Vertical conveyors offer range of benefits for deep underground mines
Vertical conveyors are being successfully used at ever-increasing depths in underground mines across the world. The conveyors are seen to offer a number of benefits over conventional skip hoisting systems or systems of declines and ramps.
Benefits include:
- More environment-friendly and efficient means of bringing mined ore from underground to the surface
- Require a smaller footprint than conventional systems
- The surface infrastructure needed is significantly smaller than a typical skip headframe, with the required mine shaft diameter reduced by 30% to 40%
- Electrical power consumption can be up to 50% less than an equivalent skip hoisting system
- Production rates provided by vertical conveyors compare favourably with rates provided by skip hoisting systems and those usually achieved with the use of trucks in ramps or decline shafts
- No infrastructure is required between the underground loading station and the discharge zone on the surface
- Reduced operational maintenance, as a result of the conveyor belt hanging free in tension
- Provides continuous production, compared to the batch production of skips or trucks
FKC-Lake Shore, a division of Frontier-Kemper Constructors, has designed and manufactured hoisting systems and related equipment for over a century and has installed a number of vertical conveyors globally.
The company highlights an underground silver mine in Mexico that has been using an FKC-Lake Shore vertical conveyor for over three years, to hoist ore from a depth of 400 m. Even greater depths are under consideration and the company explains that, for deeper mines, two vertical conveyors operating in tandem with a small transfer conveyor in-between, would be utilised.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Axiom Hydraulics is a trusted leader in South Africa’s hydraulic industry, delivering world-class components, systems, and engineering expertise...
VISIT SHOWROOM
SafeQuip is a leading distributor and manufacturer of fire safety solutions, offering a comprehensive range of products designed to meet all...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
