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As mining operations are increasingly conducted at greater depths, various obstacles arise. Two of the most critical issues are related to air quality and energy consumption. Veteran technologist, and Maestro co-founder and CEO Michael Gribbons identified ventilation as the critical factor in managing those risks: “To start to control ventilation, you must monitor it first.”

Maestro’s new ModuDrive™ is a full digital system that allows real time data coordinate and control ventilation, resulting in lower energy costs. Gribbons points out that Maestro is getting RFQs all over the world. “Before companies did not care, they cared about productivity because in dollar terms, a 10% reduction in energy is not equivalent to a 10% increase in productivity. Companies always looked at productivity because energy had a small impact on bottom lines. That has now changed,” he said.

As a leading player in gas monitoring underground, Maestro has two key ecosystem partnerships with autonomous devices. One is with Exyn on their autonomous drones that can find their way around a mine. The other one is Boston Dynamics' Spot, the robotic autonomous dog. “The whole application is about getting data back to the face, and both Exyn and Boston Dynamics enable technology to go into places where there is no network. I see this foremost as a worker safety apparatus. If you have an explosion in a mine and the network is down, you can send in either Spot with a big payload, or you can send in an Exyn drone to get the job done quicker,” added Gribbons.

Read the full article in the Mining in Ontario and Toronto's Global Reach 2023 (Page 119) here.

By Michael Gribbons, president, CEO, and co-founder of Maestro Digital Mine for the February/March 2023 edition of the Canadian Mining Journal

Controlling mine ventilation is far more critical today than it has been over the past decade.

Traditionally, environmental conditions are monitored to keep the miners safe, meet regulatory requirements and increase productivity by getting miners back to the face quicker. The focus from the mine perspective was rarely around energy consumption since a potential 30% savings in power was not equivalent to a 10% increase in production. Production and worker safety trumped over energy reductions in almost every case.

Flash forward to today’s global challenges where rising CO₂ levels and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions account as the major man-made cause of climate change. Governments and shareholders are starting to direct industry on several ESG fronts including reducing their carbon footprint.

Outside of comminution, mine ventilation is the next largest consumer of electrical power. This electrical energy is used to move vast amounts of air throughout the mine as well as the energy required to cool and heat the air.

New sources of clean energy are being pursued for suitability, robustness, and scalability while mines transition from a diesel to an electric mobile fleet. At the same time, the current electrical grid will need to be upgraded to accommodate the extra demand for electrical power. An all-electric fleet will eliminate in-shift tail-gas emissions of CO and NO₂ gases but consideration must be placed on blast gas clearance, dust, and heat removal to take advantage of lower potential ventilation requirements. Recent lithium-ion battery fires underground pose a significant risk and challenge due to the extremely high temperatures, smoke, and toxic gases that are emitted during these thermal runaway events.

What is the path forward for underground mines today?

What are the results of this investment?

What are the major considerations and potential pitfalls?

Read the full article in the Canadian Mining Journal website here.

Featured article, written by Dan Gleeson, on Canadian Technologies for the April 2023 issue of International Mining Magazine

Maestro Digital Mine has now successfully expanded its Plexus PowerNet™ communications network to over 100 Plexus nodes at the Borden mine in northern Ontario – an operation that was billed as being one of the world’s first all-electric underground mines.

Plexus PowerNet™ is used as the mine’s last mile communication backbone on every level.

Newmont's Borden Mine was an early adopter of Maestro Digital Mine's technology, trialing the Plexus solution soon after its launch in late 2017. Once the mine was developed, fibre was run to each dual-level’s substation.
The Plexus PowerNet™ nodes form the foundation of the network, providing power to access points and end-point devices with their four PoE+ ports, according to Maestro. The nodes are equipped with a USB port that allows for a quick and convenient way to upgrade the firmware and store configurations. The nodes also feature simple port diagnostics that allow users to easily monitor power consumption, voltage and data rates, the company says.

