Redesign and Prototyping of Mining Core Cutting System for Light-weighting and Cost Optimization

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Allbutt Mining Supplies Ltd is a Manitoba-based manufacturer and distributor of mining equipment, tooling and supplies, including cutting tools, drills, drifters, polishing pads and many more. The company has developed the Tuffy Core Cutting System, which is a 5 horse power motorized double belt system for slicing through core samples. This equipment has proven useful during post-processing of core samples obtained from exploratory drilling activities and is an important equipment for minerals prospecting and production. While the Tuffy Core Cutting System proves to be a versatile equipment, the heavy weight of the current design makes the equipment less flexible for transportation, cumbersome to handle and adds costs (both manufacturing and transportation) that could have been avoided by light-weighting. In addition, the company lacks a design blue print that could be shared with fabricators for mass producing this important equipment. As part of an initial effort to improve the design of the Tuffy Core Cutting Equipment, Allbutt Mining Supplies has been working with some academic staff and students at Red River College (RRC) in 3D modeling of some of the equipment components, which could be useful for redesign. Some progress was made by the students. However, it became obvious that a complete redesign of the system would require a more rigorous design iteration, specification and sourcing of materials of construction, prototype development and systems integration, and will require a significant applied research experience / expertise. Therefore, Allbutt is collaborating with RRC's Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) to carry out the redesign and prototyping of the system. The overall objective of this project is to manufacture a working prototype of the redesigned Tuffy Core Cutting System that will meet Allbutt's requirement for light-weighting and cost effectiveness. TACAM team will capitalize on the College's existing capabilities and expertise in design, 3D laser scanning, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), fabrication techniques and systems integration to deliver this project. Allbutt Mining Supplies represents a progressive Small-Medium Enterprise (SME) in Manitoba with a high-priority commitment to research and development activities. The company has the capacity to implement and further advance the results of this project through commercialization. The College team is looking forward to expanding on existing knowledge in design and advanced manufacturing with opportunities for new industries such as mining. The knowledge gained will benefit students/interns working on the project, research personnel and faculty and will be useful in future research engagements.