Radar has come a long way since its inception over 80 years ago. While we’re able to utilize this unique tracking technology in all terrains of land, sky, and water, one environment where radar has yet to fully grasp is underground. In recent months, Reutech Mining has developed a prototype for ground penetrating radar (GPR) that is compact, convenient, and more user-friendly than similar products on the market.
Called the Sub-Surface Profiler (SSP), this low-cost device that weighs around nine pounds (4.5kg) was designed to specifically address production and safety challenges that plague the underground working environment. The SSP’s compact ergonomic design includes patented suspension capabilities and a roller system that takes readings. Interchangeable handles give the SSP a customizable element, enabling the device to be used in smaller, deeper, underground mining environments. It can be used by one person using one hand, and is applied in a movement motion very similar to a paint roller. The SSP operates on rechargeable batteries that last up to four hours, and can be replaced during operation. This makes the transition seamless, and enables the SSP to stay on a mode like standby for an indefinite period of time. For maximum efficiency, the SSP can even be mounted on a mining vehicle, which would be key in areas of a mine rendered too dangerous or difficult for workers to navigate on foot.
The accurate readings from the SSP contribute to more precise management of falls-of-ground risks, along with determining how to use certain mining mechanisms in the safest, most efficient ways possible. The SSP can identify hidden fractures and fault structures up to six meters inside rock masses, which cannot be seen by the naked eye. The data collected by the device is transmitted to a tablet computer and processed in real-time to generate instant input about the structural faultiness of the mine, which in turn will hopefully prompt workers to make quicker and better decisions on safety and productivity protocols.
The inspiration for the SSP came from the various safety and production concerns faced by workers in underground mines throughout the world. Reutech Mining developed the SSP with help from a South African platinum mining major that required an improved solution to tackle falls-of-ground risks. The device has sent waves through the industry, and has been featured in notable industry events like the Electrical Mining Africa trade show in September and at the Nasrec Expo Center in Johannesburg. The SSP has been tested in South African platinum mines, one Canadian diamond mine, and will have future tests conducted in goal, coal, and more diamond mines in North America and South Africa.
