Tag Archives: mine communications

GeoMoby communication system boosts Gordon Sirdar mine’s safety, efficiency processes

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

GeoMoby says its real-time, location-based communication system is keeping workers safe and improving operational efficiencies at FMR Investments Pty Ltd’s Gordon Sirdar underground gold mine, near Coolgardie, Western Australia.

GeoMoby technology for underground mining communications is regarded as the most reliable in the world right now – in the underground mining sector – and uses Bluetooth Long Range, the company says. On top of this, the cost of installing GeoMoby technology is likely to be much less than traditional communications equipment.

Gordon Sirdar was used as the location of the 2023 Underground Emergency Rescue Competition (UMERC, held by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy). Last November, for the competition, GeoMoby deployed its underground solution, which included 35 nodes, dubbed ‘green lunchboxes’ across seven levels of the underground mine, over a timeframe equivalent of 10 hours.

During the competition – competitors in the 14 teams – were given GeoMoby smart watches, tags and linked to a Dräger gas detection device. It was the first time that GeoMoby had been officially invited to be part of UMERC. Its platform seamlessly integrated with key IoT sensors including an environmental monitoringsystem, portable gas sensors and an extensometer, the company said.

“That trial use was extremely successful and team mates and judges could view underground participants, on screens in the control room, in real time,” Chris Baudia, CEO and Founder of GeoMoby, said. “People said it was a ‘game changer’. Our technology can continuously monitor
individual miners’ locations and their heartbeats. During UMERC last year, we watched participants live and viewed the captains’ heartbeats. After the success of that event, we left the infrastructure at Gordon Sirdar.

Mathieu Paul, Director of GeoMoby, said: “Now our technology has been successfully operated by an underground gold mine, over a 10-month period. It is a hugely positive development for our company and we expect it to be one of many such installations, in the Goldfields. We have now also completed a feasibility study and have worked with FMR on how to improve operational efficiencies of truck cycles; track both light and heavy mine vehicles; and, of course, people.

“In addition, we are collecting information on grades of rocks, waste and tonnage in real time. This information is automatically collected by GeoMoby, thus saving time as it eliminates the need to manually input data into spreadsheets, for example. The data is also more accurate.”

John Farr, Manager of the Gordon Sirdar mine, added: “Never before have we had this kind of visibility for our underground operations, it is a massive improvement in safety and efficiency. GeoMoby has delivered what they promised. The technology has improved our mine’s
operational efficiency substantially as well as the safety of our team. For the first time, we can locate their positions, in the event of an emergency, immediately. We recommend all underground operations review GeoMoby technology, as our experience has been extremely
positive.”

Ambra to integrate private LTE/5G wireless infrastructure into Sandvik AutoMine platform

Communications in mining, IoT, Mining software, , , , , , , ,

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is partnering with Ambra Solutions, a leading provider of private LTE/5G wireless network industrial telecommunications, to, it says, transform communication capabilities tailored for Sandvik’s AutoMine® product families.

Ambra Solutions will serve as an integrator, designing and deploying a private LTE/5G wireless infrastructure specifically tailored for AutoMine systems, to improve efficiency and safety in underground mining operations, Sandvik says. Leveraging Ambra Solutions’ expertise in private LTE/5G technologies and intelligent mining solutions, this collaboration addresses critical communication challenges in underground mining.

The integration of Ambra Solutions’ LTE/5G connectivity into Sandvik’s AutoMine systems creates underground connectivity that is more secure, safe, reliable and high-speed. Through advanced data connectivity, this collaboration enables real-time and seamless communication, advanced location and asset tracking and improved safety and productivity for both mining personnel and equipment, according to the companies.

“This partnership will enhance the communication capabilities of our AutoMine systems and expedite their implementation,” Marko Jokinen, Digital Ecosystem Manager, Automation at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said. “We remain committed to providing solutions that address the industry’s evolving needs and pave the way for safer, more efficient and technologically advanced mining operations.”

Through streamlined deployment processes and the provision of pre-integrated and verified solutions, Sandvik and Ambra Solutions will reduce testing time required on customer sites, they say. This not only enhances productivity and performance but also ensures cost-effectiveness for mining operations.

Éric L’Heureux, President and CEO, Ambra Solutions, said: “By partnering with Sandvik to deliver innovative communication solutions tailored for AutoMine, we will empower mine operators with a new form of connectivity.

“This collaboration not only advances the deployment of underground cellular networks but also creates opportunities for further IoT integration and technological advancements in the mining industry.”

