Since its inception in 2006, proximity detection system (PDS) and collision prevention system (CPS) specialist Booyco Electronics has leveraged a radical research and development (R&D) regime to inform its product development. This, explains chief sales officer Graeme Jardine, has been key to addressing specific requirements for the coal mining sector.
“We have over the years made significant investments in R&D, which has truly spurred innovation, invention and progress,” he says. “Informed by changing industry requirements, we have evolved our offering from the first-generation Collision Warning System (CWS) to the new generation Booyco CXS.”
The technology has advanced from simply being a PDS solution, to incorporating several other functions such as tracking and data management. In addition to the safety capabilities, Booyco PDS and CPS solutions are now able to provide customers with the bigger operational picture, including information such as machine standing time, idling times and cycles times, among others.
“The latest generation Booyco CXS consolidates the learnings of the past 16 years, leveraging technology to achieve new levels of safety in both underground and surface mining environments. It is a best-of-breed system that provides a comprehensive and integrated response to Level 7, Level 8 and Level 9 requirements, in line with the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMESRT) requirements,” explains Jardine.
Due to the presence of flammable gases, collieries are susceptible to explosions. One of Booyco Electronics’ competitive edges is that all its PDS and CPS components are intrinsically safe, which makes them ideal for hazardous mining areas such as underground collieries. The common industry alternative to an intrinsically safe solution is for suppliers to offer a flameproof enclosure to house the PDS, which makes the equipment extremely expensive, heavy and difficult to maintain.
“Because our solutions are intrinsically safe, they are designed within specific system specifications to allow them to be deployed in hazardous areas. Typical benefits of this approach compared with flame-proof enclosures include cost savings in installation and maintenance of the equipment,” says Jardine.
He also highlights the importance of Booyco Electronics’ proximity to its coal mining customer base, which allows regular and detailed interaction, in line with its partnership approach to PDS installations. The company has a fully-fledged branch in Witbank to support the Mpumalanga coalfields, while the Richards Bay branch looks after the Vryheid/Newcastle coal mines. Each branch has a large aftermarket team of technically skilled and competent field staff, assisting customers to optimise uptime and productivity.
