While the deployment of equipment in mines typically depends on the production requirement, application, geological parameters, expected life of the mine and expected economic life of the equipment, we are seeing an upward trend in the scale of mining operations and, consequently, in the size of mining equipment being deployed, says <span style="font-weight: bold;">Animesh Nandy, Business Line Manager, Drilling Solutions, Epiroc Mining India.</span> (In coal mining, for instance, large mining projects of over 10 mtpa are being planned frequently and some projects have been planned with capacities of more than 30-40 mtpa. <p></p> <p>Mining blocks with high reserves and long-term leases are pushing operators to deploy large capacity equipment to improve productivity and safety, says Mitra. For instance, Indian mines predominantly used to deploy 10-cu m rope shovels, whereas today, most buyers buy 20-cu m capacity models and a few have deployed 42-cu m models with an operating life of 20-25 years. Demand for large 381-mm and 311-mm rotary blast-hole drills is not high but gradually increasing. </p> <p>(Larger equipment helps boost production but also increases business risk in the eventuality of any deviation of the equipment from planned performance, says<span style="font-weight: bold;"> GVS Narayana Reddy, COO, VPR Mining Infrastructure. </span>VPR Mining uses 35-tonne tippers to 100-tonne rigid dump trucks for haulage, and 45-tonne to 200-tonne world-class hydraulic excavators.</p> <p>At Sasan, Reliance Power has deployed a 33-cu m bucket dragline and 70-m boom length with modern drilling machines from Epiroc Mining, DML's and Pit Vipers. Coal India (South Eastern Coalfields) is using the biggest possible shovels of 42-cu m bucket capacity and 240-tonne dumpers with the Epiroc Pit Viper-351. </p> <p>(Demand for blast-hole drills preferred for high-volume mining is gradually increasing from companies such as Coal India (South Eastern Coalfields and Northern Coalfields) and Reliance Power (Sasan), NMDC, says <span style="font-weight: bold;">Animesh Nandy, Business Line Manager, Drilling Solutions, Epiroc Mining India.</span> He believes opening up large-scale mining to private players will augur well for the use of DGMS-compliant blast-hole drilling rigs with jacks. </p> <p>An upgraded version of the Epiroc IBH 10 blast-hole drilling machine features a higher capacity power pack and longer single-pass capabilities. A higher capacity rotary drilling rig, IDM 30, is being targetted to coal overburden, iron ore and copper mines. </p> <p>(Larger capacity units not only increase the productivity per man hour manifold but increase safety, ergonomics and payback, says <span style="font-weight: bold;">Subhasis Das, Vice President, Sales Area-India, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology.</span> Sandvik¦s larger capacity equipment in India includes underground intelligent 63-tonne trucks, massive 21-tonne underground intelligent loaders, and fully automated development and production drill jumbos.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;">- CHARU BAHRI</span></p>