Tag Archives: Mine ventilation

Chart, Howden ready to showcase a ‘ventilation and more’ offering at MINExpo

Environmental, Mine ventilation, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Howden’s transition into the wider Chart Industries offering is allowing it to branch into new territory; territory that it will be showcasing at MINExpo INTERNATIONAL® 2024 in Las Vegas later this month.

For over a century, Howden has supplied underground ventilation fans to every major global mining company. Today, its fully integrated ventilation air quality control approach can, it says, dramatically reduce energy usage by 50%.

Chart Industries, which Howden is now a part of following its acquisition in March 2023, says it is a leading global solutions provider to clean energy and industrial gas markets across the Nexus of Clean™ – clean power, clean water, clean food and clean industrials.

The combination between Chart and Howden is broadening business, according to Leo Botha, Director of Global Mining Sales at Chart.

“At Howden, we have traditionally focused on the underground mining sector, whereas Chart Industries has significant exposure to the surface mining industry,” he told IM.

The legacy Howden business supplies a variety of fans – main, booster and auxiliary fans – that provide versatility, economic advantages for efficiency and maintenance, low noise and outstanding aerodynamic performance. It combines this with mine cooling and mine heating systems to ensure the optimal solution for each mine site.

Underpinning this is the Ventsim® platform.

Ventsim DESIGN enables the 3D design, modelling and simulation of underground mine and tunnel ventilation systems with controls for safe and efficient operations. It originated as mining management software in 1993 and, today, ensures operations within mines and tunnels are safe and efficient through a suite of solutions.

Ventsim CONTROL is designed to reduce energy consumption, associated costs and improve energy efficiency in underground mining ventilation systems, supporting customers’ net-zero goals. The software suite uses advanced algorithms to analyse real-time data and adjust ventilation equipment to maximise energy savings while maintaining safe working conditions.

“We continue to enhance Ventsim capabilities and leverage advancement in technologies like AI,” Chart says. “We’re furthering our energy management and control tool kit and implementing a carbon calculator, building on the energy dashboards we have in place to visualise energy consumption, energy savings and, more recently, carbon emissions.”

The company can also highlight LNG and hydrogen storage, system, transport and fuelling options.

Chart provides LNG energy storage and fuel delivery solutions for natural gas power generation, on-board LNG fuel tanks for mine haul trucks and service vehicles, and related fuel station equipment. It now also offers the exact same solutions for energy and power generation using gaseous or liquid hydrogen with its onboard LH2 vehicle fuel tanks and fuel stations, LH2 storage tanks and vaporisers, H2 compressors and related supply chain equipment.

Botha says some of the early conversations with customers have already gone into specifics on how they can access some of these hydrogen solutions at their sites.

“Chart, which has a remit of ‘cleaning up’ the industries it works in, has hydrogen and LNG storage solutions that could allow these mines to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions drastically,” he said. “We’re now just looking to align on whether that may be hybrid solutions involving diesel and H2/LNG, or a single energy source.

“These solutions aren’t likely to be integrated at mine sites tomorrow, but they are commercially-available in other sectors and, in some instances, present a strong mining business case.”

In the field of carbon capture, utilisation and storage, Chart has significant knowledge of and solutions for the processes and challenges of energy-intensive, hard-to-abate industries such as mining and mineral processing.

Lastly, Chart’s water business, ChartWater™, can offer the most efficient, cost-effective, environmental solutions for contaminant removal, including antimony and arsenic, oxygenation for remediation of rivers/lakes/reservoirs, aerobic biological processes, pH control for mineral acid replacement, enhanced metal flotation and remineralisation, the company says.

Botha continued: “We look forward to continuing to offer our customers different commercial solutions and increased functionality. This, for instance, includes leasing and rental options – options that Howden customers have not previously had before becoming a part of Chart.”

TLT-Turbo

TLT-Turbo Africa reports on major PGM mine ventilation installation in South Africa

Environmental, Mine ventilation, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , ,

In a move that it says marks a significant technological advancement in the mining industry, TLT-Turbo Africa has announced the successful implementation of a major ventilation project within the Platinum Belt of South Africa.

TLT-Turbo Africa says its latest project emphasises its role as a leader in mining equipment provision, with the project, completed in two phases, including the installation and commissioning of bespoke bifurcated surface fan stations, each with a dual-stage 220 kW fan system. Designed to operate continuously, these fans address the high pressure and efficiency demands characteristic of underground mining operations, according to the company.

