FLEET MANAGEMENT types of customers.”
So, the big news here is that OP Pro will soon be offered in a lighter version – OP Pro with the most basic functionality to get the mine going with FMS – operator logging, equipment hours, tonnes moved, activity tracking production accounting – but without all the additional optimisation tools or dynamic assignments that come with the full version. But you can still track and monitor your mining fleet and mine performance and activity, plus it gets many of these mines on a first true digitalisation step. Kowalchuk:“ Everybody wants the basic FMS functions no matter how simple the mine is. From our side, we just need to make sure that we can package it up in a way that is cost effective for us and for the customer. OP Pro was designed to be full featured and high performance for large mines – including using top of the range sensors and hardware. So, we have opted for a hardware design and performance level that gets us to a new price point but still offers the functionality and reliability that we need. It will be great for us to start working with a whole new segment of the market with our FMS, plus we get to bring a solution to many customers that are currently underserved in this space.”
Another aspect of the lighter OP Pro is that it offers a first step into digitalisation for mines, but has been designed in such a way that it is possible to upgrade to OP Pro later. Customers will even be able to just upgrade some of their equipment initially to OP Pro and later when the production fleet starts to ramp up and the mining cycles become more complex, you can take the whole primary fleet to OP Pro and get the optimisation of the full feature set. But you could keep a pre-stripping or contractor or waste management fleet on the lighter version if you want – Hexagon wants to offer that flexibility. It’ s all going to the same database and tracked on the same controls in the mine operations centre. So, it will give customers scalability and upgradability.
Opening up these new markets, Hexagon OP Pro remains equipment OEM agnostic, already one of its major selling points. Many OP Pro customers operate mixed fleets.“ It’ s normal for us to deploy our FMS on a range of equipment types – even on our onboard sensor we’ ve got protocols and libraries for hundreds of different makes and models of equipment. Plus, we are always reinvesting in our IP to make sure we are up to date with the latest equipment types.”
OP Pro has also built on the heritage of Leica Jigsaw which had many unique attributes and OP Pro maintains a lot of the foundational concepts that made Jigsaw powerful – a good optimising algorithm, and highly customisable distributed data. Basically, real-time information about the fleet and real-time optimisations.“ Those remain the same, but with OP Pro we have made it easier to deploy, easier to support and easier to customise solution. Before, a lot of customisation was done locally, but now we have a global feature network that customers can access with hundreds of different configurations that have been built globally but that you can turn on and off locally yourself. You can add or remove features and workflows to your equipment or your UI depending on how you want your operators to be interacting with the system, and you can do this almost instantaneously.” Many Jigsaw FMS customers are in the process of upgrading to OP Pro, which is quite easy to do based on how Hexagon’ s FMS is designed.
Finally, what about networks? The more digital mines get, the greater the bandwidth pressure on the network. Nearly all mines using AHS are operating it together with an LTE or 4G network. As fleet management systems get more capable, and as they are often being used together with CAS, fatigue management and other technologies, are they also placing demands on the network required for them to run effectively? Kowalchuk:“ Having been in the FMS space for a long time, we always highlight to customers that the quality of your network will directly relate to the performance of your fleet management system. As far as FMS goes, OP Pro is more resilient than other offerings to bad networks because it uses peer-to-peer technology and can also store data forwards. So, if a piece of equipment goes through a zone of no connectivity and no network, it stores all that information and then it replicates that back to the main database once it’ s got network connection. If there’ s a shovel in a no-network area, the truck approaching it can connect peer-topeer and share updates and information.”
Connectivity remains an issue at times for AHS even for LTE and 4G networks. Hexagon’ s AHS solution doesn’ t want to just compound this problem. In the same way, AHS is not an option for many mines because their GNSS or network just can’ t support it.“ So, there are things that we are trialling and testing internally with our AHS development, though nothing has been released to the market yet. But we are looking at how we can build more resilient, less network-dependent autonomous haulage solutions using edge computing and other technologies.”
Enhancing stockpile management: Wenco’ s evolution to cloud-native solutions
Stockpiles have traditionally represented a blind spot in mining operations- often managed as static entities rather than dynamic resources that can be precisely tracked and optimised. This conventional approach contributes to inefficiencies, inconsistent plant feed, and potential value loss. Wenco International Mining Systems says it is addressing these challenges with Stockpile Manager, a solution designed to bring precision and enhanced control to stockpile management. As the first product delivered under Wenco’ s strategic transition to cloud-native architecture, Stockpile Manager it says marks a significant advancement in how mines track, analyse, and optimise their stockpile inventories.“ By leveraging high-resolution data and seamless integration with Wencomine FMS, this solution transforms stockpiles from passive storage areas into active assets that contribute to operational efficiency and profitability.”
Cloud-native solutions provide mining companies with flexibility to adapt and optimise their operations more effectively. By adopting this architectural approach, Wenco says it is delivering enhanced insights, as continuous updates provide a detailed view of stockpile attributes, supporting improved blending and processing outcomes. It also brings adaptable scalability- whether operating a single site or managing multiple mines, cloud-native solutions accommodate evolving operational requirements. It is also integrated, as Stockpile Manager works bidirectionally with Wencomine FMS, ensuring synchronised data flow between fleet management and stockpile monitoring. Operational efficiency comes from reduced hardware dependency, optimising existing infrastructure while potentially lowering maintenance costs. Users can choose between on-premises or cloud deployment, aligning with specific operational needs and regulatory requirements.
Wemco says Stockpile Manager challenges the traditional concept of treating stockpiles as uniform, blended entities. Instead, it provides detailed insights into each load’ s precise placement, composition, and characteristics, similar to how dig blocks are managed in the pit.
Early adopters Wenco says have noted Stockpile Manager’ s ability to provide enhanced visibility into stockpile conditions, improve blending strategies, and increase overall processing efficiency. By reducing uncertainty, the solution is changing how mines utilise their stockpiles.“ Stockpile Manager represents a key milestone in Wenco’ s broader transition toward cloud-native architecture. This evolution is unfolding in carefully planned phases, ensuring continuity in mining operations while delivering immediate operational advantages. The solution empowers mining operations to monitor and control stockpile inventories with the same detailed
International Mining | MAY 2025