Extraction of Raw Materials – Connecting the real world with the digital world

Throughout the world and throughout history, raw materials of different kinds have been essential to manufacturing and a crucial factor in economic and social life. Mining companies and their suppliers are constantly looking for new ways to increase safety, productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Nowadays they are putting more emphasis on climate-friendly and eco-friendly processes, zero-emission technologies, and optimal allocation of resources. Automation and digitalization are also playing a bigger role at all levels.

By Dr. Kilian Neubert

 

Companies, that extract and process raw materials, are under heavy pressure, along with their suppliers, to increase their output and improve their services. To hold their own, they must boost their productivity, streamline their operations, and improve their ability to meet future challenges. This will mean more than just modernizing their existing processes and cutting costs. They will have to scrutinize all their operations. Digitalization of business and production processes, already well under way in other industries, is still at an early stage in many mining companies. The time has now come for them to push harder.

New technologies, better information processing, greater productivity

Mining companies can significantly improve their operations by installing state-of-the art technology. Intelligent collection and processing of data is equally important. When meaningfully implemented, digitalization offers considerable potential for increasing the efficiency of production, logistics, and maintenance. It can enable a mining company to gain safety, cut costs and ultimately improve its overall profitability.

For the current global industry transformation, that takes place, mining of primary raw materials is unavoidable. Mining must be accompanied by considerations such as safety, conservation and impacts on populated areas. By automating their processes, using software in planning and operation of their machines, and by combining data from a variety of sources on software platforms, companies can monitor their system parameters and keep track of their operations in real time. These measures provide an ideal basis for decision making on questions like vehicle and machine interactions, output levels, energy consumption, and intervention in dangerous situations or accidents.

Digitalization for integrated communication and data technology

Mine operators use process control systems to make their facilities fit for the future and reduce their overall operating costs. Well-designed communication and automation platforms connecting their process hubs ensure optimum system availability, reliability, transparency, and efficiency. To connect the various steps between stationary conveying and loading facilities, mobile equipment and vehicles, robust solutions must be devised, that are adapted to the specific situation. All of this allows companies to optimize their processes, improve their decision-making, take maximum advantage of data analyses, and increase their operational safety. Here, mining companies can turn to experienced system partners and suppliers, who offer tailor-made solutions for conveying and loading accompanied by state-of-the-art digital solutions.

Customized software solutions connect the real world with the digital world and open new potential for efficiency, ensuring optimum performance under each company’s particular conditions.

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