Mining

Decoda – Haul Detect Real-Time Haul Road Monitoring System

Turning Haul Road Data into Actionable Maintenance Intelligence

The Challenge

Haul roads are a critical component of every mining operation. Poor road conditions can significantly impact fleet productivity, increase tyre wear, accelerate equipment damage, and create safety risks for operators.

Traditionally, haul road inspections rely on manual assessments, operator feedback, or periodic road audits. These approaches are often subjective, time-consuming, and reactive, meaning road defects may go undetected until they have already affected production or caused equipment damage.

Decoda identified an opportunity to transform haul road maintenance through automation. Rather than waiting for defects to be reported, the company developed Haul Detect, a real-time haul road monitoring solution that continuously measures road conditions using a ruggedised Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor pack mounted to operating vehicles.

By automatically detecting roughness, corrugation, potholes, rutting, and other road defects, Haul Detect enables maintenance teams to proactively address issues before they impact safety, productivity, or tyre life.

As the technology evolved from prototype to commercial deployment, Decoda required a manufacturing partner capable of helping deliver a robust, reliable, and scalable hardware platform suitable for continuous operation in harsh mining environments.

The Solution: Preparing Haul Detect for Production

Hetech partnered with Decoda during the development and pre-production phases, providing complete assembly services and manufacturing expertise to support deployment-ready production.

Multiple prototype iterations were completed throughout development to optimise manufacturability, improve product reliability, and streamline assembly processes.

Working closely with the Decoda engineering team, Hetech helped refine key aspects of the product, including:

• Mechanical assembly methods
• Fastener selection
• Environmental sealing
• Product identification and labelling
• Quality control procedures
• Assembly workflows
• Production repeatability

By applying Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles, Hetech helped ensure the Haul Detect sensor platform could be assembled consistently, tested efficiently, and scaled confidently as customer demand increased.

The result was a rugged, production-ready monitoring system designed to reliably collect critical road condition data across large mining operations.

Built for Harsh Mining Environments

Mining haul roads expose equipment to extreme operating conditions every day. Haul Detect was engineered to perform reliably in environments subject to:

• Continuous vibration
• Mechanical shock and impact
• Dust and contamination
• Moisture and weather exposure
• Wide temperature variations
• 24/7 operation

The compact IMU sensor pack continuously measures vehicle movement and vibration signatures as haul trucks travel throughout the mine.

Using advanced analytics, Haul Detect automatically identifies road condition defects including:

• Corrugations
• Potholes
• Rutting
• Surface roughness
• Washboarding
• Developing road degradation

Data is transmitted in real time to Decoda’s cloud platform, where maintenance teams gain immediate visibility of road health across the operation.

Rather than relying on subjective reporting, operators and maintenance personnel receive objective condition data that helps prioritise maintenance activities and optimise grader deployment.

Delivering Measurable Benefits for Mining Operations

Haul Detect enables mine sites to transition from reactive road maintenance to a proactive, data-driven approach.

Key benefits include:

• Improved haul road quality
• Extended tyre life
• Reduced suspension and component wear
• Lower vehicle maintenance costs
• Increased fleet productivity
• Reduced fuel consumption associated with poor road conditions
• Improved operator comfort and safety
• Faster identification of developing road issues
• Better allocation of maintenance resources

By identifying deterioration early, mine operators can intervene before defects escalate into costly maintenance events or productivity losses.

The result is a safer, smoother, and more efficient haulage operation.

From Innovation to Commercial Success

Haul Detect demonstrates how intelligent sensing technology can deliver practical, measurable improvements across mining operations.

Through close collaboration between Decoda and Hetech, the system was refined from a development concept into a robust, industry-ready product capable of operating in demanding mining environments.

The project showcases Hetech’s ability to support emerging technologies through every stage of the commercialisation journey—from prototype refinement and manufacturing optimisation through to scalable production.

Together, Hetech and Decoda have delivered a smart infrastructure monitoring solution that helps mining companies improve road quality, maximise asset performance, and reduce operating costs through real-time condition intelligence.

Developing a new mining technology?

Whether you’re refining a prototype or preparing for commercial production, Hetech can help optimise your product for manufacturing, improve production efficiency and support a successful market launch.

Contact Hetech to discuss your next mining innovation project.