There remains an ongoing need to inform and educate the mining industry as a whole in terms of compliance to the legislated requirements as well as the correct application of Proximity Detection System (PDS) technology.

This is according to Graeme Jardine, general manager field services at Booyco Electronics, who says the company was recently afforded the opportunity to do this by the South African Colliery Engineers Association (SACEA).

In presenting Booyco Electronics’ PDS offering to SACEA members, the company’s managing director Anton Lourens discussed the differentiators the Booyco PDS offers users of trackless underground equipment in hazardous and fiery environments.

“The presentation was followed by a practical demonstration and although this could not be conducted underground and was done on surface, the advantages of the Booyco PDS were evident to all that attended,” Jardine says.

Included in the demonstration was the operational functionality of the Booyco PDS as well as its full intervention capability. Jardine explains that notably should the operator fail to stop of his own accord it is possible for the vehicle to be stopped when using the Booyco PDS and interfacing with the OEM.

The practical demonstration was conducted using a Fermel LHD equipped with the Booyco PDS and this highlighted this locally manufactured product’s capability on the newest equipment available. In addition a simulation was done using an older model diesel engine that was trailer mounted and supplied by ECS. This showed that the Booyco PDS works equally as effectively and with the same level of compliance on previous generation equipment.

“Contrary to misinformation that had been circulating in the industry, being able to demonstrate the intervention capability on a much older diesel engine not only proved that this is possible but has rubbished the idea that it is not possible to use the PDS on diesel driven equipment,” Jardine says.

The Booyco PDS transfers information between users via Booyco Electronics’ Human Machine Interface (HMI) and system communication is exchanged with operators using icons, making it easy to understand.