SmartCap acquired by Wenco International Mining Systems
11 May 2021,
Mining3 welcomes the acquisition by mining original equipment manufacturer Wenco International Mining Systems Pty Ltd. of all intellectual property and assets of SmartCap Technologies Pty Ltd.
This fatigue technology was developed by Mining3 (originally CRCMining) with supporting funding firstly from ACARP and significantly from Anglo American to bring the technology to commercial reality.
“It was clear when we started down the development path for this technology that an accurate and reliable approach to measuring and monitoring operator fatigue was a critical safety need within the mining industry. We are enthusiastic about this next step forward in ensuring the technology will achieve this goal” says Paul Lever, CEO of Mining3.
Fatigue is a leading contributor to 60-70% of human error incidents within mining operations. Long hours and repetitive work expose operators of heavy vehicles to potential exhaustion and often they are unable to assess their level of fatigue. This inability places operators and others at significant risk.
SmartCap assesses real-time fatigue levels and monitors for oncoming microsleeps that create safety hazards. The Brisbane based company’s device has over 5,000 users globally in mining, trucking, and other industries.
“This purchase is an important step for the continued growth of the SmartCap fatigue technology,” says SmartCap CEO Tim Ekert. “We have made significant progress these past eight years and we are proud of every safety incident our technology has prevented”.
“We believe joining Wenco will enable us to grow even further and increase the safety of even more industrial operations.”
This acquisition adds a strategic, fatigue monitoring capability to Wenco’s safety solution portfolio. Safety is of paramount importance at mines and other industrial sites, where operators must perform long hours of repetitive work while paying close attention to their surrounding environment. SmartCap greatly enhances the ability of operators and other workers in proximity to the equipment to remain safe.
“Wenco has long been observing SmartCap’s success in enhancing safety for their customers, and we have been in regular discussion on how we can integrate our technologies to provide a comprehensive, next-generation safety solution,” says Andrew Pyne, president and CEO of Wenco.
“Ultimately, it was decided that bringing our technology, personnel, and business relationships together under Wenco offered the greatest opportunity for us to deliver on our mutual vision for mine safety.”
About SmartCap Technologies
Life by SmartCap was developed to overcome the limitations of other fatigue monitoring technologies. Most people are aware of the dangers of driver fatigue, but our ability to recognise the signs diminishes as we become more fatigued. We believe that ultimately each and every person is primarily responsible for managing their own fatigue so our technology is designed to ensure that individuals are empowered to make this possible. Through alerts, reports, and profiles, each user will know when they are at risk and the times of the day that their risk is greatest. SmartCap helps to develop techniques to effectively manage fatigue and alarms to ensure your workforce is safe.
About Wenco International Mining Systems
For over 30 years, Wenco International Mining Systems has worked with mining companies to extract unrealized value. Under this mission, Wenco has developed an integrated suite of solutions to support the digital transformation of the mining industry. Fleet management, asset health, data analytics, and other technologies join together in the spirit of open interoperability to raise mine productivity and efficiency, lower routine costs, and establish a safe and smooth mining operation.
A Hitachi company since 2009, Wenco is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Construction Machinery headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
