Applications of Thickness Gauge Testers in the Mining Industry

Overview

The mining industry involves the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth. This sector plays a crucial role in providing essential raw materials for various industries and contributing significantly to global economic development. The types of materials mined include metals, coal, gemstones, oil shale, limestone, and other minerals.

Depending on the specific features and functions, GAO Tek’s Thickness Gauge Testers are sometimes referred to as thickness meters, thickness probes, ultrasonic thickness testers, film thickness gauges, digital thickness meters, NDT thickness testers, handheld thickness meters, portable thickness testers, and compact thickness gauges.

Furthermore, GAO Tek’s thickness gauge testers are further grouped into:

Automatic calibration, Eddy current, Handheld, High-precision, Industrial, Integrated probe, Magnetic, Metal structural, Multi-point calibration, Non-metal structural, Paint structural, Rugged, Data logging, and Field kits

GAO Tek’s Thickness Gauge Testers have the following applications in the mining industry:

• Wear Plate Monitoring: GAO’s thickness gauge testers are used to monitor the wear on equipment such as chutes, hoppers, and conveyor belts. Regular measurements help assess the wear rate and determine when maintenance or replacement is needed, reducing downtime and optimizing equipment lifespan.
• Liner Thickness Measurement: GAO Tek’s thickness gauge testers help monitor the liner condition, enabling timely replacement and preventing excessive wear that could lead to equipment failure.
• Pipe and Tank Inspection: GAO’s thickness gauge testers are employed to assess the thickness of pipes and tanks used in various mining processes. This helps identify areas of corrosion or degradation, ensuring the structural integrity of these components.
• Corrosion Monitoring: GAO Tek’s thickness gauge testers are used to monitor the thickness of metal structures, helping identify corrosion issues early on and allowing for preventive maintenance.
• Conveyor Belt Thickness Monitoring: GAO’s thickness gauge testers help monitor the thickness of conveyor belts, enabling timely replacement and preventing unexpected failures that could disrupt the material handling process.
• Tanker Truck Inspection: GAO Tek’s thickness gauge testers are utilized for inspecting the thickness of tanker truck walls used to transport minerals or other materials. This ensures the structural integrity of the tanker and compliance with safety standards.

More information on thickness gauge testers and their applications in other industries can be found on

Thickness Gauge Testers

This category page lists related products

Structural Testers

Systems in the Mining Industry Utilizing Thickness Gauge Testers

Here are some popular systems in the mining industry using thickness gauge testers:

Wear Plate Monitoring System:

• Ignition by Inductive Automation: Ignition is an industrial automation software used for SCADA, HMI (Human-Machine Interface), and MES (Manufacturing Execution System). It provides real-time data visualization, historical data logging, and reporting, making it suitable for monitoring wear plate thickness in the mining industry.
• Predix by GE Digital: Predix is an industrial IoT platform that offers asset performance management. It can integrate with thickness gauge testers, providing a platform for predictive analytics, condition monitoring, and maintenance optimization, specifically tailored for wearables in mining equipment.

Liner Health Management System:

• SAP Enterprise Asset Management (EAM): SAP EAM is a comprehensive asset management solution that aids in planning, tracking, and optimizing maintenance activities. It supports predictive maintenance, making it suitable for managing liner health in mining equipment.
• IBM Maximo: IBM Maximo is a widely used CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) that helps organizations manage assets, work orders, and preventive maintenance. It facilitates the tracking and analysis of liner thickness data for effective maintenance planning.

Corrosion Monitoring and Prevention System:

• CorrTran: CorrTran is a corrosion monitoring software that integrates with various corrosion measurement devices, including thickness gauges. It provides real-time corrosion data, and trend analysis, and can generate predictive models to assist in corrosion prevention strategies.
• CorrosionRADAR: CorrosionRADAR offers an IoT-based corrosion monitoring solution. It uses wireless sensors, including thickness gauges, to collect corrosion-related data. The software provides continuous monitoring, early detection, and analysis for effective corrosion prevention.

Blast Hole Liner Inspection System:

• ArcGIS by Esri: ArcGIS is a powerful GIS software by Esri, which can be used for mapping and spatial analysis of blast hole liner thickness data. It enables visualization and tracking of liner conditions in the mining environment.
• Surfer by Golden Software: Surfer is a 2D and 3D mapping and visualization software. It can be utilized to create contour maps and visualize blast hole liner thickness data, aiding in geological analysis and decision-making.

Conveyor Belt Health Monitoring System:

• Beltscan: Beltscan is a conveyor monitoring software that integrates with thickness gauge testers. It provides real-time data on conveyor belt conditions, helping in predictive maintenance and optimizing conveyor performance.
• Flexco PulseScan: Flexco PulseScan is a conveyor diagnostics tool that offers real-time monitoring of conveyor belt thickness. It assists in identifying potential issues and optimizing the efficiency of conveyor systems.

Ore Processing Quality Control System:

• Metso Outotec PXP (Process Expertise Platform): PXP is a process optimization software that integrates with ore processing equipment. It provides real-time control, analytics, and optimization capabilities for maintaining quality during various processing stages.
• Wonderware MES by AVEVA: Wonderware MES is a manufacturing execution system that can be applied to ore processing. It helps in tracking and controlling the production process, ensuring quality control and adherence to specified thickness standards.

