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Issue 52 | May 2009
Dean Kirkwood from Mining Logic Solutions
and Mike McWilliams, CSIRO, sign off on the
Nexsys™ licence agreement
Mackay-based company Mining Logic Solutions, has signed an exclusive global licence agreement with Exploration and Mining (CEM) to commercially develop the Nexsys™ real-time risk management system.
Nexsys™ allows underground coal mines to interrogate vast amounts of digital information from a variety of sensors and systems throughout the mine, which normally do not communicate with each other. The system analyses this integrated data to provide real-time risk management and decision support for control room operators, including automatic triggering of response plans if it discovers a hazardous condition.
The value of Nexsys™ includes its capability to extract critical data from existing proprietary strata control, ventilation monitoring, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and other critical mine monitoring systems, and turn this data into knowledge in real-time – a capability that did not previously exist.
CEM's Chief Mike McWilliams says, the agreement continues to demonstrate how new technologies developed collaboratively by CSIRO and its partners can benefit the mining industry.
'The potential market for Nexsys™ is not limited to Australia', says Mike. 'The technology is ideally suited for export to many countries including India, China, the USA and Canada.'
'Today, about 60 per cent of mining software used globally originates in Australia – and Nexsys™ will help that market share grow.'
Nexsys™ was developed by CEM with the support of the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) and the Japan Coal Energy Center (JCOAL). JCOAL's input was vital to the success of the program through financial support, participation in the initial definition of the research goals and provision of test sites in Japan to demonstrate the technology.
A screen shot of the Nexsys™ real-time risk
management system in operation
ACARP's Executive Director Mark Bennetts, says the agreement is another example of how CSIRO can work with industry to develop and commercialise important new technologies.
'CSIRO has created a new safety tool that did not previously exist', he says. 'They recognised it should be made available to the industry as soon as possible and have negotiated with Mining Logic Solutions to make that happen.'
Mining Logic Solutions Director Dean Kirkwood, says that gaining the licence agreement is a coup for a Queensland based regional company', he says.
'We are Queensland built and owned, and are delighted to gain access to a technology that will make the workplace safer and save lives'.
'And the benefits don't stop at increased safety. Nexsys™ will bring new levels of efficiency to underground coal mines. For example, this technology will enable accidental damage to equipment or breakdowns to be pinpointed and repaired within minutes.'
The technology will be developed into a commercial-ready product over the next nine to 12 months.
'We will ask operators exactly what they need to know in real-time and look at additional ways the technology can be used to streamline mine operations', says Mr Kirkwood.
(L-R) Back row: Hua Guo (CSIRO), Mark Bennetts (ACARP) Glen George (Mining Logic Solutions) and Ricky Prout (Mining Logic Solutions).
Front row: Dr Mike McWilliams (CEM) and Dean Kirkwood (Mining Logic Solutions)
