FLEET MANAGEMENT
Now, all the busy work happens automatically.
Instead of spending days at work, this engineer
can now prepare the same report in minutes and
switch focus to high-value tasks, like finding
causes and solutions for performance problems.
“Results at this site have proven strong. Since
introducing Avoca into its workflow, this mine
has reported less variation among its haul cycles.”
“Improving the value of human resources is
just one practical application of a BI system like
Avoca. Using these functions, a mine can
discover opportunities to extract value and
insight across all sorts of mining KPIs — wait
times, payload weights, unplanned downtime,
and more. The actionable intelligence Avoca
offers gives mines access to a wealth of
possibilities for improving their operational
performance — from a simple boost in operator
training to a whole new discovery that resets
their standards for efficiency.”
Wencolite taking off in South America
Wenco has also announced that its Wencolite
fleet management system (FMS) is now available
to mines, quarries, and mining contractors
throughout South America. Significant interest in
low-overhead FMS solutions has prompted
Wenco to make its Wencolite FMS available in
Peru, Chile, Brazil, and other nations regionally
and globally. Puna Operations’ Chinchillas
project in Argentina has signed on for the first
deployment of Wencolite in the region, which is
currently underway. Puna Operations is a joint
venture between SSR Mining and Golden Arrow
Resources, formed to facilitate the development
of Chinchillas and Pirquitas ore deposits.
Estimated to contain over 100 million
equivalent ounces of silver, the Chinchillas
project resides in the Argentinian portion of the
mineral-rich Bolivian tin belt. The mine currently
processes 8,000 t of ore per day via its open pit
operation 42 km from the town of Mina Pirquitas
in Jujuy Province, Argentina.
To maximise efficiency and production of this
ore, Chinchillas has purchased the Wencolite
FMS. Long popular in Australia, this lightweight
FMS delivers core mine fleet control and tracking
functions — production monitoring, data
collection, reporting, and communication
services — without requiring an extensive radio
network or dedicated dispatching support. This
system streamlines standard mining processes,
including equipment assignment and real-time
data collection, giving mines the depth of control
necessary to reduce operating costs, improve
safety, and raise profitability. Yet, it accomplishes
these tasks without needing the sometimes
costly infrastructure associated with full-featured
solutions.
“We’re excited to offer the Wencolite platform
here in South America as part of the global
40 International Mining | MAY 2019
expansion of the
platform,” says Wenco
Regional Manager, Latin
America José Eugenio
Saravia. “The advantages
of a system like Wencolite
makes it an ideal solution
for much of the mining
market in South America,
whether it’s a large-scale
silver operation like
Chinchillas or many of the
smaller quarries we see in
Brazil. We’re signing up partners throughout
South America and other regions now as demand
for this style of solution is growing in virtually all
mining markets.”
“The low overhead associated with Wencolite
FMS gives this solution flexibility to improve
performance over a wide range of operating
conditions like those seen throughout South
America. This solution forms a key part of
Wenco’s strategy as it expands throughout the
continent, a priority territory for 2019. All sales
and support for Wencolite in the region occur
through Wenco’s office in Santiago, Chile, which
has served the company’s South American
customers since 1997.”
Caterpillar adds MineStar Data Pro
The new Caterpillar MineStar Data Pro helps
manage data with the goal of turning insights
into action. The software uses the data gathered
by Cat Fleet and Terrain and houses it in a single
data mart, even when the data is gathered from
multiple sites, above or below ground.
Data Pro uses simple schemes and best-
practice data warehousing design to help present
information in a number of ways, with drag-
and-drop components that help managers
explore the data and drill down on key details.
The system facilitates examining activities and
delays, identifying outliers and patterns, and
comparing between different sites. The data can
be broken down at any level, which enables
customizing reports and sharing the appropriate
data with each group—from mine supervisors to
individual machine operators.
Data Pro can integrate with any industry-
standard Business Intelligence tool, so mine
personnel can keep working with their preferred
methods of reporting and analysis.
Modular FMS helps fuel saving
In September 2017, Modular Mining’s
Performance Assurance (PA) team consulted with
personnel at an open-cut operation in the South
West of Western Australia. During the engagement,
the mine requested assistance in identifying
opportunities to increase both truck availability
and production at minimal cost to the site.
The new Caterpillar MineStar Data Pro helps
manage data with the goal of turning insights
into action. The software uses the data gathered
by Cat Fleet and Terrain and houses it in a single
data mart
After reviewing a number of options, the PA
team recommended that the mine focus on
automating its refuelling process by leveraging
underutilised capabilities of its DISPATCH Fleet
Management System (FMS). With the mine’s
approval, the PA team began working to
understand and evaluate the operation’s fuelling-
related practices.
Through analysis, observation, and discussion,
the PA team identified that 95% of the mine’s
fuelling assignments were manually initiated by
dispatchers when fuel levels dropped below
40%. In contrast, the 5% of DISPATCH FMS-
initiated fuelling assignments occurred at fuel
levels between 30 and 27%; a site-configured
threshold that resulted in fewer unproductive
trips to and from the fuel bay.
Modular Mining returned to the mine in
October and worked with dispatch personnel to
enhance fueling optimisation at the site.
Together, they fine-tuned the DISPATCH system
configuration and developed training and
process documents for the management of
fueling assignments.
The PA team and mine supervisors then met
with the dispatchers and operators to convey
how the new fueling process would reduce the
time trucks spent in the fuel bay, resulting in
increased truck availability, production, and
overall profits.
With the help of the PA team, the dispatchers
and operators gained an understanding of not
only what the new process would consist of, but
also how implementing it would benefit operations.
As a result, the dispatchers and operators
were more likely to accept and adopt the new
practices with less resistance to change.
In the initial phase of the plan, the PA team
configured the DISPATCH FMS to optimise fuel
assignments when fuel reserves reached 30%. If
fuel levels continued to drop, the FMS would
then assign a truck when fuel levels dropped to
the CRITICAL mark at 27% remaining. Five