Tag Archives: ControlMaster

RCT supplies teleremote dozing solution to multi-metal mine in Finland

Automation, Base metals, IoT, Mining equipment, , , , , ,

RCT says it has deployed a state-of-the-art teleremote dozer at a multi-metal mine in Finland looking to further automate the mine site and improve overall employee wellbeing.

The ControlMaster® technology on the Cat D11T dozer was chosen for numerous reasons, including its durability, interoperability and high level of customer support, RCT said.

“The site experiences extreme temperatures and has legislation in place surrounding dust control,” RCT’s BDM, Mike Thomas, explained.

This legislation, while necessary for operators’ health, significantly reduces the amount of time employees work each day while operating manually from the cab of the machine.

The mine site was after a solution, and they looked to RCT for one that addressed all their requirements, the company said. Implementing RCT’s ControlMaster Teleremote technology removes the operator from the machine itself and relocates them to a safe, ergonomic working environment. In this instance, workers are relocated to a state-of-the-art automation centre within the mine operations, keeping them safe from harsh weather conditions and exposure to dust.

“The technology is extremely robust, which means it can operate effectively in extreme weather conditions such as the -50°C experienced on site,” Thomas said. “It’s fit-for-purpose, designed to cater to mining clients, all over the world.

“In addition to this, ControlMaster is extremely flexible with third-party networks and other solutions which is what makes the technology stand out from competitors.”

The technology has been well received on-site with all operators very happy with the implementation, according to RCT, with the new way of working on site fully embraced by operators.

“They are investing in their future and the way to do work to look after their employees now and in the future,” Thomas added.

RCT leverages ControlMaster remote-controlled tech on Amphiroll Mud Scroller

Automation, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , ,

RCT has found a new application for its ControlMaster® remote-controlled technology package after successfully deploying the solution on an Amphiroll Mud Scroller working on tailings ponds.

Operations are now more efficient and safer for the Western Australia-based earthmoving team using this equipment, according to RCT, now owned by Epiroc.

The mud scroller, used to aerate the caustic mud of the tailings pond to dry it out, was previously a manual operation requiring two machines operating at one time for personnel safety reasons.

The ControlMaster Line-of-Sight solution has removed the operator from the cabin and allows them to control the machine from up to 200 m line of sight, according to the company. This custom one-off kit was designed, supplied and installed by both the Perth Customer Service and RCT Custom team, the company’s designated bespoke solutions department.

“This solution removes operators from any potential danger that could arise from them physically being out on a tailings pond and allows them to instead carry out the task from the safety of a light vehicle located nearby,” RCT’s Account Manager, Phill Dean, said.

The introduction of this technology has also dramatically changed how the Mud Scroller is transported to various sites, according to RCT.

“Previously amphirolls were twice the size requiring oversize movement permits and weighed about 18 t, so moving this piece of machinery required large multi-lift crane operation,” Dean said. “Now, the logistics of moving the small unit is easier and only requires a large tile tray and this in itself reduces mobilisation costs substantially.”

As well as deploying the ControlMaster technology, RCT designed, manufactured and installed the EarthTrack® custom dashboard.

“This dashboard was designed to display all the integral information in an easy-to-read format,” Dean said. “It will let the operator know the pump pressures, engine temps, fuel level and an overall live health report.”

The new and improved mud scroller remote solution was deployed at the beginning of the year in trials and is being used today with great success, according to the company.

RCT equips Northern Star’s Ramone mine with autonomous and digital tech

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , ,

RCT says it has partnered with Northern Star Mining Services (NSMS) to implement a digital autonomous mining fleet at the Ramone gold mine in Western Australia.

The Ramone mine, near Wiluna, is owned by Northern Star Resources, the parent company of NSMS. It is 35 km southeast of the Jundee Gold Mine, which Northern Star also owns.

The technology has significantly advanced autonomous fleet production activities and sets the underground operation on a pathway to full mine digitisation, according to RCT, which is now owned by Epiroc.

The rollout represents the latest in a long line of successful projects that has seen RCT automate NSMS’s underground mining fleets across the Kalgoorlie and Yandal regions.

At Ramone, machine operators will use RCT’s ControlMaster® Automation Centre and supervise two Sandvik LH517i underground loaders commissioned with the latest ControlMaster digital solution.

The technology significantly enhances production by enabling faster autonomous loader cycles and greatly reduces maintenance downtime associated with machine damage, RCT said.

