IT in Manufacturing


Process automation for sustainable mining

November 2023 IT in Manufacturing

Process automation plays a vital role in making the mining industry more sustainable. It enhances operational efficiency, while reducing environmental impact. By leveraging advanced automation systems, mining companies can optimise resource utilisation, minimise energy consumption, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Process automation contributes to sustainability by enabling precise and data-driven decision making. It delivers real-time monitoring and control of mining operations from a central location that allows for immediate response and adjustments to changing conditions. This ensures that processes are running at their most efficient levels, minimising waste and unnecessary resource usage.

Importantly, process automation facilitates predictive maintenance, which can assist in identifying and addressing mining equipment issues before they escalate into costly breakdowns. This proactive approach not only minimises downtime but also extends the lifespan of mining equipment, reducing the need for frequent replacements and associated resource consumption.

Sustainable mining with process automation

An important differentiator of process automation is its ability to be used in selective mining, targeting high-grade ore deposits with precision. This reduces the amount of overburden that needs to be removed, minimising the environmental disturbance, and preserving surrounding ecosystems.

According to research, as much as five tons of overburden can be produced for every ton of productive material extracted, depending on the mining method used. Minimising overburden is therefore a major advantage for sustainability.

Automation can also help streamline mining operations, eliminating inefficiencies that can negatively impact the business and the environment. For instance, analytics solutions can help identify areas where an organisation is producing excess waste, enabling mining organisations to take actions to mitigate it.

Process automation offers the following important benefits to mining operations:

• Safety: Direct exposure to mining processes and equipment operations poses a significant risk to miners. By automating a process, companies can take the necessary steps to alleviate potential injury to their operators. Furthermore, certain parts of the mining process can be automated, exposing fewer workers to hazardous areas.

• Transparency of consumption: Energy visibility is the starting point for decarbonisation. Obtaining insights from across the value chain is vital for measuring what you use and controlling what you measure.

• Precise and data-driven decision making: This removes any bias or subjectivity from the process. By relying on data and analysis, mining organisations can make decisions based solely on facts rather than personal preferences, previous experience or opinions.

• Predictive maintenance: This seeks to prevent equipment failure and downtime by connecting IoT-enabled enterprise assets, applying advanced analytics to the real-time data it delivers, and using the resultant insights to inform educated, cost-effective and efficient maintenance protocols.

Ultimately, process automation offers precise, data-driven analytics that can assist mining organisations in reducing resource consumption, improving safety, while meeting sustainability requirements and targets.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Looking into the future of machine vision
Omron Electronics IT in Manufacturing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a significant transformation in all areas of industrial automation, and machine vision is no exception. Omron’s AI-powered machine vision systems seamlessly integrate state-of-the-art algorithms, enabling machines to analyse and interpret visual data meticulously.

Read more...
Driving digital transformation in the truck industry
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Tatra Trucks, a leading truck manufacturer in Czechia, has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software including Teamcenter software for product lifecycle management and the Mendix low code platform to help increase production volume and strengthen its ability to manufacture vehicles that meet specific customer requirements.

Read more...
Opinion piece: Digital twins in manufacturing – design, optimise and expand
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Digital twin technology can help create better products, fast. It can also transform the work of product development. This strong statement from McKinsey reinforces how far digital twins have come in manufacturing.

Read more...
UPS systems are key to keeping SA’s automotive industry up and running
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
During loadshedding, PLCs and OT systems often fail, not because they are directly tied to the factory’s core manufacturing process, but because they are now an integral part of IT infrastructure. When an IT system shuts down, the impact is far more complex than simply restarting machinery.

Read more...
Asset tracking is key to driving operational excellence and sustainable growth
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Asset tracking plays a critical role in the success of industrial businesses. By effectively managing and monitoring assets, companies can optimise their operations, ensuring that resources are used efficiently. This leads to improved productivity and reduced costs.

Read more...
Siemens democratises AI-driven PCB design for small and medium electronics teams
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Siemens Digital Industries Software is making its AI-enhanced electronic systems design technology more accessible to small and mid-sized businesses with PADS Pro Essentials software and Xpedition Standard software.

Read more...
Advanced contactor solution to revolutionise motor management
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric South Africa has launched the TeSys Deca Advanced, an advanced contactor solution designed to revolutionise motor management with unparalleled efficiency, reliability, simplicity and sustainability.

Read more...
Predicting and preventing cyber-attacks with AI and generative AI
IT in Manufacturing
The speed at which cyber threats are evolving is unprecedented. As a result, companies need to implement state-of-the-art technology to protect their data and systems.

Read more...
Real-world lessons in digital transformation
IT in Manufacturing
Synthesis has helped businesses across multiple industries with their digital transformation by solving their unique integration challenges.

Read more...
Enhancing cyber security for industrial drives
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
The growing connection between production networks and office networks as part of IT/OT integration and the utilisation of IoT have many benefits for industrial companies. At the same time, they also increase the risk of cyber threats. Siemens ensures that your know-how and plants are protected at all times.

Read more...