Titan CAS Generation 4 embodies Epiroc’s continued evolution as a digital innovator in the mining industry.
When Epiroc recently released the fourth generation of its Titan collision avoidance system, or CAS, it brought with it a suite of enhancements to what was an already advanced technology.
Epiroc Australia digital sales manager Andreas Prill called Titan CAS Generation 4, or Gen4, the company’s “latest and greatest evolution” in CAS technology.
“Besides new architecture, we have introduced a range of new features which will future-proof this system for our customers for many years to come,” Prill told Australian Mining.
“South Africa is currently setting the bar for CAS in surface and underground mining around the globe, so it is critical that we receive certification first to best serve our South African customers and ultimately all customers around the globe.”
Titan CAS has been developed and refined over 10 years in South Africa’s harsh mining conditions, enabling it to be used on all mining machines across all systems.
Titan CAS does the hard work of detecting collisions while also acting as the central interface, coordinating and sending out information when miners need it most.
Epiroc understands that to provide a robust and versatile CAS solution, it needs to combine the smarts of several technologies.
“As an agnostic solution, Epiroc’s Titan CAS utilises the strength of multiple sensor technologies to solve a very complex problem,” Prill said.
“Some features include CAN FD (controller area network flexible data-rate) compatibility, an AI camera, new pedestrian tags for vehicle-to-pedestrian interaction, integration of CAS with Epiroc’s Onboard system, a dedicated processing unit, and much more.
“With Titan CAS Gen4, we have not only delivered increased performance and modularity, but we are also compliant to the latest legislation requirements in South Africa and Australia.
“We have enhanced low frequency, time of flight, GPS, AI vision and sub-GHz RF technology in our portfolio including a dedicated advisory zone and intervention zone. We can put these together to provide a solution that’s tailored to a particular customer and use case.”
Together with machine interface control (MIC) – from Epiroc company RCT – Titan CAS Gen4 provides a complete agnostic and sophisticated EMERST Level 9 intervention system.
This solution is ideal for machines which don’t have an existing ISO 21815 interface, and sees Epiroc not only provide a CAS system, but also an agnostic machine interface for any make and model. This allows customers to go from Level 7 or 8 alert and advisory control to a CAS Level 9 intervention.
In a situation where the operator would fail to respond to a Level 7 or 8 situation, the MIC would start to take control based on the inputs from the CAS system and then intervene to safely slow down and stop the machine before an incident occurs.
Epiroc can also integrate Titan CAS Gen4 technology with Onboard, its agnostic traffic-awareness solution that monitors all assets in a mine and can track which piece of machinery is moving in what direction.
“Epiroc’s Onboard provides a 3D map on a tablet in the cab without the need for additional infrastructure,” Prill said.
“By using our sophisticated positioning algorithm, we can position the vehicle with five-to-10-metre accuracy on the map. The operator gets Google Maps-like search functionalities for people, assets and points of interest and can receive turn-by-turn instructions as they travel to their destination.
“When we have Wi-Fi or LTE (long-term evolution) infrastructure in the mine, we can also provide the operator awareness of incoming traffic from about 600m ahead and continue to provide vision as the gap closes.
“For customers who already have Onboard, Onboard and CAS can be integrated onto the same screen, giving operators a multi-faceted mine awareness and collision avoidance system.”
Titan CAS Gen4 embodies Epiroc’s continued evolution as a digital innovator in the mining industry.
“Epiroc has made significant investments into the creation of a market-leading digital solutions offering alongside our existing OEM offering,” Prill said.
“We develop and provide innovative and safe equipment, such as drill rigs, rock excavation and construction equipment and tools for surface and underground applications.
“We also offer world-class service and other after-market support as well as solutions for automation and electrification.”
This feature appeared in the July 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
