US-headquartered mine management solutions provider Modular Mining Systems has launched its fourth-generation collision awareness system (CAS), which is available as a standalone system or can be integrated with Modular’s Dispatch fleet management system.

“Modular’s CAS is a next-generation approach built on experience gained from our previous generations of proximity detection systems, delivering a robust and reliable system for improving awareness of potential vehicle interactions. We listened to our customers and have focused on addressing the major issue of nuisance alarms that has hampered the adoption of other collision awareness technologies,” says Modular director of product strategy Lucas van Latum.

He explains that the CAS includes advanced predictive-path and pattern-recognition algorithms to reduce nuisance alarms, scenario- and context-specific risk calculation, silent informational operator alerts when the calculated risk is elevated and audible warning alerts only when intervention is considered necessary.

Modular, which in South Africa is based in Johannesburg, released its first-generation proximity detection system in 2006 as a part of a suite of safety management tools known collectively as MineAlert. The fourth-generation CAS, launched in September at MINExpo International 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the US, monitors and notifies operators of potential vehicle-to-vehicle collisions based on intelligent path-prediction and pattern recognition algorithms, helping to increase drivers’ situational awareness when operating heavy or light vehicles at a mine.

The CAS uses a high-speed, low-latency peer-to-peer communications technology developed specifically for safety applications in the automotive industry to allow timely alarms and informative warnings to reach operators without delay.

The system addresses many common vehicle collision scenarios, including forward path (front-to-rear and head-on), takeoff, speed limit violations, overtaking and intersections. There are two alarm levels used to notify operators of potential hazards. If an operator does not take corrective action after the first notification, a more urgent, audible warning will sound.

When integrated with Modular’s Dispatch fleet management system, alarms can be routed to the mine controller and recorded for reporting purposes.

Latum points out that the CAS has a 360˚ detection radius and, unlike many other technologies, such as radar and camera, vehicle-to-vehicle radio communication has no inherent blind spots. Multiple antennas further enhance coverage around large equipment.

The system is configurable so scenario-risk calculations can be tailored to a particular site’s risk profile and it does not require wireless infrastructure to achieve robust and long-range vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Van Latum says the CAS has a simple, intuitive, and easy-to-read operator graphical interface with rugged components designed specifically for the harsh mining environment.

In addition to demonstrating several of the CAS scenarios, Modular showcased its full IntelliMine product line-up at MINExpo 2016. This includes the MineCare maintenance management solution, the ProVision high-precision machine guidance solution and Modular’s flagship product, Dispatch.

Guided Spotting Technology
Modular released its first machine guidance system for excavators nearly 20 years ago and at MINExpo 2016, previewed its new Guided Spotting technology, which has been designed for improved shovel productivity and operator awareness.

The ProVision solution has evolved to provide high-precision GPS navigation with centimetre accuracy for more than 2 000 shovels and excavation units, dozers and drills worldwide.

The Guided Spotting system builds on this success, using advanced guidance technologies, including GPS, to assist truck operators in efficiently spotting at load and dump locations. Traditionally, mines use inefficient practices, such as bucket spotting and single-side loading, which reduce the productivity of shovels and trucks, notes Modular.

Dynamically providing truck operators with guidance to the best load location without the need for shovel-bucket-spotting support can increase shovel productivity by up to 34%, adds the company, noting that field trials have been conducted at a large copper mine in North America and have demonstrated the viability of the system to improve both spotting practices and shovel productivity.

The efficiency of haul truck and shovel manoeuvring at crushers and dumps varies dramatically according to operator skill.

“As a result, many mine operators implement standard operating procedures that restrict double-side loading and mandate the use of bucket spotting. Guided Spotting is designed to enable operators with limited experience to match the performance of experienced operators, facilitating the use of less-restrictive loading and spotting procedures to reclaim this lost productivity without sacrificing safety,” says Modular VP product innovation Michael Lewis.

In field trials, Modular says its Guided Spotting technology has already shown the potential productivity increases by facilitating double-sided loading, reducing the occurrence of truck repositioning and shovel hang time.

Lewis concludes that high-precision GPS navigation guidance and proximity alerts can also improve safety on mines by increasing operators’ situational awareness.

Modular was founded in 1979 and supplies information management solutions aimed at meeting the needs of surface and underground mining operations worldwide.

The company delivers mine management technologies in the areas of production, machine guidance, equipment health and operator safety. Modular employs close to 700 employees in ten globally-distributed offices, with systems deployed at 250 client sites, including 18 of the 20 largest mines in the world.