In a proactive move to further enhance safety in surface mining operations, Glencore’s McArthur River Mine (MRM) has successfully trialled RCT’s Remote Shutdown System on a grader and bulldozer and has now committed to installing the system on an additional five bulldozers.
As one of the world’s largest zinc and lead deposits, MRM operates heavy machinery in dynamic and often unpredictable conditions. The decision to trial the system was driven by the need for a rapid, remote shutdown capability in emergency situations.
“Bulldozers and graders are among the most difficult pieces of mining equipment to mount and dismount safely,” said RCT’s Mt Isa Branch Manager, Danny Ballard.
“In an emergency, reaching the operator can be extremely dangerous, especially if the machine is still running. That’s where our remote shutdown system makes a critical difference, allowing personnel to safely bring the machine to a stop without direct contact.”
Mr Ballard added that RCT offers a suite of safety and automation solutions tailored for bulldozers, including protection systems, ladder controllers, and advanced tele-remote and autonomous dozing capabilities.
“With the industry continuing to see bulldozer-related incidents, it’s vital that we equip operators and sites with technology that reduces risk and improves control,” he said.
RCT’s Remote Shutdown System is a robust, secure remote control solution that enables nearby personnel to manually shut down a machine in the event of an emergency—particularly if an operator is incapacitated or in distress.
The system is OEM-agnostic, meaning it can be installed on any make or model of machine, giving operators maximum flexibility.
“It’s about stopping a dangerous situation from escalating and this system allows emergency intervention without putting others at risk,” Mr Ballard said.
“It should be a standard safety feature on all bulldozers and graders,” he added.
According to Mr Ballard, this is the first time RCT’s Mt Isa branch has fitted the Remote Shutdown System to machines at nearby mines, but he expects it won’t be the last.
“With the kind of safety improvements this product offers, it’s clear these installations are going to be in demand across many more mine sites,” he said.
The success of the installation at McArthur River Mine also comes down to the people involved.
Jake Saliba, the RCT technician who led the fit-out, was praised by Glencore site personnel for his professionalism and capability.
“Jake’s conduct and performance on site were a key reason the job continued smoothly,” said Mr Ballard.
“His work was well received by the team, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”
The installation comes as the mining industry continues to reckon with bulldozer-related incidents.
In Queensland alone, 19 bulldozer rollovers were reported between 2022 and 2023, many during routine activities like floor clean-ups and rehabilitation work.
These incidents have occurred in various operating conditions, highlighting the unpredictable nature of heavy machinery in dynamic environments.
While the current rollout focuses on bulldozers, RCT sees strong potential for expanding the technology to other high-risk machines such as excavators.
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Emma Young, RCT Communications Officer
RCT and Epiroc are proud to announce it has powered together to deliver Boddington Mine site a state-of-the-art camera solution for its SmartROC D65 Drill Rig.
The Newmont-owned gold mine resides in Western Australia and is no stranger to RCT, having worked with the company for well over the last decade.
As a result, a numerous array of RCT solutions can be found on site. This ranges from a water cart remote refill technology , Teleremote dozer, silent horn systems (which can be found across most of the HME fleet), protection safety solutions and various camera systems.
The most recent project, which is currently underway will have RCT deliver a fit-for-purpose camera solution to allow operators to get a clear and accurate vision of the Epiroc drill rig they are operating within the day-to-day mining production.
“The camera vision package is a combination of fixed digital cameras, self-cleaning cameras and Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) which RCT’s Custom department will formalise all together into a reliable network distribution package,” said RCT’s Account Manager, Phill Dean.
These cameras will display vision from the drill rig to three 43-inch screens at the Epiroc based RCS.
“The drill is being used in close proximity to the high walls of the pit and the camera as a package is enabling the operator to be empowered to be both safe and productive,” he added.
Stay tuned for more to come on this project…
A well-known mine in New South Wales now operates an autonomous dozer fleet safely and efficiently thanks to the deployment of RCT’s latest solutions.
The technology empowers equipment operators to stand at a safe vantage point overlooking the work zone and direct the dozer fleet to maintain a tailings dam wall on site.
The project means the autonomous dozers can push the top of the tailings dam wall and work close to edges in a way that was impossible to achieve safely with operators in the machine’s cab.
