In active industrial environments, safety and visibility often go hand in hand. At an underground salt mine in New Mexico, Marathon Industries supported a project focused on improving operator safety and increasing site productivity by relocating equipment controls away from the active work area to a remotely operated control station.
The Business Need
The project objective was to improve operator safety while increasing productivity by moving equipment controls out of the active work zone and into a remote operating station.
The Technical Challenge
Visual cues are essential for operating the site’s waste rock loading bay and hoist systems. However, the frequent dumping of waste rock creates a dusty environment that quickly covers camera lenses and reduces visibility. This made it difficult to rely on conventional camera systems in the area.
The Solution
During the design phase, Marathon selected the Excelsense ToughEye-1700 self-cleaning camera as the preferred camera option for this challenging environment. The ToughEye-1700 was chosen because of its patented self-cleaning system, rugged industrial design, compact size, and easy plug-and-play installation.
Once the camera platform was selected, Marathon specified the core elements required for the complete system design, including the power supply, network communications, network video recorder, and human-machine interface.
Integration and Testing
All system components were integrated during a Factory Acceptance Test. This allowed Marathon to confirm that each component functioned properly on its own and as part of the complete system before shipment.
By completing the Factory Acceptance Test in advance, Marathon was able to streamline site setup, reduce on-site work, adjust equipment settings, and confirm communications before the system arrived at site.
Installation and Commissioning
Marathon supported the underground contractor during the installation of the camera system. Once installation was complete, Marathon commissioned the system before handing it over to operations. This allowed the team to verify performance and make adjustments based on user feedback.
Ongoing Support
Marathon was setup as a vendor and remained available to provide ongoing support for the camera system after commissioning.
Conclusion
This case study highlights Marathon’s ability to design and support remote visibility systems for harsh, dust-heavy industrial environments. By selecting the right self-cleaning camera technology, integrating the full system in advance, supporting installation, and commissioning the solution before handoff, Marathon helped create a safer and more productive operating setup at the project.