Leaky Feeder Wi-Fi Communication Systems in Mines

Carroll Technologies combines a number of technologies in its leaker feeder cable systems for mining, offering a wireless communication network that can be integrated with tracking and monitoring devices to provide a complete solution to keep operations connected.

Discover more below about the supply and installation of leaky feeder systems Carroll Technologies can offer.

Leaky Feeder Communications in Mines: Latest Innovations

Here at Carroll Technologies we combine the latest innovations with best-in-class customer service to give you a complete safety solution. Based on more than 30 years of experience in the industry, we have searched the market for the best leaky feeder cable manufacturers. 

Leaky feeder Wi-Fi cable and communication systems provide effective and secure communication for underground and above-ground operations, incorporating a cable that is stretched throughout the mine, and acts as an antenna for a number of devices to receive and transmit a signal.

As Carroll Engineering president Allen Haywood explained:

“If you have line of sight with that antenna, or are in reasonable distance, you can talk to that cable rather than talking to another radio.”

This effectively extends the range of communication devices, as the cable serves as a wireless connecting point between two devices that are trying to communicate; a worker ten miles underground could speak to a colleague ten miles above ground using the antenna between them to connect the signal.

This leaky feeder communication system replaces the older ‘pager-phone’ model of underground communication, where miners would have to go to telephones hard-wired to the surface to speak to their colleagues, either above or below ground.

Not only did this system limit locations of communications much more than the leaky feeder Wi-Fi system, new pagers would have to be individually installed as mines grew creating an inherently inefficient system, as all lines of communication would have to go through a single point above ground, regardless of the location of the workers attempting to communicate.

Industry-Leading Leaky Feeder Radio Manufacturer 

PBE leaky feeder radio systems stand out as some of the best communication solutions available to the industry. The PBE 112 mine phone, for instance, is a traditional pager-type system that can be integrated into leaky feeder systems to improve productivity and serve as emergency lines of communication in the wake of accidents.

Radios distributed by Carroll are also part of PBE’s fourth generation of leaky feeder technology which incorporates systems such as proximity alerts, gas monitoring and both text and voice communication.

Leaker Feeder Communication Systems for the Water Industry

When implemented in tunnels, a leaker feeder communications system provides businesses in the water industry with a more stable basis for communications when compared with other solutions like wired phones. This is vital as without efficient communication between workers, progress can be slowed, productivity can decline, and safety can be negatively impacted. Carroll Technologies provide a range of leaker feeder communications systems for use within the water industry, helping to increase both operational efficiency and profitability.

Leaky Feeder Installation 

We are more than just leaky feeder suppliers. Carroll Technologies offers complete leaky feeder system design and leaky feeder cable installation services. 

Atmospheric Monitoring Tools

Leaky Feeder communication systems can form the basis for a number of other tracking and monitoring systems, creating a complete service that can enable communication for a range of functions across an operation.

Haywood uses the example of a medically-trained worker who is needed to respond to an injury; they can be contacted through the leaky feeder system, and then directed to the accident by a colleague above ground who can see both their position, and that of the injured worker, on a screen as both are wearing tracking tags.

Similarly, the system can be integrated with atmospheric monitoring devices, enabling workers to locate hazardous gases, and quickly inform personnel to leave dangerous areas, all using the same system.

Carroll supplies and services more than 20,000 products from over 80 distributors, many of which can be integrated with the leaky feeder system, enabling this base communication network to be customized and adapted for individual operations, and tailored to the needs of specific miners.

Furthermore, data recording systems can be integrated with the leaker feeder system, enabling companies to analyze the events leading up to and during accidents, to ensure similar incidents do not happen in the future.

“One of the things they use that data for, that they want to look at and serve operations, is air flow,” said Allen Haywood. “And that’s recorded, in case they want to go back and look and see what that air flow is, they can go back and look at the history of that.”

The MSA 5x gas detector is a particularly powerful piece of air monitoring equipment, able to measure carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and nitrous dioxide in a single device.

It comes with five sensors, each of which can be customized to detect specific gases, and alarm when particular concentrations of the gases are detected, making the device highly versatile.

 
Read more: Mining risks and hazards