Tag Archives: Mine lighting

MineGlow launches new interoperable emergency lighting system, em-Control

Environmental, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , ,

Hazardous area and emergency lighting specialist, MineGlow, has launched a new, interoperable emergency lighting system, em-Control, to, it says, improve miner safety and preparedness in the event of emergency evacuations.

With several systems already deployed across New Zealand, Australia and West Africa, em-Control is an intelligent, network-based solution that warns and directs an underground workforce to safety with multi-directional light pulses and colours.

The system comprises of em-Lighting, the LED light strip, em-View, a web-based interface and em-Controller, a network-based controller that integrates with third-party systems via an open API. em-Lighting is powered by x-Glo LED strip lights, while the em-Controller is a MineGlow innovation designed for the em-Control system.

Installed throughout a mine’s underground tunnel network, em-Control alerts workers instantaneously of an emergency and directs the best way to designated exits, rescue chambers or other safe areas.

MineGlow General Manager, Carinne Pater, said em-Control is the only emergency LED strip lighting system on the market that is fully configurable, giving mine sites greater flexibility for different applications and the type of safety warning needed.

“We use high illumination to communicate critical information to underground teams, helping to maximise safety, suppress panic and provide comfort in high-stress, dangerous environments,” she said. “The system operates on high sight impact rather than sound, making it perfect for smoke-filled or low light conditions.”

Designed and engineered by MineGlow for tough industrial conditions, the IP65-rated, shock-proof em-Controller integrates with third-party systems used in hazardous and industrial applications such as traffic management, zone identification, vehicle awareness and seismic activity.

“With built-in network capability and an open architecture, multiple safety systems can communicate with em-Control to provide an additional layer of safety and protection,” Pater said.

“When a safety event or incident occurs, the em-Controller receives the information and triggers the em-Lighting LED strip to emit a pre-programmed colour, direction and pulse sequence.

“For example, the system can communicate critical information such as the severity of ground movement or type of emergency while informing workers of the direction of travel for a seamless evacuation.”

One control unit can control up to 500 m of LED strip lighting, significantly reducing lighting infrastructure set up costs.

The em-Control system, which has already been deployed in tunnel construction environments, can be configured to work effectively with a mine’s existing network infrastructure or activated manually where network connectivity is not available, via various activation points throughout the mine.

“The flexibility of our em-Lighting LED strip lights enables miners to install them easily and onto any fixed or mobile surface and at any height,” Pater said.

Continental shines a light on mine safety with NightViu series

Mining equipment, Mining safety, , , , , ,

Continental is adding another yet another new innovation to its extensive product range for commercial and special vehicles in the off-highway sector with the NightViu lighting series.

This solution is being developed especially for applications in the construction machinery and mining sectors.

With perfectly uniform illumination at automotive level, the series provides much better visibility in the work area, improving safety and efficiency on sites, the company says.

The unique modular housing concept has a minimum level of component complexity and offers users more than enough flexibility to cover a wide range of lighting requirements, according to Continental. The new system also boasts highly increased lighting efficiency when compared with many systems previously available on the market.

Georg Kliewer, Head of Special Vehicles in Continental’s Automotive Aftermarket business segment, said: “Looking at the construction sector in its entirety and contributing to greater safety on the construction site with our solutions is an important goal for Continental. That’s why we’re delighted that our NightViu work lights significantly improve visibility in poorly lit, construction site scenarios.”

The work lights in the NightViu series feature an efficient reflector lens design with six powerful LEDs and four cover lenses. Offering approximately 100 lumens per watt, these LED lights have an enhanced light efficiency level compared with other LEDs for construction and mining machinery – so sensitive vehicle electronics are protected and short circuits caused by excessive power consumption are prevented.

Luminous flux options range from 1,500 and 2,500 to 3,500 lumens, while the light beams cover a wide variety of lighting scenarios for the work area around the vehicle, from close-range to far-field illumination. These beams have different lighting patterns, ranging from highly focused spotlight illumination to floodlighting and from a wide to an extremely wide illumination field.

“In Ultra-Wide mode, we still achieve a light intensity of one lux at a distance of 90 m, and that’s absolutely unique,” Chris Kosmala, who is responsible for lighting system development at Continental, said. Overall, this increases the brightness in the corners and sides or at the end of the illuminated area away from the spotlights.

Continental has also designed a unique housing concept that enables the three different luminous flux options and the four different light patterns to be freely combined without needing more than one housing design.

