MRA's Smart Stockyard Management System boosts mine-to-port efficiency

Intro

Along the coast of Queensland is the Port of Abbot Point, where deep water is nearest to land. To reach the deep water from the stockyard, a conveyor carries coal along a 2.75 kilometre trestle jetty out to the wharf. With an export capacity of 50 million tonnes per annum, this is Australia’s northernmost coal port. The stockyard can store more than two million tonnes of coal, which is arranged in 30 stockpiles averaging 180 metres long, managed by six stacker reclaimers.

The challenges

Stacker reclaimers are traditionally manually operated or semi-automated, while more modern machines include PLC based automation that allows for de-manning. However, these modern machines need to make assumptions on stockpile geometry. These assumptions limit the throughput these stacker reclaimers can achieve and don't provide any protection from boom overload. Without knowing the stockpile geometry accurately, the machine leaves the pile on every turn whilst it is learning, and cannot detect or avoid high boom stress events due to falling, irregular-shaped piles of materials.

The solution

The Smart Stockyard Management System (SMS) combines a volumetric model of the stockpile made up of 0.1m³ building blocks, with a Digital Twin of the mobile machinery. Together, they can enable automation and significant operational efficiencies. SmartTurn uses lasers to fine-tune the stockpile model for optimised reclaimer turnarounds. A Volumetric look-ahead feature uses predictive methods to reduce volume spikes, which cause machine stress, lowering machine life. The SMS is modular, mature and can be used as a 'smart sensor' to set a reclaimer’s start position or a complete stockyard automation and optimisation solution.

The results

1. Improved safety and efficiency - Operators can see stockpiles and machine activity through a real-time visualisation that removes the need for site inspection. 
2. Existing infrastructure integration - MRA's machine-to-machine and stockpile anti-collision system integrates seamlessly with the Stockyard Management System to enhance safety.
3. Reclaim rate optimisation - MRA's Smart Stockyard Management System with machine-level laser optimisation has increased the average reclaim rate by 11.3% for automated bucketwheel reclaimers that had been optimised in the PLC.

“We are delighted to have collaborated with MRA and this high value application – the Smart Stockyard Management System is a key piece in bringing the “Connected Mine” to life for our mining customers. MRA continue to develop their Smart Stockyard Management System and bring a high level of domain expertise for mining customers. Rockwell Automation is delighted to have been a part of the development of this system which optimises the supply chain, and enhances safety for shipping terminals.”

Geoff Irvine, Enterprise Account Manager

Rockwell Automation