The future of mining technology

Michael Baldwin, VP – Technology Solutions of Runge

To stay competitive and responsive in this environment, mining organisations will need adequate cash flow into the existing operations as well as technology development and R&D. For operations to see real return, technology needs to become a standard part of the mining process.
Most players in the mining industry in the past have generally wanted technology solutions that are risk adverse and fully tried and tested. The use of new technology has often been seen as merely an improvement opportunity or a nice to have rather than the “base case” for a mine business plan. When the demand for production and product quality is combined with more user friendly and reliable technologies, the acceptance of technology will become ‘normalised’, the risk demystified and the benefits will become the norm.
As new technology use becomes more widespread, fleet systems will become more autonomous and be able to provide more accurate data captured from the field. Not only will they be feeding more advanced dispatch algorithms to the mine site, this data will be integrated with planning tools to ensure a better feedback loop resulting in more accurate planning overall.
For example, engineers will be able to walk though their operation hypothesis in perfect 3D models before a piece of dirt has been moved ensuring plans are accurate and achievable. This also allows new methods to be tried and tested before they hit the pit so that there is always an improvement rather than a negative effect on the production and product quality. With real time feedback to planning, continuous improvement becomes a standard operating procedure. It is this integration of data that makes accurate information available in order to make million dollar decisions, rather than users simply managing the data.
In short, we will see fleet systems improving efficiency and working in conjunction with planning and reconciliation software; all of which not only report results to higher level ERP systems but also share common ERP data and global business rules. This will improve equipment scheduling, utilisation, productivity, and product quality and most importantly will serve to increase the Net Profit Value of the mining assets.
The key to the mining technology nirvana will be reached when the industry matures in its approach to technology which is in line with other industries such as manufacturing and financial services. It needs to see new technologies as a close friend rather than a nice to have acquaintance.
Essentially, it is about realising that technology is part of any standard operating procedure rather than just a niche part of the operations. It is when business process and domain knowledge are paired with technologies that complex problems can be easily overcome. Technology won’t be “technology”, but simply another tool in the miner’s backpack, helping engineers to reach tomorrow’s production targets that today seem so far out of reach. The right number of right people will still be the key to resource industry growth but the acceptance of and value from new technologies, which are simpler to learn, use and maintain, will provide the great leap forward.