What are Mining Pontoons?
Pontoons are of various types. Mining pontoons are floating platforms that are used in mining operations. They are used to support a variety of equipment, including pumps, walkways, and gangways. Mining pontoons are typically made of polyethylene or other durable materials that are resistant to corrosion and harsh weather conditions.
Pontoons are floating devices. They are flat-decked. Pontoons can be of types like heavy-duty pontoons, drum-type, or metal-tank-based pontoons, or they can also be customized as per the needs of the customers. We have these different types of pontoon for sale at Perennial Technologies. Many pontoon manufacturers in India sell or rent these types of pontoons.
Applications of Pontoons
- Mine site dewatering: Flooding occurs in most of the open-pit mining and underground mining operations. The reason being the changing landscape of the mine site and heavy rainfalls. Thus, to reduce the risk of flooding and to avoid shutting down mining operations, dewatering operations are planned.
- Dewatering for hydro energy storage projects: Pontoons can be used to help with dewatering for hydro energy storage projects.
- For Dredging: Floating pontoons are reliable platforms to support dredging pumps used in high-solid industrial pumping applications.
- For Desludging: For desludging and pumping effluent water from holding ponds, a floating pontoon equipped with heavy pumping equipment is the ideal solution.
- Access walkways: Pontoons can be used as access walkways for mining and in flood situations during operations of mining.
- To manage mining tailings: Different mining pump pontoons are used by mining companies to manage mining tailings by draining excess water from the tailings dam.
- Supporting pumps: Mining pontoons are often used to support pumps that are used to dewater mines or to pump water from tailings dams.
- Providing access: Mining pontoons can be used to provide access to areas that are otherwise inaccessible, such as areas that are flooded or that are located on the edge of a mine pit.
- Serving as walkways: Mining pontoons can also be used as walkways, which allows workers to safely access areas that would otherwise be difficult or dangerous to reach.
- Modular industrial pontoons: Different types of modular industrial pontoons are vital in mining industries, manufacturing industries, etc.
- In marine applications: Pontoons can also become a walkway in marine applications. They are effective and durable in adverse marine environments such as the high presence of solids, salt water, etc.
Some of the benefits of using mining pontoons are as follows:-
- Safety: Mining pontoons provide a safe platform for workers to operate equipment and access areas that would otherwise be dangerous.
- Efficiency: Mining pontoons can help to improve efficiency by allowing workers to access areas more quickly and easily.
- Durability: Mining pontoons are made of durable materials that can withstand the harsh conditions that are often found in mining operations.
How to Choose the Best Mining Pontoon?
So far we have seen applications of pontoons along with their benefits. But how will you come to know which pontoon is suitable for your needs? How will you choose the best and right mining pontoon?
- Size and weight: The size and weight of the pontoon will determine how much equipment and personnel it can accommodate. If you need to transport large equipment or a large number of people, you will need a larger pontoon.
- Material: The material of the pontoon will affect its durability and resistance to corrosion. Polyethylene is a good choice for mining pontoons because it is strong, lightweight, and resistant to chemicals.
- Features: Some pontoons come with features that make them more suitable for mining applications. These features may include:
- A walkway for easy access to the water
- A railing for safety
- A storage area for tools and equipment
- Cost: The cost of a mining pontoon will vary depending on the size, material, and features.
- Durability: Choose pontoons that last even after years of heavy use. Thus, look for pontoons that are manufactured with polyethylene and assembled with stainless steel. This is because UV-stabilized polyethylene slows down the degrading effects of UV radiation and chemical-induced corrosion.
- Load and Buoyancy: Always look for Load, buoyancy, and operating water level while selecting a pontoon. It is important to calculate the buoyant force to check whether the pontoon will sink or float when fully or impartially submerged in a body of water.
- Corrosion Resistance: Choose pontoons that are fully manufactured from polyethylene. The main reason behind this is polyethylene can withstand the harshest environmental conditions like moisture and does not readily or easily react with UV rays, acids, petroleum, and various industrial substances and chemicals.
- Maintenance: Look for maintenance of your pontoons or walkways. On moving parts of walkways such as pins, joints, bearings, and other mechanical parts maintenance may be needed like replacement or lubrication. Periodic cycles of surface upkeep and paint-touch-ups may also be needed.
- Straight forward and Modular: These pontoons are easier to assemble, reassemble, or take apart in mining operations.
- Portable: Pontoons should be portable as well as easy to transport and easy to load on shipping containers.
- Site limitations: Pontoon design must be suitable for the site location and power availability as most of the mining operations are in remote areas which means power source is not readily available.
- Considerations before Launching: Consider the methods of launching. For this, it is important to understand the topography and site layout. Launching processes can be through craning in with a large mobile crane or if this is not possible, bulldozers or excavators are used to push or pull pontoons.
- Restraints for Pontoon: Pontoons should be monitored with suitable restraints to combat wind and current water loadings, before deploying them on-site.
- Local standards: You should consider the required design and features of industrial floatation platforms of the local authority.
Conclusion
Thus, consider all the above-mentioned points while choosing a pontoon. We, at Perennial, provide a pontoon for sale as well as for rent! We are one of the best pontoon manufacturers in India. You can buy a pontoon or rent it from us.
Visit our website for more information on pontoons.
