Having a haul truck reverse down long drives to backfill stopes just got a whole lot easier at the Aurelia Metals’ Hera gold mine in New South Wales after underground mining contractor Pybar’s decision to trial RCT’s latest automation solution, the ControlMaster® Haul Truck Guidance.
The gold and lead zinc project increased productivity and reduced machine damage after equipping two of Pybar’s Caterpillar AD45 ejectors with the intuitive solution that simply guides the machines to the loading and dump points; only requiring operator intervention when the machine is being loaded.
The automation solution not only significantly increases tramming times and reduces damage to the loaders, it removes the need for back stripping for truck tips and for putting turning points in the orebody; eliminating any associated risk of stope instability.
RCT’s ControlMaster® Haul Truck Guidance is being successfully trialled at Aurelia Metals’ Hera gold mine.
Pybar’s Chief Operating Officer Brendon Rouse said the system was significantly improving the company’s ability to safely and efficiently direct tip waste into a stope.
"The Haul Truck Guidance solution has eliminated the need for operators to steer the truck down the long drives, and the need for developing truck turnaround bays near the stope tip heads, the system works in a similar way to the current Guidance system fitted on several of Pybar’s production loaders at numerous other sites."
Brendon Rouse, Pybar’s Chief Operating Officer
RCT’s Product Manager Dave Holman said this solution evolved from the ControlMaster® Loader Guidance solution.
“It was specifically designed for the haul truck application after feedback from clients made us aware of the issues they were experiencing on site which included costly damage bills and erratic production results, RCT redesigned both the hardware and software to suit the requirements and a close collaboration with key mining companies ensured our unique solution was addressing all areas of concern.”
Dave Holman, RCT’s Product Manager
The automation solution is equipped with Guidance technology to ensure the operator avoids running into walls and obstacles to keep the truck on the optimal tramming path. In addition to this the steering, braking and speed of the truck are automatically determined by the minimum width of the drive and the look-ahead distance of the on-board laser units. There is also an object detection feature which further assists in tight areas.
“Automating the process simplifies the task of driving a haul truck long distances within tight space limitations to deliver consistent cycle times while heavily reducing machine damage simultaneously,” he said.
Mr Rouse said given the success of the trial at Hera, Pybar was evaluating its application at other sites.
In today’s market, many businesses across the industrial sector are looking at ways to ensure safety, while increasing productivity to improve profitability and RCT’s new and improved SmarTrack® solution is the answer.
The industrial fleet management system is simplifying the process by delivering relevant, easy to interpret data on all mobile and stationary equipment. The data is delivered in real-time to any device with internet access to empower fleet users with the relevant information needed to make smarter, profit-boosting decisions.
SmarTrack® is versatile and can be installed on a diverse range of industrial equipment including forklifts, trucks, buses, light vehicles, container stackers, straddle carriers and more.
The solution can track and identify machine utilisation, control who accesses machines, and acts as a great deterrent against machine abuse.
Track and identify machine utilisation, control and access across your entire industrial fleet with SmarTrack®.
Smartrack® ensures only authorised users can utilise the machine and is now available with multilingual options for pre- and post-start checklist to ensure the solution can be utilised worldwide.
The SmarTrack® solution’s new and improved charting dashboard provides users with all the information required to ensure a fleet is running efficiently at all times.
"There are now 10 different charting styles to choose from ensuring there is one to suit every operation, these charts generate relevant, visual reports and alerts for the user which can easily be downloaded to be included in end of month reports.”
Les Healey, SmarTrack® Product Manager
SmarTrack® is much more than the standard access system; it’s the solution needed to ensure operator safety, lower fuel consumption, decrease general machine wear and tear and damage.
"Employees and machines are a business’s biggest assets so it makes sense to protect them,” said Mr Healey.
"SmarTrack®’s comprehensive tracking feature ensures you know where individual machines are at all times and which operator is in control.
"Because operators are logged into the machines, any damage encountered during a shift is logged and they are held responsible which results in more responsible staff,” said Mr Healey.
In addition SmarTrack now offers battery monitoring and out of service and idle time status.
The solution is easy-to-install and can be used on any virtually any machine, regardless of make or model and on both mobile and fixed. This versatile solution and also be customised with various add-ons to address additional needs such as Engine Protection Systems, Seatbelt Controller and Speed Limiters – just to name a few.
As with all RCT’s solutions, SmarTrack® is backed by product support.
“Operators have access to the SmarTrack® website, telephone and email support if they have any questions or queries,” Mr Healey said.
