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Join us on September 13th from 4 - 7 pm for a Monday Night Top Golf Tailgate. The only place it's OK to drink & drive!

We're taking over the TCL Lounge on the top floor of Topgolf Las Vegas to thank our amazing partners, clients, and friends who have helped us bring innovative safety solutions and environmental technology into the mining industry.

Enjoy free golf, drinks, and snacks with industry partners all leading up to Monday Night Football's matchup -- the Las Vegas Raiders vs the Baltimore Ravens.

RSVP to reserve your tickets.

*Disclaimer: the word "drive" is referring to the golf term for a long-distance shot played from the tee box. Never drink and drive.*

PAUL MOORE, WRITER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MINING MAGAZINE, TALKS ABOUT HOW MINES ARE LOOKING TO ASSURE HAVING ENOUGH BANDWIDTH FOR THE EVER-GROWING LIST OF TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS, IN THE FEATURED ARTICLE “FUTURE PROOFED NETWORKS” OF IM’S SEPTEMBER 2021 EDITION.

PASTE MONITORING WITH PLEXUS POWERNET™

Fibre presents several challenges to the underground mining industry. Terminating fibre underground is difficult, time consuming and requires expensive specialised training, which is frequently, the biggest contributing factor limiting the advance of connectivity. These types of delays inhibit the agility and pace needed to enable the digital mine and bring communications to the face.

Maestro Digital Mine’s Plexus PowerNet™ delivers a high speed, low latency digital communication network that provides PoE+ power to Wireless Access Points (WAPs), cameras and any other IP based device. The system eliminates the need for costly outside fibre optic contractors and can be installed and maintained by any internal tradesperson. It also addresses the challenges associated with extending fibre optic-based communication backbone solutions for ‘last mile’ data applications.

Lundin Gold decided to use the Plexus PowerNet™ because it uses a single conventional copper coaxial cable which provides power and data. Plexus PowerNet™ delivers a high speed, low latency digital communication network that provides PoE+ power to IP Cameras, PoE+ lights, Wireless Access Points (WAPs) and any other IP based device. 

Read the complete article here, pg. 97-98

Sudbury, ON, Canada – September 17, 2021, METS Sector digital disruptor, Maestro Digital Mine is being recognized as Company of the Year for its excellence, continuous growth and success in the underground mine sector.

The Sudbury-based company was honoured at the 24th annual Bell Business Excellence Awards gala celebration on September 16th at the Caruso Club in Sudbury. Hosted by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the annual awards ceremony pays tribute to entrepreneurs and businesses that demonstrate excellence in their field.

Cofounders, David Ballantyne, COO and Michael Gribbons, CEO accepted the Company of the Year Award after having just showcased their disruptive technologies at the MINExpo 2021 convention in Las Vegas, USA.

The Company of the Year Award is presented to a company that has demonstrated significant business achievement, sustainable financial performance, outstanding growth and success, and has had a significant impact on the community’s economy.

Maestro’s brand promise, “We leave no one stranded” is the foundation that drives exemplary customer service 24-7. One of Maestro’s core values “Listen, Learn and Act” facilitates upfront collaboration with multiple end users and cooperation up and down the supply chain that is vital to achieving the development of relevant and commercially viable solutions for the mining sector.

Maestro, immersed in a diverse mining innovation hub, is a proud ambassador for Canadian METS sector and continues to support the community and mining organizations such as MMTS, CIM, Science North and Dynamic Earth, NORCAT, MIRARCO, CEMI, LU – Goodman School of Mines, Cambrian College, MineConnect, MSTA, and providing dynamic and technically challenging careers for the modern world.

Their cleantech products and solutions deliver worker safety and productivity improvements while reducing energy and greenhouse gas footprint, aiding in corporate decarbonization efforts, and supporting global warming initiatives.

Maestro’s solutions are now recognized in over 36 countries and deployed globally in 150+ mines including Vale, Glencore, BHP, Rio Tinto, Newmont, Barrick Gold and Nutrien.

