Reliable solutions from LAPP for the Australian mining industry

The picture shows a green-lit tunnel in an underground mine.

The expert team from IoT Automation has developed a software-controlled intelligent lighting system called Firefly Smart Lighting System, which also enables safe evacuations and emergency measures in underground mines. The company originally ordered the required cable harnesses from a Chinese supplier. The order portfolio also included ÖLFLEX^® instrument cables from LAPP. However, due to the complex requirements, there were repeatedly problems with delivery, which meant that the company initially decided to assemble the cable harnesses itself and buy the required cables directly from LAPP Australia.

The picture shows a worker installing an intelligent lighting system in an underground mine.

But LAPP can do much more than just produce and supply cables. When it comes to tailored connection solutions, the company sees itself as a system supplier and development partner. That is why Robin Paine, Managing Director & Co-founder of IoT Automation, called LAPP Australia and asked whether he could purchase the pre-assembled cable harnesses required directly from LAPP in Australia. No problem for the “Down Under” LAPP team. “We received drawings and target prices, followed by a forecast of usage. In coordination with our LAPP colleagues in Singapore, we have also been able to guarantee the customer that all cables are available in our warehouse in Eastern Creek and that no time-consuming transport times are involved,” reports Simon Pullinger, Managing Director of LAPP Australia proudly.

LAPP Australia, which has also offices in the USA and Chile, currently has a large warehouse with over 3,000 product lines, which are immediately available for shipment on the same day. IoT Automation was also impressed by this. “We were looking for a partner, from whom we could order our cable harnesses just in time and without time delays or downtime. With the cable harnesses from LAPP, we can once again concentrate on our core competencies and ensure that our Firefly Smart lighting system is used even more effectively in the mining industry,” emphasises Robin Paine.

The Firefly Smart Lighting System is a robust, purposeful and intuitive system that improves visibility, workflow and above all safety in the mine. It is networked with a central control server that coordinates the Firefly UPS control panels centrally underground. These Firefly UPS control fields control the lighting by supplying the Firefly LED lighting modules with battery-buffered power and communication. The Firefly UPS control panels can be operated as an independent lighting cell or can be connected to the central control server to form a site-wide intelligent lighting network. The multi-colour, addressable LED assembly from Firefly can provide red, green, yellow, blue or white tunnel lighting as required. It is also designed to provide emergency or evacuation lighting stages for underground workers.

The picture shows a high-performance LED in an underground mine.

Each module has a built-in 1.5Ah +3.7VDC lithium polymer battery (LiPo), which enables an operating time of three hours. If the connecting cable between the Firefly lamp and the US control panel is ever damaged or cut, this is an important safeguard for failures. As the battery level decreases, the intensity of the Firefly light is slowly reduced so that a longer runtime can be achieved.

The 18 high-performance LEDs in the Firefly offer a wide beaming angle of 110-135 while simultaneously providing high power efficiency. This ensures maximum lighting and visibility for the workers. At a distance of 20 m between the Firefly modules, an illumination of over 70 Lux can be achieved in a 5 x 5 m mine tunnel.

The Firefly modules are supplied with a voltage of 6-60 VDC and controlled via an RS485 communication bus, both of which are supplied by single four-core instrument cables INSTRUM RE-Y(ST)Y and INSRUM RE-Y(ST)YRY from the Firefly UPS control panel. This means that the high-intensity Firefly lights can be easily positioned at 20 m-long crossroads along the tunnel.

Each Firefly light is equipped with a 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE 5.0) radio device to provide a redundant wireless communication path in the event of damage to the control cable. This function enables every Firefly unit to track and position a Wi-Fi or BLE tag with an accuracy of 20 m. In addition, the Firefly lights can be wirelessly connected to other Bluetooth devices, such as seismic and ground-supported instruments.

IoT Automation is now active worldwide and has subsidiaries in Mongolia and Indonesia. Robin Paine: “As a specialist for wireless sensor networks, our mission has been to develop and use the next best technologies that the mining industry has been waiting for. With the customised connection solutions from LAPP, we have a reliable partner on our side who understands us and continues to support us on our growth course.”