OREANDA-NEWS. February 22, 2016. Over the last years PIMCU subsidiary – Repair-Mechanical Plant (RMP), LLC has gained extensive practical experience in manufacture, in particular, of PD-2E electrically-actuated load-haul machine. Since 1991, 96 such machines, which are on a par with relevant import counterparts in terms of capacity but which are six-seven times cheaper, have been produced for PIMCU.

At present, RMP is the only producer of such machinery in Russia. “Today, when many domestic enterprises due to the exchange rate growth are unable to purchase foreign equipment, we have an opportunity to enter the Russian market”, - tells Sergey Shurygin, general director of PJSC PIMCU.

The test ground was developed for performing pre-start machinery maintenance and identification of possible defects. Customers must receive load-haul machines ready for immediate operation.

The test ground represents a natural 10 degree, 90 meter long protracted gradient. Tests of mining machinery are conducted under conditions close to underground ones. New machines load rock mass by a scoop from the site and unload it on a dump site. 72 hours are allocated for identification of hidden defects.

The PD-2E model, 97 serial number machine was the first one to pass its aptitude test on a new ground. It was produced based on PIMCU order. The machine was named Armata in honour of the state-of-the-art combat tank. Bakaibek Zheenbekov, team leader of section No.4 of underground uranium mine No.1, embarked on the running test of the new machinery on the ground. Miners of this team will operate it.

In the short time, the ground will be used for testing the new model of the load-haul machine developed at RMP. This is a small-size, diesel load-haul machine PD-1D. It must replace narrow-cut machinery previously purchased in France and Sweden for use at PIMCU mines. According to its specification and capacity, PD-1D is equal to similar narrow-cut machines of foreign producers. Its length is 5400mm, width – 1050mm, height – 2100mm, scoop volume – 0.6 cub.m. As compared to PD-2E, the new machine has a smaller size and larger manoeuvrability. It is designed for developing low-thick ore bodies. The smaller size of the machine enables to reduce drastically waste rock dilution and production cost of the mining and processing cycle, and the operator cabin protection system – to reduce injuries’ risk.