Projects


Throughout my career, I have led and supported multiple technical infrastructure, safety‑critical, and operational improvement projects across mining and industrial environments. These projects span data centre deployments, network expansions, digital security systems, and fleet‑safety technologies. Key projects include:

Supported and implemented projects at Vedanta Zinc International

Monitoring of Underground Fleet Operations

This project involved the implementation of an integrated monitoring solution for underground fleet operations, with the objective of identifying opportunities for operational optimization and performance improvement. Sandvik and Sedna were engaged as technology partners to deliver and support the defined system components.

Optimine (Sandvik):
Provided server infrastructure and application-level support during system installation, including the configuration and deployment of Panasonic tablets preloaded with Optimine software for operational data capture and monitoring.

Cisco Network Infrastructure (with Sedna support):
Included the deployment and administration of Cisco server and network devices to enable underground connectivity. Responsibilities covered network configuration, system management, and ongoing monitoring and maintenance through an appointed support partner.

Control Room Infrastructure:
A centralized control room was designed and implemented to support real-time operational monitoring. The facility comprised eight display screens powered by two workstations connected to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The room was equipped with a large oval operations table and enclosed by glass panels, which were finished with mine-themed visual elements.

CCTV Infrastructure Upgrade

The legacy CCTV recording platform no longer met operational requirements due to the rapid expansion of camera deployments across the mining site. As a result, the system was migrated to the Avigilon video management solution, selected for its scalability, interoperability, and advanced analytics capabilities.

A dedicated virtualized server environment was provisioned to host and manage cameras from multiple manufacturers. As camera density increased, additional virtual servers were seamlessly integrated into the architecture, enabling horizontal scaling with minimal configuration overhead.

License Plate Recognition (LPR) functionality was implemented at all primary access control points to enhance vehicle monitoring and improve site security automation.


New Site Network and Data Centre Deployment

During the expansion phase of the existing site, a strategic support partner was engaged to design and implement a comprehensive network topology across the facility.

My primary responsibility within this project was to oversee and validate the deployment of both the network infrastructure and the new data centre environment.

The data centre build consisted of six fully equipped cabinets designed to accommodate server hardware, core switching, storage systems, and supporting network equipment. All installations were executed according to the defined architectural standards and operational requirements.

Upon completion, the full solution underwent final verification and was formally signed off as fully operational. The data centre now provides core services to approximately 150 on‑site users and maintains connectivity to an additional remote site supporting roughly 500 users.

Fleet Monitoring System for Open-Pit Operations

With the increased movement of heavy and light‑duty fleet within the open‑pit environment, a Collision Avoidance System (CAS) was identified and deployed to enhance operational safety and reduce the risk of vehicle‑to‑vehicle incidents.

My responsibility within this project was to provision and validate the required server infrastructure to host the CAS management platform. This included ensuring adequate compute, storage, and network resources to support real‑time data ingestion and analytics.

Vodacom was selected as the primary network carrier to facilitate reliable data transmission between the CAS onboard units and the central server environment. This connectivity formed the backbone of the system’s telemetry and alerting capabilities.

Given the safety‑critical nature of the solution, continuous monitoring, maintenance, and system optimisation are performed to ensure high availability and data accuracy. The platform provides management with essential operational insights, including speed compliance reports and other behavioural metrics used to drive safety improvements across the pit.

Ground Monitoring for Open Pit Mining Operations 
 

To support the organization’s safety objectives, GroundProbe radar technology was implemented to provide continuous (24/7) monitoring of open pit mining operations for early detection of ground movement. The system enables real-time analysis of slope stability conditions and provides actionable alerts to the control room, allowing operators to initiate warnings and evacuations when predefined trigger thresholds are exceeded, thereby reducing the risk associated with ground failure events. 

My role in this project was to design and establish a centralized control centre equipped with the necessary infrastructure to visualize and analyse radar data. 

Datacentrix supported the implementation of a wireless point‑to‑point network linking the pit to the control room, as well as the deployment of the required virtual server infrastructure. 
GroundProbe was responsible for radar installation and commissioning, along with the configuration of the MIQ software platform and the delivery of operator training for effective system utilization within the control room environment. 

 

Standardization of Weighbridge Application 
  

To address the operational and support challenges associated with maintaining two separate weighbridge applications, a decision was taken to standardize all weighbridge operations on the Gravity platform provided by AppSource. This standardization enabled consistent system functionality across sites and simplified operator mobility by ensuring a uniform software environment.

My responsibilities included planning and coordinating the rollout, aligning with business stakeholders and the vendor on the deployment and cutover strategy to minimize operational impact and downtime, migrating historical weighbridge data, and executing the required hardware replacement and cable management to ensure compatibility with the new system.

The scope of the implementation covered the automated internal weighbridge only, utilizing RFID-based vehicle identification, where trucks are issued RFID cards for tare and gross weighing processes, followed by the automated generation of weight slips reflecting net weight values.
AppSource provided installation services and technical support to ensure a controlled and seamless transition. 

 

Change of Monitoring Toolset

 

A decision was taken to replace the existing monitoring toolset with Zabbix. Zabbix is an open-source, enterprise-grade monitoring platform designed to provide centralized monitoring of network infrastructure and application services.

Upon completion of the implementation, daily monitoring access was provisioned to the monitoring team for ongoing system oversight and incident management.

My responsibilities included planning the rollout, designing and building the required virtual server infrastructure, and ensuring alignment with broader infrastructure and system requirements. Following deployment, monitoring dashboards and alerting mechanisms were configured in accordance with operational requirements.


Data Flow from Plant Operations to SQL Database

To support daily operational reporting requirements, process data from the SCADA system was integrated into a centralized Microsoft SQL database.
IoT Solutions provided the UptimeCMMS software platform, which interfaces with the SCADA system to extract and transfer operational data into the SQL environment.

This integration enabled the metallurgy team to access reliable, structured data for reporting and dashboard development, while significantly reducing the need for manual data capture by plant operators. The solution also introduced conditional monitoring capabilities, allowing threshold-based alerts to be configured and automatically generated when predefined operating limits were exceeded.

My responsibilities included coordinating with the software vendor during deployment, supporting internal teams in accessing and utilizing the new data source, and maintaining oversight of monitoring rule configuration and data flow integrity to ensure ongoing system reliability.