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mininginnovationnews.com 2015 00006.txt

#Atlas copco unveils new rig operation technology Technology firm Atlas copco has introduced its new remote rig operation technology system, which would allow workers to operate three parallel rigs simultaneously. The company remote operator station called Benchremote has been designed to tackle potential safety problems with close proximity drilling in the mining and oil & gas industries. Atlas copco says that risks of working close to unstable and hazardous benches close to the wall are well known and that although safety regulations have improved, accidents still happen with falling debris. According to a company statement, the Benchremote technology can be used 100 metres from the drilling site and has elevated an range of 30 metres to allow operators to be separated from the physical drilling point, provided that the operator has a clear line of sight with the rig. Whilst hoped to improve safety, the technology is expected also to improve drilling efficiencies according to Mattias Hjerpe, Atlas copco product manager, said: he Benchremote can handle up to three Smartroc D65 rigs in parallel. his multiplies the operator efficiency and was made possible by the full drill cycle automation. In addition, the company claims that as many as ten rigs can be preprogrammed in the operator station, which also facilitates a planning procedure. The operator station is able to be installed in a vehicle, trailer or containers with the control and interface systems designed to mimic the setup of a physical rig to improve operator familiarity with the system. The technology operates using a closed Wifi network to communicate between the operator station and the rig. The closed network means that the Benchremote technology is independent of any other local Wifi network and as such is not subject to reliance on other systems. Additionally, if the network is lost as a result of excessive distance between operator station and rig, the rig will shut down under safety protocol r

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