Underground mines in Western Australia are generally mature brownfield operations that operate at depth. This means that if trucks are employed to remove the dirt from the operating levels then it is critical that they are loaded correctly. There are already several ways of ensuring this including OEM or aftermarket scales in the truck tray or a simple weighbridge setup.
An operation does not want under loading on a haul trucks long, slow drag to the surface ROM pad. This wasted capacity not only squanders diesel and time but can cause issues in reconciling the correct amount of material transported. Further to this, there is also the requirement to not overload trucks as this can cause maintenance issues due to the extra stress placed on the machines moving components and impact on tire life.
LoadScan offers an alternative solution to the existing weight based offerings on the market, with clear advantages on ongoing maintenance and servicing costs. Their system utilises a survey scanning functionality from a portal or boom mounted scanning station. The truck will drive through this point slowly and the scanner will capture a simple point cloud of the top of the truck and its tray. Truck scans are referenced against empty database scans then registered against each truck individual truck scan. This provides a measurement of volumetric load, and calculated weight based on material bulk density factor.
The truck driver, once their tray has been scanned, will be informed of the details of their load on a locally placed LED display board and/or in-cab console device. The in-cab console allows for additional load data to be captured and digitalised in a single step process via drop down menu’s on the computer console. Typically this information includes Loader, Loading Location, Material Type, Unloading Location, Shift Crew & Downtime logs, however these inputs can be customised as required. All this information is logged in a local measurement sorting software and available live approx. 5 seconds after a truck is scanned, making it possible to drive activity in shift to ensure achievement of shift KPI’s. The system also offers automated alerts on underloading, overloading, haul-back beyond set threshold and off-centre loading. It also offers 3D load images of each scanned load to identify loader skill gaps and allocate training where it is required. The solution allows a new perspective for those looking to improve efficiencies in the mining cycle by delivering a clear, traceable data stream of a crucial part of the load and haul cycle.
SUMMARY
The benefits of the LoadScan system are potentially wide reaching for an underground mining project! Not only does it increase accountability of the operators, but also allows for better analysis of material movement throughout the mining process. These improvements in material movement management could assist drive mining costs lower, whilst also reducing heavy wear on the trucking fleet if fully implemented in the mining cycle.
For more info on the Loadscan system within Australia you can contact: Luke Jackman on luke@loadscan.com and please let him know UG Mining Tech informed you of his offering for a discounted cost to engage an onsite proof of concept – Australia only!
