Catoca Diamond Mine uses Hytera DMR system to improve coverage, capacity and safety

source:miningweekly.com

Catoca diamond mine in Angola is the fourth largest diamond mine in the world, accounting for about 6% of the world’s diamond production, and about 70% of Angola’s diamond production. With open-pit mining, Catoka’s current operating depth exceeds 200m and is expected to reach 600m by 2034.

Catoca's communication has relied on the analog MPT1327 relay system for more than 10 years, but the network is no longer applicable. The voice quality is very poor, and the system cannot support functions such as data functions, including GPS positioning services.

In addition, because the existing MPT system is outdated, it is difficult to find spare parts and obtain reliable after-sales and maintenance services to keep the network in good condition. This makes the end user very frustrated, because the poor network quality reduces the efficiency of the mine's internal communication and directly affects the operational efficiency.

The management of the Catoca mine decided to replace the analog MPT system with a modern digital radio network. Hytera was selected to implement the DMR Trunking Lite solution.

Hytera provides two DMR DS-6211 Trunking Lite base stations, each with five carriers. In addition, more than 500 DMR PD70XG and DMR PD78XG handheld portable two-way radios and DMR MD78XG mobile two-way radios are also provided.

The Hytera DMR Trunking Lite solution adopts a modular design, which can easily expand the coverage and capacity to meet the growth of the mine. Managers can use individual and group calls to communicate with the right person or team in real time and provide instructions, thereby improving operational efficiency and productivity.

“For employees who cannot use the radio, they can also be contacted through the DMR relay system, because it can be extended to connect to the fixed telephone network through a SIP gateway. This feature is called over-the-air programming (OTAP), which enables changes in the radio configuration and Updates are easy to manage," said Ken Lin, Deputy Director of Hytera Southern Africa.

PD70XG and DMR PD78XG (full keyboard and display) handheld portable walkie-talkies are highly rugged and have passed the IP67 dust-proof and moisture-proof certification, so they can cope with the harsh working environment of the mine. Thanks to the radio's emergency button, priority interruption, personnel falling to the ground and individual worker functions, labor is well protected.

The GPS technology in the handheld portable device and in-vehicle MD78XG mobile radio enables supervisors to track the location of employees and vehicles in real time, which helps to improve efficiency and productivity because no time is wasted trying to locate employees or vehicles.

The Hytera DMR Trunking Lite solution has greatly improved communications at the Catoca diamond mine in Angola, thanks to increased coverage, capacity and audio quality, as well as the addition of a large number of new digital features, such as GPS. The DMR network helps improve efficiency and productivity, and provides a solution that can be easily expanded with the development of the mine.