IM AUGUST 23 August 23 | Page 18

AUSTRALIAN METS

of our people as well as to our future growth ambitions . This is a very positive move , which will bring our people even closer to our customers in the Hunter region .”

She added : “ As we move through our integration , we continue to look forward to servicing the needs of our customers and remain fully focused on the delivery of high-quality equipment , consumables , OEM spare parts and services to help them achieve their business objectives .”

Embracing the indurad advantage

Reik Winkel considers Australia to be the pacemaker of the global mining industry , with the country regularly exporting over a billion tonnes of raw materials that supports a vibrant METS cluster in hubs such as Brisbane and Perth . As the CEO of indurad – a leader in radarbased automation and productivity solutions for mine sites , train loadouts , stockyard equipment and ship loading facilities – Winkel resides in Perth , with RCF Jolimont , the company ’ s major shareholder , based in Melbourne .

“ At indurad , we are customer-centric and provide improvements along the entire value chain through our dedicated 1D , 2D and 3D solutions ,” Winkel told IM . “ Our reputation for reliability is exemplified by our first-of-its-kind reclaimer radar installation at Rio Tinto Yandi mine , in Western Australia , which has been operating flawlessly since 2012 .”

Winkel proudly states : “ That ’ s what indurad is known for : reliability at its best – no maintenance for over 10 years .”

He added : “ But the mining sector faces challenges along the entire flowsheet , hindering production , quality and sustainability . That ’ s where indurad steps in , armed with powerful solutions that bridge the gap between your current state and unprecedented success .”

Three areas of focus for the company ( see graphic ) include : 1 Production & throughput : indurad understands the industry ’ s need for solutions that improve availability , reduce downtime , reduce collisions and drive productivity . By minimising variance and addressing issues such as overtorque and blocked chutes , indurad says it helps optimise assets like plants , stackers , reclaimers , train loadouts and ship loaders ;

2 Product quality & reconciliation : tracking ore from the mine to the market is crucial . “ Our focus on quality control includes 5D tracking of ore throughout the plant , considering volume , timestamps and quality data such as grades , water content and particle size ,” Winkel says . By reducing plant feed variation , indurad says it enables higher recovery rates and better product homogenisation to ensure clients achieve a more competitive market price ; and

3 Sustainability & efficiency : indurad prioritises collision avoidance for personnel and to extend the lifespan of major assets by reducing variation . Its solutions include online condition monitoring and advanced process control , running on volumetric control loops . “ By utilising these technologies , we promote sustainability and efficiency in the industry ,” Winkel says . indurad ’ s success extends globally , with offices in Australia , South Africa , Brazil , Chile , Canada and Germany . It serves all the top 10 mining companies worldwide .

At the world ’ s largest copper mine , Escondida in Chile , indurad ’ s iCrusher solution enabled a 25 % increase in the number of trucks being dumped per hour .

Back in Australia , indurad increased Fortescue Metals Group ’ s rail car payload by 1 t per car , contributing to the company ’ s sustainability targets by reducing the number of train trips to achieve the same amount of export volumes .

Winkel concluded : “ Don ' t settle for mediocrity . Embrace the indurad advantage and conquer the mining industry ’ s greatest challenges .”

Introducing VisionV2X

A “ reliable service that augments your eyes underground ”, VisionV2X , Maptek says , is a simple proximity detection and awareness solution with an important mission .

Maptek™ VisionV2X gives all mine personnel vision underground , enabling them to make better decisions for keeping people and equipment safe , according to the Australia-based company .

Officially launched at Austmine 2023 in

Adelaide , the system has been influenced by proven technology coming out of the automotive industry . Maptek engineers “ applied their software smarts and combined their knowledge of mining with input from ergonomics and human experience experts to design a simple interface ”, the company said .

The result – VisionV2X – is currently operating hundreds of metres underground at one of the world ’ s largest underground copper mines .

VisionV2X allows miners to see underground and around corners , with metre accuracy to ensure even fully loaded high speed trucks have time to react to each other in all conditions , according to Maptek .

“ The Maptek proximity awareness system has underground safety as the key objective ,” Maptek CEO , Eduardo Coloma , said . “ It can be fitted to any vehicle across a mixed manufacturer fleet that is commonly deployed in underground mines .”

Maptek added : “[ The ] golden rules for any safety system are that it is reliable , easy to install and straightforward to use . At the heart of VisionV2X is an ergonomic touchscreen interface installed in heavy vehicle cabs that operators can rely on for visible and audible feedback around the proximity of at-risk personnel and vehicles .” The system continuously runs automated checks in the background to ensure VisionV2X is operating correctly , all while enabling mine managers and supervisors to achieve operational safety KPIs .

Detailed proximity data is logged on-board the vehicle and sent back to a central server for analysis and reporting , helping to deliver continual improvement in risk management and worker safety .

Maptek VisionV2X sits within the Maptek operations / production management software area and – in its own right – is a reliable , selfcontained , robust and mining-rugged safety technology , Maptek says . On top of this , it is a dynamic mesh digital communications platform .

“ The safety system measures the time it takes digital data packets to fly through space from node-to-node , hence it dynamically ranges to all members of the network in real time – the key component of the safety system – without caring what data is in the packets ,” Coloma said .

16 International Mining | AUGUST 2023