Real Time Haul Road Monitoring Device
9 August 2017 - Dust Control Efficiency, dust monitoring, haul road dust monitoring, haul road improvement, mobile dust monitor, mobile dust monitoring, pit performance, road condition monitoring -
A NEWLY developed Road Condition Monitor (RCM) from Queensland-based engineering company Proof Engineers allows for effective measurement and monitoring of haul road performance with accurate up-to-the-second data reporting. It features an in-built triaxial system to measure vibrations caused by road deterioration through a compact and easily installed 12V powered device.
The Proof RCM can be installed into haul trucks, water carts and light vehicles via the vehicle's On Board Diagnostics System and provides accelerometer sampling of road and pit conditions, reported every second in the form of a user friendly 'Road Score' and colour coded full site mapping.
As the vehicle travels across the site vibration data is processed, recorded and sent to mine site operators in real-time via an integrated 3G network.
Data is converted using advanced algorithms to display a site's 'Road Score' and full-site mapping with an easy-to-use colour scale that accurately highlights areas of deterioration where maintenance is required, allowing for immediate on-site action.
Proof Engineers' civil engineer Jordan Handel said the RCM ensured mine sites maintained optimum road conditions on an ongoing basis, ensuring haulage was carried out in a safe manner and cost effective manner. "It is cost effective, accurate and completely objective, delivering real-time quantitative data reflecting a site's road and pit conditions directly to mine site operators.
"Mine haul roads are a major production element that have a direct influence on operations. Poorly maintained roads cost a site time and money in terms of production, resulting in a range of issues including increased rolling resistance, damaged machinery and dust generation - all of which accumulate into an unsafe operating environment.
"The improved technology of our new RCM allows for increased synchronisation and speed of data transfer between the device and our online data display platform, better equipping mine site operators to prevent issues by providing up-to-the-second assessment of a site's road and pit conditions.
"Having the real-time reports can allow mine sites to take a pro-active approach to haul road maintenance, effectively lowering the cost per tonne hauled by extending tyre life, optimising secondary machinery use as well as reducing grading, operating costs and fuel consumption." Jordan Handel said the RCM system was extremely compact and simple to implement allowing for onsite monitoring to be managed by mine site operators with minimal training required.