UNDERGROUND EQUIPMENT

SELECTION.
Introduction
 Nowadays mining techniques have become
totally dependent upon machines of various
types.

 Selecting a machine for a given type of work

and matching its capacity to the required
output have become two of the most
important tasks in mine planning and
evaluation.
 Underground Mine Equipment
Basically consists;
Primary breaking (jumbo, jacklegs and
long-hole drills)
Loading and Haulage (LHD, Trucks,
conveyors, shafts)
Mine Services (Miner transport, bolters,
construction equipment, fill equipment)
Equipment Selection Criterion
Primary Breaking
Continuous Development
 Drill and Blast Development
• Rock governs the type of drilling equipment
necessary – ‘Drillability’
• Depend on rock characteristics;
Lateral Development
Nominal Development Rate
 General Common Machines, Their
Applications In Mining Methods, and
Their Potential Productivity.

Development of new Mining machines is a

continuous process. Some of the values
presented herein may become obsolete
within a few years. Updated
figures/specifications can be obtained by
consulting the manufacturer of the
equipment in question.
 Drilling Units Matched to Type of
Drilling and mining method.
In these figures, typical drilling units have been
matched to the type of drilling. The figures
contain information on:
a) Expected performance and
b) Normal productivity in terms of rock volume
blasted per meter drilled (m3/m) .
c) Drilling performance is stated in meters per
hour in Figure 1, while Figure 2 presents drilling
performance in terms of m3 per meter drilled
 Cont.
While the drilling system is related to a
specific mining method, loading and transport
are not. The selection of equipment should
consider an integration and optimization of
both loading and transport operations,
mostly related to the transport distance and
the required capacity
Fig 3 Common loading methods and performance
Fig.3 Common loading methods and performance
 Cont.
Figure 3: illustrates common loading and
transport systems used in modern mining. It
includes graphs from which an estimate of
the capacity of each system can be obtained.
The capacity is related to the bucket size of
the loader, and it is always noted in solid cubic
meters (cubic yards) of rock. This allows an
easy conversion to calculate the ton per hour
capacity for material of a different density.
 Cont.
The stated capacities are intended as a guide
for estimating purposes. Loading and
transportation are operations for which the
productivity can be calculated quite accurately
when the conditions (e.g., type and size of
equipment), transport distance, and velocity
are known.