ON THE GROUND
makes life less complicated for the OEM
and very complicated (and expensive)
for the customer.
Interoperability
To properly understand the concept of
interoperability, we need to look at what
is currently happening in mining. Every
mine operator and C-level executive
needs more data to understand and
improve their operations. Unfortunately,
data intelligence and reporting is usually
isolated to discreet silos of operations.
Planning, for example, has their
systems and reporting processes, pit
operations has data for their myriad
of equipment with each reporting on
their status. Perhaps, if they’re lucky,
pit operations can consolidate their silo
of operations data for reporting. The
plant has systems that report on their
performance and the transportation
system also does so. But unfortunately,
all these reporting systems occur in
isolation, and independent of one
another, so if the customer wants the
‘big picture’ of how planning, operations,
plant, transport and all systems from ‘pit
to port’ are performing, it’s an integration
nightmare because these systems don’t
www.plantonline.co.za
talk to each other, and it is a major effort
to integrate them.
This is where Hitachi-Wenco,
comes in. They design systems to be
interoperable from the start and
make it easier to allow operations or
data systems to connect with each
other, so customers can plan and track
more easily.
To put it simply, HCM Group’s key
capability of interoperability creates
simplified connectivity between systems
to reduce operational silos, enabling
end-to-end visibility and control across
the mining value chain. Customers
using Solution Linkage can connect
autonomous equipment from multiple
vendors into existing fleet management
and operations infrastructure.
Interoperability also affords mines a
systems-level understanding of their
pit-to-port operation, providing access to
more robust data analytics and process
management. This capability enables
mine management to make superior
decisions based on operation-wide insight
that delivers end-to-end optimisation.
Partner ecosystem
HCM's open autonomy approach rests
on creating a partner ecosystem in
which customers and third-party partners
can leverage HCM’s experience and
open platform to successfully provide
autonomous functionality and reduce
the risk of technological adoption. This
initiative is already working with a global
mining leader to integrate non-mining
OEM autonomous vehicles into its
existing mining infrastructure.
Hitachi says that the AHS vendor is
not one of the ‘Big 3’ and does not use
their smaller autonomous haul trucks in
mining. The customer is a Tier 1 that does
work with the major OEM autonomy
providers but wants to try new vendors,
particularly for smaller vehicles. Hitachi-
Wenco allows the customer to do this by
leveraging Wencomine FMS technology
as an integration point between the third-
party AHS vendor and the customer.
HCM is looking for customer and
vendor partnerships to further extend the
value of this open, interoperable platform.
If autonomy vendors have already been
selected by a customer and are struggling
to integrate into the client’s existing fleet
management system or mine operations,
Hitachi may be able to help using the
Solution Linkage platform.
JULY 2019
17