119 Mechanized Mining in Low Headroom at Waterval

Rustenburg, South Africa
Mechanized mining in low

headroom at Waterval
Boosting production
The Anglo Platinum Group of South
Africa, the world’s leading plati-
num producer, has completed an
ambitious plan to boost its annual
output by 75% from 2.2 million
ounces to 3.5 million ounces by
the year 2006. This tough target
would have been a daunting pros-
pect for most mining companies,
especially in conditions at its
Waterval mine, where headroom
seldom exceeds 2.0 m. However,
Anglo Platinum, which accounts
for more than half of the total plat-
inum produced in South Africa,
has very extensive experience of
low seam operations. This expe-
rience led the company to Atlas
Copco, who supplied a complete
Scooptram ST600LP in the stopes.
equipment package to Waterval’s
specification to meet all of its low
headroom loading, drilling, and was the only company able to provide seam work and exacting environments.
rock bolting needs. a total solution around the three key In addition, Atlas Copco agreed to act
mining tools required: loader, drill rig, as a cooperation partner in all aspects
and bolting rig. These needed to be of the rock excavation process, providing
Thin seam, high output low profile, compact and technically operator training, spare parts supply, and
advanced, specially designed for low service and maintenance.
Waterval Mine is near Rustenburg, about
150 km northwest of Johannesburg. It is
Room and pillar layout at Waterval where Scooptram ST600LP loaders work in as low as 1.8 m headroom.
one of Anglo Platinum’s newest mines,
and will be making its contribution to
the group’s target by excavating 3.2 mil-
lion t/year in an orebody just 0.6 m-thick
and on a decline of nine degrees.
Despite the low seam and restricted
mining space, Anglo Platinum was con-
vinced that it could tackle the task suc-
cessfully, and opted for the room and
pillar method with ramp access, to-
gether with mechanized equipment.
The mine design meant that the
rooms would be extremely confined,
with a height of 1.8-2.0 m. This, in turn,
meant that headings would have to be
as low as possible, and the equipment
extremely compact. Anglo Platinum also
insisted that quantum improvements be
made at the mine in three priority areas:
safety, production and productivity, in
that order. Potential suppliers were asses-
sed by Waterval engineers. Atlas Copco
underground mining methods 119

Rustenburg, South Africa
Purpose matched package

The equipment trio comprised the Atlas
Copco Scooptram ST600LP loader, the
Rocket Boomer S1 L drill rig, and the
Boltec SL bolting rig. The units were
progressively delivered to Waterval, un-
til there were 23 Scooptram ST600LP
loaders, 15 Rocket Boomer rigs, and six
Boltec units at the site.
The Scooptram ST600LP, also
known as the Ratel, is a compact LHD
with a height of around 1.5 m. It has a 6
t loading capacity, and is equipped with
a special bucket for low height work. It
is powered by a clean burning 136 kW
Deutz diesel engine.
The Rocket Boomer S1 L has well-
proven, heavy duty Atlas Copco compo-
nents such as the COP 1838 rock drill,
BUT 28 boom and BMH 2837 feed.
The Boltec SL is a high production,
semi-mechanized rock bolting rig with
an electrical remote control system. Roof bolting in low headroom.
Apart from standard rockbolt instal-
lation, it is also equipped to perform are used, in a standard bolting pattern bucket on the Scooptram ST600LP
long hole drilling for anchor and cable of 1.5 m x 1.2-1.5 m. The Boltec SL is makes low height work easy. Using the
bolting. The Boltec SL uses the same equipped with Secoroc Magnum SR28 E-O-D bucket, the rock is pushed out by
carrier as the Rocket Boomer S1 L, Tapered Speedrods, with 38 mm model a push plate onto feeders that transfer
bringing advantages of commonality. -27-67 bits for Swellex installation. The it to the conveyor system for transpor-
The equipment complement for each tramming height of the Boltec SL is just tation to the surface. The Scooptram
mining section is one Rocket Boomer, 1.30 m, with ground clearance of 0.26 loaders are refuelled underground and
one Boltec, and two Scooptram ST600LP m. It is equipped with a COP 1028HB generally drive up to the surface for
loaders. rock drill, and can insert a Swellex bolt maintenance.
of length up to 1.6 m in roof height of At Waterval, Anglo Platinum gives
Production drilling 1.8 m. top priority to dilution and utilization.
With so many available faces in close The amount of rock waste must be kept
The layout at Waterval is divided into proximity to each other in the room to an absolute minimum, and the fact
12 sections with nine panels, or stopes. and pillar layout, utilization is a key that this can be achieved with mecha-
Each panel averages 12 m-wide x 1.8 factor for maintaining a high level of nized equipment in such a low, flat seam
m-high, with pillars of approximately productivity and efficiency. The required is seen as a major achievement.
6 m x 6 m. The drillers work three 8 h utilization for the drill rigs ranges from To ensure high availability of the
shifts per day, six days a week and their 50%-75%, and availability is about equipment, Anglo Platinum and Atlas
target per section is 23,000 t/month. 90%. Copco have entered into full-service con-
That translates to 200 t per panel, or two tracts that provide for 24 h service and
panels per shift. Some 68-74 x 3.4 m-long Low height loading maintenance. It makes good business
holes are required in each panel, taking sense for the mine to have a service
around 2.5 h to drill. Three 77 mm holes The Scooptram ST600LP is an extre- contract manned by specialists with the
form the cut, and the main round is dril- mely robust loader designed specifically technical know-how and skills for opti-
led using Atlas Copco Secoroc model for demanding thin seam applications mal maintenance.
–27 R32 43-45 mm bits. where the roof heights are as low as 1.6
Ramps from the surface provide the m. For visibility on the far side of the Acknowledgements
access for men, machines and supplies, machine, video cameras point to front
and also accommodate conveyor belts and rear, displaying the views on a screen Atlas Copco is grateful to the manage-
for transporting the ore out of the mine. in the driver’s cab. Loading from the ment at Waterval for their kind assist-
The mine expects each Rocket Boomer different rooms is a crucial part of the ance in revision of this article and for
rig to yield around 200,000 t/year. For operation, and the specially designed permission to publish.
rockbolting, 1.6 m-long Swellex bolts E-O-D (Eject-O-Dump) 6 t-capacity
120 underground mining methods

119 Mechanized Mining in Low Headroom at Waterval

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Rustenburg, South Africa

Mechanized mining in low

underground mining methods 119

Purpose matched package

120 underground mining methods

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