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Safety on mines is of paramount importance, as there is no reason any longer to put lives in danger or to risk damage to high value capital equipment. On big open pit mines, one of the dangers is the potential of slope failures. Although slope stability radars have reduced this risk drastically in the last decade, these radars have struggled to handle highly volatile atmospherics and fast-moving slopes. This was due mainly to the technologies applied.
Reutech Mining is launching the fastest scanning and most sophisticated slope monitoring radar in the industry, the MSRIV Esprit. The exceptional high scan speed ensures early detection of developing slope failures at mines, and enables accurate movement detections of fast-moving slopes rapidly changing atmospheric conditions.
With the play on the duality of its name, cleverness and spirit, Esprit testifies to the use of the latest core radar technologies to increase the safety reaction time between first warning and the possible event of a slope failure – thereby contributing to the confidence of mining operations in a safer, monitored environment.
‘We are very proud of this very advanced system,' says Reutech Mining Executive Jan de Beer. ‘At Reutech Mining we are constantly striving to design and produce the most effective slope monitoring solutions with radar. It has proven to minimise risk in daily operations, is critical to mining planning and increases productivity. Nothing satisfies us more than providing the best possible data with the least interruption to daily operations and we are certain that the fourth generation MSR will do exactly that.'
Neville Greyling, product manager, explains: ‘With the MSRIV Esprit's exceptional scan time of less than two seconds for an entire area covering more than 22 million m² at an operating range of 4 000 m, we ensure that virtually no noise is introduced. Due to the fact that an entire area is measured instantaneously, we can provide the truest, up-to-date slope data.'
The MSRIV Esprit
Accuracy is of utmost importance in the mining industry: coupling instantaneous 3D area measurements with the fast scan speed ensures that, when doing critical monitoring, slope velocities of up to 13 500 mm/h can be attained – the best in the market. In addition, during strategic monitoring, smaller movements are detected with greater accuracy. ‘This means predicting potential failures earlier and increasing warning times. It will result in overall safer open pit mines in areas prone to fast moving slopes and with rapidly changing atmospheric conditions', adds Greyling.
The Reutech Mining team has gone to great lengths in ensuring that its radar sensors stay in line with cutting-edge technology, and this remains the case with Esprit. However, tribute must also be paid to tried concepts and stability of systems in tough working environments. The product record of the MSR Modular series contributed greatly towards ensuring that, while the Esprit is the latest technology, it also retains the reliability and durability required of an MSR product.
`Reutech Mining welcomes the MSRIV Esprit into its expanding range of sensor technology solutions in the mining industry and feels confident that it will set the new benchmark for slope stability sensors. We are a proud team making a difference in mine safety, planning and cost effectiveness, comments de Beer.