Once RCT’s ControlMaster Automation Centre is relocated from underground to the surface on site, it will allow for fast “hot seating” and enable site managers to capture the time previously lost over the shift changes and continue production cycles during firing activities, it added.

The NSMS team at Ramone is benefitting from the rollout of RCT Connect, the only mine site communications network designed to accommodate autonomous mobile machine fleets, according to RCT.

RCT Account Manager, Scott Phillips, said: “Our digital automation technology will provide the Ramone operation with every advantage to mine safely, efficiently and continue to make solid advancements for years to come. Northern Star Mining Services’ investment in our specialised communications technology provides a strong foundation from which to grow autonomous operations as the mine evolves and site needs change.

“Our experienced Goldfields team has worked very closely with the Ramone site team to ensure this initial rollout goes smoothly and we are very pleased with the successful outcome.

“This is just the first chapter in what we hope will be a long and very productive working relationship between RCT and the Northern Star Mining Services crew at Ramone.”

RCT’s Remote Operations Centre advances Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mining ops

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Gold Fields’ Granny Smith operators are now benefitting from the availability of RCT’s Remote Operations Centre (ROC) to manage some of its mobile equipment fleet from its Perth head office, some 740 km away from site.

This major advancement will revolutionise the way they do mining by allowing operators to control or supervise semi-autonomous fleet activities in real time from the comfort and convenience of a central office location, according to RCT.

The digital ROC’s deployment represents the next major development in Gold Field’s autonomous mining operations and enables personnel to work effectively from a major city, which makes the job more accessible to a wide range of workers and reduces the company’s carbon footprint.

The project is made possible by RCT’s ControlMaster® digital automation solution, which is already used by Gold Fields to manage its underground loader fleet from the mine’s surface.

However, the digital ROC technology means Gold Fields can offer significantly more flexible working arrangements and accommodate work/life balance requirements among their workforce.

Initial testing proved the ROC can instantaneously manage multiple underground loaders at one time operating in different locations within the underground mining complex, according to RCT.

The digital ROC technology means Gold Fields’ operators will be able to access ControlMaster’s latest features as they are released, helping enhance semi-autonomous fleet operations on-site.

RCT and Gold Fields’ engineers worked together to implement the ROC and link it with the mine site through Gold Fields’ secure, dedicated network.

Granny Smith’s Mine Manager, Michael Place, said: “The Perth ROC started as a proof-of-concept trial following the digital upgrades project in December 2021. The ROC was aimed at showcasing Gold Fields Australia’s network capability and RCT’s digital operating technology but has now opened the doors to exploring future avenues in how we work at our underground operations.”

RCT Account Manager, Scott Phillips, said the ControlMaster ROC incorporates RCT’s latest digital technology which will fully empower Gold Fields to fulfil its mining fleet needs going forward.

“We are pleased to help Gold Fields take this next major step in their autonomous mining journey and implement technology that brings about major operational efficiencies,” he said.

“This project is only the beginning, and we look forward to working closely with Gold Fields to advance their mining operations in the future.”

RCT helps automate dozer push operations at New South Wales tailings op

Automation, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , ,

A well-known mine in New South Wales, Australia, is now operating an autonomous dozer fleet safely and efficiently thanks to the deployment of RCT’s latest solutions, the METS company says.

The technology empowers equipment operators to stand at a safe vantage point overlooking the work zone and direct the dozer fleet to maintain a tailings dam wall on site.

The project means the autonomous dozers can push the top of the tailings dam wall and work close to edges in a way deemed as impossible to achieve safely with operators in the machine’s cab.

Mine management selected RCT’s ControlMaster® solution over global OEM tenders due to the technology’s ability to be repurposed to other mining equipment based on changing fleet demands in the future, RCT, now owned by Epiroc, said.

RCT’s Customer Service team recently mobilised to the site and commissioned ControlMaster onto two Cat D8T dozers and are continuing to support the site on an ongoing basis.

RCT Account Manager, Wayne Carrington, said the project is just the latest in a successful business relationship with the mine which stretches back many years.

“We are very pleased to provide the site with fit-for-purpose technology which safeguards their personnel while enabling them to complete vital works,” he said. “The feedback from site has been very positive with the operators loving the functionality of the solution and management is reporting that they are meeting their targets.

