Centralising information from its proximity detection system (PDS) hardware and monitoring devices, Booyco Electronics offers mines a rare opportunity to become both safer and more productive.

According to Anton Lourens, CEO of proximity detection solutions leader Booyco Electronics, a single source of information on the mine’s assets is the key to enhancing operations by identifying patterns of unsafe behaviour.

“Our Booyco Electronics Asset Management System (BEAMS) is essentially a central information hub for the mine’s PDS assets,” says Lourens. “The software suite is a web-based application used on a robust database, linking the PDS hardware products and the monitoring devices.”

This provides a single source of data that can be leveraged for greater insight into relevant aspects of the mining operation – raising the level of safety and productivity in the workplace.

“The real achievement of BEAMS is that it allows the data from our Booyco CWS, Booyco PDS or Booyco CXS to be analysed for patterns which indicate unsafe behaviour,” he says. “Customers can then design an appropriate intervention to prevent any further occurrences.”

He emphasises that this allows a mine to paint a picture of the complete working environment, shedding new light on operational issues which were previously not visible. Measuring the working environment and interactions in this way then means that risks and bottlenecks can be actively reduced and managed – boosting productivity as a result. This helps to give mines an in-depth view of the operation and the performance of their related assets.

“We have engineered BEAMS for easy implementation,” Lourens says. “It can be used on web browser platforms, and is designed to be adaptable to the information and infrastructure environment.”

BEAMS can also integrate with the lamp room management systems in underground mines, ensuring legal compliance with lamp room requirements. It helps mines locate its safety equipment such as lamps, self-contained self-rescuers and gas instrumentation.

“BEAMS can be set up to suit the needs of each user,” says Lourens. “It can generate a standard set of reports, or be customised to specific requirements.”

Booyco Electronics’ partnership approach to its field service offering ensures that mines can manage the growing complexity of proximity detection systems.

“The increased outsourcing of non-core technical services by the mines makes close collaboration with OEMs vital,” says Booyco Electronics chief operations officer Pieter Wolfaardt. “Our field service offering is therefore designed in support of our business  and to strengthen our  relationship with the mine, so that we effectively become part of the mine’s team.”

The company’s service structure includes area managers coordinating closely with an account manager who – together with a technical team – deals directly with the mine’s engineering team.

“We empower every level of the service network, and encourage leadership and accountability at each level,” says Wolfaardt. “We then provide the tools and systems which allow services to be delivered to the highest standards.”

Among the key collaboration strategies Booyco Electronics identified as a vital component are regular engagement with and regular reporting to the customer. The company intends to engage in monthly meetings with the mine’s engineer where Booyco Electronics’ account manager will give detailed feedback on aspects such as equipment uptime, availability, mean time to repair, services completed, and spares consumed. This information can be discussed and signed off by the customer and include a satisfaction survey that informs continuous improvement.

“An important support contribution to the service function is made by the product specialist – a highly-skilled technician who can troubleshoot on site and take recommendations back to our head office engineering team for technical resolution and possible changes,” he says. “We are steadily growing the number of product specialists from two to ten in the near future to increase this support function to our field service teams.”

Wolfaardt highlights that the company’s service level agreements with mines are driven by the complexity of the equipment, which demands a high level of technical expertise and competence from the OEM.

“Apart from our focused knowledge of our product, a close service relationship with customers  provides the opportunity to share our experience from other sites,” says Wolfaardt. “With our wide footprint of equipment around the region and experience gained over time, we have become aware of what works in differing conditions. This collaborative approach is invaluable when customers are looking for new optimal solutions.”

While the Covid-19 lockdown has forced many companies serving the mining sector to downscale, Booyco Electronics is continuing to apply and develop its technologies for safer, more productive mining operations.

With its nationwide team of some 180 field technicians serving opencast and underground mines – by far the largest footprint among players in this field – the proximity detection specialist has remained hard at work. While supporting those coal mines that worked through Level 5 and Level 4, the company has also been assisting customers to ramp up to full production after the initial stoppage.

According to Booyco Electronics chief executive officer Anton Lourens, the lockdown has even given his engineering team some welcome breathing space for their technology development. With collision avoidance standards in mines becoming stricter, technology is responding rapidly.