“In this way, the complexity of the NightViu series is kept in check, but we can still meet every conceivable requirement of our customers,” Kosmala said.

The modular approach also allows different light cones to be combined, reducing the number of lights required but still ensuring a highly uniform illumination and the avoidance of shadows, according to Continental.

The aluminum housings are designed for hard off-highway use and are protected against water and dust in compliance with the IP6K8 standard. The lights also withstand temperatures between -40°C and +90°C and pass vibration tests of up to 12 g RMS – verified through stringent tests in Continental’s certified quality laboratory.

The lights’ flexible installation system for standard or heavy-duty mounting also enables retrofitting in many different positions on vehicles, the company said.

The NightViu Premium work lights will be available in the second half of 2022.

Dialight sheds light on mine operations with ProSite LED launch

Environmental, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Dialight Group, a leader in industrial LED lighting innovation, has launched its new ProSite LED floodlight range for the EMEA and APAC markets.

Launched at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, USA, the floodlights are designed for industrial applications, providing, the company says, superior visibility to external worksites with crisp, near daylight illumination to ensure the safety and security of a diverse range of facilities including mine sites.

The new ProSite series is currently available in 12,000-65,000 lumen models, reaching up to 165 lumens per watt, for mounting heights of up to 30 m. The floodlights integrate highly efficient precision optics, offering a wide range of beam patterns from narrow-spot to very wide, symmetric or asymmetric, and are capable of withstanding harsh environments, according to the company. The in-house designed optical surfaces precisely distribute the light over the target area with minimum light spill for optimal illumination without wasted light or unnecessary light pollution, Dialight says.

Offering maximum protection against water, dust, debris, vibration and impact with IP66/67, and IK10 (integrated polycarbonate optic/lens or lens cover) or IK08 (glass lens cover) ratings, the floodlights come with corrosion-resistant 316 stainless steel mounting hardware as standard. The ProSite can also withstand a variety of environmental conditions and has a wide operating temperature range of -40°C to +65°C.

With just four screws to access wiring, installation is quick and easy, the company claims. Several mounting options are available as well as a variety of accessories including wire guards, visors and bird spikes. The ProSite series also comes with Dialight’s industry-leading 10 year warranty.

Launching the ProSite range, Fariyal Khanbabi, Dialight Group Chief Executive, said: “The ProSite series features Dialight’s hallmark dependability and efficiency in an innovative, compact new design that provides a brighter, safer and more secure work environment.

“As a company, it is our priority to provide industry with products that perform to the highest standards, while also being cost-effective, easy to install and virtually maintenance free over their 10-year lifespan so that nothing is wasted – whether that be money, time, or unnecessary environmental impact.”

Atlas Copco light towers illuminate JRC’s open-pit mining opportunities

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Atlas Copco says Peru-based mining development, construction and infrastructure services business, JRC, has recently purchased six HiLight V5+ light towers to ensure continuous and efficient operations at the Iscaycruz zinc-lead mine in Oyón province.

Iscaycruz, owned by Empresa Minera Los Quenuales SA (majority owned by Glencore), is a polymetallic deposit with four mines in production: Limpe, Chupa, Tinyag 1 and Tinyag 2. Due to its altitude of 4,700-5,000 m above sea level, the mine is situated in one of the most challenging areas of Peru.

“The survival in this area is very hard, both for people and equipment: we worked with light towers from another manufacturer for a while and they did not work out,” Julio Tello, JRC Equipment Manager, said. “The three-cylinder engines shut down after two hours working and the lamps broke easily.”

The tough working conditions and the lack of having the right light tower for this project led to heavy losses for JRC, due to the impossibility of starting the night shift, according to Atlas Copco. To solve this issue, the company tested on site a HiLight V5+ light tower from Atlas Copco to ensure the unit was the right equipment for the project. After carrying out the test, JRC purchased six HiLight V5+ light towers to be used at Iscaycruz.

Atlas Copco’s HiLight V5+ light tower has been designed for the most demanding conditions, according to the company.

Featuring a HardHat® canopy as standard, which ensures maximum protection of internal parts, the design includes directional optic lenses that maximise practical light coverage while minimising dark spots. A single light tower has four LED floodlights each projecting 350 W of light and the HiLight H5+ can illuminate an area of up to 5,000 sq.m, providing an average brightness of 20 lux. The LED lamps offer users higher durability without any deterioration in lux level and have a life expectancy of more than 50,000 hours, according to Atlas Copco.