“The ControlMaster technology is vital to the success of this tailings dam project but, in the future, the solution can easily be integrated with any other piece of mining equipment and provide additional benefits to the mine.”

RCT turns Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mine into ‘digitally connected powerhouse’

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , ,

RCT’s latest partnership with Gold Fields in Australia has seen, it says, the transformation of the Granny Smith mine and machine fleet into a state-of-the-art, digitally connected powerhouse.

The project, which RCT says embodies the mining company’s key value of innovation, is designed to increase productivity.

Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mine is no stranger to RCT, having been one of its technology partners for more than 20 years.

This latest project has seen the Eastern Goldfields underground gold operation become one of the most innovative, digitally-connected mines in the world, according to RCT. The project saw its Kalgoorlie-based team of innovative technicians upgrade the site’s six existing Caterpillar loaders from analogue to digital.

This required the Kalgoorlie branch team to design and build specialised mounts and overhaul the site’s existing cabins. In addition, a total of 11 Area Access Controls (AAC) were also converted from analogue to digital to facilitate the upgrade.

“We recognise that they made a significant investment into the original technology, and we wanted to find the most cost-effective and sustainable solution available,” RCT’s Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe, said.

The team converted three of the site’s existing analogue TeleCabins and transformed them into digital ControlMaster® Automation Centres for underground use and two surface Automation Centres to digital, bringing them into the future.

The site chose to use RCT’s own full-scale digital communications solution – RCT Connect – to meet the demands of autonomous machines across the mine site. The technology will cater to Granny Smith’s current and future machines, according to RCT.

The Kalgoorlie branch finished the upgrades in December last year, and although the technology has only been in place for a few months, the site has experienced amazing results from day one, according to the company.

Granny Smith Mine Manager, Michael Place, said: “The ability for the operators to mine from the surface with a pristine picture/video thanks to the digital network has meant they have been able to increase the number of buckets per shift, while adding to the comfort of the operators.

“Implementing the new digital infrastructure RCT Connect has significantly improved both the availability and reliability of Granny Smith’s semi-autonomous remote production loaders and stoping fronts to date.”

The upgrade saw the popular analogue technology that uses the Yagi antenna replaced with RCT Connect.

Radcliffe added: “While the Yagi’s have been a tried and tested technology for many years, our digital RCT Connect Access Points has taken the Control Master underground communications system to another level. The system is now more reliable and provides a clearer picture and improved operator visibility.

“The feedback we have received from site is that the operators love the new technology and they wished they implemented it ages ago.”

As well as experiencing the significant benefits of digital technology today, Granny Smith is futureproofing its operations, allowing it to make small, incremental changes as and when they are ready, RCT said.

RCT Connect, RCT says, is a plug-and-play system, making it easy to install and maintain. The technology has produced a clearer picture, which has greatly assisted Granny Smith personnel to continue operating their machines safely in high-risk locations.

Radcliffe concluded: “Another added benefit to moving to digital is that RCT can now remotely support our clients to a higher level and are able to monitor and complete repairs in a short timeframe, as it eliminates the need for a technician to travel to site to troubleshoot in many cases.”

RCT automates underground loading cycle at Victoria gold mine

Automation, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , ,

Thanks to the deployment of RCT’s market-leading digital automation technology, a prominent gold mine in Victoria, Australia, has been able to achieve major productivity improvements on site, according to the technology company.

This transformation has resulted in an upgrade to the site’s mobile equipment fleet capabilities, enabling fully autonomous production loader cycles as well as providing a pathway for future operational improvements, RCT says.

RCT’s latest ControlMaster® technology empowers site personnel to control the entire fleet from Automation Centres located on the mine’s surface and allows for rapid cross-shift changes, according to the company. With RCT’s digital automation offer, machine operators can supervise seven Cat R2900 underground production loaders from the surface, which significantly improves operations.

The ControlMaster Multiple Machine Control (MMC) feature means an operator can switch between production loaders during auto tramming and supervise specific elements in the load-haul-dump cycle.

RCT Account Manager, Wayne Carrington, said the team is pleased with the outcomes of this significant package of work on site.

“The project represents the next chapter in a longstanding relationship between the companies with the gold mine having used ControlMaster across fleet operations for many years now,” he said. “Our new digital offer will set the site on a pathway to advancing their entire operations and realising strong and consistent productivity gains over the life of the mine.

