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42 www.coalage.com September 2018 product news continued the surface miner to determine the parti- cle size distribution. Those samples were compared with similar ones taken from the conventional mining equipment and iden- tical mining fields. Significant advantages emerged when working with the surface miner, which produced 14% fewer fines at grain sizes of less than 2 mm compared to the conventional mining system. The por- tion of fines to be processed dropped by 22% at grain sizes of less than 1 mm and even by 36% at grain sizes of less than 0.5 mm. Further savings were achieved by sig- nificantly reducing the quantity of over- size. For example, only 17% of the materi- al mined by the surface miners had to be crushed compared to 26% for the dozers. Wirtgen surface miners can cut, crush and directly load material onto trucks or dumpers in a single operation. This saves time and the additional cost of purchas- ing machinery and fuel. Working with the 4200 SM in the Australian mine resulted in a 79% reduction in fuel consumption per cubic meter of mined material. Labor costs were reduced by 60% and mining unit costs per ton were reduced by 60% com- pared to the conventional mining method. The score card clearly demonstrated that — when the entire process chain is taken into consideration — mine opera- tors benefit from tremendous cost reduc- tions when using a surface miner. With surface miners, drilling and blasting can be eliminated. In most cases, planning and execution of blasting work is associated with considerable effort, high costs and regulatory restrictions. In fact, eliminating drilling and blasting re- lieves the people responsible of a number of challenges. Mine operators no longer need to spend time obtaining the required permits, hiring certified blast personnel or compiling the associated documentation. Furthermore, moving away from drilling and blasting has a very positive impact on public opinion, meaning that open-cast mining operations can proceed without causing friction in a community. The use of a surface miner also has a positive effect on water management at an open-cast mine. The cut surfaces are lev- eled and can be cut at an angle. Drainage is further improved as a result and water seepage into the ground is reduced. The major cost factor in open-cast mining is haulage. Mining with Wirtgen surface miners produces level surfaces that serve as stable roadways, supporting the rapid transport of material. This in- creases the transport capacity of the entire truck fleet. Even wear on tires, frame and suspension is reduced thanks to the quali- ty of the roadways, making it possible also to employ standard on-highway trucks. www.wirtgen.de/en Tires for Underground Mining Bridgestone Americas expanded its off- the-road (OTR) product portfolio to in- clude a Bridgestone VSMS2 tire. The tire is now available in size 29.5R25 in the U.S. and Canada. Designed for underground mining, it delivers a 30% decrease in the frequency of sidewall cuts, improving the tire's overall lifecycle performance by 5%, according to Bridgestone. "The Bridge- stone VSMS2 is the ideal tire for u n d e r g r o u n d mining opera- tions, and the new 29.5R25 size com- pletes our offer- ing to give more customers access to trusted, heavy- duty, off-the-road performance," said Rob Seibert, director, marketing, off-the-road tires, commercial group, Bridgestone Americas. The VSMS2 has a deeper tread pattern to provide longer wear and protection in se- vere operating environments. A heavy-du- ty, durable radial-casing design extends tire life. A tread wear indicator allows for easy visual recognition of the depth of wear. www.bridgestoneamericas.com Economical On-site Refueling Western Global recently introduced the En- viroCube for convenient, secure and eco- nomical on-site refueling and fuel storage. The units lockable cabinet keeps fuel secure and controls access to hoses, ports and fit- tings, protecting them from the elements and theft. Unlike traditional round tanks, the EnviroCube stays within height, length and width standards for over-the-road trans- port. The EnviroCube also occupies less space on site compared to round tanks of similar capacities. Once on site, contractors can move the tank via crane lifting hooks or four-way forklift pockets. Western Global of- fers the tank in four models with capacities ranging from 4,966 gallons (18,800 liters) to 12,329 gallons (46,672 liters). www.western-global.com Premium Heavy-duty Grease Klüberplex EM 91-151 & 91-152 have been formulated to adhere to metal surfaces and are resistant to water, supporting high-ma- chine availability, reduced downtime and low maintenance costs. These heavy-duty greases also offer excellent wear protection, especially under boundary and mixed fric- tion conditions, to meet the specifications of well-known machine manufacturers. The greases also have a strong resistance to con- tamination and corrosion and can be used for the lubrication of bolts, pins, guide bush- es, chassis, components, joints, fasteners, leaf springs and sliding, and rolling bearings in mining machines. www.klueber.com Rotary Drill Bit Sandvik recently introduced the RR441 ro- tary bit with an advanced cutting structure design. The RR441 is an improved version