Duxbury Networking has provided a first of its kind, custom-designed network for Assmang Manganese's recently commissioned Black Rock mining operation in the Northern Cape province.
The new mine required a communications systems that would enable both voice and data transfers for all of its operations.
As vehicle tracking and voice communications are paramount to the functioning of the mine, infrastructure would have to be put in place that offered 100% uptime for these mission-critical applications.
"Voice was the main driver for the system," explains Leon Burger, Wireless Project Manager at Duxbury Networking. "But data communications also form an integral part of the mine's daily functioning. The mine can not operate if systems go down as data connections are used to monitor and track both manned and unmanned vehicles underground, remotely operate equipment and provide connectivity to underground offices and workshops."
Burger says mines traditionally made use of radio walkie-talkies underground for voice communications and slow UHF/VHF radio data communications; however, the system provided by Duxbury Networking provides full 54 megabits per second wireless connectivity to the mine's underground operations and seamlessly links to systems in offices on the surface.
Proxim's Orinoco range of wireless access points were selected to provide connectivity underground. These high-performance access points deliver the scalability for large-scale WiFi deployments, such as that of the Black Rock mine, while being easy to deploy and manage. Proxim products also offer a high-level of security.
A special rugged casing was designed for the Orinoco access points, constructed from cast aluminium and stainless steel covers. These watertight enclosures are designed to withstand the underground environment and can be easily moved.
It was decided to implement special radiating cable as opposed to conventional antennae, which would circumvent the obstructions for WiFi reception posed by vehicles, concrete, steel and earth, ensuring that communications are never interrupted underground. "At the moment there is over five kilometres of radiating cable in the Black Rock mine, and this number grows daily," says Burger.
It was also necessary to install fibre-optic lines for video cameras mounted in underground haulages used for monitoring and the remote operation of equipment. Along with the access points, radiating and fibre optic cables, special intelligent junction boxes were designed to accommodate power supplies, power-over-Ethernet devices, fibre terminations and Netgear's GSM7212 network switches.
Spectralink's Netlink range of handsets was selected for the Black Rock mine. These handsets allow for walkie-talkie like communications using push-to-talk technology, while also functioning as voice over IP (VOIP) devices for both internal communications and dialling out to conventional telephony and cellular networks from underground.
Powering the voice component of the system are Mitel PABX and controllers. The Spectralink Voice Protocol (SVP) is used for communications; a protocol which is fast becoming the de facto industry standard and compatible with devices from multiple vendors.
"The Black Rock mine shows what can be done with modern networking technology," says Burger. "The system allows for easy expansion and the accommodation of any devices introduced to the underground operations that require connectivity."
"We're proud to be the first mine in South Africa to implement this highly-innovative solution," says Jan Nel, Engineering Manager for Assmang Manganese. "This solution provides the mine with a competitive advantage and tighter control over operations than was ever possible before. This not only benefits our business, but makes the mine a safer and more pleasant working environment for its employees."
This deployment proves that networking technology from the likes of Proxim and HP is ready to take on mission-critical solutions in even the most challenging of environments and deliver reliable and robust communications.
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