Caterpillar hard rock drill in a mine

Cat Command for Underground

Cat Command for Underground

Cat® MineStar™ Command for underground enables remote operation of load-haul-dump machines to deliver immediate productivity and efficiency gains to your operation. The system improves safety by removing operators from hazardous environments. It also delivers machine utilization increases over line-of-sight mucking operations by reducing the downtime required for shift changes, blast times, and any other conditions that can remove operators from the face.
Options range from simple line-of-sight to full autonomy. This building block approach allows miners to capture value at their most economic entry point while allowing scalability as technology maturity grows.

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Features

Safety

          
    • Provides ability to relocate operators to a safe, comfortable location underground or on the surface, increasing safety and reducing fatigue.
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    • Eliminates exposure to noise, dust, seismic activity and other underground hazards, and reduces the need for air delivery and cooling.
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    • Decreases potential for injury from slips, trips and falls when climbing on and off machine.

Capabilities

          
    • Combines machine guidance capabilities with mine infrastructure to enable automated tramming through narrow mine drives and provides three levels of operation. 
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    • Teleremote, used for bucket loading and unloading, which enables the machine to be run from a distant location with the operator providing all machine input.
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    • Copilot semi-autonomous operation, which enables the operator to monitor the machine’s location on a mine plan and use the joysticks to give the machine directional input if necessary; leverages on-board scanners, combined with radio network infrastructure, to ensure the machine self-steers along a safe path.
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    • Autopilot autonomous machine operation (tramming and dump cycle), which allows the machine to auto tram, dump and return for operator control of the loading process; allows full operator control of the system to be obtained through teleremote mode.
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    • Provides control of all operational functions utilized in the cab through seat-mounted joysticks in the remote operator station. 
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    • Real-time view of machine location and status through onboard cameras, along with guidance systems.

Scalability

          
    • Ranges from simple line-of-sight to full autonomy, offering scalability that allows mines to build to their desired level of technology.
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    • Allows you to configure and automate the drilling system to meet needs today, with the ability to easily grow into tomorrow.
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    • Scalable architecture that allows sites to readily integrate new emerging technologies in the future.

Productivity & Efficiency

          
    • Increases machine utilization by reducing the downtime required for shift changes, blast times, and other conditions that can remove operators from the face; enables continued use of machine without putting operators at risk.
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    • Makes it possible to access deeper ore bodies that were previously not extractable.
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    • Boosts productivity by allowing one operator to control multiple machines.
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    • Reduces operator fatigue and drives consistent productivity through the shift.
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    • Enables second-gear tramming for increased efficiency.

Reduced Costs

          
    • Improves accuracy of tunnel navigation, boosting productivity and reducing machine damage caused by contact with drive walls.
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    • Enables reduced fleet size by making it possible for a single machine to pull from the draw point and tram in second gear to the ore pass, eliminating rehandling and the need for another machine.
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    • Improves operator comfort, retention and recruitment and helps address the skills crisis.
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    • Reduces but does not eliminate workforce.
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    • Improves machine longevity, with machine consistently operating to optimum parameters.

Integration

          
    • Integrates with Cat machine electronic control systems, saving installation time and speeding machine response time compared to aftermarket systems.
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    • Is designed as part of Cat MineStar, a system that is used and supported around the world on thousands of machines.
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    • Provides access to all operational features, and notifications of critical machine health parameters.

Sustainability

          
    • Delivers consistent and more efficient operations to reduce fuel usage, which translates to a reduction in emissions.
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    • Enables higher machine utilization, for reductions in idle time and less wasted fuel.
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    • Incorporates machine health technologies and data analytics to maximize asset health and performance, reducing waste.