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Surface Mining

Specially adapted planing machines are used for surface mining method of extracting Minerals on the surface of the Earth or removing manmade surfaces which are too hard to mill with a conventional planer.

What's it used for?

  • The ability to change from traditional milling to surface mining capability within a day greatly reduces the cost.
  • Concrete with a compressive strength over 80kN has been removed using our machines.
  • Centre reserve concrete including existing restraint sockets and stanchions has been mined to precise levels greatly reducing traditional dig out quantities by only removing the minimum amount for replacement concrete barrier.
  • Fibre and steel reinforced concrete flooring has been surface mined as a quick and efficient method of removal which allows the re-use of the defective concrete as an aggregate fill with gradings compatible with 6F2.
Surface mining airfield 2

Traditional Surface miners are built to cope with this arduous task and priced accordingly. Power Plane was the first company to adapt a conventional planer for surface mining in 2010 to remove concrete from Mount Pleasant Airbase on The Falklands.

The operating method of surface miners resembles that of cold milling machines. A special cutting drum cuts and excavates the material before it is elevated and loaded on dumpers via a robust conveyor system. The material can alternatively be deposited directly on to the floor as a windrow between the miners crawler tracks – an option that enables miners to not only save time but costs and energy as well.

Milling tools with 25mm or 42mm Ø shanks are used in place of standard milling tools it is mainly the tips of the cutting tools used for milling that come into contact with the highly abrasive material to be milled. That is why they are made from highly wear- resistant carbide metal. Tool tips are available in different shapes and sizes, suitable for milling different types of material. In addition to that, the steel body of the point attack cutting tools show different degrees of hardness in the tool head and tool shaft, optimizing their breaking strength and resistance to wear and tear.