“Our plans to grow our engineering team from 18 to over 30 experts this year remains on track, giving us added capacity to meet industry needs,” says Lourens. “Even under lockdown restrictions, this expanding team has continued its work on new features and functionality for our products.”

The move to the Level 4 lockdown allowed opencast operations to resume and underground mines to move to 50% production. Booyco Electronics was on hand to assist with the required pre-start inspections and equipment checks, which then accelerated with the relaxation to Level 3.

“While the lockdown restrictions were disruptive to everyone, we have learnt valuable lessons and increased our efficiencies over recent weeks,” he says. “This has left us stronger and better prepared to support customers in the field.”

Lourens says the company has not rushed to bring employees back to its offices in Level 3, taking the safer route of allowing only one third back in June. Where employees were not required to physically touch a product, they continued to be deployed at home.

“To date, we have used the lockdown as a valuable opportunity for training and refresher courses,” he says. “It has also been vital to communicate constantly with staff and entrench our safety procedures for future continuity.”

Lourens warns that the lost production on mines will mean heightened pressure on the correct implementation of collision avoidance strategies. The anticipation of tighter safety regulations had led many mining companies to target the end of 2020 for proximity detection upgrades.

“In these tough economic times – and with time lost due to Covid-19 – mines cannot afford to get it wrong when executing projects to apply these technologies,” he says. “Detailed planning will be vital in defining and implementing each mine’s specific collision avoidance solutions. The 2020 deadline may now in fact be very difficult for many mines to meet.”

At the forefront of technological innovation in collision avoidance systems (CAS), Booyco Electronics is investing heavily in its expertise by actively growing its engineering department in the coming months.

“Engineering the solutions that will ensure safer working places is at the heart of our business,” says Pieter Wolfaardt, chief operations officer at Booyco Electronics. “Collision avoidance is a field that demands highly technical electronic devices as safety deterrents, and we are continually strengthening our capacity to develop and deliver these solutions.”

As the standards governing collision avoidance in the mining industry become more stringent, the technologies serving this need are evolving rapidly as well, says Wolfaardt.

Booyco Electronics has a large market share in South Africa, and its learnings from implementation across many mine sites are incorporated in its solutions offerings further underpinning the company’s commitment to industry best practice principles.

While engineering designs around Booyco products are often customised to meet specific customer and site applications, these are fully aligned with all legislative requirements for the South African mining industry including SANS Codes. The Booyco product range also conforms to the guidelines laid down by the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMESRT).

“It is our engineering team that develops the product offerings for our customers’ requirements, and the development process never ends,” he says. “They are involved in research and development, extensive testing, and ongoing upgrades.”

Wolfaardt highlights that the company is looking ahead to the kinds of technologies that will be required by 2025, and is aligning itself with that vision. All three of the company’s main product lines – CWS, CXS and PDS – are receiving constant attention and improvement.

Among the most important recent technical achievements has been a ‘scalable’ design that suits a wide range of customer requirements without them having to change hardware on the equipment. Rather, the firmware or the software can be updated on a continuous basis.

“Our increased engineering capacity will support customers who are still getting to grips with changing CAS requirements, especially those mines who are new to CAS,” he says. “Customers often request that our systems to be tested on their trackless mining machinery as they seek the optimal solution. With our increased capacity in the engineering department we can offer a highly systematic and professional service in terms of technology integration and on-site testing.”

The substantial current team of 18 engineers, artisans and technicians will grow to over 30 in the near future. Key qualifications in the department include electronics engineers as well as BTech degrees and National Diplomas, with qualified technicians undertaking most of the testing functions.

“Mining experience is also important in our team, as this improves the way we design and integrate systems for the real working environment in mines,” Wolfaardt concludes.

Taking advantage of the mining industry slowdown over the Christmas period, Booyco Electronics equipped another South African platinum mine with its latest Level-9 Ready PDS system.

According to Pieter Wolfaardt, chief operating officer at Booyco Electronics, this rapid installation and commissioning was an important compliance step for the mine, and was achieved with minimal impact on its productivity.

