Tag Archives: fleet management

Main image for SFA May 23

FEATURE ARTICLE – Fleet Management Systems

Spotlight Feature Article

The IM Spotlight Feature Article for this month sees Paul Moore speak to providers of fleet management technology, big and small, on everything from FMS integration with AHS, surface versus underground and light, flexible versions for smaller operations. IM spoke with Hexagon’s Mining division on its leading HxGN MineOperate OP Pro fleet management system, which, the company says, comes with excellent GNSS positioning, peer-to-peer communication and fully integrated machine guidance and fleet management, and accurate data with minimal operator interaction.

Rokbak emphasises innovation, sustainability, connected services and efficiencies at CONEXPO

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Rokbak is highlighting its four product focus areas – innovation, sustainability, connected services and efficiencies – at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023, in Las Vegas, this week, as the articulated hauler manufacturer says it continues to prioritise the customer and environment to meet industry challenges head-on.

Rokbak is using its presence at CONEXPO to highlight four connected product focus areas that will continue to shape the company’s development journey and have been created from customer feedback, market research, technology advancements and product performance improvements. The four themes are innovation, sustainability, connected services and efficiencies – and they encompass everything from future product developments to reducing operational costs, it explained.

“We’re always innovating, designing and building to keep our haulers rock solid,” Rokbak’s Senior Product Manager, Scott Pollock, said. “Since the success of our rebrand 18 months ago, we are now moving into the next phase of the Rokbak development journey. Our four product themes will be used to develop both Rokbak’s future product and product services offerings, aligned to customer needs.”

Innovation

One of the future developments that Rokbak is currently working on is its next generation cab for the RA30 (30-t payload) and RA40 (40-t payload) articulated haulers. Key benefits of the new design include higher levels of operator comfort and improved performance, modern ergonomic layout and displays, ease of operation and future proofing functionalities for automation and connectivity.

Other areas under this theme include using technological advances, modern component specifications and fuel economy to reduce customer operating costs. These reductions have been achieved through things including extended time between scheduled maintenance, fuel efficiencies, longer life fluids and filter systems. This has led to an average cost reduction for the EU Stage V/US Tier 4 Final RA30 of 19%/h, and 10%/h for the RA40, the company claims.

Sustainability

As part of the Volvo Group, Rokbak’s long-term plans are aligned with the group’s sustainability values. This includes the Volvo Group target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

Rokbak is reviewing technical solutions that will allow it to achieve its sustainability goals. All Rokbak haulers are built for low fuel consumption and global CO2 emissions compliance. Both the RA30 and RA40 are compatible with hydrotreated vegetable oil, which allows customers to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

Connected services

Rokbak’s improved Haul Track telematics system is helping machine owners manage total cost of ownership by keeping an eye on everything from fuel consumption and machine usage, to problems that if neglected could lead to repairs or unplanned downtime. The bespoke system gives customers more visibility and control of their machines with live data viewable on desktop computers and mobile devices, according to Rokbak. This includes: locating equipment and monitoring productivity and operational costs by keeping track of everything from scheduled maintenance planning, early fault warning and performance management information.

Haul Track is now AEMP-enabled, allowing for mixed fleet management via a single communication platform, Rokbak says.

Efficiencies

Rokbak says its fuel-efficient drivetrains deliver powerful performance and meet worldwide emission standards with low cost of operation and low environmental impact. The high performance drivetrain has responsive, usable power with adaptive shifting for low fuel consumption and operating costs.

Another efficiency aspect of the Rokbak design is easy service access, making the RA30 and RA40 quick and simple to maintain with ground-level test points, electric-lift hoods and tilting cabs, enabling high uptime and productivity.

“Rokbak haulers deliver new benchmarks in both performance and total cost of ownership, and reinforce the company’s commitment to sustainability and journey to net-zero as part of the Volvo Group,” Pollock concludes. “Customer needs will continue to guide our product strategy and we will continue to invest in our Rokbak products and services.”

Hexagon and BUMA successfully deploy fleet management solution in Indonesia

Automation, Coal technology, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Hexagon’s Mining division says it has been awarded an eight-year fleet management project by PT Bukit Makmur Mandiri Utama (BUMA) in Indonesia.

As part of this project, Hexagon successfully deployed 150 units of HxGN MineOperate OP Pro to BUMA’s IPR site operation in Indonesia with the system optimally running within three months, the company said.

