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COVER STORY
18
MODERN MINING
March 2017
stations with real time video of on-board cam-
eras and stream of in-cab audio.
Getting on board
Barloworld Equipment’s emphasis is first on
the customer and second on the earthmoving
equipment brands on a site. “The focus is to
deliver solutions that add value, no matter
what the brand,” says Briggs. “We see the tech-
nology as a site level solution as opposed to a
machine level solution.”
The role of the Cat dealer is vital in struc-
turing the solution, he points out. “We help
customers to achieve their goals by selecting
different Caterpillar technologies and packag-
ing them to suit the customer’s specific needs,
operations, equipment and site conditions.
Rarely do we have exactly the same solution
implemented at multiple sites.”
Digital technology creates data. Under
standing it is the difficult part. When you are
running an operation that is optimal, how do
you squeeze an extra 5 % out of the same assets?
Cat MineStar System capability sets generate
the data. Barloworld Equipment and Caterpillar
make that data work for the customer.
“Sometimes this is just measuring produc-
tion, but it’s becoming more about supporting
decision making as well. Our ability to offer the
customer a blasthole drill, a shovel to load the
truck and a technology that can manage those
processes drives efficiency throughout the
value chain,” says Briggs.
Barloworld Equipment technology group
Barloworld Equipment has a dedicated tech-
nology group that works with the company’s
operations across Southern Africa to develop
sustainable and scalable technology enabled
solutions.
The technology group supports customers
not only with deployment and configuration
of solutions but also ongoing training for office
and field personnel including operator and
technical roles, as well as providing applica-
tion and reporting support right through to
database level.
To sustain value, Barloworld Equipment
offers ongoing assessments to benchmark
performance and identify areas needing
improvement. “Sometimes it’s training, some-
times coaching, and sometimes we act as the
voice of the customer to provide feedback on
where Cat products could be further developed
to offer more value in our particular market.”
Briggs explains that the support offered
to digital technical solutions is on the same
level as the technical support offered for Cat
machines in the field. This includes a field
support team to install, maintain and repair
technology hardware and software, product
specialists tasked with supporting Cat MineStar
System, and a Condition Monitoring Centre at
its Boksburg facility that collects and reports on
data from technology solutions.
The centre receives information from tech-
nology systems, compiles databases and
customises reports, which are then sent to the
relevant parties.
“The Condition Monitoring Centre becomes
part of the solution by providing valuable
insight into equipment management that cus-
tomers use on a daily basis,” says Briggs. “This
is where we get the detail that tells us where
action is needed to prevent loss of production
due to premature failures, for example.
“All this is further backed by a global online
support portal offering 24/7/365 support for the
applications in use at customer sites.”
How can mining customers be sure that digi-
tal technology will work for them? “It largely
depends on whether the customer has the right
recipe for success,” says Briggs. “Technology
alone cannot offer as much value as people, pro-
cess and technology. So, if you change one, you
probably have to make changes in the other two.
“I spend most of my time not selling technol-
ogy, but helping customers on their journey to
a digital future. We all know that the pace of
technology is rapid, but its success depends on
whether people are ready to embrace it.”
Khumani iron ore mine
Assmang’s Khumani iron ore mine has shared
a successful partnership with Barloworld
Equipment since inception in 2008 and runs
more than 30 Cat 789C 200-ton trucks as part of
its Cat mining fleet. The mine needed to ramp
up its hauling efficiency and a needs analysis by
Data analysis showing a
mine road network.
“We see the
technology as a
site level solution
as opposed to
a machine level
solution.”