MMG , Hexagon deliver ‘ Australia first ’ at Rosebery
IMDEX joins Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct
WORLD PROSPECTS
equipment , we provide complete mechanical and electrical design of system , installing and commissioning and servicing of the plant for the duration of the hire .”
During summer in the Australian outback , it is common for above-ground temperatures to surpass 40 ° C – a heat felt keenly by anyone underground . While the guidelines vary between states and territories , sub-30 ° C underground temperatures are considered ‘ safe zones ’ in mining .
Temperatures are increasing due to global warming , and Australia has experienced unseasonably warm conditions during winter . This is reportedly due to developing El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole ( natural drivers ), as well as climate change .
“ We are experiencing an unusually warm winter , and forecasters are predicting hotter than usual temperatures due to natural drivers of our weather and continued global warming , so it ’ s even more important that mines take action to have the right solutions in place ,” Bevan said . “ The best thing you can do for the safety of staff to lower heat and humidity underground – and for the productivity and scalability of your mine – is to outsource mine cooling and ventilation solutions to a reliable provider that offers remote monitoring , maintenance , as well as equipment and technology upgrades .”
Aggreko is currently engaged with a Tier 1 miner to supply a total of 4.8 MW of power across two cooling plants at a large Australian coal mine . “ The project demonstrates how cost effective and efficient rental cooling plants are for coal mining , as opposed to installing fixed , permanent plants ,” Bevan said .
“ The relatively shallow and horizontal nature of longwall coal mines , combined with the semipermanent nature of a rental plant , means the plant can efficiently be picked up and moved to the next section for mining .”
Bevan said in the current market , mine managers and production teams have so many competing priorities .
“ They have been asked to produce at faster rates to capitalise on commodity prices while also having ambitious targets on the energy transition , with aspects of the market and supply chain making things difficult ,” he said . “ Outsourcing mine cooling solutions to an external provider lightens their load , so they can concentrate on their core focus of production .” www . aggreko . com
MMG , Hexagon deliver ‘ Australia first ’ at Rosebery
MMG Rosebery says it has become the first mine in Australia to introduce fatigue detection technology in its underground operations , installing the HxGN MineProtect Operator Alertness System across the site in Tasmania .
The system , from Hexagon ’ s Mining division , has for the first time been installed in underground vehicles to detect fatigue and distraction in real time during 12-hour shifts , further strengthening the safety measures already in place to protect Rosebery ’ s 530-strong workforce .
Rosebery Mine General Manager , Steve Scott , said MMG continues to look at new and innovative ways to enhance safety across the mine site .
“ Our number one value is we always think safety first , and nothing is more important than ensuring all our people go home safely at the end of each day ,” he said .
“ We recognise that with long shifts , fatigue can become a hazard and this technology enables us to continue to assess the fatigue risk of our underground truck operators in real time .”
The camera technology sits on the vehicle ’ s dashboard and will send alerts through audible sounds and seat vibration when it detects fatigue and distraction .
Rosebery Mine worked with Hexagon to install the technology in 11 underground trucks with 81 operators now registered to use the system .
Scott said the feedback from MMG ’ s personnel using the system has been overwhelmingly positive .
“ They ’ ve seen real value in the technology because it not only helps them to recognise that they ’ re tired , but also manage their fatigue better after their shifts ,” he said . “ We have a culture at Rosebery where we encourage a positive and safe workplace , and this is just another initiative that helps us achieve that .” www . mmg . com ; https :// hexagon . com / company / divisions / mining
IMDEX joins Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct
IMDEX has become a major industry partner of the new Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct in Perth , Western Australia . The partnership with the state governmentowned precinct will allow IMDEX to accelerate testing and demonstration of technology including its BLAST DOG™ at a site close to its Balcatta headquarters
IMDEX BLAST DOG is a commodity-agnostic blast hole sensing and physical measurement technology that provides near real-time blast hole physicals and orebody knowledge , and a 3D view into the bench . It has been developed in collaboration with Universal Field Robots and IMDEX industry partners Teck Resources and Anglo American .
The 51 ha automation and robotics precinct , 40 km north of the Perth Central Business District , was purpose-built for testing , research and development , and training in autonomous , remote operations , and robotic systems and equipment . It currently provides extensive test beds , freehold lots and an onsite office for industry use .
IMDEX has signed on as an industry partner for an initial period of two years and will build and maintain a common user drill pad as a part of a 22 ha Dirt Lab , which will enable various
commercial and collaborative opportunities as an innovation mine test and development site .
IMDEX Chief Executive Officer , Paul House , said having a purpose-built , robotics research and development site so close to the company ’ s headquarters was ideal .
“ While we operate globally and have an unrivalled presence on all major mining operations , Western Australia is home to some of the world ’ s major mining companies so having the opportunity to develop and promote our technology locally is an additional benefit ,” he said .
“ BLAST DOG won ’ t be the only technology we will test at the site . We have plans for testing a range of IMDEX tools and technology developed by our research and development team .” www . imdexlimited . com
8 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2023