With a reported 15 per cent productivity increase, it’s easy to see why Komatsu’s autonomous haulage system is beloved by mining companies across the globe.
Owned by Komatsu, Modular Mining is one of the leaders in supplying innovative mining equipment and has consistently provided one of the most complete line-ups of mine management solutions on the global market.
Modular Mining has the mission statement of providing “leverage data and innovation to optimise the mining value chain in real-time”, and this is achieved through Komatsu’s autonomous haulage system, also known as AHS, which acts as a comprehensive fleet management system for mining operations.
Komatsu product strategy manager of automation systems William Nassauer told Australian Mining the AHS was designed with safety at front of mind.
“Attention to safety has been fundamental in the design of the system since the beginning, and it remains our strongest suit,” Nassauer said.
“From a productivity standpoint, we believe that the pairing of the safest AHS with the best fleet management solution, Modular Mining’s DISPATCH, creates a powerful combination that cannot be equalled.”
Komatsu’s AHS was first commercially implemented in 2008, and for the 16 years it has been a system that significantly increases productivity, improves safety and offers long-term reliability. But how does it work?
Nassauer said the entire network of autonomous machines is managed by a person acting as the central controller, and a server application that monitors movement and determines right-of-way in real-time.
“This right-of-way is determined based on availability of a clear path to an intended destination, which is provided from the Modular Mining DISPATCH system,” Nassauer said. “This right-of-way is then issued to a truck, and if the truck determines it is safe to proceed, then it is authorised to do so.”
If there are any cases of other equipment creating incursions into these assigned paths, the central system can issue countermeasures such as a stopping motion or alerting other users of the situation as it merits.
According to Komatsu, the AHS can increase productivity on a mining site by as much as 15 per cent and supports commodities for oil sands, copper, coal, and iron ore.
“These increases in productivity are due to high levels of utilisation of the trucks in an autonomous operation, since no stoppage during shift-change is necessary nor are operator breaks,” Nassauer said.
“We also see high uptime of the equipment due to the system’s enforcement of running within specifications, and significantly increased tyre life for the same reason.”
The AHS was also built with full supervisory logic that applies complex data fusion to control a truck to safely operate through a load, haul and dump cycle. The system also allows for integration with other mining vehicles, which is where Komatsu’s autonomous truck enters the scene.
Autonomous trucks are equipped with sensors and communication systems that allow the central controller and the machines themselves to independently decide to act to avoid unsafe situations.
Users in loading units control the truck positioning while loading, as well as general management of the loading area. Dozer operators and supervisors in the field can also have remote system access and tools to control the truck’s activities and address exceptions when they occur.
Komatsu’s AHS truck was jointly developed by Komatsu’s US corporation and Modular Mining, and is centrally controlled through a wireless network that integrates on-board vehicle controllers, high-precision global positioning, and obstacle-detection and avoidance systems.
Nassauer said by pairing the Modular Mining DISPATCH system and the Komatsu AHS together, carbon emissions can be minimised and sustainability is prioritised.
“We are also working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions further through initiatives being developed with our customer partners in Komatsu’s GHG Alliance, which include battery-electric and alternative propulsion technologies that can be offered on our power-agnostic platforms currently under development,” Nassauer said.
“The Modular DISPATCH system is working to incorporate static battery charging strategy into its optimisation logic, as well as dynamic charging using trolly-assist or other types of in-motion charging technologies. In turn, the AHS will be supporting these actions as they become available.”
Komatsu’s AHS has received positive customer feedback, with users reporting the system is easy to use. They are also satisfied with the level of support Komatsu provides.
“We have regional centres which are heavily involved in helping our customers deploy and run successfully, and they also funnel development needs back to Komatsu’s engineering centres for continuous improvement,” Nassauer said.
This feature appeared in the June 2023 issue of Australian Mining.