6 of the Most Commonly Used Equipment in Mining

Mining can be done on the surface or underground, and the type of material mined determines the mining technique used and the equipment required. Surface mining involves quarrying, open-pit mining, and strip mining, while underground mining involves room and pillar mining, retreat mining, and blast mining.

The heavy equipment used in mining includes large mining trucks, hydraulic mining shovels, draglines, drills, bulldozers, wheel loaders, underground mining loaders, mining tractors, longwall miners, continuous miners, and rock dusters. These machines are designed to move large amounts of material quickly and efficiently, making them essential for mining operations. The use of these machines allows for safer and more efficient mining, which contributes to the production of minerals and resources needed for modern living.

Motor Graders

Motor graders are machines used for grading or leveling roads, terrain, and other surfaces. They are commonly used in mining operations to create access roads and to prepare sites for construction. Motor graders have a long blade that is used to scrape and level the ground which makes them useful as a mining heavy equipment.

Applications for motor graders include

• Leveling roads or terrain in a mine site.
• Preparing sites for construction.
• Creating access roads to mineral deposits.

Underground Loaders

Underground loaders are a type of heavy equipment used in underground mining operations. They are designed to work in confined spaces and are often equipped with a protective cab to ensure the safety of the operator. Underground loaders are typically smaller than surface loaders, and they are used to move material from the mine face to the surface.

Applications for underground loaders include

• Moving mined material from the face of an underground mine to the surface.
• Loading material into trucks or other vehicles for transport.

Underground Trucks

Underground trucks are designed for use in underground mining operations. They are typically smaller than surface trucks and are designed to work in confined spaces making them ideal mining vehicles. Underground trucks are used to transport material from the mine face to the surface.

Applications for underground trucks include

• Transporting material from the face of an underground mine to the surface.
• Moving equipment and supplies throughout an underground mine.

Drills

Drills are an essential piece of equipment in mining operations. They are used to create holes in the ground or in rock formations, either to extract minerals or to install infrastructure such as ventilation systems or pipelines. Drills come in many different sizes and styles, including handheld drills, pneumatic drills, and rotary drills.

Applications for drills include

• Extracting minerals from the ground.
• Installing infrastructure such as ventilation systems or pipelines.
• Creating blast holes for explosives.

Crushers

Crushers are machines used to break down large pieces of rock or other material into smaller, more manageable pieces. They are commonly used in mining operations to crush ore or other materials into a more manageable size. 

Application for crushers include

• Breaking down large rocks into smaller rocks, gravel, or dust.

Wheel Loaders

Wheel loaders are designed to scoop up and move large amounts of material, such as earth or mined minerals, from one location to another. They are quite often only used in surface mining operations, but you can also use them in underground mines.

Applications for wheel loaders include

• Moving earth or mined materials.
• Loading mined materials into trucks or other vehicles for transport.
• Clearing debris or snow from a mine site.