Wenco International Mining Systems
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mining, Computer software, Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Andrew Pyne (President and CEO) |
| Products | |
Number of employees | 200+ worldwide |
| Parent | Hitachi Construction Machinery |
| Website | www |
Wenco International Mining Systems, Ltd. (Wenco) is a Canadian technology company that develops, manufactures, and distributes computer systems to manage and control surface mining equipment. It is a provider of fleet management, machine guidance, asset health,[1] and industrial safety[2] technology to the mining sector.[3] The company's computer systems include software and hardware that record data related to mining equipment activity, location, time, production, and maintenance.[4] This information also displays to machine operators and other mining personnel.[5] Its systems run at open-pit sites operated by large mining conglomerates De Beers Group of Companies, Syncrude, KCGM, the United States Steel Corporation, Canadian Natural Resources Limited, and others.[6][7]
Founded in 1983, Wenco maintains its head office in the Metro Vancouver city of Richmond, British Columbia. It also operates satellite sales and support offices in the United States, Australia, Chile, South Africa, Russia, India, UAE, and Indonesia.[4] Since 2009, the company has operated as a subsidiary of Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., a division of Hitachi Group of Companies.[8][9]
Products
[edit]Wenco's systems rely on a combination of GNSS technology, wireless infrastructure, and computer hardware and software to track mining equipment activity, location, time, and production information.[6] These systems connect mobile computers on field equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, and haul trucks with office computers and an SQL-compliant database.[3][10] Mines use these systems for a range of purposes, including pit reporting, ore blend control, material tracking, production efficiency, and overall pit management.[11] Wenco also shares its system data with common third-party mining technology systems through its public API.
In May 2021, Wenco acquired Australian company SmartCap Technologies, developers of an EEG-based wearable fatigue management system.[12]
Ongoing development
[edit]Since 2013, Wenco has pursued development and testing of an autonomous haulage system in conjunction with Hitachi Construction Machinery.[13] Wenco is also working with Hitachi Construction Machinery and third-party organizations to establish open standards for autonomous fleet control technologies.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "The future of asset health is in the cloud". Canadian Mining Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ "Wenco acquires SmartCap". Mining Magazine. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ a b "Company Overview of Wenco International Mining Systems Ltd". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
- ^ a b "Joint service partnership to improve openpit operations". Mining Weekly. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ "Hitachi and Wenco Commence a Proof of Concept Project for Utilizing Fleet Management System on Cloud Service". Business Wire. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ a b Voss, Bristol (April 2000). "Automatic haulage" (PDF). World Mining Equipment. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ "Using High Precision GPS Applications to Meet Truck Level Ore Blending Requirements in the Oil Sands". Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ "Wenco International Mining Systems, a subsidiary of Hitachi Construction Machinery" (PDF). Octagon Systems. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ "Hitachi Construction Machinery: Mine Management Systems". Hitachi Construction Machinery. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ "Roy Hill to implement Wenco fleet management system". Australian Mining. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
- ^ "Where's the operator?" (PDF). International Mining. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
- ^ "Wenco acquires SmartCap". Coal Age. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ "The robots are taking over mining". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ "Wenco Outlines Vision for Open Autonomous Future in Mining". Engineering & Mining Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2021.