Mine management selected RCT’s ControlMaster® solution over global OEM tenders due to the technology’s ability to be repurposed to other mining equipment based on changing fleet demands in the future.
RCT’s Customer Service team recently mobilised to the site and commissioned ControlMaster® onto two Cat D8T dozers and are continuing to support the site on an ongoing basis.
RCT Account Manager Wayne Carrington said the project is just the latest in a successful business relationship with the mine which stretches back many years.
“We are very pleased to provide the site with fit-for-purpose technology which safeguards their personnel while enabling them to complete vital works,” he said.
“The feedback from site has been very positive with the operators loving the functionality of the solution and management is reporting that they are meeting their targets.”
“The ControlMaster® technology is vital to the success of this tailings dam project but in the future, the solution can easily be integrated with any other piece of mining equipment and provide additional benefits to the mine.”
A major gold mining company in the Republic of Kazakhstan is operating a CAT D10T dozer on RCT’s state-of-the-art technology to improve safety and productivity on site.
RCT worked with its local technology partner Borusan Makina Kazakhstan to commission its ControlMaster® solution. RCT provided the technical support remotely to Borusan technicians who implemented the technology package for Altyntau Kokshetau LLP at their Kokshetau mine in the Vasilkovskoye gold ore field.
Unlike most complex Original Equipment Manufacturer packages the ControlMaster® solution does not require specialist engineering work onsite and has a proven history of integrating quickly with any type of machine.
Going forward, site personnel will utilise the technology package and direct the dozer to work in hazardous locations under high walls and near ledges.
In the event of a rock fall the machine operator will be located in a safe vantage point and not in proximity to the dozer.
RCT Business Development Manager – CIS, Stephen Macarow said the project has been a great success.
“The mine site knows RCT is a trusted and reliable supplier and can provide proven technology solutions for their particular needs,” he said.
“Our technology is simple to install and use on any type of machine and we have empowered the mine site with the information they need to work independently.”
“We empowered Borusan’s local technicians with real-time international technical support as well as translated documentation which when combined ensured a smooth installation and commissioning process.
“Going forward, Borusan technicians will provide local support to the mine site and will be backed up by RCT’s international customer service team.”
“We have worked with mining companies in the CIS region for more than 20 years and this project is just the latest success story in a long line of projects.”
RCT provided a comprehensive webinar-based training package run by one of their specially-qualified trainers who had particular experience using ControlMaster® on a mine site.
The trainer conducted theory-based teaching in a classroom as well as practical hands-on demonstrations and through a VPN network carried out testing and diagnostics on the dozer onsite.
RCT’s trainer provided training to Borusan Makina maintenance personnel and a separate course for machine operators at the mine site.
Operation practical training on the machine was provided by Borusan instructor Azat Mizambayev with the support of Altyntau project chief of monitoring group Demyan Stassyuk on the competitions and testing field.
The training will empower the machine operators to utilise the technology to its maximum capacity and for Borusan Makina technicians to provide world-class local servicing.
RCT is committed to set the highest industry standards of customer support, including training, fleet servicing, repairs, maintenance, installation and parts supply, all to ensure customers’ operations are running at an optimum pace.
World-leading autonomous solutions specialist RCT has completed a project to commission its technology on dozers at a major gold mining operation in Papua New Guinea.
RCT has installed and commissioned its market-leading ControlMaster® Line-of-Sight solution onto two Komatsu D275 dozers at the client’s gold mine.
The technology packages will enable the mine operator to clear landslip in the mine’s central pit.
Going forward the site’s machine operators can stand at a safe distance and direct the dozers to operate beneath the pit’s highwall.
RCT Account Manager Wayne Carrington said the solution is an integral part of safe mine operations.
“Mine management are pleased that they can undertake necessary activities within the central pit while ensuring dozer operators are safe,” he said.
RCT will provide training to machine operators and ongoing after sales support as required.
RCT’s Smart Technology solutions are helping to improve safety at Newcrest’s Lihir open cut mine in Papua New Guinea.
