Breakthrough in underground mining

Mining3, the leader in mining research, is behind the development of a commercialised Cave Tracker system. The partnership between Newcrest, Rio Tinto, CRCMining and technology developer and manufacturer Elexon Mining, has enabled its creation.  The testing was undertaken at Newcrest’s Ridgeway copper mine  in NSW and Rio Tinto’s Argyle diamond mine in WA. The cave monitoring system will measure the movement of fragmented rock under gravity, and facilitate improved management of its flow through controlled extraction.

The trackers, based on the science developed by Mining3, and advanced into a commercial solution by Elexon, use battery-powered spinning magnets that send signals through rock, and detectors located around the caving operation. This new technology will be deployed soon, and is another example of Mining3’s ability to successfully partner with mining companies and suppliers to fast-track the commercial availability of research outcomes for the mining industry.

Access the full details of Rio Tinto’s implementation of Cave Tracker here.