Does your mine have a wireless mesh sensor network?

Mine safety is a top priority for all responsible mine operators in Canada and around the world. Another key area of focus for mine engineers and managers is productivity. An unproductive mine will quickly turn into an unprofitable one and not stay open for very long.

One of the foundations on which an effective mine safety and productivity management program is built is monitoring. You can’t manage what you can’t measure, as the old saying goes.

The most efficient monitoring systems in underground mines, including those located in Canada, start with an array of geotechnical, hydrological, and other monitoring instruments that gather data about the movement and behaviour of rock, soil, and water within the mining area.

This information is then analyzed by engineers, so potential risks can be observed and acted on. To make this process work efficiently, data must be gathered and sent through to engineers as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Wireless mesh sensor networks are the most efficient way to gather and move data.

A typical wireless mesh sensor network consists of the following basic elements:

• A series of monitoring instruments spread throughout the mine that contain electronic sensors and digital read-out heads (DROs)
• Wireless nodes (e.g. MDT-RTU or VW-RTU) that can simultaneously connect to up to three instruments. Nodes connect to and share data with other in-range nodes, forming a “mesh” of overlapping data pathways (hence the term “wireless mesh sensor network”)
• One or more Ethernet gateways that take data from the network or wireless nodes and feed it into the mine’s existing Ethernet/LAN network, from where it can be accessed and utilized by engineers using custom software

Contact us today to find out more about our range wireless mesh sensor network components that are suitable for use in all underground mines in Canada and other countries.