RCT - Powered by Epiroc's AutoNav Tele (tele-remote) is enhancing narrow vein mining at the Vertex-operated Reward Gold Mine site at Hill End.
The state-of-the-art, agnostic automation technology has been installed on the Aramine L350D mining loader, which recently arrived from France to Epiroc's Orange Service Centre.
The small underground loader is uniquely designed for narrow vein mining, making it the perfect fit for the mining operation in New South Wales, Australia.
The historic gold mining town lay dormant for decades after mining operations ceased around 2010. Today, the site is undergoing a revival with the construction of a brand-new plant tailored for small-scale mining.
"This is more than just a machine installation," said East Coast Branch Manager, Owen Perrott.
"We're introducing technology that can access areas previously unreachable, in this narrow vein mine, unlocking gold reserves left behind for decades," he added.
With the Aramine machine, Vertex aims to efficiently extract gold from narrow, hard-to-reach veins, demonstrating the potential for innovative technology in small-scale mining operations.
RCT's AutoNav Tele allows operators to control the loader with the same functionalities from a safe location, removing them from the machine and allowing it to access the narrow vein mines with ease.
This is the first time the team has installed its technology on Vertex's Aramine loader, and we are proud to be the technology provider of choice for the project.
"Design was completed in collaboration between our experienced Field Service Technician, Tim Halstead, based in Orange, and the Brisbane Branch team," said Mr Perrott.
The installation was challenging due to the machine’s size and limited available space and required the team to collaborate with Aramine to ensure the machine met Australian Standards.
In addition to this, a custom "mini" AutoNav hut was designed and delivered on site to cater to the client’s specific needs.
The mini hut is not typically used at most sites, as it is approximately half the size of a standard AutoNav Centre. This introduced space constraints for the hardware; however, Vertex needed a mini hut to accommodate their mine structure and small portal.
"Due to the demand, I have been receiving from other sites for smaller hut offerings, I thought it would be a good opportunity to design a layout for one, from the ground up," said Mr Perrott.
"The client was extremely happy with the layout and quality of the finished product, and mentioned we should be making more of them, particularly with the previously less profitable small mines coming back to life with the current gold price," added Mr Perrott.
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For media enquiries, please contact:
Emma Young, RCT Communications Officer
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.
RCT today announced its ControlMaster® Teleremote solution has been selected by Canada’s largest diversified mining company, Teck Resources Limited (Teck) for use at one of its steelmaking coal operations in British Columbia’s Elk Valley region.
The ControlMaster® Teleremote solutions were installed on a CAT D11T dozer and a CAT 390D hydraulic excavator, operating at the open pit steelmaking coal truck and shovel operation at Teck’s Coal Mountain Operations.
The technology supports safe production at the operation, as equipment can be operated remotely in areas that are deemed unsafe for human operators.
RCT integrated a communication network into the Teck’s existing wireless network to facilitate the remote functions of the machines.
In addition, RCT’s Custom department played a part in the project as it was the first excavator of this model that the company has completed an install on.
RCT’s VP of Business Development for Canada, Vern Deveau said the solution provided to Teck met the client’s requirements and operators were impressed with the custom Teleremote solutions.
In addition, RCT’s solutions effortlessly connected to Coal Mountain’s network infrastructure, making the remote features seamless, he said.
The project and training were delivered ahead of schedule with positive feedback received from Teck staff on site.
Customer support will be provided locally by RCT’s Ontario branch that will carry out servicing and any support required by Teck going forward.
Teck is also assessing the viability of implementing the same technology at other operations.
The inaugural Worthy Parts Industry Link – Auction and Expo in Kalgoorlie has generated strong interest among local and national mining executives for RCT’s automation products.
At the forefront of RCT’s stall at the two-day event held on December 3−4 in Western Australia was the new Automation Centre showcasing the ControlMaster® suite of products.
The Automation Centre was redesigned with operator comfort and functionality in-mind and consists of an ergonomically designed leather chair, four high definition screens and a new navigation controller device.
ControlMaster® includes Teleremote solutions and Guidance Automation sporting Driverless technology, Point-to-Point and G-Dash features.
RCT Automation and Control Product Manager Brendon Cullen said they spoke to roughly 100 people over the course of the event.
Most of the people we spoke to were mining industry executives with another 20 per cent of people representing original equipment manufacturers and the remaining 20 per cent from mining industry suppliers, he said.
“The attendees had a lot of positive reactions about the aesthetics and ergonomics of the Automation Centre and they found the four screens to be extremely helpful in presenting information,” he said.
“Most of the enquiries we received related to ControlMaster® but we also fielded some interest about EarthTrack and how companies could better utilise their machine data.”
Mr Cullen said the machine auction was particularly useful in attracting mining companies from the region.
“Many companies attended the event to sell and buy equipment and so the event presented a great chance to network with contacts in the one place rather than travel out to individual mine sites.”
