Surface miners in India--reigning supreme.

Any correct selection of machinery and equipment through the development stage is one of the most important decisions performed in surface mining. Technical and economical feasibility and safety are major criteria in this process. Selection of equipment for ground preparation and materials handling (loading and haulage) are generally the first and most important task. The equipment and machinery required for any other operations may be followed reasonably from materials handling equipment. Modernization in technology had an overwhelming effect on the development of mines. Technology is the key to higher production, productivity and safety. A combination of conventional and modern technology to suit the indigenous condition and environment would always give the best results. In line with modern technology, surface miners entered the global mining scene in the early 1980s. Initially, limestone quarries deployed surface miners in India which got extended to coal later on. In 1990s, surface miners started working in India and first introduced in limestone mines through outsourcing. The machines proved the ability of mining and sizing the product without the need for drilling, blasting and primary crushing. This paper illustrates how the surface miner has been more successful for winning the mineral more efficiently without causing much damage to the surrounding environs in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]