Komatsu’s automation solution is improving safety and operational efficiency at Centennial Coal’s Mandalong mine in NSW.
When Komatsu was contracted to automate part of the Mandalong coal mine’s longwall operations, workers welcomed the change with open arms.
This reception was due to the fact those workers knew what is not always clear to others: automation is here to enhance the operator experience, not take away jobs.
Centennial Coal’s Mandalong mine reached a crux with its longwall operations when the coal seam changed from a 4m height to just 2m. Work in such a confined space is hazardous, compressing the senses and straining the body. Add in all the bulky equipment necessary for a longwall operation, and miners needed to crouch just to go about their jobs.
So for the sake of its workers, Centennial turned to Komatsu for a solution.
Although the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) offers varying degrees of integration for its autonomous systems with third-party equipment, the straightforward approach is sometimes the best.
“Mandalong adopted a full Komatsu approach,” Komatsu engineering manager, control and automation Shane Cooling told Safe to Work.
“What they wanted was a turnkey solution; they didn’t want to risk delays associated with relying on multiple vendors.”
Taking the reins of the project, Komatsu delivered a top-to-bottom autonomous software package.
“We helped build a full control room which has access to equipment that you would normally find underground, such as roof supports and shearer control systems,” Cooling said.
“This allows operators to work from the safety and comfort of a remote office.”
Komatsu national training manager Wikus Louw told Safe to Work that the company’s automation technology is designed to enhance an operator’s skillset, rather than replace the worker.
“We’re focused on moving industry away from the stigma that automation and remote work will take away jobs,” Louw said.
“Instead, we’re focusing on how we can take experienced operators and apply their skills in a safer environment, giving them access to additional data that they wouldn’t have underground.
“We find that they’re becoming better operators of the longwall.”
Any underground miner understands that sight is critical to safety. In the case of Mandalong, each roof support machine was mounted with a camera to provide remote operators with a front-on view of the seam.
Komatsu’s graphical user interface (GUI) for cameras took this to a whole new level.
“Operators can customise our camera GUI, allowing them to focus on any aspect of the longwall operation that they choose,” Cooling said.
“The intention is to recreate what an operator experiences underground, rather than providing a static screen.”
Komatsu takes this principle and elevates it by providing operators with camera coverage of parts of the process not ordinarily visible.
“Our camera GUI allows operators to have multiple camera layouts for a holistic view of the operation – you just don’t get that same level of awareness when down at the face,” Cooling said.
“In many cases, this means being able to see when things are going wrong. Some of our customers use our system to make sure longwall shields aren’t being left behind.
“Starting another advance cycle while a shield is left behind could damage the equipment, causing a significant disruption of operations. This is just one application of many.
“Having access to all of those different camera angles is very critical.”
The technology also includes critical safety functions such as personal proximity detection to halt the machine if a worker is spotted in the immediate vicinity.
Komatsu’s automation system not only gives operators a visual overview of operations but also an audible one.
“When operating longwall machinery, it’s important that a worker can hear what’s going on to know that everything is moving as it should,” Cooling said.
“We have system-generated prompts, which gives operators a visual and audible alert for a range of events in real-time.”
In addition to ensuring familiar working conditions, this also keeps employees safe from harmful levels of noise and vibration.
Put these pieces together and it’s clear that enhancement, not replacement, is the ethos behind Komatsu’s automation profile.
Since partnering with the OEM, Mandalong has reaped a range of safety and operational benefits.
Being able to receive audible instructions means workers do not have to stay glued to the screen at all times. In certain circumstances, this time can be spent on administration work, with the operator keeping an ear out for any alerts.
Remote operation also eliminates downtime during shift changes, where machinery would ordinarily have to power down, due to transportation between the face and the surface.
“Automation presents an increased value because mines are able to continue operating during shift changes where they weren’t producing before,” Cooling said.
“And the other side of this is that it allows the business to roster better shifts for the operators on the surface.
“With reduced machine downtime, shifts for surface operators don’t need to be as long as traditional 12-hour underground shifts, which means operators are less tired and less prone to fatigue-related errors.”
Most importantly, automation is trading difficult working environments like Mandalong’s low seam for the safety of a remote management location.
This feature also appears in the July-August issue of Safe to Work.