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Mining

Reducing Underground Conveyor Downtime Risk Through Wireless Condition Monitoring

April 1, 2026
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Customer Snapshot

Industry: Mining
Operating Footprint: Underground mine site, Northern Ontario
Challenge: Critical underground conveyors operating without continuous condition monitoring
Solution Type: Wireless vibration monitoring and asset connectivity
Key Outcomes: Improved asset visibility, reduced risk of unplanned shutdowns, validated wireless monitoring approach

A Northern Ontario underground mining operation reduced exposure to conveyor failures costing over $150,000/hour by deploying wireless condition monitoring across critical assets. The solution delivered real-time asset visibility, enabled early detection of bearing faults linked to thermal events and fire risk, and eliminated reliance on manual inspection routes that limited analyst productivity.

 

Operating in a constrained underground environment, the customer needed a solution that could be deployed quickly without process disruption or extensive infrastructure. The project validated a scalable monitoring approach that improved reliability, enabled predictive maintenance planning, and reduced the risk of unexpected conveyor failures.

The Challenge

The customer relied on underground conveyor systems as critical assets within their material handling process, yet these conveyors operated without continuous condition monitoring. Failures could occur without warning, leading to unexpected shutdowns and process interruptions. The underground location introduced additional complexity, including limited power availability, challenging connectivity, and harsh environmental conditions such as dust, humidity, and magnetic material. Manual data collection was difficult to schedule in the underground environment, resulting in inconsistent data capture and limited ability for analysts to proactively identify developing faults.

What was at Risk?

  • Continued reliance on reactive maintenance practices
  • Increased likelihood of unexpected conveyor failures
  • Inability to plan maintenance activities effectively
  • Reduced reliability of critical conveying assets
  • Ongoing lack of predictive insight into asset health

Customer Requirements

  • Bring data to historian
  • Bring data to vibration analysis platform for diagnostics
  • Continuous condition monitoring for underground conveyors
  • Minimal infrastructure and limited reliance on wired power or communications
  • Ability to deploy without shutting down operations
  • Scalable architecture capable of expanding monitoring coverage
  • Reliable performance in dusty, humid, underground environments

The Solution

Lakeside designed and executed the solution using an Emerson AMS platform architecture. The solution included WirelessHART vibration sensors, a gateway, and antennas configured to support long underground conveyor distances with minimal infrastructure.

Emerson Wireless 1410S Gateway with 781S Smart Antenna
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The wireless approach eliminated the need for extensive cabling and allowed installation during normal operations. Lakeside led the solution and technical recommendations, with the customer participating in validation and infrastructure decisions.

The Result

  • Reduced risk of unplanned shutdowns on conveyor systems with potential losses exceeding $150,000/hour
  • Lowered fire risk through early detection of bearing faults associated with thermal events
  • Improved analyst productivity by eliminating manual route scheduling and enabling continuous monitoring
  • Scalable monitoring architecture established for expansion across additional assets
  • Cybersecure data flow into historian and vibration software
  • Validated wireless performance underground, with full sensor visibility using minimal infrastructure
  • Successful wireless connectivity established across the full length of the underground conveyor using a single antenna
  • All test vibration sensors actively communicating and visible in the monitoring system
  • Validation that a half shift installation was sufficient to deploy the monitoring infrastructure
  • Foundation established for scalable deployment across additional conveyors
Why Lakeside

Why Lakeside

Lakeside brought practical experience deploying condition monitoring solutions in challenging underground environments. By leading the solution, validating connectivity, and minimizing operational disruption, Lakeside helped the customer confirm a reliable, scalable approach to protecting critical conveyor assets while reducing downtime risk.
AMS Wireless Vibration Monitor | LEARN MORE
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