Huawei boosts Shaanxi Coal production efficiency & safety with 5G-backed solution

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The intelligent mine solution powered by 5G and the industrial internet that was jointly developed by Huawei and Shaanxi Coal Industry Co Ltd hit its one-year milestone on April 26, 2023, marking a full year of continuous operations and significantly improving production efficiency and operational safety at the two mines of Shaanxi Coal Company. This makes a powerful case for intelligent upgrade for the global mining industry.

Jun Xu, CTO of Huawei’s Mining BU, said that through Huawei’s extensive field involvement of mining production and cooperative application of Huawei’s 5G, cloud and AI image splicing technology to Shaanxi Coal Company’s Hongliulin Coal Mine and Xiaobaodang Coal Mine, the mines have successfully implemented above ground monitoring and control on operation of fully automated underground mining face cutting. It thereby also initialised the core intelligence of the underground mining process.

Through leveraged application of Huawei 5G, cloud and AI/IT technologies throughout the whole mining cycle, such as mine geological exploration, tunnelling and belt transportation, intelligence can be implemented across the entire mining process, for example, various deployments of underground robots.

These technologies are also widely used in all aspects of mine management, for instance, an industrial Internet platform with a three-level architecture for Shaanxi Coal Company, its mine subsidiaries, and the coal mines themselves, enabling collaborative management and control, intelligent sensing, and efficient decision making; and enhancing employee happiness and experience, for example with a downloadable underground mine-taxi app.

The above three levels of solutions are modular – Hongliulin Coal Mine and Xiaodang Coal Mine worked closely with Huawei on customised development, which led to simple, easy and result oriented implementation. As a result, Hongliulin Coal Mine now has 18% fewer workers working underground; 97.7% of its mine faces now support intelligent mining, and intelligent management has been made possible for the underground mine face using 5G video splicing and video calls.

More than 2,700 sets of equipment at the mine are now interconnected using unified data standards, with 170 million pieces of data streamed to the data lake every day. This data has been used to create over 100 digital models. This data can also be used to inform production and operation decision making and develop new digital applications using ‘zero-code’ development tools.

Xiaobaodang Coal Mine’s underground workforce has been reduced by 42%. Key facilities in the mine, such as the underground pump rooms and substations, have achieved intelligent, unattended operations, thanks to machine patrol inspection and video-based collaboration. In terms of production safety, environmental monitoring devices are able to autonomously detect and give out warnings related to gas build-up, fires, flooding, ventilation issues, and geological events, and enable real-time data interconnection. This can support more informed decision making to greatly improve safety management in the mine.

Xu said that Huawei’s Mine BU has developed many intelligent mine references by working with partners and mining enterprises. He added that it is committed to quickly bringing digital technology to every mine on the basis of industrial Internet. To achieve this goal, Huawei is working to provide digital services for major coal and metal mining enterprises around the world to enable safer and more efficient intelligent mine management with fewer staff working underground.   

MegaFon deploys Private LTE network at Udokan MMP

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At the request of Udokan Copper, MegaFon has designed and built an industrial wireless LTE (pLTE, Private LTE) network of six base stations and set up redundant communication channels at the Udokan Mining and Metallurgical Plant (MMP).

The infrastructure provides coverage across the whole site with both 4G and Private LTE, according to the company.

The main difference between a private LTE and a public network is the presence of a pLTE core deployed in the corporate data centre and linked to the corporate network. Unlike Wi-Fi networks, the Private LTE standard has immunity to interference, meets all modern information security requirements and enables coverage to be scaled up faster and at a lower cost, Udokan Copper says. The solution creates a shared, stable, closed data environment, which is essential for mining and industrial companies.

The pLTE network will cover the entire site, from the open pit to the concentrator and smelter of the future mining and metallurgical plant, to deliver reliable communication for employees and help automate a number of processes. In particular, Private LTE will facilitate automated control of Udokan Copper’s mining machinery fleet, including the monitoring of machinery and equipment performance along with materials and fuel consumption. What’s more, the solution contributes to workplace safety, including the safety of drilling and blasting operations, Udokan Copper says.

According to Udokan Copper CEO, Alexey Yaschuk, the solution ensures highly effective soil thermometry, permafrost monitoring and control of process parameters in energy systems, while also allowing for continuous wireless video surveillance in line with top security standards.

“Going forward, we will roll out the system to the second stage of the Udokan MMP and a number of auxiliary infrastructure facilities, in particular a railroad storage facility,” he noted.

