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By H. J. lgner

Hydraulic fills are widely used in the tabular, steeply dipping stopes of the South African gold and platinum mines as an integrated process within a daily cycle of drill and blast. There is therefore only a small time window in which to fill the geotextile bags used as primary fill containment, without the risk of loosing production. Consequently, mines tend to increase the flow rate to the stopes, although this compromises adequate drainage, consolidation and strength development during filling. Recent underground measurements inside the geotextile bag have revealed that at high rates of rise and at 25 degrees dip, the backfill can remobilise within a limited area inside the geotextile bag during filling. This sudden downward surge of backfill exerts, for only a few seconds, additional loading on the geotextile, its supporting mesh and the props. This unstable behaviour poses a serious threat as it can push props out of place, thereby damaging the geotextile bag and causing a mud slide in the stope. To reduce the risk of accidents, the phenomenon of sudden slumping was further investigated for various filling conditions in the laboratory. The results confirmed that the maximum pressures associated with the sudden slumping can be more than five times those experienced during steady-state consolidation. Based on this new insight, the current best practice for hydraulic backfilling was critically reviewed. A practical approach to implementing meaningful standards is presented to ensure safe operations in relation to the consistency of the backfill quality and the appropriate matching of geotextile characteristics with backfill properties.

May 1, 2007

By G. F. Round

In order to obtain values of angle of shearing resistance and initial resistance for McMurray oil sand for use in general design calculations, the shear strength of this oil sand was measured in a controlled strain type tester, modified so that the rate of deformation could be varied between 0.01725 and 0.1869 inches per minute. Effect of temperature was investigated by adapting the equipment to operate at both 71 ° and 185 °F. The data are reported in terms of angle of shearing resistance and initial resistance for varying rates of deformation, composition and temperature. While the main sets of results reported here were obtained at a bulk density range of 108.7- 109.5 lb. / cu. ft., some results were obtained at a bulk density range of 101-102 lb. / cu. ft. Analysis of varance tables have been drawn up from the results obtained from least squares correlations and significance tests applied. It was concluded that oil content and temperature were significant variables for the degree of shear strength developed by the oil sand; increase of oil content and decrease of temperature each cause an increase in shear strength. The bulk density range 108.7 to 109.5 lb./cu. ft. gave angles of shearing resistance from 30° to 40° and initial resistance values of 0.37 p.s.i. to 0.85 p.s.i. For the bulk density range 101 to 102 lb. / cu. ft., lower values of shear strength were obtained, indicating that compaction density was also of importance

Jan 1, 1960

By Keith Haddock

"The Sheerness Mine, a new surface coal mine located near Hanna, Alberta, went into full production in mid-1995. The mine, which is operated by Luscar’s subsidiary Forestburg Collieries (1984) Ltd., has the design capacity to supply up to 2.1 million tonnes of sub-bituminous coal per year to the adjacent Sheerness Generating station under a 30-year contract. This paper documents the construction phase of this project and highlights the major equipment purchases as well as the construction of the mine facilities. The paper also focuses on some of the areas where cost savings have been achieved that have allowed the mine to come on stream six months ahead of schedule, and under budget. Project ReviewMine DescriptionThe Sheerness Mine is located 25 km southeast of the town of Hanna in southeastern Alberta (Fig. 1). The mining property occupies the western portion of the Sheerness CoalField and borders the Montgomery Mine, operated by Manalta Coal Ltd. in the east, and Highway 36 in the west. The Montgomery Mine and the Sheerness Mine exclusively supply the total coal requirement of the adjacent Sheerness Generating Station. The station is owned jointly by Alberta Power Limited (APL) and TransAlta Utilities Corporation (TAU). APL is the operator. Manalta’s Montgomery Mine has supplied coal to the Sheerness Station since its opening in 1986. Coal is shipped by truck from the mines over a network of haul roads to the coal receiving hoppers located on the east side of Highway 36."

