InHand VG710 Powers Sandvik’s Custom Conveyor System – Smart Data for Mining & Metal Industry

InHand VG710 Powers Sandvik’s Custom Conveyor System – Smart Data for Mining & Metal Industry


1. Scenario Background
Sandvik, a global leader in mining and metal processing equipment, supplies a large-scale conveyor system to an iron ore mine in Western Australia. The mine uses 8 long-distance conveyors (each over 2km long) to transport iron ore from underground mining areas to the surface processing plant. Before, the mine faced big troubles:
Weighing data (ore weight per hour) and speed data of conveyors came from different sensors (weighing scales, speed meters) with incompatible data formats – workers had to manually record data on site, which was time-consuming and error-prone.
When conveyors broke down (e.g., speed dropped suddenly, weight overload), the control center only found out after workers reported it, leading to 2-3 hours of production downtime.
Engineers had to drive 1.5 hours to the remote mine site for maintenance, which was inefficient and costly.
2. Product Selection
InHand VG710 Industrial Gateway (customized for Sandvik’s conveyor system) – it supports multiple industrial protocols, seamlessly connects to Azure IoT Hub, and can work stably in dusty, vibrating mining environments .
3. Core Issues
Data from weighing and speed sensors is fragmented and incompatible, making cloud monitoring impossible.
Conveyor faults are detected late, causing long production downtime.
No remote control capability – on-site visits are required for adjustments or maintenance.
4. Solutions
Unify Data with VG710: Connect the VG710 gateway to Sandvik’s conveyor sensors (weighing scales, speed meters) via RS485/CAN bus interfaces. The gateway converts different data formats (e.g., Modbus, CAN) into a unified standard format and uploads it to Azure IoT Hub in real time using MQTT protocol .
Stable Data Transmission: VG710’s industrial-grade design (dustproof, vibration-resistant) ensures reliable operation even in the mine’s harsh environment. It uses 5G network with automatic reconnection – no data loss even if the signal fluctuates .
Cloud Monitoring & Remote Control: The mine’s control center views real-time data (ore weight, conveyor speed) on Azure IoT Hub’s dashboard. When data exceeds safe thresholds (e.g., weight overload), the system sends instant alerts. Engineers can also send remote commands via the cloud (e.g., adjust conveyor speed, stop operation) through VG710’s secure encrypted tunnel .
5. Implementation Results
Data Visibility 24/7: Real-time ore weight and conveyor speed are displayed on the cloud – manual data entry is eliminated, and data accuracy reaches 99.9%.
Downtime Cut by 70%: Faults are detected within 5 minutes (vs. 2 hours before), and remote adjustments fix 60% of issues without on-site visits.
Cost Saved Significantly: Monthly manual inspection costs are reduced by AU$8,000, and production efficiency increases by 15% (extra 3,000 tons of ore transported daily) .