Industrial Automation Solutions

3D Scanning for Advanced Dry Bulk Handling Automation

The challenge

Efficient and safe management of dry bulk materials poses unique challenges across various industries. Whether it is stockpile mapping for volumetric measurement, optimising throughput, or detecting safety hazards like boulder falls, face collapses, and weather-related erosion, reliable sensor solutions are essential. Additionally, blockages in underground removal systems or rock crushers require real-time monitoring to ensure uninterrupted operations.

Traditional sensor technologies face significant limitations in addressing these needs. LiDAR, while accurate in clear conditions, struggles in dusty and harsh environments, leading to rapid degradation and unreliable data. Similarly, 2D radar, while robust in adverse conditions, lacks elevation data and requires multiple units to cover large areas, increasing cost and complexity.

An articulated 2D radar (3D) provides the ideal solution by combining radar’s durability in dusty conditions with multi-angle scanning, for a broader field of view and reliable elevation data. This approach enables accurate, real-time depth perception across large areas, providing high resolution, and volumetric measurement capabilities to redefine dry bulk handling automation, reducing system complexity and cost.

How 3D Radar Scanning Works

The Navtech RAS6 Radar, paired with advanced data processing and a servomechanism, creates a high-resolution 3D point cloud, capturing comprehensive spatial data in even the harshest environments. Mounted on a rotational mechanism, the radar captures multiple layers of data transforming 2D scans into multi-dimensional insights, ideal for stockpile management, safety monitoring, and volumetric measurements even in harsh conditions, such as dusty, foggy, or low-visibility environments commonly found in bulk handling and mining sites.

Key Components:

Navtech RAS6 Radar: Configured to 4Hz with an 800-azimuth mode, providing a forward-facing field of view (FOV) and an optimal range of up to 200 metres, making it suitable for monitoring large areas with precision.
Point Cloud Application: The radar rotates to capture data points using “Navigation Mode”, which filters and returns only significant points above a defined threshold. These points are then converted to Cartesian co-ordinates and saved, producing a detailed 3D point cloud.
Servomechanism: Facilitates the radar’s rotation to capture multi-layer scans, achieving high horizontal and vertical resolution, essential for detailed spatial mapping.

Key benefits

Enhanced Safety: With a 0.45° resolution, the RAS6 Radar delivers fine detail essential for detecting small objects, complex shapes, and subtle variations in terrain. These high-resolution, precise scans enable real-time detection of boulders, erosion, and face collapses, preventing accidents and minimising downtime.
Flexibility and Versatile Operation: The RAS6 Radar’s configurable scan modes allow operators to balance resolution and scan rate based on specific application requirements, from high-detail scans at slower speeds to broader area scans at faster speeds. This adaptability ensures optimal performance for a wide range of bulk handling needs.

Volumetric Measurement Capability: Its radar-based technology ensures consistent data quality; accurate calculations of material volume and terrain shape allow better inventory control and throughput optimisation.
Reliable All-Weather Performance: Unlike LiDAR, which is sensitive to dust and debris, the RAS6 Radar performs reliably in dusty, foggy, and low-light environments.

Minimal Maintenance and Durability: Designed for industrial environments, the RAS6 Radar is built to withstand harsh conditions with minimal maintenance. Its durable, sealed design minimises downtime and ensuring long-term reliability and cost efficiency.

Minimised System Complexity: The radar’s high-resolution and wide FOV minimise the need for multiple sensors, streamlining installation and reducing infrastructure and maintenance costs. This consolidated approach lowers operational complexity, making the system easier to deploy and maintain.

Expected Technical Performance

The radar supports multiple data rate and resolution modes, each suited to specific application needs:

Mode	Horizontal/Vertical Resolution	Max Scan Rate (Degrees/sec)
4Hz, 800 Azimuth	0.45° / 0.45°	1.8°/sec
4Hz, 800 Azimuth	0.45° / 0.9°	3.6°/sec
8Hz, 400 Azimuth	0.9° / 0.45°	3.6°/sec
8Hz, 400 Azimuth	0.9° / 0.9°	7.2°/sec

These modes provide flexibility in balancing scan rate and resolution. For applications requiring high detail, such as volume measurement, the 0.45°/0.45° mode offers exceptional clarity. For faster scanning across larger areas, the 0.9°/0.9° mode allows for quicker updates at a reduced resolution, which can still be sufficient for broad monitoring.

Reliable All-Weather Performance:
Radar technology operates unaffected by dust, fog, and rain, ensuring consistent data collection across all conditions.

Minimised System Complexity:
A single 3D radar unit with a wide field of view replaces multiple sensors, reducing infrastructure and maintenance costs.

Enhanced Safety:
High-resolution scans enable real-time detection of boulders, erosion, and face collapses, preventing accidents and minimising downtime.

Volumetric Measurement Capability:
Accurate calculations of material volume and terrain shape allow better inventory control and throughput optimisation.

Low Maintenance and Durability:
Built for rugged environments, the RAS6 Radar minimises repair needs, ensuring long-term reliability and cost efficiency.

Example Application: Quarry Rock Face and Stockpile Scanning

In a recent trial at a quarry, the RAS6 Radar was mounted on a vehicle to scan a rock face and the remaining terrain post-material removal. The 3D point cloud provided actionable insights into the terrain’s shape and residual volume. This data, visualised through software like Paraview, highlighted the radar’s ability to map and measure large areas, enabling better decision-making for material handling and safety monitoring.

The test demonstrated the radar’s capacity to:

Map large areas in 3D, capturing residual shapes and craters.

Monitor and predict potential blockages or collapses in underground tunnels.

Track erosion or stockpile shifts caused by environmental factors like heavy rain.

Considerations and Future Directions

On–going partnerships with automation and software providers are focused on refining the RAS6 Radar’s integration and enhancing data processing capabilities. This collaboration aims to streamline deployment, optimise data visualisation, and improve real-time responsiveness for bulk handling and mining operations.

Conclusion

3D radar scanning, exemplified by the Navtech RAS6, represents a leap forward in stockpile management and safety for dry bulk handling industries. From volumetric measurements to real-time safety monitoring, radar’s resilience and precision offer unparalleled advantages over traditional sensors like LiDAR.

By adopting radar-based solutions, industries can improve safety, optimise operations, and confidently navigate the challenges of harsh, complex environments.

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Navtech Radar, Home Farm, Ardington, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 8PD, UK.

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