Konkola Copper Copper Mine goes Digital for Mine Communications & Tracking

Konkola Copper Mine Zambia have undertaken a major upgrade of their underground communication infrastructure by introducing MST’s digital backbone and AeroScout’s tracking applications to their main Konkola Mine. The solution has been designed and implemented by GMSI, the distributor of MST and AeroScout technology in Africa.
KCM, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc, are the largest copper producer in Zambia, with their Konkola Mine located in the northern part of the famous Zambian Copper Belt. The mine was looking to introduce advanced communications technologies to support their productivity goals through improved access to information for the management of their underground equipment and processes.
Apart from two-way voice communications using VoIP phones, Konkola is introducing a tracking system to allow better management of their equipment underground.   In particular the tracking of vehicles will allow these assets to be managed and more effectively deployed at the operation.
To achieve communication along the main roadways underground, and track equipment & vehicles, Konkola are installing:

• 59 ImPact Wireless Network Switches (WNS). Each of MST’s WNS units consist of a 4 port, single mode gigabit fibre switches with one or two wireless radio cards, as well as 4 PoE external ports.

• 8 ImPact PoE Access Points. These are MST’s basic single Access Points that form minor spurs off the main WNS based backbone, to provide Wi-Fi coverage at specific locations.

• 12,000 metres (39,370 ft) of ImPact Composite Fibre/Power cable to link the ImPact WNS’s and form the main digital backbone.

• 100 Wi-Fi  RFID Vehicle Tags are being installed to begin tracking key assets such as loco’s and LHD’s. The Tags are AeroScout’s advanced T2 Extended Battery Wif-Fi Tag.

• For Tracking software GMSI uses the AeroScout’s Mobile View and Positioning Engine. Actual visualization of real time position is done on a video wall that allows users to zoom into area’s of interest.

• 10 Spectralink VoIP phones are being installed initially to begin the introduction of two-way digital voice communications into the mine. This will complement the existing fixed phones and overcome the limited coverage from the mine’s existing leaky feeder radio system.

The core hardware in the digital backbone is based on MST’s ImPact Wireless Network Switches. These provide the wireless link to various Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as the VoIP phones. Importantly, they also act as the readers for the Wi-Fi enabled RFID Tags. The ImPact WNS’s are configured with single or twin radio cards; twin radios being used where immediate determination of direction of travel is required.