Guest Blogger, Tracy Sole de Hoop, Product Marketing Specialist
The art of mining is to balance safety and productivity. Success today depends on improving both. Integrated solutions are helping to insure this is possible. The newly introduced HxGN Mine VIS, is one such example. HxGN Mine VIS is a vehicle intervention system that detects and prevents collisions by automatically slowing down or even stopping a haul truck if an imminent collision is detected. Collisions involving equipment are a significant concern for all mining operations. Usually, these incidents result in costly damage and downtime for repairs. However, severe incidents can involve injuries and even loss of life.
New legislation reflects these concerns. Rules have been proposed in many countries that will require collision avoidance technology at mine sites. The South African Department of Mineral Resources, (DMR) for instance, will begin enforcing collision avoidance laws in June 2019.
Mine VIS is a Level 9 system, as defined by Anglo American, and is the only Level 9 system which currently complies with South Africa’s DMR safety rules. It is also the only field-tested solution on the market. The system is currently being installed on AngloAmerican Kumba Iron Ore’s fleet of vehicles at Sishen mine in South Africa. Level 9 is defined as a technology that automatically intervenes and takes some form of machine control to prevent or mitigate an unsafe interaction.
Mine VIS is integrated with our Collision Avoidance System (CAS). CAS is installed in more than 25,000 vehicles in over 60 mines. Mine VIS uses the same sensors and user interface as CAS, thus protecting the customer’s initial investment. Together with CAS and TrackingRadar, Mine VIS adds a further layer of protection to Hexagon Mining’s safety suite.
Mine VIS is an important step in the trend towards human-assist products and is the only system that offers a building-block approach to preventing accidents by both alerting and assisting drivers. Mine VIS takes control of the propulsion system of the truck in defined situations if the operator does not react appropriately to the CAS warning. This is a last resort to mitigate the consequences of a collision. Mine VIS is developed exclusively for haul trucks, but could be adapted to other vehicle types, such as wheel dozers operating in shovel pits.
Mine VIS automatically applies the following functions to the truck, depending on situation and implementation. The operator is always warned by the system prior to intervention by both audio and visual notification.
- Forward Propel Inhibit
- Reverse Propel Inhibit
- Dump Body Up Inhibit
- Dynamic Retarder Application
- Service Brakes Application
The system manages pit traffic and ensures your safety rules are followed, helping to avoid incidents, injuries, and fatalities.