
first of three new families of
Down The Hole (DTH)
hammers in late 2008.
With the new XT48 button
bits, the world’s toughest
30
The Sandvik MC350
completes the
product range for
the coal industry.
Sandvik is also launching a
new range of mobile roof
bolter. The range comprises,
among many others, the
DM100, DM200 and DZ700
series. The DM100 and
DM200 with their mid-seam
operations are designed to be
ideal partners for the MC350.
The DM100 series features a
walk-through chassis as a
safety feature. The DM100 is a
track-mounted machine that
moves under its own power.
As time is of the essence in
stabilizing roadways, this
two-man operation speeds
cemented carbide, and a
comprehensive range of drill
pipes, tools and accessories,
Sandvik vows to raise
productivity and make it
easier to tailor the drilling
system. The coming RH350
series are simple, lean,
dependable, low-cost hammers
based on a proven design that
“The two roadheaders
bolting operations, with an
average operation taking only
two minutes per bolt and
providing the capability of
installing four bolts per metre.
The ergonomics of the
bolter design makes it
comfortable and safe to
work eight-hour shifts. The
DM200 comes with arm-feed
bolters, while the DZ700
features longwall recovery
pan wall bolters. It all adds
up to state-of-the art solutions
aimed at efficiency and high
productivity without compro-
mising safety.
can use drill bits with various
open-standard shank designs,
and the RH450 series is of a
robust construction that gives
high penetration rates in harder
rocks.
Top of the range is the
patented Sandvik RH550
series, with advanced design
and the highest performance.
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction
THE QUOTE
have never been out
of operation since they
were set up back in
November 2005.”
Bernt Olsson, construction manager
at Citytunneln, Malmö, Sweden
Excavation
quality in focus
Sandvik’s new tunnel planning software
iSure is an efficient tool for managing
tunnelling project information. The iSure
software consists of three modules – iSure
Tunnel, iSure Report and iSure Analysis.
“The iSure software takes underground
excavation planning to a new level,” says
Pertti Koivunen, product manager for
tunnelling at Sandvik. “It supports
high-quality excavation and offers an
efficient way of managing the process. I’m
convinced that iSure users will find their
tunnelling projects advance faster and with
much better results.”
A major goal for the software develop-
ment was to make it easy to find optimum
parameters for drilling and blasting.
“The iSure software supports drill pattern
optimization and transfer of approved
parameters into new patterns,” says Martti
Keskinen, development manager at
Lemminkäinen Infra Oy. “Information on
different rock types is continually added to
the library. The use of this information
reduces the need for empirical research
and the time required to calculate the
correct pattern.”

“Here we learn
by doing … I’m
developing
myself in a
professional
sense.”
Apprentice programme benefits all
Getting future competence assured
Sandvik is convinced that as part
of its long-term development plans,
one fundamental strategy must be
personnel development and
training. The Sandvik Apprentice
Programme develops competent
technicians who can add value to
the mining industry. In return, it
enables apprentices to enhance
their own employment possibilities
and quality of life, besides acquiring
an education in terms of values and
behaviour that guarantees their
future development.
In South America, Sandvik
partners with CEIM, Chile’s mining
and industrial training centre.
solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 31
porträtt
CEIM is renowned in the area of
competency development in the
mining community.
The apprentices, besides
acquiring knowledge and technical
competence through the
programmes, also develop skills
such as teamwork and leadership,
an integral part of Sandvik’s
corporate social responsibility
policies.
The apprentices combine
studies at CEIM’s premises with
three-month practical application
cycles at any of Sandvik’s works
in Chile. The main objective of the
programme is to prepare future
operators to manage the depart-
ments of mine operations, hydro-
metallurgy, concentrate plant,
mine maintenance, crushing and
conveyor belts. The programme
includes a 240-hour basic training
cycle and an advanced cycle of 320
hours where self-care, leadership,
teamwork and effective communi-
cation are also taught.
“There is a great difference
between any other training centre
and the CEIM/Sandvik scheme,
because here we learn by doing,”
says Belenis Olea, who successfully
completed the programme. “After
the theoretical classes we are
Gerardo Artiaga.
Belenis Olea has
completed the
Sandvik Appren-
tice Programme,
enabling him to
get more advanced
tasks.
taken to the workshops where we
apply what we have learned in the
classroom. We learn not only from
books but from practice.
“Now that I’m working for
Sandvik, I’m very pleased because
I’m developing myself in a
professional sense,” he says.
“Moreover, we’ve now been offered
an English course.”
Clearly, Sandvik’s strategy is
paying off, and the future of
Sandvik — and the industry in
general — will be assured and
enriched through a steady stream
of highly skilled and deeply
motivated individuals.
 the big picture

Sandvik makes way for

Olympic Games 2012
Just a few months after the Olympic Games closing ceremony in
Beijing, a construction site for the 2012 games in London was
established. Around 190 buildings have to be removed to make room
for the Aquatics Centre and the rest of the arenas, and Sandvik
Mining and Construction is there.

