Enabling Data Access at Detour Lake Mine
Enabling Data Access at Detour Lake Mine
Overview
Detour Lake Mine, Canada’s largest gold mine, located in Northeastern Ontario, embarked on a digital transformation journey with Symboticware. Through the implementation of a comprehensive IIoT infrastructure, Detour Lake Mine witnessed tangible impacts on fuel savings, safety enablement, and maintenance cost optimization.
The Challenge
As part of their digitization efforts, Detour Lake Mine had already enabled Private LTE connectivity across their site. However, the remote location of the mine site, its sparse territory, and a mixed fleet of machinery posed significant challenges. Ensuring data interoperability and access regardless of the vehicle’s location was crucial.
The Solution
Symboticware implemented 4-Sight.ai, an end-to-end IIoT platform, enabling the equipment with SymBot IIoT devices for real-time data streaming. Depending on availability, the platform could use LTE networks, WiFi, or store-and-forward technology. Being fully cloud-based and encrypting data in transit, the platform ensured secure and accessible data for control room managers and operators.
Outcomes
Fuel Savings: Through 4-Sight.ai, Detour Lake Mine was able to understand and map out fuel usage across operations, leading to improvements in efficiency. A customized dashboard allowed dispatchers to promptly address issues like idling trucks, significantly reducing fuel wastage. Watch the video to learn more about fuel-saving measures at Detour Lake Mine.
Promoting Safety: Ensuring a safe operating environment was paramount. One specific challenge the mine faced was monitoring gases within equipment cabs to protect employees. Symboticware addressed this by installing specific sensors on their units, allowing timely action to maintain safe working conditions. See the video here to see how safety measures were enhanced at Detour Lake Mine.
Maintenance Improvement: Alongside 4-Sight.ai, Symboticware introduced Agnico Eagle Squares, a maintenance management tool that uses natural language processing to analyze maintenance logs. The tool streamlined data analysis that previously took hours or even days, leading to more efficient decision-making and resource allocation. Watch our video to learn more about how maintenance was improved.
Symboticware’s digital transformation solutions have demonstrated the potential of IIoT infrastructure in addressing key operational challenges and driving improvements in the mining industry.