Heavy Equipment Used in Mining
Mining is an industry that requires various types of equipment to dig, transport, and process mining materials. One of the vital components in the mining process is the use of heavy equipment that is specifically designed to handle work that requires strength, large lifting capacity, and high efficiency. The following are some of the heavy equipment that is often used in the mining world along with their functions.
1. Bulldozer
A bulldozer is a heavy equipment equipped with a large blade on the front. The blade functions to level, push, and move materials on the ground surface. In mining, bulldozers are widely used for land clearing, leveling surfaces, and moving lighter materials such as soil and small rocks.
Main function :
- Leveling and cleaning the mining area
- Pushing soil and rock material
- Improving access to hard-to-reach mining areas
2. Wheel Loader
A wheel loader is a heavy equipment used to lift and move mining materials, such as coal, ore, or soil, into a transport truck. Using a large bucket on the front, a wheel loader can lift materials and move them to another location.
Main function :
- Lifting mining materials such as coal and ore
- Moving materials to trucks or conveyors for further transportation
- Filtering materials by separating soil from mining ore
3. Shovel
Shovel or mining loader is a heavy equipment used to dig and load mining materials into trucks or collection points. This tool is often used in open pit mining to dig soil or rocks of large sizes. Shovels have a very large bucket capacity to load materials in one load.
Main function :
- Digging and loading mining materials such as ore or coal
- Increase efficiency in the process of moving materials from the excavation site to the transport location.
4. Grader
Grader is a heavy equipment used to level the surface of the land at mining sites. This tool is very useful for forming roads or access needed for the movement of vehicles and other equipment in the mining area.
Main function :
- Leveling the road and ground surface
- Helping to create better access roads in mining areas
5. Scraper
Scraper is a heavy equipment used to excavate and transport materials over short distances. This tool is often used in open pit mines to collect and move relatively light mining materials to another place.
Main function :
- Digging and transporting mining materials over short distances
- Leveling the ground or material after excavation
6. Excavator
Excavators are very important heavy equipment in mining, especially for digging and moving soil or rock materials. Excavators have large arms and buckets that can dig large amounts of material. The type of excavator used in mining usually has a larger capacity compared to excavators used in construction projects.
Main function :
- Digging hard soil or rock
- Transporting mining materials to dump trucks
- Creating channels for mining activities
7. Dump Truck
Dump trucks or transport trucks are one of the largest vehicles used in mining to transport mining materials from the excavation site to the processing or storage area. Dump trucks used in mining often have a very large carrying capacity, able to carry thousands of tons of material in one trip.
Main function :
- Transporting mining materials from the excavation site to the processing site
- Carrying heavy loads over long distances in mining areas
8. Drill Rig
Drill rigs are heavy equipment used for drilling, either for geological exploration or to open holes for blasting in mining areas. Drill rigs come in various types, from light drilling machines for exploration to heavy drilling rigs for deep and large drilling in mines.
Main function :
- Making holes for blasting
- Searching for mineral reserves by exploratory drilling
- Drilling holes for geotechnical testing in mining areas
9. Crane
Cranes are used in mining to lift and move large and heavy mining equipment, as well as to assemble or dismantle mining structures such as bridges or conveyors.
Main function :
- Lifting and moving heavy materials
- Assist in the assembly or disassembly of mining structures.
- Transporting very large mining equipment
10. Dragline
A dragline is a heavy equipment used to excavate large amounts of material in open pit mining. A dragline has a large bucket suspended from a cable that can move back and forth to excavate material. This machine has a very large capacity, so it is often used in mining operations that require large excavations and long-distance transportation of material.
Main function :
- Excavating large volumes of material
- Opening up land in an open pit mining area
- Lifting and moving hard-to-reach mining materials