To prepare the area for London’s
Olympic Stadium, Olympic Village
and Aquatics Centre, Sandvik’s
mobile crushers and screeners
have been used to demolish
buildings across the Olympic Park
area. In the demolition stages, the
machines process waste materials
such as concrete, dirt and rubble.
“We crush and separate the waste
materials that are used to produce
www.london2012.com
foundation materials, helping the
Olympic organizers to create the
‘sustainable games,’” says Eugene
Lyons, construction segment
manager for Sandvik Mining and
Construction in the UK.
The work on the Aquatics
Centre is now under way, creating
foundations for the platforms that
will support the sweeping wave-like
roof. Every day nearly 3,000 tonnes
of soil are removed to prepare
for swimming and diving pools.
The piling platforms for the pool
foundations are formed from
recycled demolition material
from the Olympic Park site.
The eye-catching Aquatics
Centre will host swimming,
diving, synchronized swimming,
water polo finals and freestyle
swimming.
The Aquatics Centre will be
the gateway to the Olympic
Park in London 2012.
product range

The family. Sandvik offers the world’s most comprehensive range of

equipment and tools for customers in mining and construction.
Find the complete family at www.miningandconstruction.sandvik.com

Rock tools and systems

Deep impact. Sandvik offers the world’s most comprehensive
• Cutting tool systems
range of tools for exploration, rock drilling, raise boring, coal • Tophammer drilling tools
cutting, mineral mining, tunnelling, trenching, road grading and • DTH drilling tools
road planing. As world leaders in steel and cemented-carbide • Raise boring tools and systems
technology, our products have revolutionized the rock drilling • Rotary drill bits
industry, while our advanced tool systems for machines such • Exploration tools and systems
as continuous miners, roadheaders and trenchers raise • Rock support tool systems
productivity sharply.

Drill rigs and rock drills • Rotary blasthole drill rigs

King of the pit. Sandvik rock drilling equipment is renowned • Waterwell drill rigs
for its high quality, reliability and productivity. Every machine we • Surface DTH drill rigs
• Surface top hammer drill rigs
make is designed to give the lowest possible cost per metre
• Dimensional stone drill rigs
drilled and a low life-cycle cost. To meet the needs of all
• Underground drill rigs
customers, we offer an extremely wide choice of machines, • Surface exploration drill rigs
ranging from robust and simple drill rigs to semi-automated • Underground exploration drill rigs
units that give extraordinary production rates and low total • Handheld rock drills
cost.

Load and haul machines • Underground loaders (LHDs)

The heavy loaders. Sandvik underground loaders and haul • Underground trucks
trucks are extremely productive and reliable. They are vigorous, • Reef dozer
• Multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs)
highly manoeuvrable, sport enormous capacity for their size
• Coal loaders (LHDs) and trucks
and return a very low cost per tonne.
• Shuttle cars

Mining and tunnelling

machines
• Continuous miners
Keep on going. Sandvik continuous mining and tunnelling • Continuous bolter miners
equipment reflects the unique advantages of total in-house • Continuous hard rock miners
control over machines and cutting tools alike. As a world leader • Continuous reef miners
in this field, our know-how is extensive. Optimized cutting • Roadheaders – tunnel miners
technology and machine design result in high productivity, long • Box hole borers
service life and low total costs.

34 solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction

 • Primary gyratory crushers
• Jaw crushers
Crushers and screens • Roll crushers
• Impact crushers
Maximum size-reduction. Sandvik crushing and screening • Hammer mills
equipment is engineered for maximum productivity. We offer • Cone crushers
advanced, rational solutions for any size-reduction challenge, • Screens
stationary or mobile. We can upgrade existing plants, deliver • Feeders
complete solutions and effect turnkey installations. We also • Mobile units
supply individual crushers and screens, as well as key • Crusher automation
components and a wide range of consumables. • Screening media
• Wear protection

Conveyors and conveyor • Conveyor systems

• HC-series standard belt
components conveyors
• HF-series standard belt feeders
Roll it up! Sandvik can design, manufacture and install virtually • Rollers
any kind of conveyor system. From high-speed overland • Idlers
systems to open-cast mine conveyors, flameproof under- • Frames and belt trackers
ground systems, tunnel conveyors and in-plant process • Pulleys and take-up devices
• Belt cleaners
conveyors, we have the know-how and the resources to deliver
• Safety and control devices
complete solutions. We also undertake upgrading and
• Dust suppression and loading
modernization projects and supply a comprehensive range of sections
high-quality components and wear parts. • Wear protection

Bulk materials handling

equipment • Bucket wheel excavators
• Beltwagons
Total transport. Sandvik has the long-term experience to • Spreaders
• Transport crawlers
design, manufacture and install virtually any kind of bulk
• Reclaimers
materials handling system. From continuous open-cast mining
• Stackers
systems to integrated stacking and reclaiming systems for • Stacker/reclaimers
mines, terminals, power plants and port facilities, we offer total • Ship unloaders
solutions and turnkey installations. We also offer a wide range • Shiploaders
of individual equipment and high-quality components for
plants, as well as upgrading and modernization services.

Breakers
and demolition tools • Hydraulic hammers
• Cutter-crushers
Hit harder. Sandvik demolition tools make short work of • Pulverizers
difficult breaking and demolition jobs.They are optimized to • Boom systems
deliver high-impact energy, cutting force or crushing force. With • Accessories
high power-to-weight ratios, easy interfaces and simple • Tools and spare parts
connections, they transform a wide range of excavators into
highly productive demolition machines.

Mine automation
Total control. Sandvik has an in-depth understanding of • AutoMine
modern mining operations, and of how automation of loading
and hauling processes can contribute to safer, more efficient
ore transport.

solid ground 1-09 sandvik mining and construction 35

Ekati, Northwest Territories, Canada

Even when it feels like you’re on another planet,

 we have 4500 service engineers standing by
Every second your operations are at a standstill costs you money. This is why it is so
crucial to have access to expertise where you need it and when you need it. It doesn’t
matter if the location is somewhere barely on the map. Our 4500 service engineers are
never further away than a phone call.

Now that’s what we call world-class service. Add to this that we also offer the market’s
widest range of products within the mining and construction industries and you’ll see
that we can raise your productivity to new heights. Regardless of where you are!
© Sandvik Mining and Construction AB
Print n:o M11-082:1 ENG

www.miningandconstruction.sandvik.com