Tag Archives: Scott Phillips

RCT equips Northern Star’s Ramone mine with autonomous and digital tech

RCT says it has partnered with Northern Star Mining Services (NSMS) to implement a digital autonomous mining fleet at the Ramone gold mine in Western Australia.

The Ramone mine, near Wiluna, is owned by Northern Star Resources, the parent company of NSMS. It is 35 km southeast of the Jundee Gold Mine, which Northern Star also owns.

The technology has significantly advanced autonomous fleet production activities and sets the underground operation on a pathway to full mine digitisation, according to RCT, which is now owned by Epiroc.

The rollout represents the latest in a long line of successful projects that has seen RCT automate NSMS’s underground mining fleets across the Kalgoorlie and Yandal regions.

At Ramone, machine operators will use RCT’s ControlMaster® Automation Centre and supervise two Sandvik LH517i underground loaders commissioned with the latest ControlMaster digital solution.

The technology significantly enhances production by enabling faster autonomous loader cycles and greatly reduces maintenance downtime associated with machine damage, RCT said.

Once RCT’s ControlMaster Automation Centre is relocated from underground to the surface on site, it will allow for fast “hot seating” and enable site managers to capture the time previously lost over the shift changes and continue production cycles during firing activities, it added.

The NSMS team at Ramone is benefitting from the rollout of RCT Connect, the only mine site communications network designed to accommodate autonomous mobile machine fleets, according to RCT.

RCT Account Manager, Scott Phillips, said: “Our digital automation technology will provide the Ramone operation with every advantage to mine safely, efficiently and continue to make solid advancements for years to come. Northern Star Mining Services’ investment in our specialised communications technology provides a strong foundation from which to grow autonomous operations as the mine evolves and site needs change.

“Our experienced Goldfields team has worked very closely with the Ramone site team to ensure this initial rollout goes smoothly and we are very pleased with the successful outcome.

“This is just the first chapter in what we hope will be a long and very productive working relationship between RCT and the Northern Star Mining Services crew at Ramone.”

RCT’s Remote Operations Centre advances Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mining ops

Gold Fields’ Granny Smith operators are now benefitting from the availability of RCT’s Remote Operations Centre (ROC) to manage some of its mobile equipment fleet from its Perth head office, some 740 km away from site.

This major advancement will revolutionise the way they do mining by allowing operators to control or supervise semi-autonomous fleet activities in real time from the comfort and convenience of a central office location, according to RCT.

The digital ROC’s deployment represents the next major development in Gold Field’s autonomous mining operations and enables personnel to work effectively from a major city, which makes the job more accessible to a wide range of workers and reduces the company’s carbon footprint.

The project is made possible by RCT’s ControlMaster® digital automation solution, which is already used by Gold Fields to manage its underground loader fleet from the mine’s surface.

However, the digital ROC technology means Gold Fields can offer significantly more flexible working arrangements and accommodate work/life balance requirements among their workforce.

Initial testing proved the ROC can instantaneously manage multiple underground loaders at one time operating in different locations within the underground mining complex, according to RCT.

The digital ROC technology means Gold Fields’ operators will be able to access ControlMaster’s latest features as they are released, helping enhance semi-autonomous fleet operations on-site.

RCT and Gold Fields’ engineers worked together to implement the ROC and link it with the mine site through Gold Fields’ secure, dedicated network.

Granny Smith’s Mine Manager, Michael Place, said: “The Perth ROC started as a proof-of-concept trial following the digital upgrades project in December 2021. The ROC was aimed at showcasing Gold Fields Australia’s network capability and RCT’s digital operating technology but has now opened the doors to exploring future avenues in how we work at our underground operations.”

RCT Account Manager, Scott Phillips, said the ControlMaster ROC incorporates RCT’s latest digital technology which will fully empower Gold Fields to fulfil its mining fleet needs going forward.

“We are pleased to help Gold Fields take this next major step in their autonomous mining journey and implement technology that brings about major operational efficiencies,” he said.

“This project is only the beginning, and we look forward to working closely with Gold Fields to advance their mining operations in the future.”

RCT’s EarthTrack tool to improve efficiency, productivity at Silver Lake’s Mount Monger

Silver Lake Resources has upped the efficiency of its earthmoving fleet at Mount Monger in Western Australia following the implementation of RCT’s EarthTrack® information monitoring tool.

RCT recently commissioned the EarthTrack Payload Management System on Silver Lake Resource’s mixed fleet consisting of five Cat 777F dump trucks, one Hitachi 1200-6 excavator and one Hitachi 1900-6 excavator.

The solution provides Silver Lake’s machine operators with real-time information about payload distribution and optimal load weights at the Mount Monger gold operation in Western Australia’s Goldfields region, RCT says.

Site managers can now closely monitor machine and operator productivity, prevent truck strut damage from over loading, reduce tyre wear and achieve better fuel consumption to significantly reduce overall running costs, according to the company.

The system transmits payload data from the truck being loaded to the loading tool – in this case the excavator – which enables the loader operator to fill the truck trays to the optimal weight.

One of the EarthTrack system’s key features is that it monitors payload distribution in real time and alerts the operator of an uneven distribution, allowing them to take action to avoid strut damage. At the same time, the system’s external LED Payload Display relays the load weight to any personnel in visual range of the display.

RCT Account Manager, Scott Phillips, said the system will maximise efficiency and productivity of Silver Lake’s mining fleet.

“This solution enhances the excavator operator’s ability to load dirt in an effective manner that ensures optimal loading conditions with every bucket,” he said. “Ineffective loading can lead to strut damage and wear and tear to machines which results in costly maintenance downtime to the mining fleet.

“This tool will enable site personnel to make better decisions to ensure smooth and consistent operations while allowing site management to monitor the operation closely.”