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Smart Mine

The mining industry is seeing an influx in digital initiatives. However, the smart mine is far from widespread just yet. Instead, many enterprises and enterprise executives don’t understand the importance of making an industrial digital transformation.

Especially when it comes to the mining sector, which is pressured consistently to improve performance and productivity continuously, digital mining solutions could not come at a better time. But what are all the benefits that a smart mine has to offer? Is going forward with a comprehensive digital initiative worth the notable investment an enterprise can anticipate spending?

For enterprises that have already pursued digital innovation implementation, many note a justified ROI. In fact, according to the Kearney Consumer Institute, companies that adopt innovative solutions have seen an improvement in profits by up to 45% in just 2 to 3 years.

Since the global mining industry seeks to advance to improve productivity and demand, digitalization is simply the next step forward – starting with a smart mine. From sustainability and efficiency to reducing costs and increasing profits, let’s look at what these digital solutions offer.

Effective Water Management and Sustainability

The use of water in mining is necessary for several purposes within the industry, including meeting the needs of workers on site, transporting slurry, processing minerals and suppressing dirt. Mining operations were known to get this water from lakes and rivers, streams, groundwater and commercial water service providers in the area.

Unfortunately, mining sites are also not often situated in locations with easy access to water. Locals are known to attempt to stop mining projects to prevent mining operations from taking their water sources. Likewise, the practice of procuring water for mining is not at all sustainable. The mining management system as we know it must see some consistent levels of evolution to get out of this lack of resources and create a sustainability future.

Fortunately, digitalization brings with it opportunities to reduce that water usage. Operators are using emerging technologies that allow them to recirculate the water that’s already been through the process. This minimizes water intake overall, reducing effluent discharge volumes and tailing storage.

In total, industrial AI and other digital implementations allow a mining operation to experience the most effective water management and sustainability. With mine optimization creating a more efficient and more capable mining system, the sustainability future is bright for the sector.

The Smart Mine Minimizes Operational Costs

With less water usage and an increase in efficiency and productivity, digital initiatives will allow for lower operational costs, overall. Creating smart mines helps to minimize operational costs, which is one of the biggest advantages of going digital as quickly as an enterprise can.

Connected mines allow you to optimize your assets through embedded sensors connected through a wireless network. With a combination of wireless software and physical peripherals, a mining operation can see a boon of productivity and a massive reduction in total operational costs.

Likewise, artificial intelligence and other smart technology allow enterprises to link daily operations to specific company objectives and goals. There are then more eyes on the job of monitoring and predicting the reality of reaching these goals and objectives, and how quickly it can be obtained.

Through digital plants, one can also reduce an enterprise’s environmental impact from mining operations. AI technology can be incorporated in plant digitalization to minimize energy requirements, reduce carbon footprint and much more.

Efficiently Monitor and Maintain Operational Assets

Finally, operating assets can be a costly investment when they’re damaged or no longer usable. Dams, for example, are operating assets that can be monitored with the right smart mine technology. By tracking these assets, an operation can continuously ensure they’re not damaged.

Likewise, predictive maintenance and wireless monitoring enable a company to monitor the environment around the asset. For example, a tailings dam can fail quickly if the volume of water increases quickly and unexpectedly. Automated water management and monitoring other operational assets is a key to preventing this type of disaster from ever occurring.

Real-time readings and live industrial data will eventually build reliable patterns and predict trends to make the operation easier. With machine learning algorithms, sensors on any device connected to a network can improve the operation of a project. Patterns develop where the smart mine can provide suggestions and parameters on when assets need to maintained, as well as other intelligent recommendations.

FAQs

What is digitalization in mining?

In the mining sector, digitalization refers to using digital and computerized devices and systems with collected industrial data meant to transform mining practices, improve business productivity and reduce costs. Research indicates that at least 107 different digital technologies are utilized within the mining industry.

How is AI used in the mining industry?

The smart mine uses industrial AI through sensors to monitor every part of an operation, from vibration, speed, and temperature on machines to the productivity of each worker. Predictive maintenance and preventative maintenance become one with a system that operates using both.

Likewise, artificial intelligence used in the mining industry can make the operation safer for everyone involved by assessing real-time industrial data and building comprehensive, applicable predictive analytics.

What is the advantage of smart mining?

Smart mining is the future of the mining sector. The smart mine brings with it several benefits, including:

• Significant reduction in environmental impact thanks to more efficient uses of resources
• Reduced waste, downtime reduction and increased efficiency due to automation technology
• Improved safety for workers, mainly because a smart mine can enable remote operations