South African company leads advances in proximity detection technology

The use of proximity detection systems (PDS) or collision prevention systems (CPS) is seen as a major contributor to improved safety in the mining sector and a number of technological advances have enabled even more flexibility and stability of the systems.

South Africa‑based Booyco Electronics has been at the centre of key technological advances, with its solutions developing from pedestrian detection systems to more powerful offerings for mines, says Booyco Electronics CEO Anton Lourens.

PDS offerings have also become more than just a range of disparate product lines from various producers, he says. Rather, the whole field is now increasingly integrated into global efforts to enhance interoperability – in the interests of applying PDS and CPS solutions more effectively on various mobile equipment and trackless mining machines.

Booyco Electronics integrates key technological advances to develop state-of-the-art collision avoidance systems that meet the Level 9 requirements of best practice as formulated by the global Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMESRT).

“South Africa has also been leading the way with safety legislation, which encouraged the take-up of PDS technology in our local mining sector,” says Lourens. “This placed the country’s PDS suppliers in a good position to put equipment into action in the field, and to continuously improve our solutions in response to real-life mining conditions.”

Working with EMESRT and Minerals Council South Africa, Booyco Electronics notes that it was the first supplier to validate its equipment through the agreed simulation model developed by Vehicle Dynamics Group at the University of Pretoria. This independent verification process was an important step in PDS and CPS development, creating a quality benchmark against which all the market players could be assessed.

Booyco Electronics’ CXS solution is now software-driven, allowing even more flexibility and adaptability to customers’ specific needs. “This is another step-change for the technology, as we can keep up with fast-changing industry requirements without replacing our equipment,” says Lourens. “The modifications can be made in the software rather than the hardware – and updates can usually be done wirelessly on site.”