Jan 1, 1997

By H. B. Gillis

THE following pages c9ntain a brief description of the processes involved in the manufacture of silica brick at the Sydney plant of the Dominion Steel & Coal Corporation. Silica brick manufacture was commenced at Sydney in 1918, for the purpose of supplying the requirements of the steel plant, where about three million silica bricks were used annually. Previous to that date, all silica refractories were brought to Sydney from American sources and were subject to a freight cost of nine dollars per ton, or about twenty-seven dollars per thousand. As a preliminary step to manufacture, a thorough investigation of all possible sources of silica in the vicinity of Sydney was carried on during 1916 and 1917. ?Eighteen separate deposits were examined. Of this number, only four were found suitable for brick making, and the Leitches Creek silica, being the nearest of these four deposits to Sydney, was selected as the raw material for the proposed plant. CRYSTAL MODIFICATIONS OF SILICA A brief review of the silica minerals may serve to indicate why careful investigation of sources of supply is necessary before actual brick-making is attempted. The crystal modifications of silica, i.e., quartz, tridymite, and cristobalite, all possessing alpha and beta phases, play a most important part in determining the suitability or otherwise of the resulting brick. By heat treatment, any one of these forms of silica may be converted to either of the others. The inversion temperatures (after Fenner) in degrees Centigrade are shown on rage 160.

Jan 1, 1938

By Charles Goodeve

"BEFORE I begin, I should like to thank The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy for the honour they have bestowed in inviting me to give this address at the fourth annual C.I.M. Conference of Metallurgists banquet.Secondly, I should like' to convey the greetings of the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain in accordance with a request made by its Council at its last meeting. The I.S.I. hopes for the continued growth in strength of this annual Conference and in the collaboration between our respective societies.When I read the program of this Conference, it was brought home to me what a non-ferrons country Canada is. Also, I realized what enormous advances have been, and are being made, and what an ex-citing field non-ferrous metallurgy is for the scientist. This made me wonder, as I have done before, whether the future for steel was proof against these advances.At present, iron and steel stand astride the metallurgical world like a Colossus; I hope that the bronze industry will pardon my stealing their thunder and mixing my metaphors! Will this still be so in the future?The best way to answer this question is to take a look at the fundamentals to see why the iron atom dominates to such an extent that al! other metals are called ""non-ferrons."" Is its present position due to historical and therefore ephemeral reasons, or is there a fundamental difference between the atom of iron and those of other metals?"

Jan 1, 1966

By B. N. Church, R. H. Seraphim, J. T. Shearer

"The Lexington-Lone Star CU-Au deposits straddle the Canada U. S.A. border, south of Greenwood, British Columbia. This 3 km long linear porphyry system occurs in a northeast dipping belt of sheared quartz porphyry and serpentinite. The best grades of mineralization occur in three principal bodies known as the Pit zone, the Northwest zone and the Lexington Main zone. The Pit zone at the Lone Star mine is the largest of the mineralized bodies and consists of fracture fillings and disseminations of pyrite, chalcopyrite and minor molybdenite, hosted by the Lexington quartz porphyry. The Northwest zone, discovered by drilling through overburden near the 49th Parallel, consists of pyrite-chalcopyrite-gold mineralization in the quartz porphyry and the footwall serpentinite. The Lexington Main zone has the highest grade of gold and occurs near the footwall of the quartz porphyry with the mineralogy and setting similar to the Northwest zone. Alteration of the host quartz porphyry is mostly sericitic and chloritic; alteration in the adjacent serpentinite is mostly talc and carbonates.A weighted average of the drill-indicated reserves is 19.5 million tonnes grading 0.56% CU and 0.55 gl t Au.IntroductionThis paper describes copper-gold mineralization associated with the Lexington quartz porphyry in the Greenwood mining camp of south-central British Columbia and adjacent parts of Washington State (Fig. 1).Access to the property is mainly by a network of farm, logging and old mining roads to the U.S. border, 10 km south of Greenwood, British Columbia."

Jan 1, 1995

By S. V. Ulianov, A. Y. Senchenko, A. A. Shvets, A. V. Aksenov

Development of an efficient technology to process complex ores containing gold and antimony as well as silver is described in the paper. The results from the testwork aimed at the valuables recovery by means of flotation are presented. A process sample of antimonite gold-bearing ore was studied in TOMS institute aiming at development of a technology to process such an ore with generation of antimony concentrate and sulphide gold-containing concentrate. Material composition study indicated that the ore included 5.3% of sulphides: arsenopyrite – 2.4%, pyrite -2.4%, and antimonite – 0.5%. Gold is present as an isomorphic dissemination in arsenopyrite. At sighter testing stage a direct selective flotation flowsheet was chosen to process the ore. Antimonite flotation was activated due to addition of lead nitrate. A single cleaning of a rougher flotation concentrate resulted in antinomy concentrate with 30% Sb content and 71% recovery. Au recovery into antimony concentrate did not exceed 1%. Sb flotation tailings were used to float the remaining sulphides and gold. The resulted sulphide concentrate was characterized by Au content of 20 g/t at about 80% recovery, arsenic content - 10% at ~80% recovery, and sulphur content - 18% at ~81% recovery. The sulphide concentrate can be forwarded to further processing aiming at gold recovery. Given that the concentrate is highly refractory it should be pretreated (bacterial or pressure oxidation, Albion process) prior to cyanidation in order to liberate gold from sulphides. The proposed technology allows one to solve the problem of precious metals recovery from antimonite ores.