Natalya Taldykina, Head of Corporate Business Development at MegaFon, said: “This is the first private industrial network in the Trans-Baikal Territory. Large companies increasingly opt for Private LTE to set up internal processes thanks to its high reliability, security and a strong digitalisation potential. The private network for Udokan Copper relies on domestically sourced equipment which enables us to make quick adjustments to meet production needs,”

Established to develop the Udokan Copper Deposit, Udokan Copper is part of the diversified USM Group founded by Alisher Usmanov. Udokan is a large undeveloped copper deposit with JORC copper resources of 26.7 Mt at 1.05% Cu.

Newcrest, Ericsson and Telstra Purple to trial 4G LTE and 5G tech at Cadia

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Newcrest Mining will trial advanced 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and 5G mobile technologies underground at its Cadia mine, in New South Wales, Australia, to assess the potential of cellular delivery of data and video to support a smarter, safer and more sustainable mine, it says.

In partnership with Ericsson and Telstra Purple, Newcrest will deploy a private 4G LTE and 5G trial network in its underground operations at Cadia in the coming months. This announcement follows previous engagements where the trio worked to improve communications coverage, performance and safety with private 4G LTE at its Lihir mine in Papua New Guinea, and more recently for surface operations at the Cadia Valley Operations (CVO).

Speaking at the Sweden-Australia Sustainable Mining Summit in Sydney, Australia, today, CVO General Manager, Aaron Brannigan, said modern mining is a data-driven business, with technology and digitalisation creating new levels of productivity and safety, greater efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

“In the ongoing quest for productivity, efficiency and safety, Newcrest must use every tool at our disposal to boost performance at site while continuing to ensure that everyone at our mines gets home safely at the end of the day,” he said. “With 4G and 5G mobile technologies potentially offering better performance and capabilities than Wi-Fi, this trial will help Newcrest to assess its viability for greater coverage, capacity and functionality to support advanced underground automation, our Connected Worker strategy and future growth at Cadia.

“It’s an exciting time for Newcrest and for Australian mining, and this is a great practical example of how Australia’s biggest industry can leverage Australia’s position as a global 5G leader to further drive digitalisation in the mining sector and help develop a smart, safer and more sustainable mine.”

The trial will use Ericsson’s Private 5G (EP5G) solution for Industry 4.0 enterprises to assess different cellular approaches for coverage and capacity needs and deployment economics. It will include the use of various 4G and 5G radio types, massive- and multi-user MIMO (multiple-input-multiple-output) advanced antenna systems for high density and high capacity connectivity requirements, and Uplink Booster technology derived from custom-made Ericsson Silicon system-on-a-chip 5G processors to increase uplink signal strength and data throughput, Newcrest explained.

Ericsson’s Head of Australia and New Zealand, Emilio Romeo, said: “5G connectivity will be instrumental in enabling advanced teleremote and autonomous technologies, which are integral to industries such as mining. We’re delighted to be working with Newcrest and Telstra Purple to trial Ericsson’s 4G LTE and 5G solutions, and enable Newcrest to develop know-how on how to best deploy them underground.”

Telstra Purple Digital Transformation Executive, Paul Nicholls, said: “We’ve been thrilled to see what our 4G LTE and 5G mobile network technologies have been able to do through this project, from supporting wireless mining applications underground, to boosting safety for the local team. These technologies are absolutely transformative for a broad range of industries, and it’s exciting to be part of industry 4.0 innovation in Australia.”

Mobilaris acquires UWB communication specialist Widefind

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Mobilaris Industrial Solutions says it has acquired Widefind, a technology firm with unique solutions to enable digitalisation and autonomous operations within heavy industry.

Through the acquisition, Mobilaris Industrial Solutions strengthens its capabilities and expertise within strategically important technology areas, such as UWB (Ultra Wideband), a technology that makes it possible to determine distance, movements and positions of machines, people and vehicles with very high precision and reliability, it says. This technology is becoming increasingly important for smart industry and has a wide range of uses, for example to warn people getting close to dangerous machines or prohibited areas in underground mines.

Daniel Enström, CEO of Mobilaris Industrial Solutions, says: “We always strive to be in the forefront of technology and, therefore, we see Widefind as an excellent partner to strengthen our expertise in technology areas that are becoming increasingly important. We are incredibly happy to welcome the team; they are a perfect match in technical competence, and also share our vision to enable smarter, safer and more sustainable industries.”

Widefind was founded in 2016 by researchers and engineers within the Field Robotics group at Luleå University of Technology’s Department of Systems and Space Engineering. The company works to enable digitisation and autonomous operations in the complex environments found in heavy industries. Widefind’s main expertise is in UWB, positioning, and robust systems, with the  offering consisting of a reliable positioning solution that contributes to increased safety, efficiency and productivity.

