The process of mining exploration is possible at the surface and underground. There are various types of mining processes which depend on the environment and type of material to be mined. This also determines the equipment used during the mining exploration process. The mining process primarily has 3 main steps:
- Extraction: This step includes processes which are needed to remove materials from the mine site. For example- drilling, blasting and digging.
- Material handling: This step includes processes that are primarily used to sort and load materials to either go to a waste area or the processing site.
- Material processing: The final step is used for turning the mined ore or other goods at the off-site plant into finished products. The main processes are grinding, separating, crushing, refining, and smelting.
Here is a list of mining tools used for the mining exploration process. The advantages of these tools are:-
Mining Drills
This is probably one of the most common tools for mining tools. The process of underground mining is performed particularly when the rocks are situated at a far distance beneath the ground. These drilling tools are normally required to place explosive charges to free the rocks and minerals from the above material.
Blasting Tools
The blasting tools are a crucial part of the mining process. These tools are extensively used to break down and fracture materials with the help of explosives to liberate the useless product from waste materials. The blasting tool is also known to be used to remove the unwanted material. The blasting tool is basically the preceding process before recovering the blasted rocks and other debris.
Crushing Equipment
The crushing equipment is mainly used to crush the rocks and stones. It has been specially designed for maximum productivity and high reduction rate. It is also specially configured to break down the hard rock matter for transportation and conveying. They are also known for reducing the costs associated with handling of larger-sized material and for ensuring the efficient liberation of elements.
Earth Movers
The Earth movers are generally used for carrying the loose soil and earth from one location to another on a regular basis. They are a crucial tool in the mining exploration process as they are specifically designed to work on large earth-moving and mining projects in order to provide faster and more practical processes.
The mine exploring process is considered to be a crucial step in finding minerals so they can be potentially mined. The mined materials are primarily used in the construction of roads and hospitals, the building of automobiles and houses, the generation of electricity, and to provision of many other goods and services for customer satisfaction.