Big Oil seizes lithium opportunities
Mining companies could benefit in cash and technology as major fossil fuel companies invest in lithium.
Remote monitoring is not new to mining companies. Equipment that supports mining operations and infrastructure is often located in areas away from the main mining site and the ability to remotely track, monitor and control is imperative to keep operations moving and people safe.
One of the key decision points that need to be made before implementing a remote monitoring solution is what type of communication system will be used. Cellular/GPRS is not always readily available or reliable while radio systems can be prohibitively expensive to install. Because of these issues, companies often default to manual data collection and control to keep communication costs down. However, insufficient data and control can end up being even more costly for the company.
Satellite is a viable communication alternative to the cellular/GPRS, radio and manual data collection and it can be very cost-effective with the right satellite option. A class of satellite terminals called satellite messaging terminals use the equivalent of a text message to send critical operational data using an immediate and reliable communication link at a fraction of the cost.
Choosing the Right Product for the Right Application
For many monitoring and control applications, the ability to send the equivalent of a text message is all that is needed – high data throughput capability does not make financial sense. It is overkill and comes with the risk of surprisingly high airtime bills.
Satellite messaging terminals provide a cost-effective solution for tracking, monitoring and messaging. These products meet the increasing demand for richer information in mobile and fixed remote monitoring applications and allows mining companies to share data across diverse operations without the added cost associated with continuous connectivity required for Internet, video and voice applications.
For example, a mining company required total visibility of weather conditions for production sites near the borders of Bolivia and Peru but its existing satellite solution was cost prohibitive when used on a regular basis. A remote monitoring solution provider worked with the mining company to implement a better and lower cost solution that saw the weather station’s data logger connected to a satellite messaging terminal and communicating with one another using the PakBus protocol.
Stations transmit a set of parameters obtained from the sensors with a frequency of 15 minutes. The data is analyzed by meteorologists to generate forecasts in the zone with real-time and historical data including temperature and humidity, rain measurement, solar radiation levels, snow height and wind speed.
The solution has allowed the mining company to better forecast weather conditions in high mountainous regions and provides benefits to the mining company like the ability to:
Tracking and Monitoring Mobile Assets
Satellite messaging terminals are versatile enough to be used for tracking and monitoring mobile assets such as vehicles and heavy equipment. Depending on the size of the mining operation, keeping track of the locations of these assets is a challenging job, much less worrying about optimizing use of these expensive capital assets. Investing in technology that remotely monitors the operation of these machines can help to reduce overall operation and maintenance costs as well as keep the machines working longer.
For example satellite messaging terminals can be used to monitor the health of heavy equipment. This allows equipment supervisors to perform tasks like asset health monitoring, maintenance planning and proactive operator training.
A heavy equipment health management system combined with satellite messaging terminals can provide different types of reports. Engine run hours reports track how many hours the engine has been on and off to ensure timely scheduling of service maintenance and reduce time spent collecting hour-meter readings. Utilization reports allow fleet supervisors to spread vehicle usage across the entire fleet.
Engine data reports remotely monitoring how heavy equipment is being used. Maintenance staff can track the performance of the entire mining fleet and receive early warnings of developing problems before a catastrophic failure occurs. Data may include diagnostic fault codes, fuel consumption, idle time, temperature and pressure to ensure vehicle is operating at peak efficiency. Remote collection of this important data notifies supervisors in real time. This reduces repair costs because problems can be resolved before the issue gets worse and more expensive to repair. If the issue is due to repeated misuse, training can be proactively scheduled.
Satellite messaging terminals can also be used for alert notifications for tracking unauthorized use. Text messages or emails can be set up to warn when a vehicle violates a curfew or traveled outside of a specific geographical boundary (geofence). Alerts can also be created to notify when the battery on a vehicle is low or being tampered with.
Accessing All Channels for Fleet Management and Driver Safety
Using dual-mode communications solutions, mining companies can capitalize on the operational and cost-benefits of cellular service and the reliability of satellite service. For instance, combining cellular and satellite enables fleet managers to monitor in real-time vehicle performance, run diagnostics on mechanical parts, measure fuel levels and test sensors regardless of the location of the asset.
In addition, driver performance can be more precisely recorded and analyzed and it can be immediately acted upon. For instance, if a driver is speeding, braking harshly or shifting improperly, a message can be relayed and rectified immediately.
Other applications and benefits of a dual-mode communications system include the quick positioning of trucks that move from location to location and ensuring the health and safety of drivers who travel between mining sites on isolated roads.
Stellar Remote Monitoring for Actionable Intelligence
The ability to send the equivalent of a text message via satellite provides mining companies with a solution to remotely monitor and control equipment and infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of broadband satellite products. At the same time this solution solves the issues associated with cellular/GPRS and radio.
Stellar remote monitoring and operations management requires technology that delivers consistent reliable communication service. Satellite messaging terminals meet the increasing demand for richer information in mobile and fixed remote monitoring applications and allows mining companies to share data across diverse operations without the added cost associated with continuous connectivity required for Internet, video and voice applications. Satellite messaging service is a viable choice for a unified view of fixed and mobile resources without the unnecessary excess.
Jenn Markey is the Director of Corporate Marketing at SkyWave, the global provider of wireless data communications for dependable communication, tracking, monitoring and remote management of fixed and mobile assets. To learn more about how to choose a mobile connection and the benefits of SkyWave products and services, visit www.skywave.com.