Reduce fleet running costs, eliminate paperwork and simplify the industrial fleet management process with SmarTrack®.
This article was originally published by the WA Mining Club
Technology and automation has been the driver of the most recent round of productivity gains and cost reductions for miners. But has all the low hanging fruit been exhausted?
A recent study of 200 mining executives from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Indonesia, the United States and more has found that operators are continuing to embrace digital innovation as a tool to help manage operational efficiency and address issues such as rising capital and compliance costs.
The study published in May by Accenture found that four out of five mining and metals companies expect to increase their spending on digital technologies over the next three years with 54 percent of executives agreeing that the biggest slice of expenditure will be in the area of robotics and automation.
The relatively early stages of adoption for certain digital technologies makes it a challenge to identify all areas of bottom-line benefits; however, the World Economic Forum estimates that the industry-wide value over the next ten years for digitalisation could reach $190 billion.
Manager of the custom division of global automation company RCT, Rob Derries echoes thoughts that technology can deliver bottom-line profits through overall mine and fleet management efficiencies.
"Safety has been a primary driver for remote control systems and will continue to be part of all mine planning and operational practice. However, the central driver behind technology development today is to improve practices that will result in better profit.”
Rob Derries, Custom Division Manager
RCT was founded by Bob Muirhead in 1973 after a passion for innovation in the mining industry led him to create a fail-safe engine protection system designed to improve the reliability of underground mining equipment.
Today the company is the market leader in smart Guidance, Teleremote and Remote Control Automation solutions for the mining industry.
While the company has five product lines incorporating automation, fleet management and protection systems, the demand for custom solutions has led to an increase in the number of collaborative projects undertaken between technology partners to tackle the more complex problems.
“No one can be a jack of all trades. As our clients’ requirements advance, we go out in search of other industry leaders to collaborate with to deliver a complete solution that fulfils their specific needs and this is RCT Custom’s area of expertise,” said Rob.
Recently RCT’s Custom team collaborated on a project to safeguard the operation of two dozers.
“While remote controlling the dozers increased operator safety, the mine site wanted to reduce machine damage and prevent the dozers from falling into the stockpile,” said Mr Derries.
“To address this concern, RCT collaborated with a third party who supplied a GPS-based, geofence system, enabling RCT to automatically slow or stop the machine if it gets too close to the dynamic geofence perimeter.”
RCT’s clients have experienced productivity gains by capturing lost production times during shift change, reduced unplanned downtime through automation, improved cycle times by increasing the tonnes moved, lowered operational costs and extended machine life.
Upon the implementation of RCT’s ControlMaster Teleremote solution at Eldorado Gold’s White Mountain mine in China the site increased productivity substantially.
“The perceived benefits in productivity were estimated between 25 to 30 percent, meaning the system would pay for itself in less than six months. However, actual data shows productivity gains of more than 35 percent,” said White Mountain’s General Manager Warren Uyen.
The implementation of digital technologies is clearly addressing cost and productivity pressures, which is why mines are now looking at integrating technology in the mine planning stages.
In the future, this could include the possibility of fully autonomous fleets throughout the value chain such as BHP’s concept of switching to self-navigating ships.
For now, RCT is focused on developing their Smart Technology further to supply their clients with even higher productivity gains while eliminating the risk of machine damage.
Grange Resources’ Savage River mine in Tasmania, Australia saw the opportunity to further safeguard its operators on site by equipping its mobile equipment with remote controls.
Implementing remote control technology has allowed Savage River’s operators to control machines from a safe location, away from potential hazards brought on by the frequent, heavy, rainfall experienced on site.
RCT’s relationship with Savage River began with the installation of the ControlMaster® Line-of-Sight remotes on two of the site’s Caterpillar D10T dozers.
Pleased with the performance of the technology, the site then called upon RCT’s help to customise a Line-of-Sight package for their Hitachi EX1200 excavator which would allow them to interchange the excavator with a rock breaker attachment.
The excavator was being used to dig holes and trenches and perform batter scaling and the modification would see the machine being used for normal excavation works and for rock breaking if there was a blockage in the main crusher.
While RCT’s Custom department had completed this modification previously, it was the first time it had applied the technology and functionality onto a mobile piece of equipment.
"RCT was very professional and came up with a package that suited our requirements, combining the two attachments on the one machine allows the site to increase productivity as there’s no need to change machines”
- Greg Ling, Savage River’s Mobile Maintenance Manager
RCT’s expertise were also called upon to develop and install a remote package to Savage River’s Hitachi EX1900 excavator used for the larger jobs on site in areas that were not safely accessible for operators.
