03 Tesla joins FCA to improve mining in DRC Rugged smart devices in mining

Rugged smart devices in mining

Mining applications require sturdy technology for tasks related to equipment maintenance, GIS mapping and geotagging, machine guidance, data collection, compliance and reporting, and asset management. Where consumer devices fail, rugged mobile computers stand up to the most challenging environments miners encounter — such as constantly vibrating vehicles, airborne dust and mineral particles, variable weather conditions, hard surfaces and humidity, to reduce worker and equipment downtime and improve safety and productivity.

Data collection and analytics

Mines using wireless equipment monitoring technology benefit from taking a proactive approach to maintenance, saving time and improving worker safety. Rugged handhelds running predictive maintenance software collect and analyze equipment data to identify maintenance needs and recurring trends, as well as to inform mine operators about use. Wireless sensors placed on equipment report maintenance data such as temperatures, load weight, speed, air quality, fuel consumption and hours in operation directly to workers’ tablets or PDAs, allowing them to schedule maintenance tasks and repair components before equipment fails.

Mining asset management

Mobile computers running asset tracking and production control software are an indispensable part of mining asset management. Secure vehicle ports, fast processing, built-in data capture tools, easy data entry options and connectivity capabilities allow miners to reliably track assets and manage resources and materials while saving significant amounts of time. Mining fieldworkers use rugged handhelds to track equipment status using barcodes or RFID, or by quickly entering details into digital forms. They can also easily schedule predictive maintenance and keep detailed inspection and maintenance histories.

Safety and compliance

Mine operators perform site inspections of surface mines and underground mines multiple times per year to identify health, safety and environmental (HSE) risks — both according to their corporate regulatory standards and to stay compliant with Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulations. Inspectors require reliable

and fully portable mobile devices to perform compliance checks safely and accurately. Rugged tablets and PDAs can be securely docked in a mining vehicle and used to navigate to sites, then undocked and carried to perform inspections.

Miners can hold a lightweight rugged computer and, in many cases, enter data into inspection forms in mining industry inspection software all with one hand, thanks to compact and ergonomic design, easy-to-navigate menus and programmable physical buttons. Data is entered safely, quickly and with a high degree of accuracy. Non-compliance issues can be communicated in real-time and addressed quickly. This process also eliminates the need to re-enter data into an office computer, as data can be stored, transmitted and reported directly from the handheld device.

GIS and GPS

Mining companies operate on large areas of land, and mine operators who use GPS tracking and geotagging to notate and navigate to important locations are saving huge amounts of time and resources. Rugged handhelds equipped with GPS and GIS tools assist with surveying properties, assessing mining conditions, analyzing mineral potential, managing building and resource placement, planning mining infrastructure, determining environmental impact and more. Today’s mining handhelds feature built-in GPS as well as a variety of ports for connecting to external antennas and equipment.

They can run robust geo-mapping software with large image files, and display high-resolution visuals on wide, sunlight-readable displays for optimal outdoor productivity.

Communication & fleet management

Large mining vehicle fleets require reliable communication options to stay productive, efficient and safe. Rugged handhelds allow vehicle operators to communicate over WiFi and cellular networks and to use V2X systems to communicate vehicle-to-vehicle, as well as to receive instructions from dispatch and control centres.

Hardwearing, sturdy vehicle docks keep tablets and PDAs safe and within reach even on constantly vibrating equipment, providing all-in-one communication and task management tools that relay status updates, locations, field-captured data and images in real-time. Vehicle-docked rugged computers equipped with builtin GPS and a variety of connectivity and communications capabilities are excellent fleet management tools that enable and enhance navigation, surveying, communication and inventory management tasks.

Digital fleet management systems streamline fleet workflow and increase efficiency and productivity by allowing mining companies to easily and automatically communicate status updates, locations, payloads and other details among fleet vehicles and mine dispatch centres. Fleet management

software also helps mines keep track of legal, environmental and safety considerations related to large vehicle fleets.

Machine guidance

Mines use rugged handhelds to control and monitor many types of machinery through digital machine guidance systems. Machine guidance software for mines enables highly precise task performance such as digging, shaping, drilling and pumping.

Drill-and-blast and other hazardous applications become safer and more accurate when operations are controlled and monitored using machine guidance systems and durable rugged mobile computers.

Selective mining with a handheld field controller saves resources and minimizes waste. Machine guidance software also assists with predictive maintenance, monitoring machine performance and repair schedules to reduce equipment downtime and make sure machinery stays safe and functional.

WORK HARD. WORRY LESS.

• Cedar CP3 Rugged Smartphone • Collect Data – Communicate – Calibrate – Compute • Water/dust/shock/drop -proof (IP68) • Large, ultra-bright display viewable in sun • All-day, rapid-charge battery

Juniper Systems Limited, U.K. | https://junipersys.com | +44 (0) 1527 870773 | infoEMEA@junipersys.com

Is Work Better with a Rugged Smartphone? Yes.

Wherever you live and work there is extreme weather. Our changing climate often delivers scorching heat, brutal humidity, spontaneous downpours, and even the occasional dust storm. At the mine, these conditions are all in a day’s work.

When navigating extreme, hazardous, and dirty environments, reliable communication is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. It can literally mean the difference between productivity or downtime, safety or danger, and completing the job on time – or not.

