Hydraulic mining shovel. (Image from archives).
Chile’s National Piloting Center (CNP), a non-profit organization linked to the Production Development Corporation, has selected mining equipment monitoring technology Vitech as the winner of the Impact Mining 2022 contest, which will grant almost $30,000 to the creators of the solution to continue working on it.
Developed by Fukay Data, Vitech is a software aimed at providing early detection of failures in large-tonnage mobile mining equipment.
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The technology relies on artificial intelligence, which can deliver early warning diagnostics of failures and vibration spectra. The hardware connected to it, on the other hand, consists of wireless sensors that can be installed in all moving equipment at a mine, from shovels, CAEX trucks, drills and support machinery.
The way it works is one in which the sensors transmit data through a BLE antenna. The data are then received by a gateway and sent, via Wi-Fi, to the cloud, where they are stored and then delivered to the software for analysis and decision-making.
According to Fukay Data, Vitech reduces risks and improves safety, as it removes the need for equipment operators and/or technicians to handle the critical components of large-tonnage equipment and allows them to monitor the machinery remotely. This, in turn, has the potential to increase productivity and reduce maintenance costs, as it is a non-invasive solution.
Next steps
The Impact Mining award will allow Fukay Data to pilot the technology at a CNP site and receive industry validation, which should result in an easy transition toward commercialization.
“For our final development stage, it is essential to pilot the technology at a large mine setting. Even though the tests we ran at small-scale operations were successful, we need to bring the solution into a scenario with all the real difficulties and high risk,” Cristián Gallardo, Fukay Data operations manager, said in a media statement. “The CNP will provide the testing ground and the technical support that will allow us to get the certification we need and advance towards the commercialization stage.”
