Mining operations are generally spread over a vast area in remote locations and harsh environments. Ore extraction is a high cost and increasingly high technology venture that requires the utmost operational efficiency as well as uninterrupted workflow and delivery cycles. Operations cannot afford to be impacted due to lack of visibility as to the location and status of machinery, equipment and vehicles, since this causes delays, increased cost and mounting losses and is also an open invitation to theft and misuse. Real-time location tracking and monitoring, especially of moveable assets such as the vehicle fleet transporting the ore, is thus of critical importance to the mining industry. RFID technology not only fulfills these needs but offers substantial benefits in various deployments within the mining sector.
RFID provides automated solutions that monitor trips made by vehicles transporting ore from pit to port, tracking the vehicles and their ore quantities from loading source at the mine to the unloading destination. Tagged vehicles are automatically tracked by RFID antenna and readers mounted at gates and weighbridges. RFID-enabled weighbridges automate calculation of vehicle tare weight and laden weight, update databases at remote servers and transmit this data to the destination weighbridge for verification of trip made and delivered ore quantity. Wi-Fi based RFID systems seamlessly integrate disparate locations spread over long distances, enabling tracking and data availability in real-time.
Tracking pickups and deliveries of thousands of truck-loads moving daily to and from various locations inside mining areas to processing plants, rail wagons or jetties is a logistics nightmare. RFID deployment in mining removes weighbridge bottlenecks and improves vehicle turnaround times, enabling faster completion of ore delivery cycles. Automation of ore weighment at source and destination also helps prevent ore theft during transportation and curbs the illegal ore trade. It also brings about greater transparency in operations and yield monitoring to various regulators and stakeholders and provides oversight in the case of leased mining operations. Automated trip verification through RFID logs trip commencement and completion for each truck carrying ore, preventing multiple trip logging and ensuring correct trip reimbursement for drivers and owners of contracted vehicles.
RF equipment can also be easily integrated with complementary technologies such as GPS/GPRS to provide satellite-based live tracking and mapping of vehicles on the move. This enables utilization of existing infrastructure such as cell towers, thereby increasing both scope and range of tracking deployments. It also opens up further areas of real-time vehicle monitoring such as fuel consumption in transit and foolproof driver verification through RF integration with sensor technologies mounted within the truck. RFID deployment in security is also used to prevent unauthorized access in restricted areas and use of equipment by unauthorized personnel.
RFID based automated solutions also allow better asset maintenance and repair scheduling, load optimization, stockpile management, deployment of collision avoidance systems and quick location of emergency equipment. RFID is now considered a key deployment in the mining sector to increase efficiency and provide real-time visibility of production and assets. It has proven itself as a cost-effective and enabling technology that enhances workflow management, optimizes transport logistics and improves asset utilization, leading to better operational processes, increased productivity, reduced cost and greater global competitiveness. |
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