What is a rugged smartphone? The term ‘rugged’ is a classification of durability for computers and mobile phones used outdoors, and is comprised of three categories: semi-rugged, fullyrugged, and ultra-rugged. In general, these terms tell you how well a device will stand up to harsh conditions. Semirugged devices have slightly more protection than a consumer product, and feature a heavy-duty case and spill resistance. Devices that are fullyrugged undergo a higher level of testing to ensure they stand up to extreme temperatures, water immersion, dust and shock. Ultra-rugged devices can withstand the harshest conditions and are almost indestructible.

While it’s logical to think the value of ruggedness is in a device’s durability, there are other features equally important in a rugged device – especially if your job takes you to dirty, dusty, and harsh places.

What to look for in a rugged device

A rugged smartphone is more than just a mobile phone that doesn’t break if dropped. It provides similar benefits to other rugged computers, but in a smaller, more portable form factor, and with the added feature of phone communication.

The best rugged smartphones also collect data, take high-quality photos, have screens that can be viewed in sunlight, and have long-lasting batteries.

Internet connectivity, real-time data collection and transmission, long battery life, and collaboration features are equally important to durability when it comes to rugged mobile devices. Within the last decade, a number of manufacturers have released

‘ruggedised’ smartphones suited to active lifestyles outdoors. They may be sturdier and waterproof, but if your work takes you through extreme weather, rugged terrain, or remote areas, these devices may not be rugged enough. One smartphone that deserves recognition is the fully-rugged Cedar CP3 Rugged Smartphone from Juniper Systems Limited. The newest model withstands temperatures from -30˚C to 60˚C, has an IP68 rating making it waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof, and has been tested against MIL-STD-810G.

But the appeal of this phone is in the details. It boasts a whopping 6000 mAh battery which lasts up to 16 hours even with constant use. The CP3 also has front and rear cameras; 64 GB of internal storage; and a large, ultra-bright and sharp display that is viewable even in bright sunlight.

Rugged devices that offer more than communications are increasingly becoming the standard for harsh and dirty mining environments. Ruggedness means more than just durability – it means reliability, longevity, capacity, and power.

BME has maintained supply security and technical assistance through these challenging times, while ensuring safety remains top of mind.

Mining in West Africa steams ahead despite pandemic

With some the world’s highest gold grades, the West African mining sector is generally producing well even under Covid-19 conditions – and are relying on explosives companies to maintain supply security and technical assistance through these challenging times.

According to Michael Klaasen – General Manager of West African Operations at explosives and blasting global leader BME, a member of the Omnia group – the Covid-19 pandemic has had minimal effect on its mining clients’ production from a blasting perspective.

“Most mine sites are locked down, with access limited to only certain essential deliveries,” said Klaasen. “Some mines were considering reducing production in the event of a shortage of raw materials, but BME has managed to keep clients blasting during this time with sufficient stocks, continued deliveries and dedicated personnel on sites.”

Borders between countries have remained open to cargo, allowing

Michael Klaasen – General Manager of West African Operations

BME’s supplies to reach customer sites in Mauritania, Mali, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. Goods and raw materials are shipped into Nouakchott in Mauritania, into Dakar in Senegal and into Tema or Takoradi in Ghana. “Our cross-border channels have allowed BME to keep three months of stock on site, in line with customer’s expectations,” he said. A number of BME technical personnel have remained on mine sites around the region since the start of the lockdowns in the different countries. In some cases, these personnel have even been able to stand in for mine blasting staff, to ensure that blasting takes place safely.

He said BME has applied all the necessary Covid-19 measures required – in line with its own health and safety protocols as well as the customer’s policies and the national regulations for that country. “This generally includes the wearing of face masks, the use of sanitisers, regular temperature checks and ensuring social distancing,” he said.

“Our emulsion trucks are also sanitised before entering mine sites to reduce the risk of transmitting the coronavirus.” In addition to supplying emulsion explosives and electronic detonation systems, BME has also assisted customers in West Africa with blast design using its BLASTMAP software.

BME has managed to keep clients blasting during this time with sufficient stocks, continued deliveries and dedicated personnel on sites.

“This has been done on-site where possible, as well as on-line when necessary,” said Klaasen. “During the Covid-19 lockdown, this on-line assistance has made a valuable contribution to keeping mine operations up and running.”

Customers are able to send their blast-related data to the BME office in Bamako, Mali, where its technical managers assist mines with the planning of their blasts. “BLASTMAP allows the blast designs to be conducted anywhere in the world,” he said. “It just requires the relevant information from the customer.”

BME Managing Director Joe Keenan noted that the future will see considerable changes in how suppliers support their mining customers. “The leveraging of technological innovation to keep mine sites safe and efficient becomes an even more vital imperative for technology providers,” said Keenan.

With Covid-19 restricting access to mines by senior BME management, contact with customers has been

BME Managing Director Joe Keenan

maintained by regular cellular and internet communication with various tools such as WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams and Skype. Klaasen expected that business would proceed more or less as usual, provided there was no sudden increase in infections – either in the countries where BME is operating or in countries from which it sources raw materials.

“It is important that borders remain open for cargo, as closures could impact the supply of stock to sites or to the regions where customers operate,” he said. “The three-month stock availability that we ensure for customers allows them to see through any temporary disruptions.”

Alpeco Limited supplies highquality fuel and liquid handling equipment across a wide range of industries

We offer an extensive range of road tanker products, alongside a range of fuel and chemical handling, depot and industrial processing equipment such as flow meters, pumps, valves and loading skids and loading arms.

www.alpecoltd.co.uk Email: sales@alpeco.co.uk Tel: +44 1296 619510

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