The winners of the inaugural International Mining Technology Hall of Fame have been awarded.
The awards are the first time the industry has created a global hall of fame focused on recognising and rewarding the technology innovators in the mining industry.
Decided on by a college of voters made up of mining company management, CEOs, mining professors, and consultants from around the world, the first inductees into the Hall of Fame will be celebrated at a gala dinner, in association with Rio Tinto and Boart Longyear, in February, at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah the night before the SME Annual Convention.
And the first inductees are:
EXPLORATION: Ed Longyear – A great innovator nominated for his influence in contract diamond drilling, geological services and shaft sinking in the early 20th century.
MINING SOFTWARE: Jeff Whittle – The developer of Whittle software, pioneering strategic mine planning on computers
Commended: Fred Banfield – The man 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 the 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 – 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 – Two men 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 said
CONCENTRATION: Graeme Jameson – For his innovative flotation research and invention of the Jameson cell
Commended: Byron Knelson – The founder of what is today Knelson Concentrators, part of FLSmidth and widely recognised as a leader in gravity separation
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT & STEWARDSHIP: Terry Mudder – For his contributions to the field of cyanide management
OUSTANDING INNOVATOR: David George – The 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
