SURFACE DRILLING
adjacent workshop assisting us with the conversion process to build their confidence and familiarity with the various components that make up the autonomous kit on the drills they will eventually monitor and maintain .
The early and late majority technology adopters appear to be in the early to mid-stages of autonomous drill conversions to their existing drills . This is done mostly on site , with some exceptions of conversions being done offsite for drills undergoing a mid-life rebuild followed by an autonomous conversion fit out . This is the best time to carry out the work , even if the scheduled rebuild is brought forward , as it ensures all mechanical functions are in good operating order , required for a reliable outcome and typically a wider trainee audience can be reached without the distraction and demands placed upon them whilst on site . Site training often results in personnel being drawn out of the classroom to attend urgent matters resulting in knowledge gaps .
Regardless of the drill age , they can usually always be automated to the latest technology , and it is especially rewarding to see older drills given a new lease of life , performing as well as the newer models on the same drill pattern .
The Flanders ARDVARC autonomous drill solution is OEM agnostic that is particularly convenient for mine sites with a mixed fleet of drills . Components are commonly available off the shelf , support is available 24 / 7 , the control system is advanced and easy to operate and drill data is openly shared with our clients through a software interface .
Q Also among smaller miners and mid tiers that may not want to invest in the network infrastructure for full autonomy is tele-remote proving itself in demand ?
Autonomous blasthole drill at the Roy Hill iron ore mine , automated using FLANDERS technology
ML Where short-term contract work is undertaken , it is the nimble operators like Ozland , with a single centralised remote operations centre that are operating drills in teleremote , capitalising in this space . The operator ’ s skillsets are specialised , deployment is rapid and the communications infrastructure being relocatable , is often included by the contractor . The exception is onsite operators using line of sight teleremote where external communications is not effective to establish , often due to available bandwidth in very remote locations . As network communication options are increasing and more providers emerging , as expected we have noticed more competitive establishment costs and ongoing fees extending the benefits to more smaller miners and mid tiers that would not have considered this option in the recent past .
Q With the drill OEMs now also offering retrofit , is the market getting more difficult for
FLANDERS and are the OEMs making their latest drills less interoperable to prevent third party solutions being applied ? JG There are a lot more players in the market now which makes it more difficult , though it means customers are looking more closely at the systems to ensure that they fit and work with all the other systems they have on site . Yes , OEMs are making their latest drills less interoperable but the ARDAVRC solution is open to working with any third-party solution , be it through a level of control or data transfer . Also , in terms of the latest drills from OEMs , its easier for us to convert them , as they are coming autonomous ready , which means they have the majority of sensors that we would generally have to fit to the machine . As an example , the latest Cat MD6250 and CAT MD6310 we have auto equipped and converted in record time . ML The larger drill OEMs are now releasing their own autonomous drill solutions which is a positive move for the industry and there are several side-by-side comparisons in play now with third party autonomous control system providers against the OEM solution . The more astute mine site operators conduct their trial or study , assessed on overall value , not necessarily the initial cost to buy the autonomous kit . There is a tendency for the OEMs to do a package deal for the drill and the autonomous solution that does not always equate to good value . Comprehensive feasibility studies extend into important far reaching and often overlooked factors such as prompt reliable local service with direct access to specialists all-hours , replacement cost of parts , nimbleness , and flexibility to innovate , ease of use and transparency into the system for interoperability and commonly used , best in class readily available trialled and tested components .
APRIL 2021 | International Mining 31