“The event was well attended by eastern states-based mining companies and even international miners and it is something we would like to consider participating in next year.”
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 that it has secured another project with a gemstone mine in Australia.
Four of the site’s existing Sandvik LH410 loaders will be equipped with RCT’s Smart Technology; two with ControlMaster® Teleremote solutions and two with ControlMaster® Guidance Automation.
RCT’s mining solutions will help increase productivity, profitability and safety at the large mine site.
Stay tuned for more on this project….
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’s Automation technology is providing innovative automation solutions at Independence Group's (IGO) Jaguar Operation, located 60 kilometres north of Leonora in Western Australia.
Jaguar, a high-grade zinc-copper-silver mine that IGO has managed since 2011, is no stranger to RCT’s Smart Technology, with the ControlMaster® Teleremote deployed on their CAT 1700G loaders for the past few years.
In November 2017, IGO upgraded to RCT’s state-of-the-art Guidance Automation Solution in order to speed up bogging cycle times, increase production, and minimise risk of damage to the loaders.
According to Grant Hancock, Alternate Underground Manager at IGO’s Jaguar Operation, the upgrade has already delivered immediate and substantial benefits.
“Since introducing the Guidance technology, we have experienced a significant reduction in cycle times for the bogger, with a 32 per cent improvement in cycle times when bogging on long tram routes,” explained Hancock.
“We realised that the greater the tram length, the greater the improvement. Recently in long winding drive, our operators tell us that the difference between Guidance and normal Teleremote is approximately 3:1 (buckets).”
The Guidance Automation solution controls the machine’s steering, braking and speed. The speed is determined by the minimum width of the drive and the look-ahead distance of the on-board laser units as well as the object detection feature to further assist in tight areas.
In addition to the improvement in tramming times, there has also been a
reduction in damage done to the machines, which is another added advantage to introducing automated technology.
“There has been little to no damage on the bogger when it's on Guidance compared to the other bogger that is not,” said Hancock.
“This is positive on our bottom line because it means the bogger is spending less time in the maintenance shop and more time underground moving ore,” he said.
Overall feedback from those working at the Jaguar operation has been very positive, with both the bogger operators enjoying the opportunity to be introduced to innovative new mining technologies, and management seeing tangible improvements in the production cycles adding significant value to the IGO business.
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…
A base metal mineral mine in Spain has increased production at a newly developed mine thanks to innovative Smart Technology company RCT.
The site manager, who was already familiar with RCT’s products and capabilities, saw the opportunity to increase productivity at the mine by upgrading its loaders from a Line-of-Sight (LOS) remote system to a proven RCT solution.
Mine management and RCT collaborated to find the ideal solution for the site to directly answer its needs. It was decided RCT’s ControlMaster® Teleremote and Guidance systems (ATX2000) were best suited for the job. These solutions were installed on four CAT R2900G Underground loaders.
RCT’s ControlMaster® Teleremote and Guidance systems were specifically designed to improve operational efficiency and productivity by reducing impact damage to the machine while increasing general tramming speed to ensure KPI’s are met every time.
The previous technology the mine was utilising was basic and required a high level of concentration to navigate the complicated and often busy drives of the mines on top of this, LOS resulted in an interrupted mining sequence as the operator has to enter and exit the machine frequently which takes time.
The ControlMaster® Teleremote and Guidance systems would eliminate the interrupted mining sequence, assist with fatigue experienced by operators and make navigating the drives simple as the Teleremote and Guidance is equipped with lasers to avoid all walls and obstacles, which in turn reduces damage to expensive machinery.
The state-of-the-art system removes the operator from the machine, allowing them to control the loader from the comfort of an operator control station which is complete with chair, controls and screens. The loader itself is fitted with cameras and sensors which are relayed to the operating station.
At this particular site, two Automation Centres were deployed. One was adapted into an underground room in the mine wall, and the second was fitted on the back of Ford Ranger vehicle, making it mobile.
RCT training was also successfully delivered to numerous mine operators via an interpreter; ensuring workers had a sound understanding of the system in order to reap maximum results.
Within a few weeks of operation, the site experienced a substantial improvement in the number of buckets the loaders were completing in a day.
“The system is working and we feel confident about it,” said the site manager.
“We have allocated two dedicated guys –trained by [RCT] to ensure that is adequately implemented across all shifts.”
In addition to this, he said operator safety and operating conditions have improved.
“The system has been positively received by all the operators and working conditions have improved considerably with the use of this technology,” he said.
“This solution has also addressed unnecessary downtime we were experiencing.”
“The Teleremote solution allows the operators to work uninterrupted; they no longer have to raise and lower the blade continuously when entering and exiting the stope.”
RCT has successfully deployed numerous ControlMaster® Teleremote and Guidance systems in mining operations throughout the world, with great results. To date, RCT has engaged in projects in more than 64 countries however, this was the first significant project to be completed in Spain.
