The Different Types Of Subsurface Mining Equipment

 

Mining is a very intense and dangerous endeavour. There are different methods of mining depending on what you are planning on excavating. This calls for the use of different mining equipment, for example, wagon drills are employed for surface operations. However, there are mining equipment you are most likely to come across if you happen to be close to a subsurface mining area or happen to visit one. Mining equipment used depends on the type of subsurface mining being carried out. The following are the three different types of subsurface mining and what equipment is used. They include Long Wall Mining, Solution Mining and Quarrying.

  1. Long Wall Mining – This is a method used to mine coal and the whole process is purely done by machines. Shearers are one of the mining equipment used and depend on the coal seam being excavated. The renowned one is the Double Ended Raging Drum used for seems ranging between 1.8 and 3 metres. Powered support systems are also used. They help in controlling the roof and floor of the long wall as well as automating roof support in very difficult mining locations. Time is productively spent instead of trying to control strata from the seams of coal.
  2. Solution Mining – It is the mining of water-soluble minerals by using wells to dissolve them. Salt as an example is mined using this method. It is not heavily dependent on machinery but there is mining equipment needed for the job nonetheless. Injection wells are used to move the brine that mixes with salt and the solution moved to the surface for separation. A service shaft is used to transport miners and equipment to the site of mining. Rotor machines help in mining of the mineral and can effectively mine up to nine hundred tonnes every hour. Two or four of this equipment are used.  There is an ore storage that temporarily stores ore for transportation later on.
  3. Quarrying – This involves excavating the ground for rocks such as limestone. The mining equipment used include a stone crusher and grinding mill. A stone crusher is used to break soft rock as well as ores made for construction material. Stone crushers are of different types. Some of them include an impact crusher and a hammer crasher. A grinding mill is used to break down material and help in sorting out the needed minerals that are needed.

Contact an electrician near you for more information and assistance. 


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