Mine More Tons. Faster. Safer.

Fleet Management System for
Underground Mines

Our State-of-the-art Fleet Management System uses AI based scheduling algorithms and the
best-of-breed technology with off-the-shelf hardware to increase tons mined per shift, faster and safer.

Automate
Trip Data

Automatically capture cycle time data from on-board telemetry and underground sensors and systems to streamline counting all Load-Haul cycles. Enhance with in-cab tablets for data recording and live operator feedback

Equipment Telematics

Eliminate operator data entry errors by getting data directly from on-board and after-market telemetry systems to get production metrics and monitor asset health

Material
Inventory Tracking

Track broken ground inventory and grades at faces, stopes, rooms, muckbays, skips and stockpiles in real time. Easily reconcile and trace the lineage of each ton mined

Maintenance
Management

Stop production losses due to critical component failures by continuously monitoring asset health. Easily plan and perform planned maintenance and proactively respond to down equipment

Underground Fleet
Management System

GroundHog’s Underground FMS is a state-of-the-art system used to continuously
monitor all development and production activities in underground mines to
maximize face utilization and equipment availability and utilization

GroundHog FMS for Underground Mines is built to monitor all production equipment such as Jumbos, Long-Hole Drills, Bolters, Muckers (also called Scoops or LHDs), Powder Loaders, Transmixers and Haul Trucks. The system is also used to manage all other underground equipment such as scalers, water trucks, graders, dozers, light vehicles and 40+ more types of equipment used in Underground Metal, Non-Metal and Coal mines

The Fleet Management System runs on the same types of algorithms and technology infrastructures used at companies such as Apple, Uber and LinkedIn. GroundHog runs on standard off-the-shelf iPads, Android Tablets and SmartPhones.

GroundHog automates data collection through on-board sensors and telemetry systems. GroundHog also integrates with a variety of after-market sensors and load-cells to capture production data from old equipment that do not have on-board telemetry systesm. GroundHog stores data locally and automatically synchronizaes to the cloud using Peer-to-Peer, LoRa or WiFi networks.

GroundHog has established relationships with a wide variety of OEMs such as Caterpillar, Sandvik, Epiroc, McLean Engineering and other after-market sensor manufactures such as Loadman for Load-cells, Loadscan for 3D volumetric scans, Aztec Tyres for Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems, and AeroScout for real time location tracking systems amongst many other such systems.

GroundHog Underground FMS uses Open APIs to easily integrate with 3rd party systems commonly used in Underground Mines, including SAP, Vulcan, Deswik, LeapFrog, Datamine, acQuire, OSI Pi, PowerBI and others.

GroundHog’s FMS is part of the Production Optimization platform that includes GroundHog Short Interval Control, Material Management, Grade Control, Blend Management, Real Time Location Tracking, Peer-to-Peer Networking, Telematics, IoT, Underground Consumables Management and Explosives Management Systems.

GroundHog’s Production Platform had pre-built integrations with Safety Management Systems for Equipment Training Sign-offs and Incident Management Systems.

Underground Fleet Management
System Components

SIC
Scheduler

open-pit fms ops center remote operations center

OpsCenter for
Control Room

Sensors &
Telematics

GroundHog SIC

Inventory
Management

Operator
Apps

How Underground mines use GroundHog’s Fleet Management System

Auto-Generate Shift Plan to maximize face utilization and equipment

GroundHog’s AI based SIC scheduler imports a short term weekly mine plan and auto-generates daily plans by taking into account available equipment and personnel, various activity times, and tramming times to sequence activities within the mine to maximize face utilization and utilization of available equipment. This allows for maximum mining intensity by minimizing idle and operating standby times so mines can:

This results in a dramatic increase in equipment OEE and Mining rates. It also substantially streamlines planning and execution of the mine’s production plan, for the shift, day, week and month.

Real-time visibility into all mining activities

GroundHog’s Fleet Management System captures and analyzes all production activities in real-time so supervisors have up-to-date information on all mining activities being performed by all equipment at all times. The GroundHog Supervisor App, the Mine Manager App and the OpsCenter provide mine leadership with all the information they need to manage production rates and to manage downs and delays in real time.