The company’s ControlMaster® Teleremote solutions were installed on two CAT 6050 (Terex RH200) hydraulic shovels and two CAT D11T dozers. While RCT’s dealings with dozers are extensive, it is believed to be the first time a company has remote controlled a CAT 6050 (Terex RH200) on Teleremote. The solution removes the operator from the cab of the machine and relocates them to an air-conditioned cabin located outside of the open pit operations, enabling them to carry out work away from the mine face.
Lihir is not only one of the largest gold deposits in the world; it is also located at Luise Caldera: an extinct volcanic crater that is geothermally active. Therefore Newcrest selected RCT’s technology to safeguard operators during the mining process.
In this instance, Newcrest has installed a Control Centre, designed and manufactured by RCT’s Custom department. The station consists of two operator chairs, one equipped with shovel controls and the other with dozer controls to ensure that the machines can be operated simultaneously. Providing operators with a comfortable environment to work in also reduces fatigue and increases productivity. They are still armed with all the functionality and vision they would have if they were actually in the driver’s seat.
“RCT’s level of support and response to our needs during the installation phase, and then afterwards, has been impressive.
This was a pioneering project with many challenges, and this technology has successfully delivered improved levels of safety for our employees,” said Newcrest’s Group Manager Mining Technology, Tony Sprague.
This project is just the start of an overarching mining technology strategy for Newcrest Lihir, and RCT is excited to be part of it.
“It wasn’t a standard installation by any means. It’s a great example of RCT’s extensive capabilities and flexibility when it comes to projects,” said RCT’s Account Manager, Wayne Carrington.
RCT is proud to announce its latest project with a leading diamond producer in Botswana to help improve safety and productivity at its mine sites.
RCT’s ControlMaster® Teleremote solutions will be installed on two Komatsu D475-5EO dozers to safeguard operators utilising the machines on site by removing them from the cab of the machine; allowing them to control the dozers from the safety of mobile Control Centres.
This particular job is being carried out by the company’s specialised bespoke department, RCT Custom and is expected to be deployed in August 2018.
Stay tuned for more on this project…
RCT Custom is creating a bespoke solution to improve safety at South Africa’s Thabazimbi iron ore mine site.
The specialised department will customise the ControlMaster® Teleremote solution for the site’s Komatsu D375A Dozer. While the existing solution, met the clients need, they required it to be portable as well as be integrated with a third-party technology.
This customised solution will increase safety by allowing the operator to control the dozer from a safe vantage point.
Stay tuned for more on this project…
Roy Hill’s multi-billion-dollar iron ore project is now home to the first dynamic multiple Geofence package to have been successfully interfaced to fixed and mobile asset elements within the boundaries of the Coarse Ore Stockpile (COS), and RCT is proud to have played a big part in this momentous achievement.
The Geofence technology was successfully and safely interfaced with two D11T CAT dozers and the radial stacker infrastructure, including the boom which can be maneuvered in multiple directions.
Both dozers were equipped with RCT’s ControlMaster® Teleremote solutions which removed the operator from the machine and relocated them to an operator station, equipped with vision package from the area; allowing them to control all machine functions from an ergonomic, safe environment.
In addition to the five cameras on the dozers, six PTZ cameras were installed at the site on the COS stacker, tertiary crusher infrastructure, and two mobile communications trailers to give operators greater spatial awareness during operation.
The decision to install a virtual perimeter around the dozers stockpile area was to safeguard operators and to ensure the machines can operate in the same area seamlessly without any risk of collision with the fixed stacker infrastructure or the dozers falling into vaults or driving off the stockpile boundary.
The interfacing of all the dynamic elements on the one site was achieved in partnership with SITECH’s Collision Detection technology – Trimble GNSS and RCT Custom – a team dedicated to creating and delivering adaptable, bespoke integrated solutions from the company’s existing technology.
There were a large number of factors that had to be taken into consideration for the Geofence to work effectively.
Multiple workshops and risk assessments were carried out, both independently and most importantly collaboratively to define the Geofence boundaries or virtual perimeters within each element. This included the two dozers, the movement of the stacker boom and the five vaults. The boundaries were also designed to be configurable with the correct level of authorisation in the system, allowing flexibility for the operators.
