Capital Equipment News September 2018

EDITOR'S COMMENT

INNOVATION COULD PROVIDE A BREAKTHROUGH

A head of Electra Mining Africa 2018, the message from experts in mining and companies set to exhibit at this year’s premier mining show is consistent: the time for mining transformation is right, and the technology is here. This year’s show comes at a time when the mining sector continues to reel under tremendous pressure. Commodity prices continue to stay low and traditional levers to lowering costs, such as cutting the headcount, sweating existing assets, cutting supply contracts and cancelling new project, have been exhausted. This is forcing the usually conservative mining sector to look towards smarter, more sustainable efficiency and productivity gains. Despite the industry’s booms and busts, the nature of mining has stayed the same

for decades. Achieving a breakthrough on productivity performance demands rethinking how mining works. For that, the sector needs deeper insights and more control – new technologies, especially digitalisation, provide the means to achieve this. The potential to achieve a breakthrough is now coming within the industry’s reach through digital and technology innovations that could transform key aspects of mining. One of the experts who has been vocal about the adoption of new technologies Limited. He is of the view that the timing is right for mining companies globally to move past siloed implementation of new technologies and begin investing in integrated digital solutions capable of automating, optimising and adding intelligence into complex processes to deliver greater control. Although the operating landscape is somehow different, the local mining industry has many lessons to learn from its international mining counterparts. Globally, leading mining companies are using technologies such as Radio-frequency identification (RFID), robotic process automation (RPA), 3D modelling, augmented reality, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced analytics to help minimise complexity, increase responsiveness and improve control of operations, spend and outcomes. Chaudhuri says the way forward for mining entities is understanding which initiatives to tackle first. A deciding factor will be the status of a mine – how big it is, where it is located and how established it is, as well as how mature its processes are. A ‘greenfield’ operation, for example, can opt for a completely cloud-based, integrated enterprise-operations and supply chain solution with full collaboration capabilities. A more established mine may look to address key pain points first and achieve broader integration in phases. Apart from showcasing new products and solutions, it is encouraging to see that organisers of Electra Mining have this year dedicated ample time to tackling issues like these. Several exhibitors will also have their in mining is Sudip Chaudhuri, global lead for Natural Resources at Wipro

experts available to help mining companies survive the tide of low productivity and safety hazards. One company that has always believed that the future of the industry can benefit from the application and adoption of relevant digital technology is Schneider Electric, which, for many years has led the deployment and adoption of digital technologies in mining. Marc Ramsay, vice-president, Industry Business Unit at Schneider Electric South Africa, is of the view that technology integration combining energy management, process automation and software through the company’s IoT- enabled platform, EcoStruxure, leverages an enabled, open and interoperable architecture to deliver true digital transformation. Sandvik will be another interesting exhibitor at this year’s show. On display at its stand will be real-world technology that has been developed in response to changes in the industry where efficiency is the key to mining and has become paramount to profitability and sustainability of operations. Safety as usual will be centre stage to illustrate how Sandvik can provide solutions to help customers in their commitment to the mining industries zero harm policies. Information systems such as Sandvik’s proprietary OptiMine provide miners with tools to more effectively manage their operation. Sandvik’s AutoMine mining solutions are also making it feasible to automate parts of, or entire mining operations. Sandvik plans to display how its mechanisation and automation solutions also hold the key to faster and more efficient techniques within our ever-deeper, narrower reefs and hold the promise of returning South Africa to the top of the production pile for many of the world’s most sought-after commodities. It is interesting to note that in the next three to five years, many of the mining technology solutions currently in proof of concept stage will see mainstream adoption. Mining operations that are not leveraging them will quickly become unsustainable. It’s imperative that mines start now to create and implement a considered strategy.

Munesu Shoko – Editor

capnews@crown.co.za

@CapEquipNews

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