Modern Mining February 2020

DIGITALISATION

Unlocking new ways of enhancing

The mining industry is at an inflection point, where digital technologies have the potential to unlock new ways of managing variability and enhancing productivity. By Munesu Shoko .

W ith several other industries already embrac- ing the digital revolution, mining has recognised the potential of digital and tech- nology innovations that could transform and invigorate the industry and is starting to move quickly to catch up. With profits down, miners are focused on improving their productivity through the digital revolution. Is digitalisation the answer to the industry’s quest for improved productivity? Charles Ntsele, Metso’s Africa Market Area, GM Mining Sales, says one of the key areas that can impact productivity positively through digitalisa- tion is minimisation of unplanned downtime and unpredictable breakdowns. While planned regular maintenance is a necessity in the running of machin- ery used in mining operations, unplanned downtime can cost as much as five times more than a planned event, which can significantly erode profits.

Right: Digitalisation makes data more accessible and optimisation easier through complex computer models. Below: One of the key areas that can impact productivity positively through digitalisation is minimisation of unplanned downtime and unpredictable breakdowns.

“Digitalisation is one of the emerging key tools that can be used to mitigate potential exposure to unwanted downtime by instantly connecting machine users and OEM experts through a digital platform that has the ability to monitor machine health and offer the predictive ability to fore- tell when in the future a machine is likely to fail,” says Ntsele. “This enables a proac- tive approach to maintenance and minimises unplanned stoppages, hence increased machine availability or productivity. Metso Metrics is our digital platform that connects Metso experts to our customer base and enables seamless collaboration in impacting their productivity.” According to Philipp Nellessen, CEO thyssen­ krupp Industrial Solutions – sub-Sahara Africa, one of the current challenges when it comes to

26  MODERN MINING  February 2020