FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
reliable engine of TALPAC but encompassing a
fresh, modern UI that was scalable.”
TALPAC-3D also offers a “seamless upgrade
path” with integration to HAULSIM, according to
RPMGlobal. As users become more sophisticated
in their simulation requirements and need more
functionality through a DES tool, they can easily
upgrade to HAULSIM. This isn’t offered by any
competitors in the industry, according to RPM
Global. The 3D UI of TALPAC-3D delivers several
new features such as a fleet planner and a cycle
time analysis tool that work across the network.
Mathews said: “The industry’s adoption of
TALPAC had continued to grow and it was used by
miners all over the globe to help them calculate
the ideal size of their fleet and understand which
machines and sizes of equipment are most
compatible.
“As a modern software package, TALPAC-3D
makes that work easier than ever before, enabling
end-users to rapidly achieve the next level of
productivity. The world’s biggest miners are
consistently looking for ways to unlock greater
value from operations. Using TALPAC-3D, mining
companies are able to investigate multiple fleet
options to optimise productivity.”
RPMGlobal Simulation Product Manager Adam
Price told IM: “TALPAC-3D doesn’t compete with
Fleet Management Systems (FMS) but it can be
very complementary for a FMS. TALPAC-3D now
has a 3D-network inside it so which means that
customers are able to build a model of the
haulage network on their site with multiple
different types of loading units and types of
trucks.”
He says the reason why this is complementary
to a FMS, and is a good tool for say a dispatch
room, is that the dispatchers can use TALPAC-3D
to calculate ahead of time what the cycle time is
going to be on a new haul that hasn’t been
covered yet in the FMS. “This is a major game-
changer as FMS traditionally only know about how
long a haul is taking after it happened – there isn’t
a tool in there to create a new road that hasn’t
ever been driven on yet and model what that’s
going to be and that’s what TALPAC-3D does.”
There is also a tool in TALPAC-3D called the
Fleet Planner which enables operations to look at
expected productivity for a combination of loading
unit, truck and material type across a particular
haul. They can look at productivity in real time as
well.
“One of the key issues RPMGlobal is
addressing is getting data from the FMS to inform
our models of how the truck should operate. We
are starting to see some movement in that area
where we can take data from a FMS that shows us
what the trucks are actually capable off then
compare that to models of the trucks to
understand how close our model is with reality.
We’re becoming able to calibrate those models a lot
26 International Mining | MAY 2020
more easily now because we now have a haulage
service that we can use to run those calculations
programmatically.”
Another important tool in this conversation is
MinVu, RPMGlobal’s data integration and
validation solution. “One of the benefits of MinVu
is that we basically isolate parts of the whole to
make that calibration piece easy. This is achieved
as we isolate part of the haul where the truck is
travelling full and the truck is travelling empty
which is the stuff we want to compare against our
travel time calculation engine. So, when we’re
modelling the truck, we are not interested to
model it at a truck sign or queuing at the loading
unit. The calculations that we do are based on the
truck moving from a source to a destination and
back from the destination to the source. In this
way the MinVu data intelligence platform makes it
easier to get that data which can otherwise be
difficult if you’re relying on the FMS by itself.”
He concludes: “It’s important to note that FMS
are used to manage what is happening now.
However, RPMGlobal’s software solutions can take
data from the FMS and use that data to plan in
advance. The calibration that we are doing is to
help with modelling what is happening today, but
the same calculations are also in our medium and
long term planning systems so we can start to
close the gap between the horizons.”
A new era for Cat MineStar
underground
In 2018, Caterpillar and Minetec, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Codan Ltd, announced an agreement
for the development and delivery of technologies
targeting underground hard rock mining
challenges. The collaborative work would deliver
best-in-class site solutions for mining customers,
and the integrated solutions would be offered as
part of Cat ® MineStar.™ Caterpillar said it
expected the integrated solutions “to focus on
applications of underground mobile equipment
and to enable expansion of MineStar capabilities
through the use of improved high precision
tracking and wireless communications, task
management technology and proximity
detection.” Caterpillar has also stated:
“Recognising that underground mines would
benefit from the same technologies that surface
mines have been enjoying for many years,
Caterpillar recently enhanced its technology
portfolio to offer new and expanded capabilities
that fully integrate underground mining
operations.”
Grant Wilson, Minetec GM told IM: “The growth
of technology through the Minetec-Caterpillar
partnership enabled the release of the latest
MineStar for underground offerings that includes
Detect, Fleet and Command. The technology
enables whole of mine visualisation and tracking
for underground mining integrated into a solution
that can be provided as a system or in modules to
provides solutions in communication, tracking,
proximity detection, fleet management and short
interval control. The system can be provided in
multiple configurations that will suit different
methods of underground mining such as stope
mining or mass caving operations on any brand of
machine. The key in the technology is not just in a
communication system, data collection system or
in a high accurate tracking system. It is the neat
way the system simply works for underground
mines and how the system integrates to present
and optimise the right information to enable a
more productive, safer mine.”
Wilson also responded to the question on what
FMS means in an underground context versus
surface mining where it is almost ubiquitous: “The
underground is a challenging environment to gain
accurate data, especially over the whole
operational mining chain in a manner that is
useful. The issues are beyond communication
systems and extend to the operational complexity
and environment of underground mines. The
concept of a digital tracking solutions is
considered the first step in the FMS solution
establishing the basic understanding of where the
equipment is and was around the mine. The digital
tracking of equipment is the first phase in
establishing a basic fleet management system
similar to GPS fleet tracking solutions on the
surface many years ago.”
Back when the deal was announced, Caterpillar
and Minetec said that Newmont Mining
Corporation would host the first trial of this
technology at their Tanami Operations in Northern
Territory, Australia. Newmont Goldcorp’s Tanami
gold mine in Australia has implemented MineStar
Fleet for underground, which provides real-time
visibility to cycle time, payload and other key
operational parameters. Thanks to a proprietary
high-precision positioning technology, mines can
also accurately track personnel and assets to sub-
metre accuracy.
Aaron Nankivell, Mining Operations Manager at
Tanami Operations said in 2019: “Last year I was
asked if Tanami Operations wanted to participate
in the trial for the MineStar for underground
technology. I jumped at the chance, not just
because we’d be first in the field but it was our
opportunity to influence the direction that it took.
A technology that gives us the ability to be able to
see what’s going on and where things are at, and
to be able to intervene and make decisions in a
timely manner is a big opportunity for us, and
every mine in fact. This is a game changer in that it
removes hope and restores control. The status
quo is sitting down at the start of the shift, coming
up with what you think is the best plan, putting it
in motion and hoping it goes to plan. MineStar for
underground gives us the opportunity to work
right until the very last minute and recommence