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Tech Promotes Zero-Accident Mines

José Luis Vázquez - JL Vázquez Distribuidor
General Manager

STORY INLINE POST

Thu, 10/18/2018 - 15:55

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When jumping on the automation bandwagon, the most significant barrier operators can face is lack of investment capital as the technology tends to incur a high initial investment. Automation technology is also a continuous investment as mines that expand have to adapt the system to their growing needs with extra components and cooling systems.

JL Vázquez Distribuidor differentiates itself from other suppliers by offering a unique payment program to solve this problem. “We let our clients pay us with the difference in energy savings our ventilation system provides while we finance the installation of the products,” says José Luis Vázquez, the company’s General Manager. “Our company guarantees a return of investment within a few years and our clients can use a percentage of this capital to pay for our services and keep the equipment.” This opens doors for companies that might not be able to afford the equipment otherwise.

The company’s main product supplier is PBE Group and JL Vázquez works as a distributor of its systems. With representatives in states such as Chihuahua, Vázquez is looking to expand to other mining-rich jurisdictions such as Sonora, Sinaloa and some southern states. “JL Vázquez depends on representatives for the sole purpose of distribution and sales because we prefer to carry out the installation ourselves due to our expertise,” Vázquez explains. With business in mines such as Tayahua, San Francisco, Hercules, Saucito and Madero, the company is working on expanding its business with Canadian companies like Goldcorp and expanding its services to open-pit mines. “Our biggest project is Saucito,” says Vázquez. “We are in charge of everything from quality control to cameras and leaky feeders.”

With the metals price downturn, automation and the development of new telecommunication systems in mine sites became a particularly attractive segment of the industry to drive down costs. Now, according to Vázquez, the mining industry finds itself in a unique position as geopolitical instability is helping the price of metals spike and creating many areas of opportunities for growth. Companies like JL Vázquez can continue to help operators be more efficient, safe and compliant by distributing tracking systems, gas detectors that automatically turn on exhaust fans as needed and other telecommunication services, now with higher margins.

Vázquez also stresses the impact of safety on costs. JL Vazquez promotes the development of zero-accident mines through the role that technology plays in operations and provides collision avoidance systems that detect the proximity of surrounding objects or people. “Safety technology is no longer optional as the Ministry of Labor issued norm 023 in 2012, which requires operators to keep a tracking system of people that are working in mine sites, preferably in real time,” he says. A tracking system can also prevent fatal mistakes due to the massive blind spots of certain machines. The system emits visual and audible preventive alarms when the proximity is dangerous. When it reaches 5m the machine automatically turns off and prevents fatal mistakes and collisions.

Another problem JL Vázquez’s tracking systems can resolve is the danger associated with proximity to blasts, which is exacerbated by faulty tracking of employees and poor communication. The company provides products that manage long-distance control of blasts to ensure the wellbeing of operational and resource management. “Many mines have a simple whiteboard where employees place a form of identification to indicate that they are inside of the mine site,” Vázquez explains. “But they often forget to remove their card upon exiting. This can create problems as blasts cannot be executed if there is a possibility of someone being inside the mine.” These types of mistakes cost millions of pesos as scheduled blasts that are delayed or canceled still have to be paid for whether or not they actually go ahead.

JL Vázquez’s tracking system can prevent costly errors by installing access points in all entrances and exits. This limits the possibility of human error and provides live data on the status of mine employees. It can additionally be modified to signal whenever a resource like water is low, which can be dangerous during a blast. “In the past, miners used to manually set off explosions and run but now systems can carry out the process automatically and in a safer way,” says Vázquez.

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