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…
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.
Operations are now more efficient and safer for a Western Australia-based Earth Moving team thanks to the deployment of a ControlMaster® remote-controlled technology package to an Amphiroll Mud Scroller.
The mud scroller, used to aerate the caustic mud of the tailings pond to dry it out, was previously a manual operation requiring two machines operating at one time for personnel safety reasons.
The ControlMaster® Line-of-Sight solution has removed the operator from the cabin and allows them to control the machine from up to 200M line of sight. This custom one-off kit was designed, supplied, and installed by both the Perth Customer Service and RCT Custom team, the company’s designated bespoke solutions department.
“This solution removes operators from any potential danger that could arise from them physically being out on a tailings pond and allows them to instead carry out the task from the safety of a light vehicle located nearby,” said RCT’s Account Manager, Phill Dean.
The introduction of this technology has also dramatically changed how the Mud Scroller is transported to various sites.
“Previously amphirolls were twice the size requiring oversize movement permits and weighed about 18 tonnes so moving this piece of machinery required large multi-lift crane operation.” he said.
“Now, the logistics of moving the small unit is easier and only requires a large tile tray and this in itself reduces mobilisation costs substantially.”
As well as deploying the ControlMaster® technology. RCT designed, manufactured, and installed the EarthTrack® custom dashboard.
“This dashboard was designed to display all the integral information in an easy-to-read format. It will let the operator know the pump pressures, engine temps, fuel level and an overall live health report,” he said.
The new and improved mud scroller remote solution was deployed at the beginning of the year in trials and is being used today with great success to value add to their long-term clients.
Thanks to the deployment of RCT's market-leading digital automation technology, a prominent gold mine in Victoria has been able to achieve major productivity improvements on site.
This transformation has resulted in an upgrade to the site’s mobile equipment fleet capabilities, enabling fully autonomous production loader cycles as well as providing a pathway for future operational improvements.
RCT’s latest ControlMaster® technology empowers site personnel to control the entire fleet from Automation Centres located on the mine’s surface and allows for rapid cross-shift changes.
With RCT’s digital automation offer, machine operators can supervise seven Cat R2900 underground production loaders from the surface, which significantly improves operations.
The ControlMaster® Multiple Machine Control (MMC) feature means an operator can switch between production loaders during auto tramming and supervise specific elements in the load-haul-dump cycle.
RCT Account Manager Wayne Carrington said the team is pleased with the outcomes of this significant package of work on site.
“The project represents the next chapter in a longstanding relationship between the companies with the gold mine having used ControlMaster® across fleet operations for many years now,” he said.
“Our new digital offer will set the site on a pathway to advancing their entire operations and realising strong and consistent productivity gains over the life of the mine.”
“With operators now relocated to the mine’s surface, the technology is demonstrating a new standard of safety for mining personnel.”
“Our technical team have supported the site throughout this transition and we will be here to support site personnel with any future needs as well.”
By Nadav Shemer
RCT, a leading technology solutions provider to the international mining industry says automation is a key factor for all underground mines.
Until recently, the use of automation in underground mines was largely restricted to load-haul-dump (LHD) machines working in isolated, controlled parts of the mine. But all that is changing, according to RCT, a leading supplier of control and automation solutions to the global mining industry.
“Boards and investors are looking at how the mining industry can transition from the traditional mine of four or five years ago to what the mine of the future is going to look like,” says RCT’s global operations manager David Holman.
Safety used to be the main driver for control and automation, but Holman and Ryan Noden, RCT’s global business development manager mining, now see multiple drivers. They say that from an operational perspective, mining companies recognise that automation provides consistency and production efficiency. From a corporate perspective, they note that automation supports ESG (environmental, social and governance) mandates and opportunities for further workforce diversification, removing barriers to entry to some jobs and the industry as a whole. With mining companies starting to implement automation on a wider scale, RCT is seeing an increasing number of requests for assistance in managing the transition from manned operations to widespread autonomous operations.