Jan 1, 2016

By D. Karpoff

"IntroductionUNTIL the recent discovery and development of deposits at Allard Lake, on the Lower Romaine river, practically the whole of Quebec's - and indeed of Canada's - production of ilmenite had come from deposits in the vicinity of St. Urbain, Charlevoix •county, a village about eight miles north of Bay St. Paul on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, some sixty miles below the city of Quebec (see Figure l) . Although these deposits were known nearly three hundred years ago and were worked in a small way during the years 1872-74, when a charcoal blast furnace was operated by the Canadian Titanic Iron Company for making white pig iron, it was not until 1908 that more or less continuous production commenced and has •continued to the present by the American Titanic Iron Company. The whole of the output has been exported to the United States.The ilmenite occurs in lenses •and dyke-like bodies within anorthosite. Production has come chiefly from three deposits: General Electric, Furnace, and East and West Coulombe. During 1951 -52, an extensive diamond drilling programme was carded out under the direction of the writer to test the Furnace and the East and West Coulombe deposits (Figures 2 and 3), which form part of the property of St. Lawrence Iron and Titanium Mines, Limited. The average tenor of the orebodies encountered in the course of the drilling was 38.60 per cent TiO2 and, in addition to these high-grade •bodies, there was found a very considerable tonnage of lower grade ore."

Jan 1, 1953

By H. Kuno, H. Kobayakawa

A borehole inclinometer with FBG optical fiber sensors has been developed to clarify very slow slope movements, and the results of its application to a real slope have been shown. The main characteristics kept in mind while developing this inclinometer are as follows. Firstly, the workability must be good so that only one cable is required for taking the measurements, because the inclinometer is composed of several FBG sensor elements constructed on an optical fiber. Secondly, the minimum interval of the distorted measurements must be close, namely, within 100 mm. Thirdly, the inclinometer must excel in thunder resistance. The measurements were executed by setting up the developed borehole inclinometer on a slope where the rate of displacement is several millimeters per year. The movement of the device was developed by comparing it with that of the results of an existing borehole inclinometer. The area of the displacement concentration, 1 m in width for 4-m sections, was confirmed by the existing borehole inclinometer. The boring core, recovered using a high-quality drilling technique, was examined. Landslide clay was not permitted at the location where the displacement had concentrated as a result of comparing the measurement results with the boring core, and the rotation of gravel by the movement of the slope’s land block was allowed. These results show the slope being caught in the stage just before a primary landslide. In addition, the feature whereby the slope behavior depends on the depth was analyzed by comparing the information on the underground displacement with precipitation and earthquake records.

Jan 1, 2015

By H. O. Olsen

"GeneralTHE IRON ORE at Marmora is a replacement deposit of Precambrian limestone and is overlain with Palaeozoic limestone. It is a low-grade magnetite deposit and the ore will require concentration be-fore it can be used economically for the production of iron and steel.Present plans estimate an annual production of 500,000 tons of concentrate in the form of pellets. This will require mining approximately two million tons of ore and\ waste annually. Shipment of pellets from Marmora to a ship-loading dock at Picton will be made by rail on a year-'round basis. Shipments from Picton to the Lackawanna plant of the Bethlehem Steel Company at Buffalo, N.Y., will be carried on during the Lake shipping season.LocationThe mine, located a mile southeast of Marmora village in Hastings county, Ontario, is 31 miles north of Belleville and 3•7 miles east of Peterborough. Marmora is 130 miles from Toronto and 150 miles from Ottawa. Highway No. 7 passes half a mile north of the mine and Highway No. 14 half a mile west of the mine. The Canadian National railways' branch line between Trenton and Bancroft passes through the property just east of the open pit.HistoryThe Ontario Department of Mines conducted an airborne magnetic survey of the district during 1948 and 1949. Maps of this survey were released to the public early in 1950. Bethlehem representatives carried out ground surveys in the Marmora area shortly thereafter and in June, 1950, commenced diamond drilling."

