AUTOMATION
voice communication, CCTV, performance data, tracking for plant and personnel location (including searches in the case of an emergency) and real-time integration into mine management computer software for monitoring, analysis and reporting. Various types of communications network have been utilised but the most recent and apparently popular approach is to emulate office-type local area networks, with wireless links to mobile equipment (WLANs) but using ruggedised hardware, especially within the working areas.
T
he Australia and New Zealand mining automation services market earned revenues of $181.9 million in 2013 and this figure is estimated to reach $279.2 million in 2018, according to researchers, Frost & Sullivan.
Broad view of BHP Billiton’s IROC facility in Perth.
Photo: BHP Billiton.
Te development process towards automation in the extractive processes has been advanced for both blasthole drilling and rock transport, but has gone further with the latter, both underground and on the surface. It is clear that if the means of transport is on a fixed frame, e.g. by belt conveyor or rail-bound, then there are less variables and uncertainties to be taken into consideration in devising the control algorithms. However if the means of transport is trackless then there are likely to be several factors to be taken into consideration such as:
1 Prevention of personnel from entering the working route unless halted and ‘locked out’;
2 Avoidance of obstacles including other vehicles and intruders;
3 Adhering to the selected route, especially underground where GPS is unavailable, and making adjustments accordingly;
4 Accurate ‘spotting’ of driverless trucks in the most beneficial positions adjacent to face shovels, loaders, etc;
5 Allowances in algorithms for tolerances and ‘slack’ in the drive and steering mechanisms of trucks.
All these factors require complex
control algorithms and often innovative approaches to their developments to ensure minimal problems in operation.
Drilling Following rock transport, the second most popular group of mining plant to receive recent attention from automation developers is rock drilling for blastholes. Recently surface drilling rigs have been announced as ‘automation ready’ by the main manufacturers (Sandvik Mining and Atlas Copco), following the development of suitably accurate control methodology using GPS. Underground, with the reliance
on surveyed reference points, development has so far been
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