A prominent mine in New South Wales, Australia, took a significant step forward in the modernisation of their equipment and operations by going digital with RCT - Powered by Epiroc.
Renowned for extracting tin, lead, and zinc, the site's commitment to innovation has led to this upgrade which will ensure greater efficiency, safety, and sustainability on site.
For years, the site has successfully operated a fleet of CAT 2900s using RCT’s analogue system.
Recently the decision was made to transition their production fleet of CAT 2900s to a full digital system - AutoNav Lite, allowing the site access to enhanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance.
Operators control the Automated LHD machines from customised Telecabins, mounted to Toyota Land Cruiser Utilities.
Now, with the implementation of a digital operation, they can monitor machinery status, from these vehicles without needing to go back to a central control room to observe/diagnose the LHD information.
This significantly increases operational efficiency and improves safety by reducing the time workers spend in potentially hazardous underground areas.
Although these cabins were already in operation, they underwent a customised digital hardware upgrade to meet the site’s specific needs. This included network management, and connectivity, ensuring that even the most remote areas of the mine are always connected.
The site’s move to digital is only the beginning. The company plans to continue refining and enhancing its systems to further optimise machine performance. With new hardware and technology being developed at a rapid pace, the mine owner has an eye on further innovations that will keep the mine at the forefront of the industry.
This digital transition not only strengthens the mine’s operational capabilities but also positions the site as a leader in mining innovation adoption.
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Emma Young, RCT Communications Officer
RCT is looking for a qualified tradesperson to join our dynamic team in Kewdale, Western Australia.
RCT are the leader in mobile mining automation technology, and we are looking to build the technical team who are responsible for the design of specialised projects.
Start your career now with RCT!
What we’re looking for:
Everything you need to know about the role:
RCT is the global leader in designing Smart Technology for mobile mining and Industrial equipment. We are the leading provider of Automation and Control solutions for all mobile equipment in the mining industry. We have an extensive range of solutions spanning five sub-brands, all of which deliver our clients increased productivity, profitability, and safety.
If you enjoy being on the go and working in a small friendly team, then this is the job for you!
If you would like to be considered for this position, please email your cover letter and resume to: xxxxxxxxxx@xxx-xxxxxx.xxx
RCT’s Mount Isa Branch Field Service Technician, Jake Saliba has taken out the 2024 Light Automotive Apprentice of the Year at the recent Tafe Queensland’s Trade Excellence Awards held recently.
The award recognises Jake as an outstanding trade student for the region and was presented in a ceremony held at TAFE Queensland’s Mount Isa campus.
Jake, who started with RCT in early 2019 was one of the first apprentices the Queensland branch had, had in years and has proven to be a great asset to the team.
This was Jake’s second Apprenticeship he has embarked on, with the first being his electronics and communications trade. This second apprenticeship will solidify his place in his chosen field.
Nominated by Mount Isa Branch Manager, Danny Ballard for a myriad of positive reasons and stated Jake has displayed a commitment to professional development from the outset.
“The knowledge that Jake has amassed during the course of his apprenticeship has provided him with invaluable insight about how RCT's products integrate with the electrical systems on light vehicles and heavy earthmoving equipment for the purposes of condition monitoring, function control, and operator feedback,” said Mr Ballard.
Jake said he has really enjoyed his role at RCT over the last five years and everything he has learned.
“Its most enjoyable to be able to apply my learning to real-life scenarios on mining machinery at mine sites we service in the Mount Isa region,” he said.
The Light Automotive Apprentice of the Year said he appreciated the nomination, as it was a great recognition of all his hard work.
He added that he enjoyed the work he did but a big part of that is because he gets to work with such a great team at the Mount Isa branch.
“They’re a great bunch of people and hard workers and we all get along really well.”
Prior to undertaking his Automotive Apprenticeship, Jake completed his electronics and communications trade and will complete this second apprenticeship as an auto electrician next year.
Mr Ballard added that Jake exemplifies the model employee - he's punctual, motivated, highly competent, and possess great interpersonal communication skills.
“In short, Jake is the consummate professional and everyone at RCT Mount Isa is grateful for his ongoing contribution to our team and we're very proud to support him through this chapter in his professional journey.”
The RCT team couldn’t be prouder of Jake’s thoroughly deserved achievement.
Efficiency and productivity have increased significantly at a Western Australian Gold and Copper mine thanks to the implementation of RCT’s Digital, Autonomous technology across its mobile mining fleet.
The site was no stranger to RCT’s state-of-the-art autonomous solution, having benefitted from our analogue technology for many years before the latest upgrade.
The decision to transform operations was made to future proof themselves with RCT’s latest digital solution.
The project involved transitioning a mixed machine fleet consisting of three existing Sandvik 514 loaders and two 1700 CAT loaders. The technology upgrade utilises RCT’s Connect - the full-scale digital communications solution that is designed to meet the demands of autonomous machines in real-time for both existing and future fleet needs.
“RCT’s innovative technology ensures all remote loaders on site can operate autonomously now and well into the future,” said RCT Account Manager, Scott Phillips.