The phased deployment covers Hexagon’s fleet management, asset health and enterprise analytics solutions implemented by the Hexagon team on site from June to September 2022.

BUMA was established in 1998 as a family business and is currently the second largest independent coal mining contractor in Indonesia.

Delta Dunia Makmur acquired BUMA in 2009 and has since been overhauling it into a more streamlined corporation. It holds approximately 20% of the market share and provides coal mining services to many of Indonesia’s largest and longest-running names in the coal industry, according to Hexagon’s Mining division.

Simon Stone, Vice President of APAC, Hexagon’s Mining division, said: “We are looking forward to strengthening our relationship with BUMA and accelerating their digital transformation journey. Like BUMA, Hexagon firmly believes in safety and efficiency, which makes this partnership and collaboration highly valuable to both parties.”

HxGN MineOperate OP Pro, the company says, offers open-pit mines high-precision guidance for dozers, drills and loading equipment. The solution improves bench elevations, reduces dilution and decreases rework to improve site safety, efficiency and profitability. Hexagon’s enterprise integration enables BUMA a single source for reporting and support across their fleet.

PT Bukit Makmur Mandiri Utama President Director, Pak Sorimuda Pulungan, said: “In following management’s Technology Transformation Project outline, Hexagon’s suite of integrated products and industry proven technology solutions played a major role in the decision-making process. Hexagon has set the new standard of being a reliable technology partner supported by an expert local team.”

OZ Minerals navigating Carrapateena mine traffic issues with Mobilaris solutions

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

OZ Minerals, through the implementation of Mobilaris Situational Awareness and Mobilaris Onboard, has improved traffic flows at its Carrapateena copper-gold mine in South Australia, according to a recent case study.

Having implemented the solutions from Mobilaris, owned by Epiroc, the mining company gained a better understanding of where machines and people were physically located underground – and operations became safer.

Since commencing production in December 2019, the Carrapateena mine has become, over the past decade, one of the biggest mining projects in the state. The ore must be hauled from the production levels to the crusher level via a short decline with limited passing areas, which poses challenges.

To optimise haulage flows, OZ Minerals deployed Epiroc’s Mobilaris Mining Intelligence decision support system to digitise the mine.

Daniel Bruce, Superintendent, OZ Minerals Carrapateena, said: “We saw potential to remove some of the constraints we have underground. You can’t see around corners, and you can’t see through rock, so understanding where things are – where people and machines are – is a lot more difficult than in a typical workplace on the surface.”

OZ Minerals rolled out the first feature in 2019: Mobilaris Situational Awareness, a solution for surface control room operators. Mobilaris Onboard, a solution for underground operators in vehicles, followed in 2021. Thanks to real-time 3D visualisation, anybody with access to a tablet or a PC can quickly understand where machines are operating, according to Epiroc.

“Mobilaris Situational Awareness allows you to see, live, at any point in time, where all the equipment and people are in the mine,” Bruce said. “It also allows you to navigate to locations, equipment and refuge chambers.”

OZ Minerals had initially installed Wi-Fi tags on all its vehicles, which provided accuracy to around 150 m. With Mobilaris Onboard, it can achieve location accuracy of 5-10 m without any extra infrastructure, and all that is needed are basic OBD2 adapters or a Doppler radar, Epiroc says. Implementation started with trucks and loaders, and now the entire underground fleet has been equipped.

This has significantly improved real-time position information, according to Amelia Schmidt, Senior Technician in the site operations team at Carrapateena.

“Everyone at the site operations centre – dispatchers, mine controllers and haulage control – is now using Mobilaris Situational Awareness,” she said. “Previously, it could take quite a bit of time to search for a piece of equipment, but it only takes seconds now to see its last location.”

The system also helps OZ Minerals with its fleet management – to determine where trucks are, for instance – thus becoming a tool in the decision-making process.

Schmidt said: “For those who are perhaps new to the mine, we’ve been able to insert points of interest on the map, for example where it is best to hold. Cycle times are well managed, despite underground operations becoming a lot busier.”

OZ Minerals then implemented a second Mobilaris feature: Mobilaris Onboard, a tablet in a vehicle that acts just like a car navigator but without any need for a dedicated tracking infrastructure. This provided everyone underground with a tool that enabled them to easily understand how equipment was positioned around them.

