COLLISION AVOIDANCE
is ready to implement ISO21815 to facilitate Schauenburg ’ s Level 9 CAS as soon as a customer request is in place .
Schauenburg is also starting to rollout its CAS in coal mining – most of its hardware is IScertified and it has engaged with a client to begin trials and testing . The underground coal CAS market has traditionally been serviced in South Africa by both Booyco and its CXS offering and Strata Products Worldwide and its electromagnetic ( EM ) -based HazardAvert solution . Booyco is also currently conducting Level 9 tests on an extensive surface coal mining fleet which includes large rigid frame trucks from various OEMs with results said to be very positive .
Strata steps up in hard rock
Strata says that its EM based system is successful due to its predictability and reliability over other PDS in a highly mechanised mining environment . While it has traditionally been a key player in underground CAS in South African underground coal mining , it is now moving fast into hard rock metallic mining , with Assmang ’ s Black Rock manganese mining operations being its largest contract to date . Ian Cillie , General Manager Strata Worldwide South Africa told IM : “ We are working very hard at Black Rock – they are already adopting the guidance in the Minerals Council South Africa new white paper on CAS technology based on EMESRT research and findings including the interoperability of systems and how they need to function . So we are working with them during rollout and installation of our HazardAvert Gen 2 Level 9 CAS to see if we can meet all of these requirements . This puts them ahead of any mandated requirement , which is coming , so it is taking some time and effort but is proving very successful so far .” Black Rock consists of three shafts all in the same vicinity , one will start CAS use in April 2022 , with the other two following that . Not only that , but Strata is also working with the mine on applying the CAS technology on its surface TMMs which include trucks , wheel loaders and other vehicles . This involves adapting the system to work with geofencing . Underground , Strata is also using beacons which are effectively a form of geofencing – slowing vehicles down when they approach intersections , more dangerous areas or workshops as an example . Strata is interfacing with many different OEM machines using the ISO 21815-2 protocol including Epiroc , Caterpillar , Fermel , Aard , Manitou and others . “ Getting a project of this complexity and size – hundreds of machines – right in many ways sets the stage and the standard for us . We are applying the new ISO but also the new Minerals Council guidelines .” Even aside from the CAS part , Strata is also putting a state of the art lamproom in place as well as putting all the necessary traffic management and safety approaches in place . Cillie said it was chosen as its technology was able to meet the client requirements but that it also had experience , and was OEM-agnostic .
A fully fledged player
Anton Lourens , CEO , Booyco Electronics , told IM its PDS offering has grown into a fully-fledged collision prevention system ( CPS ) which has attracted interest worldwide . It has a sizeable PDS population in both hard rock and coal . “ When we say we have a large footprint of successfully operating systems , it is important to understand the depth of both our expertise and knowledge in this field having more than 15 years hard earned experience , and importantly that we have systems in operation at both surface and underground operations . Our machine hours outnumber any other player standing currently at over two billion .”
“ Armed with the solid understanding that the implementation of PDS must be based on a comprehensive risk assessment of an individual mine site , our technical teams are able to recommend the optimum solution that will mitigate the risk of collisions involving trackless mining machines and improve traffic flow procedures , so mines can become more streamlined and less prone to disruptions that hamper smooth production . Our approach has always been to provide fit-for-application safety solutions .”
“ Our R & D focuses on continuously leveraging digital technologies to make mines safer and more efficient . A good example is our Booyco CXS range which is based on various available technologies and world class automotive standards . Recognised worldwide as a comprehensive and highly scalable integrated solution , our Booyco CXS is not just a warning system but a collision prevention system . Responding to EMESRT ’ s Level 7 , Level 8 and Level 9 safety gradings , the Booyco CXS has improved hardware and architecture that allows for local software updates – providing increased functionality and flexibility . From a CPS perspective , we have taken our Booyco CXS system to the next level where further protection is provided against other dangerous equipment such as winches and drill rig booms . Our Booyco Host Unit ( BHU ) at the heart of the system integrates with OEM systems according to ISO21815 , allowing Level 9 intervention messages to be applied for automatically executing relevant engineering control .”
Its ground-breaking RF-based CWS900 system appeared as far back as 2010 , when it was implemented as a Level 9 hybrid , actually stopping underground diesel equipment in the event of danger . “ This was an important industry first and opened the door to enhancing ‘ collision avoidance ’ systems . It was also a breakthrough
in terms of our ability as far back as 2010 to begin meeting the Level 9 requirements of best practice as formulated by the global Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table ( EMESRT ). Since then , we have deployed some Level 9 solutions to more than 15 of our customer sites , from mining operations to plants , and distribution centres .” Booyco says it was also the first to validate its equipment through the agreed simulation model developed by the VDG . “ Booyco Electronics ’ CXS solution is now more software-driven , allowing greater flexibility and adaptability to a customer ’ s specific needs . This is another step-change for the technology , as we can keep up with fast-changing industry requirements without replacing our hardware – and updates can usually be done wirelessly on site ,” says Lourens .
Among the company ’ s over 100 mining customers in South Africa alone , Lourens highlights that each site has its own functional requirements , with some sites having more than one set of parameters . “ The way of the future is software-based flexibility , so that mines can improve their requirements over time without having to change their installed PDS equipment , and this is available with both our surface and underground PDS and CPS technology .”
In late 2020 , it announced Booyco was equipping 19 mechanised mining machines with its latest Booyco CXS PDS solution to enhance safety during the development phase of underground operations at B2Gold ’ s Otjikoto gold mine , in Namibia .
Further extending its global reach , Booyco has also recently entered into an agreement with Wenco International Mining Systems where the Booyco CXS will become their Level 9 open pit CXS solution . Both companies were selected by Gold Fields Salares Norte mine after an extensive evaluation process ; Booyco for CAS and Wenco for its Fleet Management System . Lourens told IM he is excited about the opportunity presented through the collaboration with Wenco , particularly as the company is invested in surface mining vehicles and operations , and their insight will add value to both companies ’ customers .
“ Delivering interoperable , best of breed solutions is consistent with our ‘ buy , build partner ’ strategy . We conducted a thorough search of available CAS systems to partner with and determined Booyco as a best of breed technology provider in this space , hence we are very pleased to be able to offer Booyco ’ s technology to our customers ,” explained Andrew Pyne , President and CEO of Wenco . “ We determined that in addition to meeting the current customer requirements , Booyco is well advanced on delivering a Level 9 capability in open pit environments . We believe this will become a requirement of many of our customers
56 International Mining | JANUARY 2022