FLEET: TERRAIN: DETECT: HEALTH: COMMAND ….. or as CAT so eloquently puts it: “The industry’s broadest, most comprehensive, integrated mine operations and mobile equipment management.”

That’s quite a declaration, even coming from a global brand such as CAT.

After attending AIMEX in Sydney last week – Asia-Pacific’s International Mining Exhibition – I travelled to Brisbane for a guided tour of CAT’s technology centre. Top of the agenda was the flagship Minestar System.

CAT assembled a team that included key figures from each of the five key elements of Minestar.

So what exactly is Minestar? Here’s an outline of the system’s capabilities –

• FLEET: Vehicle tracking. CAT says they’ve recorded up to 15% productivity increase. Available for non-CAT machines.
• TERRAIN: Machine control. Guidance system for everything from wheel loaders to draglines. CAT believes the system can deliver a 30% increase in productivity across operations.
• DETECT: Camera system that provides object detection and proximity awareness. Personnel wear locator tags to help prevent contact with operational machinery.
• HEALTH: ‘Real time’ machine data. Maintenance, condition monitoring support. Available for CAT and other equipment manufacturers.
• COMMAND: Remote control, semi-autonomous or fully autonomous mining equipment.

Put simply, Minestar promotes operational integration. Identifying potential bottlenecks and connecting each section of a minesite, so that everyone knows what the other person is doing.

One by one, CAT specialists from each of the above-listed, five disciplines, stood up and outlined what Minestar offers.

Operational efficiency, safety and preventative machine maintenance are among the obvious benefits.

But CAT believes the system can deliver up to 30% higher productivity, based on mine site trials. That equals a significant dollar saving, at a time when cost is the focus for all operations.

Andrew Ransley is general manager, Asia Pacific, Caterpillar Global Mining.

He said: “Australia is the mining technology epicentre. Things happen quicker here.

“Technology, such as Command, offers project cost reductions.”

We can examine the technology that makes up CAT Minestar. But mining companies will focus on how the system can make operations leaner, more efficient and reduce operating costs.

Even the harshest critic would struggle to argue that Minestar is, in effect, the future of mining.

At the moment, only large projects would benefit from the system. But the integrated approach to equipment monitoring, management, scheduling and maintenance is what mining companies recognise they need to lower production costs.

CAT makes it sound very simple – optimise the equipment and personnel on a mine site and you’ll reduce production costs and increase productivity.

Interestingly, the technology team pointed out that many aspects of Minestar aren’t exclusive to CAT machines.

There’s a common misconception that CAT is secretive in terms of its technology. But elements of Minestar, such as FLEET and Health, can be applied to other machines.

This makes the system more attractive to mines that operate a range of equipment.

CAT is synonymous with big, yellow mining and construction machines. But combining this expertise with equipment and operational management is a natural step that the industry is embracing.