FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS the process of integraring CANbus which will connect us to machine data via the J1939 protocol . But we want to mimimise connection time – our logger just has a two pin automotive connector .”
Another concept is the allocation GUI – a tablet application which KMO can supply – it scans the devices and communications with the device . In the management GUI you configure your site and your vehicles and allocate your devices to them ; this allows you to move devices around it you want to and reconfigure whenever you want . It runs on the cloud but can also run via a box on the minesite if needed ( if there is little or no internet ). The management portal tracks things like tonnages and production metrics as well as individual machine metrics and performance and which machines are meeting KPIs – we can also add financial metrics . The management GUI can also add in maintenance to the mix as well as utilisation and availability and produce heatmaps of where machines have been operating .
At the back end , KMO can also incorporate dig blocks , which provides a basis to track material from the excavator , through the haulage fleet and into the plant bringing reconciliation insights . There is no full dispatch capability currently but this is in the works .
As with other FMS KMO says it is targeting areas like asset utilisation , fuel savings , blast performance analysis , improved productivity , blending management , contractor management and decarbonisation . KMO is already installed in a pilot at a remote mine in Chile through a contractor – so remote that it is connected via a satcomms uplink . It is using a fleet of 773F trucks mining high grade ore . A second small mining customer in Argentina will also be starting up with KMO soon and a pilot is running at a UK quarry . Plus the system has been tested in two underground mines .
But Aguirre-Jofre doesn ’ t see a limit either with small mines – with large operations , many ancilliary machines remain unconnected to the main FMS – like dozers and graders , plus infrastructure fleets operated by contractors . " We can also pull data off things like pumps and other fixed equipment that also isn ’ t normally factored into the main load and haul FMS .”
Going forward KMO is looking at adding about two new mines a quarter then potentially working with some resellers to help it scale . The potential is huge for these new FMS players like KMO – literally thousands of quarries and small mines , including industrial minerals mines , do not yet have a digital fleet monitoring system installed - but they want to able to get the same benefits as the big metallic operations .
FleetControl from Haultrax
FleetControl is a modern-day take on fleet management from Australia ’ s Haultrax . It ’ s a dispatch solution that it says provides time , material and activity tracking . It ’ s mobile , intuitive and easy to use . In addition to this , it also offer our solution FleetOps , which compliments FleetControl , perfectly . FleetOps is a fleet performance monitoring , management and reporting tool that removes the frustration of human error by ditching the tally sheets and digitalising the data .
The company told IM : We work closely with our customers to identify the problem they need to solve and to customise our solutions to cater towards the needs of the operation . We believe what makes us special is our 10 + years of experience in FMS implementation . We have implemented many other fleet management solutions over the years which has given us the knowledge and expertise to see successful change when digitalising an operation .”
The Haultrax offices are based in Brisbane and Perth . On the West Coast a team based in Perth locally supports the Pilbara , Southwest and Goldfields regions . On the East Coast its Brisbane team services the Bowen , Hunter Valley , Surat and Galilee Basin .
FleetControl is a fleet management system which makes real time activity and material tracking simple and enables transparency and collaboration across load and haul operations . By doing this FleetControl aims to improve the effective utilisation of operating equipment by quantifying and mitigating production delays and standbys . “ Our solution is highly scalable , suited to operations of all sizes , and breaks down the barriers to entry for non-Tier 1 operations by using a subscription-based payment method with little to no capital investment required .”
By quantifying and mitigating production delays and standbys , FleetControl will allow a mining operation to reduce diesel wastage from non-production activities such as non-productive travel , queuing , and idling . “ Mining operations capture this discrepancy for the maintenance department via SMU ( Service Meter Unit ) uplift . This uplift is a comparison of the time that the engine has been on against the time that the truck undertook productive operations and is done using the onboard engine timer ( similar to a passenger car odometer ). The standard SMU uplift for a manned operation is 1.12 . By mitigating factors such as queue time and nonproductive travel , we believe FleetControl can reduce this uplift by 1 % to 1.11 .”
Haultrax says FleetControl has consistently shown to deliver a 5 % effective utilisation productivity improvement . A 5 % improvement in effective utilisation will reduce the fleet size required to move the same material and a reduction of between one to two trucks represents a significant reduction in operating and capital expenditure for mid-sized mining operations .
“ We have maintained a great working relationship / partnership with our clients who have implemented our FMS . Major customers include bauxite miner Alcoa , which is using FleetControl at its Willowdale mine in Wagerup , WA and contract miner Mackellar which has been using it for its contract at the Carmichael coal mining operations in central Queensland , owned by Bravus Resources .”
Jodi Racco , Production Superintendent , Alcoa : “ What attracted us to the Haultrax model is we see what we want to see in small enough chunks that you can digest it , providing us with simple
MAY 2023 | International Mining