Jan 1, 1955

By J. Keith Haddock

"Introduction The Boundary Dam Mine is located 5 km south of the City of Estevan, Saskatchewan and is operated by Manitoba and Saskatchewan Coal Company Ltd., one of the Luscar companies. The entire production of 1.7 million tonnes per year is delivered to the Boundary Dam Generating Station of Saskatchewan Power Corporation. Geology There are basically two seams mined on the property, the main Estevan seam ranging in thickness from 3.0 m to 4.5 m with partings and the upper Roche Percee seam (roughly 15 m to 23 m above the Estevan) which ranges from 0.6 m to 2.0 m in thickness. Most of the reserves are concentrated in the Estevan seam, the Roche Percee only being mined whenever its thickness makes it economic to recover. The coal measures belong to the Ravenscrag Formation of Tertiary (Paleocene) Age. This formation is widespread in North Dakota and Montana and contains the lignite fields of North Dakota and subbituminous coals of Montana. The formation is gently tilted to the southeast at Boundary (0.5 degrees) and consists of weak sandstones, siltstones and silty mudstones. Reserves and Coal Quality The present minesite encompasses a coal reserve of approximately 50 million tonnes calculated to a maximum stripping depth of 37 metres or 20:1 mining ratio. The reserves form only a part of the total reserves in the Estevan area which are owned by the Saskatchewan Power Corporation. The coal being mined is classed as Lignite ""A"" and has the following specifications:"

Jan 1, 1985

By Nicholas Macrae Steven

Abstract - The Shaba-type Luamata Cu-Co(-Ni) deposit (11°50_S, 24°28_E) is located in a tectonic slice of Katangan Roan Supergroup (Mines Group) sedimentary rocks, surrounded by younger Kundelungu Supergroup lithologies in the external fold and thrust belt of the Lufilian Arc. Luamata is a classic central African copper clearing in dense woodland, visible as a tonal botanical anomaly on Landsat imagery. Supergene Cu-Co mineralization (especially malachite and subordinate chalcocite, digenite, covellite, and copper and cobalt oxides) and, probably hypogene, bornite, and chalcopyrite are hosted by altered, but essentially unmetamorphosed, moderately dipping, dolostones and dolomitic shales. Alteration products include talcose dolomite, sericite rocks and intense silicification and brecciation. Friable yellow shale is best mineralized with cobalt (up to 0.43 wt%), whereas, highest copper grades occur in brecciated, silicified shale (up to 13.5 wt% CuO). Soil copper and cobalt contents are up to 2.2 and 0.6 wt%, respectively. A newly identified nickel zone (where soil contents exceed 0.1 wt% Ni) fringes the Cu-Co deposit. Polymictic, matrix-supported breccias with a calcareous matrix that underlie the Cu-Co deposit are interpreted to be fluidization breccias related to thrust tectonics and the emplacement of the Mines Group slice. Although small compared to the Kolwezi district Shaba deposits in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Luamata exhibits all the classic features of an ore deposit type (with low calcite contents), whose high metal concentrations could potentially be very profitably exploited by low-cost opencast mining and hydrometallurgical recovery methods.

Jan 1, 2000

By Walter K. (Cory) Conrad

Two pumping tests in the Chilson Member of the lower Lakota Formation were completed at nearly the same location in 1979 and 2008. The 1979 test consisted of a pumping well and several surrounding observation wells penetrating the full 55-m thickness of the aquifer. The 2008 test consisted of a pumping well and three surrounding observation wells screened over 10 m in one of the known uranium ore horizons in the lower portion of the Lakota penetrated only about 3 meters of the more than 55-m thick lower Lakota aquifer. The average transmissivity and storativity values determined from the 1979 tests were 17.6 m2/day and 1.8 x 10-4, respectively. Comparing median transmissivity of 13.9 m2/day and storativity of 1.2 x 10-4 determined in the 2008 test to the 1979 test, the new aquifer parameters for the lower Lakota are respectively about 80 and 70 percent of the 1979 results. Because transmissivity and storativity depend on aquifer thickness, comparing the results suggests that there may be some scaling effect between the tests due to the differing lengths of screened intervals. However, the effect cannot be predicted by calculations such as relative screen lengths or open intervals to the formation, or sandstone versus shale thicknesses on geophysical logs. The scaling effect is attributed to partial disconnection between the lower and upper portions of the Lakota Formation aquifer by locally continuous shale interbeds. Suggestions to resolve this scaling issue are presented.