Complying with noise restrictions to minimise the impact on nearby communities was an important achievement for the project, the company noted.

Additionally, the use of TLT-Turbo Africa’s standardised, modular A&B Fan range highlights a shift towards streamlined manufacturing processes that, it says, significantly reduce lead times and promote local availability of spare parts, thus ensuring swift maintenance and repairs.

Katlego Nchabeleng, Sales Engineer at TLT-Turbo Africa, said: “Our ventilation solutions are engineered to ensure the safety, health and wellness of mining personnel while facilitating better underground conditions and ease of maintenance. These installations epitomise our approach to delivering quality and sustainable advancements in mine ventilation.”

With eco-design at the heart of their operation, TLT-Turbo Africa’s fans exemplify their alignment with global environmental standards, focusing on energy-efficient solutions that contribute to the broader environmental imperatives of the mining industry, it says.

The company’s ongoing projects include a notable initiative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a forthcoming installation of modular mine fans in South Africa.

ABB on extending mine production and asset life with ventilation on demand

Automation, Environmental, Mine ventilation, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

Ventilation on demand not only reduces energy usage and costs in underground mines, it can help extend production and the lifespan of existing infrastructure as part of a suite of electrification and automation solutions, say Marcos Hillal, Global Product Line Manager, Automation, ABB, and Jan Nyqvist, Global Product Manager, Automation Underground Mining, ABB.

By now, many readers will be familiar with ventilation on demand (VOD); what it is, what it does and the multiple benefits it offers mining companies in terms of efficiency, costs, safety and compliance.

Ventilation systems are the largest consumers of power in underground mines, accounting for 50% of energy use. VOD systems linked to the geolocation of people and vehicles intelligently adjust air flow to maximise air quality and minimise consumption. Supplying air into the mine (and expelling exhaust gases) only where and when it is needed can reduce overall energy usage by up to half. It also reduce cooling or heating needs of the circulated air.

Operators of subterranean mines must also comply with increasingly stringent safety regulations related to air quality, ensuring personnel are not exposed to excessive levels of CO, CO2, dust, humidity, toxic blasting and strata gases, and, chiefly, NO, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions from diesel vehicles.

VOD not only supplies fresh air to underground mines, as well as removing spent or contaminated air, it automatically regulates air temperature to keep workers comfortable and safe, not to mention removing the need for them to enter potentially hazardous environments to manually operate fans.

Being smart about ventilation

So far, so good. However, what is not so well understood is how VOD can used to expand production and extend the life of ventilation infrastructure. With energy prices high and declining ore grades forcing operators into more remote, inhospitable locations in search of elusive reserves, technology solutions that can prolong the life of existing mine assets can offer an invaluable competitive edge.

So, how can VOD be applied to expand mine production? The answer is by delivering air even more smartly and efficiently based on actual operational parameters. ABB’s open platform, System 800xA, for example, utilises real-time data transmitted from sensors around the mine on key parameters such as the use of trucks, location of personnel, and gas, flow and temperature information.

ABB’s VOD solution, ABB Ability™ Ventilation Optimizer (VO), uses this data to operate the fans according to actual demands calculated from production schedules, as well as equipment status and location, reducing the amount of air that fans supply to certain sections of the mine by as much as 20-40%.

These savings can then be used to supply air to other sectors where they are needed more, whether that be new, hitherto unexplored places or existing areas where the operator wishes to maintain or increase production. What is more, VOD can do this by using existing infrastructure – ventilation shafts, for instance – which equates to significant savings on capex and manpower for customers.

Take automation to the next level

ABB Ability VO is designed to be integrated into each operation depending on that project’s specific characteristics and existing level of automation – how advanced the existing positioning system or communications backbone is, say – and comprises three separate levels.

Level one is the standard package whereby we connect ABB Ability VO to the ventilation equipment so that the customer can supervise and control the fans and air regulators remotely. They have the option to add further automation, meaning that the system can automatically adjust air flow based on the mine’s time and production schedule and, also, in the event of a fire or blasting in the mine.

In level two, positioning tools such as tracking on demand are integrated in the mine systems to pinpoint the exact location of vehicles, machines and people based on the production schedule, so the ventilation system throughout the mine can be automatically adjusted based on air flow levels.

Finally, level three is full automation or ‘closed loop’ ventilation. An algorithm computes the optimal operational set points on all the fans and regulators depending on demand and sensors continuously feedback data, allowing the system to optimise air flows and air quality, and minimise energy usage.

