Published in June 2008 Australian Longwall Magazine

Becker NCS, the Australian member of German-based Becker Mining Systems, received approval for three tags in February this year. The tags included the asset tag which can be dedicated to a vehicle, a standalone tag which can be mounted to a miner's belt, and a cap lamp tag. While the cap lamp tag can be fitted onto an approved cap lamp, Becker has an alliance with manufacturers Gilbert Gray, suppliers of Oldham Cap lamps.

Becker NCS managing director Tony Napier said the tag variants gave mines more flexibility for designing individual system for individual requirements.

The tags also enable a collision avoidance system which can detect miners and vehicles, useful in areas where people or vehicles are working in isolation. In addition, the tags can be used for other applications such as fuel management.

Next on the approval agenda is a tag reader which Napier expects IECEx approval for by the end of the June quarter. The reader recognises a transponder as soon as it comes into the recording range and will tag it in and out. The readers are also immune to any mine shutdowns.

The company is also on the verge of receiving approvals for its leaky feeder radio system which will allow two-way voice communications. The leaky feeder system allows miners to carry two-way radios to communicate, a standard in all non-coal mines.

Instead of VHF, the system will use UHF, which has a higher frequency allowing for better propagation underground. The radios will work up to 200m from the leaky feeder cable giving significant coverage.

"At the moment underground coal mines are forced to rely on telephones, which no one answers. This gives coal mines the opportunity to operate like a hard rock mine. Two-way voice communications is one of the first things every metal mine puts in," Napier said.

The leaky feeder and radios have already been proven elsewhere in the world with up to 100 installations in South Africa, European US Coal.

Parent company Becker Mining Systems has adopted a policy to get international IECEx approvals for all its products so the same product does not have to be developed for each of its geographical markets. A handy strategy as the business spreads across Europe, North America, South Africa, China, Russia and Australia.

The raft of communication devices the company boasts was the deciding factor in a major coal play selecting Becker to install a system for testing at one of its mines. Slated for July, all of Becker's technologies will be implemented at the mine, and if successful, could be rolled out across the groups other operations.

On top of the exciting developments in its communication products, there are also grand plans afoot to open up the Australian market to Becker's energy distribution products. Becker NCS will introduce its flameproof electrical systems for longwall mines at the Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition in July.

Globally Becker is strong in the energy distribution area with blanket coverage of European coal mines and a growing market in the United States and China. The parent company has now selected Australia as its new growth area and is on the verge of obtaining IECEx approval for its first flameproof distribution box.