Newman mine site trials drones that could revolutionise the way mining equipment is looked after

A Newman mine site has been equipped with drones that could revolutionise the way mining equipment is looked after. BHP is trialing the use of remotely powered drones at its Newman operation which use infrared technology to monitor the health and performance of mining equipment. BHP reliability specialist Mark Dolence said the drones would aid the team’s ability to monitor the equipment’s temperature. “Thermal imagery enables us to identify components that may be operating outside of their normal limits,” he said. “To put it simply, we are performing temperature checks on our machines much like a doctor does with a patient. “We are checking the temperature of critical components like motors, gearboxes, bearings, and pumps to ensure they are healthy and operating within their optimal temperature ranges.” Each drone is equipped with a laser range finder which allows it to perform temperature readings on mining equipment at night-time. Night-time checks reduce the chance the temperature data is distorted by the sun’s heat and provide a more accurate representation of how hot the equipment becomes while it is in use.