Home / Mining in Canada / Hard Rock Underground Mining

The shaft jumbo drill is the primary piece of equipment used in the shaft sinking operation.  It’s a multi-functional machine, suspended from the head frame and lowered into position to drill blast holes and load explosives.  Once the blasting is completed the unit utilizes its clam shell bucket to extract the material from the area.  This multifunctional unit requires precision control of the hydraulics as it transitions from one tool to the next.  The flow sharing feature of Parker’s L90 series or K220 series directional control valves balances the functionality of the equipment, facilitating a smooth transition of hydraulic power between circuits making the unit more productive. 

These units operate in conditions where falling rock debris is part of the work environment.  For this reason, the hydraulic cylinders must have a robust design able to withstand foreign object damage.  Parker’s RDH series welded cylinders complete with counterbalance valves are purpose built for this rugged application.

Multi-boom jumbos and in-the-hole jumbos are used when running drifts or as part of the stope mining process.  These machines have complex multifunctional tools used to drill blast holes in a very specific pattern.  Parker’s IQAN System can be combined with the P1 series or P2 series pumps and L90 series or K220 series directional control valves to deliver the precise hydraulic control required to complete these critical tasks. 

Rotary actuation can be another challenge when positioning the booms on these machines.  Parker Helac rotary actuators are extremely robust and ideally suited for these severe duty applications.

Scoop trams and haulers are used to remove the material from the blasted-out area.  These compact machines require side mounted fan circuits to keep everything cool while operating in high heat environments.  Parker’s Nichols™ M2 Series high speed motors can run tp 5000 RPM making theme ideally suited for these applications.

In higher elevation mine sites, it is critical to ensure the hydraulic pump keeps the necessary volume of oil flowing at the inlet.  Parker’s P3 series pumps have a super-charger feature on the suction inlet which makes it ideal for these conditions.   

Roof bolters are multifunctional machines specifically designed to “secure the back” by installing wire mesh.  The machine has a multiple tool mounted on the boom.  The first tool drills the holes and then indexes to a second tool which threads the bolt, securing the wire mesh in place.  Parker’s Calzoni radial piston motors and Torqmotor™ TF Series gearmotor motors are ideally suited for the drill feed and drill carriage applications found on the boom.

Processing underground begins with sizing the material using a vibratory hammer and transferring to bins through a series of gates.  Parker 2H and 2A series tie rod cylinders are industry proven in these harsh environment gate and chute actuator applications.  The loading pocket area has several hydraulic power units to operate and control the press frame, vibratory feed, conveyor system, transfer cars and measuring bins.  These power units come equipped with 10-gallon Parker BA series accumulators to provide the necessary discharge volume of fluid ensuring a fail-safe feature. 

The monitoring of hydraulic system pressure and temperature is critical for proper power unit operation.  For situations where the environment can be hazardous or in many cases hard to reach, Parker’s SensoNode Blue sensors can be used to collect the necessary data to ensure maximum up time.

Once skipped to the surface the material is transported to the mill for processing.  Fixed plant operations like crushing, smelting, and refining, use hydraulic power units to operate the equipment.  The milling process begins with the primary cone crusher.  Parker’s BA series bladder accumulators provide the necessary dampening effect to minimize vibration and shock created in the system thereby ensuring maximum uptime.  The secondary process is a ball or rod mill.  These units have a critical lubrication system to maintain bearing life.  The lubrication system must be filtered to ensure a 3-micron fluid cleanliness level.  Parker’s Moduflow series incline or tank mounted filtration is ideal for use in a kidney loop circuit, providing optimal fluid cleanliness levels necessary for this application.

Parker offers the industry’s largest selection of hydraulic directional control valves, known throughout the industry for their performance and reliability. Improve efficiency, increase safety and reduce downtime.

Parker's diverse selection of mobile controller displays includes programmable IQAN master display units for use in machine applications, as graphical user interfaces, and as CAN gateways; HMI display modules for use in many mobile machines; and rugged, general-purpose PHD suitable for use in off-road equipment.

Parker's broad range of energy-efficient hydraulic pumps includes displacement models of variable piston, fixed vane and fixed gear pumps. Designed to handle a wide range of applications, Parker pumps are available with electronic and computer controls and, like all Parker products, these pumps are manufactured with the finest materials under strict quality control.

Parker’s full line of high and low speed motors provide power ranging up to 15,000 inch-pounds of torque with speeds ranging from 1/2 rpm to 13,000 rpm. A complete range of sizes is offered in gear, gerotor, vane and piston style operating configurations. Fixed and variable displacement motors are available. Parker hydraulic motors deliver excellent performance with high efficiency, true wear compensation and longer service life.

Parker offers the widest range of specialty, industrial, hybrid and hydraulic hose in the industry. Our comprehensive line includes low pressure, medium pressure and high pressure pneumatic and hydraulic hoses that are resistant to heat, ozone, weather, chemicals, oil, flames, UV and abrasion. Parker is the largest hose manufacturer in the world and provides an engineered solution to all of your hose product needs.

Parker’s comprehensive range of tube fittings and tube fabrication equipment ensures your systems have the leak-free connections needed to improve your systems uptime and production.

Parker's condition monitoring solutions are designed with accuracy and efficiency in mind, our sensors are engineered to work in perfect harmony with our software. SensoNODE™ and Voice of the Machine™ are rooted in the Industrial Internet of Things, giving users an advanced condition monitoring solution that is fundamentally transforming operational efficiency. For MRO troubleshooting, ServiceJunior diagnostic test kits are ideal to digitally measure pressure and capture min and max fluctuations in any hydraulic or pneumatic system.

Parker offers low, medium, and high-pressure hydraulic filters capable of a wide range of temperatures for use in extreme operating environments. Also available are a broad range of compact portable purification systems and automatic vacuum dehydrator systems, as well as accessories to compliment these products. Our hydraulic pressure filters are highly suitable for industrial and mobile applications.

Parker's range of hydraulic accumulators deliver precise regulation and are designed to regulate the performance of bespoke hydraulic systems. Our hydraulic accumulator models offer high and low-pressure variants depending on the application requirements and our lightweight diaphragm hydraulic accumulators are ideal for industries where weight and space are important factors. All of these devices are available with a broad selection of configurations and are easy to install. The quality design of our devices guarantees optimal performance and service life.

Parker offers an industry-leading range of actuators and cylinders for pneumatic and hydraulic systems. These actuators and cylinders come in a wide range of construction types, ranging from compact light duty aluminum air actuators to heavy duty hydraulic designs.

For years, our customers asked for a fast, easy and exact way to track, manage and locate parts. So, 11 years ago, the Parker Tracking System (PTS) was introduced. Now, we listen to our PTS users to continually add functionality and improve the user experience. With two platforms to manage assets, PTS Mobile App and PTS Web App, you are a click away from retrieving product information, scheduling a service event, and more.