“The industry is hard at work to meet Level 9 compliance by the end of 2020,” Wolfaardt says. “By working through the annual slowdown, we were able to avoid disrupting the production cycle while further enhancing the mine’s safety levels.”

Booyco Electronics has been a leader in developing and testing proximity detection systems that incorporate collision avoidance technology and comply with the required Level 9 standard. At this level, electronic systems are required to take mechanical control of trackless mining machinery (TMM) and automatically slow it down or bring these to a stop when detecting a dangerous and significant risk situation.

The recent contract involved equipping 35 underground vehicles with Booyco CXS PDS systems, the third and latest generation of Booyco Electronics’ offering. It included the fitment of 595 Exsence cap lamps, complete with intelligent buzzers and CXS tags, for pedestrians. Testing facilities for all equipment were also installed – in the form of test stations for lamps and vehicles – to ensure every item is fully functional before going underground.

“Great teamwork from our Rustenburg branch – led by our area manager Carel Snyman – in collaboration with the mine’s staff allowed us to respond immediately to the mine’s order and collectively complete the installation and commissioning in just 19 days,” Wolfaardt says.

Among the vehicles on which the Booyco CXS equipment was installed were load-haul-dumpers (LHDs), utility vehicles and personnel carriers, as well as a rock breaker, an ambulance and a road grader.

Wolfaardt highlights that training is a vital element in ensuring that PDS equipment is used effectively. Skilled training personnel from Booyco Electronics were able to train 50 TMM operators and 407 pedestrians before the mine resumed full operations in January 2020.

“Our local manufacturing capacity means that we can control and reduce lead times, giving customers unmatched availability,” he says. “Our quick delivery and installation times are matched by high levels of local support through our footprint of qualified technicians and offices throughout South Africa.”

The mine has also engaged Booyco Electronics through a service level agreement which will include regular preventive maintenance and condition auditing. The software in the equipment provided will also be updated whenever updates are developed, ensuring that safety performance remains at the leading edge of industry standards.

In the light of impending safety regulations governing South African mines, South African-based Booyco Electronics is well advanced in testing its proximity detection systems (PDS) to comply with Level 9 safety standards.

The importance of this testing arises from recent changes in Chapter 8 of the Mine Health and Safety Act, which require mines to take ‘reasonably practicable measures’ to prevent collisions between trackless mobile machines (TMMs) – as well as between pedestrians and TMMs.

Past measures implemented by mines have included systems that warn pedestrians of their proximity to TMMs (Level 7) and systems that deliver an advisory instruction to TMM operators (Level 8).

“The Level 9 standard raises the bar significantly, requiring electronic PDS systems to take mechanical control of the TMM and automatically bring it to a stop when a dangerous situation is detected,” says Booyco Electronics CEO Anton Lourens. “This elevates what is traditionally called a PDS into what is really a collision avoidance – or collision management – system.”

Significantly, Booyco Electronics was the first to begin Level 9 testing in South Africa, which is conducted by the University of Pretoria’s Vehicle Dynamics Group. The tests are aligned with the international standard ISO21815. It is expected that regulations regarding Level 9 compliance will be finalised by the end of 2020.

Lourens says the company’s strong relationships with TMM OEMs has allowed it to make good progress in testing its equipment on their machines in terms of Level 9 standards.

“This ensures that our technology can assist to safely and effectively bring a vehicle to a standstill when required,” he says.

He highlights that the parameters of Level 9 control have evolved over the past year or two. Beyond just stopping a vehicle, the Booyco Electronics PDS can also instruct the vehicle to reduce its speed to a specific level under given conditions.

With mine safety legislation getting progressively tighter, Booyco Electronics continues to ensure compliance with its proudly South African proximity detection system (PDS).

According to Pieter Janse van Rensburg, Booyco Electronics area manager for Mpumalanga, legislation coming into force in 2020 will mean the extended application of Level 9 safety standards. This level requires ‘full intervention’ from a PDS on trackless mining machines (TMMs) to avoid man and machine related incidents.

Booyco Electronics’ PDS can facilitate such collision avoidance, with automatic slow-down and even safe-stop of mining machines.

