In recent years the demand for dozer operators working on coal stockpiles has grown dramatically, increasing the need for specialised training in what is considered one of the most hazardous environments for dozer operators. Immersive Technologies says it has developed technology to specifically address operator safety in coal stockpiling. This technology is embedded in an upgrade to Immersive Technologies’ range of Advanced Equipment Simulators.

MAVinci’s SIRIUS UAV is a fixed wing remote controlled plane designed for a wide range of survey applications. It is ideal for corridor mapping roads, pipelines and power lines, calculating stockpile volumes, monitoring erosion, reconciliation and progress reporting. It weighs only 3 kg and has a wingspan of 1.6 m and is ideal for one-man operation.

The Swedish Mining Inspectorate gas granted Grängesberg Iron AB a mining concession for the iron ore mine in Grängesberg, in the mineral-rich Bergslagen district of central Sweden. The granted mining concession is a step towards re-opening the Grängesberg iron ore mine, which was closed in 1989. The Grängesberg mine project has defined 115.2 Mt of Indicated at 40.2% Fe and 33.1 Mt of Inferred at 45.2% Fe, with a calculated minimum of 82.4 Mt of Probable Mineral Reserves at an average grade of 37.2% Fe. The start of production is planned for late 2016.

Sandvik Mining new generation of underground hard-rock mining trucks are currently undergoing field evaluation following their launch at MINEXPO last year. The new generation trucks, TH551 and TH663,  51 tonne and 63 tonne capacity respectively incorporate and on-board jacking system which allows for faster and safer tyre changing in the event of a flat tyre on a haulage ramp or other confined space.

Weir Minerals Africa is currently delivering a pump order for a greenfield mineral sands plant in West Africa that includes the supply of two of the largest mill discharge pumps in the company’s range —its 750 mm MCR pumps, each weighing in at 45 tons. The two pumps were sourced from its operation in Chile and shipped to one of its South African sites, where a trial assembly was successfully conducted. Owing to their size, the two Warman MCR pumps will be shipped via Port Elizabeth to Dakar.

Central Asia Metals, a copper producing company focused on base metals in Central Asia, has announced a production update for its Kounrad SX-EW plant in Kazakhstan. This facility is the Operations Focus for International Mining’s June issue of the magazine, currently at the printers. Highlights include 10,000 t of copper produced in just over 12 months since operations started and record monthly production achieved in April 2013 of 1,114 t of copper.