MINExpo Preview – ThoroughTec

MINING MAGAZINE – AUGUST 2012

Main business areas: Surface and underground simulators in the mining and construction industries.

ThoroughTec’s simulators are used around the world by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), mine sites and training/recruitment schools for screening employees, recruitment, induction training, emergency procedure familiarisation, refresher training and up-skilling of experienced operators.

ThoroughTec says that it is able to simulate any machine from any OEM in the industry, surface or underground, and has the largest development pipeline by far in its sector, so it is able to customise on every build it does, going beyond OEM specification to deliver the exact operating procedure that the customer wants and needs. ThoroughTec currently simulates over 73 different mining machines, covering both underground and surface machines, from drills and bolters to draglines and haul trucks.

“Instructors can configure training scenarios to specific training objectives.”

Examples of the latest range of ThoroughTec’s underground and surface simulator cabs, including a Komatsu 960E haul truck, will be available for test drives at MINExpo 2012.

ThoroughTec’s 3 Degree Of Freedom (3DOF) motion platform and adaptor plate will be used for these displays, exhibiting how 6DOF surface cabs can be effectively used on a 3DOF motion base fitted with the adaptor plate. This allows a single simulator to replicate the entire working fleet of a mine, reducing costs and maximising return on investment. All ThoroughTec simulator cabs use CYBERMINE4 technology to create the sensation of driving the vehicle in an actual mine, with all the correct visual, auditory and tactile feedback.

Instructors can configure training scenarios to specific training objectives- not just generic scenarios, but those specifically faced on their mine site. Hands-on demonstrations will be available for visitors to the ThoroughTec stand. According to ThoroughTec’s CEO, Rob Letschert: “Our new fourth-generation mine truck simulators have redefined the technology benchmark. “We now provide an enhanced scoring system, a mission planner for simulating dispatch systems, simulated reversing aids and a replicated two-way radio.”

Booth: 4273
Website: www.thoroughtec.com