The mining industry is so colossal that I thought it would be genuine to set off the first among several conversations not in terms of sectors (crushing, maintenance, drilling, processing, tunneling, underground mining, etc.), but connectivity, for what it is worth, which I believe is one of the most sensitive aspects in mining as it touches all those sectors.
I want to be more specific here, otherwise, this discussion may take us to a lengthy journey and I am not a mining guru to pursue such a venture or share all the lore about it.
By connectivity, I mean all the IT infrastructure used to transmit real-time data from sensors placed on vehicles, machines, etc., to check the amount of fuel, temperature, vibrations and so forth, also known as telemetry, which is critical in mining and its operations. Yet, it seems not to ‘butt-in’ in mining experts’ discussions very often as it should be.
So, I’ve recently had talks with a few experts in mining pertaining to IT infrastructure who are based in South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, and what has stemmed from our chats proved my first intuition on telemetry being critical and ignored to be right.
Before I elaborate, let me give you a background of the conversations we’ve had.
1.Hot potatoes, though not out of the woods
Most with whom I spoke, pardon me not to mention names here, reported issues such as: costly maintenance,underground mining issues with methane concentration( a phenomenon recurrent in Central and Eastern Europe,e.g. Russian mines), delayed information and 10% to 35%(insane) of fleets affected by inadequate IT infrastructure, outdoor temperature affecting engine using diesel fuel, aging systems, problems to deploy a proper communication network around sites, weak bandwidth, life safety issues.
Moreover, employees on the mine’s speed movement, who, if not motioning after 10 mins approximately, it implies that something wrong might have happened to them, and if motioning too fast, it means that an individual might be riding a carriage, which is strictly forbidden, not the least, and believe me, even baboons and elephants were arraigned! Crazy right...
I presume the mining experts who watched ‘Madagascar’ may have enjoyed the topsy-turvy moves wild animals are portraying in the movie while dancing on ‘I like to move it’.
Nonetheless, there is no such hilariousness among decision makers about the aforementioned issues, and those are not solely African problems. South, Central, and North Americas, Europe, Oceania and Asia have the same botheration. Though, very few mines are rather well equipped than others. For instance, digital twins, drones, partly or autonomous robots, Artificial Intelligence, and other cutting-edge tools are used to better productivity and operations.
From my modest understanding, I believe two or three major shifts are taking place or being scribbled throughout the marketing plan at the moment in Africa, and perhaps in the mining industry in general:
1) Finding a way not to be dependent on diesel or massive gas-emission sources of energy, and use more electrification for reducing carbon discharges or tackle surrounding temperatures which affect diesel-dependent engines, and we know how harsh, hot and sandy/dusty, the environment can be.
However, there is a significant detail about diesel I was told by Ossie Carstens after he'd read this article:
Water contamination in diesel is probably the single biggest contributor to diesel particulates in the atmosphere. It would be nice to know the quality of diesel from delivery on surface to consumption point underground.
You may also check his contribution on Mining Weekly
2)Adapting operations to digital transformations (machine learning, IoTs, virtual reality, and other digitalized moves), which I believe might affect several jobs (mines supervisors, communication network engineers, etc.)
3)The third aspect encompasses the two above as it is more of optimization of processes, relying less on humans, that is, more automation.
However, we all know that when it comes to money, the financial department does always see such initiatives as scroungers, let alone mounting operational costs, unstable electricity stream, and fuel upsurges which do not facilitate things. But, do not get worked up by the usual bureaucracy.
2.Better telemetry with mesh networks?
So, long story short, what’s the fuss about connectivity? And how this can prove to be ONE of the problem-solvers? Probably, there are better solutions to address the many problems mines in Africa have out there, and reasons to have the current solutions than what I suggest below. Anyway, I will be glad to hear from you, no shame to back down.
