Fortescue expands autonomous fleet at Solomon operations

[Ben Graham]

Fortescue (ASX: FMG) is expanding the autonomous fleet at its Solomon iron ore operations in Western Australia with the introduction of non-line of sight (NLOS) excavators to further drive efficiency and productivity.

For this fleet expansion, Epiroc’s RCT was tasked with the design, installation, and commissioning of two CAT 350 Excavators and four D10T Dozers with its teleremote control solution, AutoNav Tele, which allows the operator to control the machines from the comfort of an automation centre.

Even though the operator is removed from the cab of the machine, they receive real-time data through a graphical interface and a touch display, which provides them with instant access to machine data and operational insights, RCT said.

“It allows them to comfortably control machines in real-time with the help of strategically placed cameras and sensors,” commented Steven Appleton, RCT’s solutions and customer service manager for RCT Perth.

“While AutoNav Tele is stage 2 of RCT’s automation journey, our technology range is fully scalable and can grow with Solomon’s mining needs, if necessary,” he added.

At Solomon, these automated machines are used as ancillary machines for rock breaking and tray cleaning (back scratching) as required on site. “This task requires an operator to control the machine for very short bursts of time, meaning there was a lot of coming and going, which is quite time-consuming and results in lost time,” said Appleton.

“Our AutoNav Tele technology eliminates this downtime by removing them from the cab of the machine and allowing them to attend to a number of other tasks in the interim, instead of having them sit idle in the machine, waiting to be picked up each time.”

The operators at Solomon are controlling multiple machines from an AutoNav centre, located in an office location on site, which also plays a part in reducing downtime associated with shift changeovers, RCT said. Training was also provided to operators and maintenance staff to ensure the technology can be self-sufficient on site.