Digging for Gold: Common Types of Mining Equipment

There are several sectors of the mining industry that each requires specific types of mining equipment for extraction.

The gold mining industry has come a long way from the prospectors of California using pickaxes to find gold in those hills. Today, we use complex machinery and decades of know-how to efficiently extract gold and other minerals from mines and rock faces.

If you’re involved or interested in gold mining, then you need the right equipment for the job. Mining equipment is specialized and while you can use various haulers and extractors, sometimes the right tool for the job is the only choice.

We’ll examine some of the common machinery used in mining and discuss what each does and how it’s used.

Drills Are Common Mining Equipment

You may think drills are mostly used to create the mine by drilling through the earth, but that’s not the case. When the gold or other mineral isn’t close to the surface drills are used to create holes for explosives.

The holes the drills create are measured in millimeters and not meters and often have 360-degree rotation. The drills use hydraulics to create the holes and are used extensively in mining operations. The drills make mining more efficient and accurate.

There’s no need to purchase the equipment yourself when there’s mining equipment hire available. You can rent these machines for specific jobs and return them when finished.

Equipment for Narrow Vein Mining

Narrow vein mining is a high-risk venture do to the high cost of finding the veins compared to how much gold or another mineral you find and the small size of the vein. It’s a lot like finding a needle in a haystack as the narrow vein can be rich when found, it’s difficult to find it unless you have complex modeling.

There are specific machines designed for narrow vein mining that helps make the process more efficient. These machines keep the size of tunnels small, so you’re not creating big expensive holes and allow for increased productivity.

Charge-up Machines Make Tunneling Safer

The placement of explosives for mining is a precise operation. The right drill makes sure the hole is placed correctly and straight, but the charge-up machines make sure charges go off how they’re supposed to.

Charge-up machines improve the overall safety of explosive mining whether it’s using ANFO or water gels. The machines allow for precise placement and safe explosions. Don’t risk the lives of your men when a charge-up machine can keep them safe.

Loaders and Haulers Designed For Underground Mining

When you’re moving tons of rock in a mine, you’ve got to put it somewhere. This is where mining loaders and haulers come into play. They look similar to large bulldozers or hauler trucks you’d see on a construction site, but with wheels designed for underground mining.

They also feature low roofs so they can more easily fit in the cramped space of a mine. These massive machines can load and move thousands of pounds of rock and are integral or a gold mining operation.

The Right Tools for the Job

The right mining equipment for gold mining can mean the difference between a major haul and coming up with nothing. These are the most common machines you’ll see at a mining site and many are available for hire.

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