With underground mining technology, the hazards associated with surface mining are minimized, allowing for safer evacuations and fewer workplace accidents.
It can also help to reduce the number of carbon emissions produced by mines and mitigate their effects on the environment. These benefits make underground mining a smart move for any company and should be considered when evaluating mine designs.
Underground mining technology like Newtrax is a complicated but essential part of our modern world.
These technologies allow us to extract valuable minerals and other resources from deep beneath the earth’s surface, unlocking vast reserves of natural resources that would otherwise be inaccessible.
However, these technologies are also highly specialized, requiring years of training to master. The first step involves learning about the geology of a given site and developing methods for removing resources in an efficient and safe way.
This requires technical expertise as well as careful planning and careful monitoring of environmental factors such as water accumulation and air quality.
Table of Contents
Drilling
Underground mining technology drilling is the process of drilling underground mines. The accuracy of the drill rig and the plan are crucial factors in reducing the amount of work needed during the excavation process.
A good plan is based on theoretical knowledge and the type of explosives used, as well as the distance of the holes. However, a good plan is no good if it is not executed correctly.
Underground mining technology drilling is the process of drilling holes from lower levels to the uppermost level.
The horizontal holes, called raises, are drilled into the rock using powerful machines called raise-boring drills.
These raises are commonly two to five meters in diameter and several hundred meters in length. They are used to transport ore and waste to higher levels.
Continuous miners
Continuous miners are underground mining machines that employ the use of a rotating metallic drum with sharp cutter picks attached.
These picks are designed to extract coal from the seam.
These machines may have dual cutter head systems that lift the cutters to a maximum cutting height and then lower themselves to a minimum height.
Continuous miners are designed to cut coal and soft minerals in a continuous process, reducing the need for blasting and drilling.
These machines have a long track record and are able to operate in confined areas. The continuous mining technology offered by Eickhoff is designed to meet the specific needs of customers.
Vertical crater retreat (VCR) mining
The vertical crater retreat underground mining technology involves drilling large holes vertically into the orebody, then blasting horizontal slices of the ore into an undercut.
This mining technology is highly successful and popular among miners.
The method was developed by mining engineers in Canada and patented by the International Nickel Company (INCO). The company used the technology exclusively until the mid-twentieth century.
The vertical crater retreat underground mining process requires that the top sill is at least eleven feet high and fifteen feet wide.
It also requires a drill hole of about 165mm in diameter. In rare cases, larger drill holes of up to 200mm in diameter have been used.
In-situ leach (ISL) mining
In-situ leaching (ISL) is a technology for removing metals from rock underground. This method involves dissolving the ore in a solution and pumping it to the surface.
Its benefits include minimal surface disturbance and no waste rock. Its limitations include the need for a permeable ore body and location that prevents groundwater contamination.
In-situ leaching is a green mining method, making it less destructive to the environment.
The ISL method involves a network of good fields progressively established over the orebody.
In each good field, extraction and injection wells alternate. The good fields are spaced approximately 30 meters apart. A central extraction well is equipped with a submersible electric pump and is surrounded by injection wells.
