Platinum mining major Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has acquired two Kom-Vision-equipped Komatsu 930E earthmoving vehicles that have entered into production at the Mogalakwena Complex, in Limpopo, setting a new benchmark for the miner.

Amplats’ safety strategy is based on four pillars, namely systems, people and behaviour, engineering solutions, and wellness in the workplace. The Komatsu trucks, the miner said, are included in the significant investments in engineering controls that the company has made to manage risks. 

The Kom-Vision technology is a significant step towards improving safety at the mine, the miner said on Wednesday, as it gives the truck operator a 360º bird’s eye view and significantly reduces the risks associated with a man-machine interface.

In turn, this new technology will boost the safety at operations and integrated systems at the mine, which will deliver significant operational improvements.

The new system has an additional eight radars, over and above the current standard of front and rear radars, and six cameras that provide zero-metre visibility of the truck’s footprint.

Mogalakwena mine GM Richard Cox, on Wednesday, said the technology sets a new benchmark, as it will improve the mine’s ability to integrate into future collision avoidance systems.

This, he added, was in line with the mine’s strategy of FutureSmart Mining, and would generate close-to-real-time health and performance data that will support the mine in optimising its operations.

“Investing in this technology is a major step in increasing safety levels at our mines. We remain committed to our objective of eliminating fatalities with a zero-harm mindset. We put safety first and believe that every employee has the right to return home unharmed every day. And we recognise that although we have made significant progress in improving safety over the years, there is still much to do,” commented Amplats CEO Chris Griffith.

This technology, he added, will eliminate a number of risks and the company looks forward to benefitting from the improved safety and operational features of these trucks.

He further elaborated that the case for innovation in mining remains highly compelling and that, to deliver the step-changes required to create a truly modern, safe and productive industry on a sustainable basis, that society demands, and that Amplats customers expect, the industry must continue to evolve.

Therefore, Amplats continues to invest time working through how innovation can help the industry address its major challenges.

Through FutureSmart Mining, the company has successfully drawn on the expertise of diverse stakeholders, including employees, partners in academia and civil society, and peers in the mining and parallel industries.

The company continues to focus on driving a more sustainable approach to mining through cutting-edge mining software and other technology-led innovations.

“[Amplats] is proud to partner with Komatsu as this technology allows us to maximise the capacity and safely deliver on our promises,” production manager Judd Barlow said.

These vehicles offer a fully integrated system that will deliver on Amplats’ safety requirements, while reducing maintenance and downtime, Cox added.

The new trucks will be the first earthmoving vehicles at Mogalakwena to fully integrate a range of business improvement initiatives, including collision avoidance ready technology, a tyre monitoring system, a safety standard fuel saving card and extended fuel tank, an optimised payload system for payload monitoring, as well as an Ansul foam fire protection system which combines dry powder with foam and a lightweight bowl.