Markus Sjölund, CEO of Widefind, said: “At Widefind, we work to develop and implement new technology that contributes to the industry’s evolution and progress. As part of Mobilaris Industrial Solutions, we will now have even greater opportunities to do so, which feels great.

“We are very much looking forward to continuing our work and contributing to the industry of the tomorrow together with Mobilaris.”

GeoMoby geolocation technology receives plaudits at Karora’s Beta Hunt mine

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Having developed what it says is world-first geolocation technology for mining that could improve safety underground and potentially save companies millions of dollars each year, GeoMoby has now tested out its solution in an underground section of Karora Resources’ Beta Hunt gold and nickel mine, in Western Australia.

GeoMoby – the name of the company and product – uses wireless, cable-free and reusable beacons to geofence sites, track assets and check on workforces, providing a layer of safety and efficiency never seen before, the company says.

It recently tested the location and communication network at Beta Hunt, with results gathered from the project confirming the possibility of live audio and video streams in real time, using Bluetooth Low Energy, GeoMoby said.

Before now, audio and video communication from underground to the surface has only been possible with Wi-Fi or LTE powered wireless networks.

Bluetooth capabilities enable mining companies to reach optimal connectivity without having to stop operations – at a large cost to the business – to lay cables and wires throughout the site, the company said. The technology allows the transfer of live audio and video streams to the surface in real time, in addition to existing real-time location, messaging and photo transfer capabilities, ensuring surface teams can have eyes and ears underground.

GeoMoby CEO, Chris Baudia, said the high-speed wireless network powered by Bluetooth Low Energy was able to transfer a range of important operations information from down the hole to the surface.

“Using our point-to-point network of nodes and technology platform, we have been able to stream audio and video in high quality and real time to the surface, allowing those above ground to hear and see what’s going on beneath them,” he said.

He said the simple, cable free, low disruption deployment method was a game changer for miners looking to improve their communication with minimal interference to operations.

“Key data transferred from underground to surface includes speed calculation alerts for vehicles and machinery, proximity awareness and real time proximity detection alerts,” he explained. “These features, along with file transfer and geofencing technology, are being delivered through our updated Underground Zero Harm application, giving miners the advantage of a one stop technology shop for monitoring people and assets.”

The roll out of a wireless point-to-point network at Beta Hunt involved the installation of 16 nodes across 2 km of underground mine tunnels and was completed in 2.5 hours, with no impact on the mine’s operations, according to GeoMoby. It connects a range of devices – both personal and company issue – directly to nodes, which combine to feed information in to the platform for users to see.

Baudia added: “Our benchmark is entry-level technicians correctly positioning or replacing nodes with no or minimal assistance from GeoMoby. Software diagnostic tools incorporated into the platform allow site personnel to detect any fault in the network and respond immediately, which is critical to ensuring communications remain intact at all times.”

Karora Senior OHS Adviser, Jody Herd, said there had been a steep change in operator behaviour since the GeoMoby technology was installed.

“We have 120 people on site at any given time,” he said. “Previously we tracked personnel and equipment underground the old school way with tag board systems, so we didn’t always know where everyone was at any given time without using a radio.

“We’ve already seen a change in operator behaviour due to workers understanding that machines are now monitored using the GeoMoby solution.”

Baudia said GeoMoby was working through added use cases of contact tracing capability in the instance of infectious disease entering sites, individual health monitoring and geofencing solutions that are currently only available with their on-surface solution.

Rajant Corp furthers Eastern Europe, CIS ambitions with CompTek pact

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Rajant Corp, the provider of Kinetic Mesh® wireless networks, is expanding further into Eastern Europe and the CIS with a strategic distribution agreement with Russia’s CompTek.

The Russia-based reseller of network and telecommunication equipment will help support machine-to-machine connectivity and mobility in markets like open-pit mining, underground mining, indoor warehousing, ports, and other industrial markets, Rajant said.

Marcin Kusztal, Sales Director Eastern Europe and CIS for Rajant, said: “Russia has a vast, high tech economy and CompTek is keenly focused on providing their channel partners with value-added solutions within their portfolio to support emerging IIoT networking demands.

“Rajant’s unique ability to hold many connections over multiple frequencies and overcome obstructions in the hardest-to-network areas was missing from CompTek’s offerings. With Rajant, CompTek has what their telecom operators, systems integrators, application developers, and resellers in more than 100 cities in Russia and the CIS have been looking for, creating favourable conditions for its partners’ business development.”

