SURFACE DRILLING
then how do you want the automated drill system to handle exception management or problems with ground variation such as hitting clay or encountering a void ? The auto drill functionality also monitors and reacts to complications , such as clearing a hole with a high level of fall back . To drill successfully , the rig is going to do much more than just push , turn , and blow . It needs to adapt and work through complicated situations without operator input , so it has to have the onboard processing power to navigate through these things and have the flexibility to understand how to react to a wide range of variables .”
Integrating onboard automation functions into the drill rig is a necessary building block to a true autonomous drilling operation . Once that step has been taken , the drill is ready to incorporate optional Cat MineStar™ Solutions and continue the journey to autonomy .
The MineStar journey starts with Terrain for drilling , which provides precision guidance that helps operators complete patterns accurately and productively . This solution also improves safety and reduces costs by aiding in planning blasts and improving fragmentation .
Terrain for drilling uses GPS navigation to create downloadable drill patterns for operators to follow . It also provides connectivity back to the mine or control office for live tracking of production . Biernat explains : “ From there you can add a strata logger with a user interface so you can carry out and visualise strata mapping of the formation in a mechanical sense — such as hole location correlated with details about rock hardness and degree of existing fracturing . A blasting group then comes in and analyses this formation data and makes decisions with mine planning on whether any blast design adjustments are needed to drive optimal fragmentation , material movement , and floor and highwall smoothing for your benching operation .”
Many of Caterpillar ’ s major mining customers are already using auto drill with Terrain for drilling , says Biernat - and if they aren ’ t , they have plans to deploy some level of autonomous technology in the near term . Terrain for drilling is retrofittable on a large variety of drills already in the field and is tightly integrated with Caterpillar drills .
“ It is on their mid-to-long term roadmaps . Mines without technology still need some form of digital drill management system with highprecision GPS to allow for accurate tracking and positioning of the drill on the pattern , as well as fit-for-purpose network connectivity to the rig . That is where we would like everyone to be , as it enables the mine to develop precision mining by allowing us to directly correlate drilling to the actual blast results ,” says Biernat .
Scalable Command for drilling solutions
The final building block in the autonomy journey is MineStar Command for drilling , which offers a range of capabilities that let mines configure and automate the system to meet their needs and budget .
The first Command for drilling capability to consider is Operator Machine Assist ( OMA ), which is built on top of Terrain for drilling and utilises the network backbone already in place for Terrain .
“ You already have Drill Assist auto functionality , plus Terrain for drilling with the GPS and navigation package , and you have downloaded the drill pattern ,” Biernat explains . “ So , instead of the operator tramming the machine from hole to hole then initiating each machine function individually , we can now do that automatically .”
OMA is an entry-level autonomy package that drives consistency into the mine operation with semi-autonomous technology . It takes the variation out of the drilling cycle , equalising drill performance across the fleet and allowing even the newest operators to perform like seasoned veterans .
Operators are still sitting in the cab - but instead of running the tram controls and pushing three buttons , they simply push one button to get the machine to proceed from each hole to the next .
“ The operator starts to become more of a supervisor ,” says Biernat . “ They are making sure the autonomy is operating correctly and keeping an eye on the overall pattern . They are also keeping an eye on who and what approaches the machine , be it a water truck , a fuel truck , a mechanic , or someone to change out bits .”
Caterpillar has seen OMA convert wasted nondrilling time into productive time by significantly decreasing drill cycle times , resulting in an increase in productivity at customer sites .
Biernat points out that OMA does some other things that are also of key importance . “ It gives the mine and the individual operators faith in the reliability and productivity of the onboard Drill Assist auto drill functions . OMA increases the positional accuracy of the tramming and improves drilling accuracy matching design , which goes a long way in instilling confidence in the system .”
The next step in the autonomy journey is an offboard Command for drilling autonomous solution - removing the operator from the cab . This more advanced version of autonomous drilling builds on the operational benefits of Terrain for drilling and OMA and enables operators to manage more than one drill - driving operational efficiencies , increasing safety , and increasing drill utilisation through continuous
autonomous operation . Command for drilling offers two levels of autonomous drilling - one that enables line-ofsight operation of multiple drills and another that moves operators away from the drilling operation . Both enable autonomous drilling for multiple machines . Line-of-sight autonomous drilling can be managed through a tablet , with the operator typically located in a nearby service truck or trailer .
“ The operator is off-board , not physically on the machine , and monitoring it from a distance ,” explains Biernat . “ You have certain levels of permissions and procedures specific to autonomously operating drills and other autonomous equipment . They can leave the area if needed to attend to other tasks . This relocation of the operator away from the machine makes network connectivity even more critical .”
Biernat also shares a key safety component of this solution - the A-Stop feature - that is standard with all Cat autonomous solutions . “ Trained personnel monitoring or working around the drill can shut down the autonomous operation of all Command-equipped machines in the vicinity if they see something that ' s out of place or see a potential problem . If an A-Stop is activated , an inspection into the reason for activation must occur before the drill can safely resume autonomous operations .”
The next level of Command for drilling , called Autonomous Drilling System , moves the operator off the drill pattern - and in many cases offsite into a Remote Operator Station ( ROS ). To be successful , this highly advanced level requires robust networks , training programs , and processes as controllers are further away from the drills .
“ Controllers monitor live camera feeds on the drill from the ROS , so they can see what ' s in the area and what the machine is doing while it ' s drilling and while it ’ s moving ,” Biernat says . “ This all contributes to a requirement for a mature network with strong connectivity and low latency throughout the mine ." In addition to the safety benefits of autonomous operations , drill controllers operating from the ROS have reported feeling less physical fatigue as they are able to take more breaks while the drills continue autonomous operations .
How are Caterpillar customers approaching autonomy on drills ? Biernat answers : “ By factoring it into their plans and innovation roadmaps . When mining companies buy a machine today , they want to make sure that the asset is adaptable for some level of autonomy in the future . The major mining houses , and the major contractors , know where they want to go : full autonomy , or at least the ability to get there . MineStar Command for drilling offers customers a scalable approach to autonomy allowing
12 International Mining | APRIL 2023