Tag Archives: RCT

RCT fuel cap protection system finds its way to Northern Territory gold mine

Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , ,

RCT has recently completed a project to install its fuel cap protection system at an underground mine in a remote part of the Northern Territory in Australia.

The gold mine’s fleet of 17 Epiroc MT6020 underground haul trucks are now equipped with RCT’s Muirhead® Fuel Cap Isolation system, which has been devised to prevent incidents when refuelling.

This protection system helps clients eliminate damage to refuelling bays and save money in downtime costs associated with operators accidentally driving off with the nozzle still attached, according to RCT.

“The implementation of the Fuel Cap Isolation system is just another way of safeguarding operators,” the company said.

RCT’s Kalgoorlie branch makes quick work of automating Sandvik LH621i LHD

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RCT says it has successfully installed its autonomous technology on the recently released Sandvik LH621i underground loader for one of its clients in Western Australia’s Goldfields.

Earlier this month, RCT’s Kalgoorlie branch received the loader and commissioned the ControlMaster® Guidance automation technology package only weeks after the machine was first released to the Western Australia market.

The ‘i’ series represents Sandvik’s latest iteration of its underground loader range and, according to Sandvik, is the LHD of choice for rapid mine development and large-scale underground production. It is a matching pair with the previously introduced 63-t payload Sandvik TH663i truck.

ControlMaster Guidance Automation means machines can automatically tram between production level locations at higher speeds while also providing real time, graphical machine information to operators situated in remote automation centres, RCT said.

RCT Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe, said the company could install and commission the Sandvik LH621i loader and deliver it to site within a relatively short lead time.

“Now that we have documented the new LH621i, all future ‘i’ series loaders can be commissioned in exactly the same amount of time as traditional Sandvik 621 loaders,” he said.

“This work follows on from a previous project where we commissioned two Sandvik LH517i loaders in the Kalgoorlie workshop for clients in the region.”

RCT wins automation retrofit work at Lubambe copper mine in Zambia

Automation, Base metals, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Autonomous solutions provider RCT says it has entered into a project to provide autonomous technology to the Lubambe underground copper mine in Zambia.

The deal involves RCT commissioning its ControlMaster® Guidance Automation on three Epiroc ST18 and two Sandvik LH517 LHDs at the mine. These machines will be managed via five automation stations located in tele-cabins.

RCT’s Guidance let’s operators remotely control the machine from a comfortable air-conditioned cabin, according to the company. The system automatically steers the machine to avoid collisions, enabling higher speeds, eliminating damage and improving productivity.

The technology will be installed in June with operator training to occur simultaneously, RCT said.

Lubambe is 80% owned by EMR Capital Resources, with 20% held by ZCCM Investments Holdings. In the nine months to March 31, 2018, the mine produced 14,891 t of contained copper.

Alkane to kick off Tomingley UG gold operation with RCT autonomous solution

Automation, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, , , , , , , ,

RCT says it has entered into a project with Alkane Resources to commission autonomous technology at its Tomingley gold operations in New South Wales, Australia.

The work involves installing and commissioning ControlMaster® Guidance Automation on two Caterpillar R2900G LHDs to operate at the company’s underground gold operation at Tomingley, just south of Dubbo.

RCT will also supply a Tele Cabin including operator chair, LCD monitors and laser guard containment control with the option to operate from the mine’s surface via the ControlMaster® Fibre Optic Control Station.

“Guidance Automation removes operators from machine cabs, which improves safety while the technology enables faster tramming speeds and eliminates machine damage from operator errors, thereby significantly reducing unplanned maintenance works,” RCT said.

The technology will be installed by mid-2019 with operator training to be held simultaneously.

Back in September, the Alkane board approved the development of underground mining operations at Tomingley. This would see 93,000 oz of gold recovered over a 40- month development, with development commencing in early 2019 and first ore expected in mid-2019.

RCT helps train up Northern Star and Gold Fields apprentices

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RCT says it is working with Gold Fields and Northern Star Resources to provide hands-on training opportunities to apprentices in Western Australia’s Goldfields.

This month, RCT’s Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, branch hosted Gold Fields apprentice Auto Electrician, Michael Schoeppner (pictured on the right), who carried out repair and maintenance work on remotely-operated mining equipment under the guidance of RCT’s experienced workshop staff.

Gold Fields Executive Vice President Australasia, Stuart Mathews, said: “Gold Fields is committed to team development, and we are delighted our apprentices have the opportunity to work with our business partners to receive valuable training, mentoring and experience.”

Following his training experience, Schoeppner will be able to apply his new skills to benefit Gold Fields’ projects in the region, where there is a continued emphasis on the use of remote technologies to improve safety and productivity in its mines, RCT said.

RCT also has a similar arrangement with Northern Star Resources, which saw apprentice Ben Ashby mentored by the company’s bench repair technicians at the Kalgoorlie branch earlier this month.

Ashby’s experience centred on unit repairs and diagnosis with particular focus on repairing remote interfaces and elements of RCT’s ControlMaster® Teleremote and Guidance products.

