9 minute read
COMMUNICATIONS
PHONING IN TO THE FUTURE OF MINING
THE MINING INDUSTRY’S COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES HAVE PROGRESSED IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS OVER THE PAST DECADE, OPENING THE DOOR TO MORE ROBUST AND SOPHISTICATED OPERATIONS.
At the heart of any effective mining operation is a foundation of strong communications.
Gone are the days where mining communications only relied on a simple two-way radio, with the rise of Internet of Things (IoT) technology linking sites and workers to the digital cloud, boosting efficiencies through remote operations, automation and sensor technology.
These technologies rely on robust communications networks such as fibre and satellite technology, which can be gamechangers for the entire gamut of mining operations, including the processing time of drilling assays.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing services inked a longterm deal with BHP in June to shift its global portfolio to the platform.
Cloud-based solutions for mining have also received government interest, including Microsoft and Nokia’s partnership with the South Australian Government in September, which is set to deliver Microsoft Azure Space capabilities.
Azure is focussed not only on off-world telecommunications and cloud connectivity, but also the delivery of better connectivity for the resources sector.
“This important collaboration with Nokia will allow Australian organisations in multiple sectors to take a giant leap forward into a new era of communications and cloud computing, making the most of space data and technology and catapulting them to the very forefront of digital innovation,” Microsoft Australia Azure Space lead Lynn McDonald says.
Fleet Space Technology is developing satellite technology that connects the Earth, Moon and Mars, while also leveraging the technology for terrestrial industries, including mining.
The company’s chief executive officer and co-founder, Flavia Tata Nardini, explains how satellite technology is transforming mineral exploration.
“The world is adopting millions of devices particularly in the industry to change the way the industry operates … so mining, oil and gas, agriculture and transport are deploying thousands of devices,” Nardini, speaking at the South Australian Government’s 2021 Copper to the World Conference, says.
The path forward for lowpower global communications will use nanosatellites, which are particularly important for remote regions where mining and mineral exploration occurs.
Mineral exploration projects require large amounts of seismic data to be processed, which can be costly with current satellite solutions.
By combining machine learning and satellite technology, Fleet Space Technology’s satellites can streamline geophysical surveys to only transmit what is necessary, saving time and cost.
“The machine learning, edge computing and AI (artificial intelligence) can actually analyse it in the field,” Nardini says.
“They just send what’s necessary through the network, but it gives you the insight and you have the data the day after when the team is already in the field.”
Thanks to the capabilities of the wide sensor arrays, seismic data can be uploaded the day after rather than having to wait months or weeks, which drives down unnecessary drilling costs and
SEPURA’S TETRA RADIOS ARE USED BY MINE SITES ACROSS THE GLOBE.
improves understanding of whether a drill is in the right spot.
Connecting the underground While space technologies remain a promising path forward, certain companies are also developing network solutions for underground mine sites.
Companies such as Vernetzen can deliver fully-fledged network solutions for the entire operation.
Vernetzen, which specialises in industrial network and cybersecurity, can deliver a linear or blank coverage Wi-Fi for underground mining environments.
The company was founded on the vision of seamlessly integrating information technology and operational technology environments.
Mining operations in the past have been limited in their technological capabilities due to poor communications infrastructure and the challenges in withstanding harsh mining conditions.
While the uptake in autonomous technology has moved at a slow pace, Vernetzen is offering Wi-Fi instead of LTE technology to pave a way for the industry to improve their underground communications for a lower cost.
“Networks enable technology. You don’t put in the network for the sake of the network, you put in the network to enable technology to give you those efficiencies and safety gains,” Vernetzen managing director Luke King tells Australian Mining.
“The requirements for networks are rapidly evolving with vehicle automation, plant automation and because of this, networks need to evolve into a higher degree of mobility a higher degree of availability and they’re needed to be supportable 24/7.”
King says underground mines are further behind than surface mines largely due to challenges with installing network and extra low voltage infrastructure, which prevents them from taking advantage of automated technology.
Vernetzen’s Wi-Fi over Coax (WoC) solution has specifically been designed for mining environments and can support the network requirements for automation, unlike competing solutions that are not designed for automated mine sites.
“We developed the WoC solution to provide long linear coverage in tunnels that are easily supportable by on-site services,” King says.
“A lot of our competitors take existing Wi-Fi or existing LTE solutions that were designed for different situations, ruggedise them and put them into underground mines.
“But the constraint is that those devices were not designed for long linear type coverage, they were designed for a round hot spot type of coverage.”
The digital technologies that take advantage of these underground sites are designed to improve efficiencies. And like the network itself, these technologies must be designed to support the move towards digitalisation for the mining industry.
Epiroc subsidiary Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering focusses on using data to improve mine site operations by allowing for faster and safer work practices.
