Guide to Supplies for Mining Equipment

Find mining equipment suppliers for your mining operations

By Elizabeth Gibson

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Study different options for heavy mining equipment

Whether open-pit mining, surface mining or underground mining, some sort of earth moving becomes a necessary first step. Heavy equipment such as that used for construction projects also applies to a mining project. Mining companies use dump trucks, back hoes, cranes and other similar heavy equipment.

I recommend: You can purchase earth moving equipment direct from the mining equipment manufacturer such as Komatsu, who makes heavy duty loaders, shovels and trucks geared toward mining. Terex manufactures digger derricks, drills, scrapers and other heavy mining equipment for sale. Hoss Equipment Company offers leased, rebuilt and used mining equipment such as scrapers, excavators, shovels and coal dollies by major manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Dresser and Euclid.

Find applicable mining supplies from mining equipment suppliers

Ore extraction requires a different set of mining equipment than the earth movers required for initial digging and boring. Ore crushers, explosives, separators and many other devices complete the full ensemble of mining equipment needed. Many mining equipment manufacturers make this type of equipment.

I recommend: Mining Equipment Limited carries air compressors, muck cars, concentrators, tunnel boring machines and many mining tools. Masaba Mining Equipment fabricates gravel mining equipment such as conveyors, crushing plants, hoppers and other products. They also allow a custom paint job on their equipment. Getman manufactures underground mining equipment such as pallet handlers, scissor lifts and tow tractors. KAMMCO rebuilds coal mining equipment such as belt drives, radial stackers and power packs.

Include mining equipment that keeps your employees safe

The backbone of your mining operation consists of people so taking care of them becomes very important. A number of mining safety supplies keep people from injuring themselves or each other. Basic equipment such as hard hats and hearing protection to respirators keep employees safe while working in this hazardous environment.

I recommend: MSA manufactures a number of products dedicated to keeping mining employees safe. The company specializes in respirators, hearing protection, gas detectors, fall protection devices, hardhats, goggles and other equipment. SafetyWhips.com makes a variety of specialized flags and lights for use inside mines. Draeger Safety makes mine rescue equipment for underground or surface mines. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health provides an interesting inventory of reports about how mining equipment contributes to injury. It also discusses how design of mining equipment can also help reduce injury.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For efficiency and safety, employees must receive training on the use of all mining equipment. Some equipment will come with vendor information, while other equipment requires hands-on use. Training to use the right tool for the right purpose becomes very important in a mining environment.

Guide to Mining Equipment

Keep your operation running smoothly by finding mining supplies online

By Ben Hahn, Freelance Writer

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get the resources you need from under the ground

In order to remove the resources you're after from the ground, you need a good drill. Whether you're drilling through rock, drilling wells, or searching for oil and gas, you need to be able to cut through the earth quickly and get what you need. Find an online supplier of excavation equipment for your specific mining task.

I recommend: Schramm sells a variety of rotary top drilling rigs and accessories. Mining Technologies International offers a number of developmental drilling and production drilling machines. Once you've extracted your materials from the earth, you need to process them. Schenck Process manufactures a complete line of processing equipment.

Stay in contact in places where radios won't work

In mines, conventional radios often won't work. In order maintain direct lines of contact, you need to install an underground communications network. Find a mining equipment manufacturer that helps design and install the perfect network for your mine.

I recommend: Pyott-Boone Electronics is a leader in the coal mining industry with communications and monitoring equipment, and is becoming established in other mining industries as well. Varis offers an underground communications system that includes a diagnostic software application and a two-year warranty

Buy used mining equipment

If you're looking for a deal on equipment for mining, look for a mining equipment manufacturer or dealer who sells used or refurbished equipment as well as new models. Used equipment can offer the same reliability as machinery directly off the assembly line, but at a fraction of the cost.

