Modern Mining December 2017

BULK MATERIALS HANDLING

geotechnical analysis and geological mapping. The I-Site XR3 gives wide coverage and allows survey of otherwise unattainable areas, with a scanning range of up to 2 400 m. The I-Site LR3 scanning range of 1 200 m makes it the system of choice for small to medium open pits as well as indoor stockpile volumetrics. “I-Site laser scanners remain the only truly mining-tough systems rated IP65 for environ- mental protection,” comments Nick Venter, Maptek General Manager for South Africa. “Powerful I-Site Studio tools allow creation of custom workflows for routine survey tasks which you can share and adapt with team members to save time on data processing and analysis. We constantly add new features based on our customers’ specific needs. Mining isn’t static, and neither are our solutions. “The key to properly harnessing laser scan- ning technology for stockpile measurement is preparation,” he continues. “You need to consider how the stockpile base position will be determined. Indoor facili- ties often have existing floor plans while an outdoor site may have survey derived coordi- nate data. Information may exist from previous scans, or a new base may need to be created. Outdoor operators need to know if scans will be registered to pre-existing survey or processed using matching surface registration. “Once you evaluate the requirements, the rest is simple because you can use the smart I-Site Studio workflows to streamline the pro- cess,” Venter concludes. “For most sites this is the most accurate way to model on-hand stock- pile volumes. Only Maptek delivers a workflow this reliable and repeatable.” 

Continental acquires SA tech company Global conveyor belt company Continental AG has recently acquired South African tech company Advanced ImagingTechnology (AIT) to strengthen its preventative maintenance offering for conveyor belts. The Pinetown-based company is known for its fundamental work for X-ray and magnetic image- based systems that are used for the early detection of damages in fabric and steel cord conveyor belts. This condition monitoring technology for conveyor belts, developed by AIT for the international bulk-handling market, utilises innovative magnetic sensing technology that is verified by extensive X-ray imaging measure- ments. The technology provides continuous online condition monitoring of steel cord reinforced conveyor belting and reduces the risk of belt failure by providing data that is used for timely planned maintenance, thus reducing costly downtime. Up until now, technicians have had to inspect an individual conveyor belt while it is stationary or running at a reduced operating speed. The advantage of AIT’s permanently installed monitoring systems is that dam- age to conveyor belts can be detected early, while the system is running, and therefore can be repaired in good time. AIT technology provides a high-resolution, easy-to-interpret, magnetic image of damaged or broken steel cords for the verification of potential alarm conditions. At the same time, it gives operators real-time online inter- active access to review the damaged belt locations and their severity. In addition, the splice integrity and damage severity can be monitored over time, enabling a historical data comparison. Conveyor belts are vital to mining operations. “If a belt system experi- ences extended downtime, the entire production chain often collapses and intensive maintenance and repair work are required. Monitoring systems help our customers detect damages early and thereby reduce downtimes and save maintenance costs,” explained Hannes Friederichsen, head of the business unit Conveyor Belt Group, Continental AG. “With this acquisition we have added technical sensing knowledge and R&D competence to strengthen our expertise in the area of predic- tive maintenance. At the same time, it is a strategic cornerstone to enlarge our service capabilities in industries such as mining,” stated Hans-Jürgen Duensing, who is responsible for the ContiTech division on the Continental Executive Board. 

feature

December 2017  MODERN MINING  35