Chute Cameras Enable Haul Truck Drivers to Operate Arc Gates by Remote Control
Written by Karly Winfield, Technical Sales Consultant at Provix Inc.
Provix specializes in enhancing safety and productivity by offering core competencies through video integration, remote operation, proximity detection, and vision enhancement for mining operations. The company is a solution provider that blends multiple technologies to address common problems in both surface and underground mining around the world.
The loading pocket or chute wireless camera system is wall- or back-mounted to transmit video of the loading process to any destination. Real time video is transmitted to the control room, to the monitor display screen in the cab of the equipment, and over the network for viewing on the surface. The haul truck operator can operate the arc gates with remote controls eliminating the requirement for an additional person to open and close the chute. This single cost saving factor has been instrumental in many mines’ decision to outfit their chutes and trucks with this system. Saving back-mounted ventilation is also a factor to consider.
Variant Mining and Ionic Engineering, the manufacturer and installer of automated loading chutes with remote controls, have implemented the Provix wireless camera technology on loading chutes for their customers around the world.
Variant supplies an IR remote control with a Provix camera system that enables the operator to control the throat gate and lip functions of the chute to safely load trucks, trams, ore cars, or conveyors. This has been demonstrated to provide the highest level of production efficiency with cost savings while increasing the safety of the chute and the loading process. The loading station operator can monitor the loading process of the trucks in line while the operational control room can verify load level and conveyor or chute status. The operator of the truck, tram, or LHD is able to view the loading process without having to leave the operator cab of the vehicle and can ensure that the box is not overloaded or loaded too high for the drift height. The driver can view the level in the dump box as it fills: a bird’s eye view of the height of the load has saved more than a few ventilation runs. The display monitor in the driver cab can also automatically display the rear or blind side cameras on the same screen. Safety is paramount.
The successful operation of the loading chute camera is best evidenced by its continued deployment by both mines and contractors. Vale first implemented the Provix chute cameras at their Creighton Mine. With the success of that installation, they went on to deploy the same system at their Coleman Mine. Other mines using the same system include Newmont’s Red Lake complex (now owned by Evolution Mining Limited); Alamos Gold’s Young Davidson Mine; Kirkland Lake Gold, the Ekati Diamond Mine; and the Diavik Diamond Mine. It is also deployed on multiple chutes at Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi Mine.
Provix camera systems have become a fixture in international mining operations due to their versatility, cost effective performance and the ability to be quickly customized to suit various operations.
Contact Karly Winfield at +1 (519) 803 5805 / karly@provix.net. We look forward to assisting you!
About Karly Winfield
Karly is a Technical sales consultant at Provix Inc. She has worked in the mining industry for the last twelve years and been underground at more than 50 mines. Karly is an honours graduate of the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Management Economics and Finance. She also holds a Level l Infrared Thermography Certification.
Karly was named ‘Top 10 under 40’ by Rock to Road magazine in 2015 for leading the next generation of safety in mining and aggregates. She is recognized by the Ministry of Labour in Ontario as a go-to resource on the subject of vision enhancement and reducing interactions between equipment and personnel; Karly has presented information seminars to industry participants from coast to coast to coast. She also sits on the board of directors of MSTA Canada.
At Provix, Karly works full time on supplying and providing technical advice on the service/support of mobile safety systems such as cameras, lighting, proximity detection, and remote video systems to increase safety and production efficiency.
She also works with mining engineers to analyze operations for the purpose of determining specific requiremets for designing and deploying custom video systems throughout North America. In addition, she has worked with mobile equipment departments at both surface and underground mining operations to enhance safety and productivity on heavy equipment.
Karly has participated in studies with Laurentian University covering a variety of types of heavy equipment for the purpose of identifying blind spots, no go zones, and enhancing operator sight lines for safer operations and greater productivity.
About Provix
Provix Inc. is a progressive and forward-thinking organization that specializes in finding and providing logical solutions to many types of problems and issues.
Provix specializes in vision enhancement and video camera systems with rugged capabilities that provide the functionality required for the task at hand. From thermal imaging in the oil sands, to FireWatch cameras for heat detection, to police and fire service use, to temperature sensing for industrial and health care applications, the company develops cost-effective solutions to meet the challenges of modern day life. Provix solutions increase productivity, make workplaces safer and provide peace of mind to workers and management around the globe.
Contact Karly Winfield at +1 (519) 803 5805 / karly@provix.net. We look forward to assisting you!
