company insight
Mining sites run on the interoperability of heavy equipment and people, making them important areas for preventative safety technology. Collision avoidance systems can help reduce risks for both humans and machines. Carroll Engineering president Allen Haywood spoke to JP Casey about how the company integrates satellite technology into its collision avoidance solutions.
Detect and avoid collisions with Carroll technology
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As mining operations grow in scale, large pieces of equipment and heavy vehicles become increasingly common sights both above and below ground, increasing the need for sophisticated safety systems and preventative technologies. The Carroll Technologies Group offers a range of solutions for detecting and avoiding potential collisions between vehicles, equipment and personnel, as well as holistic services for a comprehensive solution.
Carroll Engineering President Allen Haywood. Credit: Carroll Technologies
Underground and above ground operations
Carroll Technologies provides solutions for both surface and underground operations. Vehicles and pieces of equipment are fitted with proximity-detection devices which detect nearby objects and alert the equipment operators ahead of a potential collision.
Carroll Engineering president Allen Haywood said: “As an example, the driver of a large rock truck would actually have a screen – what they call a hardened, rugged screen – and tags would be installed on personnel or smaller pieces of equipment if they just want the monitor to see where those are. They don’t necessarily need to see the large piece of equipment; the one that has trouble seeing and identifying has the screen in his vehicle, and they can put one of these tags on anything.”
The flexibility of this system enables collisions to be predicted and avoided, involving vehicles and equipment of a range of sizes. Alarms can also be tailored for individual objects; both sound and visual alerts can be programmed to go off when an object is detected at a specified distance. Carroll’s alarms are also divided into yellow warning and more significant red warnings, enabling equipment operators to respond appropriately to a range of situations.
Carroll Technologies provides solutions for both surface and underground operations
As Carroll aims to provide a holistic service to mine operators, its collision avoidance solutions can be integrated with the company’s other systems, including its miner monitoring and tracking systems
Integrated collision avoidance solutions
As Carroll aims to provide a holistic service to mine operators, its collision avoidance solutions can be integrated with the company’s other systems, including its miner monitoring and tracking systems. Haywood said that proximity trackers “can be put on a person’s belt to be worn”, incorporating proximity detection into existing systems, and allowing the collision avoidance system to protect both pieces of equipment and individual miners from accidents.
“This equipment will alert the operator of large equipment that has trouble seeing. It’ll alert him if any of this equipment is approaching a person within a couple hundred yards, if they’re entering their work zone, just so they’re prepared,” said Haywood. “This is all in one solution.”
Carroll also personalises and services its collision avoidance system as it does for all of its other solutions and products. “Another advantage of this – and this is all in one system – is our availability to service the customers, and service products continually,” said Haywood.
Satellites tracking is used to assist in surface-level collision monitoring
Satellite tracking technology
Satellites tracking is used to assist in surface-level collision monitoring. This solution, known as the geo-fencing system, involves satellites being used to establish perimeters around vehicles and equipment above ground, creating work zones around objects without the need to place individual tracking devices on pieces of equipment.
As a result, the system is highly flexible, and enables Carroll to continue to provide a range of adaptable and versatile services.
“That’s the reason for our service to begin with,” said Haywood. “This equipment can be used underground, or above ground, and that involves large rock trucks working in close proximity to other, smaller equipment: service trucks, tool trucks, sweepers. And, of course, they’re all occupied by personnel.”
Satellites tracking is used to assist in surface-level collision monitoring
Contact information
Carroll Technologies Group
Office: +1 (606) 573-1000
www.carrollengineeringco.com
www.deltaelectricwv.com
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