The MacLean WC3 mining water cannon harnesses water power to increase ore recovery.
With ongoing commodity price pressures and a global push to increase existing mines’ productivity, leaving high-grade behind in ore bodies isn’t an option for operators.
That was the situation facing the underground portion of Newcrest’s Telfer mine in Western Australia, where long hole stoping was implemented to recover high-grade ore in reefs running on a 45 degree dip. Metal scrapers (slushers) were the tool of choice to clear these narrow stopes, but lengthy set-up and the problem of cable breakage due to scraper jamming meant that it was taking almost two days to clear the 1.2-metre by 12-metre wide stope.
Cue the MacLean Engineering branch in Wangara, Australia, the OEM that Newcrest turned to for a hard rock solution to their ore flow challenge at Telfer. A technology development partnership between Newcrest and MacLean resulted in a modified version of the MacLean WC3 Water Cannon, one with a boom and nozzle geometry that could blast water downwards (at up to 2,800 litres per minute) while also providing wide coverage to facilitate the flow of ore down the stope.
Since its introduction, the use of high pressure water as an ore flow tool at Telfer has significantly increased productivity and operator safety. A single stope cleaning that used to take a full day to set up and a full day to complete has been reduced to a four-hour set-up, with crews then being able to clean two stopes during the remainder of the shift. Just as importantly, operators are now able perform this work at a safe distance.
With the unit expected to reach payback on the initial capital investment within just nine months, the world’s first-ever sub level water cannon is delivering returns on multiple fronts simultaneously – increased ore production, increased operator safety, and increased profitability. The Aqua Blasta, as it is known in the Australian market, is proving that local partnerships and local solutions are the key to building for life Down Underground
| WC3 | |
|---|---|
| Engine | Mercedes 906 201 hp( 147 kW) @ 2200 rpm |
| Transmission | Dana 3200 Powershift – 3 speed F/ R |
| Axles | Dana 113/ 114; +/- 10° Power end oscillation |
| Tramming Height | 102” 2.6 m |
| Width | 96” 2.44m |
| Operating Weight | 39 500 lbs 17 900 kg |
| Water Tank | 11,000 L ( 2900 US gal) |
The MacLean branch in Wangara, Western Australia has been actively providing sales, service, and support solutions to mining customers in the Australian & Asia Pacific Regions since 2010. As a premier source for mining equipment in Australia, the MacLean facility is equipped with a parts warehouse, a service workshop with several workstations set up for component repairs, and a designated section for boom repairs. It also houses exclusive bays for full rebuilds and equipment modifications where equipment audits, teardowns, and testing are performed. The facility also has capabilities to upgrade or modify new equipment before delivering it to mine sites. A recent addition to the MacLean support infrastructure in Australia is the investment in an East Coast branch in Orange, New South Wales, which allows the company to offer prompt service to its customer base in that part of the Australian mining sector.
Furthermore, we have already started supporting expansion efforts in Brisbane and will soon have resources aligned there in the New Year.
Mining customers around the globe place value in the MacLean mining vehicle ownership experience, due to the quality of design and build, and the extent of service and support. This MacLean brand promise of performance, reliability and innovation is why the MacLean mining vehicle footprint is expanding across Australia and throughout the Asia Pacific mining sector.
