Capital Equipment News September 2019

value that it was selected to realise. Communicate effectively. A strong digital focused leadership with an effective and timely communication strategy around tech- nology deployment, will aid in the acceptance through understanding. A deep dive into the process for success- ful adoption of technology in mining, does quickly become complex and subsequently perceived as costly, however if done properly the use of technology could unlock significant value that has been lying dormant in the organisation. MS: There are several clusters of digital technologies. What are some of the digital technologies being championed in the industry? KN: There are many suites of technologies available in the market that have been designed to improve operational efficiencies. These, in most instances, can be categorised into two major disciplines, namely data centric and autonomous technologies. Autonomous Technologies in Mining are focused on the inherent understanding that, they will improve operational efficiencies through consistent repeatability; increase productivity during shift changes and breaks; improve safety in hazardous areas; and re- duce equipment damage caused by operator abuse. Current available systems strive for fully autonomous functionality. However, most of the systems still require a manned remote station to deal with complex situations. The future of mining will need to consider automation as an efficient way to run their operations if they are to remain profitable and competitive. That said, operational con- straints and opportunities exist in different areas in a mining operation, for example, fixed type equipment (such as those found in the processing plants) are more readily automated than low profile underground drill rigs that chase undulating seems of gold or platinum ore. In context, it should be noted that produc- tion activities (drilling, blasting, loading and hauling) are seen as the current bottlenecks in the mining cycle. Process plants, due to their static nature, have been the focus of optimisation efforts in the recent past and as such, in most operations, do not feature prominently as areas of concern. MS: What about data centric systems? KN: Data centric systems are far more di- verse than the purpose designed autonomous systems. Systems can have different focuses and functionalities – tie together IoT devices, over communication networks for analysis or visualisation at a central command centre

quality of the equipment being considered and its subsequent maintenance. There are systems that are currently testing or claim to provide predictive maintenance insights through real-time monitoring of each piece of machinery. The guts of this technology are data crunching algorithms combined with an inherent understanding of the equipment being considered. This type of technology is not farfetched and at first glance, could potentially save a mining operation millions by shifting the majority of unplanned main- tenance activities to more effective planned maintenance activities. Productivity – Purpose-built equipment types all aim to provide a product that enables the user to conduct an operation to achieve a desired outcome. Technology is being used to optimise the performance of such systems. For example, there are drill rigs which regulate various characteristics in re- al-time to optimise penetration rate in varying geological occurrences. The systems aim to prolong bit life and reduce unnecessary pres- sure on supporting systems and effectively prolong the machine’s useful life. Utilisation – The utilisation of systems are rooted in planning and deploying equipment optimally. Combining data sets to understand your operation and enabling quick responses to changes in the plan will effectively allow for better utilisation of the equipment. These are just a few areas in which devel- oping OEM and/or third- party technologies, are contributing towards the improvement of OEE. The potential of such systems in the mining environment are immense however, they can diverge rather quickly if too many “nice to haves” begin to overshadow the core functionality. MS: Data analytics is another term that is doing the rounds as far as digitalisation in the mining sector is concerned. How can data analytics aid the productivity quest in the industry? KN: In the drive for digitalisation the following steps are usually followed: collect data; visualise the data; and make decisions based on the visualised data. Many realise very quickly that having access to copious amounts of data then trying to display all of it, becomes overwhelming. These initiatives either contribute further to operational ineffi- ciencies or are inevitably discarded. With the use of algorithms, big data analytics and machine learning, these data pools could be processed, organised and only made visible when value is created. The future of mining will be rooted in the use of supercomputers understanding, analysing and dispatching teams and equipment in the most effective way possible, with limited human intervention. b

or be used to design an entire mine and plan every activity down to a shift. Combining such systems would allow for rescheduling of tasks in line with activities completed/not completed while considering the available fleet and appropriately skilled personnel that could be redeployed. All while constantly monitoring the integrity of the tun- nels or benches, ensuring personnel’s safety. As mentioned, the main purpose of these types of systems would be to “lift the lid of mining operations” to allow personnel to make informed decisions relating to either produc- tivity or safety after taking into consideration their effects across the entire value chain. MS: How can data and connectivity aid the digital transformation agenda? KN: Almost all 4IR type technology available for use in the mining industry depend on a certain form of connectivity. Be it traditional RF, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, among others. The value of these systems is predicated on decentralised control of equipment (autono- mous) and centralised collection of data (IoT). Without a means of distributing information, a mine should ask, how valuable is the tech- nology that is being deployed”? A full scale deployment of a communica- tion network was seen, in the recent past, as something that was only done in an office environment. It was a task that was given to the IT department to deploy and subse- quently maintain with not much consideration thereafter. In stark contrast to this view, mines of the future will have their business models entrenched in technology as a means to deliver value. If these systems fail, they directly affect productivity and profitability of a mine. In-line with these considerations, mines that are maturing in their digital competencies have recognised the need for an integrated tech- nology support function that holds the equiva- lent influence as engineering or finance in the organisation. Some have branded this team as Industrial IT while others have included the requirement for technology skills in every facet of their organisation. Either way the importance of connectivity is becoming preva- lent as we see technology being more readily adopted in the mining industry.. MS: Mines depend on multiple pieces of fixed and mobile equipment. How can digitalisation help improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)? KN: “In an ideal world all assets should be performing in a sustainable manner at their designed capacity” which translates to equip- ment availability, productivity and utilisation in the mining industry. Availability – Key drivers that affect machine availability would be reliability/

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