Solaris exits Canada for Switzerland with new CEO, board and spin-out plans
The company changed its board of directors and plans to spin out non-core assets La Verde, Capricho, and Paco Orco into a new company.
For the first time, the global mining industry has a Hall of Fame (www.im-halloffame.com) focussed on recognising the technology innovators and developers that are so important to our future advancement. Members of the International Mining Technology Hall of Fame college of voters from around the world (mining company management, CEOs of engineering companies, mining professors, consultants) have deliberated and come up with their decisions. These are the first inductees and will be celebrated at the gala dinner, in association with Rio Tinto and Boart Longyear, in the Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City on February 22, 2014 – the night before the SME Annual Convention kicks off. Underlining Rio Tinto’s great interest in and support for advancing technologies across all sectors from exploration through metallurgy, John McGagh Head of Innovation, Technology and Innovation has indicated his attendance (to be confirmed) at the event helping International Mining’s Editor, Paul Moore do the inductions and making a keynote presentation.
EXPLORATION: Ed Longyear was a great innovator and is nominated for his influence in contract diamond drilling, geological services and shaft sinking in the early 20th century
MINING SOFTWARE: Jeff Whittle, developer of Whittle software, pioneering strategic mine planning on computers
Commended: Fred Banfield who started Mintec from his Tucson apartment in 1970
UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT: Gustaf Anderson for the lightweight handheld drill, could be said to be the ‘father’ of modern development drilling
UNDERGROUND PRODUCTION: Don Maclean for block caving rigs – he spearheaded the development of drawpoint obstruction clearance machines, known as ‘blockhole jumbos’
Commended: Wilhelm Löbbe, who invented and developed the ‘fast plow’ or ‘Loebbe Plow’ which was introduced to the market in 1939
UNDERGROUND LOAD AND HAUL: Sandvik’s Automine team; Timo Soikkeli, Riku Pulli Brett Cook and Janne Kallio – for development of the automated loading and hauling system that has now been extended to drilling
Commended: Joe Joy who developed and patented the Joy Loader
UNDERGROUND SUPPORT: James Scott for inventing Split Set stabilisers, which are quick and simple to install and gained ready acceptance by miners throughout the world
SURFACE MINE PRODUCTION: Helmut Lerchs and Ingo Grossman, inducted for their pit limit algorithm, used by almost all when considering open pit developments
SURFACE MINE LOAD AND HAUL: Alonzo Pawling and Henry Harnishfeger, founders of P&H Mining (now part of Joy Global) which went on to become a global manufacturer of surface loading equipment
BULK HANDLING: De Witt Buchanan led the elimination of black powder from coal mining and pioneered the use of continuous miners and conveyors
The Redpath Mining SAFETY innovator: John Ryan and George Deike, whose work led to the end of open-flame lights thanks to the cap lamp and became the founders of Mine Safety Appliances (MSA)
COMMINUTION: Professor Alban Lynch for his research and education in comminution. He started in ball mill grinding at Broken Hill in 1955 at Zinc Corp (ZC) which was one of the forerunners of today’s Rio Tinto “ and comminution has been my main professional interest since then,” he says
CONCENTRATION: Graeme Jameson for his innovative flotation research and invention of the Jameson cell
Commended: Byron Knelson founder of what is today Knelson Concentrators, part of FLSmidth and widely recognised as a leader in gravity separation
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT & STEWARDSHIP, Terry Mudderfor his contributions to the field of cyanide management
OUSTANDING INNOVATOR, David George, Chief Advisor, Processing, Mineral Technology Services, Technology & Innovation, Rio Tinto for his development and implementation of double flash copper smelting
Commended: Nick Hazen is President and CEO of Hazen Research, a company that has grown to be the largest private metallurgical and processing R&D facility in the USA
Contact us for details of event tickets or book online at http://corporate.im-mining.com/payonline.asp. Please send nominations for the 2015 inductees over the coming months – closing September 15, 2014.