Newmont uses both the Plexus PowerNet™ and CISCO access points to extend its network from its substation to the inner workings. This has allowed it to successfully run, among other advanced solutions, Sandvik's AutoMine® on LHDs, tele-remote drilling operations and telemetry. This increases safety by removing miners from hazardous working conditions, while allowing the LHDs to return to the face quickly after a blast to maximise vehicle uptime. The tele-remote applications have been reported to run 24/7, effectively executing remote mucking on three different levels simultaneously.

At the present time, all the mine’s devices are connected using the Plexus network.

Read the full article in the International Mining Magazine here.

Article by Celeste Koortsen from Creamer Media for Engineering News and Mining Weekly, May 2023

Maestro debuted its MaestroFlex™ Automated Regulators at the Gallagher Convention Centre, in Midrand, Gauteng, from May 17 to 18.

The automated regulator, which uses the company’s ModuDrive™ digital IIoT actuator technology, replaces manual drop board regulators that cannot be adjusted from the surface, enabling operators on the surface to control ventilation as required either manually or using Ventilation on Demand software.

The products exemplify the company’s commitment to developing cutting-edge IIoT devices and digital networks for the underground mining sector.

“These solutions represent our ongoing effort to revolutionise the mining industry by enhancing worker safety, productivity, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
By showcasing our solutions, we aim to demonstrate our role in increasing mining, production and worker safety as well as decarbonising the planet by reducing underground mines’ electrical energy consumption,” Jacob Lachapelle, CIT of Maestro, explains.

The Plexus PowerNet™ is the first gigabit network providing data and power using coaxial cable and delivers real-time data that enables improved decision-making at mining operations.

Using the network to facilitate power and network advancement enables Maestro to implement its air quality monitoring solutions, which can optimise ventilation, allowing mines to focus on increasing production by getting more time at the working face.

Other benefits include increased equipment uptime, as airflow is directed as needed to necessary areas to enable the operation of more high capital, required equipment.
“By tailoring your ventilation to the areas where it’s required, you can bring down your overall electrical demand on your ventilation system and reduce energy consumption. Thereby, our solutions contribute to a more sustainable and efficient mining industry.

“Moreover, with the rising adoption of battery electric vehicles and underground mining, our technology plays an essential role in addressing the growing demand for that electrical energy and ensuring efficient energy management,” explains Lachapelle.

He emphasises that mining companies are investing significant resources into ensuring that their mines continue to operate 24/7, especially in countries with unreliable power supplies.

Maestro decided to exhibit at the Dwyka Tech*Carnival owing to its longstanding relationship with mining technology platform Dwyka Mining Services, which dates back to 2014.
“Dwyka MD Jamie van Schoor and I are both passionate about revolutionising the mining industry with cutting-edge technologies.

Our successful collaboration with Dwyka has led to products being deployed at over 25 mines in nine African countries. So, exhibiting at the Dwyka Tech*Carnival allows us to celebrate our shared journey with Dwyka, showcase our solutions and engage with the African mining community.”

Read the full article (page 38) here.

Read the PDF version of the article here.

Featured Article, written by Dan Gleeson, on mine ventilation for the July 2023 issue of International Mining Magazine

Four years after bringing the Zephyr AQS™ to the attention of the crowds at CIM in Quebec, Canada, Maestro Digital Mine was back at the event this year to present an updated version of its flagship digital industrial internet of things solution, Vigilante AQS™.

Version two of the platform was featured on the company’s stand where employees showcased its newest capabilities.

The Vigilante AQS™ was created to solve 100% of the applications for mine ventilation monitoring and controlling, Maestro says, offering seven plug and play ports. The modular design provides extremely flexible integration to any SCADA, PLC, DCS, PLS or HMI system, according to the company. It also has a single point IP address to make the system quick, simple, and economical to match to any Ethernet-based network.

Read the full article in the International Mining Magazine here.

Learn what the Vigilante AQS™ can do for you and your mine here.