Grange Resources’ Savage River mine in Tasmania, Australia saw the opportunity to further safeguard its operators on site by equipping its mobile equipment with remote controls. Implementing remote control technology has allowed Savage River’s operators to control machines from a safe location, away from potential hazards brought on by the frequent, heavy, rainfall experienced on site.

RCT’s relationship with Savage River began with the installation of the ControlMaster® Line-of-Sight remotes on two of the site’s Caterpillar D10T dozers. Pleased with the performance of the technology, the site then called upon RCT’s help to customise a Line-of-Sight package for their Hitachi EX1200 excavator which would allow them to interchange the excavator with a rock breaker attachment.

The excavator was being used to dig holes and trenches and perform batter scaling and the modification would see the machine being used for normal excavation works and for rock breaking if there was a blockage in the main crusher. While RCT’s Custom department had completed this modification previously, it was the first time it had applied the technology and functionality onto a mobile piece of equipment.

“RCT was very professional and came up with a package that suited our requirements,” said Savage River’s Mobile Maintenance Manager Greg Ling. “Combining the two attachments on the one machine allows the site to increase productivity as there’s no need to change machines,” said Mr Ling. RCT’s expertise were also called upon to develop and install a remote package to Savage River’s Hitachi EX1900 excavator used for the larger jobs on site in areas that were not safely accessible for operators. By installing remotes on mobile machinery such as excavators, it removes operators from the cab of a machine operating in a potentially dangerous environment and allows the site to continue to work efficiently.

Mr Ling said there were numerous benefits to progressing with Smart Technology company RCT, including the local support provided which ensure any downtime was kept to a minimum.

“We were fortunate to regularly deal with the same Brisbane-based technician over the years and as a result he is highly regarded amongst the team,” he said. “In addition to this, the training received from RCT was excellent. In turn, it enabled us to complete the minor services needed on the systems ourselves.”

“All in all, the RCT systems are generally trouble-free and easy-to-use. All the systems have provided Savage River with the tools necessary to carry out high-risk work, while keeping our people safe, allowing them to operate mobile machinery away in either a dedicated remote station or a Landcruiser troop carrier,” said Mr Ling.

About Grange Resources
Grange Resources is one of Australia’s oldest and most experienced magnetite producers and currently holds long term supply contracts for over one million tonnes of its annual production and offers the balance of its production to market via a spot sales tendering/contracting process. Grange believes they are at the forefront in using new technology and development of new equipment to do the job safely.

About RCT:
RCT is an innovative smart technology company with the expertise to evolve entire industries. We design, manufacture and deliver technology and service solutions to support clients around the world in multiple sectors including mining, industrial, agricultural and civil. With more than 45 years of success, RCT leverages knowledge and insight to provide clients the advantage of measurable value – increased profitability, productivity, efficiency and safety.

Since the 1970s, RCT has traversed all corners of the globe. Our team has grown to 150+ committed people working with clients in over 64 countries worldwide, from Australia to Africa, Asia, Russia, North America and Latin America.

With our unique way of viewing the world, intelligent solutions and backed by exceptional support, service and training, RCT is a global leader in smart Guidance, Teleremote and Remote Control automation solutions for the mining industry.
We continue to listen, see, think, create and evolve solutions that lead to better profitability, productivity and safety for our clients.

For more information please contact: RCT’s Communications Officer Emma Brown
Email: emmab@rct-global.com