Aug 1, 2010

By Wayne Phillips, Anatalia Silva, Robert Henderson, Tondo. Luis

"Kinross’ Paracatu Mine has 20 years of operational success as one of the lowest grade milloperated gold mines in the world. At year end 2005, Paracatu’s Proven and Probable Reserves were 1.18 billion tonnes at a grade of 0.40 g/t Au, containing a total of 15.2 million ounces of gold.In 2005, the plant processed 17 Mt of ore and produced 180,519 ounces of gold at a cash cost of US$274/oz. An investment of US$470 million has been approved to expand production to 61 Mtpa in 2009 which will extend mine life to 2036. During the period from 2009 to 2013 the project is expected to produce an average annual output of approximately 557,000 ounces of gold at an average cost of sales of approximately $230 per ounce.The soft, friable ore containing readily leachable gold associated with sulphides lends itself to simple processing. The process flowsheet consists of crushing, grinding, gravity recovery, flotation, concentrate leach and carbon adsorption to produce bullion bars. This paper describes the current operation, the deposit’s unique metallurgical features and the future expansion plant that has been designed to optimise recovery of gold.INTRODUCTIONRio Paracatu Mineração (RPM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corporation, operates the Paracatu mine. The mine is located in Brazil, 230 km south west of Brasilia in the north west portion of the State of Minas Gerais. The city of Paracatu, which has a population of 83,000 people, is just 2 km south of the mine."

Jan 1, 2007

By S. N. Bhatnagar, S. K. Haldar

"Mineral exploration is an expensive speculative venture and calls for optimization of sampling. Exploration is generally planned in grid pattern to be conducted in phased manner. The objective of any such campaign is to assess the quality, quantity and its reliability. The traditional estimation methods are unable to provide a means of calculating the degree of reliability. Application of mathematical models can quantify the precision of estimation and bring forth decision-making criteria at any stage.In this paper three statistical and geostatistical models, viz., Frequency, Probability, and Semi-variogram, have been employed to evaluate sequential exploration data of RampuraAgucha zinc-lead deposit. The optimization in exploration for a specific objective has been highlighted.IntroductionAny exploration campaign demands heavy resource investment starting from the collection of the first sample to the production of the first ton of ore. The best estimation would be if the entire orebody is taken out and sampled. However, this is neither possible, nor desirable. Drilling is the primary tool of geological sampling. It shares the major portion of the investment and, thereby, warrants critical analysis at every stage during the ongoing exploration projects.The exploration program should be conducted as a well planned scheme based on a sequential evaluation approach in a phased way to achieve a specific objective. It would then be possible to evaluate exploration data at the completion of each phase by employing computer-based mathematical techniques to quantify the precision of the estimate for fulfillment of objectives. The subsequent drilling program should be modified accordingly."

Jan 1, 1987

By Göckmann. Klau

"IntroductionCopper has been recycled ever since its discovery. Even in Graeco-Roman times recycling of this resistant, and thus valuable material was carried out as a matter of course. Just take, as an early example, the Colossus of Rhodes: after the figure collapsed during an earthquake, the bronze parts were melted down into ingots and sold.Copper is a material which can be recycled again and again because copper produced from recycling is not different from copper originating from primary materials. This is mainly due to electrolytical copper refining whereby not only the base metals but also the precious metals can be removed. In contrast, with aluminum and iron only the more electropositive elements can be removed by refining, and the resultant scrap must, therefore, be sorted mechanically into various alloys for subsequent smelting.The recycling rate for different base metals is given in Table 1. Despite this ideal prerequisite, the generally quoted recycling rate of copper of about 40070 appears rather low. However, it must not be forgotten that the recycling rate is defined as the ratio of the annually utilized quantities of copper scrap and the annual production figures (Table 2). Moreover due to the economic growth over the last 30 years the availability of copper from scrap materials is lower than its consumption because copper is principally employed in very long-life consumer durables and only returns to the recycling circuit after many years. The average time for the copper of some goods to be recycled is detailed in Figure 1."

Jan 1, 1992

By F. J. Munn

"Since 1976, Cardinal River Coal s Ltd. has completed mining in eight pits. In each of these pits, at least one wall has failed, none by design, although not totally unexpected, yet there was no loss of production nor risk to personnel or equipment. Cardinal River Coals Ltd. has been successful in implementing a program to cope with failures and now feels justified in adopting more optimistic design parameters.The wall control program at Cardinal River Coals Ltd. is based on the premise that the walls are going to fail, monitoring is to confirm when. The program consists of monitoring slope movements and piezometric levels as well as structural mapping and visual inspections. In case of excessive movement, the frequency and intensity of the monitoring is increased. If a failure is impending, suitable remedial action is undertaken such as cutting down the crest, building up the toe, depressurization of the wall, artificial support, or a combination of the above. If remedial action is not possible, monitoring permits operations to continue up to near the time of failure.At the design stage, the emphasis is on identifying the potential failure mechanisms and the con sequences of failure. Once the potential failure mechanisms are identified, a monitoring system can usually be employed to give sufficient response time, and providing the consequence of failure is not severe and/ or remedial action can be taken to arrest the movements, then it is practical to mine pit slope s which have a higher probability of failure."