By introducing three implementation stages, VO system also gives customers time to adapt their processes and people so that the system can be fully integrated for maximum results.

A suite of scalable solutions

VO should not be viewed as an isolated solution, however; instead, it forms part of a portfolio of scalable, interconnected digital and automation technologies that together give operators complete control of a multitude of functions, from dewatering the mine to material tracking.

Future innovations include online monitoring to ensure the ventilation system is working in the most optimal way. In terms of scalability, since VO is based on our market leader 800xA platform, other advanced solutions can be integrated, such as ABB’s asset management and power monitoring systems, so mines can benefit from the company’s full range of ABB’s dedicated solutions for underground mine operations, all under one single integrated platform.

In this way, VOD forms part of a package of digital, automation and electrification technologies that, when deployed together, can transform underground mines into safer, more efficient environments.

GeoMoby and Digital Terrain to provide real-time environmental monitoring in underground mines

Automation, IoT, Mine ventilation, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , ,

Mining location technology company GeoMoby has partnered with fellow Australia-based Digital Terrain to, it says, offer real-time monitoring of environmental conditions in underground mines.

“Temperature and potentially lethal gases, such as carbon monoxide or methane, can easily be remotely monitored, recorded and alerts triggered if needed,” Mathieu Paul, Director of GeoMoby, says.

Digital Terrain’s RDI-EMS can monitor temperature (wet and dry bulb), wide (speed and direction), humidity, gases and dust. Gas sensors can detect oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, methane and ammonia. It also detects a firing and sends a message to the blast crew when it is best to start conducting re-entries, GeoMoby says. This saves valuable time, especially in single heading, independent firing situations.

GeoMoby, meanwhile, provides an all-in-one, visibility platform allowing real-time monitoring of assets and people. Its goal is to change the way businesses make decisions and reach people, to help businesses control their data and their future.

“Essentially Digital Terrain has the technology to monitor many conditions – from levels of gases, such as oxygen, to the temperature in underground mines – and GeoMoby has the technology to use Digital Terrain’s data, from its recording devices, to use that information to trigger alarms if necessary,” Paul says.

“We know this is the best, most accurate solution for environmental monitoring in underground mine sites in Australia right now. Both our technologies are fully integrated. For example, if Digital Terrain detects too much carbon monoxide or methane in the mine’s atmosphere, then GeoMoby real-time systems trigger alerts for management and an emergency response can be rolled out much faster and more efficiently. We know this new technology will save lives in the hazardous environments of underground mines.”

GeoMoby says it has installed the technology in several large Australian mines.

Digital Terrain will establish the improved technology in the systems of current and established Digital Terrain clients, while GeoMoby will manage the client relationships with its new clients.

Digital Terrain CEO, Andrew Rouse, said: “GeoMoby and Digital Terrain’s relationship continues to grow – from an initial reseller appointment of GeoMoby products to now starting to integrate our solutions together. We will continue to identify more collaboration opportunities across our combined customer base, delivering value- adding solutions to our customers.”

CEO and Founder of GeoMoby, Chris Baudia, said: “This is another important adaption of our technology to help keep workers safe, so they can return to their families every single day. The ability to record environmental information will also help improve mining conditions and operations for the future and we are delighted to join with Digital Terrain to do that.”

Howden continues to bring energy and ventilation efficiency to mining operations

Automation, Mine ventilation, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Howden’s Ventsim™ CONTROL may have been introduced 15 years ago in Canada, but the cutting-edge mining innovation continues to be refined, the company says.

Ventsim is designed to reduce energy consumption, associated costs and improve energy efficiency in underground mine ventilation systems.

The Ventsim software suite uses advanced algorithms to analyse real-time data and adjust ventilation equipment to maximise energy savings while maintaining safe working conditions. As the global mining industry continues to face increased pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, it offers a valuable solution by optimising energy usage and reducing wasted energy, Howden says.

Howden, a Chart Industries Company, has focused on innovation with this software to meet the needs of ventilation and automation engineers by developing a solution that requires no prior programming. The site team can manage Ventsim CONTROL on an ongoing basis which means there is no need to continually bring in third parties to make changes as the mine’s requirements change.

This was a need in the market in 2009 when Ventsim software was introduced. The software has become even more relevant today, where resources are expensive and scarce, and mine plans – in many cases – need to be commodity price sensitive. Ventsim CONTROL can incorporate sensors, hardware, and software from any third-party supplier and has grown to become a key ventilation-engineering tool across the mining sector.

