Electricity + Control January 2019

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

will generally have longer life-spans,” Andrews ob- serves. He acknowledges that automation is often as- sociated with job losses. “We think this fear is unfounded. One can even look upon automation as a form of job creation as it allows mining to go into areas that were previously regarded as unsafe and/or uneconomic. Nevertheless, it’s absolutely imperative to address the very genuine concerns and engage with employees and the unions when planning the introduction of automation.” Sandvik’s key offerings when it comes to the ‘digitalisation’ of mining are its OptiMine ® and AutoMine™ systems. OptiMine ® is a modular in- formation management solution that offers a re- al-time view of underground mining operations while AutoMine™ is a product family that covers all aspects of automation from tele-remote or au- tonomous operation of single pieces of equipment through to the autonomous operation of entire fleets of trucks and loaders underground or drill rigs on surface. OptiMine ® modules include 3D Mine Visualiser, which can provide a three-dimensional model of an entire mine; Drill Plan Visualiser, an easy-to- use tool for the visualisation of longhole drilling and rock support; Scheduler, an efficient graphical scheduling and resource allocation tool; Location Tracking, which provides accurate real-time loca- tion data for machines and equipment; and Mon- itoring, which updates equipment information au- tomatically in real time. The AutoMine™ modules range from the en- try-level Tele-Remote package through to Fleet, which is a highly advanced automation system for a fleet of underground loaders and trucks sharing the same automated production area. While Andrews is enthusiastic about Sandvik’s digitalisation offerings, he emphasises that the group recognises that not all customers want or need the technology. “Interestingly, we recently launched our LH115L 5-tonne, low-profile loader, which we’re manufacturing here in South Africa in a new manufacturing facility. This is an ‘ana- logue-type’ LHD that meets a clear market de- mand for simple, straightforward machines with- out too many ‘bells and whistles’. We understand that there are two markets to address and we have the machines and systems for both,” he con- cludes.

SANDVIK SHOWCASES DIGITALTECHNOLOGY AT MINING INDABA Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology will be exhibiting at Mining Indaba, which takes place at the CapeTown International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 4 to 7 February 2019. Visitors to the show are invited to get first-hand information of the company’s digital mining technology by speaking to Sandvik experts on the stand (Stand 104, near Entrance 2).

8 Electricity + Control

JANUARY 2019