The company offers a full suite of solutions to digitalise underground mine sites through the Mobilaris Mining Intelligence product portfolio.
Mobilaris describes the portfolio as a “Google for your mine” by allowing digital visualisations of a mine site in real time using LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth and radio frequency identification (RFID) signals to combine the physical world with the digital world.
Using these communication technologies, Mobilaris can track people and machines, automatically control underground ventilation and analyse workflows through computers, smartphones and tablets.
“Already, the advent of Wi-Fi in underground mines unveiled a huge number of use-cases for underground mines that otherwise would have been impossible or too expensive to realise,” Mobilaris VP business development & strategic product management Hans Wahlquist says.
“Going from various old-school technologies like leaky feeder or other proprietary technologies to a modern standardised infrastructure became an eye-opener for many mines.”
By working to digitalise underground mines, Mobilaris offers several solutions, including Mobilaris Pocketmine, which can enable remote monitoring on the phones of any mine worker.
“At Mobilaris, we believe that information should be available for everyone. The real-time situational awareness that we install in control rooms, showing the location of personnel, mobile and fixed assets; showing the status of the shift plan; showing machine and sensor (IoT) telemetry, etc, should also be available in everybody’s hands,” Wahlquist says.
Mobilaris developed its Virtual Tag solution after working with Zinkgruvan Mining AB to design coverage, communication and positioning infrastructure.
Virtual Tag runs on a smart phone and enables positioning functionality between different areas of a mine site.
It works by continuously scanning for network signals to take advantage of each communications technology depending on the situation.
“When we started to get more and more customers that had selected a mobile network (LTE) for their underground telecom network, the idea to utilise a mobile phone as a tag came up,” Wahlquist says.
“By adding a quality of positioning (QoP), we can now have one tag
MOBILARIS AIMS TO DIGITALISE UNDERGROUND MINES THROUGH THE MOBILARIS MINING INTELLIGENCE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO.
TETRA RADIOS HAVE AUTOMATION AND TRACKING CAPABILITIES FOR MORE EFFICIENT OPERATIONS.
SEPURA WAS FOUNDED IN 2002 AND SPECIALISES IN INNOVATIVE RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE.
that works when a person is at the office on the surface, when walking outdoors and when going down underground.
“Additionally, as it is a smartphone, it can of course be used for voice comms, but additionally offer valuable services such as real-time situational awareness by installing Mobilaris Pocketmine.
“All in all, this technology gives the everyday miner a modern tool to stay safe and on top of things.”
Over and out For several decades, the handheld radio has been a staple in the hands of mine workers.
Radio technology itself is nothing new, but Sepura is looking to push the boundaries with its TETRA radios by allowing them to trigger automation sequences and track workers.
Sepura was founded in 2002 and has delivered innovative radio infrastructure to more than 100 countries.
The company’s TETRA radios give range to a whole suite of technological capabilities for these mission critical devices.
TETRA radios drill down on clear audio while also containing GPS and automation capabilities that enhance fleet management and worker safety.
Outside of radio frequency, the TETRA radios also deliver Wi-Fi connectivity, which allows radios to be programmed over airwaves rather than manually connecting and reconfiguring them.
Sepura Oceania busines development manager Colin Bresnahan says the Wi-Fi abilities also unlock key automation features that bring radios into the IoT era of mining.
“Wi-Fi gives us another trigger point for the radios so a situation where we might turn up to a locked gate or into a maintenance depot, they can trigger that gate via the TETRA radio to open that gate,” he says.
“We’re advancing with the mines as their requirements increase, and the TETRA standards are growing with them.
“We’re advancing what the radios are capable of doing. These plain voice networks now require some smarts about them, are still able to grow with the change of technology and these developers in tandem show it’s not a dying technology, it’s still evolving with user requirements.”
The TETRA radios can also automatically change talk group when an operator enters a specific area.
This prevents haul truck drivers or operators from taking their eyes off vehicle or machine controls.
Sepura senior business development manager for Australasia Doug Bowden says the TETRA radio lone worker allows operators to be monitored via their GPS location and they are required to press a button on a regular basis to ensure they are safe.
“Mining companies are choosing TETRA radios due the security of having their own digital network,” Bowden says. “It’s the voice clarity of the radio and reliability of TETRA networks that our customers are looking for.
“One of the things we try to promote with our terminals is that companies have invested a lot of time and money in selecting a TETRA solution and should consider how they can use the capabilities of the radio to enhance their efficiencies.”
The mining industry has evolved significantly since the genesis of communications solutions.
With a growing amount of satellite technology at the doorstep of mining companies in more affordable packages, the industry is expected to gravitate towards a more efficient and productive future.
As mining companies develop and connect in ways never-before deemed possible, communications companies are ensuring the industry’s transition to a technologically advanced future is realised. AM
