Mining Automation Program

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 90, No. 1006, 1997

G.R. Baiden, INCO Limited, Copper Cliff, Ontario, R.E. Ström, Tamrock OY, Copper Cliff, Ontario, C.J. Preston, Dyno Explosives Group, Copper Cliff, Ontario

On January 1st 1996 Inco Limited, Tamrock OY, Dyno Explosives Group and CANMET formed a consortium for the development of robotic mining equipment. This project is a five year research and development agreement that combines the talents of the above organizations to facilitate the creation of mining equipment and systems for robotic mining. The projects are based on the communication system developed by Inco Mines Research and currently sold and marketed by Automated Mining Systems Limited. Main projects include the development and implementation of a positioning and navigation module (including a software mapping system that will be inherent to each piece of equipment), robotic systems for development and mining, and software systems to support the use of this equipment. Included in the program is the establishment of a test mine, at Inco’s 175 ore equipment, body at Copper Cliff. This facility will allow collaboration of companies and research organizations for the design and testing of techniques and equipment for Robotic mining. This paper discusses the creation of this new research alliance, the Mining Automation Program or MAP.

Mots Clés: Automation, Robotics, Communication systems, Positioning modules, navigation modules, Software mapping system.