 

In-cab display units that run on standard, off-the-shelf Android Tablets and iPads provides operators with real time information on their performance. This allows for mines to increase:

This provides mine management the ability to proactively react to situations that impact production rates.

Automate tonnage tracking on haul-trucks, loaders and skips

GroundHog’s on-board telemetry units provide automated data capture of all production activities in real-time. This provides mines with pure, unadulterated data coming directly from the equipment and other on-board and off-equipment sensors.

With automated production data capture through sensors, operators can focus more time on mining activities and less time on manually entering data. It also eliminates the possibility of the operators gaming the system and also prevents operators from data entry errors that may occur when manually entering data. GroundHog’s Telemetry module in the FMS enables mines to:

Machine data enables mines to apply AI and Machine Learning alogirthms to enable better scheduling and improve operator effectiveness.

Track Broken Ground inventory with grade, Manage Muckbays and Stockpiles, and reduce Material Rehandling

GroundHog FMS keeps track of every ton of material moved in the mine, at all times. Material is moved by LHDs (also called Scoops or Boggers) to muckbays or loaded on to haul trucks that dump to ore-passes or shipped to stockpiles on the surface. Using GroundHog, Drills capture sample bag data so Geology can properly set material to be routed correctly. LHDs also have the most recent “geology-calls” so haul trucks get routed correctly. Operators and Supervisors are also notified about mis-hauls.

 

GroundHog keeps track of all broken ground inventory at headings, stopes and muckbays, along with their grade information so daily Production Planners can prioritize which locations to haul out of to meet the mill’s blend requirements. The Material Management module enables mines to:

This provides mine management and geology the ability to keep tabs on their short-term and long-term material inventories.

Increase situational awareness and operator safety

GroundHog’s Real Time Location Tracking module keeps track of the location of every miner, equipment and other assets underground in real time. The system works with both a SmartTags on miner’s hardhats made by the likes of AeroScout and by using SmartPhones and Tablets carried by miners or installed in equipment.

 

GroundHog RTLS uses 3D maps to visualize and locate equipment, and miners at all times. Using RTLS, mines:

Machine data enables mines to apply AI and Machine Learning alogirthms to enable better scheduling and improve operator effectiveness.

Digital Equipment Pre-Start inspections and Workplace Exams

GroundHog’s Operator and Supervisor Apps are used to perform equipment pre-start inspections to ensure that every machine is in a proper working condition and will not impede shift progress. Miners can log safety issues and upload pictures of deficiencies so maintenance has all the information they need to prioritize equipment maintenance. This leads to significant decreases in down-times and higher production rates.

 

Miners use their app to perform workplace exams or Job Safety Analysis routines to ensure that they are working in a safe worksite. Mine Safety personnel get notified when miners report unsafe working conditions. Miners also log incidents and near misses, and also report Hazards

Proximity Alerts and Collision Avoidance

GroundHog FMS integrates with partners to provide integrated Proximity Alert (PAS) and Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS) for Underground Mines. The Proximity Alerts System uses a combination of radar, electromagnetics, RFID and GPS (for surface) to enable detection around corners and through strata to alert drivers about the presence or other personnel and equipment. Equipment operators receive visual and audio alarms.

 

The Collision Avoidance System taps in to the equipment’s CANBUS and brings equipment to a halt to avoid collisions. All such activations are recorded as near-misses and can be used to enhance safety protocols and train operators.

 

With the safety features on GroundHog, mines:

Automated Shift Logs and Streamlined Lineouts (Shift Changes)

GroundHog auto-generates end-of-shift logs that are reviewed by Supervisors before they get sent out to mine mangement, production planners, geologists and other shift bosses. Shift logs are used to plan upcoming shifts so the mine can continue to achieve its weekly and monthly plans.
GroundHog also has a very easy-to-use lineout process.

 

With GroundHog’s Lineout features, mines:

GroundHog
SIC On-Boarding
Process

SIC ROI
Calculator

SIC
Features

Why
GroundHog

GroundHog SIC
Greedy autoallocation
algorithm

Plug-and-Play Mine
Digitization Software

GroundHog Logo

Telematics

GroundHog Logo

IoT

Maintenance

GroundHog integrates with most software and hardware used in Underground Mines