Resource World Magazine

A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 www.resourceworld.com 63 MININGWORLD market penetration in South America. A law in Chile prohibits operators from working underneath a conveyor belt while it is in operation. A company would regularly have to shut down the huge conveyor sys- tem to do maintenance and halt production at a mine that was designed to operate 24/7, 365 days a year. The remote controlled Minidozer allows the mine to keep the conveyor system running while the operator, from a safe distance, cleaned under the conveyor belt system. The dozer can be operated remotely, in an open field up to 300 metres or 1,200 feet. This low-profile robot had to not only clean underneath the conveyor belt but it had to also operate on inclines of 20 to 25 degrees. The Minidozer is also utilized in underground mining as well as inside ore process- ing plants in confined and hard to access areas where diesel powered equipment causes health issues for employees. Bacle said, "A large percent of a mine's the energy bills comes from the operating cost of huge ventilation systems underground and in process plants. The electric powered Minidozer helps companies reduce energy costs." Movex Innovation now supplies two models of the Minidozer to the resource indus- try. The specialized models developed for aluminum smelter are the electrically shielded Minidozer AL-27 (27" wide) and the Minidozer AL-48 (48" wide). The rugged Minidozer M-27 (27" wide) and the Minidozer M-48 (48" wide) were developed for working at mines. The Minidozer's hydraulic lift system can be equipped with a variety of mining equip- ment developed by Movex Innovations: vacuum suction hose system, 3 way blade, rake, shorter lifting arm, multiple size buckets, hydraulic broom, and anti-sparking material for coal. "As we speak, we are looking at a couple of projects," said Bacle. "Not only can the machines be operated remotely, if they need to go in a tunnel or a deep trench, there are high-definition, mining grade cameras on the front and rear that are good for radio frequency transmission underground. The electric driven, remote controlled machinery we provide is built on infrastructure and communication systems which are part of the future…We are starting to see autonomous demand coming from the mining industry," said Bacle. Bacle told Resource World, "We are working very closely with a large Canadian based mining distributor that distributes all across Canada. We have been selling directly to mines but hopefully, within the next six months we will be able to announce that we will be selling through this world class distributor. Movex Innovation is part of a pri- vate equity company employing 350 workers over five companies including Movex Innovation, Placeteco NDB Technologies, Voltflex Innovations and Telops. "We know our strength. We want to focus on small robots that can safely access hard to reach areas." concluded Bacle. n Eldorado Gold partners in unique First Nations diamond drilling training program On May 8, 2018, at the Eldorado Gold Lamaque Mine site, Eldorado Gold, in Partnership with Orbit Garant Drilling, the Val-d'Or Vocational Training Center (CFP), and the Lac-Simon Kitci Amik Adult Education Resource Center (CREA), announced the formation of a first cohort in diamond drilling training, composed entirely of First Nation students. Eight students will complete a 15-week training course and will do their practical training (paid internships) at the Lamaque Mine site with Orbit Garant Drilling after which they will receive a Diploma of Vocational Studies in Diamond Drilling. Sylvain Lehoux, General Manager Eldorado Gold Lamaque said, "There are several job opportunities, both on our site and with other mining companies; there will be many offers. This is a first cohort and eventually there will be others, perhaps in another related area, for example, underground drilling…" Lehoux added, "It's clear that we had to go further in training. What begins this week is the first step in a multi-year partnership," he said. "This is just the beginning". Éric Alexandre, President of Orbit Garant Drilling, said the project fits well with his company. "We have 1,400 employees, are a leader in training, and we will continue in the same vein with this collaboration," He said, "Diamond drilling is a great career and this program gives us a chance to access a new pool of labour and encourage academic success." Darius Brazeau, one of the first students, stated, "We are learning a lot. We all know each other and it's fun working with people you know."

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