According to Chris Gotmalm, CEO, Alert Technologies, Rock bolt average life expectancy is commonly 20 years. “The industry has been searching for a reliable system to monitor large fields of rock bolts- around the clock-to instantly alarm for events such as overload, seismic disturbance, displacement and lost or insufficient preload.”
In Las Vegas, Alert Technologies introduced the ALERT Rock Bolt Monitor (ARBM).
The impervious donut shaped device, with its durable embedded microprocessor, slips over the rock bolt between the spreader plate and the end nut. Installation is quick and user-friendly, designed to install on both new and existing bolts. The ARBM comes in all common bolt sizes and tonnages and works with all common types of bolt without any additional machining or modifications. The Alert will easily integrate with automated bolting devices.
Powered by a patent pending hybrid energy device the ARBM will monitor its bolt continuously for 23 years without merely intermittent sampling of bolt status to extend battery life.
The ARBM wirelessly transmits its alarm to a CPU identifying any event and the precise time and location of the problem. The network of ARBMs will date stamp/ memorize events and display it all on the user’s computer or cell phone. It can also activate horns and lights, lock gates and booms or trigger other secondary responses.
Gotmalm says: “We hope to keep the life time cost for a Class 1 ARBM around $2 per year which I think is affordable for the safety enhancement and cost savings it provides. (Class 1 covers 5/8”- ¾” and 7/8” dia. rock bolts).
“Rock bolt intelligence gathering is a challenging task today. The Laerdal tunnel in Norway, currently the world’s longest road tunnel, is 25 km long and contains some 200,000 rock bolts. Manual individual inspection of its bolts would require about 12,500 man-days per year .” Just think of the personnel and equipment involved in inspecting all bolts once a year!
“We are currently negotiating distributorships and investments to meet the anticipated demand. We see a huge potential for our product worldwide,” he continues.
“This year we will install demonstrator units in the NORCAT mine, a government sponsored research facility in Sudbury. Delivery will commence 2017 when our manufacturing plant is up and running.”