AUSTRALIA’S
largest coal miner and exporter, BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance is the world’s largest supplier of
seaborne coking coal but the company was losing $A8000 an hour in uncoverable
downtime when cameras on its dragline excavators failed due to rough motion,
shudder and vibration.
Another major challenge was operating in a dry dusty
environment with fine coal dust breaching the environmental seals of cameras
despite their claimed extreme environment performance specifications. Dust
gathered in the domes of cameras, degrading their image quality. At BHP
Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance’s
Goonyella Riverside mine, conventional PTZ cameras were ruined in just 4 weeks.
In order to meet the requirement for constant video
surveillance monitoring during dragline operation, Bosch Security Systems’
MIC1-400 cameras were chosen. These cameras are designed for brutally tough
environments. Bosch MIC1-400 cameras have stabilized, reinforced internal
components that resist shock, vibration and shuddering.
They are also IP68 sealed to protect against water and
dust ingress. A small, flat wiper-equipped window prevents dust build up and
the robust design ensures excellent stability.
The cameras are thriving at Goonyella Riverside mine, the
MIC1-400 cameras deliver perfect performance despite the tough conditions,
providing surveillance for blind spots to ensure uncompromised safety of crew
and equipment. Dragline operators require the clear, reliable, high performance
optics of MIC1 to safely move tens of thousands of cubic feet of earth every
day. The cameras provide key imaging capability for a web-accessible system
that monitors people, processes and equipment to ensure maximum safety.
“The MIC1 cameras provide a critical monitoring
capability for the mining operation,” said Aaron Pirie, sales and applications
engineer for Videotronics. “Using MIC1, Videotronics designed a system that
allowed the mining company remote access to live video over the Internet with
safety, processes and equipment that can be monitored from virtually anywhere.”
Clearly, the MIC1’s rugged and reliable performance has
eliminated costly and uncoverable downtime, outperforming conventional cameras
and relieving the maintenance department of time consuming repairs.
“These MIC1 cameras helped the maintenance department at
BHP’s Goonyella Riverside mine achieve its business goals,” says Ben Dennis,
electrical/control systems engineer for BMA Goonyella Riverside. “We were able
to significantly reduce both our costs and the machine downtime.”
The Bosch MIC1-400 has an optically perfect viewing
window, brushless motor technology, compatibility with all leading control
systems and an industry leading IP68 rating for the ultimate protection against
the elements. The MIC1-400 infrared range benefits from the addition of
built-in infrared illuminators. These provide fully directional infrared
illumination to a distance of up to 30 metres through a twin semi-covert 880nM
illuminator attached directly to the camera head.
There’s a choice of 18x or 36x true day/night camera
modules with automatic IR cut-filter for stunning colour clarity during the day
and picture-perfect monochrome images at night. Activation of the illuminators
can be controlled automatically either through a camera setting, via an
external switch such as a photocell, or manually from the control keyboard.
Constructed from 6mm thick aluminium, the MIC1-400
infrared offers a high degree of vandal resistance. Its unique design allows
full 360 degree continuous rotation with 320 degree tilt control. The camera can
be installed upright, inverted or canted at 45 degrees for pole mounted
applications.
