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MICA1-400 helps Australian mine move the earth

BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance is Australia’s largest coal miner and exporter. Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) is the world’s largest supplier to the seaborne coking coal market. It is a 50/50 alliance between the world’s largest diversified resources company and the world’s largest general trading company. Combined, its two owners employ more than 84 000 people.

BMA was losing AUD $8 000 (roughly R78 500) per hour in unrecoverable downtime when cameras on its dragline excavators failed due to rough motion, shudder and vibration as well as a dry and dusty environment. Fine coal dust would breach the environmental seal of the cameras, despite their claimed extreme environment performance specifications. Dust gathered in the dome, badly degrading picture quality. These conventional PTZ cameras were ruined in four weeks at the company’s Goonyella Riverside mine.

In order to meet the requirement for constant video surveillance monitoring during dragline operation, MIC1-400 cameras were selected to meet the challenge of this very difficult application.

The MIC1 cameras are designed for brutally tough environments. The cameras’ stabilised, reinforced internal components resist shock, vibration and shuddering. They are also IP68 sealed to protect against water and dust ingress. A small, flat wiper-equipped window prevents dust build-up and the robust design ensures excellent stability.

Thriving at the Goonyella Riverside mine, the MIC1-400 cameras deliver absolute performance in this decidedly extreme environment. The cameras provide surveillance for blind spots to ensure uncompromised safety of the crew and equipment.

Dragline operators require the clear, reliable, high performance optics of MIC1 to move tens of thousands of cubic feet of earth every day. The cameras provide key imaging capability for a Web accessible system that monitors people, processes and equipment – ensuring safety.

“The MIC1 cameras provide a critical monitoring capability for the mining operation. Using MIC1, Videotronics designed a system that allowed the mining company remote access to live video over the Internet. Safety, processes and equipment could all be monitored from virtually anywhere,” said Aaron Pirie, sales & applications engineer for Videotronics.

The MIC1’s rugged and reliable performance has eliminated costly and unrecoverable downtime, outperforming conventional cameras and relieving the maintenance department of time-consuming repairs.

“The MIC1 cameras helped the maintenance department at BHP’s Goonyella Riverside mine achieve its business goals. We were able to significantly reduce both our costs and the machine downtime,” said Ben Dennis, electrical/control systems engineer for BMA Goonyella Riverside.

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