ICCL cap lamps installed at Mines Seleine. ICCL’s are one third the weight of previous lead-acid battery packs, and still contain PED Receivers

Morton Salt’s Mines Seleine Mine has upgraded their cap lamps and personal PED Receiver units to the latest ICCL version.

Mine Seleine has been using the PED System since 1995 and was one of the first mines in Canada to install BeltPED Receivers on all personnel to use the PED as the primary emergency warning system. Mines Seleine also commenced using 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. Mines Seleine completed the upgrade earlier this year, justifying 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.

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

MST acknowledge the long term support from Mines Seleine and look forward to supporting their PED, BlastPED and other communication technologies well into the future.

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.

Extent of Signal Coverage Underground with Surface Antenna Only

Surface Antenna Route

BlastPED Receiver/Exploder

INSTALL PED SYSTEM FOR REMOTE BLASTING

MINE: DAVID BELL
OWNER: TECK-CORONA
TYPE: GOLD
LOCATION: MARATHON, ONTARIO, CANADA

BACKGROUND

David Bell wanted to upgrade their blast initiation system. Several options were assessed before BlastPED was chosen. Their choice was based on successfully trialling the System, and the fact that BlastPED is the only remote, “radio” based, blasting system in use at other mines. The PED Version was decided upon as it was assessed as being more cost effective, and reliable, in providing signal to all parts of the mine. Additionally, the PED Transmission can be used for personal paging, which added further benefits to the installation.

COMPOSITION

Transmission System with a 1.5km (5,000ft) surface antenna. 5 BlastPED Receiver/Exploders 22 BeltPED Personal Receivers 3 AutoPED Vehicle Receivers

DESCRIPTION

A surface antenna of 1.5 kilometers (5,000ft) in length provides coverage to the whole underground development, being down to a depth of 1,000 metres. The transmitter is located in a surface office near the PED PC.

JUSTIFICATION

David Bell justified the PED installation for the improvements that it will give to their blasting system by eliminating the need for an extensive network of mains firing cable. Also, the use of PED for general mine communications was identified as adding significant safety and cost benefits.

BeltPED Receiver Integrated with Cap Lamp Battery

BlastPED Receiver/Exploder

NOW USE PED SYSTEM FOR BLASTING

MINE: MINES SELEINE
OWNER: MORTON SALT
TYPE: SALT
LOCATION: ILES-DE-LA-MADELEINE, QUEBEC, CANADA

BACKGROUND

Mines Seleine installed the PED Communication system in January 1995 for mine wide warning. Due to the complete signal coverage offered by PED, the system is used extensively for day to day management. The system functionality has now been expanded by the installation of the BlastPED, remote blasting system.

COMPOSITION

Transmission System with 2.8km (9,200 ft) underground loop antenna 187 BeltPED personal receivers. 5 BlastPED Remote Blasting Receivers

DESCRIPTION

An underground antenna of 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) in length provides coverage to the whole underground development. The transmitter is located on the surface and connected to the antenna by a 300 metre (1,000 ft) twin core cable down the main shaft. The PED PC is located in the winder room.

JUSTIFICATION

Mines Seleine justified the initial PED installation as a mine wide warning system, to ensure all miners could be contacted in event of an emergency situation arising. Mines Seleine monitored the BlastPED development with interest, as they identified it could offer a safer, more efficient means of achieving remote blasting by eliminating the need for an extensive network of mains firing cable. Following on-site trialling, and the success of the BlastPED installations already operating at BHP’s Cannington and WMC’s Olympic Dam mines in Australia, the decision was made to install the BlastPED system.

ControlPED for Remote Control of Fans

Remote BlastPED unit

BARRICK GOLD CHOSE PED FOR BLASTING AND FAN CONTROL

MINE: ESKAY CREEK
OWNER: BARRICK GOLD
TYPE: GOLD
LOCATION: CANADA, BC

BACKGROUND

Eskay Creek have been assessing methods to improve efficiencies in their blasting operations. After reviewing various remote blasting methods the BlastPED System was chosen. The actual system will use the ultra low frequency PED transmission system to communicate to the remote receiver/exploder units (see picture left).

COMPOSITION

The PED System will use a 3,000 meter (9,900 feet) antenna installed partly on the surface and partly underground. To further enhance the cost benefits of the PED System installation, Eskay Creek have also purchased 40 ControlPEDs to remotely switch their fans.

DESCRIPTION

The BlastPED System allows for remote blast initiation from the surface control room. The ControlPEDs (see picture left) can be operated through the PED transmission system, thus requiring no other communication links to be established to allow remote control of each fan. This means just prior to blasting all fans can be turned off, then immediately after blasting the fans can be switched back on, in sequence, to begin clearing blast fumes before mucking out begins.

JUSTIFICATION

BlastPED was chosen following Eskay Creek engineers had identified that a remote, centralized, blast initiation system would increase productivity and safety at the mine. To streamline the blast process further, required remote control of the fans prior to, and just after blasting. With the PED transmission system already in place, it was simple to use ControlPEDs for this purpose. The ControlPED are simply wired into the fans stop/start contacts and allow the fans to b swicthed on, or off, as required.

The BlastPED Remote

The PED Transmission system simplifies the Installation

FALCONBRIDGE CHOSE BLASTPED FOR THAYER LINDSLEY MINE

MINE: THAYER LINDSLEY
OWNER: FALCONBRIDGE
TYPE: UNDERGROUND NICKEL
LOCATION: CANADA, ON

BACKGROUND

Thayer Lindsley engineers determined that the introduction of a centralized blasting system would give them increased leevls of productivity and safety. After reviewing a number of options, including the traditional hard wired options of cable networks, BlastPED was chosen as being the most cost effetive, as well as offering scope of for other communication add-ons (see justification section below for details).

The PED transmission system version of BlastPED was chosen because of its inherent reliability and simplicity of operation.

COMPOSITION

The system uses a 1,800 m long PED antenna to provide signal coverage to all areas of the mine. Six remote BlastPED Receiver/Initiators are in use.

DESCRIPTION

The PED Transmission System uses a 1,800 m (5,900 ft) antenna that runs down the service ramp form 1035m Level to 1190m Level, then back up the shaft to 1035m Level. From this relatively small antenna full signal coverage is achieved in all active mining areas (from 670m Level to 1410m Level). The PED Headend is loacted underground at the 1190 Electrical Sub-Station with a fibre optic link back to the surface where the BlastPED PC is located in a mine office. Six remote BlastPED units provide firing capability to all areas of the mine where and when they are required.

JUSTIFICATION

Thayer Lindsay engineers selected BlastPED after reviewing hardwired options to achieve Central Blasting capabilities. The engineers saw significant advantages in using BlastPED,these included:

• Lower initial installation price, particularly as their mining plan calls for production from numerous zones which are separated by significant distances within the mine.
• Significant cost savings in terms of minimal ongoing maintenance costs.
• Initial system infrastructure expected to cover for life of the mine.
• Significant advantages available through add-on systems for Personal Emergency Signalling as well as simple contact switching on fixed plant (see picture, left, of ControlPED Receiver). In fact, the initial installation planning was done with a view to migrate to these value-added technologies later on.