SHAFT SINKING

MECHANISED SHAFT SINKING

OBJECTIVE
To study advanced techniques of shaft sinking.
To increase the production and Productivity with the
help of mechanized shaft sinking.
To win the ore or mineral deposit by selecting
appropriate and suitable available technologies for shaft
sinking in Indian mines.
RECENT/NEW METHODS OF SHAFT SINKING

There are different methods of shaft sinking/construction. Actually

three possible methods allowing a shaft to me sunk through highly
weathered over burden on the basis of Excavation and Wall support.

These are;

1. VSM Vertical Shaft sinking Machine

2. SHAFT BORING SYSTEM

3. SHAFT BORING
 VSM Vertical Shaft
sinking Machine
Shaft installation in
especially under ground
water conditions requires
special equipment.

Till today, with the help of

several Vertical Shaft Boring
Machines (VSM) dozens of
shafts have been sunken in
a variety of ground
conditions.

They have a drill diameter

of 5 to 10 meters and built
shafts with a maximum
depth of 65 meters.
 COMPONENTS OF
SHAFT SINKING
MACHINE
Shaft Sinking Machine
consists of two main
components
1.Shaft boring machine
2.The lowering units

The shaft boring machine

is lowered into the launch
shaft structure and
attached firmly to the
shaft with its three
machine arms.

A rotating cutting drum

equipped with chisel tools
is attached to a telescopic
 ADVANTAGES
All operational processes are controlled and monitored
from the surface. In addition to the separation plant,
lowering units and recovery winches, the jobsite
equipment includes a control container and power supply
units.

All information available about the excavation is

collected and visualized in the control container.

There, the operator has a full overview of the situation

at hand and can respond accordingly at all times.

After completing excavation or when changing

excavation tools, the shaft boring machine is retrieved
using the recovery winches.

The equipment can be arranged as needed. As parts can

be detached and moved easily.
SHAFT BORING SYSTEM(SBS)
The SBS is a development for the
mechanized excavation of deep vertical
blind shafts in hard rock conditions.

The semi full-face sequential excavation

process is based on the use of a rotating
cutting wheel excavating the full shaft
diameter in a two stage process for one
complete stroke.

The excavation process is divided into two

steps:

Trench excavation to a depth of one

stroke with the cutting wheel rotating
around its horizontal axis and being
pushed downward in the shaft direction.

Excavation of the entire bench (face)

area by slewing the rotating cutting
The SBS machinery consists of
three major areas of equipment
and operation which are (starting
from the bottom):
excavation chamber with cutting wheel,
cutting wheel drive assembly, mechanical
machine support structure, shotcrete and
probe drilling equipment
(Figure (1))

adjustable front support with slew

bearing/drive assembly cutting wheel
support and dust shield (Figure (2))

regular rock support area for rock bolts

(Figure (3))

SBS mainframe with gripper carrier,

gripper system and thrust cylinders (Figure
(4))

rear alignment system (secondary

 ADVANTAGES

High sinking rates.

High level of safety.

Integrated system for excavation, mucking and rock

support.

Fully accessible bench.

Dedicated drill rigs for probing and pre-excavation

grouting.

Semi-partial face excavation system with industry

standard disc cutters.
SHAFT BORING
SHAFT BORING
The machine applies the same principles as tunnel boring
machines but in a vertical mode .
The Shaft Boring Machine (SBM) is a vertical application of
proven rock boring technology.
The machine applies a rotating cutter wheel with disk cutters
for shaft excavation.
The wheel is thrust against the rock by hydraulic cylinders and
slews about the shaft bottom as it rotates.
Cuttings are removed by a clam shell device similar to
conventional shaft mucking and the muck is hoisted by
buckets
CONCLUSION
T o drives shaft, sinking is most important aspect. So
we have to adopt best sinking methods so that cost of
sinking will be reduce and sinking work will be done at
faster rate to achieve the targeted production.