RUC Cementation, the diversified underground mining contractor operating throughout Australia and Asia Pacific, has chosen ThoroughTec Simulation to develop a high fidelity CYBERMINE simulator in order to increase the productivity and safety of their Sandvik DS421-C drill rig operators. The simulator will be deployed at PT Freeport’s Grasberg mine in Indonesia, where ThoroughTec, one of the leaders in simulator-based workforce optimisation solutions, already maintains four CYBERMINE training simulators.
The DS421-C is a rock reinforcement drill rig for specialised cement grouted, cable bolt installations. “Recognising our leadership in the market for underground equipment simulators, RUC, who are on the frontline of operations at Grasberg, have invested in simulator technology to help their Sandvik bolter operators, work safer and smarter,” says Larin Allison, Regional Vice President of Asia Pacific at ThoroughTec.
Barry Upton, Managing Director of RUC Cementation says, “This drill rig is a complex piece of equipment. There is a drive for multi-skilled operators to optimise our workforce underground and we believe this simulator will help us achieve this.” RUC Cementation, part of the global Murray & Roberts group, seeks to maximise the engagement of local workers, whilst maintaining world’s best practices wherever they operate. Upton added that, “Safety forms the foundation of our company ethos and through our safety, training policies and procedures, RUC makes every endeavour to ensure that our employees operate in a safe and productive environment.”
ThoroughTec has extensive experience working with the Murray & Roberts group of companies, as they commissioned five high fidelity simulators for Sandvik equipment at Murray & Roberts Cementation’s Bentley Park training centre in Johannesburg, South Africa a few years ago. “We also have a fantastic working relationship with Sandvik, worldwide and unsurpassed credibility in high fidelity reproduction of their equipment. This helps us take the CYBERMINE simulator system to the next level in terms of realism and accuracy,” says Allison.” We have simulated well over 50 drill rig models for mines, training schools and universities around the world.”
The CYBERMINE system is extremely useful for evaluating how the operator reacts in an emergency. Just one example would be equipment fires, “It’s obviously difficult to simulate a fire on the actual equipment, so the simulator is a very useful tool in simulating one and assessing how the operator reacts to it,” says Allison.
“Because the drill rigs will be used for fewer training tasks, the associated running costs of training will also come down significantly. Damage and wear-and-tear decreases as operators are able to familiarise themselves with the controls and iron out their mistakes on the simulator instead of the real equipment. This means less unscheduled maintenance and lower maintenance and training costs,” notes Allison.