Modular Mining Systems, Inc, the global supplier of real-time mine management solutions, has announced that its MasterLink® Enterprise Wireless Network solution will be implemented at the Carajás open-pit iron ore mine. Located in the Amazon region of northern Brazil and run by Vale, Carajás is the largest iron ore mine in operation and producer of the highest grade iron ore worldwide.

Modular’s says its relationship with Vale began in 1993, when Carajás became Modular’s first fleet management system (FMS) customer in Brazil. “We’ve continued to expand our partnership with Vale to encompass a total of 14 sites,” said Davi Freire, General Manager, Modular Brazil. “Earlier this year, we celebrated the signing of Vale’s Pico mine as our 250th customer.”

Carajás first installed the MasterLink 2 (ML2) network in 2004 and later upgraded to MasterLink 11 (ML11) in 2007. The mine’s usage of bandwidth-intensive applications, need to support multiple virtual local area networks (VLANs), and increased coverage requirements, drove the mine to upgrade its wireless platform.

MasterLink Enterprise represents the latest evolution in Modular’s long-standing history of wireless networking solutions. “Modular’s extensive industry-specific wireless expertise pairs with Cisco’s best-in-class architecture to provide our customers with an enterprise-class network that ensures maximum capacity, coverage, and performance.” Carajás also utilises Modular’s DISPATCH® Fleet Management system, MineCare® Maintenance Management solution, and ProVision® Machine Guidance system. The MasterLink Enterprise solution is expected to be commissioned later this year.