Mining in focus
Wits DigiMine life-size mining stope panel.
Late last year, the CSIR showcased their
latest mining technologies. Among the
technologies displayed was a robot platform
equipped with safety inspection sensors to
enter mines during safety periods. Known
as ‘Monster’, the robot aims to assess and
identify risks for underground mines.
Principal engineer, Dr Shaniel Davrajh,
highlighted the importance of using robotic
technologies in the mines. He told Mining
Mirror that using these technologies could
assist in reaching some of the areas that are
not accessible during an incident. “A robot
equipped with safety inspection sensors
will enter the mine during a safety period.
It becomes very difficult and dangerous
for humans to enter into the mine after an
incident,” he said.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), which
is being researched as one of the South
African Mining Extraction, Research,
Development and Innovation (SAMERDI)
Advanced Orebody Knowledge technologies,
was also displayed. This technology
contributes to the zero-harm objective, by
enabling miners to visualise potentially
hazardous geological structures in the
hanging wall that could lead to falls-of-
ground. “Managing health and safety risk in
a mine requires real-time monitoring and
quantification of the underground hazards
and the exposure of personnel and equipment
to such hazards,” comments principal
geophysicist, Dr Michael van Schoor.
The CSIR also developed a pedestrian
detection system. The system uses a range
sensor to determine the distance to each
identified person and tracks each person to
determine if and when a collision is likely to
occur.
Another technology that was exhibited
is an early-warning and monitoring system
called ‘RockPulse’. RockPulse will assist
mines with listening to raw micro-seismicity;
extracting micro-fracture features, and
analysing the resulting series of features to
detect large instabilities taking place in the
rock mass in time.
as tracking and positioning of personnel
and equipment within above-ground
and below-ground mining operations.
Sandvik monitoring a mining operation. Data and information management will become increasingly
important in the future.
Considering the innovations, R&D, and
the progress made in terms of underground
mining technology, it is safe to say the future
looks promising. “We wouldn’t be allocating
our engineering resources to develop new
and integrated technologies if we didn’t feel
it could improve the mining environment
and overall safety of miners,” says Van
Niekerk.
He adds that MineARC has plans to
launch more products and technologies in
the next few months — related to improving
mine safety over the next few years. “These
are all related to our GuardIAN Network
System, and include site-wide, real-time gas
monitoring, personnel tracking and guidance,
and of course, improvements to our own
refuge chamber technology,” he says.
[34] MINING MIRROR MAY 2019
The future
Where it will all happen in future: in the control room.
www.miningmirror.co.za