• granite
• traprock
• sandstone and quartzite
• misc stone
• marble
• slate
• calcareous marl
• shell
• volcanic cinder
• scoria

Limestone is the most popular mined rock on the market commonly used in the construction industry. Limestone is used in everyday products and materials including, paper, steel, plastics, paint and other numerous products. Lime is used in steel manufacturing and in traditional basic oxygen furnaces as well as electric arc furnaces. Lime is the essential mineral necessary for the steel production industry.

Exploring RFID in the Stone Mining Industry

While mining for all types of stone such as granite, sandstone, marble, and slate, mining organizations in the Stone Mining face many issues that challenge the operations and safety of the business. We have RFID experience and can explore customizing RFID Systems for the Stone Mining industry that may bring these benefits:

• Tracking Extraction Deposits
• Tracking Deposit Pick-up and Transport
• Controlling Zone Access
• Monitoring and Locating Personnel

Tracking Assets

Specialized RFID Tags assigned to piles of mined rock that can be read with an RFID Reader is just one possible method of simplifying the logistics of deposit extraction using the RFID Asset Tracking System. Large scale mining operations implementing this form of track and trace is the most effective use of RFID technology. RFID interrogators placed in strategic locations on a mining site can read RFID Tags designed to survive the crushing process. All information transferred to the database allows mining supervisors to eliminate the paper based process of tracking extraction deposits and keep an accurate count. All loading trucks can be outfitted with RFID Vehicle Tags that run into and out of mining sites. Vehicles transporting stone deposits can be scanned at checkpoints alerting the mining site foreman of any potential issues that may arise. We have experience in the field of RFID, which we gain when deploying and developing RFID technology to track assets. It is a system which reduces bottlenecking, solving a pivotal element of mine logistics. Mining operators will have real-time knowledge of how many vehicles they have at their disposal. Typical mines will have thousands of runs during the lifespan of a rock quarry. After extraction, crushing and processing the next step is transportation by rail, road or sea. Using the Asset Tracking System, railcars, tractor trailers and cargo ship containers can all be tagged with RFID Tags and be tracked using RFID Readers. Mining companies can track in real- time where and how shipments are transported once they leave the site ensuring the secure delivery of their deposits to the final destination. In addition, each RFID Tag will be recorded with specific details of the deposits including the tonnage, grade and destination points.

Providing Access Control

The access to restricted zones may be controlled with our experience in controlling access via RFID technology, RFID Badges can record the exact times when miners enter or leave a quarry while only allowing authorized personnel to access certain zones. Each RFID Badge is unique and can be programmed with specific access rights. Every time access to a zone occurs, the details of the event are recorded into the database showing who accessed the zone and at what time. This provides a powerful, keyless way for mine managers to grant and restrict zone access to keep the environment secure and safe.

Tracking People

Maintaining an accurate count of all personnel is an important factor to ensure safety in the work environment, we can apply our knowledge that we have gained from our experience using RFID to track people. RFID Badges and Readers can be employed to track mining personnel. Information such as the start and end times of a miner’s shift, miner location, and the ability for workers to send distress signals via their RFID Badge help to minimize worker accidents and casualties; a primary concern for any mining company. In addition, during muster call situations, the RFID Personnel Tracking System is able to automatically count the workers on site and identify who is still missing.

Integrating with your Management Software

GAO RFID’s Systems can be deployed as a standalone solution or can be integrated with other software solutions, according to your needs. GAO RFID’s AUTO-ID Engine, incorporates middleware and essential RFID functions that perform RFID data collection and information processing. It can seamlessly integrates with a wide variety of mining management systems so that you can access the data it collects directly via the system or systems you currently have in place. Our team comprises of seasoned professionals who have the capability to combine our RFID experience with your industry experience and provide a customized solution that will smoothly integrate the appropriate RFID Solution with your IT architecture. The result is an RFID solution that is seamlessly unified with your mining management system. We can work with you to integrate the RFID tracking data collected from our custom solution with today’s leading information management systems in your industry.

Contact us for more information on how our RFID Systems can be configured for your organization.