News

Sudbury, ON (September 27, 2017) – CEMI (Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation) celebrates 10-year anniversary of delivering mining innovations at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Dynamic Earth to a packed theatre highlighting CEMI's results, partners and dedication to delivering technical solutions to the mining industry through innovation and commercialization.

Members from the Ultra Deep Mining Network (UDMN) presented their commercially viable projects and how they are implementing their technologies into the mining industry. Among the speakers, Mr. Michael Gribbons, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Maestro Digital Mine presented their project under the UDMN theme: Improved Human Health and Effectiveness entitled, “Environmental Air Quality Stations for Deep Mining”. In 2016, this project won the UDMN Outstanding Achievement in Commercialization for taking their UDMN commercially viable innovation to completion, achieving a commercial sale(s) and creating a new and important technical product category within the marketplace for use in mining operations. Maestro Digital Mine’s technical innovation, the first recipient of the award, ensures the safety of underground miners. In addition to Maestro, UDMN members Jannatec Technologies and Electrale Innovation/MIRARCO were also featured as part of the UDMN Innovation Showcase.

CEMI coordinated a dynamic SME-led Innovator Panel: What it takes to be a successful Innovator in Mining! The panel explored what it takes to get their innovative ideas adopted by the mining industry. Gained valuable insights into how SMEs have identified the needs of the mining industry and how they are delivering solutions. Moderated by Dick Destefano, Executive Director, SAMSSA, panelists included: Walter Siggelkow, Founder and President, Hard-Line; Michael Gribbons, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Maestro Digital Mine; Christine Haas, President, Renix; and Chris Novak, CEO and Owner, Centric Mining Systems. These innovative thought leaders engaged the audience and shared their strategies on how they have grown their business, taken risks, empowered their people, developed their business through new products, services, technologies and continue to take advantage of new market opportunities.

Maestro Digital Mine is featured in the CEMI 2017 Annual Report.

Maestro Digital Mine provides insight to two top government officials on the importance of real time data at the working face. This data can provide significant productivity and safety improvements especially as miners have suffered from lower productivity and higher costs over the past ten years.

Left to right: David Ballantyne – VP of Product Innovation and Development – Maestro Digital Mine, Stephen Orsini - Secretary of the Cabinet, Head of the Ontario Public Service and Clerk of the Executive Council, David de Launay - Deputy Minister – Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Michael Gribbons – VP of Sales and Marketing – Maestro Digital Mine

Maestro Digital Mine introduces Plexus Powernet, which uses copper coaxial cable to get data from the mine face to surface faster.

As mines rely more on real-time information and advanced diagnostics, the need for pervasive connectivity has become more critical.

Maestro Digital Mine has come up with a solution that borrows from an old method of delivering TV channels and the Internet to the home: a copper coaxial cable network.

Read the full article here at Northern Ontario Business. (Article and photo by Karen McKinley.)

Ventilation systems are crucial to ensure safe working conditions in underground mines. They provide fresher, cooler air for mineworkers, as well as clearing toxic fumes from blasting and exhaust fumes from diesel equipment. In deep and hot mines, ventilation is also required to cool the workplace for miners. The primary sources of heat in underground hard-rock mines are virgin-rock temperature, machinery, auto compression and fissure water, while other small contributing factors are human body heat and blasting.

A good mine-ventilation system is a real-time process that requires excellent balancing of climate controls and the dilution of exhaust gases and hazardous substances to ensure a safe working environment for staff. Ventilation raises are excavated to provide ventilation for the workplaces, and they can also be modified for use as emergency escape routes.

Ever-increasing energy costs and the need to conserve energy have prompted many mines to examine their operations and identify potential saving methods. Ventilation systems are a large part of the energy consumption of underground mines, particularly deeper mines - at some sites it can account for as much as 50% of the total energy consumption. Smart ventilation systems, which bring the supply of ventilation in line with the demands of the mine, can result in significant energy and cost savings.

Read the full article here. (Article by Ailbhe Goodbody, Mining Magazine)

Maestro Digital Mine has released a new product called FanMon that allows technicians to remotely dial into a ventilation fan to monitor its performance and diagnose problems.

“One of the challenges with ventilation fans is that there are very few mining companies with fan specialists on staff,” explained Michael Gribbons, Maestro’s vice-president of marketing and sales. “Vale and Glencore in Sudbury have them, but outside of these two companies, they don’t exist, so most mines need to have a third party fly in.”

FanMon tracks the performance metrics of main and booster fans ranging in size and power from 500 to 4,500 horsepower and is Ethernet enabled for remote communication, allowing a fan specialist in Toronto, for example, to monitor fan performance and diagnose a problem without the expense of a trip to a mine a thousand kilometres away.

Read the full article here. (Article by Norm Tollinsky, Sudbury Mining Solutions)