Location sensor tech adds real value
Location sensor tech adds real value
Since the installation of a real-time intelligent location system – developed by global location technology platform company Quuppa – the mine in which it has been installed has reported a reduction in downtime and an uptick in productivity, communications device provider Ya Batho tells Mining Weekly.
The Quuppa Intelligent Locating System, generally referred to as Quuppa, allows for positioning accuracy down to 10 cm, and provides location updates for the fastest of moving objects. It is reliable and robust in the most challenging of environments, says Ya Batho sales and operations manager Craig Franck.
He explains that the Quuppa system has been installed at the tips, production areas, refuge bays and exclusion zones of the mine to monitor the location of the mine’s assets.
The wireless network has enabled operators to log breakdowns and maintenance work on the system, as well as order parts from the stores, all while still underground, and in real time.
A wireless backbone was installed strategically within the mine to allow for two-way communication, video calling and live camera feeds at the tips and on the conveyors.
“Quuppa tags are installed on to trackless mobile machinery, with Quuppa locators installed at designated areas, and will record every time the LHD’s arrive at or depart from said areas, particularly the tips.”
This data is used to calculate the cycle and tip times of the vehicles. Consequently, a theoretical cycle and tip time can be calculated based on the distance and safe travel speed from the production area to the tip.
“The cycle and tip times are used to ascertain if production is on schedule, and which vehicles are taking longer than average,” he says, adding that, “by reducing cycle times and increasing the number of tips more ore can be processed at the plant”.
Data from the drill rigs will be used to calculate the time to drill the blast holes or to drill and bolt unsupported roof, which will then be used to calculate the production advancement rate.
Quuppa tags will also be installed on to the locomotives to monitor where they are in the loop and into which box they are tipping into as well as the number of loads and tips.
Franck points out that the Quuppa system is easy to integrate into existing systems with a pull or push application programming interface (API) that offers standard JavaScript object notation/representational state transfer or comma-separated value formats.
“The API is fully open and configurable, and even comes with an editor, so that clients are totally free to write their own APIs,” he enthuses.
To get the angle-of-arrival data, Quuppa uses either WiFi or a fibre backbone to convey the data from underground to the surface.
Based on the discovery of the superiority of the method, the Ya Batho and Quuppa team developed new algorithms and conducted the extensive research and testing required to solidify the technology into a proven concept.
Data is collected on the Quuppa positioning engine, which is either installed on the mine’s server or on a standalone server.
The engine is the heart of the system, and receives data from the locators, runs it through advanced positioning algorithms and shows the positioning of assets on the mine’s own layout.
“When vehicles or people enter red zones or exclusion zones, an alarm and a notification is sent to the control room or to designated mine personnel,” says Franck.
He points out that before the mine conducts blasting operations, it can see if all equipment and people are clear to ensure safe blasting operations.
Tech Teaching
“The company offers full training, carried out by trained Ya Batho technicians, which is included as part of the installation,” says Franck.
Once installed, the Quuppa and wireless systems usually do not require any physical maintenance.
The system can constantly monitor itself and send an alert to the person monitoring the data, should the unit need any form of maintenance.
The locators have built-in accelerometers, so the system will detect if there is any contact and will perform an automated recovery in the case of a power failure on the system.
The Quuppa system can be used as a gateway to Internet of Things (IoT), receiving and exposing data from Bluetooth sensors.
“As more Bluetooth radio-equipped devices are connected to the IoT, sending out information about themselves and their surroundings, they can all be made visible to the Quuppa system.”
He concludes that, if a device has any activated sensors, data can be received by the Quuppa system and exposed through its open and configurable API.
The nature of mining contributing to this challenge.
The implementation of wireless networks in underground mines by mining equipment supplier Ya Batho is continually proving to be beneficial for local mines in terms of personnel safety, helping them to remain competitive through production optimisation and maintenance cost reduction, states Ya Batho sales manager Craig Franck.
“Ya Batho sees opportunities in the deployment of its wireless infrastructure and real-time location system. Underground wireless connectivity is particularly critical at the mine face, and Ya Batho prides itself on being able to provide connectivity at the face.”
He contends that rapid advances in technological innovation – including digitalisation, autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, and electrification – are having a significant impact on the local mining sector.
This is evident in the effect of digital advances, as they have significantly impacted on the quality and quantity of data that miners can access, which, in turn, supports the deployment of automation.
Franck enthuses that, in terms of digitalisation and electric mine vehicles, South Africa is “on par with its counterparts in North America and Australasia”.
The challenge of adopting semi- and fully-autonomous vehicles, however, is that a scalable and reliable wireless infrastructure is required 24/7, he comments.
Ya Batho works with mines in developing a solution that is scalable and reliable, with ease of use and the smallest form factor the most important considerations.
“Finding space on mining equipment to install additional technology is challenging and Ya Batho is continually looking at the smallest form factor for our wireless access points, without compromising on their functionality, while adopting new technologies into the mining enclosures.”
He stresses that mines are installing more sensors throughout the mining areas and on their equipment, in order to acquire more data to make informed decisions.
Ya Batho makes use of global technology organisation the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) open standards so that original-equipment manufacturers can connect seamlessly and use the company’s wireless network to get data from the sensors to the surface.
Using virtual local area networks also enables miners to prioritise data flow, says Franck.
“The biggest motivating factor in implementing wireless technology is employee safety, optimised production and reduced downtime. A reliable communication system will mean that equipment can be used safely and efficiently. Data pertaining to a vehicle’s location, engine temperature, speed and current activity can be transmitted quickly from the vehicle’s telemetry module, through the wireless network, to the office on the surface.”
Real-Time Locating
Franck emphasises that a reliable and scalable real-time location system is highly actionable and helps managers to make informed decisions that improve efficiency, increase safety and decrease costs.
“RTLS assists in tracking cycle times and tip counts, and managers can boost the efficiency of haulage operations by determining the optimum load time and frequency. This can help maximise fuel consumption, as well as reduce vehicle maintenance and haul distance.”
Franck notes that Ya Batho’s RTLS technology provider Quuppa was founded in 2012 by the team responsible for the invention of the High Accuracy Indoor Positioning at the Nokia Research Center in Finland.
The Quuppa team has seen first-hand how the superiority of the Angle-of-Arrival method and groundbreaking algorithms can be beneficial to many enterprises.
Franck points out the Quuppa Intelligent Locating System, a technology platform for location-based services and applications, is a versatile, highly customisable and cost-effective RTLS solution.
He confirms that Ya Batho, in partnership with Quuppa, strives to give mine employees and management high-quality and accurate data in real time.
“For mines to overcome the challenge of increasing production and reducing costs while safeguarding the health and safety of workers, people and machinery need to be in the right place at the right time, and doing the right work. With Quuppa, mine management will have visibility of where the assets are,” he concludes.