Read the PDF here.

Media Coverage: 

Bell Business Awards celebrate Sudbury’s best
Toronto Star

For John Lalonde, just getting together with fellow entrepreneurs in Sudbury was a thrill. To walk away with the Entrepreneur of the Year award at this year’s Bell Business Awards made the evening even more special.
“It was pretty cool just to be at the awards ceremony (Thursday) night with the Sudbury business community,” said Lalonde, the founder of Sessions Ride Company.  Read more here.

Bell Business Awards celebrate Sudbury's best
Sudbury Star

For John Lalonde, just getting together with fellow entrepreneurs in Sudbury was a thrill. To walk away with the Entrepreneur of the Year award at this year’s Bell Business Awards made the evening even more special.
“It was pretty cool just to be at the awards ceremony (Thursday) night with the Sudbury business community,” said Lalonde, the founder of Sessions Ride Company.  Read more here.

Maestro Digital Mine garners Company of the Year at prestigious Bell Business Excellence Awards
Mine Connect

METS Sector digital disruptor, Maestro Digital Mine is being recognized as Company of the Year for its excellence, continuous growth and success in the underground mine sector.
The Sudbury-based company was honored at the 24th annual Bell Business Excellence Awards gala celebration on September 16th at the Caruso Club in Sudbury. Hosted by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the annual awards ceremony pays tribute to entrepreneurs and businesses that demonstrate excellence in their field.  Read more here.

Maestro Digital Mine garners Company of the Year at prestigious Bell Business Excellence Awards
Potash Works

Sudbury, ON. Canada – September 17, 2021, METS Sector digital disruptor, Maestro Digital Mine is being recognized as Company of the Year for its excellence, continuous growth and success in the underground mine sector.
The Sudbury-based company was honored at the 24th annual Bell Business Excellence Awards gala celebration on September 16th at the Caruso Club in Sudbury. Hosted by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the annual awards ceremony pays tribute to entrepreneurs and businesses that demonstrate excellence in their field.  Read more here.

Maestro Digital Mine Garners Company of the Year at Prestigious Bell Business Excellence Awards
Coal Zoom

September 18, 2021 - METS Sector digital disruptor, Maestro Digital Mine is being recognized as Company of the Year for its excellence, continuous growth and success in the underground mine sector.
The Sudbury-based company was honored at the 24th annual Bell Business Excellence Awards gala celebration on September 16th at the Caruso Club in Sudbury. Hosted by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the annual awards ceremony pays tribute to entrepreneurs and businesses that demonstrate excellence in their field.  Read more here.

Maestro Digital Mine garners Company of the Year at prestigious Bell Business Excellence Awards
MSTA Canada

The Sudbury-based company was honoured at the 24th annual Bell Business Excellence Awards gala celebration on September 16th at the Caruso Club in Sudbury. Hosted by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the annual awards ceremony pays tribute to entrepreneurs and businesses that demonstrate excellence in their field.
Cofounders, David Ballantyne, COO and Michael Gribbons, CEO accepted the Company of the Year Award after having just showcased their disruptive technologies at the MINExpo 2021 convention in Las Vegas, USA.
The Company of the Year Award is presented to a company that has demonstrated significant business achievement, sustainable financial performance, outstanding growth and success, and has had a significant impact on the community’s economy.  Read more here.

Maestro Digital Mine Garners Company of the Year at Bell Business Excellence Awards
Mining Connection

The Sudbury-based company was honored at the 24th annual Bell Business Excellence Awards gala celebration on September 16th at the Caruso Club in Sudbury. Hosted by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the annual awards ceremony pays tribute to entrepreneurs and businesses that demonstrate excellence in their field. Cofounders, David Ballantyne, COO and Michael Gribbons, CEO accepted the Company of the Year Award after having just showcased their disruptive technologies at the MINExpo 2021 convention in Las Vegas, USA.  Read more here.

