Editing Mining (section)

== Machines ==
[[File:Bagger-garzweiler.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|The [[Bagger 288]] is a [[bucket-wheel excavator]] used in [[strip mining]]. It is also one of the largest land vehicles of all time.]]
[[File:Coal Haul Truck at North Antelope Rochelle.png|thumb|A Bucyrus Erie 2570 dragline and [[Caterpillar 797|CAT 797]] haul truck at the North Antelope Rochelle opencut coal mine]]
[[Heavy machinery]] is used in mining to explore and develop sites, to remove and stockpile overburden, to break and remove rocks of various hardness and toughness, to process the ore, and to carry out reclamation projects after the mine is closed. Bulldozers, drills, explosives and trucks are all necessary for excavating the land. In the case of [[placer mining]], unconsolidated gravel, or [[alluvium]], is fed into machinery consisting of a hopper and a shaking screen or [[trommel]] which frees the desired minerals from the waste gravel. The minerals are then concentrated using [[sluices]] or jigs.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Large [[diamond drilling|drills]] are used to sink shafts, excavate stopes, and obtain samples for analysis. [[Tram]]s are used to transport miners, minerals and waste. Lifts carry miners into and out of mines, and move rock and ore out, and machinery in and out, of underground mines. Huge trucks, shovels and cranes are employed in surface mining to move large quantities of overburden and ore. Processing plants use large crushers, mills, reactors, roasters and other equipment to consolidate the mineral-rich material and extract the desired compounds and metals from the ore.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-01-28 |title=12.9: Mining |url=https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geology/Fundamentals_of_Geology_(Schulte)/12%3A_Geological_Implications/12.09%3A_Mining |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Geosciences LibreTexts |language=en}}</ref>