Six months after
purchasing seven I-Site long range laser scanners from Maptek, surveyors from
Teck’s coal business unit are beginning to experience the benefits of the
latest survey technology first-hand.
Teck is the second largest exporter of
high quality steelmaking coal in the world. Coal production accounts for 57
percent of Teck’s business, followed by copper and zinc. The company purchased a
Maptek I-Site 8800 scanner for each of their coal operations and projects
throughout Alberta and British
Columbia, Canada.
“Our vision was that we wanted
something that was standard across all of our sites so we could move things
across without introducing new systems,” said Eric Jensen, director of
Engineering, Teck’s coal business unit.
I-Site 8800 laser scanners collect
point cloud data at up to 2,000 meters, and can capture 3D digital images
safely at the same time as scanning. Setup and capture are fast and easy
because the high resolution digital camera is built in. I-Site Studio modeling
software is integrated with the hardware, streamlining tasks such as mapping
faces and updating surfaces.
The I-Site laser scanners were rolled
out at several Teck sites in January and February this year, with improvements
already noted. Surveyors can now capture up to 2 million points for an area
that may have been previously surveyed with 10 GPS points.
“We are loving it for the accuracy and
speed of stockpile modeling,” said Jensen. “The unit is robust enough to
withstand what is going on in the pit and simple enough for the guys to adjust.
It also translates really well to the surveyors in the offices.’
“I-Site is a safe way to get detailed
pictures,” he said. “At Teck, safety is more than just a priority. It is an
unwavering value and an inherent part of who we are. Now, with I-Site, no one
has to go near the highwall.”
According to Jensen, although cost
savings cannot be determined this soon, the “payback” is on the time spent and
the accurate data the system provides.
“It has been such a change to the workflow with increased
accuracy and an acceptable level of improvement,” said Jensen. “Uncertainty is
eliminated because the volumes are accurate.”
“The systems work beautifully,” said
Simon Long, GIS surveyor at Teck’s Elkview Operation. “Everyone here is happy
with the entire service - it is phenomenal.”
“Seven site implementations was a real
testament to Teck’s desire to introduce new technology and a good demonstration
of cooperation between its sites,” said John Dolan, Maptek director of I-Site
Sales. “This is a common goal for large companies that’s not easy to execute.”
Maptek Technologies Used by Canadian Company, Teck for Coal Exporting
June 15, 2012
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