CANADIAN TECHNOLOGY
Meglab and remote operation versatility
Quebec-based Meglab says it has launched a versatile remote operation system for mobile machines that can adapt to any type of vehicle .
The company ’ s R & D team has , for many months , been working on the manufacturing of this remote operation system . The challenge – as the team saw it – was to build on one of its existing products , the MicroGuide™ , which already supports short distance remote operation , and adapt it to allow remote operation over a longer distance or from the surface .
“ Our workshop tests were conclusive and our real-world testing of the prototype in an underground mining operation at the Beaufor mine ( owned by Monarch Mining Corp ) confirmed that the product was ready for production ,” Roger Ouellet , R & D Manager at Meglab , said .
What sets Meglab ’ s technology apart is the ability to customise the system according to each mine ’ s preferences , or according to the type of vehicle used , the company said .
Ouellet explained : “ We tested the prototype on a Caterpillar-branded LHD owned by the mine . However , the MicroGuide Pro Surface Edition can be installed on any brand of vehicle . Also of interest is the wide range of joystick options available to control the machine .”
The pandemic is accelerating the adoption of remote operation by encouraging a reduction in the number of workers on mining sites , Meglab says . The MicroGuide Pro Surface Edition offers the ability to operate from anywhere , as long as broadband connectivity is available .
Kim Valade , General Manager at Meglab , said : “ We have already started discussions with companies that want to expand their use of remote operations . This certainly increases the efficiency of operations , but the greatest area of impact we are seeing is on the safety of workers . Risks are reduced when workers can operate from the surface , or even simply from a greater distance underground .”
The MicroGuide Pro Surface Edition has several safety features , including a barrier system that shuts off the vehicle engine when a potential hazard is detected . The system works on existing telecommunication networks installed in the mines , provided they are powerful enough .
Valade added : “ Our specialists can audit and analyse existing telecommunication networks . They can also make recommendations and / or install new infrastructures to ensure that customers can fully benefit from the MicroGuide Pro Surface Edition ’ s many features .”
The company concluded : “ Today , mining companies are rapidly developing and adapting their processes to provide added value such as real-time decision making , increased travelling efficiency and greater worker safety . The implementation of remote operation with the MicroGuide Pro Surface Edition contributes to the successful achievement of these objectives .”
Symboticware helping Major Drilling digitise its fleet
Leading Industrial IoT / AI company , Symboticware based in Sudbury , recently announced that it has signed a contract with one of the world ’ s largest drilling companies , Major Drilling Group International Inc ( MDI ). “ Due to extremely limited and unpredictable network connectivity , it ’ s been a historical challenge to collect operational data from such remote locations . Symboticware will enable MDI to better monitor their drill fleet performance and provide real-time data to help in training their crews faster . This will be done by deploying patented store-and-forward , machine-to-machine communication , and digital data muling technologies .”
The goal of the project is to improve machine and operator productivity , optimise profitability , and enhance safety through near-real-time asset performance management and advanced analytics . This implementation bolsters onboard visualisation as part of MDI ’ s innovation strategy for their proprietary IT Solution , the Trailblazer Analytics application .
The partnership will empower MDI ’ s team to use industry-leading , dynamic and advanced data collection and visualisations for their extensive fleet of drills . Together the partners says they will be utilising the world-class drilling knowledge from MDI with the flexible capabilities of Symboticware ’ s purpose-built solutions .
“ The partnership with MDI is strategic and timely as we set out to transform the four million off-highway assets in the resource industries
with our Operating System of Intelligence ,” said Ash Agarwal , CEO of Symboticware . “ MDI is one of the most innovative and progressive companies in the industry and we ’ re proud to have earned their trust . We ’ re excited to serve MDI with our market-leading and innovative solutions and look forward to a large-scale deployment across the world .”
“ We are excited to partner with Symboticware and embark on the next step in digitising our rigs and our data collection capabilities ,” said Marc Landry , Major Drilling VP of Technology & Logistics . “ We are confident their expertise will aid us in advancing our fleet technologically , as well as help us usher in a new generation of drillers to our crews . With access to this new data , we will continue to lead in providing new members of our team the ability to learn faster by measuring their performance improvements .”
Rail-Veyor TrulyAutonomous™ recognition increases
Rail-Veyor Technologies Global in Sudbury offers the Rail-Veyor TrulyAutonomous™ system , an innovative materials handling technology that combines the flexibility of truck hauling with the energy efficiency of conveyors and rail lines , offers mine operators and other material handlers the opportunity to dramatically cut operating costs . Its profile has been raised in recent years with major North American installations with Agnico-Eagle , Doe Run , Vale and now in Kazakhstan for Kazzinc ’ s Dolinny mine . The industry push to electrification and autonomy is also boosting interest as Rail-Veyor is both of these things and is proven .
As its profile has increased , so Rail-Veyor is being named increasingly in the technical plans for major mine development projects . These include Troilus Gold , which is looking to develop the former Troilus mine underground , located northeast of the Val-d ' Or district of Quebec . Each of the planned Rail-Veyor trains at Troilus will comprise a number of 2.4 m long cars , with each car connected to the next , forming a continuous but articulated 151 m long , 30 in wide open trough . A total of seven trains will eventually be required to move the required tonnage from the deeper extents of the mine to surface , with each train purchased and placed into service over time as the schedule required . Steel plates mounted
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APRIL 2021 | International Mining 41