How they mine expensive marbles from big mountains | Heavy equipment stone mining technology

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carrieresduhainaut
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Orange Clignotant
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Locating a potential quarrying site is the initial step in the marble mining process. An exposed outcrop marble is the surest way for a geologist to identify a potential vein. Where the marble gets cut determines the entire appeal of the slab, and ultimately, the countertop. For example, one cross-cut across as opposed to along the vein will have a staggeringly varied appearance.
Mining marble from a quarry involves creating a bench wall, which requires synthetic diamond wire and diamond-tipped drills to separate the rock to form a vertical plane. This involves drilling holes in the marble from the top of the quarry and lining up another drill hole from the side. The marble is fed through these holes and connected to a machine that keeps tension on the wire as it slices through the marble. In certain cases, particularly when quarries are located inside mountains, a chainsaw-like mechanism is used. Oftentimes, a resin is applied to fill cracks throughout the marble’s surface. After polishing, only a marginal amount of the surface will feature the resin coating, maintaining the purity - and breathtaking beauty - of the finished stone.
Some of the most notable quarries are in Italy, Canada, Spain, India, China, and Germany, although marble can be found across the world. In fact, most marbles are named from the quarry where they were found the first time - such as Carrara.

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Hey, I'm an equipment operator too so I thought I'd drop by and leave a comment.