Many companies in the mining industry have generally been proactive and made progress in securing their social license to operate. In addition, most have come to view excellence in ESG as a business principle that creates shareholder value and a positive impact on local and regional economies, leading to better working conditions for employees ...
The mineral resources we need for power and technology are increasingly located in remote, hard to reach areas. These working conditions in remote operations can be dangerous, and that level of personal risk makes it difficult for the industry to recruit. Increasingly, the industry has been turning to autonomous systems to address its labor issues. When there are no human workers in an underground mine, there is no way for a collapse to turn deadly. On top of addressing labor issues, autonomous systems can be more efficient and facilitate around the clock operations. With the mining industry workforce tending to grow older by the year, mining operations are finding that autonomous systems are an effective way to address a labor issue that seems to be getting worse. As such, makers of mining equipment have been evolving their offerings to include automated features and even equipment that leverages artificial intelligence. In addition to commercially available offerings, there are se...
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An autonomous mining operation is built upon an interconnected digital network made up of equipment and devices, commonly referred to as an Internet of Things . Once an IoT has been set up at an operation, it enables all kinds of functionality. An interconnected mine could protect miners with a network of sensors capable of providing early warnings. For example, gas sensors with automated functionality could detect the gas leak before it becomes dangerous and evacuate miners before an explosion can occur. An interconnected network can also be used to enable both remote and fully automated operations. With remote operations, a worker can coordinate multiple vehicles and sets of equipment using just one set of controls. Most often seen in open pit mining, autonomous mining operations involve driverless trucks moving materials based on GPS coordinates and automated loading equipment depositing materials into these trucks.
One of the most visible examples of autonomous systems transforming the mining industry is the use of aerial drones for surveillance. Many open pit mining operations use drones to view the status of a quarry, waste piles, growing environmental issues, and mining infrastructure. Using artificial intelligence, a mining operation can gain rapid insights based on the automated analysis of imagery captured by aerial drones. This automated system can provide 24 7 surveillance of operations in a way that would not be feasible using humans. Unable to use aerial drones, underground mines use an automated camera system for surveillance of operations. These automated systems also employ artificial intelligence to keep an eye on mining activities and provide an early warning system. Underground mines can also use an automated sensor system to identify concerning patterns of activity found in tremors and temperature shifts.
The mining resources from the ground require a significant amount of digging and extraction operations. In addition to that, debris and waste must be properly disposed of based on environmental regulations. Because of these enormous costs, accurate resource discovery is essential to maintaining efficiency and minimizing environmental impacts. Autonomous systems powered by AI have made resource discovery better and more precise. These systems use computer vision, pattern identification, and predictive analysis to detect precisely where resources will be found.
Current technology cannot fully automate mining. While automated equipment and systems have been able to take over a significant amount of work, humans are still necessary to make decisions and predictions. With humans being essential in mining operations for the foreseeable future, some research programs are developing robotic equipment that can work alongside humans. One system being developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa focuses on the early inspection of a new mining operation. Traditionally, human minors have had to conduct acoustic and visual analysis to identify a loose rock, and this can be a hazardous undertaking. Using a suite of digital sensor devices and neural networks, the platform being developed can enter an unstable underground environment and detect potentially dangerous situations.
There has been significant interest in exploring old, abandoned mines, many of which have flooded since ending operations. Interest in these old mines has been driven by a shift in the mining industry that started in the mid 20thcentury. The dawn of digital technology has sparked an increased need for rare earth elements. Many old mining operations bypass these minerals in favor of other resources, and untold amounts of rare earth elements are simply sitting in old mines, waiting to be rediscovered. To facilitate the exploration of flooded, abandoned mines, a European consortium is currently developing a platform of automated robots called UNEXMiN . The platforms UX 1 robot uses acoustic cameras, sonar, laser scanners, and a control system to create 3D maps of flooded mines. While the decision to reopen a mine cannot be made purely on the information provided by the UX 1 robot, the UNEXMiN platform holds significant promise for the continued d...
Butany, V. Mining: An Essential IndustryTransforming with Automation. Cisco Blogs. Online Available at: https://blogs.cisco /internet of things/mining an essential industry Chakravorty, A. Underground Robots: How Robotics Is Changing the Mining Industry. EOS. Online Available at: https://eos /features/underground robots how robotics is changing the mining industry Schmelzer, R. AI Helping Extract Value In The Mining Industry. Forbes. Online Available at: https:// Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditionsof use of this website.
Mining amp; Metals practice analyzed the industrys 20 largest Institutional Investors, studied the shareholder base of the Top 50 mining companies, tracked the public commitments made by these companies, and interviewed industry and ESG leaders to explore how companies can embed sustainability into their core purpose, people, culture,
We look at how new technologies are transforming the mining sector. Digitalization and automation are now the new paradigm in mining. The ability to collect, assess and utilize data is being integrated into all aspects of the industry, from the way ore is mined, through maintenance and equipment repairs, communication, and environmental and ...
From day to day data management to the prevention of fatalities and injury, innovative technology is transforming the way the mining industry operates. Increasing demands for efficient production ...
SHYFTinc. Another company is SHYFTinc, which is a provider of technology solutions. Its main focus relates to transformative solutions for the mining industry. We are looking at different solutions to implement a big change in productivity, and to provide the ability to access remote locations and deeper mining.
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How a Focus on ESG is Transforming the Mining Industry Egon ...
Many companies in the mining industry have generally been proactive and made progress in securing their social license to operate. In addition, most have come to view excellence in ESG as a business principle that creates shareholder value and a positive impact on local and regional economies, leading to better working conditions for employees ...