FROM THE FEATURED ARTICLE “VENT TECH SHORTAGE HITS AMID AUTOMATION PUSH” BY JESSE MORTON, TECHNICAL WRITER, WHERE HE LOOKS AT HOW SUPPLIERS FILL THE GAPS, DESIGN OPTIMIZATION PLANS, AND INSTALL HIGH-TECH SOLUTIONS TO HELP MINERS GET MORE TIME AT THE FACE AND REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT.

“Proven energy savings are in the relative range of 25% to 50%,” CEO Michael Gribbons said. “Greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by using less energy. But what goes hand in hand with that is giving miners more time at the face.”

Zephyr is a small, lower-cost, condition-monitoring station and AQS. Both IIoT devices have edge-computing and plug-and-play capabilities and can be easily added to networks for integration to ventilation control software, such as the NRG1-ECO from SHYFTinc, VentSIM Control from Howden, or ABB’s Ability, for an automated VOD solution.

“It is about disruption by elimination,” Gribbons said. “That is really the strategy behind our approach.” The stations can eliminate engineering work, drawings, cabinet designs, approvals and wiring. Other savings come from the reduced space, reduced complexity and the increased real-time data.

For example, Vale’s Totten copper-nickel mine, in Ontario, deployed Vigilante AQS™ on an Ethernet network, and the NRG1-ECO to manage an ABB fan control. The VOD solution was ramped up in phases over a period of three years, with the initial expectation of a 50% reduction in energy demand. Ultimately, however, the total achieved savings hit a whopping 61.6%.

Totten “is a great example of NRG1 integrating directly to our digital devices,” Gribbons said. “Totten has publicly announced there are capex savings of more than 45% for just the first round of Vigilantes.”

Open architecture allows for easier installs and maintenance and gives the miner sovereignty over the data. Gone is the perpetual scrap over who technically owns the data, which customers love. 

Read the PDF here, pg. 39-40.

Read the complete article online here.

FEATURED ARTICLE BY MICHAEL GRIBBONS, FOR THE UNDERGROUND MINING NOVEMBER 2021 ISSUE OF THE CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

Mining consultants and suppliers have equally advocated the energy benefits of installing a ventilation on demand (VOD) or ventilation control system (VCS) in many underground mines, but the mining industry has yet to fully embrace this technology. With the strong emphasis on reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) to slow the acceleration of global warming, progressive ESG investors are scrutinizing mining companies based upon long term sustainability while regulators are simultaneously applying carbon consumption penalties.

This article explores some of the reasons for the cautious uptake of VOD based on observations from the 150 mines we serve globally. To provide as wide a view as possible, there’s also input of 20 global mining professionals in both the ventilation and automation sector on this question.

A VOD/VCS system should not be viewed as a magic bullet to achieving the lowest possible energy input into a mine. Above all, the acute and long-term safety of the miners must not be compromised in a normal production mode as well as in an emergency state from a fire or unplanned explosion.

From a cost/benefit perspective, a 20% savings in energy is not the same as a 20% increase in production. Production trumps energy savings 100% of the time, therefore energy savings should never be the sole reason for the system. Or put another way, maximizing energy efficiency does not necessarily maximize the mine’s overall profitability.

As much as humanly possible, a ventilation system should not impede production. Mining is in a constant state of flux with levels being mined, old levels being shut down and the ongoing development of new levels.

Where to start

Before embarking on your journey, subject matter experts and ventilation consultants should prepare a potential business case with mine management that will define what success should look like, positive impacts and counterbalancing risks, and a suitable approach where the economics work.

Staged roll-out vs. all-in approach

Confidence in the system can be quickly eroded if the control system plan is implemented too quickly and one or more components fail. Successful projects often stage the ventilation system in smaller segments for early success and system confidence.

Read the complete article in the digital magazine here (pg. 27).

Read the complete article in the CMJ website here..