Modular Mining, a Komatsu technology brand, and Immersive Technologies, a Komatsu subsidiary, have announced support for ProVision Guided Spotting for Immersive Technologies’ range of haul truck simulator Conversion Kits. The Guided Spotting simulation was developed to accelerate the deployment of Modular Mining’s Guided Spotting system without impacting production.
By uniting Immersive Technologies’ and Modular Mining’s expertise in training and workforce development, and load and haul optimisation, mines can experience enhanced technology adoption faster without needing to remove haul trucks from production.
Modular Mining’s Guided Spotting system is a high-precision machine guidance tool for haul trucks designed to improve efficiency, safety and productivity at the loading site by allowing operators to confidently reverse into the best loading position without needing to pause or stop.
“Using high-precision GPS, Guided Spotting reliably guides haul truck operators to the correct loading position while the shovel continues productive work,” said Zilmar Siqueira, Product Manager – Machine Guidance Systems, Modular Mining. “The easy-to-use displays help take the guesswork out of reversing, enabling mines to reduce their shovel hang time and increase productivity. It does this by eliminating bucket spotting and reducing the probability of a truck-shovel collision in low visibility conditions.”
Siqueira continued, “Like any new technology introduced onto a mine site, the rollout of training can take time. By partnering with Immersive Technologies, we have been able to reduce that initial loss of production and accelerate the speed of deployment, which enables customers to reap the value of the system much sooner.”
Immersive Technologies’ full range of Haul Truck simulator Conversion Kits can be configured to support Guided Spotting via a software update.
“Simulator training can greatly reduce in-field and total training time, which helps minimise the impact to production and allows the benefits of Guided Spotting to be realised faster,” said Greg Karadjian, Senior Vice President – Asia Pacific, Immersive Technologies. “More importantly, it enables the operator to train in a controlled environment that reduces operator exposure and potential damage to a mobile plant.”
“When you need to take out multiple trucks and hundreds of operators to train them on a new system, it poses significant costs to any operation. The implementation of Guided Spotting for our haul truck simulators means mines can minimise the time operators spend training, and doesn’t remove equipment from production,” said Karadjian.
The Guided Spotting simulator training has already been rolled out at an African platinum mine and is scheduled to be adopted across three additional mines this year. Modular Mining previewed the Guided Spotting simulator at MINExpo 2021, attended by IM.
