JV Article: AI is Driving The Future of Mining Productivity, Roles, and Safety
Recent developments in AI and automated machinery have been changing the face of mining. Rio Tinto, one of the world's largest mining companies, has unveiled their plans for a $2.2B intelligent mine made up of driverless trains, trucks, and robotics. This automation, coupled with other AI technology allows for:
The ability for mines to operate without breaks or delays.Earlier prediction of failures and degradation.More effective planning, preparing companies in advance for repairs and giving them time to arrange for temporary replacement equipment.Making the work more energy efficient, helping companies save even more money for every hour in operation.The ability for accurate measurement of chemicals to reduce costs and environmental damage.Assistance for mining engineers and workers in the prevention of accidents and injuries on the job.A company also making waves in the machine-learning space is Canada-based Newtrax Technologies. The firm is developing an expertise in data quality for machine learning (specifically for underground mining) to improve predictive maintenance and shift optimization with techniques for detecting and measuring problems with unstable input variables like sensor failures, data integrity, conflicting data, biased data, sparsity, business conformity, outliers, high cardinality, or out-of-order and out-of-date data.
Mining Activity, mining dump truck. Credit: Bedford Group
Michel Dubois, vice president of QA at the company, and his team believe that one of the main lessons that miners could learn from other industries is about the value of collecting quality data for training machine-learning algorithms. "We have seen many other industries, like the internet companies, for example, where data collection started much earlier, build enormous value out of the information collected through time. By starting data collection now, miners are building up value for tomorrow," he says.
Newtrax's solutions collect data across customers' underground operations using an IoT-enabled sensor network to create what it calls "an underground mining nervous system." Data collection includes measuring KPIs in real-time for drills, trucks, bolters and LHDs with coverage to the face and without the need for operator input.
This passive method of data collection enables the identification of productivity bottlenecks and early warnings for safety, health and environmental hazards. The power of machine learning lies in connecting real-time data from vehicles, personnel and the underground environment. Customers host their data in a Newtrax server on their premises before passing it to Newtrax for processing.
While the application of AI to mining may make it seem like machinery and automation will replace traditional jobs, AI has allowed for a shift in the types of roles associated with mining in addition to allowing producers to drill deeper into conditions uninhabitable for humans, bringing forth even further opportunities for the industry.
AI drastically increases the safety of working in the mining industry, making jobs in the field much more appealing to a broader pool of individuals. Automation will also allow for the expansion of roles within the mining industry. Some examples may include data collection, data management, AI software development for driverless trucks and trains, automated operation equipment, and development of further operator-less technology.
The mining industry will rely on recruiting from other data-collection driven industries as well as AI tool development and software industries. Joint ventures between Silicon Valley talent and technology and large scale mining operations are more relevant than ever and can create fast-tracked competitive advantages for traditional mining operators.
AI has expedited the transition in the mining industry to be more productive, safer and therefore more appealing to a broader demographic of potential employees mainly through leveraging technology widely used in other related fields. One thing is for sure; the future of mining is bright by bringing AI into the fold.
About the author:
Frank is the Managing Partner of the Bedford Group resource practice, placing hundreds of executives, operating and financial managers, and board directors into many of Canada's emerging and established organizations. Galati advises clients in all areas of talent management from compensation, assessment and performance, to metrics and strategy. Frank is especially passionate about strengthening Canada's competitive position on the world stage.
- The preceding Joint-Venture Article is PROMOTED CONTENT sponsored by The Bedford Group, and presented in cooperation with The Northern Miner. Visit bedfordgroup.com for more information.