As well as improved operating efficiencies, the upgrade in technology has enabled operators to remote from the mine’s surface.
While the technology implementation is still relatively new, a spokesperson from the mine said there have been a myriad of benefits so far.
“Managing the fleet from the surface or "hot seating" has boosted production. Capturing the lost time from shift change and continued operations over firing has tangibly improved our remote productivity,” said the mine site’s spokesperson.
“In addition to this, the digital system is proving to be a very reliable and easy to manage solution,” they added.
The changes have been well-received by our operators with improved picture quality following the digital upgrade.
RCT’s digital solution also paves the way for multiple machine control which was also a deciding factor for the upgrade.
“This particular mine site is known for its long production drives so having one operator operate multiple machines simultaneously will allow the operation to dramatically increase productivity – it’s the perfect scenario,” said Mr Phillips.
“This progressive mine site is now set up to introduce RCT’s latest features as they are released,” he added.
The industry’s largest global mining event is nearly upon us and RCT is gearing up to showcase at the world-renowned MINExpo held in Las Vegas, Nevada USA.
From September 24 – 26, RCT and be found at booth 11075 where we will be showcasing our industry-leading agnostic automation for both the surface and underground mine sites, our state-of-the-art Collision Avoidance and MIC as well as our Data and Information Systems.
“RCT is invested in advancing businesses by integrating our state-of-the-art solutions designed for any machine make or model and this is what makes us stand apart from our competitors,” said RCT’s Global Development Manager, Ryan Noden.
“This and the fact we support our clients and solutions throughout the process is also what sets us apart from our competitors,” he added.
This year’s MINExpo’s tagline is “Innovation lives here” which sums up what RCT has done for the last 50 years, to remain cutting-edge.
RCT’s main attraction will be our two Automation Centres at the booth, one displaying our automation at work on the surface of a mine and an underground environment.
As well as exploring all our cutting-edge solutions on display, available for all mobile mining machines, regardless of make or models, there is the opportunity to meet with RCT’s team of industry experts.
This includes, RCT’s Executive Director and Founder, Bob Muirhead who has more than 50 years’ experience in the industry, inventing, producing and refining mining technology solutions to improve safety and productivity on sites.
Joining Bob will be our experienced and knowledgeable sales team from RCT’s branches all over the world including, Ryan Noden, Aaron McIntosh and Kole Paulin. In addition to this, our Product Specialists Brendon Cullen and Andrew Sells will be on hand to answer any of your questions.
If you would like to reach out and book an appointment with one of the team, please register your interest by emailing: xxxxxxxxx@xxx-xxxxxx.xxx. Otherwise, we look forward to welcoming you to our booth and help you explore our transformative, agnostic solutions at MINExpo next month.
Capcoal Mine in Central Queensland is leading the way in safety with the implementation of RCT’s cutting-edge technology.
Located in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland, it is a combined open pit and underground operation that produces coal.
This industry-leading project has seen the site implement RCT’s Teleremote technology on a Komatsu D475 dozer, allowing operators to relocate from the cab of the machine to the safety of a Remote Operations Centre (ROC) situated nearby.
RCT’s technology was chosen as it is a proven, agnostic solution that will safeguard dozer operators working in hazardous areas.
“Feed valves on stockpiles are a known industry hazard,” said Brisbane’s Project Manager, Jared Collard.
“The edge of the live feed cone of coal stockpiles are known for being unstable environments. Remote operation of dozers removes the coal mine worker from any exposure to this hazard,” he added.
For this project, the standard tele-remote control configuration included a few additional customisations to meet the client’s specific needs.
This included the implementation of geofencing around the dozer’s operating zone, ensuring it remained in the boundaries of the dedicated working area.
Self-cleaning cameras was also an additional upgrade, giving operators improved visualisation on the coal stockpile so the operators could spot any potential hazards from the remote control room.
RCT was asked to provide custom interfaces to the CAS Warning System and Emergency stop button to allow operators to shut down the feeder from the ROC if necessary.
An existing, portable building was repurposed to house the RCT ROC site for sustainability and cost-saving reasons.
System training was provided to the on-site operators and the maintenance team to ensure competency and site self-sufficiency.
Mr Collard said the project was a great example of a mine being proactive with the safety of its operators front of mind.
The technology has been operational on site since January and the feedback so far has been positive with plans to implement the technology on more dozers on other sites in the future, said RCT Account Manager John Capehart.
“The site itself has set themselves their own goals to meet and they are reaching them with operators taking up the technology well.”
“This solution really does eliminate exposure to a well-known hazard that the coal industry has been struggling to find a solution to,” he added.
“It was a major step to eliminate risk."
Hillgrove Resources’ (ASX: HGO) Kanmantoo Copper Mine not only recently came out of care and maintenance, but it transitioned from previous open pit mining operations to underground mining with the help of RCT.
It was this change in the method of mining that saw Hillgrove Resources implement automation technology on site to safeguard its operators as they converted to targeting resources underground.
RCT was chosen for the job and our state-of-the-art Automation was installed on two of its CAT2900 Load Haul Dump machines.
