Modern Quarrying Q3 2019

“The software gives us concrete evidence to back up our decision making. We have grown in terms of technology use. The main benefit is that it makes decision making and planning a lot quicker and efficient,” adds Pretorius. The data from the drone technology can now be uploaded onto a server. The surveyor uploads the data after his fly over and within 30 minutes to an hour, Pretorius has access on the Cloud to a whole 3D model of the mine, which he can utilise as he sees fit. The drone technology deployed at Bridgetown Dolomite Mine is manufactured by South African- based Aquila Drones, with design and development done by parent company, WCD Engineering Consultants. Aquila Drones was founded in 2014 with the focus to develop specialised unmanned aerial vehicle solutions. Founder of Aquila Drones, Johan Janse van Rensburg, explains that typically two models are being used for survey purposes. The AQMRS is

Massamatic, an independent manufacturer of industrial weighing equipment based in the Western

Four Bell B25 articulated haulers haul material from the pit to the processing plants.

Cape. It supplies its products and services to industry and

agriculture nationwide. Because the products are locally designed and manufactured, they are tailor-made to suit each customer’s operating conditions. Drone technology A few years ago, SPH Kundalila pio- neered the use of drone technology for aerial surveying and stockpile management in the South African quarrying sector. The use of drone technology has since been expanded to include elevation management in the pit. Pretorius and the management team now use drone technology to determine elevations and slope angles in the pit. This is a fantastic tool in terms of pit planning. “We can calculate the amount of tonnages we have already moved out of the pit, and more importantly, the amount of material we can still take out of the pit,” says Pretorius.

a powerful tool to measure the actual production from crushers and screens, as well as monitoring loadout of trucks,” says Pretorius. The technology is supplied by

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QUARTER 3 - 2019 MODERN QUARRYING