The latest release of MICROMINE’s fleet management and mine control solution, Pitram 4.17, is set to take data management to the “next level”, the company says.
Currently the fleet management and mine control solution of choice for more than 58 mining operations across six continents, according to MICROMINE, the latest version has plenty more to offer users.
“Pitram’s Materials Management and Shift Planner modules boast key functionality enhancements providing greater data insights and enabling better decision-making, while Pitram Mobile can now launch third-party applications,” Chris Higgins, Pitram Product Strategy Manager, says. “Security and access control has also been upgraded across the suite of intuitive tools.”
New functionality in the Materials Management module has also been added, according to Higgins, enabling geologists to gain greater insight into “stockpile levels, composition, inputs and outputs as it interacts with the mine operation”.
He added: “Enhancements to the Stockpile Viewer enable you to more easily work with data up and down stream to manage and react to materials mis-matches.”
Stockpile-related data, which was readily available within Material Management (eg last movements in the Movements Screen) is now summarised within Stockpile Viewer, the company added.
“With the last source, last destination, quantity, depletion model, grade, colour and shape, and filtering data now all summarised and accessed from Stockpile Viewer, you have all the information needed to effectively manage the stockpile at your fingertips, enabling you to optimise the end-to-end process,” Higgins said.
Pitram’s Material Management module also includes a new metadata feature, enabling geologists to gain full transparency and a better understanding of material flows, according to the company.
The ability to make notes against grades and stockpile survey records in real time means geologists can better make sense of their data by providing context when reviewing compliance to plan, mill feed and other operational activities, MICROMINE says. The annotations also contextualise change so that technical services and control room operators can see the rationale behind updates to grades or tonnage, improving communications around grade adjustments as assays come in and shifts rotate.
Real-time shift data and planning is also now available in Pitram Connect, MICROMINE’s mobile application that allows users to retrieve information about their assets, people, equipment, production, and locations without needing to be on site.
“As Pitram Connect now integrates with Pitram’s Shift Planning module, mine planners, managers and shift bosses can make planning decisions from anywhere – whether they are at the face of the mine or off-site,” Higgins said.
“By being able to access a schedule view of planned tasks and their progress, users can reallocate resources sooner and correct plan deviations as they happen, minimising delays, improving utilisation and increasing productivity.”
Efficiency and usability are also the focus for the upgrade of Pitram Mobile, with the added functionality of the Generic Application Launcher, which allows third-party applications to be launched from the Pitram Mobile User Interface.
Pitram Mobile, a touchscreen tablet app installed in-cab on the mobile fleet, enables equipment operators to capture production data manually via the touchscreen or automatically via integration with on-board systems, MICROMINE says.
Third-party tools for safety, communications or positioning that operators would like to use in their cabs can now operate seamlessly with Pitram Mobile, according to the company. “With the third-party launcher, the need for additional in-cab hardware and software is removed and in-cab mining applications can be consolidated onto a single device,” it explained.
Data security is a business imperative for mining operations, according to Higgins, who said Pitram 4.17 has been strengthened with new authentication and auditing features to regulate access to operational data.
“Two-factor authentication can now be set-up in the Data Acquisition and Event Editor applications,” MICROMINE said.
“By configuring the applications to require a user to log-in on application start-up, you can protect and regulate access to your operational data, while the auditing functionality provides robust control and traceability.”
Higgins said: “With its extensive range of tools to record equipment, personnel and materials data, Pitram is at the centre of your mining ecosystem.
“Pitram 4.17 introduces new functionality to help you get an even better overall view of the current mine status and provides the basis for improved control over operations – increasing production, reducing costs, and improving safety.”
