Modern Mining Marchh 2017

COVER STORY

that can be customised to the needs of every customer. Today success is all about knowledge. While we know what capabilities Cat mining machines are built for, are we using them to their full potential? The DNA of all modern Cat mining machines incorporates ways of col- lecting digital data. This can be analysed and transformed into solutions to make them more efficient and profitable and less susceptible to breakdowns. “What Barloworld Equipment offers is the implementation of the right Cat technology with a clear understanding of the problems we’re solving and the right team to execute,” says JP Briggs, New Business Development Manager, Caterpillar Digital & Technology, at Barloworld Equipment. “Essentially we are pairing iron and data in partnership with Caterpillar to reduce cost per ton for our customers. It’s about addressing a customer challenge and adding value using mining technology and analytics to provide usable information and solutions.” Historically mining machines were sold with the offer of mechanical support in the form of regular servicing and repairs by the dealer. The performance and life of the machine were influ- enced by the way it was used, but that was the customer’s problem and the manufacturer and dealer had no control over it. This meant you could spend money on a product and never unlock its true potential. “The Cat mining technology products avail- able today enable us to drive productivity, for example, by focusing on making each mining asset, regardless of brand, more productive,” says Briggs. “Technology brings everything together so we can firstly measure productivity in great detail and then tweak things to unlock more value across the fleet.” While Cat technology solutions are available for surface and underground mining, this article focuses on the surface mining sector. Systems can be factory fitted in new Cat machines or installed by Barloworld Equipment in existing machines and fleets. Technology products Cat MineStar System capability sets include Fleet for fleet management; Terrain for drilling, grading and loading; Detect for object detection and proximity awareness; Health for machine wellness; and Command for remote control, semi-autonomous and fully autonomous min- ing solutions. Fleet optimises fleet management, including material tracking and ore control, production

optimisation, operator management, machine tracking, assignment of fleets, load and cycle monitoring, haul road analysis and manage- ment, and safety management. Terrain provides guidance for drilling and loading, reducing the need for surveying and improving accuracy. Using this technology for drilling you can eliminate over and under drill- ing, reduce blast costs, monitor progress and track drilling consumables. For loading you can achieve high precision GPS accuracy, measure productivity and volumes, control bench and grade levels, track machines and define avoid- ance zones. Detect enhances site awareness for operators and owners by tracking hazards, operator speeds and behaviour such as fatigue and distraction. Health gives operators, fleet managers and owners real time sight of equipment fuel and oil levels, daily production reports, condition monitoring services and analysis. Command can provide remote operator

Cat MineStar System control room.

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