Reducing process variation
indurad’s iStockpile4D™ is a radar machine vision ‘Stockpile-as-a-Service’ solution for ore, salt or coal stockpile management from ROM to product pile. The digital-reality is based on actual 3D radar scanning plus a next generation neutron generation elemental analyser exceeding mathematical modelling. It reduces product and process variation and the company says is unearthing significant multi-million dollar values in productivity and profitability.indurad was already a pioneer being part of RioTinto’s Mine of the Future program some 10 years ago with smart instrumentation and machine vision in mine outload optimisation.
Today all 14 Rio Tinto Iron Ore (RTIO) mine sites in the Pilbara have been fitted with indurad technology, including an iStockpile4D and iLoadoutG5 solution at the flagship Gudai-Darri highly automated mine. Reik Winkel, indurad Executive Officer told IM: “indurad solutions are geometric measurement solutions feeding easy to digest data to the process control system and SCADA, where we assist with a global network of system integrators using Rockwell, Siemens and Schneider PLC, MES and SCADA systems beyond advanced views via Qt-based graphical engines with 4K HDMI output for remote operation centres or HTML5 web output on premise within the IT or OT network.” Mining is full of uncertainties and variance. indurad argues that while these cannot be eliminated – they can be significantly managed and mitigated. The indurad technology is focusing on this stack. “Our iCrusher allows the identification of oversize, our iStockpile5D allows monitoring and homogenisation of product quality and reduction of segregation. The maritime industry has been pioneering in the use of radar for adverse environmental conditions – indurad brought this success to mining allowing machine vision under dust, water suppression, fog and snow. iApron and iBelt allow reduction of spillage and avoidance of blocked chutes as well as lifetime extension of feeders. Finally,teleremote operation and full automation with iStacker and iReclaimer allow management of the human factor.”
Please read the article or download it now and visit International Mining.
During Covid-19, indurad has benefited from its global presence and by having its manufacturing facilities near its primary Germany-based supply chain. Through an extensive partner network close to customers and its own sales and service centres — in Chile, Brazil, Canada, US, South Africa and Australia — indurad was able to provide solutions to customers and service them almost without interruption.
Furthermore, during this time, the company invested in focused development to mature its product portfolio. New radar sensors were developed, adding significant value by enabling user configuration and 3D views of material in the user interface which runs on a web browser via an HTML5 page hosted locally on indurad’s processing unit. Two examples of this are the belt volume scanner (iBelt) and the silo material scanner (iSilo3D) which can now be commissioned by integrators or even customers. This significantly reduces the cost to customers as installation, travelling and commissioning times are reduced…
Please read the article or download it now and visit Dry Cargo International.
A stockpile model from iStockpile 4D showing colours for different material grades stored in the stockpile.
iSilo3D in use at a 85,000t alumina powder silo showing full topology caused by the various feed points.
indurad at bauma, München, 24. – 30. Oct. 2022
Learn how indurad ’s Radar sensors build a “smart home” for mining and bulk material handling, by optimizing process steps from crusher to ship loader and by connecting the machines with each other.
Meet indurad team: Sonja Schadeck, Johannes Hornung, Julien Pierre, Roman Ostroumov, Dr. Christian Augustin
at the joint stand of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia: Hall C2, Stand 225/12
indurad presents itself with the partner RTI – the world leader in on-line analysis and offers even more added value to the customer. Be curious and experience live the solutions that will make your business safer and more efficient.
Learn about the world-first AllScan n-Gen Technology from our partner RTI:
https://realtimeinstruments.com/
Your free ticket to the trade fair:
https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/electra-mining-africa-2022-visitor-registration
Visit us at our booth 10-125 in the German Pavilion at the 27th Central Asian International Exhibition of Mining Equipment, Mining and Processing of Ores and Minerals.
You will learn about the latest developments in the field of digitalisation and automation of bulk storage, silos, dome storage, material handling systems and large-capacity material handling equipment.
We look forward to seeing you at our stand.
