Smart technology, smart productivity
SMART Tech Australia’s understanding of the technology that is changing the game on the international mining stage has allowed the company to supply a wide range of customised solutions for miners looking to integrate smart technology into their everyday operations nation-wide.
Smart Tech has been working with MLG to increase synergies between mine site managers and operators, where they have introduced the L2180 Loadrite loader scales, the complementary InsightHQ reporting platform, and the Tribble connected mine software to MLG’s international operations.
L2180
Smart Tech is a national distributor of Loadrite loader scales.
Loadrite has been helping site and fleet managers to achieve maximum value from their existing equipment by maximising the efficiency of use since 1979.
Loadrite loader scales are much more than an on-board scale; they provide an easy and consistent way to capture the information of clients loading processes on the loader, and the Loadrite L2180 is the world’s most popular loader scale model.
Consistent weighing performance is just as important as accuracy when it comes to efficient loading operation, and the L2180 has proven itself time and again as the next dimension of consistent weighing performance.
The system offers customers an accurate and consistent payload measurement every time.
MLG maintenance manager Andrew Towns has used the Loadrite system for its quarries and has been impressed by the consistent performance of the system, and the simplicity with which hiccups can be dealt with.
“We don’t get many issues with the Loadrite systems but if we do, nine times out of 10 they can be diagnosed over the phone,” Mr Towns said.
“That other one time the guys from Loadrite are never too far away to come and fix it.
“Most operators, being new or old, all know how to use and trust the Loadrite brand.
“This makes uptake very fast.”
How does it work?
By using a rotary position sensor to continuously monitor the boom position over the entire lift, Loadrite can utilise multiple measurement points.
This multi-point weighing allows variations in the weight that is calculated to be averaged out and even discarded if they should fall out of the tolerance levels.
The Legal for Trade upgrade option also allows clients to sell products directly from their loaders, which facilitates easier invoicing and effectively transforms each loader into a mobile weighbridge, which is especially valuable to clients operating in remote sites.
User friendly interface
The Loadrite screen’s display is uncluttered and only relays information that operators require, meaning that the system is not a cumbersome distraction, but a useful facilitator that lets the operator do what they do best – load trucks.
The Active Tip Off feature allows the loader operator to adjust the last bucket load at any height, because the Loadrite rotary position sensor allows the scales to compensate for the boom position.
InsightHQ
Loadrite’s Insight HQ and Materials Management System have been specifically designed for loading and quarry operations.
Loadrite can track every aspect of the stockpile inventory levels and loader tasks.
The software is able to report on key metrics from quarry operations such as pit processing and loadout, and it can empower managers to optimise their production.
MLG general manager of crushing and screening, John Antill, said he was amazed how seamless the software interfaced with the everyday operations of the site, yet without sacrificing any of the power that was needed to operate at an international level.
“We run Loadrite on a lot of different machinery in a lot of different sites around WA,” he said.
“The best thing about Loadrite and InsightHQ is being able to see what everything is doing quickly and easily.
“I was in Africa recently and I could log on and see what my tonnes per hour was at all my sites.”
InsightHQ is a web-based quarry management portal for web browsers and mobile devices.
It shows the near-real-time productivity, availability, machine and material location of a quarry via performance dashboards and reports.
Data can be sent direct from mobile equipment to Loadrite’s Insight HQ online platform using cellular modem, WiFi, radio, or a combination of these options.
InsightHQ gives the user the ability to visually respond to issues, while optimising performance and productivity in real-time.
It provides access to live reports, with individual totals for each customer and machine, and the ability to view changes over time through the adjustment of reports to suit either shift, day, week, month or year.
When used with Loadrite, customers can understand productivity, act immediately and see improvements during the shift without having to return to the office.
Connected mines
Trimble has again given a fresh perspective on operations management and advancements in quarry technology that can transform industry.
Trimble’s load and haul management connected solution automates data capture of the extraction process using Loadrite technology to record pit extraction tonnage and measure load cycles.
The fully integrated solution eliminates the need for paper records, as it automatically counts, records and breaks down haul truck cycles.
This removes human error from the equation, and keeps operators focused on the safe and productive movement of materials.
Similarly, by monitoring speed and tyre pressure, capturing hours of operation and providing payload measurements, they also improve safety and maintenance needs.
Today’s mining executives, supervisors and operators have many reasons to stress on the mine site.
Whether it is safety, group productivity or individual productivity on shift, everyone wants the same thing: to get the job done safely, productively and on time.
Any new technology introduced to a mine should help streamline that process, while creating the capacity for further improvement.
Smart Tech Australia is a national distributor of Loadrite and supplies these quality products that allow mines and contractors to juggle the productivity and cost-effectiveness with profitability and safety, to ensure the returns are always maximised and overheads are decreased.