Bonfiglioli Transmission
Boom Drives Efficiently Assist Iron Ore Expansion
Heavy duty fully coupled drive combinations engineered by Bonfiglioli for optimum ease of installation are being incorporated in new stacker reclaimers being installed by FMG at its Christmas Creek mine in the Pilbara.
The Australian-designed and built Power Pack boom conveyor drives were delivered by Bonfiglioli to ThyssenKrupp for the stacker reclaimers for Fortescue Metals Group, which is spending more than $8 billion expanding its iron ore production to 155 Mtpa including expansion of Christmas Creek to 55 Mtpa.
HD drive power packs incorporate Australian assembled new generation HD helical drives fixed to a base plate and fully coupled and laser aligned with fluid couplings, disc brakes, pony drives and rigid output couplings.
The low speed shaft arrangement and guards provide workers with increased safety by limiting access to moving components and the power packs feature delayed filling fluid, HS disc brake, LS rigid output and HD drive power packs.
Columbus Group
MiT Mill Seals
The Columbus Group supplies seals to stop mounting bolt leakage particularly with worn shell holes.
The MiT Mill seals also add electronics to cost effectively, quickly and remotely, audit the torque on 1000 plus bolt assemblies and also examine ongoing torque audit data to achieve SAG Mill improved ops for extended life.
The MiT Mill Seal System is a true process and control engineering package from start to end as the options allow scalability to meet individual SAG Mill installations.
It also provides an outcome where manufacturers no longer need to fly in/ fly out to remote locations.
iOmniscient
BP (British Petroleum)
The objective of this project was to protect the exposed portion of the BP pipeline in Azerbaijan, against intrusion by thieves who may damage the pipeline and steal the oil.
The system needed to be operational 24×7 every day of the year.
Previously BP had guards who would patrol the fence by driving along it every 30 minutes.
In addition, BP had also implemented a system of CCTV cameras which were manually watched and a fence vibration detection system.
None of these systems proved adequate. This project consisted implementing an Advanced Video Analytic System covering several hundred cameras.
Each camera covered the pipeline for approximately 100-120 meters. The system differentiates between human intruders and small wildlife.
Xstrata Zinc – Xstrata Mount Isa Mines
Black Star Open Cut Voids Management Procedure (BSOC)
In 2003 a drilling program commenced to study the feasibility of an open cut copper mine just south of where the BSOC pit is now located.
During execution of the drilling program, the study focus shifted north to the surface extents of the lead, zinc and silver deposits the Isa Lead Mine had been exploited through underground operations since 1929.
The principal challenge to the BSOC operation was to develop a safe and efficient method of recovering the remaining resource left by the underground Isa Lead Mine via open cut mining methods.
A program of probe drilling is in place to prove the reliability of 3D modelling of the Isa Lead Mine's underground workings developed through study of old mining records.
The combination of adequate and comprehensive mine records, capabilities of technical modelling and problem-solving formulas along with the ongoing development of technological tools such as down-hole cameras, CALS and high precision GPS methods have allowed the surface mining operation to progress safely and efficiently.
EdanSafe
SmartCap Operator Fatigue Management System
This SmartCap System consists of three parts. The main component is the SmartCap, a lightweight, non-restrictive, non-intrusive EEG recording system that resembles a typical baseball cap, with no exposed wires or straps.
The SmartCap contains a number of sensors, measures high-fidelity brain wave activity and determines the level of drowsiness of the wearer. Docked under the brim of the cap is an 8cm x 5cm processor card that houses all the critical electronics, including Bluetooth communications hardware.
The card itself is lightweight and rechargeable and has been designed so as not to obstruct the user’s field of vision. Since the card is detachable from the cap it means operators are not required to safeguard expensive electronics when finishing a shift.
The SmartCap is paired with a device called the SmartCap Remote Display, which acts as the main user interface. The cap relays data wirelessly using a secure Bluetooth connection to the Remote Display (permanently fitted inside the operator’s cab).
The fatigue level is displayed as a single digit number, allowing the operator to be warned by either a flashing display or audible alarm. The Base Unit is also responsible for communication with third party systems on the trucks, such as the mine’s radio network, which allows an operation to remotely monitor fatigue levels of their entire fleet of operators.
Optalert
The Optalert Portable System
Optalert’s continuous improvement program is closely aligned with the needs and wants of its customers. Thus, working closely with the Australian military, Optalert has developed and launched a portable version of its system. With a rugged military spec, the new system delivers added flexibility while still offering a reliable method to mitigate risk on a mine site and on the open road.
The new Portable System delivers a robust, vibration and water-proof system which gives freedom to fleets to interchange the unit between vehicles while the driver still retains his own uniquely calibrated glasses.
The Portable features the Optalert proprietary Optalert processor, modem, repeater and speaker all in one compact case, and has the ability to be fitted to passenger vehicles, ensuring that drivers are safe on the long journey back home, where drowsiness is often at its most dangerous.
The Portable System allows the driver to gain direct feedback on their alertness levels, up to half an hour before the driver feels any drowsiness signs.
With soft or hard mount options available, fleets have the choice of whether they want the system temporarily connected to the vehicle or hard mounted via a permanent base. The install time is now also significantly reduced, cutting vehicle down time.
Hunter Valley Coal Handling and Preparation Plant
Advanced Yard Machine Positioning (AYMP) System
The AYMP translation unit is rack mounted and integrated directly into the PLC hardware for both Schneider and Rockwell based control systems. The system has calibration, position data and quality metadata being directly addressable from the PLC program. This architecture was chosen to reduce costs and simplify the install process as well as providing an opportunity for the customer to leverage their in-house PLC and SCADA expertise to further customise and expand on the system function.
The purpose of the AYMP system is to minimise systematic downtime caused by machine position encoder faults. Fundamental to this purpose is the need to provide highly available, timely, accurate and repeatable slew, luff and long travel position information for yard machines. To achieve this, the AYMP system utilises Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) devices in conjunction with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) differential correction to provide machine position information that is accurate in three dimensions within the order of a few centimeters.
The system is unique in that it calculates the positions the three degrees of freedom related to a yard machine (yaw, tilt and travel position – referred to as ‘slew’, ‘luff’ and ‘long travel’ respectively in material handling nomenclature) whilst utilising only two GNSS antennas on the machine. This ensures a minimum the number of active components required to perform the translation from GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude) to machine coordinates (slew, luff, long travel), reducing cost and potential maintenance issues for the customer.
PACE Zenith Awards 2012: Mining, Minerals & Exploration category is proudly sponsored by Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric
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