The implementation of this technology has allowed operators to operate the machines from the safety of an Automation Centre, located away from the active mining area.
“Removing the operators from the working area safeguards them,” said RCT’s Account Manager, Phill Dean.
The project was well structured and executed with RCT’s technology solution which makes it streamlined for any mine site.
In addition to this, training was carried out with operators and maintenance teams on site to ensure they could be self-sufficient with the technology and allowing them to get the most from the technology.
Our talented Field Service Technician, Dan Soh took the lead with the first LHD/Tele Cabin conversion installation and was recognised by the client for his exceptional skill set.
“He was able to answer all the clients’ questions and installed the technology and cabin on time with minimal assistance,” said Mr Dean.
Hillgrove Resources have also requested RCT complete another install on a third site-based machine currently in the final stages of completion.
The drill and blast method of surface mining just got a whole lot safer thanks to Jevons Robotics and RCT.
The companies joined forces to deliver a safer alternative to carrying out blast quality assurance, loading or stemming, replacing it with a single battery electric machine able to carry out the process on any bench condition including severely contoured or cavity filled ground.
Jevons Robotics can now deliver explosives or stemming via their ARTEV6000 product using an RCT’s remote control set either via Line-of-Sight or Teleremote control.
Implementing this technology has eliminated the need for personnel to conduct quality assurance or load the blast holes manually which removes exposure hours associated with highwalls, cavities and fatigue.
RCT’s Custom Manager David Wright said this project was different to any job done before and therefore our specialised bespoke department given the job.
“It is the first time we have remote controlled this type of vehicle carrying out this job scope,” said Mr Wright.
“We were able to use standard loader code, getting it on the machine and talking to the machine,” he said when asked about the execution of the project.
The job, in its manual state is well-known as being high-risk which also makes the role difficult to not only recruit for but then retain the staff.
“The great thing about the Jevons platform is that it can be used for a variety of applications on a mine site to remove additional hazards and its flexibility Is something that will bring great value to the industry, so we were so pleased to be able to work together on it.”
Jevons Robotics CEO Todd Peate said that when Jevons were looking for a teleop and line-of-sight capability we were immediately drawn to the established competency of RCT and its deep experience in mining.
“We wanted a solution that eased our customers mind on automating this process and we certainly have that with RCT,” said Todd.
Today, RCT’s agnostic Automation can be found at many of Barminco’s operations throughout the Goldfields region, and now there is one more to add with the completion of our most recent project at IGO’s Nova mine.
Despite the site's existing automation infrastructure, when it came time for upgrading, RCT Automation was selected as the preferred supplier by Barminco, which is a subsidiary of global mining services group, Perenti.
“Technology and innovation are a key focus for Barminco, and we appreciated the simplicity of the RCT Automation solution—quicker setup times and ease of use for our operators,” said Darren Kwok, Head of Mining Electrification and Technology for Perenti Contract Mining.
The loaders are operated from the safety and comfort of Automation Centres which have been situated both underground and on the surface of the mine.
To enhance sustainability and cost-efficiency, existing cabins were repurposed, meticulously refurbished at RCT’s Kalgoorlie branch.
“The cabins required sandblasting and painting before we lined them with fridge panelling and fitted them out with RCT’s state-of-art ergonomic chair and operations centre,” said Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe.
In addition to providing agnostic, state-of-the-art automation, RCT was able to work with Barminco to utilise both the existing underground communications technology and supplement it with the RCT connect to ensure we provide the best and most cost-effective solution for the client.
Because RCT is a full-service company as well as supplying and installing the technology, the team provided extensive operator training to empower site and ensure self-sufficiency with the technology. This commitment to client support aligns with RCT’s ethos of providing comprehensive local assistance.
“We have a good working relationship with RCT, and this extends beyond just the service delivery and project delivery,” said Darren.
“Outcomes from the project have been positive and we have worked collaboratively with RCT to ensure any operational concerns raised were reviewed and their product offering improved based on our feedback,” Darren added.
RCT’s Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe said it was a pleasure to complete this project with the Barminco team based at Nova.
“From the beginning to the end, everyone was well organised, communicated well and had a common vision of making this transition as seamless to the mining team as possible,” he said.
“When two companies have the same goal of implementing quality products into a technology focused operation, they will always be successful, and that was certainly the case at Nova.”
“We are looking forward to working with Barminco over the coming months to assess the impact that the project has had,” added Rick
Barminco has enlisted RCT to carry out what is believed to be the world’s first agnostic remote installation on CAT’s Hybrid underground loader.
The mining services company will be using the R2900XE loader which has a diesel engine and electric driveline at the IGO-owned Spotted Quoll underground mine.
“Technology and innovation are two of Barminco’s core components, so it made sense they chose RCT to carry out the installation of this automation project,” said RCT’s Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe.
“We are receiving a lot of interest in this project as it is a hybrid loader which reduces fuel burn resulting in low diesel particulates which is something companies are looking at doing to mine more sustainably in the future,” he said.
This project is currently underway with RCT’s Kalgoorlie branch completing the installation.
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