Nikita Ivanov, Comptek’s Head of Sales, added: “We believe Rajant is the most valuable solution for clients in different verticals and markets.

“Industrial wireless networks are needed more than ever. As companies try to digitalise most processes to evolve their overall productivity, Rajant solutions are vital for them. We are happy to be partnered with Rajant.”

Back in August 2019, Rajant announced it was expanding its global presence to include Eastern Europe and the CIS, with its first strategy targeting the mining market in Russia and CIS, and its second approach looking at developed countries (Germany, Switzerland and part of Eastern Europe) where investment in developing advanced technologies was a high priority.

Mobilaris’ new devices to leverage latest communication, machine-learning tools

Communications in mining, IoT, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

Intent on “mastering the latest technologies” in its domain, Mobilaris says it will focus on the use of next-generation communication technologies such as 5G and Wi-Fi 6, and artificial intelligence, to build out its new safety solutions in 2021.

Mobilaris says it is building a device using 5G technologies that will be used in a new offering for Mobilaris Industrial Solutions.

By leveraging these new technologies, it will bring Industry 4.0 digital workforce safety to all its customers, it said.

To ensure this new device is “truly world-class in terms of safety, performance and resilience”, Mobilaris has partnered with Sigma Connectivity and Ericsson to leverage their expertise in this domain. It says it is the first company to use the new reference cellular IoT design from Ericsson called Ardesco.

The company said: “5G and cellular IoT are technologies that will open up new possibilities, but they need connection to existing public mobile networks, or private networks. Therefore, Mobilaris has partnered with Telia to bring our new solution to the market.”

Earlier this year, the company joined Telia’s 5G program as a new member and, after that, secured a commercial partnership to bring solutions to the market while at the same time tailor its use of the Telia network to maximise performance and efficiency.

Another key technology for next generation communication solutions is Wi-Fi 6.

Mobilaris has been deploying Wi-Fi-based solutions for many years, with 2021 representing no change to the status quo.

“Many of our customers have Wi-Fi networks, and we are continuing to invest in this technology to secure our capability to meet all customer demands and to innovate, leveraging the new additions coming in Wi-Fi 6, 6E and beyond,” it said.

This is where a partnership with Aruba will bring best-in-class, real-time situational awareness to industry customers around the globe, Mobilaris said.

The use of artificial intelligence is also nothing new for the Sweden and US-based company. It has already deployed its Mobilaris Onboard product in several mines across the globe and, at its core, machine learning is creating “value for our customers” that would not have been possible just a few years ago, it says.

It concluded: “Moving ahead, we are continuing to invest in AI to further accelerate our products and solutions and we expect to announce several new research partnerships here within the near future.”

Comilog enlists help of JRC, Geka Telecom for Moanda 4G/LTE infrastructure

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Comilog, a leading manganese miner and part of Eramet Group, has decided to build a Private 4G/LTE network in Moanda, Gabon, as part of an effort to modernise the operation.

JRC (Japan Radio Co Ltd) and Geka Telecom were selected to provide a turnkey solution. JRC will provide the LTE infrastructure for hundreds of subscribers and 4 RF sites, while GEKA Telecom will provide the full services.

Comilog, as part of its modernisation efforts, is investing in a modern and secured LTE infrastructure. This will see field staff equipped with ruggedised tablets and smartphones, with a target to digitalise the various processes to increase efficiency and reduce its use of paper. This is part of an overall project called Comilog 2020 to increase the capacity of the mine and to enhance the operation’s local added value.

JRC LTE infrastructure was chosen for the quality of its offer, JRC said. The proposed LTE infrastructure is designed to meet mission critical environment and performance. GEKA Telecom will provide its expertise for the settings of the network and the installation.

“We are very proud to contribute to the Comilog 2020 project,” Sato Katsuhiko, General Manager of 5G Project at JRC, said. “We are a specialist of wireless communication for mission critical networks. Projects such as Comilog 2020 are crucial for us. We aim to grow our private LTE/5G business significantly in the EMEA region.”

The Moanda mine is currently undergoing an expansion that will see a new mine open up on the Okouma plateau, 13 km to the north of Moanda. This could lead to 7 Mt/y of products being available for sale in 2023, compared with just over 4 Mt/y currently.

JRC, or Japan Radio Co Ltd, is a specialist of wireless infrastructure founded in 1915. Based in Japan and with offices across the world, it has provided complete Private LTE/5G networks since 2015.

GEKA Telecom, founded in 1982, has specialised in telecommunication networks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, to facilitate access to communication for all.