A Systematic Evaluation of Localisation Signals in the Advancing Open Pit Mine Aitik
摘要
Modern high-performance mining operations are under constant review for better to improve efficiency, increase productivity and reduce environmental impact. This can be achieved by introducing new automation and electrification technologies, such as the deployment of electric, autonomous drilling at Boliden’s Aitik mine. Reliable, high precision localisation under all conditions, such as varying weather conditions and advancing geometry of the operation, is crucial for autonomous drilling. and the advancing mine geometry, is crucial for autonomous drilling. As part of a multistage project for the introduction of autonomous drilling, an assessment was conducted of localisation signals from satellite-based positioning and the mine-specific localisation infrastructure. This paper provides an overview of Aitik mine, its drilling operations, as well as the localisation system setup, before presenting the localisation evaluation procedure. The evaluation includes the determination of the influence of weather and time on satellite coverage. Further it covers an extensive recording and analysis of the position dependant availability of the different localisation systems within the different areas of a selected bench. The evaluation reveals the external influencing factors, displays the resulting accuracy level in the different parts of the bench, as well as its dependency on the different available satellite and locally installed localisation systems. Overall, this study serves as a practical example of how localisation quality and infrastructure can be evaluated, provides guidance for deciding whether additional localisation infrastructure is required for pit automation, and supports decisions on the appropriate timing of such an investment.