Simulators may prove Useful to Australia’s Miners

MINING NEWS PREMIUM – MAY 2014

IF CYBERMINE is good enough for South Africa’s military, then perhaps it may prove useful to Australia’s miners. More and more mining companies appear to be switching to military-grade technology in a bid to achieve operational safety and increased productivity.

That’s the view of simulator training provider ThoroughTec. Last week’s federal budget appears to have been a little bit more gentle on the mining industry than many feared. But with the construction phase of many operations now largely over, focus is turning towards squeezing more juice from the lemon. Efficiency, optimisation and productivity are top of the list for miners examining production costs. Latest forecasts predict a lift in Australia’s iron ore exports to 714 million tonnes. It will surely place greater emphasis on profit margin, especially after the iron ore price dropped to below $US100 ($A108) per tonne yesterday. So with greater emphasis on cutting production costs, South Africa-based ThoroughTec believes it can offer mining companies an option. Machine and equipment operator competency, it argues, has a direct correlation to safety and productivity. It seems a slight contradiction to urge mining companies to invest in training simulator technology when they’re trying to cut costs.

“If ThoroughTec’s technology is good enough to prepare soldiers for conflict, this will surely prove encouraging to mining companies looking to sharpen the skills of their workforce.”

But ThoroughTec believes companies have to invest to save. And how can you argue with a company that supplies simulator technology to the South African military. If ThoroughTec’s technology is good enough to prepare soldiers for conflict, this will surely prove encouraging to mining companies looking to sharpen the skills of their workforce.

“More and more mine operators are realising the advantages that simulation can bring to their minesites around the world,” ThoroughTec global business development executive vice president Greg Lew said. “We’re continuously receiving reports from mines about how simulation is aiding in the recruitment process and improving productivity and reaction times in emergency situations.”

So what is ThoroughTec offering the mining industry? It offers surface mining simulators for haul trucks, dump trucks, articulated dump trucks, drill rigs, excavators, shovels, bulldozers, loaders, draglines and graders. Underground mining simulators include drill rigs, roof bolters, loaders, ADTs, extra low profile dozers, locomotives and scalers.

ThoroughTec also provides military operator training and tactical training simulators for operator, crew, troop and squadron level training of armour, infantry, air force and naval students, as well as “high fidelity cockpit and crew station replication”. Last year, the company broke into several new markets, including India and Kazakhstan.

The world’s largest integrated producer of zinc, Hindustan Zinc of India, took delivery of a CYBERMINE mining simulator for a Sandvik drill rig, load-haul-dump underground loader and ADT surface hauler for its Sindesar Khurd mine in Rajasthan. Kazakhmys, the world’s largest copper producer and one of the largest mining companies in Kazakhstan, is involved in two major copper projects: Aktogay and Bozshakol. It recognised the benefits of simulation and its ability to support these big projects, with Aktogay ordering a simulator for a Caterpillar haul truck and wheel loader and a Hitachi shovel and excavator.

Bozshakol will be receiving a simulator for a Cat dozer and haul truck, Hitachi shovel and excavator and a Sandvik drill rig. “Because mine vehicles are being used for fewer training tasks, the associated running costs of training are greatly reduced,” Lew added. “Damage and wear-and-tear on mine vehicles decreases as green operators are able to familiarise themselves with the controls of the machines and iron out their mistakes on the mining simulator, instead of the real machine.

“This means less unscheduled maintenance and lower maintenance and training costs.”

Developing smarter, better trained and more efficient operators is just one way of protecting profit margins and lowering operating costs.

But the added safety element should add weight to the decision to invest in simulation technology.