Caterpillar has added the MineStar Edge platform to its Cat MineStar Solutions offering to align with the way that mining operations manage their businesses.
Edge creates an operational ecosystem for mining companies: rather than having data in individual silos, Edge brings visibility to the entire operation and enables managers to see how activities early in the process impact those further down the value chain.
MineStar Edge leverages cloud computing and recent technology advancements
MineStar Edge leverages cloud computing and recent technology advancements, such as data fusion, machine learning and artificial intelligence and automates data collection for greater accuracy.
“MineStar Edge makes it possible to measure, manage, analyze and improve the entire mining operation,” Sean McGinnis, MineStar Solutions product manager, said in a release.
“Yet the design makes Edge cost effective even for smaller operations—with the capability to scale up as needed. This platform will grow with Caterpillar and our customers.”
Because Edge is delivered as a cloud-based, subscription managed application, it reduces costs of deployment, service and training.
Caterpillar takes care of all office-based deployment, support, updates and upgrades.
Customers select an offering by role, function or task—paying only for those functionalities they need.
Edge enables supervisors to access information from a computer or tablet with an internet connection; they receive the information in near-real-time.
Producing results
“In early deployments of Edge Equipment Tracking and Production Recording, we saw the mines achieve significant gains,” Ryan Howell, commercial manager at Cat MineStar Solutions, added.
“We estimate that sites currently using paper reporting systems will be able to increase production by 20% to 30%. For mines using production recording technology, Edge will increase accuracy, and, through the use of cloud technology, reduce system support tasks for the customer.”
Equipment Tracking provides consistent information on each asset, including data on location and movement, velocity, payload, cycle times and fuel level as well as hour meter readings and time utilization.
Supervisors can view scheduled and unscheduled downtime along with operational stoppages.
Production Recording pairs with Equipment Tracking to deliver an accurate and automated near-real-time solution that measures and reports on every aspect of the load-haul-dump cycle.
It provides accurate, reliable and actionable data with no operator input required, eliminating the risk of incorrect data entry.
With Edge, in-cab displays are also available for operators to help improve payload compliance and material selection.
(This article first
appeared in the Canadian Mining
Journal)