From Europe to South America and beyond, in this article we explore the most exciting advancements that could make Australian resource extraction smarter, safer and more sustainable.
1. Robot blasting chargers
Mining has embraced a lot of automated processes over the years, but blasting a rock face is still manual. That puts workers up close to explosives and the ensuing rock bursts, presenting a safety risk.
At Sweden’s Boliden Garpenberg zinc mine, ABB has collaborated with the mine operators on a pilot program that uses robots to do this dangerous work. Able to be retrofitted to any truck, the system is operated remotely.
Using built-in vision systems and automation solutions, the robot charger enters a mine face, detects boreholes and fills them with explosives via a charging hose. After detonation, the robot moves to the next borehole and continues the process, removing any need for humans to be present.
2. Battery-electric trolley trucks
Sweden is also home to a pioneering ABB trial in Boliden’s Kristineberg mine. Here, the operators have successfully put into operation an 800m long test track for a trolley truck system operated entirely by electric power.
Extending deep underground on a 13% incline, the pilot brings the mining industry a step closer to the promise of an all-electric mine. Using an Epiroc battery-electric truck, the system also features an electric trolley line to provide additional power when it’s needed — when the truck is fully loaded and traversing the most difficult terrain, for instance.
Reducing emissions and saving energy, the dynamic trolley system adjusts power depending on how much is needed at any given moment. Boliden hopes to next roll out a full-scale autonomous system at its Rävliden mine, which will traverse a distance of 5km at a depth of 750m.
3. Artificial intelligence
At Poland’s ultramodern Lubelski Węgiel Bogdanka ABB is improving efficiency of operations and equipment reliability by incorporating artificial intelligence into its processes.
Using an Industrial Internet of Things developed for the facility, the new system incorporates systems in the ABB Ability™ digital portfolio with other devices and services.
By using predictive maintenance and advanced data analysis, the system predicts failures, solves machine and equipment issues, and reduces equipment downtime, reducing the maintenance costs of mining assets. This allows the mine to optimise costs and address such issues as changing conditions of production and operation.
4. Smart ventilation systems
Another Swedish triumph can be found at Boliden’s Kankberg gold mine, where a ventilation on demand system has delivered ventilation energy savings of 54% and heating energy savings of 21%.
Ventilation is vital for underground mines, but the systems that deliver it consume a lot of energy.
Smart systems save on ventilation and air heating energy by using sensors that detect people and machines to determine where ventilation is needed and then adjusting the systems accordingly. Combining digital, automation and electrification technologies, these systems transform underground mines into safer, more efficient environments.
At the Kankberg gold mine, the ABB Ability™ Ventilation Optimizer modular system configures ventilation infrastructure so that it’s used only where necessary for worker safety and comfort. The system detects people and equipment 500m underground, then calculates the amount of fresh air that fans need to provide to different locations.
5. Gearless conveyor drives
The Chiquicamata copper mine in northern Chile has seen the roll-out of one of the world’s most powerful belt conveyor systems. Using four 5MW gearless drives, the mine can transport its crushed copper ore more than 13km using 120 fewer large-haul mining trucks. That saves 130 million litres of gasoline consumption per year and reduces carbon emissions by 70%.
A traditional conveyor drive system has more than 20 mechanical parts, including pinions, couplings and brakes, all requiring regular maintenance. And if any of those parts fail, the whole system has to shut down until they’re repaired.
By installing the gearless conveyor drive system, which uses permanent magnet motor technology, the Chilean mine increases its existing systems’ availability and energy efficiency. Gearless drives also reduce wear on parts, increasing efficiency and reliability.
Keeping Australia at the forefront
As a global leader in mining, Australia’s resources sector is proud to have developed a technologically sophisticated industry with a rich history of innovation. Resource extraction, however, is not a business that stands still, as these examples show. Local mining continues to benefit from looking to its overseas counterparts to ensure it is staying abreast of the latest trends in mining technology. There is great opportunity to incorporate these innovations into local approaches, resulting in a smarter, safer and more efficient industry
