Xstrata Coal's Beltana Mine to Install Digital Tracking System as Part of Cap Lamp Upgrade
30 January 2008
Xstrata Coal Beltana Coal Mine, located in the Hunter Valley coalfields in NSW, Australia, has chosen MST's ICCL cap lamps and digital RFID tracking system to support their on-going safety initiatives.
Beltana has consistently been Australia's most productive longwall mine, producing over seven million tonnes last year. Xstrata's strong focus on safety to support these production results identified opportunities for further enhancing safety at the mine by introducing new generation light weight cap lamps and implementing a tracking system at the same time.
After an extensive evaluation of available technologies Mine Site Technologies' ICCL and RFID tagging systems were selected, support we are very appreciative of. Key points for the decision included:
- ICCL cap lamps have been well-accepted at a number of other coal mines in the area, including other Xstrata coal mines, for their reliability and ruggedness.
- The detailed engineering design of the tracking solution based on our Impact Digital Access Points and AeroScout Wi-Fi tags
- The RFID Tags are incorporated inside the ICCL cap lamp battery pack to ensure long term reliability and ensuring they are always with a person when they are underground
- MST's track record of implementing underground 802.11 based digital communication infrastructure in underground mines, and the implementation of that standard
- Compatibility with and approved for use with Airstream helmets
The initial installation consists of:
- 200 x ICCL's Wi-Fi RFID tag
- 50 x Self-contained tags on underground diesel vehicles
- 18 Dual Wireless ImPact Access Points (Directional AP's)
- Full AeroScout MobileView user and management software
Beltana management's justification for undertaking the cap lamp upgrade and implementing a tracking system was based on:
- OH&S by introducing the lightweight ICCL's (which are approximately one third the weight of the existing lead-acid batteries in use at the mine)
- The cap lamp and Tag are one integrated unit
- Tracking people for safety of people
- Vehicle fleet management, including access control into ventilation districts
- The potential of the digital network established for tracking to be extended into other applications over time, such as VoIP telephones for mobile two-way communication
As mentioned previously, we are appreciative of Beltana's and Xstrata Coal's support in choosing MST's technologies in the competitive tender, and we look forward to working with their engineers to ensure the benefits of the introduction of these technologies are realized.
