Montreal's Maestro Digital Mine launched its latest digital IIoT solution, the Zephyr AQS, at the recent CIM convention and trade show. The Zephyr AQS is a compact, low cost environmental air quality monitoring station for underground mines.
The Zephyr AQS is an IIoT device that connects directly to an industrial network without the requirement of adding an expensive and complex programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and several analog based instruments. Since it is a digital device, not only are the real time environmental conditions reported back to surface via a single ethernet connection, but all the advanced diagnostic data is available, too, assuring maximum uptime.
Michael Gribbons, VP sales and marketing, said at the launch: "The Zephyr AQS was developed to satisfy 75% of all the air monitoring requirements of a modern mine. Airflow rate, airflow direction, gas levels, barometric pressure and wet/dry bulb temperatures can be measured in real time and now affordably."
Using the Zephyr AQS can increase production, improve miner worker safety and reduce energy by monitoring and controlling ventilation. Based on direct customer feedback, Maestro's digital products save mining companies on average 40% to 60% of capex compared to conventional monitoring solutions.
Like all Maestro's solutions, the Zephyr AQS is fully digital solution that can be plugged into a network switch without the requirement of an expensive PLCs, PLC cabinets and all the associated wiring, terminations, software and complex labour for integration into the network.
All Maestro solutions are provided with lifetime, free firmware updates. The full savings to mining clients is in the range of 70% to 80% over the full life cycle with no hidden hooks or costs to bear in the operating cost maintenance cycle.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)