In recent years, Howden has developed the software with the complementary addition of 3D modelling and simulation components of Ventsim DESIGN, a mine ventilation simulation software, to allow mining companies to achieve optimal visualisation of their ventilation systems across their operations.

In a recent update, the software’s 3D tracking visualisation of personnel and vehicles was improved through the ability to tap into existing site-wide tracking systems at most modern underground mines.

Benoit Dussault, Lead Software Engineer at Howden, told IM: “We are working hand-in-hand with tracking providers on this solution, incorporating the x, y, z coordinates associated with these ‘tags’ or deploying a zone-based approach where these coordinates are not available.”

A real-time gas simulation that can incorporate data inputs from gas sensors around the mine and predict the gas concentrations going into areas not equipped with sensors is also being integrated into the software platform as part of expanded control and optimisation functionality. The same can be said about heat simulation, which was introduced last year.

The company is also refining its energy management and control toolkit, building on the energy dashboards it has had in place to visualise energy consumption, energy savings and, more recently, carbon emissions.

“We are implementing a carbon calculator this year that builds on those energy reports,” Dussault explained. “The software will track your emissions, allowing companies to benchmark their consumption and emissions against a plan.”

Later in 2023 and into 2024, the company hopes to put ventilation-focused, artificial intelligence-backed algorithms to work at mine sites, potentially taking the company’s ventilation optimisation abilities to new heights.

This would also coincide with a new web-based interface, introducing BI dashboards and reporting to an already impressive line-up of features.

While all these elements have global applications – and Howden itself is a global player in the ventilation sector – Dussault was keen to emphasise Canada’s influence on the ongoing evolution of Ventsim CONTROL: “Our first full Ventilation on Demand installation projects were in Canada back in 2009 and 2012. The latter, the Newmont Eleonore mine, is still significant for us from a project perspective. They [the mines in Canada] continue to play a vital role in developing the software continuously.”

Howden opens new service centre in Vitória, Brazil

Environmental, Mine ventilation, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Howden, a global provider of mission critical air and gas handling products, technologies and services, has opened a new service centre in Vitória City, Espírito Santo state, Brazil, to expand its presence and support in South America.

The new service centre complements Howden’s existing factory in Itatiba, São Paulo, while providing dedicated support for its customers in Vitória, according to the company. Situated in proximity to its customers, the service centre provides 24-hour access to equipment procurement, technical assistance and aftermarket services, as well as support from Howden experts, it said.

Howden has been present in Brazil for 28 years as a hub for South America. The new service centre will support Howden’s strategy to grow across wastewater, energy & renewables, metals, cement, and industrial sectors within the region.

Salvador Soares, Managing Director of Howden’s South America business, said: “We are delighted to be opening a new service centre in Brazil to meet increasing customer demand and build upon our growth in South America. It is a testament to the strong customer relationships that we have nurtured, as well as our reputation for delivering valuable expertise and support.

“The new service centre offers greater efficiency for our customers and rapid access to additional engineering, parts, and aftermarket services. By streamlining delivery times from several months to only a few hours, we can respond to short lead times to minimise downtime and ensure project delivery.”

Howden to deploy Ventsim CONTROL solution at Gold Field’s South Deep

Automation, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mine ventilation, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Howden says it has secured a contract for its Ventsim™ CONTROL system at Gold Fields’ South Deep gold mine in South Africa.

The mine is a world-class bulk mechanised mining operation reaching depths between 2,800-3,300 m below surface and is located in the Witwatersrand Basin.

South Deep has invested in key infrastructure to ensure that it operates as a safe, low-cost, bulk and mechanised gold mine and is collaborating with Howden to implement a state-of-the-art ventilation optimisation system, Howden said. The solution will support a safe working environment as well as reducing the mine’s energy consumption, which will contribute towards South Deep’s environmental and operational goals.

Ventsim CONTROL combines ventilation modelling of the mine with a flexible control system and advanced control strategies for monitoring, control and optimisation of underground mine ventilation. The remote and autonomous control of ventilation devices allows operators to view underground mine conditions in real time as well as the ability to act quickly to suit their conditions.

