In-Pit Crushing and Conveying (IPCC)

Crushing and conveying - safe, environmentally friendly and efficient

In-Pit Crushing and Conveying (IPCC) systems cut truck haulage to a minimum and build operational resilience. They substantially reduce operational expenditure (opex) and provide various other safety and environmental benefits too. Where applicable, an IPCC system makes a very strong case as a safer, significantly more efficient and environmentally cleaner alternative to conventional material transport systems.

In-Pit Crushing and Conveying (IPCC) technology — IPCC - an alternative to conventional material transport systems

Crushing and conveying - safe, environmentally friendly and efficient

A mining operation’s capital and operational costs depend directly on the material transport system. Conventional truck haulage, as today´s predominant means of material transport in open pit surface mines, is well established, with these systems providing excellent flexibility however, they can also contribute up to 60% of the overall mining cost. IPCC thus represents a viable, safer, more efficient and less fossil fuel dependent alternative.

A typical IPCC system comprises fully-mobile, semi-mobile or fixed in-pit crushing stations connected to a network of conveyors and spreaders (for waste) or stackers (for ore) to efficiently transport material out of a mine.

Why In-Pit Crushing and Conveying?

Implementing an In-Pit Crushing and Conveying system (IPCC) serves as a tool to lower mining costs and reduce emissions, making IPCC an interesting alternative to conventional material transport systems. Besides the significant potential to reduce operating costs, IPCC systems offer a number of other benefits too:

Improved safety due to decreased mobile vehicle usage
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions of up to 25%
Noise level reduction of up to 35%
Dust emission reduction of up to 40%
Reduced manpower requirements of between 40 – 60% due to higher automation
Reduced spare part and maintenance requirements
Possible electrical power generation on downhill conveyors
Reduced bad weather downtime

Of course, in our industry, there is no "silver bullet" and implementing an IPCC system is not always feasible or the optimum solution for a mining operation. An IPCC system is generally more capex intensive and often simply not technically feasible due to certain geological, geotechnical, operational and local conditions.

Various detailed studies, performed also by TAKRAF's Mining Technology Center (TMTC), would be able to identify the more appropriate solution to match your specific project requirements and expectations.

Advantages of TAKRAF’s IPCC solutions

With the ability to leverage over more than a century of experience and know-how in continuous mining systems, TAKRAF enables mining companies to boost productivity and maximize profits.

Distinct competitive advantages include:

Complete IPCC product range
With the addition of sizer and roll crusher equipment to our product range, we are now able to integrate our own crushing machines into complete mining solutions
Mine planning capabilities
Our dedicated team of mine planning engineers cover everything from conceptual, appraisal and engineering design studies, as well as assisting through to implementation and execution
Aftermarket supply/support offering
We provide extensive aftermarket support options for our IPCC systems, including:
- Performance contracts
- Parts supply
- Assistance with and training for relocating systems
- Mine engineering training to optimize mine design for IPCC
- Relocation