“With operators now relocated to the mine’s surface, the technology is demonstrating a new standard of safety for mining personnel.”

Carrington concluded: “Our technical team have supported the site throughout this transition and we will be here to support site personnel with any future needs as well.”

RCT and Rham collaborate on ‘world-first’ automated battery-electric loader deployment

Automation, Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

In what is believed to be a world-first, RCT, together with equipment manufacturer Rham Equipment, has deployed a fully autonomous battery-electric Rham loader into the African mining sector.

This technological feat saw RCT work with Rham to specifically engineer the automated loader to effortlessly work in height-restricted drives in a South African platinum mining operation.

RCT’s market-leading ControlMaster® automation technology was integrated with the Rham ultra-low profile (ULP) 25HD battery-electric loader with the package installed at Rham’s factory, prior to the loader’s deployment to the site.

This project showcases ControlMaster as a proven interoperable automation platform that can be integrated across any mobile equipment make, type or model, RCT said.

With the technology established on site, the loader operators are able to manage LHD operations from the safety of a ControlMaster Automation Centre on the mine’s surface.

In addition to this, RCT interfaced with the Rham dash display and replicated it on the Automation Centre, to provide the operator with important machine health information.

The project also includes the implementation of RCT Connect, a specialised underground communications network designed to enhance autonomous fleet operations.

Rham Managing Director, Kevin Reynders, said: “This joint venture project has run effortlessly creating safer machines for our miners.

“Rham Equipment, a Level 3 B-BBEE South African, (Pty) Limited Company, has been producing specialised mining equipment since 1980. The company has been providing the South African mining industry with quality products and top-of-the-range services for the past four decades.”

Reynders added: “The product range includes underground transporters, excavators, LHDs, dump trucks, roof bolters and conveyor drives, to name but a few. To date, Rham Equipment has supplied over 2,000 units to some of the most prominent South African platinum, gold- and coal mines who we count amongst our customer portfolios.”

RCT Business Development Manager for Africa, Mike Thomas, said the project represented an important milestone on many fronts.

“ControlMaster has an extensive history integrating with diesel powered equipment, but this project proves that the technology can interface seamlessly with battery-electric mobile machines.

“Battery-electric equipment fleets can significantly reduce a mining operation’s carbon footprint while eliminating the costs associated with diesel consumption, so we expect to see a greater uptake of the technology around the world. The technology will relocate the machine operators to a safe working area on the mine’s surface while enabling optimised autonomous machine operations.”

“A cornerstone of ControlMaster is its ability to integrate with any machine and this project proves that our technology can interface with Rham’s loader, which is an entirely new machine for us.”

RCT’s technical team will empower mine site personnel with comprehensive training and technical support to operate and maintain the equipment going forward, it said.

The company concluded: “The project demonstrates RCT’s automation technology can successfully integrate with battery-electric mining equipment and is an important step toward delivering an autonomous, carbon-friendly mining fleet of the future.”

RCT to equip Develop with autonomous loading options at Bellevue gold project

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , ,

RCT says it is partnering with mining services company Develop to deploy state-of-the-art digital automation technology at its recently-awarded Bellevue gold operation in Western Australia.

RCT’s digital ControlMaster® solution will empower Develop with the best autonomous technology to safely manage its underground mobile equipment fleet and make consistent production gains, according to the company.

Develop was awarded work valued at around A$400 million ($280 million) at Bellevue Gold’s Bellevue Gold Mine in Western Australia back in April. The contract, which covers a period of almost four years, provides for Develop’s Underground Services division to undertake construction, development and production activities at the underground mine.

The autonomous solutions are in line with Develop’s innovative business ethos of combining impressive technology with experienced professionals to transform operations into mining powerhouses, RCT said. This will see operators use the ControlMaster Automation Centre and manage a Sandvik LH517i underground loader within the underground complex.

In the future the company will roll out additional autonomous Sandvik LH517i loaders in line with its evolving mining fleet requirements as it moves into production activities.

To accommodate a larger autonomous fleet, Develop will harness the power of ControlMaster Multi-Machine Select (MMS) and Multi-Machine Control (MMC) capabilities into its Automation Centre, RCT says.

These features mean machine operators can switch between underground loaders located throughout the mine and subsequently take control of each machine.

Develop will further support the Bellevue fleet by rolling out RCT Connect, which, RCT says, is the only available mining communications infrastructure designed to accommodate autonomous mining equipment.