This is what I personally think can improve connectivity and most issues I have mentioned earlier, mesh networks. How? Well, I believe they can support and help streamline all shifts happening at mines. Very few mines in America, and Europe have started to adopt this technology along with the three shifts I’ve described earlier. For example, Rio Tinto and Boliden AB, who are important players, have adopted this technology, thus, it stands to reason that there might be some cost-effectiveness resulting from the use of such technologies, indeed, if all else fails or remains inefficient.
3. How can mesh networks help?
· Easiness to backhaul information from SCADA multiple sensors around trucks and shovels enabling their 24/7 monitoring
· Reduction of the fleet turnover and repair queuing time
· Partly or fully remote control of operations
· Smart Wi-Fi and self-healing proofed, better uptime and robust stability sustaining operations involving people and machines
· Miners real-time monitoring while moving underground to anticipate or react quickly should any emergency or laissez-faire occur. For example, Wi-Fi ships inside helmets, torches, etc.
The advantages are numerous, but I would like your thoughts on this if you happen to stumble on this article. Here is the question pondering over me, why is that none of the experts during our dialogue mentioned mesh networks? Have they used them before and they failed? (which I am not sure since I was not able to gather such a fact). Or maybe other reasons I am not apprised of, lie behind the IT infrastructure currently used in Africa and elsewhere.
I will be glad to hear your constructive criticism. Kindly share your thoughts chaps! hakuna matata!
Comments
This discussion focusses on connectivity underground but there are a lot of surface operations (with and without an u/g component) that could benefit from a strategically coherent connectivity approach. My general observation is that remote video monitoring is happening, but getting live data on a raft of detailed operating parameters is still the domain of the maintenance guys with hand-held devices / inspection regimes. Whilst I haven't done a proper marketplace review for some time, the lack of credibly configured OPERATIONAL connectivity solutions is a component, and the inability to put a dollar on the genuine savings attained is the other. Being 'buried in information' is both a good and bad thing - the overarching strategy MUST be robust, and this is where the concept of illiteracy comes in. However, such knowledge is not 'in the ether' waiting for us to walk into it. We must do what we can with what we have. So get the small wins and then a data-morphing can occur.
I personally WANT to see really solid connectivity, but am not in a position to drive it. However, as a particular outcome of circumstances, I have an opportunity to lead it. Hence my interest in the collective views of "what do we know that works?" Seems to be a fair bit of chatter so far about what doesn't!.
I am pioneering lifting the 'dozer trap game' an order of magnitude past where it is now, and have a committed client that should be able to fund their mine kick-off by mid-year. Others are interested. So it is happening. Not a story for now, but when you see it you will wonder why it didn't happen before (always the way in mining eh?).
I know very well that a competent mine manager will get a lot of benefit from having really solid data provided about how the equipment and dozer operations are occuring and the instantaneous state of relevant components. As good as the equipment is, there is always potential for at least a 10% improvement by better coordinating equipment and processes / eliminating inefficiences. Data gets you there, but it has to come in the first place, and in a useable way.
I want to include appropriate connectivity systems with the initial supply. However it is CRITICAL that such systems work site-wide, so it is inappropriate for one supplier to dictate the strategy when the cost is borne by the mine owner. I am slightly different to most suppliers in that I genuinely want the mine to succeed and am happy to put some effort into analysing what may work best, including the 'do nothing' option if that remains appropriate. So I would love to join with Fabrice in requesting commentary around knowledge of what systems / strategies do actually work / are being experimented with in above ground situations also? Thank you.
I find it interesting that there are thousands of companies developing software solutions designed to solve all of these problems and provide real time data, all under the assumption that there is a stable wifi network underground. There is not, so it becomes the equivelent of building a beautiful home with wonderful features and no foundation. Wifi does not turn corners, and wifi nodes do not survive the blasting in the heading. The equipment operator drives ten feet into the heading and he or she is no longer connected. I see bringing consistent connectivity into an active heading as a top priority if we want to improve communications, information passdown and real time data from the equipment and operator. Has anyone solved this problem? Mining operations are spending millions to implement new technology solutions that won't work underground.