“A lot of companies are coming to us and asking how they automate their equipment and how we can support their change-management process,” Holman says.
“Mining companies need a structured and well thought-out strategy to successfully automate their mining operation and we are happy to work with companies and develop the right strategy, tailored to their operational outcomes.”
Noden adds that “with the advancements in technology and having the ability to have communication reticulated through the underground environment – it lends itself to applying more automation to other parts of the production cycle.”
While RCT has a long history with automating LHD fleets, it has begun receiving a growing number of requests for automated haulage as well as control solutions for auxiliary equipment such as water trucks and mobile and fixed rock breakers. To address this industry demand, RCT has developed a unique feature called Multi Fleet Select (MFS), which is part of the ControlMaster Automation and Control range. MFS allows equipment operators to control multiple types of machines in the underground mine from a single operator station. RCT has deployed this technology into regions such as Indonesia and the United States.
RCT’s ControlMaster platform is able to achieve this multi-fleet capability due to its technology being fully interoperable. One of RCT’s clients is based in Indonesia and has successfully automated rockbreakers, watercarts and haul trucks operating from a single operator station which has been seamlessly integrated into the mine’s digital network.
Noden says interoperability has become a key driver for all miners and technology suppliers need to offer interoperable solutions that meet this demand by integrating across multiple different operating systems and allow flexibility of choice when miners seek solutions and systems that will deliver business improvements. He says mining companies do not want to be constrained by a single OEM system or ecosystem as they look to add technology to their operation.
Flexibility to add machine automation over a digital mine network, integrated to the mine’s production system of choice, is driving change towards the mine of the future, Noden says.
Mining companies are also looking past conventional mining operational models and exploring how mining operations can be potentially supported via remote operations centres. Challenges exist for operating remotely to the mine, but as technology improves those challenges will be overcome.
“One challenge is the interaction between automated machines and manned equipment. That is where a lot of development focus is, on how do we develop technologies that will allow such interactions to occur,” Noden says.
“Ore bodies are going deeper and to support operational people at these lower levels, mines required adequate ventilation. Having automated battery-electric machines on a secure and reliable network means people aren’t required to be underground.
“This reduces ventilation and energy costs and enables them to continue to go deeper. Traditionally the cost benefit would not be there, but now with the new technologies coming through and automation being part of that, it will become a real possibility.”
Founded in the Western Australian mining town of Kalgoorlie in 1972, RCT has always kept close to its customer base and their needs. Today it offers a full sales, service, support and spare parts business in numerous locations around the globe including Australia, Latin America, North America, Russia and Africa and works with partners to support regions where it does not have a footprint.
RCT tailor different solutions to different regions based on the needs of the local mine operators. Its ControlMaster Multi-Fleet system, which enables operators to control multiple machines from one operator station, has been well adopted in Indonesia, with increasing demand from the U.S. and Latin America.
Its traffic management system is attracting interest in Chile, where there are many underground block cave mines with large fleets of underground loaders interacting with each other.
The company is in discussions with several clients in North America, South America and Australia to build digital solutions to enable management to view data in real-time and make faster decisions. RCT says it is committed to continue to expand its underground automation technology in line with market expectations and has always focused on supplying solutions that deliver immediate improvements to operations thus improving the return on investment.
This article first appeared in the Mining Magazine Intelligence Automation Report 2021. Access the full report here .
RCT is proud to announce its latest project with Tasmanian-based Caterpillar OEM, Elphinstone for its client in Indonesia.
This project will be carried out by bespoke department, RCT Custom who were engaged to implement a ControlMaster® Portable Teleremote solution for an Elphinstone-manufactured WR820 Articulated Underground Water Truck.
RCT’s Portable Teleremote solution works by utilising cameras on board the machine to relay vision of its movements to the operator; who can then oversee the machine via remote control.