For more information and a free e-ticket to the exhibition, click here.
indurad is a German company that has made a sizeable impact in the world of dry bulk handling. Its products are used with a wide range of commodities, from metallic ore to agricultural products. Since its founding in Aachen in 2008, indurad has branched off into all major markets and counts some of the world’s largest mines, ports and terminals as its customers.
CASE STUDIES: TECK RESOURCES
Copper and coal miner Teck Resources operates Fording River mine in southeastern British Columbia in Canada. The mine produces nine million tonnes of metallurgical coal annually, which is shipped by rail to Vancouver for export.
In 2020, indurad commissioned its iLoadout solution at one of the mine’s two train loadouts and in the following month, railcar underloading was reduced by half and tonnes shipped was increased dramatically.
The system uses indurad’s radars to determine exactly how and when to operate the chutes so that the load is maximized for each car while at the same time ensuring that no car gets overloaded and ensuring an optimal load distribution. Using iLoadout, Teck Resources has been able to cut its railcar unloading time by half. indurad’s systems halve rail loadout time, vastly increasing throughput between bogies.
The speed with which a car can now be loaded has been increased by 41.5%, reducing the total time to load a train to only two and a half hours…
Feel free to contact us for more information or download the full article.
In this free webinar, indurad experts will teach you how to increase the efficiency of your dry bulk handling process using indurad’s radar-based machine vision solutions.
Unleash the true potential of your conveyor belts, indoor stockpiles, reclaimers and ship (un)loaders in your dry bulk terminal.
Free registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YTkXz59sQYCrTNEa2_cJkA
Learn how to:
- Reduce ship loading and unloading times
- Control material inventory reliably and in real-time
- Increase reclaimer uptime and production rates
- Improve personnel safety in hazardous areas and reliably prevent collisions
Time and date: July 12th, 2022, 2 PM CET | UTC +2 Register now for free
Free registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YTkXz59sQYCrTNEa2_cJkA
For those who have registered but are unable to attend the webinar, a summary is available as needed.
Why attend:
Gain insight into how indurad’s solutions have already added value to a variety of ports worldwide by enabling automated process control, safe and fast ship (un)loading and volume monitoring.
As a foundation for consistent and reliable data generation, our solutions are based on maintenance-free radar sensors that are unaffected by environmental conditions such as dust, rain, fog or snow.
Please click to see the source.
indurad has contributed with our unique iLoadout Train Automation Solution to the Operational Operating Excellence of TECK Fording River Operations.
TECK has chosen indurad technology with
1. its broad experience in more than 30 train loading machine vision solutions in Europe, Australia and South Africa,
2. Its maintenance free1D speed 2D|3D imaging radar portfolio working in snow and fog
3. CSA/IECEx approval for its sensors to be used in hazloc zones 20|21|22.
The indurad solution has been integrated into the Rockwell Automation PLC with our Vancouver partner enCompass Solutions Group. The technology is currently in rollout based on the great teamwork with Teck.
Feel free to contact us for more information.
Please visit International Mining to read the article or download it now.
Usually, these mines are in remote areas that face some of the harshest conditions Australia has to offer – with regions such as the Pilbara in Western Australia recording temperatures of up to 45°c in the summer.
To complicate matters further, dust and debris can cause havoc to sensors, and could interrupt the collection of data for Industry 4.0 systems.
This problem is what German equipment manufacturer indurad set out to solve. Fabian Riedel, VP of Sales and Projects at indurad, says the company was challenged with creating a system that was proven to work in the rough conditions of the mining industry.
What the company created is the iBelt system, a volume flow measurement sensor that can be used for almost any kind of bulk materials conveying system.
iBelt measures belt load, speed and misalignment with high accuracy in real time with radar technology. The system can be installed over the conveyor belt, where it can determine the 2D load profile measurement. This can be automatically combines with a measured or fixed conveyor belt speed value to determine the load volume.
Feel free to contact us for more information or download the full article.
Dust, vibration and the harsh Australian sun can reduce the reliability of sensor readings, which is why indurad has designed a solution specifically for the mining industry.