The system uses VLF antennae on a vehicle to create fields within a danger zone around the vehicle. The size of each field can be determined by the customer, to suit their specific operating environment and addressing identified risk.

An RFID tag installed on the pedestrian’s cap lamp alerts them – through a light and sound alarm – when they enter this zone. The light changes colour from green to orange and then red, the closer the pedestrian is to the vehicle.

The vehicle itself also receives a warning from the PDS, with the operator being alerted that a pedestrian is in the proximity. If equipped and configured appropriately, the vehicle can also be automatically slowed down at a certain distance from the pedestrian, and similarly brought to a safe stop.

One of the most significant advantages of the Booyco Electronics PDS is that it can effectively detect as many as seven TMMs and 20 pedestrians within one field, in the underground environment.

“Our technology prioritises the safety of the pedestrian in mines, whether underground or opencast,” says Janse van Rensburg. “Our mission is to save lives, and to ensure that every worker returns home safely every day.”

The company’s market leading systems are intrinsically safe, working on a clean 12 Volt power supply that will not ignite methane gas or coal dust. Customers value the complete turnkey solution that Booyco Electronics can provide, says Janse van Rensburg.

“Our combined technology includes a very low frequency (VLF) signal that penetrates rock walls underground,” he says. “This ensures that the pedestrian will still be warned of an approaching vehicle even if it is out of sight around a corner.”

The PDS can be applied to older ‘non-intelligent’ machines on a mine as well as the newer, controller area network (CAN) bus enabled models.

“Our data logging capacity is able to capture all information relating to the interactions between the pedestrians and the vehicles, and also between vehicles themselves,” he says. “This provides the mine with a ‘road map’ to track how any incident occurs, making it easier to report and to improve practices.”

The Booyco Electronics Asset Management System (BEAMS) gives mines the ability to extract useful data on risk areas. This can feed into focused training of staff for more effective safety behaviour.

With 13 years of experience in PDS, Booyco Electronics has supplied in excess of 5 000 sets of mining vehicle equipment around southern Africa, as well as 50 000 pedestrian sets of equipment.

As a leader in proximity detection systems, Booyco Electronics is well known for its proximity detection system (PDS) that keep pedestrians safer in the underground mining environment. Its next advance has been to develop a vehicle detection system (VDS) that triggers interventions to prevent vehicle-to-vehicle accidents in line with EMERST guidelines.

Booyco Electronics’ new VDS is an innovative evolution of the company’s vehicle-to-vehicle detection system, and now incorporates the necessary high level of accuracy to introduce interventions in the operation of the vehicles.

According to Booyco Electronics engineer and developer Frank Schommer, the Booyco VDS is applicable in both surface and underground environments.

The system can measure the distance between the vehicles in a range from 10 metres up to 100 metres, with a measuring accuracy of 1 metre; not only can it determine the position of a vehicle but also the direction in which it is travelling.

“This means that the operator will be informed if another vehicle is close by, as well as the number of vehicles there are in the proximity,” says Schommer. “Based on a high frequency wave transmission, the new VDS technology has been developed to comply with the latest safety regulations for moving vehicles on mines.”

While these high frequencies do not penetrate rock in underground mining environments like low frequencies can, they are able to perform the vital duty of detecting other vehicles at a greater distance. Like the pedestrian PDS, the Booyco VDS’s functionality is based on different ‘zones’ within the radio field around each vehicle that is created by a transmitter; the distance of each zone from the vehicle can be defined by the customer, depending on their actual conditions and specific vehicles on site.

“For example, the system can be set so that it delivers a warning to the operators at a distance of 50 metres,” he says. “If no action is taken after that warning, and the distance between the vehicles is reduced, then a second zone is entered, and a command is generated for the operator to reduce speed. If speed is not reduced and the vehicles continue to get closer to each other, an intervention is triggered by the system to slow the vehicles down.”

The accuracy of the system ensures that there is sufficient reaction time after warnings are given for the operator to act, reducing the possibility of a collision.

While the system caters for larger vehicles with longer distances between them – such as on-surface load and haul operations – it is also applicable underground as it can measure long distances between machines through tunnels.

