Acumine HaulCheck
Overview
About HaulCheck™
Each year, hundreds of mining haulage accidents occur, resulting in a significant number of deaths and injuries as well as costs through replacement, repair and downtime.
AcuMine's Haul Truck Alignment Monitoring and Operator Warning System (patent pending) was developed in conjunction with industry to proactively improve the safety of operators and to prevent damage to capital intensive assets by issuing operators with early warnings of hazards.
HaulCheckTM issues a multi-level range of visual and auditory alarms depending on where a truck is in relation to PVC guide posts on the side of the haul road.
It warns an operator if a truck deviates from a configurable safe operating corridor, and simultaneously alerts operators of other trucks to the potential hazard.
The HaulCheckTM scanning laser sensor is reliable, highly robust and easy to install.
HaulCheckTM also detects sets of three guide posts and warns of an approaching intersection, dump point or load point.
The system is highly flexible; for instance, allowing a truck to move outside its corridor to manoeuvre around an obstacle in its path, providing it is travelling at low speed.
HaulCheckTM also issues specific warnings as a truck approaches intersections, dump points or load points, by detecting sets of three guide posts mounted at these strategic locations.
Throughout each shift, the system logs information based on scanning laser and GPS data as well as alarm events; all of which can be downloaded through a wireless link, either when a vehicle returns to the garage or at dump points.
Benefit of HaulCheck™
- staged audible and visual driver alerts
- simple human-machine interface
- no expensive infrastructure required; (simply PVC posts)
- intelligent maintenance capabilities
- easily installed
- reliable, proven components
- allows remote data transfer
- can be integrated into the mine management system
- operates in a variable mining environment
- upgradeable technology platform
Mines Installations
Alcoa is retrofitted Haulcheck in a flleet of Komatsu 730E trucks in the Huntly and Willowdale mines in WA, Australia and has been operating since 2004. The trucks are also retrofitted with the Acumine Proximity Detection System.
Alcoa's $40 million equipment purchase bought it a fleet of Komatsu 730E dump trucks, four Komatsu WA900-3 loaders, and other Komatsu loaders, graders, articulated dump trucks, dozers and skidsteers.
In addition, it has implemented the world's first application of the AcuMine HaulCheck driver guidance system to ensure larger trucks can safely work on restricted-width haul roads. The package is part of an equipment replacement program at Alcoa's Willowdale and Huntly mines south-west of Perth.
Steve Pyburne, Alcoa's mining engineering manager, said the company was able to opt for bigger haul trucks in part because of the availability of the AcuMine HaulCheck technology.
"We have a network of haul roads through the Jarrah forest, which is managed for multiple land uses including conservation and water catchment. That means we are always aiming to minimise our impacts on the environment, and we did not want to increase our haul road clearing widths."
For this reason, a major challenge for Alcoa was to move to substantially larger trucks while still using approximately the same width haul roads. Its solution to was to adopt the AcuMine HaulCheck driver guidance system, for which Komatsu Australia holds distribution rights.
Press Releases
Specifications
| Topic | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial PC104 Based System | Includes: Upgradeable Processor Board, IEEE 812.11b Interface, Built-in GPS Receiver | |
| Power | 24V 6 Amps | |
| Interfaces | RS-232 Serial Interface, IEEE 812.11 b Wireless Interface, Mesh Network Capabilities. | |
| Audible Alarm | Power: DC Powered by the Computer box Output: Sounder is 93 - 107db at 1m, Two strength levels, Four sound patterns (software controlled) | |
| Sensing Device | Scanning, light laser system | |
| Environmental | Shock mounted on side of truck, Mounted 2.0 - 2.5m above road, Laser window includes a pollution detection system | |
| Warning Lights | Power:DC powered by the computer box Colour: One red and one amber Flash Rate: 80 double flashes / minute Energy Output: 12 Joules | |
| Logging Capabilities | Alarm generated with position and timing information (24 hour duration): Current date and time; Vehicle identification; Vehicle position from side line guide posts; Vehicle speed; Vehicle location Raw data (1 Hour): Time Stamp; Position information; Laser Information | |
| Communication Capabilities | IEEE 812.11b ad-hoc configuration. Each mobile asset assigned a unique IP address | |