The operation of belt conveyor systems in the bulk materials handling industry can cause significant challenges, such as limitation of production rate, reliability issues, safety risks like spillage and belt damage, or a high environmental impact.
Increasing the throughput on underutilized conveyors can be tough if setpoints are based on mass instead of volume flow. If the bulk density of the conveyed material fluctuates, setpoints based on mass readings (belt scale) must be set more conservatively to avoid spillage. Volume based setpoints allow a higher belt conveyor utilization.
Spillage of material due to overloaded or unequally loaded conveyors, or varying volumetric load, can be a risk for humans and machines. Material transfer points and loading and discharge points are particularly prone to spillage events. It can be a result of misaligned belts, that lead to increased wear or even belt damage. Both are critical for human safety and maintenance.
Feel free to contact us for more information or download the full article.
indurad iBelt-SC hardware kit
Please choose your favorite time and day:
Latin America | November 17, 2021, 10 a.m. CLST | GMT -3 Register now for free
North America | November 17, 2021, 12 p.m. EST | GMT -5 Register now for free
Russia | November 18, 2021, 11 a.m. MSK | GMT +3 Register now for free
(Russian language)
Australia | November 18, 2021, 4 p.m. AWST | GMT +8 Register now for free
For those who registered but cannot attend the webinar, a summary will be available for you to view at your convenience.
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more
Why attend:
You will get insight into how indurad’s iCrusher solution has already added value to a multitude of mines globally by providing automated crusher feed control, reduced truck waiting time and increased material throughput.
As a foundation for consistent and reliable data generation, iCrusher is built on Radar sensors which are unaffected by environmental conditions such as dust, humidity, smoke and heat.
As a specialist in automation solutions and high-precision sensors for heavy industry, indurad offers products for harsh and hazardous environments. Our applications range from zone 20 dust atmospheres (Group IIIC) and zone 2 gas atmospheres (Group IIA) to underground mining (methane & coal dust, Group I). Our robust sensor solutions reduce risk, improve yield, and increase automation in potentially explosive environments.
Our sensors are IECEx, ATEX and ANZEx certified. Additionally, we offer sensor solutions for CSA/UL and are in the certification process for EAC Ex. If you are unable to find your local certification, our team of engineers can provide expert technical support to assist you with your specific requirements. We work with various certification bodies worldwide to provide our customers with high quality sensors certified in accordance with their respective local regulations.
Feel free to contact us for more information or have a look at our solutions or atex | haz-loc
Q How has radar use in mining changed from initial deployment in autonomous machines?
A Legacy automation systems for mining applications rely, among other perception sensors, on automotive-spec radars for medium and long distance CAS in a limited field of view per sensor. The sensors are merely protected in a more ruggedised housing. However, the sensors themselves and signal processing are conventional. Today, the automation system’s perception is based on indurad’s unique 360° radar technology scanning with up to 50 revolutions per second. indurad’s radar technology is designed for the harsh mining environment and does not compromise on point cloud imaging, unlike low-cost automotive radar sensors that rely on inaccurate digital beam forming, patch antennas and integrated MMIC chipsets. It scans the machine’s surroundings with high accuracy (sub-millimeter ranging accuracy) while being largely unaffected by environmental influences such as dust, rain, fog, or snow. Radar is the only technology that maintains its high OEE in even the harshest mining environments.
Q Can you give more detail on how radar uniquely handles mining
conditions?
A Mining and tunnelling applications are characterised by extreme environmental conditions such as dust, mud, water, rain, fog and snow. Furthermore, machinery and thus its sensor technology must endure a
wide temperature ranges from -40° to +60°C at different sites. Additionally, mobile machines such as trucks and loaders components must withstand high acceleration in multiple axes. In some applications corrosive water poses another challenge to sensors. Radar is by far the most suitable technology for harsh environments due to its favorable wavelength compared to optical systems such as LiDAR or cameras. indurad’s high-precision scanning dynamic radars are specifically designed for high vibrations for a great variety of industrial applications.
Q Can radar handle mining applications on its own?
