Iron ore mining in Australia

Wirtgen Surface miners are main mining equipment

2 Die gesamten Investitionskosten für die Tagebauausrüstung zum Eisenerzabbau werden durch den Einsatz von Surface Minern um fast die Hälfte reduziert ● The use of surface miners cuts the overall investment costs in opencast mining equipment required for iron ore mining by nearly 50 %

3 Um die Arbeitszeit der Maschinen zu maximieren, werden die Pits möglichst lang angelegt. Zudem erhalten Böschungen und Oberflächen durch die Bearbeitung mit Wirtgen Surface Minern stabile und präzise Profile ● The pits are laid out to the greatest possible length in order to maximize the machine’s operating time. In addition, the Wirtgen surface miners produce stable and precise cross-sections on surfaces and embankment walls

4 „Just-in-time“-Service: Der Wirtgen Service- Support umfasst sowohl die Unterstützung durch Servicechniker vor Ort als auch eine bedarfsorientierte Vorhaltung von Ersatzteilen ● “Just-in-time” service: Wirtgen’s service support offer comprises both local support provided by service technicians as well as the demandbased stocking of spare parts

1 Eisenerzabbau in Australien: Maschinenleistung und Service-Support auf höchstem Niveau ● Iron ore mining in Australia: Top-of-the-range machine performance and service support

Author:
Dipl.-Ing. Bernhard Schimm
Manager Mining Division Wirtgen GmbH
www.wirtgen.com

Summary: The Australian continent offers a wealth of mineral resources that is truly unique in the world. As a raw material supplier of, for example, coal, iron ore, bauxite or nickel, Australia holds a prominent position in the world market. The economy of the fifth continent is determined to a significant extent by the success of the mining companies. The mines operated by Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) are Australia’s first large-scale project that uses surface mining as the main mining method.

Cut costs; improve product quality – the advantages of selective mining

The mining industry is the key driver of economic growth. Conventional mining methods involving drilling and blasting were dominant until recently; since 2007, however, one of the continent’s largest iron ore producers has been banking on the innovative technology offered by the Wirtgen surface miners. The mines operated by Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) are Australia’s first large-scale project that uses surface mining as the main mining method. As many as 26 Wirtgen surface miners have become vital keys to the economically...