GAO Tek’s targeted markets are North America, particularly the U.S. and Canada.

Complying with Government Regulations

GAO Tek’s thickness gauge testers comply or help our customers comply with U.S. government regulations such as:

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Requirements
• Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Department of Transportation (DOT)
• State Mining Agencies

GAO Tek’s thickness gauge testers comply or help our clients comply with Canadian regulations such as:

• Health Canada Regulations
• Natural Resources Canada
• Workplace Safety and Health Authorities
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
• Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA)
• Provincial or Territorial Mining Regulations

Case Studies of Thickness Gauge Testers in the Mining Industry

Thickness gauge testers are sometimes called thickness meters, thickness probes, ultrasonic thickness testers, film thickness gauges, digital thickness meters, NDT thickness testers, handheld thickness meters, portable thickness testers, and compact thickness gauges.

Here are some practical examples of using thickness gauge testers in the mining industry:

A granite quarry in Vermont, in the Northeast renowned for its high-quality granite, implemented ultrasonic thickness gauge testers on the cutting blades used in the extraction process. The objective was to monitor the wear on the blades and optimize their lifespan.

A salt mine in upstate New York in the Northeast adopted ultrasonic thickness gauge testers to monitor the thickness of salt layers during extraction. The goal was to ensure efficient and uniform extraction while preventing over-excavation.

An iron ore mine in Minnesota in the Midwest integrated thickness gauge testers on conveyor belts transporting raw ore. The objective was to monitor conveyor belt thickness and identify potential issues related to wear, ensuring a smooth material flow to the processing plant.

A lead and zinc mine in Missouri in the Midwest employed handheld ultrasonic thickness gauge testers for the routine inspection of critical components in continuous miners. The focus was on predicting and addressing wear issues before they impacted production.

At a coal mine in Kentucky, the South integrated thickness gauge testers in the maintenance routine for underground mining equipment. The focus was on monitoring the thickness of critical components in continuous miners to predict and address wear issues before impacting production.

An oil and gas extraction operation in Texas in South implemented fixed ultrasonic thickness gauge testers on key pipeline components. The objective was to monitor thickness and identify potential corrosion issues for preventive maintenance.

A coal mine in Wyoming in the West implemented thickness gauge testers to monitor the thickness of conveyor belts used in the transportation of coal. The goal was to ensure the reliable and efficient transport of coal from the mine to the processing plant.

A gold mining operation in Ontario Canada implemented ultrasonic thickness gauge testers to monitor the thickness of underground shaft walls and support structures. The objective was to ensure the stability and safety of underground mining operations.

GAO RFID Inc. RFID Hardware, a sister company of GAO Tek Inc., is ranked as a top 10 RFID suppliers in the world. Its RFID, BLE, and IoT products have also been widely used in the mining industry. Articles about related industries are given below:

Mining, Oil Production and Gas Extraction

Manufacturing Industry

Use of Thickness Gauge Testers with Leading Software and Cloud Services in the Mining Industry

GAO Tek has used or has facilitated its customers to use GAO’s thickness gauge testers with some of the leading software and cloud services in their applications. Examples of such leading software and cloud services include:

• GE Inspection Technologies
• Olympus NDT
• Panametrics
• Zetec – UltraVision Touch
• Eddyfi Technologies – Magnifi
• MATLAB
• AWS
• Microsoft Azure
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Google Cloud AI Platform
• IBM Cloud

GAO Tek’s thickness gauge testers and their applications in other industries are listed on

Thickness Gauge Testers

Other related products can be found on

Structural Testers

Meeting Customers’ Demands

Large Choice of Products

In order to satisfy the diversified needs of their corporate customers, GAO Tek Inc. and its sister company GAO RFID Inc. together offer a wide choice of testing and measurement devices, network products, RFID, BLE, IoT, and drones.

Fast Delivery

To shorten the delivery to our customers, GAO has maintained a large stock of its products and is able to ship overnight within the continental U.S. and Canada from the nearest warehouse.

Local to Our Customers

We are located in both the U.S. and Canada. We travel to customers’ premises if necessary. Hence, we provide a very strong local support to our customers in North America, particularly the U.S. and Canada.

Furthermore, we have built partnerships with some integrators, consulting firms and other service providers in different cities to further strengthen our services. Here are some of the service providers in the mining industry we have worked with to serve our joint customers:

• Deloitte
• Accenture
• Cognizant
• Infosys
• Wipro
• KPMG
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
• Capgemini
• Hatch
• IBM Global Business Services
• CGI
• Pwc
• Meta
• EY

GAO has Many Customers in the Mining Industry

The products from both GAO Tek Inc. and GAO RFID Inc. have been widely used in the mining industry by many customers, including some leading companies. Here is more information on applications of GAO RFID Inc.’s products in the mining industry. Articles about related industries are given below:

Mining, Oil Production and Gas Extraction

Manufacturing Industry

Here are some of GAO’s customers in the mining industry:

• Newmont Corporation
• Vale S.A
• Peabody Energy
• Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
• Southern Copper Corporation
• Freeport-McMoRan Inc.
• Barrick Gold Corporation
• Teck Resources Limited
• Canadian Natural Resources Limited
• Agrium Inc.
• Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI)
• Hecla Mining Company
• Arch Resources, Inc.
• Kinross Gold Corporation
• Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.
• Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
• Coeur Mining, Inc.
• Goldcorp Inc.