Komatsu engineer Colten Leviere spoke to NAM’s Jonathan Rowland and Donna Schmidt about the transition of ‘intelligent’ longwall mining as automation makes its way into the technology. While the number of longwall panels in operation in North America sits at its lowest level in some time, those that remain are producing at the highest average output levels ever recorded. Longwall…
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Hexagon, already active in the mine safety space, has been working with great focus on its mission to take collision avoidance underground. The company recently spoke with NAM about getting to the crucial juncture and what’s ahead. by Donna Schmidt Hexagon has been working for some time to transition its collision avoidance system technology for use underground. “At Hexagon, everything…
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This issue’s Q&A profile features a true multicultural, the English-born owner of Limitless Mining Solutions John Whitfield, who shares his background as well as his thoughts for industry obstacles. Edited by Donna Schmidt He is a fixture within several areas of mining, particularly coal, and if you’ve attended a mining show chances are you’ve seen, talked to or done business…
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Researchers at Australian educational institution Flinders University are working to turn mining waste into a powerful tool for sustainable construction. Dr. Aliakbar Gholampour, a senior lecturer in Civil and Structural Engineering at the school’s College of Science and Engineering, said his team has uncovered promising applications for a rare earth by-product in concrete production, a major building block that could…
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The North American mining industry is currently amid a safety renaissance driven by better brains, that is, digital ones. Find out how in this second part of a two-part series from ViAct’s Gary Ng. Mines have always spoken – through rumbling ground, shifting air, or the sudden silence that signals something has gone wrong. The question is: who listens? From…
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Family-owned BEUMER Group said it is celebrating its 90th anniversary, all while also reporting that 2024 was the most successful financial year in its history thanks to its innovations and partnerships. The company said its order intake for all of least year was 1.39 billion euros, which it attributed to a long-term independent strategy that it has scaled globally. “Rather…
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Burgex’s Jake Tanner examines what lies ahead for supply and demand across the commodity industries – not just for 2026, but well into the next decade and beyond. The clock on demand has started: record industrial draw for metals, a binding grid rule, a fixed highway window, and an EV market that’s maturing – not stalling – now define the…
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by Donna Schmidt Snow and skiing and mining – oh, my! Salt Lake City will once again play host to the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration’s (SME) MINEXCHANGE conference and exposition from February 22-25 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Thousands will return once again to the venue to visit with hundreds of exhibitors and take in presentations from…
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Why predicting vertical motor resonance is a more accurate method for equipment protection. by Harendra Singh and Ravi Kumar, Wolong Electric America Vibration in rotating machinery is a leading cause of premature failure, costly downtime, and safety hazards. For operators of vertical motors, one of the most important vibration-related concepts to understand is reed critical frequency (RCF). This natural frequency…
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Maintenance, safety, reliability: we know already that these are three crucial elements to the success of drive systems at the mine site. NAM digs down to the details with Hägglunds on how to keep a system at the top of its operational game – and it starts with an industry staying out of its own way. by Donna Schmidt Drive…
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