Atlas Copco to develop high-speed geothermal drilling technology
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $34 million (US) grant to Atlas Copco Secoroc LLC and Sandia National Laboratories for a joint research project. The aim is to develop technology that would significantly increase the speed of drilling deep geothermal wells and reduce the cost of investment in this renewable energy source.

Geothermal energy has great potential as an environmentally friendly source of energy in many parts of the world, but developments are constrained by the high costs related to drilling deep wells in hard rock and high temperatures. Percussive tools, or down-the-hole hammers, are a promising technology for geothermal exploration and development as they rely on mechanisms well suited for the type of rock normally found in geothermal formations. Compared to conventional geothermal drilling methods, down-the-hole hammers could quadruple the penetration rates.

"We look forward with great anticipation to the results of this project," said Bob Fassl, Business Area President, Atlas Copco Mining and Rock Excavation Technique. "Atlas Copco already offers a wide range of products and services for geothermal development projects and this is clearly a future growth market for the Group."

During the three-year project Atlas Copco Secoroc will design, develop, and test equipment. Sandia National Laboratories will provide computer models to evaluate hammer performance, materials and components. Sandia will also develop a high temperature test cell to evaluate hammer prototypes.

For further information please contact Bob Fassl, Business Area President, Mining and Rock Excavation Technique at 469-766-6242.

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Mining building solutions from Norseman
Norseman Inc. has been satisfying its customers since 1921, when it was known as North West Tent & Awning. In 1999, to reflect the changing nature of its business, it changed its name to Norseman Inc. Today, with an office in Saskatoon, Norseman Inc. is the largest and most technologically advanced custom industrial fabric and foam manufacturer in Western Canada. Using a wide selection of advanced synthetic fabrics, foam and leading technologies; the Norseman team works closely with its customers to custom design and manufacture workplace structures suitable for an extensive range of applications.

Norseman is also committed to servicing what it sells, meaning the company installs and repairs its products anywhere in the world. This commitment is significant to mining companies whose projects are rarely located in easy-to-reach places.

For the mining industry, modular buildings from Norseman Structures provide massive open workspace crucial for mine site operations and the storage of equipment, temporary storage, a maintenance shop and machinery storage. The design of the building provides a clear-span structure with no columns to get in the way of moving equipment around. And if an operation must be moved, these portable buildings have the versatility to relocate or extend as needed.
Norseman is also a respected corporate citizen. It is proud to be an environmentally and socially responsible business entity. The company takes a proactive approach in identifying and eliminating high-energy expenders in its daily practices and in developing sustainable manufacturing processes and products.

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Falk V-Class gear drives: maximum uptime, durable performance
Rexnord Industries has launched the Falk V-Class™, a new line of gear drives designed for maximum uptime and durable performance. The company says the Falk V-Class incorporates the latest advances in materials technology, engineering design and manufacturing processes to produce a tough, reliable gearbox that excels in demanding applications.

One of the most distinguishable features of the Falk V-Class is the housing itself. Since customers asked for durability and reliability, the heavy-duty, horizontally split housing design incorporates advanced gearing, optimized through the latest materials and technologies, to provide maximum performance under load. The housing shape and features were designed through the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), to enhance the drive's superior thermal dissipation qualities.

The drive incorporates exclusive Magnum no-leak seals with oil drain backs and purgable grease chamber to eliminate oil leaks. An optional, eco-friendly DuraPlate™ cooling system requires no water or electricity to operate and achieves optimal cooling to fully utilize the unit's unparalleled torque density.

For more information, visit www.rexnord.com and/or www.falkv-class.com.

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Most powerful air hoist lifts 125 tons
What is believed to be the world's first air operated hoist with a lift capacity of 125 tons has been manufactured by materials handling and lifting specialists J D Neuhaus. This is the most powerful unit in the Neuhaus EH range of handling equipment.

Designated as an EH 125 monorail hoist, the unit operates from a 6 bar air pressure and is equipped with 10kW and 2.8kW rated motors for the lifting and traverse functions respectively. In standard format, the hoist is supplied with a six double-chain mechanism providing a three-metre lift at speeds of 0.30 m/min within a full load, and 0.38 m/min on lowering. Horizontal travel speeds of 6 m/min are achieved with maximum load and 8 m/min when unloaded.
A two-metre length flexible connection is supplied with an ergonomic multi-function pendant controller for precise, infinitely variable control of the lift/lowering and traverse operations for safe, accurate load placements.

The low-headroom design ensures that the hoist can be used where a minimum of operating space is available, while an Ex rating ensures suitability for use in hazardous areas where there is a potential risk of explosion. The product is 100% duty rated while also being insensitive to humidity and dust laden atmospheres, and can operate within a temperature range of -20°C to +70°C.

Further information, visit www.jdneuhaus.com.

