NETWORKS AND COMMUNICATIONS
post-blast to return to productive use 1-2 hours faster than previous post-blast inspection procedures had allowed, ensuring a more productive second shift post-blast.
Newtrax on comprehensive offering
Newtrax has its own range of solutions for underground mines led by its flagship MineHop™ network, a simple wireless network purpose-built to fill the gaps in a mine’ s existing communications system.“ It is backbone independent and works completely without cables, lasting up to three years on its batteries – making it easy to deploy in mining areas previously deemed impossible to network. MineHop is unique in its ability to cover the most critical part of the mining process – the face. This enables the real-time identification of bottlenecks that prevent optimal face utilisation and slow down productivity.”
Newtrax states that simplicity is the guiding principle of the MineHop platform.“ It is simple to deploy and simple to use and has been designed specifically to complement existing leaky feeder and fibre backbone systems already existing in your operation without the need to replace or redesign what you’ re already using.” The MineHop Wireless battery-powered network enables: n Geotechnical and hydrology monitoring from surface n Gas monitoring at the face / stop from surface n Fan and pump control n Monitoring of equipment and personnel n Real-time telemetry n Equipment cycle monitoring
The Newtrax solutions directly address the top safety and production bottlenecks of underground mines including delays in start-ofshift due to unknown location of equipment, delays in short-term schedules caused by lack of real-time information and context, and delays in haulage caused by traffic congestion. It also addresses delays in backfill caused by stoppage between shifts to avoid overflow, delays in postblast re-entry, and delays due to unexpected breakdown of mobile equipment.
MineTrax™ from Newtrax enables real-time monitoring of resources, including personnel and vehicles, in underground mines. By automatically associating with the MineHop wireless network, Newtrax-enabled personal safety devices and vehicle modems send data to the surface about each individual operator and vehicle’ s locations in real-time.
MineFace™ is an application that uses the MineTrax tracking data and MineHop telemetry data from machines and sensors to measure face utilisation and trigger alarms when KPI thresholds are crossed, eg maximum time to first production or maximum acceptable idle time.
One of Newtrax ' s most innovative solutions is MineProx™, developed to help mine operators enhance awareness and improve safety and production.“ Whenever people need to work around big mining equipment, keeping them safe is a top priority. MineProx allows for the detection of pedestrians, trucks, and any obstacles that may come in the way of an LHD bucket, which is a blind spot that can’ t be covered with cameras. MineProx utilises sub-GHz RF technology to create a peer-to-peer network of vehicles and miners. Not only will it give out proximity warnings, the system can also be used to alert scoop operators that a truck is on its way even before it appears in its line of sight, enabling operators to prepare for the truck and improve mine production. MineProx is unique in its ability to reduce risk of collisions in underground mines by taking into consideration traffic as well fixed hazards, especially in intersections. Coupled with its Right-Of-Way patent-pending solution that reduces contention
Newtrax’ s flagship MineHop™ network is a simple wireless network purpose-built to fill the gaps in a mines’ existing communications system
problems, MineProx offers a unique added value by not only enhancing safety in the underground mines but also optimising production.
Since other vehicles are already detected by the MineProx system, there is no need to raise additional alarms for the passengers inside these other vehicles.“ Also, filtering of passengers versus pedestrians is a common problem in proximity warning systems and many solutions have been trialled with limited success. For example, some mines experimented with low frequency exciters commonly used for checkpoints in hospitals, to create an exclusion zone inside vehicles. Unfortunately, due to the pervasive nature of RF, these systems cannot differentiate between a passenger inside the vehicle and a pedestrian standing just beside it. Newtrax found a simple solution which is both reliable and seamless: when passengers turn off their cap lamps, they disappear from the system. This patent-pending solution can reduce the noise from these nuisance alarms by up to 90-
98 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2016