tunnelling-journal (1)
tunnelling-journal (1)
  • Home
  • Print
    • Subscribe
    • Tunnelling Journal
    • Breakthrough
    • ITA Activity Report
    • A&NZ Journal
    • WTC Preview
    • Media Kit
  • Digital
    • Newsletter
    • E-Shots
    • TJ Digital edition
    • Products Page
    • Media Kit
  • Conferences
    • BTS Conference and Exhibition
    • Cutting Edge 2022
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Events Diary
  • Jobs
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Podcast

Home > Mobile Tunnel Miner for copper mine

Mobile Tunnel Miner for copper mine

Tris Thomas

Written by Tris Thomas on 04/02/2013 in News

Tagged: underground

Aker Wirth and Codelco, the world’s largest producer of copper, have signed a contract for the delivery of a Mobile Tunnel Miner (MTM). This innovative machine will be tested from mid-2014 in the Chuquicamata mine in Chile where the underground mining of copper is planned for the future.

The Aker Wirth MTM will bore a network of tunnels in the Chuquicamata mine in preparation for the later mining of copper. “Previously, tunnels of this type were blasted out of the rock in copper mines”, explained Ulrich Frenzle, Vice President Mining & Construction at Aker Wirth. “These will be created mechanically for the first time with the MTM4, thus improving tunnelling efficiency and safety in the mine significantly.” The machine will also need to cut tight curves with an exact profile for this purpose, an operation which is particularly demanding on the manoeuvrability and precision of the machine.

The Mobile Tunnel Miner, says Aker Wirth, combines the flexibility of a roadheader with the robustness of a tunnel boring machine. The self-propelled machine excavates using four hydraulic arms fitted with disc cutters. The muck is conveyed to the rear of the machine by a loading apron with loading disks and via a chain conveyor. In addition to circular cross sections like those achieved with a tunnel boring machine, the Mobile Tunnel Miner can also cut rectangular and horseshoe-shaped or semi-rectangular tunnels with a bore diameter of up to 6m. Thanks to swivel joints in the machine, the turning radius of the 40m long MTM4 is only 12m, ideal for the demands of the Chilean copper mine.

The Mobile Tunnel Miner is also innovative in terms of its mobility, as it can move forward flexibly using a walking mechanism and backward with a crawler. A positioning control system ensures that the machine is always precisely aligned.

“We expect to set new standards in mine development with the MTM. Its development fully reflected quantifiable customer benefits and safety issues”, says Frenzle. “When compared to drill and blast, which up until now was the usual method employed in rock of this hardness, the MTM4 shall be able to tunnel up to 12m a day, thus more than doubling the current performance”.

The machine operates with special undercutting technology and, is designed for especially efficient tunnelling in hard rock. “Depending on project conditions, costs for tunneling are more than 30% less than for drill and blast”, summarises Frenzle.

Another advantage over drill and blast is that the MTM requires considerably less work from personnel at the tunnel face. The MTM is operated from a central control cabin on the machine itself. A high degree of automation minimises contact between personnel and both moving components and rock. Thanks to its flexibility, the MTM can be easily driven away from the tunnel face for maintenance purposes, and this also contributes to the safety of operating personnel.

Comments:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Digital Edition

More Like This

20/02/2023

Slurry TBM launched on TWRP Contract 1 in Singapore

Slurry TBM launched on TWRP Contract 1 in Singapore

February 1st saw the launch of the CRCHI Slurry TBM ‘Channel Express’ that will now bore the 1.6km, 6m i.d undersea…

27/10/2022

CREG TBM breakthrough on China’s Funing Project

CREG TBM breakthrough on China’s Funing Project

The CREG hard rock TBM being used on China’s Funing pumped storage power station tunnel project celebrated a successful breakthrough…

22/02/2023

Vida breaks through on first West Gate Tunnel bore

Vida breaks through on first West Gate Tunnel bore

The largest TBM in the Southern Hemisphere – the 15.6m diameter Herrenknecht TBM ‘Vida’ – has broken through in Yarraville,…

  • Contact Us
  • Media Kit
  • Magazine Archive

Newsletter

The latest from the Tunneling Journal direct to your inbox.

Social



Enquiries

TGS Media Ltd
The Old Library
Webster House
Dudley Road
Tunbridge Wells
TN1 1LE
United Kingdom

© Tunnelling Journal. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. Admin

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more