Introduction
Moly Cop is a division of Arrium, an international mining and materials company with around 10,000 employees and annual sales of almost $7 billion.
User
MOLY COP, Australia
Market Segment
Mining
Project Time
2013
Products
PD70X portable radios
PD78X portable radios
MD78X mobile radios
RD98X repeaters
Hytera dispatch system
Background
Moly-Cop produces grinding media and wire ropes for the mining industry and railway wheels and axles for the transport industry. The company's grinding media mill is located in Newcastle, New South Wales. It is the largest supplier of grinding media in the world, with a nominal capacity of 250,000 tonnes per annum.
Customer Demands
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Moly Cop's Newcastle had a 20-year-old analog radio system that was becoming difficult to maintain and did not provide coverage in important areas of its plant. They have a foundry plant called the “ballroom” where they make metal balls the size of cannon balls for the grinding media business. They never had radio coverage in the ballroom, due to the microwave furnaces. After Hytera DMR units were installed, it just belted them out of the park.
In addition, Moly Cop needed every single radio had its own unique programming like call authority, group, individual, encryption code and etc. Moreover, every single radio should belong to multiple but different groups. Under analog technology, radio had to scan between the scan group lists which caused huge delay and power consumption.
Besides improved coverage on site and secure communications via encryption, Moly Cop also required GPS location function on portables and needed a correct and robust emergency response system.
The Solution
Radio Industries, a dealer of Hytera in Australia, recommended a mixture of around 100 Hytera DMR terminals, three base stations and Hytera dispatch system console, which now provides better, clearer, more reliable communications, enhancing efficiency and safety.
The basic portable used is the PD70X. For supervisors, there is a higher-level portable with a screen, the PD78X, from which they can also make and receive phone calls. The MD78X is for use in forklifts and trucks around the plant; it's also used at the Hytera dispatch system console. All the units have GPS built in. The three base stations are RD98Xs, which have telephone interconnects installed.
The DMR digital solution not only met the management team's budgetary requirements, but also enabled MOLY COP to utilize the Hytera dispatch software for GPS tracking of staff to monitor and record conversations and most importantly, respond to emergencies when they arise in a timely manner.
Coverage over the entire site was also extremely important and was achieved with Hytera RD98Xs Repeaters installed.
The Benefits
Respond time is shortened with GPS location and emergency alert is more efficiently with smart dispatch system
Multi priority and authority level make management much more easier
Improved coverage over the entire site
Robust terminal (MIL-STD & IP67)
Crystal and clear voice communication with background noise cancelling technology