Ekahau Inc., one of the leading provider of Wi-Fi-based Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), recenlty announced that CVRD Inco Ltd., a premier mining and metals company and the world's second largest producer of nickel, has selected Ekahau to provide underground asset tracking technology.

The Ekahau RTLS will be used to track production vehicles in the company’s mines in Ontario, Canada. With the real-time location capabilities, Inco employees will easily be able to find their equipment during scheduled shift changes. And, through specialized reports generated by the Ekahau RTLS solution, mine management will be able to gain better visibility into operations in order to improve productivity.

“We evaluated a number of location tracking solutions, but the Ekahau RTLS demonstrated how we could maximize the investment in our existing in-mine Wi-Fi networks to quickly and efficiently locate our production equipment underground,” said Richard Howes, Manager of East Mines at Inco. “By using the Ekahau solution to provide asset visibility from the surface, we are able to better manage daily mining operations and make changes without delay to maximize performance.”

Offering the industry’s best reliability and location accuracy, the Ekahau RTLS is the only nonproprietary real-time tracking solution that can be implemented entirely over standard, open Wi-Fi networks. It does not require the addition of any complex proprietary sensors, exciters or other infrastructure, as is the case with other RTLS systems. Using purpose-built tags and standard wireless connectivity, the Ekahau RTLS can track objects or people with an accuracy of as little as three feet across large production facilities or multi-campus enterprises. By doing so, it provides a single centralized solution that delivers enterprise visibility across all assets. In addition, Ekahau and St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M have teamed up to bring innovative RTLS solutions, along with 3M’s materials expertise and strengths and knowledge of the mining industry, to suit the needs of mining customers worldwide.

“Ekahau’s proven RTLS is ideal for underground applications – whether tracking assets or ensuring worker safety,” said Antti Korhonen, president and CEO of Ekahau. “While Inco is initially using the solution to improve operational efficiency, it can easily be expanded for use in tracking the location of miners. Should an unfortunate accident occur underground, the Ekahau RTLS can provide users with the last known location of the miners, taking the guesswork out of the rescuers’ job.”

GG Automation Inc. (GGA), an Ontario-based systems integrator, is partnering with Ekahau on the installation of the RTLS solution in Inco’s mines. GGA is a leader in wireless communication for underground mining with GGA’s proven hybrid fiber coax (HFC) system. GGA is now focusing its attention on mine safety and production monitoring with Ekahau RTLS.

About Ekahau Inc.
Ekahau Inc. is the industry leader in providing Wi-Fi based RTLS solutions. Ekahau's customers, including several Fortune 500 companies worldwide, are realizing the benefits of Wi-Fi based location services and innovative Wi-Fi network planning and optimization tools. Ekahau partners include wireless software developers, leading system integrators, and international OEM partners, who develop and market wireless enterprise applications. Ekahau is a U.S. based corporation, with offices in Saratoga, CA; Reston, VA; Helsinki, Finland; and Hong Kong, China. For more information about Ekahau, please visit at www.ekahau.com

About CVRD Inco Ltd.
CVRD Inco, a subsidiary of Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD). In business for 100 years, the company is one of Canada's best-known companies and largest exporters. CVRD Inco is foremost a primary metals company, producing 19 percent of the world’s nickel supply. The company also produces copper, precious metals, cobalt, sulphuric acid and liquid sulphur dioxide. CVRD Inco is based in Toronto and employs 13,000 people around the world at our mining operations, production facilities, research center, and through our extensive marketing and sales network. For more information, please visit www.inco.com.

Source: Power Online