NETWORKS & COMMS
in their cordless cap lamps so they can be directed to rescue chambers , for example . The connectivity also permits the tagging of safety assets like emergency breathing equipment – so workers or rescue teams can quickly locate such assets . Rescue teams today are using Bluetooth enabled handsfree phones to stay in constant full duplex communication without having to push to talk – again thanks to the latest connectivity . Live video and even thermal imaging is also possible as well for these teams .
Draeger Safety Canada ’ s Director of Marketing Susan Yu adds : " As an employee you can wear our portable gas monitoring devices , and specify which gases you want to monitor with different sensors . We can also put fixed gas detector in the mine ventilation system . What ’ s new here is the constant connectivity aspect with the readings – using Ambra-supplied 4G LTE or 5G private networks , we enable live monitoring which in turn enables rapid response from the mine control centre , whether that be locally or in a remote operations centre . It is also applicable for flame detection and for our rescue team solutions in their breathing apparatus to monitor oxygen levels ."
Both Ambra as a leading network supplier and integrator in mining and Draeger as a global leader in mine safety equipment and related software sell their solutions directly to mining customers and through other channels . This joint solution will be offered as a combination to mines where it makes sense based on needs and requirements . It has been fully tested in Ambra ’ s lab – the next step is to deploy it with a customer on a trial basis . Based on initial feedback from interested parties , the parties hope to commence this step by the end of 2023 .
Rajant on meeting mining ’ s key challenges
In his Director of Sales role for Rajant Corporation , Todd Rigby recently asked some of its international team members to reflect on the challenges and opportunities its customers are experiencing in their respective industries and regions . Sagar Chandra , who oversees growth , mining , and port partnerships throughout South America , said : “ The typical communication challenges our clients face is a need for a reliable wireless network for real-time connectivity for their haulage and loading fleet . Recently , it ’ s been more about reliable coverage for using autonomous and tele-operated fleets .”
Rigby states : “ As many industries move toward autonomous and tele-operated systems , reliable network connectivity is becoming an absolute necessity . In sectors like agriculture , mining , public safety , and oil & gas , the availability of robust low-latency network coverage encourages the use of advanced , more efficient systems . Our team at Rajant is constantly working to incorporate the suggestions and experiences of our customers into new products and R & D processes .”
Troy McKay , Rajant ’ s expert in Australian mining operations , based in Brisbane , Queensland , said : “ Customers desire advances in wireless technologies that allow for increased throughput and an ability to seamlessly connect into other communications technologies such as microwave and satellite to extend the coverage of mining operations , We make it simple to bring in last mile IoT data . Our solution can span the entire coverage of a mine and seamlessly connect to equipment while managing increased throughput requirements .”
Darrell Gillis , another Rajant specialist who oversees mining , ports , heavy construction , and automation in Canada , says that the real upside of Kinetic Mesh ® is the “ true mobility of the BreadCrumbs ® on mobile equipment and mobile infrastructure nodes .” Mesh networks are much easier to deploy than alternatives that require fixed infrastructure and can be adjusted to fit operational needs .
Gillis continued , “ The ability to easily add many other technologies to the Kinetic Mesh network such as voice , video , fan controls , air quality monitoring , asset tracking is a huge upside . Also , the ability to use existing infrastructures like fibre , LTE , and leaky feeder in conjunction with mesh makes it attractive to established businesses .”
Rajant ’ s solution it says is uniquely designed to provide continuous , reliable , scalable connectivity for dynamic working environments . It states also that Kinetic Mesh is a tenth of the cost of an LTE system without the complexities and annual fees . “ It ’ s a reliable , practical solution with easy deployment and impressive endurance . Our solution will continue to fuel business operations worldwide .”
Looking at a specific use case , Rajant and STRACONTech , a Kinetic Mesh Partner in Lima , Peru , say they have increased bandwidth and improved networking coverage at the Constancia mine in Peru , a project owned by Hudbay Minerals .
After reviewing options , the mine selected to invest in Rajant ’ s solution for mobility , which allows an almost “ plug-and-play ” integration with the mine ’ s existing LTE network , Rajant said . Eduardo Rojas , IT Manager at Hudbay , said : “ Our mining operation needed a better design for its haulage and loading fleet . With the Rajant hybrid
Using Rajant ' s Peregrine LTE BreadCrumb ® technology , and working with Rajant partner STRACONTech , Hudbay ' s Constancia mine in Peru obtained a four times performance improvement
solution , we now have a significant increase in bandwidth , which will allow us to be more efficient .” With the Rajant Peregrine
LTE BreadCrumb ® , the mine obtained a four times performance improvement , going from a limit of 10 Mb / s with LTE up to 40 Mb / s . The Rajant Peregrine LTE allows connectivity on multiple frequencies simultaneously , including LTE . This improves operations so connectivity is not lost with the mining fleet even when interference exists on the 2.4 GHz , 5 Ghz , or LTE band , Rajant says .
Sagar Chandra , added : “ All mining operations want reliable and scalable connectivity . We successfully improved the performance of the installed LTE network using the Peregrine LTE , which offers the unique benefit of Kinetic Mesh and direct machine-to-machine connectivity .”
Rajant and STRACONTech teams started with a proof of concept , resulting in a larger phased installation , delivering improved performance . STRACONTech ’ s team explains : “ We measured 30-32 Mb / s at 1 km while the mine ’ s LTE had a ceiling of 10 Mb / s . We solved the challenge they had . Moreover , the investment in the Peregrine LTE was a one-time cost for the mine without recurring annual software or maintenance costs , saving them long-term .” Hudbay ’ s Constancia mine produced 89,395 t of copper , 58,229 oz of gold and 2.3 Moz of silver in 2022 .
Nokia and Edzcom LTE at Kevitsa
Boliden Kevitsa is a multi-metal open pit mine operating in Sodankylä , northern Finland . The mine ’ s main products are nickel and copper concentrates . Concentrates also include cobalt , platinum , palladium and gold . Today , many mining companies , Boliden included , are pursuing a full automation strategy , where all manually operated machines will eventually be replaced with their autonomous counterparts . Edzcom has been the long-term partner designing , building and operating the private 4.9G / LTE wireless connectivity in Boliden Kevitsa , using Nokia industrial-grade private
68 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2023