Tag: Mine Digitalization
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Field Testing for a Mine Network: The Bug Our Office Could Not Show Us
Every device built for a mine gets tested somewhere other than a mine first. Underground time is scarce and site access is expensive, so the bench and the office network carry most of the early work. The risk lies in the assumptions that test environment makes for you without anyone noticing, which the mine may…
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Collision Avoidance Underground: The Hard Part Is Keeping It Switched On
A collision avoidance system (CAS) detects people and vehicles around a mobile machine and reacts before they meet. At its simplest it warns the operator. At its most advanced it slows and stops the machine without waiting for anyone. On paper, few safety investments are easier to justify in an underground mine. In practice, the…
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Inside the Ventilation Automation Pyramid: Level 5 – Predictive Control and Network-Wide Optimization
This article is part of the Ventilation Automation Pyramid series. Read the full overview here. LEVEL 1Remote ControlLEVEL 2Scheduled AutomationLEVEL 3Event-TriggeredLEVEL 4Location-Driven (RTLS)LEVEL 5Predictive Optimization Level 5 of 5: Predictive Control and Network-Wide Optimization Level 4 changed what the ventilation system knows. The mine now tracks where every tagged machine is, and airflow responds to…
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Inside the Ventilation Automation Pyramid: Level 4 – Location-Driven Demand Control
This article is part of the Ventilation Automation Pyramid series. Read the full overview here. LEVEL 1Remote ControlLEVEL 2Scheduled AutomationLEVEL 3Event-TriggeredLEVEL 4Location-Driven (RTLS)LEVEL 5Predictive Optimization Level 4 of 5: Location-Driven Ventilation (RTLS) Level 3 gave the ventilation system reflexes. A gas exceedance triggers an airflow response. A door opens out of sequence and the system…
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Inside the Ventilation Automation Pyramid: Level 3 – Event-Triggered Ventilation Automation
This article is part of the Ventilation Automation Pyramid series. Read the full overview here. LEVEL 1Remote ControlLEVEL 2Scheduled AutomationLEVEL 3Event-TriggeredLEVEL 4Location-Driven (RTLS)LEVEL 5Predictive Optimization Level 3 of 5: Event-Triggered Automation Level 2 gave the ventilation system the ability to act on its own but only according to what was supposed to happen. A schedule…
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Inside the Ventilation Automation Pyramid: Level 2 – Scheduled and Time-Based Ventilation Automation
This article is part of the Ventilation Automation Pyramid series. Read the full overview here. LEVEL 1Remote ControlLEVEL 2Scheduled AutomationLEVEL 3Event-TriggeredLEVEL 4Location-Driven (RTLS)LEVEL 5Predictive Optimization Level 2 of 5: Scheduled Automation Ventilation can account for 30% to 50% of the total electrical consumption of an underground mine. Level 1 of the automation pyramid gave operations…
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Inside the Ventilation Automation Pyramid: Level 1 – Remote control & Operational visibility
This article is part of the Ventilation Automation Pyramid series. Read the full overview here. LEVEL 1Remote ControlLEVEL 2Scheduled AutomationLEVEL 3Event-TriggeredLEVEL 4Location-Driven (RTLS)LEVEL 5Predictive Optimization Level 1 of 5: Remote Control Ventilation can account for 30% to 50% of the total electrical consumption of an underground mine. Despite this, many operations still ventilate large areas…
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From Control to Optimization: The Five Levels of Ventilation Automation in Mining
Ventilation is one of the most energy-intensive systems in an underground mine, yet it is often operated far below its optimized potential. As mines digitize their operations, ventilation automation is no longer a binary choice between manual control and full Ventilation on Demand (VoD). Instead, it is a stepwise journey, where each level builds on…