Hitachi Construction Machinery (Australia) (HCA) has announced that trials of its Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) will begin at Meandu mine on April 29, when the first of three trucks arrive from Japan. Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) has outlined plans to develop a comprehensive suite of technologies aimed at delivering an AHS solution to the global surface mining industry by the year 2017.
Meandu, located in Queensland’s South Burnett region will play host for the three-year trial of Hitachi automated mining trucks. The objective is to deliver optimised AHS solutions to customers, based on the proven Hitachi AC drive dump truck system in collaboration with the latest products from Wenco International Mining Systems. The AHS solution will consist of a variety of advanced drive and traffic-control-system components on-board machines. When these are combined with wireless communications and a fleet management system, the dump truck loading, haulage and dumping operation will be automated.
How the Hitachi automated trucks work:
• The trucks integrate a highly advanced Global Positioning System (GPS) that controls the location, speed and direction of all automated and manned vehicles in the area.
• The GPS system has the ability to identify haul roads, intersections and mine locations such as loading areas, stockpiles and crushers.
• The trucks have a control system that allows precise speed control, helping them to safely negotiate steep slopes at the mine.
The AHS technology aims to generate the highest levels of safety, efficiency and reliability when deployed in open pit mines. In addition, the technology will facilitate higher productivity at a reduced overall cost per tonne. These capabilities are driven by specific customer requirements working in a variety of operational environments and scenarios.
HCA’s General Manager of Mining, Eric Green, said “the trial will develop automated mining trucks that can interact with other people-operated mining equipment,” but stressed that Hitachi had a long way to go to develop the technology, which was in a very early stage. “We want to do it right and this will take very careful testing over a considerable time,” he said.
Phil David, Stanwell’s General Manager of Coal Generation and Mining said “Stanwell was very pleased that Meandu Mine had been chosen for the high profile worldwide trial of new mine truck technology. Although Hitachi would work within the mine, it would be independent of Stanwell and Downer EDI and it will be at no cost to Stanwell.”
Stanwell purchased Meandu to secure a long-term fuel source for the neighbouring Tarong and Tarong North power stations. Ownership of the mine was transferred to Stanwell from Tarong Energy in July 2011.