The proof is in the roads
PROOF Engineers has expanded into the South-East Asian market to deliver cutting-edge road condition monitoring techniques and haul road design to help coal mines increase operational efficiencies and improve road safety.
The Australian-based global company has implemented two of its products and programs – the Road Condition Monitor and the Haul Road Development – across three coal mines sites in Kalimantan.
These proven technologies have delivered real-time data on road conditions to help the mines in Kalimantan prioritise maintenance works.
They’ve also helped the mines manage uncontrolled emissions and improve operational efficiencies.
Proof Engineers specialises in haul road engineering and innovative technology to improve productivity and profitability for the mining and civil industries.
The company’s engineering and technologies manager Jordan Handel said after operating successfully in the Australian mining industry in recent years, Proof Engineers has launched into the South-East Asian market.
“Indonesian mines are very large operations with high labour demands, and management have welcomed our technology and systems that offer significant opportunities to improve their productivity,” he said.
“What Proof Engineers has been able to do is provide recommendations on investing in technology to help them build roads that are safer, more sustainable and require less maintenance.”
Mr Handel said the Road Condition
Monitor is an innovative system that collects data in real-time on road conditions and analyses the information to stream it back to the mine site.
The onboard vehicle monitoring system’s advanced sensors map out the road quality, which is displayed in colour code, from green signifying good quality of sections of the road, to red highlighting the areas that need urgent maintenance.
Mine site operators that use Proof Engineers’ Road Condition Monitor are given a clear picture of road conditions and use the information it gathers to prioritise road maintenance, increase operational efficiencies and lower the cost per tonne hauled.
Following on from the success of the Monitor at the mine sites, the company implemented its Haul Road Development Program to audit roads.
Mr Handel said mine approach to road maintenance was inconsistent before Proof Engineers implemented its cutting-edge technologies.
“With growing pressure on mines to save costs and improve performance, operators are looking at the efficiency of truck haulage, which accounts for a significant proportion of the total operating costs of a mine,” Mr Handel said.
“Our systems have not only helped to increase efficiencies, but they’ve made the roads safer and taken the guess work out of maintenance.”
The biggest challenge the Proof Engineers team overcame was the significant amount of seasonal rain that falls in Kalimantan.
However, having done work in similar climates, its perfected its services to a point where it is now recognised as a proven performer in the mining industry.