Innovative Guide Rope Greasing System at Ernest Henry Mine

At Ernest Henry Mine, we have developed a novel guide rope greasing system that significantly enhances safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in winder rope maintenance. This innovative equipment features a greasing head that clamps securely over the rope, through which grease is pumped using a 24V lithium battery-powered arrangement. This design eliminates the need for personnel to place hands on or near moving winder ropes, substantially reducing the risk of injury.

The system streamlines the greasing process by delivering precise amounts of grease, minimizing waste and lowering operational costs. Compared to traditional methods, it requires less downtime, enabling faster maintenance cycles and improved productivity. The battery-powered pump ensures reliable performance and portability, making it adaptable to various site conditions.

This development addresses critical safety concerns in rope maintenance, a high-risk task in underground mining. By removing direct human interaction with the ropes, the system mitigates potential accidents while maintaining the integrity of the winder system. Additionally, the reduced grease consumption aligns with sustainable practices, contributing to cost savings and environmental responsibility.

Our solution has been implemented and tested on-site at Ernest Henry, demonstrating measurable improvements in safety outcomes, operational efficiency, and maintenance turnaround times. This technology has the potential for broader application across the mining industry, offering a scalable, safer, and more efficient alternative to conventional greasing methods.

We present this advancement as a case study in engineering innovation, showcasing how targeted equipment design can transform high-risk tasks into safer, more efficient processes, ultimately benefiting both workers and operational performance.

In high-demand mining environments, unplanned equipment failures can result in both production loss and elevated safety risks. Traditionally, maintenance strategies have relied on reactive repairs or time-based servicing. However, advancements in predictive diagnostics now allow for risk-informed decision-making based on real-time asset data.

This abstract explores how predictive maintenance—enabled by condition monitoring, sensor integration, and machine learning—is being used to extend asset life, reduce downtime, and minimise hazardous breakdowns in operational areas.

By continuously tracking metrics such as thermal stress, filter restriction, fluid quality, and fault code frequency, systems can flag early warning signs that precede failure. This allows maintenance to be performed based on actual component condition rather than fixed intervals, reducing unnecessary interventions while catching emerging risks sooner.

Importantly, this approach also addresses safety-critical factors. For example, air induction leaks in engines can allow dust ingress that accelerates wear and increases fire risk. Similarly, extended operation with partially obstructed filters may not immediately affect performance but can cause combustion instability, overheating, and even structural component fatigue. Predictive systems monitor these conditions continuously, triggering alerts and intervention before they escalate into safety incidents.

Field results from Queensland operations have shown reductions in both lost time due to breakdowns and incidents caused by equipment failure. Maintenance personnel benefit from clearer scheduling, while operators gain confidence in machinery health.

As mining systems grow more complex and autonomous, predictive maintenance becomes not just a cost-saving measure, but a frontline safety control—engineering risk out of the system before it reaches the field.

During the critical period of intelligent transformation in the energy industry, China's coal mine geological assurance technology is undergoing a qualitative leap from passive defense to active prevention. Leveraging its leadership in industry innovation and decades of accumulated expertise in mine geophysical exploration technology, CCTEG Xi'an Research Institute has pioneered the establishment of a "roadway-face-well" trinity lifecycle geological assurance system. It has developed real-time seismic monitoring technology along with mining or excavation, which breakthrough encompasses five key bottleneck technologies, such as seismic detection during mining and tunneling, leading the innovation in advanced underground detection technologies for coal mines. By addressing the industry challenge of traditional static exploration struggling to cope with dynamic geological risks, the institute has set a new benchmark for proactive geological hazard prevention.

With a business footprint spanning across China—primarily in mining regions such as Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Anhui, Hebei, Shandong, Ningxia, and Xinjiang—CCTEG Xi'an Research Institute has established partnerships with over a hundred coal enterprises under leading groups such as National Energy Group, China Coal Group, Shaanxi Coal Group, Jinneng Holding Group, Shandong Energy Group, Yitai Group, Huaneng, and Huadian. This collaboration has formed a full-stack technology matrix covering the entire spectrum of coal geological assurance systems, integrating "detection-monitoring-early warning." By deeply integrating intelligent exploration equipment with digital technologies, CCTEG Xi'an Research Institute enables real-time geological data monitoring and 3D reconstruction, marking China's official entry into the era of intelligent perception in coal mine geological assurance. CCTEG Xi'an Research Institute's real-time seismic monitoring technology along with mining or excavation not only redefines the technical paradigm of intelligent exploration but also establishes a new industrial ecosystem of "geological transparency, intelligent monitoring, and proactive early warning." This provides a replicable and scalable industry benchmark for the construction of smart mines.

In Queensland and around the world, there have been a multitude of incidents that when investigated found that the design, construction and maintenance of haul roads played a significant role.
Recognised Standard 19 was designed to assist Mine Managers and workers to fulfil their obligations under the Act to eliminate or reduce haul road related risks.
The Standard is an excellent document. You only have to see how often it is copied in full or part by those outside of Queensland to appreciate its usefulness. But perhaps it’s not the panacea that people might think it is.
As a designer who works with Standard 19 and other similar standards, we are able to provide expert opinions on Standard 19 and thus assist the wider mining community to design, build and maintain safer haul roads.
The Standard requires that documented compliance audits be carried out at least annually.
This presentation will provide examples of how haul road geometric audits can be conducted. Attendees will be shown examples of audit results and ways in which the results can be quickly and concisely communicated to those tasked with rectification.
Both Safe Stopping Distance and the Safe Intersection Site Distance parameters need to be checked during the design and auditing phases. The presentation will give examples of how these can be checked using a process that is accurate and repeatable. In addition, the presenter will discuss what engineering can be applied if the initial assessment does not yield satisfactory results.
Finally, the presenter will discuss certain peculiarities within Standard 19 and suggest amendments that could be considered in future revisions of this important document.