Bruce added: “This is another piece of information that the operator can use to make a decision – and all of these minute decisions add up to a more productive and safer workplace.”

For Carrapateena Truck Captain, Joel Dodd, everyday work has become easier thanks to Mobilaris Onboard.

“One of the main benefits is that we’re able to travel down and get to our locations a lot better,” he said.

OZ Minerals now has around 200 tablets in vehicles underground – in trucks, LHDs, face drill rigs and light vehicles – and the feedback has been very positive.

“When people can see more clearly where other people are, it helps them avoid unwanted interaction,” Bruce said.

This is an edited version of an Epiroc Customer story published here

BHP reduces vehicle ‘events’, hazards at Yandi iron ore mine with the help of MSD

Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining safety, Mining software, , , , , , , , , ,

A BHP-developed system is harnessing data from a range of existing safety systems to improve safety in light vehicles (LV) and surface mobile equipment (SME) at its Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) mine sites, the miner says.

The Magnet Safety Dashboard (MSD) uses existing operator and equipment monitoring systems to quickly identify potential behaviours or job factors that might increase the likelihood of safety events occurring (‘at risk’ scenarios).

BHP explains: “Operations have historically used different hardware and software systems in isolation. MSD was developed to address integration potential between existing systems providing population-sized data sets on driver/operator behaviour.”

Events and hazards associated with LVs and SME can occur frequently at BHP, so the ability to quickly understand and influence human and job factors, which could contribute to safe outcomes, supports leaders to manage risk more holistically.

MSD harnesses a range of data from collision avoidance, distraction and alertness monitoring and fleet management systems, including location, speed, acceleration, braking and cornering. All selected information is monitored and assessed from a central location, which allows immediate access for relevant employees and medium-to long-term trend analysis, the company claims.

Over 800,000 metrics from more than 20,000 devices, using 300 instances of 60-plus data points, are collected.

Leaders are alerted if hardware, software and network controls are not operating as expected, while team members are alerted if acute intervention is required (where it is possible to achieve).

The system has also created efficient ways to record and display recommended response actions where chronic patterns are present, according to the company.

This accurate and timely notification of driver behaviour events, trends and hot spots requiring improvement has increased awareness and, in the Yandi iron ore mine site, resulted in reductions to the frequency of fatigue, distraction, error and non-compliance events, BHP says.

The Magnet Safety Dashboard program at Yandi Mine Site’s has contributed to a 58% reduction in overall reported vehicle events (December 2020 to April 2021) and a 70% reduction in reported speeding events (October 2020 to April 2021).

Following the program’s positive results and learning at the Yandi mine site, an MSD pilot will be implemented across all WAIO mine sites, BHP says.

NRW to leverage MaxMine tech platform at Dalgaranga gold mine

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

NRW Holdings’ mining division has entered into an agreement with MaxMine to install its technology across the A$300 million ($216 million) Dalgaranga gold mine contract in Western Australia.

The MaxMine platform harnesses cutting-edge hardware, digital automation, advanced artificial intelligence-based analytics and human-powered coaching to empower mine sites to increase environmental efficiency and operationally productivity, according to the company.

NRW was seeking a mining technology provider who could provide reliable data-driven, automated optimisation of its operations on site, leveraging the existing teams and fleet to further its data and broader technology leadership ambition within the mining industry.

The Dalgaranga gold mine is owned by Gascoyne Resources. NRW reach agreements with Gascoyne to keep providing services at the mine back in 2020 after the miner’s successful A$125 million recapitalisation process.

NRW has invested in building out its internal data analytics capabilities and was ready to step up its approach to partnering with service providers that supply to industrial data quality and help solve big data analytics challenges, it said.

Additionally, a tight domestic labour market has increased operator turnover at all mine sites and is an especially challenging issue for the mining contracting segment.

MaxMine’s technology automatically captures, enhances and contextualises up to 10,000 times more data at open-pit mining operations, relative to the industry standard fleet management system products, according to the company. Its data processing pipelines automatically contextualise all equipment, operator, and site data relative to each other, and dynamically to the conditions within the shift, such as weather, or other external factors.

This contextualised site data (a digital twin) is translated, in tandem with implementation coaching, to generate tangible increases in asset productivity and reliability of equipment, through three primary improvement states. These are: (1) Get in control; (2) Optimise Performance; and (3) Ramp up production rates.