A indurad has successfully demonstrated that trackless mobile machine automation in harsh mining environments including terrestrial mapping are feasible with radar-only perception. This technology already incorporates advanced signal processing algorithms and AI approaches for more challenging object detection and mapping tasks…
Please visit International Mining to read the article or download it now.
indurad has successfully demonstrated that trackless mobile machine automation in harsh mining environments including terrestrial mapping is feasible with radar-only perception
We look forward to welcoming everyone to Booth 817 for some great networking, exchange of ideas and a discussion on how to best remove bottlenecks from pit to port.
Our robust, radar-based solutions reduce risk, improve yield, and facilitate automation in very harsh environments.
Just click on the link, fill in your phone or email and we will be in touch during MINExpo to remind you to come see us in Booth 817 in the North Hall: https://www.indurad.com/minexpo/
Automatic shiploading has always been the holy grail of the mining and bulk material handling industries, as it allows operators to tele remote the boom and spout from a safe location. iShiploader uses high precision 2D and 3D radar sensors to reliably scan for collision objects, provide position data, and measure the interior of bulk carriers in real time during loading/unloading cycles.
Most seaports experience a considerable amount of dense fog, rain, strong winds, ice, and snow. These environmental factors pose challenges for conventional optical technology like lasers which rely on favourable weather conditions to perform optimally. indurad’s sensors use the latest in radar technology, which is proven to work reliably in all weather conditions. This allows the company systems to work continuously day and night, 365 days/year with minimal maintenance.
The Germany-based global supplier of radar-based automation technology is continuously developing its solution to consider new shiploader and unloader types…
Please visit Dry Cargo International to read the article or download it now.
Come to MINExpo 2021 in Las Vegas to learn why radar beats laser!
Installed iShiploader, the shiploader automation radar solution at the customer site.
Conveyor belts are often installed in environments with poor visibility, high dust loads, or exposure to rain and snow. Furthermore, they are often in remote areas that are difficult to access. This explains why optical measurement systems are often not suited to measure material across conveyor belts.
The iBelt, indurad’s radar based bulk volume scanner, addresses those problems and can help debottleneck key processes, optimize process performance, improve safety, and increase availability of critical equipment.
The solution can be deployed in mines, plants, smelters, stockyards, ports, and on balanced machines like stackers, reclaimers, shiploaders and unloaders. The solution is applicable to all bulk commodities, including, amongst others, crushed ore, coal, lignite, potash, sulphur, salt, cement, tar sand, grain or wood pellets. All indurad sensors are maintenance free, so regular cleaning is not required….
Please visit Dry Cargo International to read the article or download it now.
Come to MINExpo 2021 in Las Vegas to learn why radar beats laser!
indurad’s Bulk Volume Scanner in a Chilean open pit copper mine
Please choose your favorite time and day:
Australia | June 30th, 11am AWST | GMT+8: Register now for free
Europe/Africa | June 30th, 09am CET | GMT+2: Register now for free
North America | June 30th, 9am PT | GMT-7: Register now for free
Russia | July 1st, 11am MSK| GMT+3: Register now for free
(Russian language)
For those who registered but cannot attend the webinar, a summary will be available for you to view at your convenience.
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more
Why attend:
Our iSilo/iDome solutions have been adding value to a multitude of bulk material handling processes by providing precise 3D inventory control for all types of silos and domes. Growing industry requirements such as: needing to convert material level to volume or mass, accounting for specific material behavior, and operating reliably in harsh ambient conditions have proven to be too much for conventional level measurement systems. Whereas, iSilo and iDome use robust 3D sensors and cutting-edge software to confidently meet these objectives. Additionally, 3D inventory control is one of the most critical components of having a Digital Twin that allows clients to utilize the advantages of real time plant monitoring.
We will provide you with an expert view on how to make your business safer and more efficient. We are offering the opportunity to speak with the indurad team after the webinar to discuss each of your unique goals.
It is the go-to event for mining leaders to connect around the strategic priorities, emerging opportunities and technologies that are driving change for a sustainable mining future.
Meet indurad’s CEO Reik Winkel and indurad team: Nicky Suwandy and Carlo Rothschuh to discuss how our solutions can help debottleneck your operation from pit to port.