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Boart Longyear's global expansion of Mine Water Services
Drilling parts and services provider Boart Longyear® Limited has announced a plan to expand Mine Water Services to Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Over the last 25 years, Boart Longyear Drilling Services has developed and honed an effective reverse circulation method in North America, and has established the leading process within the industry while creating the most highly specialized crews in the world.

"Boart Longyear utilizes a unique process which is capable of drilling large diameter holes in the most difficult ground conditions in a single-pass," said Dale Johnson, Global Director of Drilling Services Operations for Boart Longyear. "Drilling a large diameter borehole in a single-pass versus multiple passes, which can degrade the bore-hole, improves the likelihood of drilling a straight borehole to target depth successfully. Our unique method of drilling and completing wells provides better overall well efficiency and production – ultimately saving our client's downtime and money over the life of a well."

Boart Longyear offers a full range of mine and other water services drilling. This includes production, de-watering, re-injection, monitoring, geothermal, and municipal wells. In North America, Boart Longyear also provides pump installation and servicing.

For more information on Boart Longyear Drilling Services, please visit www.boartlongyear.com.

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Sandvik introduces two new mining cone crushers – CH890 and CH895
Thanks to their specialized geometries, 1,000 hp, greater structural strength and proven technologies, Sandvik's newly launched CH890 and CH895 cone crushers are designed to increase performance in both secondary and tertiary/pebble crushing applications.

The specially designed, strength-optimized topshell and dedicated crushing chambers of the CH895 model make it ideal for tertiary and pebbles crushing while the CH890 topshell and crushing chambers are dedicated to secondary crushing. Both units have more power and increased crushing force in order to increase productivity. Manfred Schaffer, President Surface Mining at Sandvik Mining and Construction, says: "The heavy-duty structure and 1,000 horsepower are what first meet the eye. But it is the specialized geometries and smart crushing features that uniquely drive efficiency and throughput. We call this 'Dedicated by Design.'"

The new mainshaft, made from a new high-strength material, is designed to withstand harsh mining requirements while the strength-optimized bottomshell design allows for greater loads. Simply stated, the heavy-duty structural design ensures durability and longevity in the most demanding conditions.

Further customer improvements, for increased safety and minimized downtime, include a relocated external dump valve and a new over pressure system to keep the lubrication oil clean, thereby increasing time between servicing. Customers will also recognize the trusted cone crusher design from Sandvik with its hydraulically adjusted mainshaft and proven ASRi™ control system to facilitate online adjustment during full load and ensure peak performance at all times.

"The CH890 and CH895 crushers have been dedicated to specific applications while sharing the same platform for easy service and support which should facilitate efficient inventory management and parts forecasting," adds Schaffer.

For more information, visit www.miningandconstruction.sandvik.com.

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OCC's ruggedized fiber optic cable extends deep underground
Optical Cable Corporation (OCC) boasts a MSHA-certified tight-buffered breakout cable that extends high-speed communications deep underground while withstanding thermal extremes, physical hazards, and even falling debris in mining operations. This extremely ruggedized fiber optic cable enables mining personnel to access a corporate network and even its ERP system from thousands of feet below ground for critical tasks such as real-time maintenance tracking, ordering parts, review of electronic files or schematics, access to monitoring data, and more.

With mine shafts going down thousands of feet and mine entries extending horizontally for many miles, it can take several hours for personnel to travel to active mining areas. With up to several hundred workers below ground at any one time, immediate and localized network access translates into a significant time saving on travel time alone, and contributes to more of a true real-time operating environment.

As opposed to loose-tube designs, which only have one thin coating surrounding each optical fiber, ruggedized tight-buffered fibers have two. In loose tube cable designs, the fiber coating is only 62 microns thick, providing minimal mechanical and environment protection to the glass fiber. In addition to the primary fiber coating, each tight-buffered fiber has a secondary buffer that, together with the primary coating, reaches 'heavyweight' proportions such as 387 microns.

And there is yet another layer of protection! Aramid yarns and a tight bound elastomeric jacket surround each tight-buffered fiber. Even at this sub-cable level, the sub-units are very crush resistant, rugged, and able to withstand environmental extremes.

In the case of OCC, the sub cables are helically stranded and surrounded by a special formulation, pressure extruded outer jacket. This Core-LockedÔ outer jacket locks all the sub elements of the cable in place. The cable structure therefore acts as a unit, much like a rope. This greatly enhances crush resistance, jacket tear resistance, and overall survivability in harsh environments.

OCC's ruggedized tight-buffered fiber optic cables greatly exceed minimum industry standard requirements with a flex resistance of thousands of cycles, crush resistance of 2200 N/cm, and the ability to withstand 1,000 impacts along with temperature extremes of -55 to +124 °C.

For more information, visit www.occfiber.com.

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