Earth Mining

Common Types Of Mining Equipment Used In The Mining Industry

Mining Equipment Used In The Mining Industry

Because of its negative impact on the environment and ecosystem, Mining Equipment has been controversial. It has made civilization so much better.

There are two main methods of mining. There are two main methods of mining: underground and surface.

Surface Mining

This refers to the extraction of minerals near or at the surface of the Earth. At least six different processes are involved in this process.

  • Strip Mining is the process of removing the earth’s surface with heavy machinery. This method is used to extract coal and sedimentary rocks from the earth’s surface.
  • Placer Mining is the process of extracting sediments from sand and gravel. This is an old-fashioned method of mining. This method can be used to mine precious gems and gold that are carried by water.
  • Mountain Top Mining: This is a brand new technique that involves blasting a mountain top in order to expose coal deposits beneath the mountain crest.
  • Hydraulic mining – This is an outdated method that involves exposing gold and other precious metals by spraying water on the sides of hills or mountains.
  • Dredging is the process of removing rocks, sand, and silt from under a body water in order to expose the minerals.
  • Open Pit – This is the most popular method of cheetah resources. This involves the removal the soil’s top layers in order to find gold or other buried treasure. The miner goes deeper and deeper until they find a large open-pit.
Method of Surface Mining Process - Cheetah Resources

Underground Mining

This is when a tunnel is dug into the ground to locate the mineral ore. Underground mining equipment is used to perform the mining operation. These are the methods used to underground mine:

  • Slope Mining is the process of creating slopes in the ground to access the mineral deposit or ore. This is a common method used in coal mining.
  • Hard rock – This method uses dynamite and giant drills to make large, deep tunnels. To prevent the tunnels from collapsing, miners support them with pillars. This is a large-scale mining operation that is used to extract large amounts of copper, tin and lead.
  • Drift mining is only applicable when the target mineral can be accessed from the side or top of a mountain. This involves digging a tunnel slightly lower than the target minerals. Gravity causes the deposit to fall into the tunnel, where miners can extract them.
  • The shaft method – This involves creating a vertical passageway which goes down deep underground to the deposit. The pit is deep enough that miners can be brought in and out with elevators.
  • Borehole method: This involves using a large drill and high-pressure water to expel the target mineral.

These are the most basic methods for extracting common minerals. These basic processes are the basis of many more complicated systems.

Please follow and like us: