The Chernogorsky coal mine, Russia

24 October, 2019
Our projects
Chernogorsky

Company: 

SUEK-Khakassia LLC

Products: 

IP Site Connect
SmartPTT Enterprise
SmartPTT RG-1000e gateway
MOTOTRBO DM1400, DP1400 radios

 

 

The Chernogorsky mine is located in Khakassia, an old coal-mining region in Russia. This geographical area is known for its high-energy coal, most of which is exported to Europe and Asia.

Management of the facility is complicated by several factors. The major challenge is the division of the Chernogorsky mine into 4 remote sections, which makes it difficult to provide proper control of the mining works. Besides, mining processes involve several groups of people: workers, special vehicles drivers, engineers, specialists in energetics, managers, etc. Finally, dangerous characteristics of the mining field such as blast hole drilling, elevated dust and noise levels, and working in proximity to mining machinery mean that even a minor incident can cause not only economic losses but also employees’ health damage.

All these problems identified a number of measures that had to be taken:

  • Reengineering and updating the current communications system
  • Improve quality of voice calls
  • Signal coverage expansion
  • Eliminate RF coverage gaps
  • Interoperability with external service providers using analogue radio stations.

To resolve these issues, the Chernogorsky mine executives chose the MOTOTRBO system by Motorola Solutions with SmartPTT’s dispatch software. The mineworkers use modern MOTOTRBO Motorola radios, which provides a high-quality voice connection. One base station in each of the 4 locations ensures stable communications between employees of the entire mine and the administration. The two-channel system reduces the probability of a frequency being blocked in critical moments. Due to roaming realized in the new system, the subscribers don’t need to reset their radios while moving between different objects of the mine, which helps them to concentrate more on their  duties.

While using SmartPTT dispatch console, the dispatcher can cross-patches to talk with multiple talkgroups simultaneously, send job tickets to employees, control fleet and personnel movement, or receive instant alerts about emergency situations. All calls and incidents are recorded in logs, so management has access to historical information, which can help to maintain discipline or to investigate incidents. The remote monitoring feature allows operators to check the reliability and health of the radio system and other devices connected to the system.

Using SmartPTT RG-1000e proved to be an efficient solution for integration of analogue radio stations of external services into the new communication system. This gateway made it possible to avoid losing connection with these groups after the digital system was launched.

The reliability of the MOTOTRBO radio system and vast customization capabilities of the SmartPTT dispatch software increased the speed of obtaining information at the facility, ensured its employees’ safety, and improved efficiency of the Chernogorsky mine.

Solution description: