Underground Mining Equipment Dimensions

 

Assessing underground mining equipment dimensions can be time consuming. This is because there are so many tools used. On the small scale, there are hand held shovels, small enough to carry. Equipment like helmets and gloves are custom sized. On the other end are the bulldozers and dump trucks that weigh several tons. 

What Tools are Required?

The size and type of equipment to be utilized depends on the scale of the mining work. For simple digging tasks, wheelbarrows, shovels hand held tools and a few able bodies will be sufficient. For basic mining, a small or medium sized dump truck will be sufficient. 

Types of Mining 

Mining can be divided into three types: the aforementioned underground mining, sub-surface mining and surface mining. These methods often necessitate the use of different tools. There are several utilities for underground mining. 

These tasks will often require large, custom made drilling tunnel drills. These tools are needed to get into the tunnels and deep shafts. After this, the rocks can be extracted using blasters or other kinds of machines. 

The latter are now used more often as they are very effective. The underground mining equipment dimensions used will depend on the amount to be carried. 

Trucks, Lifts and Lighting 

If the mining requires that men and materials be transported, articulated trucks will be required. These vehicles are preferred because they negotiate underground chambers very well. Lifts and similar machines will be used to carry off the minerals, ores etc. 

The same equipment will be used to carry the miners to and from the mine. The size of the lifts will depend entirely on the number of people it has to carry. 

A well designed lighting system will also be required. An effective lighting system can go a long way towards accelerating the work. It also makes the process more efficient. LERDs are now used often. Other equipment that may be used includes laser lighting and heat sinks. 

Safety Equipment 

All miners are required to put on hard hats and other types of protective apparel. Gas analyzers are needed to determine the amount of gas in the chamber. Exhaust fans are also used to ensure fresh air flows into the area. 

After the material has been removed, trucks will haul them off. Heavier machinery like dragline excavators may also be used. The underground mining equipment dimensions are likely to get more diverse. This is because mining operations have become more intricate.