Jan 1, 1985

By Helen Francis

Over the last decade, lower ore grades and deeper mine environments have demanded that mining companies develop new technologies (tools and processes) to ensure a mine?s economic sustainability. At Inco Ltd., this demand has lead to the focus of technological development within the area of automation. Delineation (Drilling and Interpretation) is a key step in the determination of ore grade and location and therefore was chosen as a priority area for enhancement through automation. Focusing on the tools (the diamond drill) automation, significant benefits have been consistently achieved in terms of productivity, process efficiency, operational safety, cost reduction, component life cycles and machine reliability. It is suggested that optimum benefits have yet to be achieved, and will not be achieved until the human aspects of automation have been properly addressed. Since project inception, the human aspects of automation were recognized as critical to the success of the diamond drill automation project. However, it was only upon the installation of the Automated Diamond Drill in the field and its continued use on a daily basis that this issue received due attention. The human aspects of automation can be broadly addressed as economic, physical and psychological. This paper, with examples from the field, will discuss the human aspects of automation in each of these areas. The paper will draw from observations and experiences acquired throughout this project and recommend implementation strategies that should be utilized in future automation projects to enhance both the acceptance of automation and the success of the automated process itself.

May 1, 2002

By M. R. Henzinger, G. Lenz, A. Gaich, Pötsch, W. Schubert, P. Wagner

"The better the information on the rock mass and its fracture system, the better is the basis for any rock mechanical decision that is required during the excavation process. While in conventional tunnelling free view to the tunnel face is available, possibilities are limited for mechanised tunnelling using a tunnel boring machine (TBM). An approach, already formulated in 2005, is used that produces digital photographs through openings in the cutting wheel of a TBM and merges them into a circular three-dimensional image. The 3D image is then used for geometric rock mass characterisation purposes including geological mapping, for example to measure spatial orientations or determine joint spacing. In the paper the basic concept is described together with first results from a pilot test.INTRODUCTIONA three-dimensional image unites digital photographs with spatial information on the objects/surfaces it shows. Since they combine geometric and visual information they are a straightforward source for geometric rock mass analysis and geological mapping. Their obvious benefits among others are: (i) they allow spatial measurements even in inaccessible regions, (ii) they provide objective and reproducible records of the rock mass conditions, and (iii) they increase working safety (Gaich et al. 2004).Pre-requisite for the generation of 3D images is the acquisition of at least two photographs from the region of interest. From the photographs the imaged object surfaces are reconstructed by means of image analysis using methods from photogrammetry (Slama, 1980) and computer vision (Hartley & Zisserman, 2001). See also Figure 1."

Jan 1, 2015

By Helmer Kraemer

One of the CIM 2003 conference themes is ?Globalization and the impact on mine operations?. In this context, the first official version of the new ?International Rock Excavation Data Exchange Standard? (IREDES) is being released. This new standard is a highly flexible data interface for exchange of information between production equipment and central computer systems. The standard was defined by global players in the mining industry and will soon be used to enhance local operations of global mining companies. Beside the standard definition now other aspects are coming into focus: The question how to design and how to implement IREDES compliant data exchange in practice. Implementation of IREDES covers the following aspects: !" Implementation on in-field production systems !" Communication and networking !" Implementation on databases and commercial IT systems In-field production systems are characterized by a big variety of different automation systems. Therefor, different IREDES implementation philosophies have to apply to those systems. One philosophy uses an integrated IREDES compliant automation system on every machine. The alternative method uses one shared IREDES compliant ?Proxy server? for a number of machines connected to this server using proprietary interfaces. Communication and networking can be integrated openly and independently from hardware infrastructures. The only precondition is that communication and networking has to be Ethernet - TCP/IP protocol compatible. IREDES Implementation on the commercial IT level means to exchange IREDES data sets with databases, simulation software, office packages and special applications. Interfacing is easy as long as the software or the database system provides an interface to the Extensible Markup Language (XML).

May 1, 2003