Modern Mining January 2019

ZINC

the value of the output product are not only made to the mine management team in real- time, but that the information is presented in such a way that it allows for minute-by-minute decision-making.” At the heart of the system – which recently went live – is GE’s Predix platform for the industrial internet and the MineRP 4.0 product set (supplied by MineRP based in Centurion, near Pretoria). The latter ‘ingests’ spatially-oriented data such as the geology and mine designs from their source systems along with the shovel, truck and stockpile positions from GE’s collision avoidance sys- tems. MineRP 4.0 does live calculations and optimisation of the blending and grade models to guide the contracted mining fleet and pro- vides early warning to the plant through GE’s Predix platform. It is still too early to assess the overall effec- tiveness of the Smart Ore System but early indications are positive and Gamsberg seems well on its way to becoming the most digi- tally enabled mine in South Africa. There are other mining projects underway in Africa that have aspirations to lead digitally – Ivanhoe’s

Platreef PGM project, also in South Africa, being one example – but Gamsberg is the clear leader for the time being and the rest of the mining industry will no doubt watch its pioneering efforts with keen interest over the next several years. Photos courtesy of Vedanta Zinc International (VZI)

The high-tech laboratory. The highly automated facility makes use of robotics.

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January 2019 _ MODERN MINING _ 55