Howden’s ventilation optimisation solution offers varying levels of control to suit the needs of the mine. Level 1 and 2 allows for manual remote control and scheduling of ventilation devices, while the level 4, Ventilation on Demand solution employed by South Deep will allow ventilation devices to react based on feedback from environmental sensors underground, according to Howden. It will furthermore adjust mine airflow in real time based on vehicle and personnel position. The Ventsim CONTROL solution also offers a 3D modelling capability within the software, which helps users to better predict and control air flows based on what is evidenced in the simulation.

Eric Vemer, President of Africa region at Howden, said: “The installation of Ventsim CONTROL will improve the operability and flexibility of the mine’s ventilation system to ensure a safe, healthy and efficient ventilation solution. Ventsim CONTROL will further reduce energy consumption and associated tonnes of carbon emissions. As the system allows the mine to optimise its ventilation based on fully remote vehicle and personnel monitoring, it directly contributes to achieving emissions reduction targets – something of which the Howden team is very proud.”

Ventilation on demand solutions continue to find favour, Howden says

Automation, Environmental, IoT, Mine ventilation, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Ventilation solutions provider, Howden, says it is continuing to register strong demand for ventilation on demand (VoD) solutions from the mining sector, on continual cost control measures, improved safety requirements and the evolving need to chart emissions underground.

The company recently added Cooling on Demand (CoD) functionality to its Ventsim CONTROL software, which reflects this market demand.

Ventsim CONTROL uses intelligent software connected to Howden or third-party hardware devices to remotely monitor, control and automate airflow heating and cooling to deliver safer, more productive, and lower cost ventilation for mines, the company says. The Ventsim CONTROL solution also offers a 3D modelling capability within the software, which helps users to better predict and control air flows based on what is evidenced in the simulation.

In the case of CoD, this means users can monitor temperatures at deeper levels and push back cooled air more efficiently.

Upon release of the solution last year, Howden said the CoD update aligned with trends it was seeing in the industry towards deeper mines requiring cooled air to achieve higher standards of health and safety for workers.

“Currently, many mines put a cooling plant at surface level and cool air regardless of its destination or where it’s needed as there aren’t intelligent controls to pinpoint the localised need, which is often at deeper levels,” Howden said. “These new controls ensure the cool air goes where it is required, saving operating and energy costs.”

The company is currently in the process of lining up a trial of this new functionality with an existing Ventsim CONTROL customer.

Howden has also won several Ventsim CONTROL contracts across the globe, including in South America, Asia Pacific and Europe, of late.

Jose Pinedo, Ventsim Sales Manager, said most of these contracts reflected the mining sector’s ongoing focus on cost control, as well as those ‘net-zero’ commitments.

“All the different sites had a payback target in mind, but some of the sites also wanted to know what the implementation of the system would do for their CO2 emissions,” he told IM.

Within Ventsim CONTROL, there is an in-built energy reporting tool to show clients their ongoing energy consumption. Following customer requests and in-house development work, Howden has been able to adapt this to generate a rolling CO2 emission indicator that clients can monitor.

“The reduction in energy correlates directly to a reduction in tonnes of CO2 emissions,” Pinedo said of the reporting tool. “This means, in addition to what the system will provide in operational terms and operating costs, it can also outline to clients how it will assist them in meeting environmental goals.”

Leo Botha, Ventsim General Manager, said the ability for Ventsim CONTROL to reduce the energy consumption associated with ventilation and the direct correlation between these savings and CO2 emission reductions is allowing Howden to assist miners in hitting their environmental goals.

“Up front, when you are having the discussion and talking to mines about energy savings, you are also directly talking about CO2 emission reductions and how this can be used in ESG reporting,” he said.

This increased carbon emission visibility, plus expectations of stricter regulations in key mining jurisdictions, is likely to lead more clients towards the use of VoD solutions, according to Pinedo.

“For instance, with Australia adopting stricter diesel particulate emissions, the industry is facing two options in terms of keeping up with legislation: either you retrofit your fleet so you’re running more efficient and ‘cleaner’ diesel engines (US Tier 4 F/EU Stage V) or electric equipment, or you increase your ventilation flow to meet the new emission requirements,” he said.

Even if a mine chose Option A – retrofitting their fleet – the ventilation flow requirements may still need to increase, Pinedo explained.

“Without a VoD system, you must have a ventilation system set up based on the required air for x number of vehicles and personnel, regardless of if they are operating at all times,” he said.

A VoD system, however, allows mines to push air only to where it is needed based on the vehicles, personnel and infrastructure in place and operating at that given time.