By installing remotes on mobile machinery such as excavators, it removes operators from the cab of a machine operating in a potentially dangerous environment and allows the site to continue to work efficiently.
Mr Ling said there were numerous benefits to progressing with Smart Technology company RCT, including the local support provided which ensure any downtime was kept to a minimum.
“We were fortunate to regularly deal with the same Brisbane-based technician over the years and as a result he is highly regarded amongst the team,” he said.
“In addition to this, the training received from RCT was excellent. In turn, it enabled us to complete the minor services needed on the systems ourselves.”
“All in all, the RCT systems are generally trouble-free and easy-to-use. All the systems have provided Savage River with the tools necessary to carry out high-risk work, while keeping our people safe, allowing them to operate mobile machinery away in either a dedicated remote station or a Landcruiser troop carrier,” said Mr Ling.
RCT’s expansion into the USA is proving to be a successful venture for the company and the community in which it’s based.
The Salt Lake City branch in Utah opened its doors late last year to support existing and future clients and partners in the North American region.
For 45 years, RCT has supplied mining solutions to the industry around the world and as miners look to innovate the surface and underground mining processes; the interest in our suite of solutions is continually growing.
“The demand overseas, especially in North America is significant and establishing a base there to support our customers on a local level was of the utmost importance to us, the last several months have been exciting for RCT and the staff based at the branch.”
Brett White, RCT’s Executive Director and CEO
The opening of this branch has provided RCT with the opportunity to employ experienced professionals from the Utah area.
“We are proud to be able to create local job opportunities for the Salt Lake City community,” he said.
While RCT is well-known for its automation and remote control systems, it’s a powerhouse of solutions with five sub-brands catering to machine protection and health, fleet management, machine data collection and reporting in addition to a large range of specialised parts and accessories to help increase productivity, profitability and safety.
RCT’s solutions are unique, as they can be installed on any mobile machine; regardless of make, model or brand.
“It’s our universal capability and aftercare support that sets us apart from the competition,” added Mr White.
“In addition to this, if we don’t have an off-the-shelf solution that caters to the client’s needs, we have a designated Custom department that can design and build a bespoke solution."
The branch is conveniently located in Midvale, Utah - just 20 minutes from Salt Lake City airport.
Large crowds flocked to Elko recently for one of the oldest and most respected mining expos held in the US, and RCT was proud to take part for the second year in a row.
“This year’s Elko Mining expo definitely seemed bigger and better than previous year’s events, the event proved to be a great platform to meet with new and existing clients in Nevada.The area is well-known for its mining and it’s exciting for RCT take part in these events and convey what we can do for mining companies operating in this area.”
Greg Kerr, RCT’s USA Account Manager
The two-day event was a great opportunity for the team to showcase RCT’s control and automation, fleet management and engine protection solutions.
“It was also a chance to educate visitors on our custom solution capabilities, the accredited training we provide and of course RCT’s service and maintenance,” said Mr Kerr.
“Our booth really stood out from competitors as our offering is extensive – we offer the full package to our clients which make us unique in this market.”
The Elko Mining Expo in as annual event that draws crowds from near and far and RCT is looking forward to participating again next year.
RCT has been active with the American mining market for years and its involvement with the upcoming Elko Mining Expo reinforces this commitment.
The event is one of the oldest and most respected mining expos held in the United States and RCT is proud to take part in this event again for 2017.
The annual event is expected to attract about 8,000 people from home and abroad to the Elko Convention and Conference Centre from June 8 – 9.
RCT’s USA Account Manager Greg Kerr and Service Manager Thomas Laverty will be exhibiting, showcasing the company’s large range of solutions that are helping to increase productivity and profitability in mining.
Come and speak to the team at booth 707.
RCT’s debut at the largest mining show in Northern Ontario, the Canadian Mining Expo provided the team with an excellent opportunity to meet with the local mining community.
Also known locally as the Big Event, the two-day expo attracted about 400 exhibitors, coming together to showcase their expertise to the mining giants in the area and abroad.
Held at the McIntyre Arena and Community Centre in Timmins, the event proved to be the ideal platform for RCT to not only showcase its extensive range of solutions helping to increase productivity and profitability in the mining industry but to reinforce the fact that we now can provide local support.
