dependent, providing higher reliability
and greater equipment efficiency.
Failure of critical assets, such as a main
conveyor failure, can run into hundreds of
thousands of dollars per hour.
Low utilisation rates are perhaps not
surprising if you consider that,
historically, operators have maximised
performance in isolation. Focusing solely
on equipment capacity, for example, can
lead to premature breakdowns and/or
the unexpected failure of other assets.
When systems are integrated,
predictive maintenance for critical
equipment can be carried out since there
is a good view of when items are not
needed. With the forewarning provided
by remote asset monitoring programmes,
such as AssetVista™, the order in which
equipment is serviced can be prioritised.
Considering predictive maintenance is
often seven times cheaper than that which
is done reactively, cost savings here can be
considerable, not to mention the increased
safety outcomes of planned and
scheduled work.
Robust communication
networks: key for any
modern mine
Reliable, timely communication between
both systems and personnel is critical for
safe and efficient operations. Last year’s
Soma coal mine disaster in Turkey, for
example, underlined the importance of
having robust, non-wired communication
pathways. Wire lines can be easily
destroyed during explosions – at exactly
the time when communication is most
critical and urgent.
Operationally, successful automation
depends on access to reliable information
to optimise the next set of decisions
based on existing parameters. This
demands a real-time ‘connected state’ of
information with a robust network across
all processes.
To that end, wireless mining
communication networks are increasingly
being used to transport data, voice and
video. Networks typically comprise both
fixed and mobile nodes, featuring
self-healing properties with enough
redundancy built in to ensure
communications get through. These
products must be ruggedised to handle
extreme temperature and weather
conditions, shock and vibration, as well as
dirt and dust. Additionally, an active
mining site is constantly in transition, so
networks must be easy to adapt, move
and setup in different locations.
ABB wireless networks have been
used in opencast mines inAustralia for as
long as it has been used within utilities.
Recently, there has been increasing
demand from underground mines,
leading to the development of a special
mining broadcast packet that enables
leading fleet management systems to run
over ABB wireless mesh networks.
One of the world’s largest iron ore
mines spans over 25 ha. inAustralia. This
opencast mine operates 24/7 with
1500 – 2000 workers onsite each day. After
testing several wireless solutions, the
mine selected anABB TropOS wireless
mesh network as it was the only solution
that met all the requirements, which
included reliable high-capacity
communications with the ability to
operate in extreme heat and dust, plus
mobile nodes capable of withstanding
high vibration that is typical in mining
vehicles. These ruggedised and
weatherised mesh routers are mounted
on fixed towers, trailers with pump-up
masts and solar panels, dragline booms,
trucks and other moving mining
equipment – providing connectivity for
control and safety equipment, sensors,
video cameras, laptops, tablets, handhelds
and voice services.
Future trends
The next five years are likely to focus on
removing people from high-risk
operational tasks, such as underground
load out, while taking equipment
further and deeper to more
difficult‑to‑reach locations. This will
require even more complex automation
than is available today.
Longer term, enhancements of sensory
technology will help provide greater
certainty to recovery efforts. This can
include a wide range of applications from
real-time mapping of surfaces by
equipment – as work is completed – to the
refined detection of material and waste
minimisation during extraction.
Full automation is already technically
feasible but the substantial investment
and extensive modifications required
means the return on investment is not yet
sufficiently appealing. Some tasks, such
as digger operation, are more
cost‑effectively carried out by people than
by automated machines, as the human
eye remains superior to cameras in
assessing rock contours and taking these
factors into account to move machinery
appropriately.
Rules-based automation also creates
system complexity challenges. The more
‘knowledge’ the system has, the greater
the repository of rules or states and the
more difficult it becomes to operate and
maintain. Routine operational decisions
are likely to be the next target of
automation. Machine learning approaches
will also provide better information to the
overall system about the health and
performance of each discrete part and its
role in the entire ecosystem to deliver
against market demand.
Inputting game theory into
decision‑making to optimise output based
on a set of known resources and a
‘contracted’ market demand will also
increase. Combining this with analysis to
determine trends across the traded
commodity sector, it is likely that, in the
future, production will tune up or down
dependent on the projected profitability
of production based on overall market
dynamics. Companies with multiple sites
will strive for asset optimisation across
portfolios to ensure maximised
operational profitability – similar to what
is currently done in NorthAmerican
energy markets.
Modern mine workers will require a
very different set of skills to their
predecessors. As people move away from
mines to remote operation centres,
productivity will increasingly rely on
analysing patterns in data and
pinpointing key information to take
appropriate action. For example, an onsite
miner with incomplete information may
think he needs to take shortcuts to load a
train heading for port, while an offsite
operator with a total system view could
instead see the ship has been delayed,
meaning no need for the rush is required.
Many options. Many choices.
However, one thing is certain: tomorrow’s
mines will look dramatically different.
Those that thrive will be the ones that
embrace the profit-maximising
opportunities afforded by effective
technology integration to ride the volatile
waves ahead.
52
|
World Coal
|
December 2015
