Improving Low-Strength Cemented Fill Testing in Stopes with the LİYA Automatic Grinding Machine
In the construction of underground stopes, especially those filled with cemented paste backfill, testing very low strength samples is often where accuracy and consistency matter most. In one such laboratory, technicians had long struggled with the traditional sulphur capping method. The process was slow, inconsistent, and increasingly unsafe when dealing with frequent sample preparation for low-strength cemented fill.
That was when the LİYA Automatic Grinding Machine (LT-C0060) was introduced.
At first, it looked like just another heavy-duty lab machine - steel framed, water-fed, and mounted on locking wheels. But within days, it changed the workflow entirely. Instead of waiting for caps to cure or worrying about uneven load-bearing surfaces, technicians began preparing cylinder ends with precision grinding in under two minutes per specimen. The default 120-second cycle became the quiet rhythm of the lab.
For cemented fill samples from stopes - often weak, variable, and sensitive to surface imperfections - the difference was immediately noticeable. The machine produced perfectly flat, parallel ends, meeting strict tolerances of 0.050 mm flatness and ensuring proper perpendicularity for core samples. What once introduced variability into very low strength testing was now controlled and repeatable.
The built-in diamond cutting wheel proved surprisingly efficient, lasting far longer than expected, even under continuous use. The integrated water spray system kept dust and slurry under control, making the workspace cleaner and safer - something especially appreciated in high-throughput testing environments processing large volumes of backfill specimens.
One technician remarked that the biggest change wasn’t just the speed, but confidence. “Before, we always questioned whether a low result was real or just bad capping. Now we trust the surface preparation completely.”
With adapters for cylinders, cubes, and core samples - including standard Ø150×300 mm specimens - the machine quickly became central to the lab’s workflow. Safety features like emergency stop, full steel construction, and enclosed operation reduced exposure risks, while the drain filtration system made maintenance simple.
For a lab supporting underground stope operations, where cemented fill strength data directly influences mine stability decisions, the LİYA grinder didn’t just replace a process - it removed uncertainty.
And in that quiet shift from sulphur caps to precision grinding, the lab gained something far more valuable than speed: reliable strength data for some of the most difficult samples to test.