“Our office in Ontario is now open and we feel it’s important to be at these events to support the local industry, this was our second expo in Canada with our ControlMaster® Guidance simulator and again it was a hit with visitors. It always provides a great talking point with everyone keen to try the technology for themselves.”
Andrew Sells, RCT’s Parts and Sales Support Manager
In addition to RCT’s Independent Guidance solution, there was a lot of interest in the protection systems and specialised spare parts.
RCT’s Founder Bob Muirhead was awarded Champion of Innovation for 2017 at the Austmine Industry Leader’s Dinner and Awards Dinner held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre recently.
The prestigious award is Austmine’s acknowledgement of individuals who have pioneered and championed innovation to help make the mining industry what it is today, and it’s safe to say Bob has played a big part in the journey throughout his illustrious career.
The Australian mining icon has been instrumental in driving mining safety and productivity through the development of innovative solutions including the Muirhead® Smart Protection and ControlMaster® remote control systems – both of which are highly regarded within the industry today.
Bob’s career began in 1962 as an electrical fitting apprentice at the Great Boulder Mines on the Golden Mile before he started an electrical contracting business.
By 1972 Bob’s focus was on creating systems and products for heavy duty machines.
"Many of the machines on mine sites had poor electrical systems which would cause endless problems and result in unnecessary downtime,” he said.
Bob saw the opportunity to improve systems and protect machines operating in harsh conditions and the Muirhead® Smart Protection systems were created.
"They would have to be one of my favourite innovations to date; simply because it is where it all started.”
Bob Muirhead, RCT’s Founder
Bob’s focus soon shifted to encompass a broader range of products which saw the establishment of technology manufacturing business, RCT. Today, RCT has solutions spanning five industry proven brands that are distributed globally to improve mine production, safety and deliver overall measurable improvements.
Bob is well-known for undertaking any challenge with unwavering enthusiasm which is both contagious and inspiring to everyone he meets including RCT’s research and development team, in which he is still actively involved with today.
The Champion of Innovation award has only been bestowed once previously in Austmine’s history and Bob was worthy of this recognition having devoted his life to innovating in the mining industry.
“It was a humbling experience to be recognised by others in the industry for something that has been a lifelong interest and passion,” said Bob.
The modest award recipient added that the recognition was not just a reflection of his vision, but also of the talent, dedication and hard work of the entire RCT team.
During his acceptance speech, Bob also thanked his wife and acknowledged how instrumental Austmine has been in recognising the value of the METS sector to the Australian economy.
RCT had a busy time exhibiting at Chilean mining exhibition, Exponor! The team joined partners Fasser and Power Train Technologies in showcasing RCT’s range of solutions over the course of five days.
It was the first time RCT has teamed with Fasser at an expo following the formalisation of the partnership last year.
Fasser is the South American distributor for RCT’s auto-electrical and protection systems and fleet management solutions that are assisting their customers to increase profit by optimising the performance of their existing fleets.
“There was a lot of interest in RCT’s range of solutions throughout the duration of the event,” said RCT’s Parts Sales Support Manager, Andrew Sells.
Andrew was joined by RCT’s Product Manager, Dave Holman and South American BDM, Martin Vega who helped to convey the importance of profit boosting solutions in the Chilean mining industry.
RCT’s fleet management, engine protection and electrical solutions were exhibited throughout the duration of the event and they were certainly well-received.
“RCT is a global company and these events provide the ideal platform to reach a wider audience,” said Mr Sells.
About 42,000 visitors attended the exhibition held at the Antofagasta Industrial Association Event and Community Activity Ground.
“The crowds certainly kept us busy for the duration of the event. We had a large number of visitors stop by the stand each day,” said Mr Sells.
“Our products are of genuine interest to the South American mining market as they are looking for proven solutions that can be adapted to their existing machinery to improve bottom-line-profit.”
“In addition, RCT’s solutions can be adapted to any machine, regardless of make or model, which is ideal for those sites operating mixed fleets.”
This is the same for RCT’s remote control solutions which also made an appearance at the expo at Power Train Technologies’ stand where the ControlMaster® ATX2200 was the topic of discussion.
The versatile remote can be integrated to any mobile mining machine to take the operator from the driver’s seat and allow them to have full control and functionality from a safe location away from any potential danger. Typically used on surface mines throughout the world, the ATX2200 is helping to significantly increase productivity by reducing operator fatigue and increasing the number of working hours on site.
All of RCT’s solutions created a lot of interest and Exponor 2017 proved to be great opportunity for all involved!