Don’t miss out one of the most important events for the mining industry in 2021. Meet us at booth: #439
- iBeltVOLUME for volume flow
- iBeltSPEED for material speed and
- iBeltALIGN for belt alignment.
Customers rely on iBelt VOLUME and SPEED to monitor their actual belt load, increasing their production rate while preventing spillage. Meanwhile, iBeltALIGN is typically used to monitor the behaviour of the belt and the material on it, allowing operations to avoid costly downtime caused by activating misalignment switches. The iBelt solution can add significant value, especially on conveyors that are a volumetric bottleneck in the supply chain. The iBelt offers a strong return on investment: after the installation of indurad’s iBelt on a bucket wheel excavator in a Greek lignite mine, operators now can remotely control the productivity of their excavator from a central control room, which has resulted in a 20% increase in the excavator production rate. Another customer in the US is using the iBelt to increase the production rates in their secondary and tertiary crushing circuit, where fluctuating material density was limiting their mass-flow controlled process. With the iBelt, the customer has achieved an estimated 500 tonnes per hour increase in production. Upon customer request, the iBelt solution also offers advanced features. Using the measured cross section, the centre of gravity and the position of the peak load of the material can be determined, which provides guidance for the customer to adjust the material transfer or feed supply to the belt. Based on the alignment measurement, the freeboard between the material on the belt and the belt edges can additionally be detected and monitored. This can help to reduce the unused space on the belt by increasing belt load while monitoring the result on the belt, or to detect a decentralized material flow. All sensors are built with a robust IP67housing and with military-proof cables and connectors. indurad ́s latest generation of iBelts also includes a weatherproof electrical cabinet (IP66) for outdoor use that includes all additional hardware items such as: an induradRadarProcessingUnit (iRPU), a 24V power supply, a fiberoptics-ready ethernet switch, and a remote access unit. iBelt represents a reliable and highly robust step towards the digitalization of mines, sophisticated process control, device optimization, and reduced belt wear. indurad has delivered over 100 iBelts to customers globally, handling typical bulk commodities like iron ore, coal, lignite, copper ore, fertilizers, tar sands or woodchips. indurad sensors operate in the harshest conditions found in heavy industry operations and have been deployed in open pit and underground mines, ports, stockyards, covered stockpiles, domes, and even on offshore vessels.
Please visit Dry Cargo International to read the article.
iBelt installation in underground salt mine in Canada.
indurad says it offers the world’s most reliable Stockpile Scanning solution based purely on 3D radar perception, eliminating historical reliance on optical instruments. The company’s solutions do not require mathematical modelling of stockpiles, which can be subject to large errors due to the unpredictable nature of bulk materials, such as changes in moisture content and varying particle size distributions, which affect the stockpile formation. indurad’s iStockpile Solution uses two indurad ScanningDynamicRadar-Premium (iSDR-P) sensors, located at the head of stacker booms, to scan material surfaces, improving the stacking process in real time. The collected sensor data is stored in a “voxel-based” model, with the iStockpile4D associating a timestamp with each stockpile voxel to generate a 4D model of the stockpile volume where any additional material properties that may change over time can be stored.
The addition of sensors to reclaimers or other material handling equipment allows the voxel model to be updated. “By matching with the timestamps, connected systems can assign data to each voxel in the stockpile model; for example, cross-belt analyser data, laboratory sampling data, or customer information,” indurad said. indurad openly shares this 4D model with third parties over open Geographic Information System
interfaces for enrichment, post-processing and big data analytics.This way additional properties (like mineral composition, moisture, etc) can be added, allowing blending, maximising the profit and minimizing penalties on commodity exports. “This unique interoperability allows clear system boundaries between data capturing, analytics and decision making, reducing vendor lock-in,” indurad said. iStockpile makes dual use of automation with indurad’s leading process control and predictive…
Please click here to read the International Mining full article.
indurad iStockpile4D: voxel database generated from a 3D radar volumetric scan and 1D timestamping
Discover International Mining (IM) to get insights