Installation at West Virginia underground coal mine marks first deployment
of ActiveMine's full wireless communications and tracking capabilities
TSX-V: ACT
TORONTO, May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Active Control Technology Inc.
(TSX-V:ACT) announced today the second commercial installation of
ActiveMine(TM), the premier wireless communications and locating system for
mines, at an underground coal mine in West Virginia.
The installation, at Magnum Coal Company's IO Coal Mine, began earlier
this month. The deployment is part of a five-mine purchase order by Magnum
announced last November.
"This is another major milestone for Active Control and for mining
companies seeking a better communications and tracking solution," said
Steve Barrett, President and CEO, Active Control.
ActiveMine provides excellent flexibility and value over the life of
any mine. The system can be expanded and enhanced with additional features
to meet changing demands as mine operations grow, while providing a
profitable ongoing revenue stream for Active Control.
The IO Coal Mine installation follows an earlier ActiveMine deployment
at Magnum's Winchester mine in West Virginia, under a separate purchase
order.
"We are delivering on our promise to customers to install ActiveMine
successfully and on-time," Barrett said. "At the same time, we are
advancing discussions with many operators to secure additional purchase
orders."
The IO and Winchester installations both include ActiveMine's new
"Starfish(TM)" feature, which for the first time makes it possible for
miners who become isolated due to an accident, explosion or other event to
stay linked, even when they are distant from one another and cut off from
the outside world.
About Starfish
Starfish operates on top of ActiveMine's 100 percent wireless Wi-Fi
MESH network. The strategic placement of nodes creates multiple wireless
paths, making it possible to maintain communication links in the event any
node fails or is damaged.
With Starfish, even if a node or series of nodes becomes isolated from
the main network, voice communications will automatically be re-established
within an isolated area. The analogy in nature is that of a starfish: If a
starfish's arm is severed, a complete new starfish is naturally regenerated
by the severed section.
This capability is currently not possible with analog walkie-talkie
radios used in leaky feeder systems.
About ActiveMine
ActiveMine's communications, data and tracking system enables
monitoring of production, personnel and equipment in all types of surface
and underground mining environments, including coal and base metal mines.
The system is designed to:
- Operate on a 100 percent wireless Wi-Fi network backbone.
- Be less susceptible to water and mechanical damage of all sorts,
including rock fall.
- Use open-standards technology.
- Meet federal MINER Act requirements for wireless systems as
established in MSHA policies.
- Provide four-day intrinsically safe battery back-up and power supply.
- Provide a wireless communications and data network above-ground,
linked seamlessly to underground networks.
About Active Control Technology
ACT designs and markets wireless network control and communication
systems for buildings and extreme environments. Located in Burlington,
Ontario, Canada, the company trades publicly on the TSX Venture Exchange
under the symbol ACT. For more information, visit the company's website at
http://www.activecontrol.com.
About Magnum Coal
Magnum Coal Company, based in Charleston, West Virginia, is one of the
largest producers of coal in the U.S. Central Appalachian coal mining
region. The company controls over 629 million tons of high Btu, low sulfur
coal and operates 17 mines and seven preparation plants, all located in
West Virginia. The company's strategy is focused on maintaining its leading
cost position in the region and exploiting internal and external growth
opportunities afforded by its considerable reserve base and market
position.
We make wireless work.(TM)
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