These outcomes are evidenced by existing customers who experience, on average, an 11% payload increase and halve tyre costs after implementing MaxMine, the company said.

NRW Operations Manager, Adam Harper, said continuous innovation and intelligent use of data is core to NRW mining division’s future, and another way NRW is consistently adding value for its customers beyond moving tonnes.

NRW General Manager Mining Division, Tim Abrahams, added: “NRW emphasises good data as a critical enabler of our operational effectiveness and partnering with MaxMine, who are a leader in fleet operations data, allows us to continuously improve our performance for our customers.”

MaxMine Chief Executive Officer, Coert Du Plessis, said the two companies were aligned in pursuing a more sustainable and reliable mining industry.

“The benefits from this cooperation extend beyond MaxMine or NRW; the global challenge of ‘Net Zero’ by 2050 cannot be achieved without an order of magnitude change in mining efficiencies. Working with NRW is another fantastic example of great partnerships helping transform a critically important industry into a safer, more efficient and environmentally-friendly component of the world’s economy.”

The announcement of the agreement with NRW comes one month after MaxMine officially launched MaxMine Carbon, a technology offering that, the company says, will enable mining operators to reduce their carbon emissions by 5-20%, depending on their existing efficiencies, with limited or no additional capital expenditure.

Hiber updates satellite-based fleet monitoring system for heavy vehicle tracking, analysis

Communications in mining, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , ,

IoT-as-a-Service scaleup Hiber has announced a new version of its satellite-based HiberEasypulse fleet monitoring system to support the tracking and analysis of heavy industrial vehicles and machinery anywhere.

Developed primarily for the mining, construction, agriculture and forestry sectors, this second version of HiberEasypulse includes new CANbus capabilities that deliver more detailed data from heavy vehicles in the field, according to the company. HiberEasypulse can connect to any vehicle with a CAN port and share data on a dashboard and third-party telematics services via APIs, enabling operators to manage a mixture of brands and models in a single system, Hiber says.

HiberEasypulse, introduced at at CES 2022, improves operating efficiency and maintenance scheduling of industrial assets and reduces emissions, thefts and downtime by analysing a wide range of information, from fuel level and vehicle location to engine errors and driver behaviour, the company added.

“The system can also provide production insights, such as the distance travelled by agricultural vehicles during harvesting or the quantity of material mined during a cycle,” Hiber said. “Data are summarised in a scorecard and a ranking system, highlighting asset performance trends and actionable insight into vehicles requiring particular attention.”

HiberEasypulse includes a CANbus Edge Station device that connects to a vehicle’s local data bus and transmits critical positioning and status data every 15 minutes via a global satellite network. The device can be attached to vehicles using magnets or custom mounting systems and is powered directly by the connected asset, according to the company.

Roel Jansen, CEO of Hiber, said: “Keeping track of valuable assets such as heavy vehicles in remote locations is near impossible without satellite-enabled IoT monitoring. We are using our expertise in IoT and connectivity to deliver global coverage and support a far wider range of industrial use cases with a complete solution that is affordable and easy to use.

“HiberEasypulse allows organisations to see where their remote assets are and how they are performing anywhere on earth. There will be nothing better suited to monitoring excavators operating in places like open-pit mines in Mozambique or river barges on the Amazon.”

Hexagon to deploy MineOperate OP Pro fleet management system at Sepon gold mine

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Hexagon’s Mining division is set to deploy its HxGN MineOperate OP Pro in trucks, excavators and auxiliary equipment at the Sepon gold mine in southern Laos as part of a new fleet management project.

Sepon is an open-pit gold and copper mine located in Savannakhet Province in southern Laos. The mine is owned and operated by Lane Xang Minerals Limited, one of the largest gold producers in Laos.

Since operations commenced in 2003, Sepon has produced 1.2 Moz of gold doré and more than 1 Mt of copper cathode. In 2020, Sepon produced more than 39,730 t of copper and 64,809 oz of gold doré. The mine already uses Hexagon’s drill and blast solutions.

Commenting on the HxGN MineOperate OP Pro installation – to be completed by the end of the year – Shane Boak, Business Manager & General Manager Sales, Hexagon’s Mining division, said: “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Lane Xang as they enhance operations at Sepon mine. OP Pro helps mines maximise efficiency while improving safety, and we are excited to see Lane Xang implement our system across their fleet.”

