The Wirtgen Group plans to show a new cutting drum with applicability in limestone at MINExpo International 2024.
According to the Wirtgen Group, the cutting drum to debut at the Sept. 24-26 Las Vegas trade show expands the range of applications for surface miners in hard rock and stone. The cutting drum, which the Wirtgen Group will display in Central Hall (Booth 6815) of the Las Vegas Convention Center, enables the extraction of resources with uniaxial compressive strengths exceeding 14,500 psi.
The cutting drum is equipped with HT14 toolholders, featuring a redesigned cutting geometry. As the Wirtgen Group describes, the central drum concept ensures optimum utilization of the machine weight while the direct belt drive guarantees the transfer of high usable power to the cutting drum.
The Wirtgen Group’s cutting drum was launched in practice on a limestone quarrying job involving a surface miner in Nebraska. The company says the technology not only allowed for the mining of very hard limestone at the quarry, but it resulted in the elimination of drilling and blasting. Additionally, the Wirtgen Group says the producer is now able to mine limestone deposits that could not previously be utilized.
“For the quarry operator, surface mining is a cost-effective extraction solution that also contributes to safeguarding jobs, increases safety in the quarry and enables responsible management of resources,” the company says in a written release.
