Underground » Maintenance
This project successfully progressed through the design, development, and certification of a prototype system capable of collecting operational data from an instrumented AFC chain joiner.
The prototype units underwent intrinsic safety certification (IECEx) and hardware calibration.
The project achieved several key milestones, including finalisation of firmware, successful certification of the instrumentation system, and assembly of multiple field-ready prototype units. These units were tested in a controlled workshop environment using a longwall AFC mini-build to evaluate communication range, data acquisition performance, and system reliability.
Workshop testing demonstrated that the system could successfully transmit sensor data via radio communication.
The project concluded with delivery of batch-certified units ready for underground field trials with industry partners.
The project achieved its primary objective of developing an intrinsically safe, wireless instrumentation system embedded in an AFC joiner, demonstrating the feasibility of collecting real-time operational data from the AFC chain environment.