How Lynkz and TEKTELIC Bring Real-Time Visibility to Mining Operations

In mining, every hour of downtime matters. Unexpected equipment failures, lost assets, and limited visibility into operations can quickly impact productivity and increase costs.

Mining companies need reliable, real-time information from across their sites, but collecting that data is not always easy. Large-scale operations, remote locations, and harsh conditions often make traditional monitoring systems expensive to deploy and maintain.

To address these challenges, Lynkz Instruments and TEKTELIC have partnered to deliver a complete LoRaWAN® solution that combines rugged industrial sensors with reliable, long-range network infrastructure. By pairing Lynkz’s mining-focused sensing solutions with TEKTELIC’s carrier-grade KONA gateways and KONA Core LoRaWAN® Network Server (LNS), mining operators gain real-time visibility into equipment, assets, and critical processes across their operations.

From predictive maintenance and equipment monitoring to ore tracking and asset recovery, the combined solution helps mining companies improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and make better-informed decisions.

The Challenge

Mining companies are under constant pressure to improve productivity, reduce downtime, and maximize the value of their assets. However, gaining visibility into equipment condition, ore movement, and field operations is not always easy, especially across large sites where assets and processes are spread over vast areas.

Many mining activities still rely on manual inspections and periodic measurements, making it difficult to identify issues before they affect production. Whether tracking liner wear, monitoring equipment performance, measuring ore displacement after blasting, or locating valuable metallic components, operators need timely and accurate data to make informed decisions.

Lynkz developed a portfolio of rugged wireless sensors specifically designed to address these challenges. To deliver reliable real-time monitoring in demanding mining environments, the solution also required a network infrastructure capable of providing dependable coverage, scalability, and long-term performance across large industrial sites.

The Solution

Lynkz combined its specialized mining sensors with TEKTELIC’s LoRaWAN® infrastructure to create a complete monitoring solution for mining and industrial operations.

The solution uses TEKTELIC’s KONA Micro, KONA Enterprise, KONA Macro, and KONA Mega IoT Gateways together with the KONA Core LoRaWAN® Network Server (LNS) to securely connect field sensors with operational systems and monitoring platforms.

For Lynkz, reliability was a key requirement. TEKTELIC’s carrier-grade KONA gateways have been deployed in networks worldwide for more than a decade and are designed for long-term operation in challenging environments. Their industrial-grade design, proven performance, and ability to support large-scale deployments make them well suited for mining applications where network availability is critical.

The KONA Core LoRaWAN® Network Server provides centralized network management, secure device onboarding, monitoring tools, and the scalability needed to support thousands of devices across multiple sites. Together, the TEKTELIC infrastructure and Lynkz sensing solutions provide a reliable foundation for collecting and delivering real-time operational data across mining operations.

Key Applications

• Equipment Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance

Unexpected equipment failures can lead to production delays, higher maintenance costs, and unplanned downtime.

Using solutions such as BLACKBOX™ and SMART PLATE™, operators can continuously monitor equipment condition, movement, utilization, and wear. Real-time data collected through the TEKTELIC LoRaWAN® network helps maintenance teams identify potential issues earlier and schedule maintenance before failures occur.

This improves maintenance planning, extends equipment life, and reduces costly downtime.

• Ore Tracking and Blast Optimization

Understanding how ore moves during blasting and throughout mining operations is critical for maximizing recovery and improving operational efficiency.

Lynkz’s ORE TRACER™ solution helps operators monitor ore displacement during blasting operations and track movement within backfill structures. By providing accurate data on ore movement, the solution gives mining teams greater confidence in their planning and decision-making processes.

These insights help improve ore recovery, optimize blast design, reduce uncertainty, and minimize the risk of valuable material being misplaced or left behind. With better visibility into ore movement, operators can make more informed decisions that support productivity, efficiency, and overall mine performance.

• Asset Recovery and Material Tracking

Lost drill bits, bucket teeth, and other metallic components can create unnecessary costs and operational inefficiencies.

The METAL TRACER™ solution helps operators locate and recover valuable components before they are lost within the production process. By improving visibility into asset movement, mining companies can reduce losses, improve operational control, and recover valuable materials more efficiently.

Why LoRaWAN® for Mining?

Mining operations often require monitoring equipment, assets, and processes spread across large sites. LoRaWAN® enables long-range wireless connectivity of up to 15 km in suitable conditions, allowing operators to collect real-time data without extensive cabling or complex infrastructure.

The technology also supports thousands of connected devices on a single network, making it easy to scale from a pilot project to a full-site deployment. This combination of coverage, scalability, and low operating costs makes LoRaWAN® well suited for mining and industrial applications.

Results

Today, the combined Lynkz and TEKTELIC solution is deployed across more than 8 mining sites, supporting approximately 2,000 connected sensors and working with 6 mining partners and 5 international equipment manufacturers.

The solution helps mining operators:

• Improve visibility into equipment health and operational performance.
• Detect maintenance issues earlier and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Reduce reliance on manual inspections and field data collection.
• Improve ore tracking and production monitoring processes.
• Recover valuable assets and materials more efficiently.
• Scale deployments from a few devices to thousands of sensors across multiple sites.
• Maintain reliable communications in harsh industrial and mining environments.
• Make faster, better-informed operational decisions using real-time data.

Today, Lynkz and TEKTELIC continue to help mining and industrial organizations gain greater visibility into their operations through a combination of rugged sensing technology and reliable LoRaWAN® infrastructure. The result is a practical, scalable solution that supports safer, more efficient, and more informed mining operations.