The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - October 9, 2024
Hitachi showcased its 242-metric-ton 2EH4000AC-5 haul truck at MINExpo 2024.
The EX5600-7 electric excavator with a roughly 30-cubic-meter bucket on display at MINExpo 2024.
Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas' 25,500-square-foot booth at MINExpo 2024 featured equipment and innovation focused on addressing its mining customers' top priorities – reducing carbon emissions, increasing productivity, and improving safety.
During the world's largest mining show, the Japanese heavy equipment manufacturer provided insights into a three-prong strategy to address the mining industry's most pressing needs:
• Zero Emissions – Hitachi is developing and deploying zero-emissions equipment and technologies such as electric excavators, haul trucks, and dynamic charging solutions.
• Zero Downtime – In addition to building rugged machinery, Hitachi offers ConSite Mine, a digital platform that remotely monitors the health of excavators and haul trucks.
• Zero Entry – Hitachi's autonomous, semi-autonomous, and remote operated mining equipment and technology limits employee exposure and improves safety.
"Hitachi Construction Machinery is forging a path toward Zero Emissions, Zero Downtime and Zero Entry Mines to reduce fuel consumption and interruptions for a lower cost per ton while enhancing safety by removing employees from mining operation danger zones," the company said.
On the zero-emissions front, Hitachi showcased its next-generation EH4000AC-5 haul trucks, which have been designed to reduce fuel consumption while enhancing productivity, reliability, and safety.
While the model at MINExpo 2024 was diesel-powered, it comes equipped with ECO mode to lower fuel consumption and has been designed with trolley-diesel and battery systems to further reduce or eliminate emissions.
A battery-electric prototype of Hitachi's ultra-large mine trucks is being tested at First Quantum Minerals Ltd.'s Kansanshi open-pit copper-gold mine in Zambia.
With the dynamic charging offered by overhead trolley lines, coupled with a regenerative braking system that adds an extra boost to the battery on the trip down into the pit, the Hitachi battery-electric truck at Kansanshi has demonstrated the ability to continuously operate without needing to interrupt productivity for a charge.
"As an original equipment manufacturer, it is our vision to provide solutions that can reduce our customers' environmental footprint," said Eiji Fukunishi, president of Hitachi Construction Machinery's mining business unit. "The battery dump truck represents the future, not only for the Hitachi Construction Machinery Group but for the mining industry as a whole, and we are pleased to establish this proving ground on an active mine site and work with First Quantum on advancing this zero-emission solution."
This includes collaborating with Envirosuite, an environmental intelligence technology company that helps mines manage greenhouse gas emissions and other operational challenges to reduce risk and improve productivity.
Hitachi Construction Machinery will combine its mining knowledge with Envirosuite's industrial technology to provide mining customers with intelligent insights for responsible mining.
The Hitachi zero-emission solutions on display at MINExpo 2024 also included the EX5600-7 electric excavator, an enormous shovel with the capacity to load a 242-metric-ton EH4000AC-5 haul truck in five scoops.
The EX5600-7 electric excavator with a roughly 30-cubic-meter bucket on display at MINExpo 2024.
Keeping mining equipment running at peak performance improves three high-priority metrics for any operation – eliminating downtime, increasing productivity, and lowering emissions.
The ConSite Mine remote monitoring and remanufacturing services offered by Hitachi provide mining companies with cutting-edge technology to remotely monitor the condition of large excavators and haul trucks on a mine site, promptly generating alerts when sensors detect abnormalities.
Features like ConSite Oil, which continuously monitors oil conditions to catch issues that occur between oil changes and analysis, elevating preventative maintenance to the higher level of predictive maintenance.
Hitachi Construction Machinery has established the Technological Centers of Excellence, which offer around-the-clock remote monitoring and support for mining operations from hubs in Australia, Japan, and Canada. The same information customers get in their mine control room is monitored in real time. Advanced digital technologies at the centers will analyze the incoming data to help drive solutions for the mining customers.
Hitachi's path to Zero Entry mining includes the development of a suite of autonomous, semi-autonomous, and remote operator solutions that limit worker exposure to mine hazards.
The Hitachi Automated Haulage System (AHS) combines advanced digital technologies and Wenco International Mining System's fleet management system to enable uncrewed operation of mining trucks at open-pit mines.
In addition to improving safety, the Hitachi AHS optimizes route navigation, acceleration and braking for decreased life-cycle costs and improved productivity.
The system also takes automation to the next level by allowing mixed fleet integration with manned fleets while transitioning from conventional to autonomous operations.
Hitachi is also developing a system for semi-autonomous and remote operation of ultra-large hydraulic excavators. Key features of this system are the Digging Assist Function to support the excavation of ore and the Loading Assist Function to support an optimized loading cycle.
Once complete, this system aims to improve operational performance, worker safety, and productivity – all key facets of Hitachi's path toward Zero Emissions, Zero Downtime and Zero Entry mining.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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