Maptek quarry monitoring system extended to cold climates

Maptek has released a cold-climate model of its award-winning mobile Sentry system for stability mine and quarry site monitoring.

The company says the newcomer to its technology portfolio answers the imperative for continuous, reliable measurements of ground movement no matter the environment.

“Risk management remains a priority,” said product manager James Howarth. “If anything, the reliable operation of technical equipment is even more critical in extreme conditions.

“Climate factors play an important role in the execution of any mining project. Extremely low temperature conditions require considerable planning and logistics, especially from an operator safety perspective.”

8113 Maptek Sentry is a mobile remote monitoring system that uses laser scanning to continuously measure ground movement and is claimed to have extremely fine spatial resolution and accuracy. Housed in a self-contained unit with autonomous power and communications capabilities, Sentry relies on sophisticated software to monitor, analyse and report in real time.

The Sentry system can operate continuously from -20°C to +50°C, with operation for a limited time in temperatures below -20°C. It requires an XR3 cold-climate laser scanner, which has been redesigned and tested to operate at these low temperatures. A removable neoprene jacket for the scanner provides extra protection against wind chill.

Maptek redesigned all the major components in the standard temperature Sentry mobile system, with significant changes to achieve the required cold-climate specifications.

“Equipment reliability is ultra-important in extreme conditions. Sentry is a cost-effective monitoring and survey solution which helps operations manage safety and productivity,” Howarth added.