One of the world’s largest producers of platinum-group metals (PGMs), in partnership with technology group Johnson Controls, has developed, piloted and implemented Johnson Controls’ P2000 X-Ray software control integration solution at its operations.

The trialling of the software system was undertaken at the PGMs producer’s sites throughout the development phase and was followed by testing and approval by the Department of Health (DoH). It was finally commissioned at the company’s operations on September 1, 2014.

Johnson Controls says the solution is helping the mining house to improve the management of its X-ray machines, which form a “vital” part of the company’s security matrix to combat losses resulting from thefts at its processing plant.

The company adds that, prior to the installation of the system, the mine’s losses due to theft were considerable and, as such, improving security and control measures, particularly at its processing plant, was of “critical importance”.

“The PGMs producer’s X-ray machines’ full body scans allow it to quickly identify [items] that people are trying to smuggle out of their facility.

“To improve the effectiveness and control of this process, they identified the need for a specialised integrated access control and closed-circuit television (CCTV) security solution for their body X-ray machines,” explains Johnson Controls.

The company says that this solution needed to meet the specific needs of their processing plant and ensure that it fully complied with all health regulations in terms of radiation dosages.

“It also needed to be intelligent enough to help them assess and reduce their risk. A final essential requirement was for the system to be flexible enough to interface with the existing components of our security system.”

Johnson Controls notes that, for example, it needed to integrate with the PGMs producer’s access control, CCTV surveillance, Internet protocol intercoms and perimeter control solutions to offer a holistic view of incidents and allow the mine’s teams to proactively identify risk.

Johnson Controls was already a preferred systems integrator and partner for integrated security management for the mining house.

Therefore, it was able to meet the requirements to design a solution to fit the PGMs producer’s technical and operational requirements, as well as consider health and safety, and process requirements.

“Johnson Controls offered the mining house a turnkey solution. We were able to write customised software that modelled the specifications of their technical engineering team, and were able to offer them in-house design engineering alternatives,” states Johnson Controls field operations manager Marius Brits.

He adds that the client could in future rely on local support of the software solution backed by global expertise.

“We were pleased to be able to work with the organisation on this project, which fitted our capability well. It allowed us to create a solution that filled a clear gap in the mining industry. “It also allowed us to supply a first fully integrated access control system, X-ray control system and CCTV system for the industry,” says Brits.

He also points out that the P2000 X-Ray software was developed by Johnson Controls’ international and local technical teams in consultation with the client, along with input from subject matter and industry experts over a period of 12 months.

“The P2000 X-Ray software interfaces to the mine’s full-body X-ray machines and carries out full-body gender-specific stop-and-search scans, with radiation dosage-control record keeping that is approved by the DoH,” highlights Brits.