The SiTrack software was designed to provide the Geofence boundaries, monitor all interactions and provide alerts within the boundaries allowing the RCT system’s semi-autonomous control over the two dozers. This was achieved by using High Precision (HP) GNSS equipment to measure and detect the proximity of the moving assets in the potentially hazardous stockpile to an absolute accuracy of around the +/-25mm range. While the software utilises the accuracies of these solutions, it had to be teamed with a bespoke software solution to provide the operator with the ability to control the dozers, semi-autonomously operating with RCT’s ControlMaster® Teleremote system in order to avoid the possibility of collision between the two dozers and other dynamic elements.
RCT Custom worked with SITECH and Roy Hill to develop and deploy the dynamic Geofence system to interface with the ControlMaster® Teleremote solutions to ensure machine functionality is inhibited by the ControlMaster® system at different levels of detection on the SiTRACK system.
The integration resulted in the creation of a variety of configurable Geofence boundaries within the site to prevent fixed assets and the dozers. Each boundary has different zones to alert the operators of potential danger (green, blue, orange and red).
RCT Custom’s Project Manager David Wright described the project as both challenging and rewarding.
“A number of factors had to be considered throughout the duration of the project. This included integrating Roy Hill’s technical architecture and communications system and designing and creating a number of engineering solutions to meet the requirements,” he said.
The installation, implementation, commissioning and acceptance of the project all involved RCT liaising with numerous departments at Roy Hill including, engineering, operations, mining, maintenance and IT communications teams.
“The process was made easier thanks to everyone’s willingness to work together in a collaborative manner,” said Mr Wright.
With vision being fed from numerous PTZ and dozer cameras, the dozer pitch/roll machine dashboard information and the Trimble tablet display, Roy Hill decided bigger screens were required to cater to the extensive vision available to operators.
As a result, the operator station went from having two, 24-inch screens and a 17-inch Trimble tablet to, two 40-inch curve screens, with a 32-inch display for the Trimble screen. A Trimble tablet was also relocated to the side of the operator chair.
“The bigger screens provide the operators with a better resolution of what they are seeing; giving the dozer operators a more advanced level of information to assist in daily operations,” said Mr Wright.
Carrying out dozer functions via Teleremote control from the operating stations eliminates the risks operators are exposed to at the coarse ore stockpile and processing plant, reduces operator fatigue and as a result increases productivity. In addition, the Teleremote solution allows for multiple views from the dozer, which in turn allows them to be more efficient throughout the duration of their shift as well as minimising machine damage and overall general wear and tear. The downtime associated with shift changes decreases which further aids productivity as there is more time spent in the “driver’s seat.”
In addition to the deployment of the solution, RCT delivered training to ensure the operators maximise the solution’s potential and appropriate site personnel are familiar with how it works. Operators are now trained in Line-of-Sight (which was deployed at the beginning of the project), Teleremote and the Geofence solutions.
A Roy Hill spokesperson said that Teleremote dozers using the Geofence collision avoidance system exemplified what can be achieved through collaboration.
“The Teleremote project had several challenges to be overcome. In particular, the vision package had to be installed within the planned process plant shut intervals – every little step was critical to be rigorously planned for,” the spokesperson said.
“The Geofence system has been customised to suit our requirements at Roy Hill. We established the dynamic boundaries for dozers, fixed stacker boom, cone of throw and COS through several risk assessments with key stakeholder’s engagement, and RCT was very collaborative throughout this process.
“We engaged dozer operators and trainers throughout the development process. Their feedback has been a key to Teleremote dozer’s success.”
“We’ve had very positive feedback from Roy Hill and I’m very proud of what our team was able to achieve,” said Mr Wright.
RCT will continue to work with Roy Hill to further develop and upgrade technology for years to come.
RCT is proud to announce it has joined forces with Roy Hill to deliver profit-boosting automation solutions to the prominent iron ore operator in the Pilbara.
The innovative Smart Technology company has been working with Roy Hill to improve dozer efficiencies with a system that relocates operators to a control station and interfaces two dozers with the coarse ore stockpile stacker infrastructure to ensure machines operate free from potential collisions and damage.
This extensive project was executed by RCT’s Custom team and has been rolled out in three stages; at present it is in the operational readiness for implementation stage.
Stay tuned for more on the project…
