On application prospects of automated mining methods
The article deals with the organization of automated mining of mineral deposits. Today there are many foreign companies in the market of mining machinery that offer equipment enabling full automation of the processes of transportation, drilling, mining of minerals, and other types of works. The systems include the equipment (sensors, controllers, navigation and others) installed on the machines that allows to control the machines. If there is a clear idea of the mining industry’s need and demand in high-tech equipment you can see all the prerequisites for creating modern self-propelled mining equipment, which will use new technology of component and assembly layouts with additional devices for monitoring working and technological parameters of equipment. The design of machines should include both a remote control contributing to the increased safety of mining works and a number of additional functions. All the developments are aimed at creating safe and convenient working conditions without compromising the quality of works and overall productivity. The article discusses the creation principles of high-tech products designed to improve the efficiency and safety of underground mining when extracting uranium ores in complex mining-engineering and mining-geological conditions of uranium deposits. Possible solutions to the problem have been studied with consideration of international experience in the application of innovative methods of mineral safe mining organization. A plan for a stage-by-stage solution of production organization problems is presented with specification of the planned types of works on creation of high-tech production and introduction of high technology. The main result of the research performed should be the works on the creation of a complex of self-propelled mining equipment including self-propelled drilling rigs for short-hole drilling, remote operated load haul dumpers ensuring improved productivity and safety of underground mining in the extraction of uranium ores in complex mining-engineering and mining-geological conditions of uranium deposits.