I recommend: See A.M. King's online inventory of used mining supplies. Contact them if you are looking to sell your own used equipment. For a comprehensive online catalog of new and used mining equipment from multiple mining equipment manufacturers, see MiningEquipment.com.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For information on financial data, industry structure, and trends in mining industries, see the most recent Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing Industry Report

Guide to Mining Equipment Industry Overview

Stay abreast of mining equipment industry to comply with state and national regulations

By Elizabeth Gibson

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Study the laws governing the mining equipment industry

Whether mining underground or on the surface, many regulations surround the mining business. You must ensure you have legal title to the ground you are mining, protect the safety and health of your employees and practice good pollution prevention controls. General federal regulations govern the industry, but each state has additional controls that also apply.

I recommend: The Bureau of Land Management lists general laws regulating mining claims. The Office of Surface Mining website contains the contents of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, which regulates surface mining, reclamation of abandoned mines and minimizing environmental impacts of mining. The Department of Labor discusses the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, which protects employees of mining companies.

Join mining associations to keep abreast of mining equipment industry news

Mining associations monitor developments in the industry that could impact your operation. These organizations generally keep track of legal trends that may affect how you do business. They also watch developments of new mining equipment that could make a mining operation more efficient.

I recommend: The Mine Safety and Health Administration provides a state-by-state listing of mining associations and societies. The National Mining Association acts as an advocate for mining companies, mining equipment manufacturers, engineering firms, mining equipment suppliers and others associated with the industry. The Silver Users Association represents companies that make, sell and distribute products in which silver is an essential ingredient.

Look for the best sources of mining supplies

Many mining equipment manufacturers and suppliers do business in the United States. Some carry specialized mining tools, such as gravel mining equipment or coal mining equipment. Others make or sell mine equipment that works for any type of mining operations.

I recommend: P&H MinePro Services manufactures heavy equipment for mining including electric shovels, front end loaders, hydraulic excavators and drills. Rock & Dirt provides a service in which it connects buyers and sellers of new and used mining equipment, from crushers and grinding mills to bulldozers and excavators. Fletcher Mining Equipment manufactures underground mining equipment such as roof bolters and scaling machines.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Carefully study your environmental compliance obligations for your mining project. Though extensive protection for mining workers exists, federal environmental laws relating to mining remain general. State regulations offer more environmental protection than do federal laws, so studying them prior to purchasing mining equipment can keep you from making a bad business decision.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Electric shovel

An electric shovel is a large piece of equipment that has a boom or crane with a digging bucket, or dipper, attached to it used to excavate material that is above the area to be mined.

I recommend: P&H Mining Equipment lists details and benefits of its company's electric shovel.

Roof bolters

Roof bolters are machines that install roof bolts in underground mines, making the mining area safer from cave-ins.

I recommend: J. H. Fletcher & Co. provides photos of roof bolters for industrial mineral mining.

Scaling machines

Scaling machines, also called mine scalers, are vehicles with a long reach that remove loose rock and debris so they don't fall on miners.

I recommend: Gradall Industries provides information, working photos, specs and demos of its mine scalers.

Conveyors

Conveyors transfer mined materials, such as coal or minerals, out of the mining area to be processed. There are different types of conveyors, such as stackable, over-land, over-water and portable conveyors.

I recommend: MASABA Mining Equipment has many photos of conveyors. Kentucky Foundation has a brief definition of conveyors.

MINExpo INTERNATIONAL

MINExpo INTERNATIONAL is a huge expo that exhibits all the newest mining equipment, technology and suppliers. The expo also conducts educational sessions to give attendees valuable information and training on mining equipment.

I recommend: MINExpo INTERNATIONAL has exhibitor listings, video highlights and photos available for review.

Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is a part of the United States Department of Labor. MSHA issues regulations for mining equipment and other mining aspects to ensure the safety of miners. It also enforces compliance with these standards.

I recommend: See the compliance guides pertaining to mining equipment, including diesel-powered machinery, at MSHA.