In a world-first technology project, global mining company PT Freeport Indonesia has rolled out a fully autonomous fleet of mobile rockbreakers at its West Papuan mine in partnership with smart technology specialist RCT.
PT Freeport’s industry-leading corporate policies mandate safer mining practices to remove personnel from working in areas of the Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) and Deep Mill Level Zone (DMLZ) which are prone to wet muck rushes.
To fulfill this safety-driven mandate PT Freeport engaged RCT to implement its fully autonomous ControlMaster® Guidance product across the rockbreaker fleet.
This project is the first time ControlMaster® Guidance – which has more than 8 million hours of autonomous operation across Load Haul Dump (LHD) production fleets – has integrated with mobile rockbreakers.
The successful rollout of the rockbreaker fleet yet again demonstrates that ControlMaster® is a truly interoperable solution and can integrate with any machine make or model.
PT Freeport worked closely with RCT’s dedicated onsite technical team to commission the four mobile rockbreakers and extensively tested the machines in the underground panel cave mines.
The work forms part of PT Freeport’s overall mandate for RCT to automate the mine’s diverse underground ancillary fleet which includes the mobile rockbreakers, Getman Water Carts and Cat clean-up LHD machines.
In line with PT Freeport Indonesia’s overall mine development plan the fully autonomous ancillary fleet will operate in a designated Autonomous Mining Area (AMA) within GBC and DMLZ.
Going forward, machine operators will manage the ancillary fleet via ControlMaster® Automation Centres located within the state-of-the-art Remote Operations Room (ROR) on the mine’s surface.
By utilising the Automation Centre’s Multi Fleet Select (MFS) capability operators can switch control of the mobile rockbreakers, water carts or clean-up loaders in line with changing fleet requirements at short notice.
Working from the ROR safeguards machine operators from hazards found at the mine face and enables “hot-seating” which significantly reduces shift handover time across fleet operations.
RCT Account Manager Shane Smith said the technology significantly optimises mobile rockbreaker fleet operations in addition to safeguarding the machine operators.
“PT Freeport is a very innovative company and continually invests in new technologies to evolve their mining operations and RCT is very pleased to guide them on this journey,” Mr Smith said.
“The mobile rockbreakers are utilised in the extraction level draw points to clear larger rocks however these draw points are prone to wet muck rushes which represented a significant safety hazard to site personnel.”
“Initially, we commissioned the rockbreakers with our ControlMaster® Teleremote solution which allowed machine operators to directly manage the machine from the ROR.”
“ControlMaster® Guidance enables independent fleet operations including faster tramming and consistent machine operations and prevents the machine from impacting against the walls of very narrow draw points.”
“This solution reduces unplanned machine maintenance downtime while consistent machine operations allow for better planning and forecasting activities.”
RCT experienced Customer Service team will continue to work with site personnel to support the technology as the mine evolves.
Unlocking access to data produced by your mobile equipment fleet has never been easier thanks to RCT’s latest innovation, which captures vital and previously withheld machine information.
The RCT EarthTrack® Machine Data Gateway (MDG) provides mobile equipment owners with the freedom to access important data streams on their fleet performance without needing to engage with machine manufacturers to obtain the information.
The unified hardware platform harvests vital data streams on the behaviour, durability and lifespan of machine systems and can dramatically alter machine fleet activity, operator behaviour and maintenance requirements.
As with all RCT’s solutions, the MDG is technologically agnostic and can integrate with any type of machine make or model, making the solution ideal for companies that operate mixed fleets.
Data is presented in various ways depending on the machine. This means businesses may have to interact with multiple platforms and data formats. Whereas the MDG will unify and translate the data from each machine, and collate it into a single, easy-to-interpret format.
Once stored, companies have endless choices available to analyse data. They can interface the data with their chosen business analytics software and transform the information into actionable directives to advance productivity.
“The challenge has always been the collection of the broad spectrum of data being generated by machines. This is no longer the case with MDG. Also, businesses will no longer be limited to accessing the data that the OEM ultimately chooses to release,” said RCT’s Mining and Resources Product Manager Mick Tanner.
“Utilising the MDG, our clients will have the freedom to access data to advise changes in areas such as machine component lifespans, service needs and changeout requirements.”
“By harnessing the power of the MDG, companies will no longer be locked into the service regimes dictated by the machine OEM.”
“No matter what machine brand or third-party system an operation has, data is delivered in a consolidated format. The information will allow them to determine what works best for their specific requirements, at all times.”
The MDG works seamlessly with an API to provide information from the work site to a company’s server or cloud-based information system.
As the MDG creates its own unique meshed network, it transfers data between each piece of equipment which eliminates the need for expensive communications infrastructure on site.
“It ensures vital information is not missed at times where communications are fragmented or dropped out,” Mr Tanner said.
The MDG is equally suited to installations with a more permanent network infrastructure to safeguard the retainment of important information for business analytics.
With a permanent network infrastructure, the product guarantees the successful delivery of real-time information at all times.
Machine Data Gateway is the one solution every business needs to obtain total access to unlimited raw data. And, by processing it, businesses can get deeper insights to identify how to improve fleet operations in the long term, and ultimately improve bottom lines.
Learn more about the MDG here.