Northern Star Resources Maintenance Manager, Aaron Armstrong, said: “RCT has a wealth of in-house skills related to mobile plant equipment and electrical systems in the mining sector and we are happy they will share their knowledge with our tradespeople.”

RCT Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe, said: “These training opportunities enable staff from both companies to familiarise themselves with each other’s procedures and technical knowledge providing a strong base for future working relationships.”

RCT committed to developing fully-autonomous technology options, CEO says

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RCT CEO and Executive Director, Brett White (pictured), thinks interoperability will, in the future, prove crucial in allowing mining companies to yield the full benefits of autonomy in their operations.

Speaking in an opinion piece that looked back at the company’s history to chart just how far the company has come in its own automation journey, he said RCT continues to differentiate itself from its peers by offering these vendor-agnostic solutions.

He said: “‘What benefit can Automation technology deliver for us?’ That is the type of question being posed in boardrooms and among senior management in mining companies these days. There is a strong focus on identifying productivity constraints and inefficiency and finding ways to overcome them, which is where RCT differs in the market.

“RCT’s automation technology is built to be scalable and agnostic to any machine make or model that you may find on a mine site anywhere and based on the data and feedback from customers our technology provides them the quickest benefit.”

The company’s automation journey started many decades ago at a time when serious injury and even fatalities occurred regularly throughout the mining industry, according to White.

“During the 1980s the company’s founder Bob Muirhead worked with the CSIRO to pioneer remote control technology for the Australian mining industry as a way to protect mine workers from very hazardous situations,” he said.

“Over the years, the company has seen many major milestones including being the first company to install its ControlMaster® Line-of-Sight solution on a bulldozer for a mining company in 1988 and the first company to deliver an off-the-shelf Teleremote solution.

“The technological packages were in keeping with Bob’s ethos that if an activity is inherently unsafe it should be remote controlled and if it is repetitive then the activity should be automated. The health and safety benefit to having workers removed from the hazardous mining areas is extremely significant. Furthermore, a lot of processes in an underground load/haul/dump sequence are repeatable so being able to automate such a cycle offers many benefits such as increased and consistent tramming speeds, reduced machine damage and component wear, resulting in less unplanned machine downtime and maximising operational productivity.”

Many years of work at RCT culminated in the commercial release of ControlMaster Guidance Automation solution in Perth, Western Australia, in 2009. This was the first Australia-designed-and-built automated system delivered to the domestic market and had a significant impact on mine design to support and maximise the benefits the technology offered and drive further productivity efficiencies including surface operation during shift change and mine re-entries, according to White.

White said: “At present Guidance Automation is proving to be the product that best meets the demand of mining industry executives who are interested in how they can get the most value out of their fleet and personnel by leveraging technology.”

Based on the company’s data and customer feedback, Guidance Automation can alleviate production bottlenecks and provide a quick return on investment, which, in terms of the latter, is in some cases a matter of weeks.

More recent product developments include Guidance Expand or Multiple Machine Control enabling a single operator to control multiple machines, including mixed machine types at the same time from one operator station.
White said: “A major key to RCT’s success has been our ability to provide an agnostic solution and deliver meaningful technology suitable for today’s mining operations but with roadmaps that will take them to the next horizon. This means our clients have the freedom and flexibility to choose mining equipment from a diverse range of original equipment manufacturers to suit their mining operational needs, safe in the knowledge that RCT’s industry leading solutions will interface to provide operational excellence.”

The RCT Bridge solution highlights the company’s reputation as an innovative and adaptable technology manufacturer, allowing clients to use existing teleremote communication (analogue) infrastructure to provide a cost-effective pathway to mine digitisation, White said.

White estimates that, over nearly half a century, RCT has worked with 90% of the Australia market. The company has also made significant investments in international markets with branches in Utah, US, and Sudbury, Canada.

“We have also worked for mining companies and contractors in 68 different countries installing various different automation products including Line-of-Sight, Teleremote and Guidance Automation as well as delivering large-scale complex customised automation and integrated solutions,” White said.

In 2019, RCT will be “solidifying its presence in South America” with the opening of a new branch in Santiago, Chile, White said. This will better enable its regional staff to support customers, he added. “We are also planning to open an office in Russia to better support clients in the region and bolster our existing support team throughout Africa. These offices will underpin our strategy to have greater on-ground support for all clients,” he said.

White concluded: “Our in-house engineers are currently testing RCT’s surface autonomous solutions as part of the company’s long-term development strategy. While the company has always been active in surface applications for individual pieces of mine equipment through remotes and teleremote options, we are committed to developing our fully-autonomous technology options for fleets of surface equipment utilising technology which has a proven record in the underground mining environment.

“RCT is committed to developing its autonomous technology for application on all mobile equipment from heavy mobile production equipment to ancillary type fleet equipment. This will ensure interoperability and allow autonomous mobile equipment to seamlessly integrate to all mine operational platforms including dispatch, management systems and fully autonomous traffic management.”

RCT bolsters ControlMaster automation solution with Multiple Machine Control

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RCT has released the latest advancement to its ControlMaster® automation range in the form of Multiple Machine Control (MMC), which enables a single operator to control more than one mining machine at a time.

