Mine Site Technologies is a solutions provider, specializing in the development and supply of technology, and services, to the mining industry. Our particular areas of expertise include underground communications, remote blasting systems, mine tagging & WiFi tracking systems and cap lamps; as well as high data wireless mesh systems for open pit and surface communications.

Pugwash Salt

ICCL’s are one third the weight of the older NiMH batteries that were in use

Winsor Salt’s Pugwash Mine, having upgraded their cap lamps and personal PED Receiver units to the latest ICCL version.

Pugwash has been using the PED System since 2006, with BeltPED Receivers on all personnel to use the PED as the primary emergency warning system. Pugwash also use the BlastPED System to remotely initiate their blasts underground. This was relatively simple as the PED transmission system in place for personal paging only required a software upgrade to be able to introduce the BlastPED Receiver/Exploders into use. Pugwash justified the upgrade on ergonomic and economic grounds. The light weight ICCL lamps are one third the weight of the lead-acid batteries formerly in use, plus the sealed housing ensures long term reliability and significantly lower maintenance cost for the internal PED electronics.

Also, by replacing the older style NiMH cap lamp batteries at Pugwash maintenance costs have been reduced, and personnel now carry a much lighter battery and PED unit.

With the Integrated Communication Cap Lamps in use the option to add RFID Tag electronics into the ICCL’s for implementing a general tracking system is available, if wanted in the future.

BlastPED - The Pugwash engineers assessed the safety and productivity benefits of using BlastPED to initiate their blasts remotely. This provided the cost justification for the purchase of the BlastPED remote units.

The PED System now consists of:

  • 1 PED Transmission Headend powering a 2,000 m (6,600 ft) antenna for mine wide signal coverage (already in place).
  • 10 BlastPED Receiver/Exploder remote units.
  • 100 Personal Pagers interfaced to cap lamps (already in place).

We thank the Pugwash personnel for their continued support, and are pleased they are gaining even further benefits from their original investment in our PED technology.

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Minesite Technologies: 25 27 Whiting St Artarmon NSW 2064 AUSTRALIA Phone: +61 2 9437 4399 Fax: +61 2 9437 5688 Email: mst@minesite.com.au