The machine’s tramming and the articulation of the water cannon mounted on the crane will be controlled by RCT using looms and hydraulics installed and manufactured by Elphinstone to RCT specifications. This wasn’t a straightforward installation, hence why RCT Custom was tasked with the job.
This is the second project where RCT Custom has applied this technology to a water cart for the same clients.
Stay tuned for more on this project…
Expomin will be taking place on April 23 – 27 in Santiago, Chile and RCT is excited to be taking part with South American partner Fasser.
The biennial event is set to attract more than 70,000 key decision makers from the mining industry from 36 different countries from around the world.
The technology-focused expo is expected to attract a diverse range of technology, equipment, machinery, services and suppliers from the national and Latin America mining industry.
DATE: April 23 - 27
LOCATION:
Espacio Riesco, Santiago, Chile.
Fasser (featuring RCT) booth:
2-G78
RCT Representatives:
Business Development Manager – South America, Carolina Toro
Email: xxxxxxxxx@xxx-xxxxxx.xxx
North America Regional Manager, Andrew Sells
Email: xxxxxxx@xxx-xxxxxx.xxx
Western Contracting Project Overview (1:42min)
RCT has successfully delivered a custom Teleremote project to the civil contracting sector in the US.
The milestone RCT Custom project was for Western Contracting Corporation’s work at Fort Wingate Depot Activity – a former army munitions facility near Gallup, New Mexico. The project required the excavation and off-site disposal of buried unexploded ordnance.
The Iowa-based construction firm subcontracted with AECOM Technical Services for its multi-year contract with the Army Corps of Engineers. Western Contracting provided the project with remote controlled equipment to mitigate the unacceptable risk of operator injury or death by an unintended explosion during excavation activities. Four Caterpillar machines – two 9630 track loaders and two 336E track excavators – were procured for Teleremote operation.
RCT’s USA Service Manager Thomas Laverty carried out the Teleremote installation, said the project was unique for a few reasons.
“Not only was it RCT’s first project in the civil contracting sector in the US; it was also the first time we have installed the ControlMaster® Teleremote solutions on these particular model machines,” said Mr Laverty.
“As a result, RCT’s specialised Custom department’s unique capabilities were required to design and manufacture bespoke kits to suit the machines.”
“While the hardware and componentry were a fairly standard off-the-shelf-product, the Custom team had to adapt the equipment utilising specially made brackets, wiring harnesses and software.”
As a result, the operators are now able to control the machines from the comfort of a specially built concrete and steel Automation Centre, equipped with three Teleremote stations. Each station consists of an operator chair, a joystick and two large monitors that provide vision from five strategically placed cameras on the each machine; giving operators an extensive view of the working area.
In addition to the standard Teleremote, RCT’s solution included the Multi Machine function – Select. This feature allows each chair to remotely control any of the four machines at any given time, with a simple push of a button.
“The Select technology increases flexibility and productivity on site,” Mr Laverty added.
As well as significantly improving safety, the Teleremote solution has also improved the operators overall working environment.
“The operator is no longer exposed to the elements such as vibration, noise and heat to significantly reduce fatigue and helps to increase productivity,” said Mr Laverty.
Western Contracting’s Superintendent, Tim Goslin said the Teleremote technology has been well received by his operators and is clearly the right solution for the project.
“With no prior remote control experience, my operators embraced the opportunity; quickly adapting to the new technology and the transition to remote control was surprisingly quicker than anticipated. This technology allows us to operate safely in a controlled environment outside of harm’s way,” said Mr Goslin.
“Also, the Select feature has proven to be invaluable. During operations, our production is not sacrificed if a machine needs to go offline because we have a standby machine available at the push of a button.”
The hardware and componentry for this project were all designed and manufactured in Perth, Australia before being dispatched to RCT’s Salt Lake City office, where RCT technicians installed the solutions on new machines at Ziegler Caterpillar in Sioux City, Iowa.
