Underground mining requires a series of processes in order to remove the desired material. The first step is to expose the ore body through drilling and blasting. Once the ore is exposed, large trucks transport the ore from the mine site to the processing plant. Underground mining equipment includes large dozers, hydraulic mining shovels, electric rope shovels, draglines, motor graders, and underground mining loaders and trucks.
The process of underground mining is very costly and can be dangerous. In order to safely and efficiently remove the desired material, a comprehensive understanding of the underground mining process is essential.
Drilling and blasting are the first steps in the underground mining process. The purpose of drilling and blasting is to expose the ore body so that it can be transported from the mine site to the processing plant. Drills and explosives are used to create large openings in the rock so that trucks can transport the ore.
Underground mining equipment is used to remove the desired material from the ore body. Large equipment is often coordinated with advanced technology as well as infrared tracking to manage locations in difficult underground environments.
The process of underground mining is very costly and can be dangerous. In order to safely and efficiently remove the desired material, a comprehensive understanding of the underground mining process is essential. Employees that work in underground mining are some of the best-trained individuals in the mining industry, and the equipment they work with is fine-tuned to protect them.
There is always a need for rare minerals that are only found underground, and mining companies will continue to explore new ways to access these minerals while keeping their employees safe.
For more information on underground mining equipment and processes, follow our blog to get the latest industry news.
This post was written by Justin Tidd, Director at Becker/SMC. For nearly a half a century, Becker Mining has been at the forefront of safety, producing the best E House in the industry. Becker/SMC is the industry’s leader in increasingly more sophisticated electrical control systems. Most of the major innovations, design features and specialized electrical components have been developed by Becker/SMC.