Naughton's Penguin Automated Systems Inc. announced on its Facebook page Tuesday it has shipped an advanced hangup assessment and removal robot to Codelco's Andina copper mine in Chile.
In mining, a hangup is when large fragments of rock block a draw point, and need to be removed. They can pose a danger to miners.
In the past miners had to shove “bamboo poles up through the throat with explosives ducktaped to them,” exposing themselves to hundreds of tonnes of rock that could give way without warning, Penguin CEO Greg Baiden told Sudbury Mining Solutions last year.
The company's robotic system, which uses an arm that extends 4.5 metres horizontally and 10 metres vertically to dislodge hangups, is a much safer alternative, Baiden said.
“It’s probably one of the most sophisticated robotic arms ever built,” he told Sudbury Mining Solutions. “There are 20 plus patents in it.”
Codelco, a Chilean state-owned copper mining company, is expected to start testing the robotic system in May.
