Global Road Technology tackles SMART dust suppression

Dust control specialists Global Road Technology (GRT) has automated its SMART Dosing Units (SDU) for dust suppression in the mining sector amid government calls for tighter controls around dust pollution.

Tested in mine sites in Australia, the SMART (Sustainable, Mining, Autonomously, Reporting Technology) Dosing Units are in use in countries across Africa, Mexico and Brazil as mining companies seek to better control dust on mine haul roads.

Designed by GRT’s engineers, the Australian made SMART Dosing Units consist of a central control and communication module combined with electrical and mechanical hardware that provides the ability to remotely control and automate product dosing, error detection, and flow rates – using Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

GRT Managing Director Troy Adams said the company’s investment in automating its systems was intended to provide resource companies with a turnkey dust control solution.

Adams siad: “Our products are designed to provide resource companies the ability to stop the spread of dust particles generated by mining activity, and the SMART Dosing Units take it to the next level by using data and automation to help in mitigating particulate pollution.

“GRT’s dosing units are equipped with technology to allow for remote management and communication between units to ensure the correct amounts are distributed across the site minimising wastage and maximising efficacy.

“We have designed products like GRT: Haul-Loc and GRT: Activate that dovetail into these autonomous systems, to deliver effective dust control, and provide critical data currently missing onsite.”

This offering is designed to replace traditional water-based methods employed by miners to manage mining dust as governments around the world tighten legislation to reduce dust pollution.

This tighter legislation is driving the growth of the dust suppression industry which is expected to become a US$8.56 billion sector by 2032.

Australian-owned GRT is investing significantly in R&D, digital transformation and innovation to make it a leader in dust pollution reduction.

This is being led by the philosophy that digital transformation can help drive efforts to protect mining workers, communities and the environment from dust pollution.

Adams said: “Our learnings from the harsh environment that many of Australia’s mine sites operate in, combined with tighter government controls is driving us to develop world-leading products that can be used by mining companies across the world as companies seek to reduce dust pollution.

“In addition to accurately dosing our dust control products, our latest SMART Dosing Units include telemetry which acts as a data hub and allows for direct reporting, tracking, and control of dosing, with a customised client dashboard.

“This powerful data includes water consumption, water truck operational efficiency, water truck efficiencies, product levels, dosing rates and the overall working effectiveness of the supporting apparatus (incl. pumps and power units) used to provide these services.”

Picture: SMART dosing unit on-site