COLLISION AVOIDANCE
department consisting of approximately 15 engineers . “ Schauenburg has always and still is committed to deploying a viable Level 9 solution to the mining Industry of South Africa . We have been part of the ISO21815 discussions since its inception through EMESRT and still provide reviews and insight with the rest of the industry . We now have our PDS systems on the ISO21815 protocol and have done extensive interface testing with some of the vehicle OEMs and we are involved with projects to showcase on-site single machine and multiple machine tests which include stakeholders such as vehicle OEMs , 3rd party interface suppliers , major mining clients , University of Pretoria and Schauenburg .”
Surface single machine tests were conducted with a well known South African vehicle OEM at their testing grounds using the ISO21815 protocol “ which was verified by the University of Pretoria as the independent testing authority and the tests yielded great success . All our Level 9 systems have been designed to cater for dynamic zones ( zones that adjust automatically based on machine input to our PDS ). This has been our drive as this solution on dynamic zones will undoubtedly provide the mining sector with an effective Level 9 PDS safety system with minimal impact to production .”
To summarise , Schauenburg Systems says it is committed to finalising and providing all its clients with a Level 9 solution once we have tested and vetted all required tests as per DMR guidelines . It argues that a “ mature ” and commercialised Level 9 product offering takes time if one considers : n Development , testing and qualification of a Level 9 system , n Ensuring all stakeholders are ready for the applicable legislation date , n Budget planning to ensure adequate funds are allocated timeously in order to achieve goals in the planned time , n Resource planning ( labour and parts ) that is key for the industry to be ready for the final implementation dates on diesel powered machines for Level 9 . “ Based on this enormous effort and investment required for Level 9 roll-out , Schauenburg Systems is committed , proud and focussed to provide the market with a quality , fit for purpose safety solution that will add value where it is due in the months to come ” said Ettiene Pretorius , Head of SBU - Smart Platform Solutions at Schauenburg Systems .
Booyco continues success of CXS
With South Africa due to adopt some of the highest collision avoidance standards in the world , Booyco Electronics says it has also been working hard to ensure the necessary technology , systems and testing is in place .
“ Constantly developing our in-house technology to meet global standards and ever-tightening local regulations , Booyco Electronics ’ leading solutions are at the forefront of international safety systems ,” says Anton Lourens , CEO of Booyco Electronics .
He highlights that much of South Africa ’ s mining sector had been aiming to meet raised government standards for collision avoidance by the end of 2020 . These new standards align with Level 9 requirements as defined by the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Roundtable ( EMESRT ) initiative .
Schauenburg Systems has already Invested upwards of ZAR30million in development of its Level 9 PDS solution which involves an engineering department consisting of approximately 15 engineers
The company ’ s latest generation Booyco CXS technology is suitable for both underground and
surface operations within the mining industry . The system automatically gives a Level 9 intervention instruction to trackless mining machinery . This instruction should then automatically slow the machine down or bring it to a complete stop when a hazard is detected , and is not reliant on the operator reaction .
“ Even during the COVID-19 lockdown , we have continued to work on integrating our technology into the range of different OEM machines , as well as mines ’ own systems ,” says Lourens . “ This integration – which begins with the ISO21815 collision warning and avoidance standard – is vital to ensure that collision avoidance systems are effective in practice .”
To further enhance collision avoidance , the company has also developed its Booyco Electronics Asset Management System ( BEAMS ), which collects and analyses data from the CXS system . This allows mines to identify patterns which indicate unsafe
JANUARY 2021 | International Mining 59