With more mixed fleets of mobile mining equipment expected in the future made up of battery-electric, hybrids and diesel-powered equipment, the benefits of a VoD system able to tap into existing infrastructure for telematics and positioning will be highlighted further, enabling mines to ventilate based on the type of engine/battery the machine is powered by and if there is an operator in the cab.

“What we’re offering through Ventsim CONTROL is to use all these existing tools and optimise everything to comply with where legislation is heading and the evolution of ‘net zero’ mining,” Pinedo said.

Agnico Eagle’s Fosterville mine is looking to do exactly this in what Howden says is an Australian mining first.

The operation, having already installed Ventsim CONTROL Level 3 (scheduling and flow control), is progressing to an installation that will see the mine’s tracking system integrated to Ventsim CONTROL Level 4. This will provide real-time feedback on the vehicle locations in Ventsim CONTROL to adjust the ventilation automatically based on demand.

Ventsim CONTROL software also continues to gain appreciation from customers for its safety capabilities.

“One of the features we have in Ventsim CONTROL is related to fire simulation,” Pinedo said. “We also have this in our Ventsim DESIGN software with scenario-based simulations, but the facility on Ventsim CONTROL connects to all your communication infrastructure underground to take an instant snapshot of the status as a fire is happening.

“From a planning point of view, this allows operations to have a much quicker response time based on an accurate, real-time picture of what is going on underground. This provides another tool to allow them to take the right decisions when and if needed.”

Maestro heads for the IoT edge with new future-proofed solutions

Automation, Environmental, Mine ventilation, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Driving out capital expenditure and standardising IIoT infrastructure have been the two key pillars propelling Maestro Digital Mine forward, and, 10 years after its formation, these two drivers are on show with its latest launches at the SME MineXchange Annual Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City.

Over the last decade, the company has become synonymous with improving underground mine ventilation safety as well as reducing blast re-entry times, with an offering that includes air quality stations, automated regulators, and “fail-safe” LED displays. Yet, Maestro’s core is IIoT devices and last mile digital networks for underground mines.

Michael Gribbons, CEO and Co-founder for Maestro, says the company’s production of “IIoT solutions” pre-dates the popular use of this acronym, with its big launch in Salt Lake City set to take Maestro into new “edge-based” territory that will allow it to cope with multiple communication protocols or artificial intelligence-led process miners look to leverage over the next decade.

He explained to IM: “We have re-envisioned and redesigned both our hardware, embedded firmware and external software to allow greater flexibility and capabilities for today and the future; the platform, if you will.”

This current hardware platform has, among other things, underpinned the success of its Vigilante AQS™, which was created to solve applications for mine ventilation monitoring and control.

“Every year, Vigilante customers kept asking for different capabilities, and we have said yes to these requests until we couldn’t.” Gribbons said. “We ran out of hardware space – we just couldn’t do the things the clients were asking anymore, forcing a major platform redesign that is now shipping.”

This constant cycle of improvement has already led Maestro into the realm of dust monitoring and regulator control. It also saw the company devise products and solutions that eradicated the need for expensive PLCs, customer panels and fabrication. Its plug-and-play philosophy, in turn, has reduced the amount of engineering required to install and monitor these solutions.

“For example, legacy analogue actuators are now being driven out of the equation by coupling ModuDrive™ actuators to automate regulators allowing significant capital expenditure reductions and improved diagnostic monitoring by using edge-based embedded IIoT technologies,” Gribbons said. “The mining industry is following other industries by applying modular construction where proven solutions can be selected and applied instead of the typical one-time custom engineering design and build where individual components are collated and customised on an individual basis. The main advantages of applying modular construction is schedule acceleration and capital expenditure reduction.”

Gribbons sees the new platform – a combination of hardware, user interface, on-premise and cloud-based software allowing data to be stored and trended by the customer as they choose – being able to take advantage of “true edge-based technology” to make better and quicker decisions.

The new platform installed on the Vigilante AQS, SuperBrite™ Marquee display, MaestroFlex™ regulator and ModuDrive actuator are on display at the SME conference.

Looking past the fixed automation infrastructure Maestro has made its name on, the company is now embedding its expertise into more mobile solutions that the industry has been taking a liking to, namely drones and unmanned robots.

Also featured on the Maestro stand – and the Exyn Technologies stand – at the event is an aerial drone with a Maestro gas monitoring IIoT device fitted on it.

