A new mechanical bucket to be released in February 2012 by Keech Australia has been put to trial in the Newcrest Cadia East gold mine in Orange, New South Wales, following a 12-month development phase. The mine is trialling a 12m3 bucket with an Armourblade edge system on two underground mining loaders.

The Keech Mechanical Bucket (KMB) differs to the standard LHD (load, haul, dump) buckets on the market as it features a complete bolt-on section at the front of the bucket. The ease of removal of the front section also means the bucket can run a welded edge, making it ideal for use in cautious areas such as crusher zones, while still maintaining a quick change out during underground operations to minimise downtime.

Mark Adams, regional and export sales manager for Keech, said: “The KMB bucket front with the Keech Armourblade edge system can be replaced within three hours on site. Operators simply unbolt the front section and replace it with a new one. Given that the edges on some buckets need to be cut off, which can take up to 35 hours, the KMB is likely to generate significant efficiencies for underground mine applications.” [Mining Magazine, 16 Jan 2012]