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

Allbut矿业用品有限公司是一家总部位于马尼托巴省的采矿设备、工具和用品的制造商和经销商，包括切割工具、钻头、漂移器、抛光垫等。该公司开发了Tuffy岩芯切割系统，这是一种5马力的电动双皮带系统，用于切割岩芯样品。该设备在勘探钻探活动获得的岩心样品的后处理过程中被证明是有用的，是矿产勘探和生产的重要设备。虽然Tuffy Core切割系统被证明是一种多功能的设备，但目前设计的重型使该设备在运输方面不太灵活，操作起来很麻烦，并增加了原本可以通过轻量化避免的成本(制造和运输)。此外，该公司缺乏一份可以与制造商分享的设计蓝图，以批量生产这一重要设备。 作为改进Tuffy Core切割设备设计的初步努力的一部分，Allbut矿业用品公司一直在与红河学院(RRC)的一些教职员工和学生合作，对一些设备部件进行3D建模，这可能有助于重新设计。学生们取得了一些进步。然而，很明显，彻底重新设计该系统将需要更严格的设计迭代、建筑材料的规格和来源、原型开发和系统集成，并将需要大量的应用研究经验/专门知识。因此，Allbut正在与RRC的航空航天和制造技术接入中心(TACAM)合作，对该系统进行重新设计和原型制作。该项目的总体目标是制造重新设计的Tuffy芯材切割系统的工作原型，以满足Allbut对轻量化和成本效益的要求。 TACAM团队将利用学院在设计、3D激光扫描、有限元分析(FEA)、制造技术和系统集成方面的现有能力和专业知识来交付该项目。Allbut矿业用品公司代表着马尼托巴省一家先进的中小型企业(SME)，致力于高度优先的研究和开发活动。该公司有能力通过商业化实施并进一步推动该项目的成果。学院团队期待着扩大设计和先进制造方面的现有知识，并为采矿等新行业提供机会。所获得的知识将使从事该项目的学生/实习生、研究人员和教职员工受益，并将在未来的研究活动中有用。

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.