WHILE their primary objective is to ensure the safety of people, Proximity Detection Systems (PDS) and Collision Prevention System (CPS) installations also have a direct bearing on other critical parameters such as equipment availability and productivity. Through its field support service technicians, Booyco Electronics ensures the intended benefits and objectives of implementing the technology are realised.
PDS/CPS solutions are critical safety systems in both surface and underground mining environments, particularly due to the significant risk posed by the operation of trackless mobile machinery (TMM) deployed to work in these environments. To ensure correct and reliable functionality of these systems, Charl Marais, general manager – field services at Booyco Electronics, stresses the need for a regular and robust maintenance regime, customised to specific customer needs.
“Given that we work with safety systems, field support service is a critical arm of our business to ensure that all machines fitted with PDS/CPS solutions comply with our Section 21 responsibilities, as specified by the Mine Health Safety Council,” he explains.
The Booyco Electronics field services team is responsible for interfacing with customers, starting from project execution (installation, testing and commissioning of new systems) through to complete lifecycle management of the product. Services include scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, breakdown and repair services, auditing and provision of spare parts as well as upgrades to enhance product capabilities or extension services to lengthen product lifecycle.
“We have more than 200 technicians across South Africa, supporting both Service Level Agreements (SLA) and non-SLA customers. This is complemented by dedicated technical support staff for each area to assist with more advanced tasks,” explains Marais.
Booyco Electronics offers a wide variety of services that can be tailored to individual customer requirements, considering aspects such as fleet size, system type and maintenance requirements as well as monitoring and data requirements, amongst others.
“Our maintenance schedules are adapted based on fleet size, system type and level of protection implemented (Level 7, 8 or 9) and typically include a minimum of one full system functionality test per vehicle per month,” he says. “For each customer, we have a defined scope of work in accordance with the SLA in place. For non-SLA customers, we generally have a different arrangement as may be required.”
For SLA customers, response time is generally less than two hours, while for non-SLA customers this depends on the location and availability of technicians within the area. Understanding the extreme importance of maintaining uptime and production on TMMs, Booyco Electronics ensures its systems have minimal impact on production as a result of its strong ability to servicing customers in a breakdown situation.
This is facilitated by a branch network which encompasses all major mining destinations, namely eMalahleni, Kuruman, Lydenburg, Richards Bay, Rustenburg, Steelpoort and Welkom, to ensure timely response to breakdowns.
The footprint is also constantly reviewed to accommodate new customer requirements.
Adapting to innovation
Given the constant continuous improvements and new advancements in PDS technology, Booyco Electronics continuously adapts its field support services to keep up with the pace of innovation. “We constantly advise our customers on the latest PDS/CPS improvements and advancements available on the market to ensure the best fit-for-purpose solutions,” says Marais.