Jimmy Yana, Senior Superintendent – Mining Operations Excellence and Contracts, Lane Xang Minerals Limited, said: “HxGN MineOperate OP Pro will be critical for LXML to optimise the use of our mining fleet. We are excited to start this new journey in Sepon and look forward to working with Hexagon to maximise the value from their solution in our operation.”

Epiroc strengthens mine safety and productivity offering with Mining TAG buy

IoT, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , ,

Epiroc has acquired Mining Tag SA, a Chile-based company that, the OEM says, provides sensor-based solutions to strengthen safety and productivity in mines by making operations smarter.

Mining Tag develops and implements sensor-based solutions that allow monitoring, automation and process improvement of mining operations, Epiroc explained. The solutions are mainly used in underground mining. Its solutions include MT OneMine for increased productivity and MT Guardian, a personnel and asset tracking system, for improved safety.

Mining Tag is active in several countries in Latin America. It has previously worked with Codelco on installing its MT OneMine fleet management system to manage the LHD fleet in the macroblocks 01, 02 and 03 North and South of the Production Level at Chuquicamata. It has about 120 employees and had revenues in 2020 of about $7 million, according to Epiroc.

Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said: “Intelligent mining solutions are the future. Together with the innovative team at Mining Tag, we will strengthen our smart digitalisation offering to customers in Latin America and beyond.”

Former BHP data strategist to lead open-pit mining equipment data specialist MaxMine

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Former BHP Global Data Strategy Lead, Coert Du Plessis, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of mining technology business MaxMine.

Du Plessis commenced in the role of Chief Operating Officer of MaxMine on May 1, 2020, working with MaxMine’s management team behind the scenes over the past 12 months to successfully configure and guide MaxMine through its significant Series A funding round announced last month, the company said.

MaxMine is an automated, high-resolution data-based business reporting tool that combines advanced data acquisition technology with AI analysis to fully optimise mobile equipment and operator performance within mining and other mobile equipment-based operations, measuring performance differently and using gamification to change behaviours.

On July 1, 2021, Du Plessis was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the company.

Du Plessis commenced his professional career with global consulting firm, Deloitte, moving up the ranks to become senior partner before the age of 40. He then established and led the firm’s Western Australia data analytics practice. He then moved to BHP to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies and cultivate collaborative ways of working. His scope at BHP included the design and establishment of an Innovation Mine at BHP’s Eastern Ridge operations in Western Australia, developing the BHP Dahling Industrial IoT platform, embedding next generation digital technologies at existing operations and major new capital projects – such as Jansen – and steering the final technology investment review of the South Flank iron ore project.

Du Plessis said three things ultimately convinced him to move from BHP to take up the new roles at MaxMine:

  • “One, the calibre of the existing leadership team and their adaptive business mindset; demonstrated in successfully raising growth capital in a year disrupted by COVID;
  • “Two, generating industry leading data quality and confidence in their results, an order of magnitude better than incumbent fleet management system. It means MaxMine users transition from teams arguing about the validity of data to knowing what needs to be done next; and
  • “Three, the ability to over-come digital inertia and drive technology adoption with front line operators and operational leadership teams month in and month out.”

He added: “It was inspirational to see the speed at which the MaxMine team could develop these incredible technologies and develop the unique delivery approaches whilst maintaining an incredible focus on customer value.

“MaxMine has gone further than any other technology product and service I have come across in solving the challenge of delivering consistent value for mine site operations. The quality of MaxMine’s data asset sets us apart in the industry, and we believe we can apply the same operational improvement approach that allows us to enable delivery of more tonnes of ore, to also significantly reduce CO2 tonnes expelled in mining operations. Moving beyond the growing list of CO2 reduction aspirations to reductions delivered is an outcome I deeply care about.”

MaxMine Director, Robin Schleich, who is also Dupont Sustainable Solutions’ global operations director, said: “Mining companies need, and want, to partner with true industry innovators such as MaxMine to help them navigate the ramp up in digital disruption in the industry and combat growing operational cost pressures.

“Based on the significant investment last month, it is clear MaxMine provides one of the strongest platforms to drive industry productivity and emissions transformation.”

MaxMine’s outgoing CEO, Tom Cawley, will transition to Executive Chair, focusing on adjacent business opportunities for the company and setting up the board to support the company’s growth.