This new gas monitoring drone, which will integrate critical gas sensors onto the ExynAero™ and ExynPak™ platforms, is, effectively, the “quickest and safest mobile gas monitor on the planet”, Gribbons remarked. “The drone is able to automatically launch and log targeted gases directly on the point cloud in any confined area without deploying mine rescue personal with Scott Air-Paks. Again, we are improving worker safety and accelerated time to obtain accurate data in emergency conditions or for more granular data at the headings for reducing blast re-entry times.”

Powered by ExynAI’s multi-sensor fusion capabilities, gas sensor readings are captured while the robot is in flight and displayed in real-time via a ruggedised tablet, Exyn explained. These sensor readings are saved with precise coordinates in a high-fidelity point cloud that can be exported and examined in a variety of mining software.

These mobile applications will remain a minority interest for Maestro, but it offers the company another way to influence the underground mine safety dynamic and ensure it stays loyal to its “we leave no one stranded” brand promise.

Such collaborations are nothing new for Maestro. Just last year, it teamed up with Howden to integrate its IIoT solutions into the Ventsim CONTROL ventilation optimisation software, while, in 2020, it brought the Plexus PowerNet™ last mile communication network to MacLean Engineering’s Sudbury test mine and Dynamic Earth’s educational mine to enable continuous connectivity underground.

Gribbons said the company has also just worked with Spain-based Zitron on designing large 4 x 4 m MaestroFlex™ regulators on underground booster fans at a major gold mine in Canada.

All these partnerships are part of the company’s recipe for success.

“We’ve progressively eliminated elements of underground mine automation infrastructure to simplify and allow for the future automation of mining,” Gribbons said. “This is working; the clients continue to return, and we stay true to our core purpose of enhancing lives by the pursuit of productivity and safety excellence.”

TLT-Turbo Africa finds mine ventilation growth at home and abroad

Mine ventilation, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Following what it says is unprecedented resilience throughout the past 18 months, TLT-Turbo Africa is now accelerating its growth globally with the signing of six new major clients and the retention of 20 existing clients who have submitted new orders to be filled in the year ahead.

TLT-Turbo Africa has secured orders from six new major clients in the copper, platinum and gold sectors for the supply of mining ventilation equipment. These include clients based in Australia, the US and Kazakhstan. The contracts continue TLT-Turbo Africa’s successful track record of delivering advanced, efficient, and high-performance surface, underground and auxiliary mining ventilation solutions both in Africa and globally for almost two decades, it said.

Closer to home, TLT-Turbo Africa has retained 20 clients in mining, mineral processing and the automotive industry – pre-dominantly based in the sub-Saharan region.

Vusi Madlopha, TLT-Turbo Africa Head of Sales and Business Development, said: “These clients return to us based on the performance of our products and the ways in which they have enhanced their operations and reduced their operational costs. This coupled with our service delivery track record, continuous customer engagement and competitive pricing has helped us to secure returning revenue from clients who have become more like partners to us over the years.”

According to Madlopha, TLT-Turbo Africa has managed to maintain and expand their market share despite the challenges presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve focused on our strategy on increasing sales and maintaining the quality of our product offering,” Madlopha said. “Our strategy also included growth into new territories outside Africa using the global network of our parent company, TLT-Turbo GmbH. 2021 posed unique supply chain challenges that affected the whole world. Our internal processes allowed for efficient use of limited resources to produce quality products for our customers throughout the year.”

A major contributing factor to this success, adds Madlopha, was the leadership and vision of TLT-Turbo Africa Managing Director, Christo Gelderblom (pictured). Gelderblom’s vision is to position the company as a global supplier of air movement technology.

Gelderblom said: “Over the last few years, TLT-Turbo Africa has meaningfully scaled our core portfolio of mining ventilation solutions, invested in the research and development needed to advance our technology, and enhanced our customer consultation and care culture. We have listened to our clients and the faith they have in us is echoed in the respect we have for their expertise and input. The fact that our clients continue to come back to us proves their confidence in the next chapter for TLT-Turbo Africa.”

Looking at what’s next in the year ahead, Madlopha explains that, in addition to continuous enhancement of its existing mine ventilation offering, TLT-Turbo Africa will enhance the product offering to include Mechanical Vapor Recompression and expanding into new applications.

“As we enter 2022, we look forward to expanding our product offering to evaporation technologies and industrial process plants,” Gelderblom said. “Mining will always be our backbone, so we will also focus on strengthening our relationships with all our mining customers through our sales networks within the SSA region, and globally.”