South Africa-based Cobra Projects is producing 14 ventilated operator cabins for a Tier 1 mining company in Australia, fitted with Sy-Klone filtration systems supplied by HVAC specialist Booyco Engineering.

The cabins allow operators to remotely operate heavy mining equipment in their line of sight, providing a cool and dust-free environment to enhance their concentration and performance, Booyco claims. Adhering to tight lead times, two of the units have already been shipped and the remainder will be on site in Australia in the December quarter of 2024.

“One of the critical aspects of a sealed cab is allowing the entry and recirculation of fresh air, to provide a safe and conducive environment for the operator,” Neal Forman, Business Development Manager at Cobra Projects, says. “We achieved this through our collaboration with Booyco Engineering who supplied the Sy-Klone fresh air pre-cleaner as well as the recirculation component and monitor.”

Sy-Klone’s patented RESPA® air quality products reduce respirable dust and debris, providing clean air to HVAC systems and keeping recycled air safe and breathable. The system also includes specialised filters for the recirculated air inside the cab.

“In line with the ISO 23875 global standard for cab air quality, we also included Sy-Klone’s RESPA Advisor cab monitors from Booyco Engineering,” Forman says. “These monitors raise safety levels by ensuring the operator or supervisor is always kept informed on the pressure and quality of the air in the cab.”

If there is a build-up of unsafe levels of carbon dioxide in the cab, which can lead to operator fatigue and loss of alertness, the monitor can sound an alarm. It will also detect a loss of pressure, which can allow harmful respirable particulate to enter the cab.

Forman highlights that health regulations dealing with air quality in countries like Australia are becoming more stringent – making it essential that their specifications on this contract complied with ISO 23875.

“Our business is really about continuous improvement, so we work with partners like Booyco Engineering to incorporate high value technologies like Sy-Klone’s air quality solutions,” he says. Cobra Projects specialises in custom-built, special-use vehicles for opencast and underground mining, to provide services such as lubrication systems and diesel and water transportation. Prior to this Australian contract, the company had designed and constructed a range of self-contained cabins for remote equipment operation on mines.

He notes that, while the ISO 23875 air quality standards is not yet a mandatory requirement on South African mines, it is likely that this step is only a matter of time – especially for the dusty conditions at coal mines.