Additionally, the HiLight H5+ light tower offers low fuel consumption, offering a run time between refuelling of 260 hours and consumption of less than 0.5 litres/h of fuel.

“The acquisition of Atlas Copco’s HiLight V5+ light towers with two-cylinder engines changed the whole picture for us. It’s a solution that has been radical,” Tello said. “Until now, JRC’s expertise has been mainly in underground mining projects, however the operations at Iscaycruz is showing that we are the right fit for open-pit operations; that is why we are preparing seven mining projects in Peru and one in Mexico. The HiLight V5+ light towers are helping us to operate this type of project perfectly.”

Nelson Batistucci, Atlas Copco Business Line Manager for the Andean region, explains: “In order to deliver the right solution for our customers, we need to understand their needs well. In this case, considering the challenges of working at extreme altitude, as it is common for many of our mining customers in Peru, helped us choose the right light tower for JRC. At Atlas Copco, we are strongly committed to technological innovation and have a highly skilled team to analyse the challenges and provide the best solution for our customers.”

Trime looks to light up the mining industry with new tower

Environmental, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , ,

The Trime Group has launched a new lighting tower that, it says, will provide safe lighting in very difficult to access areas of mines.

Aimed specifically at the mining industry, The Trime X-Mine Monster is a lighting tower fitted to a wide crawler undercarriage.

This unique arrangement, the company says, ensures the unit remains secure and stable in all terrain, enabling it to deliver bright, safe lighting levels irrespective of the ground conditions.

Should the X-Mine Monster encounter a short climb or descent, the dynamic levelling system of the X-Mine Monster will automatically tilt the mast, Trime Group says. This ensures the unit remains vertical at all times and that the lamps are steady, providing correctly targeted lighting.

The X-Mine Monster is fitted with 30 multi-directional and adjustable 150 W, energy-saving LED lamps. This equates to 5.7 kW of light fitted onto a 10 m hydraulic and foldable mast, with 240° rotation, delivering up to 24,500 sq.m of illumination, the company claims.

“The X-Mine Monster is easy to operate and simple to manoeuvre,” Trime Group says. “It has a maximum driving speed of 2.2 km/h, and is remotely controlled via a Wi-Fi-enabled joystick operated console.”

Ground level headlamps are fitted so all base operations are carried out safely. It has a high capacity 150 litre fuel tank, enabling the X-Mine Monster to run continuously for up 94 hours, according to the company. An additional 9 kVA of auxiliary power is also available at a safe 48 V DC.

Trime, an Italian manufacturer of environmentally sensitive machinery that typically serves the construction, rail, highway and events markets, designed and manufactured the X-Mine Monster in response to a request from an Australian open-pit mining contractor who was working 24 h/d. Traditional wheeled lighting towers were unsteady and not providing sufficient lighting, and were also proving difficult to transport around the site, the company said.

The contractor explained their requirements to Trime engineers who immediately set about developing the X-Mine Monster, Trime said.

Trime believes the X-Mine Monster is the only lighting tower with a 10 m articulated fully hydraulic telescopic mast able to provide safe lighting in very difficult areas to access with just a traditional vertical tower.

For example, if an excavator is operating in close proximity to a work area, the X-Mine Monster is the only lighting tower equipped to light up above and below the excavator’s digging arm, the company says.

Matteo Tagliani, Trime’s Sales Director, said: “We always have a very open mind when we receive special requests for bespoke machinery. We will always listen carefully to individual requests and work hard to achieve a satisfactory outcome for both parties. We welcome these types of enquiries.”

The Trime Group is headquartered in Cassinetta di Lugagnano, near Milan, Italy.

HELLA lights up the mining market with newest beacon

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , ,

Lighting and electronics expert HELLA says it became the first supplier to present a beacon that combines innovative design and state-of-the-art LED technology.

The design beacon, presented at the Bauma fair, in Munich, earlier this month, allows manufacturers in the construction and mining industry to give their vehicles a unique appearance, according to HELLA.

“The black, futuristic-looking beacon fits perfectly into the existing vehicle silhouette thanks to its design and compact dimensions of around 60 mm in height. For comparison: HELLA’s lowest beacon ever, the K-LED 2.0, has a height of 90 mm. Halogen beacons sometimes even have a height of up to 194 mm,” the company said.

