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priority for open cut mining operations. Slope
monitoring plays an important role in doing that,
but no two geotechnical problems are the same.
Each radar technology provides advantages and
disadvantages depending on the situation. At
GroundProbe we have never considered a ‘onesize-fits-all’ approach to solving complex
problems. This is why we developed the SSRSARx. It rounds out our product range, allowing
customers to find a solution that best fits their
needs,” he said.
He added: “We are proud to be the only
company in the world that now offers all slope
stability radar technologies, 2D and 3D RAR, and
now 2D SAR, all using the same software SSRmajor international minesites on four continents,
Viewer, giving customers the productive edge
the SSR-SARx is a long-range, long-term radar
they need in today’s operating climate.” Beevers
monitoring solution for open-pit mining with a
also said that customer requirements demanded
range of 4.5 km.
GroundProbe systems remain ‘technology
Launching the new radar, GroundProbe CEO
agnostic.’
John Beevers said the SSR-SARx provided
GroundProbe first brought a new level of
unmatched technology, unparalleled image
safety in mining with development of the Slope
resolution and lightning fast data transfer.
Stability Radar in 2001 and in July this year,
“This is a sophisticated system producing the
GroundProbe launched its first broad area radar.
best resolution of any synthetic aperture radar in
“The SSR-FX was the first of our broad area
use. We have leveraged 12 years of SAR
monitoring solutions. It scans 180° every two
experience by partnering with Italian company
minutes with sub-millimetre precision over long
LiSALab, the pioneers of ground-based
periods. This new long-range radar ensures
interferometric synthetic aperture radar who
customers have a range of solutions to meet their
were the first company to bring the technology to
short and long-term operational mining needs”,
market. Safely reducing unit cost is the highest
said Beevers.
Targeted monitoring
focuses on a known,
Mining GeoHazard Mitigation Experts
safety-critical risk for
short periods with
No-Cost, No-Obligation Site Visits
alarms that alert mine
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operators of slope
movement, allowing
One-Stop Design/Build
mine personnel to
Contracting
instantly and confidently
Optional Multi-Year
respond when a hazard
Performance Warranty
changes. Broad area
monitoring covers large
mine areas for long
periods to locate new
risks and hazards. The
broad area system finds
‘hot spots’ that can then
be continuously
monitored with targeted
radar. The new SAR is for
long-range monitoring
and it can monitor out to
4.5 km with 50% more
24 Hour Emergency Response
resolution than any
other SAR system,
Service across the
according to the
United States & Canada
company. “It has the
ability to continuously
GeoStabilization.com
collect years of data to
detect both fast and
The new SSR-SARx
from GroundProbe
855-579-0536
48 International Mining | NOVEMBER 2015
slow moving failures, to keep mines safe and to
maximise productivity.” GroundProbe’s previous
systems were based on real aperture radar.
The new SAR also has high resolution
integrated imaging for real time photographs
aligned with the radar data and includes
'intelligent' signal processing power, allowing
SAR data to be processed at the radar so that
every scan is completed and processed in two
minutes ready for viewing and alarming.
"Advances in technology and more demanding
requirements from customers keep us 'pushing
the envelope' in search of new solutions. We
know there's not only one monitoring solution for
all of our customers so we continually innovate.
Our solutions are tailored to customer needs,"
Beevers said.
Modular offers agile development
Modular Mining Systems told IM that it
“continually looks for new and innovative ways to
ensure that our products deliver maximum value
to our customers and we invest a large
percentage of our revenue into research and
development efforts. In addition, we strive to
keep pace with advancements in mainstream IT
as well as exploring the applicability of
alternative-industry technologies. Our MineCare
3 Maintenance Management solution, slated for
release in November, represents our first foray
into cloud-based deployment, while our fourthgeneration Collision Avoidance System (CAS)
leverages technological advancements from the
automotive industry. Users of our recently
released MasterLink Enterprise Wireless
Networking solution benefit from our
compatibility with the latest 802.11 (Wi-Fi)
standards, data transfer speeds up to 300 Mbps,
and Cisco’s industry-leading wireless network
architecture.”
Because Modular follows an agile
development model, it releases product updates
approximately every four to six months for its
entire product suite. “This means that our
customers get new features, system
improvements and defect fixes into their hands
sooner, which means issues are resolved faster.
We cultivate symbiotic relationships with our
customers and encourage their feedback, which
plays a key role in shaping our product roadmap.
We also collaborate with many of our customers
to help them with specific problems.”
For example, when a long-time customer in
Brazil expressed a desire for better control over
tyre health and maintenance, Modular worked
with them