John, there has been a major shift regarding sufficient network communication solutions for underground operations. The technology is out there and available to the market. The problem I see is the adoption thereof by Mining companies. I guess this could be due to various factors ranging from illiteracy on such technologies to inadequate promotion and support from system integrators providing such solutions. The trend, however, is positive on the incline and I foresee a steady increase in technology adoption by most mining companies over the next 3 - 5 years, if not sooner.
Good remarks Rinus, though it is the word 'adoption' which puzzles me. Having talked to various firms, they all gave reasons which differed from one another. I thought, assumptions prior to the investigation, financial capabilities or the size of pits(mines or total surface) were the major aspects. I was totally awry, but yes, illiteracy was my conclusion too, still foreign to many, besides the total cost of ownership.
Your initial assumptions are not too far off Fabrice. There are definitely some mining companies that stare at the cost of such solutions and believe this to be exorbitant. What I have often found, and again this can translate to illiteracy, is that the decision-makers involved in a such a project will 7/10 times, compare such costs to that of a commercial network. There is a vast difference between the two and should never be compared. So yes, those are valid objections I have come across, although steadily on the decline.
A thorough effort to do a benefits study of such a proposed network to a mine generally always outways the cost of ownership.
In the end, I still link this to human behavior. You could have the best solution presented and available to you but if there is no adoption of technology it's a dead end.
We are living in the 4th industrial revolution where technology is available to many aspects of our lives, including business operations. It's a human choice to adopt or to reject it.
Thanks for the reply and insights Rinus. I probably made too general of a statement. I worked on a software implementation underground and we had a decent fiber network throughout the mine in the main drifts. I found that nearly all of the critical data and communications that are needed, are needed most in the heading where the operator is working, not in the main drifts. So the challenge through the mining cycle was that there was no way to protect an Access Point during blasting and because wifi doesn't turn corners, the operators were without connectivity as soon as they put their equipment into the heading. I am curious, within this narrow scope if you have any information on how other mines are handling this. And, you are 100% correct about the adoption problem. A mining company has to be very committed to tech adoption before they will spend the money on the needed infrastructure.
You are welcome John.
The underground mining was for long "excluded" from the "tech hype" and new innovations to technology, in my opinion. This could be contributed to many factors and a discussion all on its own, not relevant to your question.
There has, in the past 6 - 8 years, been a boom in new innovation for underground communication but as previously stated, the adoption hereof has been slow. In the past 3 - 5 years I have seen a great amount of new innovation coming to the forefront and replacing traditional communication systems, with greater results. The growing demand for greater bandwidth, to accommodate software solutions as what you have referred to, has been a big drive in innovative solutions as what can be found today.
As you rightfully state, WiFi has its limitations, and more so underground. RF signal propogation changes dramatically underground and the same rules do not apply to those of above ground implementations. John there is no quick answer to a fit for purpose solution but rather a combination of various principles, combined, that applies in providing adequate results, and yes, even around corners with no line of site between nodes. As I do not believe this to be the right forum to elaborate such detail I am happy to engage with you off-line and share the relevant information with you.
Let me know should you wish to further discuss this.
Hi Fabrice. We have implemented a number of Mesh networks in mining very effectively. Of course, the buzz words are now LTE but often Mesh or Wi-fi may perform better. We are running a test in the DRC to compare Wi-Fi and LTE effectivenes in underground mining. Or team has just arrived in the DRC. What we want to look at is what the best solution would be ie Wi-Fi; LTE or a hybrid and to compare the results. We have done a few videos in preparation for this test which I will post . Please let me know if there are any specific questions you want to be answered. Regards. Conrad
Hi Fabrice
I am agree with your points in the article.
We can help build MESH network: A small box(MS4) with light weight and fashion design. This is the foundation of the data transmission.
For more information, please contact Phylicia (Whatsapp:+8613923846654, phylicia.zeng@wingo-esl.com)
I am glad that you read my little contribution in the mining group. Unfortunately, I am not interested in your solutions. All the best throughout your business development. Cheers. Fabrice
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