HELLA has not only minimised the size of the beacon but also changed the lighting concept with this design.

“This once again proves our technological leadership,” Stefan Maierhofer, Product Manager at HELLA, said. The beacon doesn’t need a dome anymore. Instead, the light is visible through a circumferential, ring-shaped light band.

Despite the minimal light emission area and the compact size, the beacon achieves the best light values and an ideal warning effect that meet the legal requirements of the European ECE-R 65 directive for beacons, according to the company.

An additional advantage is the LED double flash function of the warning light, which emits a direct and remotely visible 360° signal. With this, other traffic participants get alerted at an early stage and occupational safety significantly increases, the company said.

The beacon is maintenance-free and, due to its low total current consumption and high-quality, long-life LEDs, is suitable for continuous use. In addition, the vehicle battery is conserved.

The beacon complies with IP (International Protection) classes 67 and 9K. This means it is resistant to dust and water and the electronics are protected up to a water depth of 1 m when submerged for a short time.

In addition, the warning light is resistant to stronger strains such as shocks and blows or temperature fluctuations, road salt and moisture, according to HELLA. This is ensured by the polycarbonate light band, the powder-coated aluminium housing and the absence of moving parts.

“This means that the beacon can also be used in adverse conditions. In addition, it meets the prescribed values for electromagnetic compatibility and therefore does not interfere with any other radio signals,” HELLA said.

HELLA was the first supplier to launch a beacon on the market as early as 1955, with the first LED beacon following in 2006. In addition to halogen lamps, the company currently has 14 LED beacons in its product range.

RCT identifies safety improvements at Glencore’s Hail Creek coal mine

Coal technology, Communications in mining, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

RCT has installed an AusProTec™ LED numbering system to a fleet of seven surface mine water trucks at Glencore’s Hail Creek coal operation in the Bowen Basin of Queensland, Australia

The system will help improve positive identification of fleet numbering from the rear of the water trucks, according to RCT, and was implemented when key site personnel visited Glencore’s Clermont coal mine and saw RCT’s LED numbering system in operation first-hand.

“This initiative is just another way Glencore is safeguarding operators,” RCT said.

The AusProTec Heavy Duty LED has been specifically designed for the mining industry, according to RCT. With tough aluminium housing, rated to IP69 and 10G vibration testing, these LED lights are designed to withstand the harshest conditions.

Glencore only began operating Hail Creek in August following the acquisition of Rio Tinto’s 82% interest in the mine.

Coal is predominantly mined from two seams at Hail Creek: the Elphinstone Seam, with an average thickness of 6.4 m, and the Hynds Seam, averaging 8.3 m in thickness. Mining is undertaken by a dragline, truck and shovel method. In 2017, the mine produced around 9.4 Mt of hard coking and thermal coal (5.3 Mt HCC and 4.1 Mt TC).

Phoenix and JMC team up to expand presence in rugged lighting sector

Base metals, Coal technology, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, ,

Private equity firm JMC Capital Partners has agreed to acquire rugged lighting specialist Phoenix in a deal that should see the Milwaukee-based company further expand.

As part of the deal, George Wordingham, President and fourth generation owner of Phoenix, will retire and sell his stake in the company to JMC.

“I’m happy to be putting Phoenix in a position for long-term growth while also preserving the importance of its history in the industries we’ve served for decades,” he said.

This year, Phoenix is celebrating 75 years in the mining industry. Since 1943, it has been providing light, safety and productivity to mines worldwide. Its LED lights are used throughout the industry on earthmoving equipment, conveyors and elsewhere.

JMC will be investing in various growth opportunities for Phoenix and looking to increase its presence in the lighting industry, Phoenix said.

David Logan, Operating Partner at JMC, said: “We are pleased and excited to add Phoenix to the JMC portfolio as a new platform for rugged LED Lighting. Phoenix’s management team has done an excellent job at growing their business, and we look forward to continued success.”

Scott Fredrick, CEO of Phoenix, said the JMC deal presents great opportunities for the company’s future in this industry.

“As a 126-year-old manufacturer, we know the value of adaptability and perseverance. JMC’s strategy is a perfect fit for Phoenix and its plan for long-term growth.”

Phoenix will continue to operate out of its Milwaukee location. All employees will remain as will the commitment Phoenix has to its customers. JMC currently has 15 companies within its portfolio, according to its website.