Remote dozer operations embraced at Capcoal
Dozer operators at Anglo American’s Capcoal Complex in Queensland are in training to embrace remote control technology to improve operator safety on site.
A remote-controlled stockpile dozer is being trialled at the operation ahead of plans to retro-fit the entire fleet.
Once this technology is fully deployed across all of Anglo American’s sites, in-cab dozer exposure time will be reduced by 45k to 75k hours a year.
This remote control dozer trial has been named a finalist in the innovation and safety categories at the Queensland Mining Awards. Capcoal has also been named a finalist in the innovation category at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference awards.
Winners will be announced in July and August, respectively.
Capcoal general manager George Karooz says this is the first time the remote control dozer technology would be used at Anglo American’s Australian operations.
“Upskilling our workers in this new technology is paramount to its success because their expertise is irreplaceable, even when the work is done remotely,” he said.
“In pursuit of safety and efficiency, the mining industry has been a constant driver of innovation for generations.
“Operating our fleet of dozers from a safe distance will reduce the number of hours in the cab and fully remove our operators from the dozer seat in what is another significant advancement in autonomous mining.”
Coal handling and processing plant dozer operators are the first to gain experience operating tele-remote dozers as part of a pilot program to reduce exposure to concealed stockpile voids.
The pilot program includes the retrofit of a stockpile dozer with the latest wi-fi enabled technology to set up connectivity between the machine and operator chair in the control centre.
Anglo American acting operations manager Matthew Wakeford says training operators has been a nine month transition.
“We are re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives. From a business safety perspective, this will remove our coal miners from the hazards of working with voids in our coal stockpiles,” he said.
“We are starting with small steps as our workers adjust from the ‘feeling’ of manual operation to remote control with cameras and computer screens.
“We’re starting with just one dozer, but the plan is to ramp up and retro-fit the entire fleet – that’s 13 in total across our Capcoal and Moranbah operations.”