Benefits of Digitising Mining Processes

Metals and Mining Review | Monday, November 21, 2022

Mining companies should adopt new technologies to remain competitive and successful in an increasingly digital world and reap short- and long-term benefits.

FREMONT, CA: Smart mines are growing but are yet to become ubiquitous due to hindrances in adopting new technologies within the mining sector. Mines are internally competitive and siloed, so mines administered by the same company compete in safety, productivity, and other measures. The internal politics and lack of cooperation within mining firms impede the new technologies implementation requiring concerted efforts from all departments to facilitate integration and system innovation. As individual mines are separate and competitive, each mine has to be convinced separately of the need for new technologies.

Furthermore, mining operators lack trust in cloud services and IoT as they have a protective perception towards their data. This arises from industry-wide distrust of new technologies and negative experiences where companies encounter hacking scandals. These barriers make many mines increasingly less competitive and more costly as others who take the plunge begin to yield digitisation benefits.

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Reduce Operational Costs

Wireless monitoring creates smart mines with lower operational costs than their analogue predecessors. Smart mines’ key assets are digitised through embedded sensors relying on data to a central system via a wireless network. Mining operators can save money as there is no need for expensive cabling and cable maintenance. Mines reduce costs by slashing unnecessary costs. Operators using an operational intelligence (OI) solution as part of their wireless network can predict incidents and more consistently maintain their sites, saving them money by avoiding incidents that can entirely stop operations for many days. Therefore, smart mines have a higher ROI and are more competitive than traditional mines.

Easily Automate Operations

Smart mines with integrated technologies can automate their operations more easily than those lacking technological adoption. Mining operators can build on their existing wireless network of embedded sensors by inserting automation software, allowing them to remotely control static and moving assets and programme automated interactions with them.

For example, automated trucks rely on physical sensor networks and remotely programmed and controlled software to autonomously perform mining operations that previously needed truck drivers. Digitising a mine by installing a wireless network of sensors to carry out remote readings facilitates further digitisation, such as automating key mining processes.

Mining companies should overcome barriers to adopting new technologies to remain competitive and successful in an increasingly digital age. Smart mines are the future, and they are revolutionising mining operations. New technologies like OI solutions and wireless networks are essential for any mine to exist in the future. Therefore, mining companies should invest in such technologies as early as possible to witness short- and long-term results.

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