The specialised Wi-Fi network will ensure consistent communications and very low machine latency between the machine fleet and Automation Centre, according to RCT.

RCT’s Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe, said the work at Bellevue will provide a strong foundation on which to grow a business relationship between the two companies.

“We are very pleased to be Develop’s automation technology supplier and provide cutting-edge solutions and a very high level of service from the beginning at Bellevue,” he said. “We will be there alongside Develop as they kick off autonomous machine activities and we are confident that our technology will deliver results every shift.

“RCT proudly has 50 years of experience supporting Goldfield’s mining companies and we look forward to applying all our knowledge to whatever situation Develop faces in the future.”

RCT continues to support PT Freeport Indonesia on technology journey

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PT Freeport Indonesia has successfully operated one of the largest mining operations in Indonesia for decades thanks to its ability to embrace technology solutions to enhance its mining operations, smart technology specialist and Freeport supplier RCT says.

Freeport runs copper, gold and silver mines across five separate underground and surface operations in the highlands area of West Papua in Indonesia.

For over 30 years Freeport has enlisted the services of RCT to achieve its goals of making mining operations safer for workers and to optimise operations.

In the early 1990s, Freeport implemented RCT’s ControlMaster® remote control solutions across its mixed Sandvik and Wagner production mining fleet operating in the DOZ underground mine and the Grasberg open pit.

ControlMaster was the ideal solution for Freeport’s mixed mining fleet due to its ability to integrate with any machine type and grant the user effective control of the machine from a safe vantage point, according to RCT.

This has seen RCT go from supplying ControlMaster remote solutions, to performing full machine rewiring projects on-site across the underground LHD fleet. It also included deploying the ControlMaster remote control technology across the surface mining fleet, including Cat D11 and D10R dozers, and installing teleremote technology onto a Cat 994 wheel loader within the open-pit mine.

RCT has also previously commissioned ControlMaster Line-of-Sight remotes onto a variety of surface drills, including a Commando drill and Cubex drill rigs as well as a fixed position rockbreaker.

Over the years Freeport’s technology requirements have evolved and every time RCT has supplied technology in-line with changing expectations, from providing analogue communications equipment through to more current digital networks, RCT said.

At present, RCT is providing bespoke technology solutions to Freeport’s entire fleet of specialised equipment.

RCT Account Manager, Shane Smith, said the local environment presents many unique challenges and Freeport is determined to address these issues with technology, and mine in a safe way.

“Due to hazardous conditions in the underground mines, such as wet muck rushes, Freeport sought to automate water cannon trucks, mobile rockbreakers and other highly specialised equipment,” he said. “Global OEMs were not able to deliver technology to meet Freeport’s standards and so we customised our own technology to create a solution that suits their specific applications. This has been so successful that Freeport now instructs global OEMs that their machines must have an RCT solution fitted at a factory level.”

He added: “The current working relationship between Freeport and RCT is built on the foundations of many years of hard work in delivering effective automation solutions and supporting that technology.”

In 2015, Freeport asked for a RCT specialist to be deployed permanently on-site to provide a high level of support for the extensive range of automation solutions implemented across the mines.

These solutions include deploying the ControlMaster semi-autonomous technology on Cat R1700 and R2900 loaders, which can be managed by operators in Freeport’s central Remote Operation Room (ROR) on the mine’s surface.

Other projects include automating 24 chute systems spread across the Big Gossan, DOZ and DMLZ mines and relocating the chute operator from the gantry to the ROR.

Freeport has also implemented RCT’s Haul Truck Operator Assist technology to optimise underground truck loading operations.

Most recently, RCT commissioned a secondary breakage fleet at Big Gossan, including Getman and Elphinstone water cannon trucks, mobile rockbreakers and Cat skid steers. The mobile rockbreakers have been commissioned with RCT’s autonomous ControlMaster technology and enables personnel to manage machine operations from the safety of the ROR.

Smith said going forward the team will enhance the Multi Fleet Select capability, which will enable site personnel to operate multiple machine types from one Automation Centre on the mine’s surface.

“We will soon have nine new Automation Centres located in Freeport’s ROR and we will fully support local personnel in the ramping up of their autonomous fleet operations,” he said. “Freeport is at the forefront of embracing technology to enhance their mining operations and we are very pleased to support them in this journey.”