MINING SOFTWARE
Komatsu ’ s Intellimine Synergy open-technology platform is designed to partner with other technologies to rapidly innovate valuable solutions for customers , including for their ESG efforts , according to William Nassauer
mining natural resources more efficiently .
GIM Suite , the company ' s flagship geological data management solution , was complemented by the addition of new product EnviroSys in late 2020 , a quality and compliance-focused environmental data management solution .
EnviroSys is designed so miners can manage environmental approvals and obligations to ensure they ’ re fully compliant in real time while promoting transparency and data accessibility throughout the business , according to the company .
As the industry tackles ever-changing legislation and governance , the ability to confidently answer the question : “ am I compliant right now ?” is incredibly powerful , and that is what EnviroSys sets out to achieve .
“ The importance of this cannot be overstated ,” the company told IM . “ It ’ s not unusual for an environmental team to spend hours , days , or even weeks collating data from several different sources to answer this one question .” acQuire plans to launch a major release for EnviroSys this year , which will further augment the software ’ s capabilities , delivering scalability improvements and updates across the interface for a more seamless experience of working with environmental data , according to the company .
It is the ‘ E ’ ( EnviroSys ) and ‘ G ’ ( EnviroSys and GIM Suite ) where acQuire ’ s software solutions mainly intersect with the ESG space and pending updates to EnviroSys and a recent upgrade of GIM Suite are only expected to strengthen this relationship .
“ GIM Suite helps company ’ s governance initiatives such as reporting to stock exchanges , investors , and regulatory bodies ,” acQuire explained . “ EnviroSys helps companies ensure they are compliant by monitoring a range of environmental aspects and can deliver timely reports to regulatory bodies .
“ Another area where GIM Suite excels is keeping historical records of data . This can be especially useful for decommissioned mines where being able to quickly access and report on historical data is crucial . But the primary area we intersect ESG is for environmental compliance with EnviroSys . It ensures nothing ever slips through the cracks , so you have a complete picture for the ‘ why ’ behind your data .”
ESG efficiency
Komatsu is also facilitating the reduction of travel to and from locations deep within a mine site through remote and autonomous operation of equipment – all of which is underwritten by software .
“ When operators remotely work , their fuel consumption is decreased because they do not need to travel to and from locations deep within the mine site , and fuel per tonne is reduced due to minimisation of stoppage and diversions due to shift change ,” William Nassauer , Manager of Product Strategy , Autonomous Systems , told IM .
Its FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage Systems ( AHS ) can also help mining operations move more material with the same amount of fuel , plus operate machines within the manufacturer ’ s specifications , which can help improve machine longevity , the company said .
It does this by incorporating real-time situational analysis to affect system-driving patterns and behaviours that improve fuel efficiency .
“ For example , the system anticipates the road condition ahead , like a ramp incline or decline , and will adjust its speed accordingly ,” Nassauer explained .
At the same time , FrontRunner ’ s anti-rutting solution can see mine sites decrease fuel use and equipment wear .
“ Autonomous trucks are coded to run the same route with intentional variation , so they do not cause deep ruts in mine roads ,” Nassauer said . “ This helps maintain quality road conditions and can help reduce the need for road maintenance , inherently decreasing auxiliary equipment wear and fuel usage .”
Other software within the Komatsu ecosystem can also positively impact ESG efforts , the company said .
DISPATCH , for example , uses an optimisation algorithm with inputs to efficiently distribute haulage units in the pit . “ This optimised routing leads to the most efficient fuel use for production routes , refuelling events , personnel breaks and maintenance ,” Nassauer said .
MineCare Health Monitoring System , meanwhile , identifies potential equipment issues while in operation and assists in proactive planning . “ This planning includes tasking proper maintenance at the right time , which can help reduce downtime , assist in maximising equipment lifespan and reduce fuel consumption ,” Nassauer said .
In 2021 , Komatsu announced the development of the new Intellimine Synergy open-technology platform , designed to collect , integrate and process data in real time . This will also play a role in improving ESG performance , according to Nassauer , offering customers a single source of actionable insights that brings together data from all relevant Komatsu , Modular Mining and third-party machines , mining processes , systems and technology applications to facilitate critical decision making .
“ This same platform is designed to partner with other technologies to rapidly innovate valuable solutions for customers , including for their ESG efforts , and create a streamlined data process for interoperability ,” he said .
While Komatsu continues to work with customers on becoming more energy efficient , Nassauer acknowledged that energy use is no longer solely a monetary concern , with additional concerns about where that energy is coming from and how that is impacting the environment .
“ To help our customers work toward reaching their alternative energy goals , our product development will include electric , trolley and
FEBRUARY 2022 | International Mining