A semi-mobile In-Pit Crushing and Conveying (IPCC) system strikes a balance between mobility and stability, designed for mines where the ore deposit extends over a large area, necessitating occasional adjustments to the crushing station’s location (Carmaky, 2024).
In action, a semi-mobile IPCC system typically features a modular crusher station positioned on movable bases, strategically located near the active mining face within the pit (Oberrauner & Turnbull, 2024).
At the mine face, the operation begins with conventional shovels or excavators loading raw material. Instead of long-haul truck routes, a small fleet of mining trucks shuttles this material from the shovel/excavator to the nearby semi-mobile crusher station (Oberrauner & Turnbull, 2024).
Once the material is fed into the crusher, it is reduced to a conveyable size, typically less than 350 mm, to ensure efficient transport on conveyor belts. Common crushers used in semi-mobile systems include roller crushers and gyratory crushers (Oberrauner & Turnbull, 2024). The crushed material is then transferred onto a network of conveyors, which transport it out of the pit to a processing plant or waste disposal area.
The crusher stations are designed for periodic relocation, typically every 1-2 years or 3-10 years, to maintain optimal proximity to the advancing mine face (Oberrauner & Turnbull, 2024).
This periodic movement minimizes the truck haulage distance within the pit, thereby reducing operational costs and retaining a high level of fleet flexibility (Carmaky, 2024).
Semi-mobile systems can achieve throughputs of less than 12,000 t/h (MCI Austria, n.d.). Successful implementations can be seen in large South American copper operations like Chuquicamata and Escondida (Mining Magazine, n.d.).
Why might a mine choose a semi-mobile IPCC system instead of a fully mobile or fixed one? Share your insights!
