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Mining Management System

The mining industry has been going strong for decades. Increase production to increase volume – it was a simple, self-explanatory process. However, new and more advanced tech surfaces each year.

Many mining companies are discovering sites with limited resources close to the surface, so increasingly operational mines are having to move from surface operations to the subsurface.. That’s where a mining management system can come in.

What is the Mining Management System?

The mining management system, or MMS, is an integral, computer-based system used within the metals & mining industry to plan, control, monitor and manage the movement and functioning of equipment and people through smart manufacturing technologies.

Most typically, an MMS comprises numerous types of software modules. These modules are meant for many tasks, including safety monitoring, production scheduling, dispatch control, blasting and drilling operations, ore tracking and reporting, haulage and dump truck routing and more.

A mining management system helps to ensure a safe, efficient mining operation. Operators can monitor every aspect of the operation, from mine ventilation to haul-road traffic.

Overall, an MMS can help an enterprise improve its decision-making processes by providing operators with better, more actionable information. It’s a vital strategy for mine optimization and shouldn’t be overlooked, no matter how small your business might be currently.

How the MMS Works for the Mining Industry

Every digital and technological advancement within the mining industry has been a step to propel the sector forward. Digital plants happen to be the next step in the mining industry’s industrial revolution. What does industrial digital transformation look like, though? How is the mining management system revolutionizing the mining industry? Let’s look at some real-world examples of plant digitalization already working positively for the mining and metals sector.

Mining companies have complex, versatile needs. The industry’s also been stable for years, leaving many enterprises to feel there’s no need to rock the boat and incorporate digital initiatives. Many mining businesses are wary of making changes, content with their current practices and procedures. The biggest issue, it seems, is that the right minds in these enterprises don’t understand the value behind this new technology. How is going digital worth it?

For starters, the mining management system includes key components that can make or break an operation. Performance calculation ensures optimal utilization and efficiency of resources. An MMS will also include production planning and scheduling, downtime analysis, material tracking, performance management, thorough reporting, document management, cash flow planning and management, quality management, mass/material balance and so much more.

Through these digital mining solutions, a mining management system automates equipment and regulates activities for optimal overall operational performance.

Getting Ready for a Mining Management System

With the technology currently available to your enterprise, it may already be easy to feel confident in the industrial data you’re collecting. How well can your company answer these questions regarding the production operation?

• How much does a production impact cost per minute?
• What are your production numbers compared to your planned yield targets?
• How does an impact disrupt forecasts, costs and cash flow?
• What are the constraints put forth for the plant, departments or even assets and machines within the facility?
• How frequently does your site experience equipment downtime, and what are the top reasons causing that impact to equipment lifecycle?
• What were the recovery, utilization and efficiency levels of your mine when it was running at its highest efficiency?

These are just some of the many questions to ask your enterprise to get started. Fortunately, the smart mine can help bring all these answers to life. A mining management system can offer rich functionality to optimize the supply chain. From process calculation and material tracking to asset performance monitoring, these plant digitalization tools allow you to better manage your processes with more control.

FAQs

What are the features of the mining management system?

Every MMS is different, though there are some features that every mine management system should ensure it’s including. The first key feature is being able to track and manage operational assets in real-time. From vehicles to other types of equipment, they can all be monitored and managed live but remotely. By collecting data in real-time, managers can respond more quickly to potential issues and make better decisions about where to appropriately allocate resources.

In addition, a high-quality mining management system can provide analytics on KPIs (key performance indicators) on a visually appealing medium. Production, efficiency and safety can all be analyzed to ensure the decision-making process is optimized.

What are mining operations?

Typically, a mining operation starts with the development of the mine site. Then, drilling and blasting the ore discovered is the next step. Once drilled and blasted, operators must extract the ore from the ground. Finally, a mining operation mills to extract the desired, intended material.

Overall, the mining process is often divided into five different phases. Exploration leads to development, which follows by production, which results in the closure of the mine site, and then the post-closure practices to finish up the operation.

What are the two types of mining?

The two most common and well-known types of mining include, underground mining and open-pit mining. But how does each type of mining differ?

Underground mining is a more expensive type of mining that involves extracting minerals from below the earth’s surface. Often used for deep deposits, it’s also more expensive than open-pit mining.

Open-pit mining, which is simply the act of extracting rocks or minerals from the earth, typically by digging a hole in the ground.