This entirely new operating system, also known as Control, is transforming the mining process in terms of productivity, efficiency and safety with a single operator able to remotely control more machines from the same operator station in a central location at a mine site, RCT said.

RCT’s Automation and Control Product Manager, Brendon Cullen, said: “It allows for an operator to send multiple machines to their destinations on ControlMaster Guidance Automation and concentrate on performing specific tasks with another machine.

“For example, the operator can supervise digging, dumping and loading functions before sending the machine to its destination on auto tramming and taking control of the next machine.

“The mining industry is striving to further streamline efficiencies and having one operator control multiple machines is allowing these efficiencies to be realised,” he said.

MMC meets a need in the industry as it helps clients to safeguard operators by removing them from the cab of mobile machines and, in some instances, from the hazards at a mine site. It also improves productivity and, in turn, profitability, according to RCT.

RCT said: “MMC can be implemented across surface and underground fleets and differs from other solutions available on the market today for a number of reasons including its usability and functionality.”

Cullen said: “The system can integrate into any site’s current operations and can be installed on any mobile machine, regardless of make or model. Being agnostic is a big advantage, as mine sites utilise more than one brand of mobile machines in their fleet.”

Another point of difference with MMC is there is no need for mine sites to upload mine maps before using the technology.

“This further ensures fast deployment between work areas as well as the opportunity to expand the system if and when required,” Cullen said.

While MMC operates on a digital network, RCT can provide technology—called RCT Bridge— that can interface with a mine site’s analogue communications network.

Cullen said: “The MMC solution can be operated locally at the work area, at a central location such as the office buildings on a mine site, or relocated to a central operating station location off site to a city (near or far).

“The system has the ability to change the way customers operate; some of the benefits associated with this change in mining practices include the possibility of introducing three eight-hour shifts from two 12-hour shifts.

“This provides better work/life balance for operators and, in the face of the labour shortages the industry is facing, the job role can be opened up to more people who weren’t able to travel to site to work in the field due to family commitments or perhaps even a disability.”

He concluded: “Moving operation centres from sites would also eliminate the need for lengthy and often costly inductions as well as the cost associated with transporting and housing operators on site.

MMC has already been deployed at several sites around the world, RCT said.

RCT sensor solution passes the test at WA Goldfields mine

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RCT says it has developed a monitoring system to improve underground mining operations at a gold mine in Western Australia’s Goldfields.

The miner approached RCT’s Kalgoorlie-based staff to develop a way to monitor the project’s ore passes to ensure they did not get blocked by larger rocks during the transfer of material.

The ore passes – now used to dump waste – are vertical chutes used by the mine’s Epiroc MT6020 haul trucks to dump material to backfill an old stope.

RCT subsequently developed the ore pass monitoring system consisting of a VEGAPULS 69 radar, spanning the 91 m deep pass, and a VEGAMET 391 measurement display to indicate at what depth a blockage may occur.

The VEGAPULS 69 is a sensor for continuous measurement of bulk solids under different process conditions, while the VEGAMET 391 is suited to simple control tasks in level, gauge and process pressure measurements, as well as for inventory management and remote enquiry, according to its manufacturer VEGA.

The display was designed to use its readings to control an associated traffic lamp assembly on the wall of the mine to advise mine staff whether material had been successfully transferred.

RCT said: “Once the system was implemented, the mining company introduced a procedure for operators to ensure the traffic lamps changed back to green after tipping to indicate the pass is clear of material.

“RCT’s technicians also installed a suppression field in the first 20 m of the ore pass and directly above it to stop sharp edges in the pass bouncing echoes and falsely tripping the sensor.”

RCT Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe, said the monitoring system can significantly reduce the downtime associated with blocked ore passes.

“If the pass becomes blocked then operators may not notice until the entire pass is filled up with material and, at that point, it will take a significant amount of time to clear the pass,” he said.

“The monitoring system ensures blockages are identified and cleared immediately.”

RCT to talk up automation benefits at Mining Indaba

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RCT says it will be promoting the benefits of using autonomous technology to safeguard mine operators and boost productivity when it attends the 25th Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa next month.

The event, taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from February 4-7, attracts senior executives from major mining companies such as Anglo American, AngloGold Ashanti, Barrick, Rio Tinto and many others, RCT said.

RCT CEO Brett White and Business Development Manager Mike Thomas will be at Austrade’s Australia Lounge to engage with conference delegates about the benefits of implementing autonomous technology, the company said.

Thomas said: “There are heightened levels of interest throughout the mining industry on the African continent around the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is seeing breakthroughs in the areas of sophisticated wireless technologies and fully autonomous equipment.

“RCT has significant experience in the automation field, and we are available to share our many years of learnings and knowledge.

“We are keen to speak to delegates about how our ControlMaster® products can deliver significant gains by relocating equipment operators from cabs to secure operation centres, thus bolstering productivity.”

RCT’s ControlMaster automation solutions encompass surface and underground mines to help increase productivity and profitability on site.

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

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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).