Booyco Electronics’ tried and tested PDS system – which is based on very low frequency (VLF) wave transmission – can penetrate tunnel sidewalls underground; this allows the detection of pedestrians who are out of sight around a corner, but over shorter distances.

“It is therefore optimal to use the VDS and PDS systems together on the same vehicle to achieve higher levels of safety,” says Schommer. “Combining these technologies allows mines to improve safety between vehicles – where the distances to be measured are longer – as well as between vehicles and pedestrians – where it is important to detect workers who are closer but not visible to the operators.”

With a large aftermarket team of technically skilled and competent field staff, Booyco Electronics is walking the talk when it comes to assisting customers optimise uptime and productivity.

A leader in proximity detection systems, Booyco Electronics strategically employs its fully trained technicians at locations that ensure consistent levels of support as well as a rapid response in the case of unplanned downtime at mining operations.

Graeme Jardine, general manager field service at the company says that its six well-resourced branches allow support teams to reach customers quickly with the right components. There are branches at Jet Park, Kuruman, Richards Bay, Rustenburg, Welkom and Witbank.

“A key element of our operating philosophy is to be as close as possible to our customers,” Jardine says. “Each branch is appropriately resourced with skills, equipment and spare parts to suit the customer base in its jurisdiction.”

Jardine says that the preference when servicing mines with larger fleet is to establish a permanent on-site presence governed by a fixed-term service level agreement (SLA). By having qualified Booyco Electronics technicians on site allows for close and constant monitoring of equipment, ensuring the best performance with minimal downtime.

“Our internal training department plays a vital role in keeping each technician at the top of their game,” he says. “They train and assess technicians in the field regularly, testing their knowledge on the latest upgrades and new technology.”

In this way, expertise is kept current while continuously building experience within a structure of accountability and development. Each customer has a dedicated Booyco Electronics account manager who, in turn, maintains regular contact with the company area manager.

“SLAs include detailed monthly reports which monitor efficiencies,” he says, “giving the customer the data they need to maintain smooth operations and improve performance wherever possible.”

All services, repairs and other incidents are meticulously recorded by Booyco Electronics’ technicians. This aligns with the culture of safety in all operations and ensures ongoing compliance with mining regulations.

“Our training and quality management is so effective that we are able to develop our managers from the ranks of our best technicians. The teams in our support structure have an in-depth hands-on understanding of best practice and this assures customers of high service levels,” Jardine concludes.

Proximity detection systems (PDS) specialist Booyco Electronics is once again raising the bar for safety, quality and local content in the mining sector, through a technology collaboration with fellow South African supplier Mernok Elektronik and Selectronic.

Anton Lourens, managing director of Booyco Electronics, says the companies are cooperating to bring the substantial advantages of new generation technology to the PDS market. Significantly, Booyco Electronics pioneered the use of PDS in South Africa and today has around 5,000 of its PDS units in the field, which have delivered over a million hours of service to date.

“The experience we have gathered in the field with our existing technology has informed the direction of more recent technology, and this collaboration agreement allows quicker development and rollout of technology,” says Lourens.

According to Mernok Elektronik founder and managing director Schalk Janse van Rensburg, his company’s strength lies in its in-house design and engineering capability. “This expertise, which we have been developing for over ten years, drives our research and development efforts,” says Janse van Rensburg. “The result is a world class product range developed for the specific needs of the South African mining sector.”

With its extensive branch footprint developed over the past 13 years, Booyco Electronics will ensure that the new generation technology is within reach of customers and is constantly supported. The company’s strategically located service facilities are manned by trained field technicians, capable of both installing and supporting hi-tech equipment.

“Our proven levels of field support will ensure that the technology benefits of the latest PDS design are translated into bottom-line and safety benefits for our mining customers,” says Lourens.

The collaboration also recognises the value of greater localisation in the mining supply chain, in line with the requirements of the Mining Charter. Together, these two South African companies are able to further enhance their respective contributions to local economic development by promoting the country’s technology advancement and skills growth.

Lourens highlights that regulatory compliance has been an important factor in driving the application of PDS in mining. All products are therefore certified in terms of Department of Mineral Resources requirements.