Modern Mining May 2020

SUPPLY CHAIN News

Rosond’s drilling tech a new force in the mining industry

Drilling expert Rosond is bringing new energy to the South African and the wider African mining sector by introducing innovative ways of work- ing to the complex and very technical area of drilling. The group is using world-class technology, including data analy- sis, automation and software; to transform the way drilling is done in

Caterpillar launches mine management technology platform Caterpillar is adding a new platform, MineStar Edge, to augment the Cat MineStar Solutions suite of technologies and to align with the way many mining operations manage their businesses. Edge creates an operational ecosystem for mining companies. Rather than having data in individual silos, Edge brings visibility to the entire mining operation and enables managers to see “What the industry fails to see is that the data we have is pure gold. These insights will propel us even further forward,” Ribeiro says, adding that the captured data is particularly help- ful in understanding the nature of an exploration area’s geology. Rosond is claimed to be the only company in the world that will have 28 drill rigs, with telemetry systems, in use with a single client. “The amount of data we will accumulate will fur- ther help us in our developments not only in drilling but also in tooling optimisation. Telemetry will include real time information both for the client and to prevent breakdowns,” Ribeiro says. The company will be reaching out to local universities to assist in extracting even more value from its existing data. Rosond is expecting to achieve improved drilling efficiency of between 30% and 50% through the use of data and innovative software. “This is thanks to software that understands both the geology and the parameters of the machine,” he says.  the mining industry. This technology was developed by the company together with an overseas manufacturing partner to create a new-age drilling rig. Ricardo Ribeiro, Rosond MD, says that automation and software will bring the drilling industry to a new level of techno- logical advancement and productivity. “Data analytics from the machine’s telemetry system, which has been in development for four years, will open new doors,” he adds. A telemetry system is a collection of remote sensors that generates and wirelessly transmits useful data back to a central point for processing and interpretation. This system is particu- larly important for monitoring a drilling operation and making it cost-effective and efficient.

Automation and software will bring the drilling industry to a new level of technological advancement and productivity.

Cat 785G at Tucson Proving Grounds.

42  MODERN MINING  May 2020