Mining has a direct or indirect effect on just about every other industry in the world – it provides the raw materials that drive manufacturing, it is the first step in the provision of fuels that power distribution and it has an important role to play in electricity generation. As the saying goes: “if it isn’t grown, it has to be mined”.
Like many other industries, mining has been and will continue to be affected by the rise of “The Fourth Industrial Revolution” – Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is no surprise that mines are looking to technology solutions to improve performance in areas such as: optimising productivity; tracking people and equipment; preventing accidents; managing overall equipment efficiency; monitoring instrumentation and sensors; and mapping faces, tunnels and shafts. Every element that impacts the safety or productivity of a mine somehow requires some form of monitoring, management or optimisation.
All these monitoring programs are creating vast volumes of data – data sets that, in general, are not being used to their full potential. Mining companies, consulting houses and technology suppliers are all recognising this phenomenon and ‘big data analytics’, artificial intelligence and machine learning are the latest tools being used to improve operational efficiency, optimise workflows, and improve safety in mining.
RAMJACK’s mandate is to monitor, manage and optimise anything that matters to a mine in real-time. We are deeply involved in generating the data required to drive the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To ensure you’re collecting quality data and utilising it effectively at your mining operation, contact RAMJACK Technology Solutions to discuss further.