Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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JANUARY 2017 • E&MJ; 47 www.e-mj.com OPERATING STRATEGIES • Device protection: If a tablet is stolen, any attempt to reset it requires the associated Google account information; • Project Volta, Google's battery life opti- mization design; • 64-bit processor support; • Improved application runtime perfor- mance; • Improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connec- tivity; and • Improved Security: Set geographical safe zones, better malware protection, policy enforcement at the kernel level. In the Field… An Explore Technologies spokesperson told E&MJ; that currently, mining companies are using the D10 in a number of applica- tions. At one operation in Latin America, technicians use the tablet to run software that tracks major production equipment status and health. Using the mine's Wi-Fi network, they can remotely check invento- ry on parts availability and can place or- ders from the fi eld, if necessary. In another example, a tablet-based workfl ow is used by geologists to check the levels and types of minerals present in the outfl ow produced by high-pressure water cannons used at a placer-type op- eration. Technicians wade around in the sludge taking samples and running tests to optimize production, and need a de- vice that works reliably in wet, dirty con- ditions, which is where the ruggedness of the D10 comes into play. In a more conventional application, a Chilean mining company runs Joy Glob- al's ProManual app on another, very simi- lar ruggedized tablet model that runs Mi- crosoft Windows' operating system. Using the Joy app, which is also available for Apple's iOS tablet operating system, mine personnel can take advantage of several features that include: • Secure online and offl ine availability: all product manuals are made available within the ProManual app, which means workers don't need to be connected to the Internet to access Joy's manuals. • Version management: The ProManual app always includes the latest product manuals, and users that have gone of- fl ine are prompted to download the new versions of manuals whenever they are logged in and connected to the Internet. • Streamlined communication process: The app allows users to submit detailed feed- back for any product manual instantly. …and In the Cab In Australia, Panasonic reported earlier this year that Brisbane-based Global Tech Group had developed and is marketing a Portable Vehicle Training System (PVTS), designed to "revolutionize" training of operators on large single-seat vehicles such as dozers, graders and excavators. Key to the PVTS solution is the FZ-G1 Panasonic Toughpad — an ultra-thin and lightweight fully rugged tablet device, used in conjunction with a specifi cally designed clip-on keyboard. Richard Vorias, managing director of Global Tech Group, said there were a num- ber of key considerations in developing and patenting the PVTS. First, when training mining personnel on single-seat vehicles, it's often not possible for the trainer to be next to the operator. This means that op- erators generally follow up their in-class training by driving the vehicle under the in- struction of an experienced instructor who trains them over the mining radio network and views them from a safe distance. This method lacks privacy, which can lessen its effectiveness, and instructors have no way of viewing the trainee's actions in the cabin. Global Tech Group said its solution pro- vides remote, private and live training with instantaneous feedback and guidance, and is designed with robust technology to withstand the rigors of mine site envi- ronments. The PVTS has now been imple- mented by customers within the industry. The company went through some tri- al and error when initially developing the solution. The fi rst remote system tested on a mining site was a "suitcase" that in- cluded a TV monitor. It soon became ev- ident that the system was too heavy and large to be used in a vehicle cab and with too short a range to be versatile enough for training, as well as offering little resil- ience to dust and glare. Global Tech Group went back to the drawing board, and building on this expe- rience, developed a compact solution with one-to-one Wi-Fi communication, which they tested in the fi eld with certifi ed in- structors at live mine sites. This version included ToughPad tablets that were capa- ble of withstanding the environmental ex- tremes of summer heat all the way through to driving rain, constant exposure to dust, and continual vibration and shock. In addition to the Toughpad, the PVTS solution includes four individual cameras that capture high-defi nition video images, a rugged headset and a Pelican-style car- rying case. The PVTS is light enough for one per- son to carry up the steep stairs of a heavy vehicle using a hands-free strap. The four cameras are mounted in and outside the cab of the trainee's vehicle, while the instructor views the steering and other operations on the Toughpad screen and communicates via the head- set. The cameras can also capture stills and video for later use in a classroom sit- uation to demonstrate best practice or for review to improve performance. The solution is unobtrusive for the driv- er, and the cameras and the screen provide visual clarity between driver and instructor in all weather, day and night. The direct visual feedback from the cabin makes it easier for the instructor to guide the op- erator and impart best practice in safe, effi cient machine operations, including posture, steering and blade techniques. "The headset fi ts under a safety hel- met, and the Toughpad is easy for a train- er to hold in their hand to communicate with a driver from a safe distance without dropouts even when they are standing on the shoulder of a pit and the vehicle is 500 meters away," said Vorias. Explore Technologies' XSlate D10 rugged tablet offers many of the standard features found in typical notebook computers, including numerous I/O options and battery packs, along with an optional detachable keyboard. The D10 runs on the Android operating system, v. 5.x.