Technology

System and Product Trials

Extensively experienced in running trials and pilots of new systems at mine sites – Michael has 10 years experience in implementing technology at mine sites across the globe. Sites range in types of culture from the very progressive to the very resistant and from Australian sites with young crews to overseas sites who speak very little English.

The trials and pilots were for Caterpillar’s machine guidance systems called CAES, CAESultra, and AQUILA (now rolled up into one product name called TERRAIN) and the fleet management products MineStar Fleet and Health. Michael planned these trials, installed and implemented the systems, tested them in both blind and open testing, assessed and reported on the results, and supported the systems and sites throughout the trials/pilots and thereafter while working with Cat. Michael also has extensive experience in User Acceptance Testing and working closely with the factory and developers to improve Caterpillar’s technology products.

The trials and pilots were of both new and already proven systems. The first systems Michael trialled included the very first hydraulic excavator system in the field worldwide for Caterpillar (CAES on a EX3600 at Granny Smith gold mine). Michael also took Cat’s existing products and applied them in innovative and alternative ways to help provide low cost and effective solutions for their clients (examples of this were CAESbasic on an excavator at Blair Athol Coal, CAES on a skid steer loader at Lucas Heights Landfill, and design and implementation of the method of using CAES to enable the Jensen & Curtis dig method at BMA Norwich Park).

The aim of these pilots and trials was to sell the system to the client. In most cases a minimum productivity improvement percentage was one of the conditions of success along with others such as system and unit up time, repair turnarounds (if any), responsiveness of support, and other conditions that might vary site by site. Of the trials run by Michael there was a very high success rate in terms of sales of systems.

GPS

Michael also has lengthy experience in GPS and GPS in mining. He was heavily involved in educating the Australian mining and landfill markets on the uses and benefits of GPS on machines from 2000 onwards and introduced many Australian and a few international firsts in his time with Caterpillar.

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