A new compact and convenient ground penetrating radar system developed locally by Reutech Mining has just been introduced to the market and is set to help increase mine safety as well as making a contribution to increased productivity. What is more, Reutech says that although the system is more user-friendly than comparable products currently available, it will be available at a very attractive price. It will be exhibited at Electra Mining 2016 from 12 to 16 September at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.
“We believe in designing innovative radar products that solve complex problems in simple ways. This passion drives our desire to think outside of the box; to rethink old problems and reimagine new solutions. It has led us to a product that improves underground mining productivity and safety in a revolutionary way” says Jan de Beer, Reutech Mining Executive.
He explains that the Sub Surface Profiler (SSP) is a low-cost, light-weight ground penetrating radar (GPR) designed specifically for the challenges of the underground mining environment: “It weighs less than 4.5 kg and its patented, compact ergonomic design allows for one-handed operation by one person in much the same way as a paint roller. The SSP is extremely power efficient, and makes use of small, rechargeable batteries which can be replaced during underground operations, allowing operation of the SSP to continue indefinitely.”
The data collected is wirelessly transmitted to a tablet computer, where it is processed in real time, thus giving instant feedback about fault structures, up to 6m inside the rock mass, present within the rock while scanning. “This improves dynamic decision making, and allows for the precise management of ground-fall risks, as well as the optimal utilisation of support mechanisms in an environment where every second counts” adds De Beer.
The development of the system was prompted by the safety and productivity challenges faced by underground mines internationally. Reutech worked with a leading South African mining group which needed a better solution to address ground-fall risks. A ground-fall event can have a devastating impact on the bottom line of any underground mine: “It could lead to a loss of life, damaged equipment and even mine closure” says De Beer. “If one can accurately identify fault structures hidden inside the rock – structures that cannot be seen by the naked eye – and also if you can improve the flow of information once a fault structure has been identified, it facilitates quicker decision making. This is key to successfully managing the risk associated with a ground-fall event.”
GPR has been used to help identify fault structures since the mid-1980s. However, adoption in the mining industry has been slow, because traditional GPR systems are heavy (weighing more than 20 kg) and difficult to use in the small confined spaces, since they often require more than one person to drag a heavy box along an underground tunnel. Battery life of the older systems is extremely limited and in addition, the data gathered is typically post processed, which means that information on rock structures and potential instabilities only becomes available hours after the initial scan.
De Beer points out that the “biggest drawback has probably been in the cost involved in implementing the technology. A typical mine requires several GPR units, making this a big capital expenditure.” Reutech Mining sat down with our client and started thinking of how we can make this better; “How can we rethink an old problem and reimagine a new solution? How can we design an affordable product that improves on the standard set by the costly, impractical and power-hungry systems which do not make use of up-to-date, readily-available communication technologies?”
They started mapping the production process, which typically comprises of the five phases of planning, drilling, blasting, support and loading. “If you can improve the turnaround time on any one of those phases without compromising on safety, the entire operation becomes more productive. But it was in optimising the support phase that they experienced their biggest challenge” says De Beer. “The support phase is a critical step in the entire process where the ground-fall risks are identified and managed through implementing roof support mechanisms. This is how the convenient, cost-effective and efficient Sub Surface Profiler came about.”
De Beer concludes: “Reutech Mining has been and continues to be a successful provider of the world-leading movement and surveying radar systems for the surface mining industry in 24 countries on six continents. Reutech systems have provided information that saved numerous lives and enhanced safety in the surface mining workspace. We now bring the same quality and ingenuity to the underground environment, and look forward to contribute even more to this new mining segment.”