First Mining Drc-Zambia July/Aug 2019 First Mining DRC-ZAMBIA July-August 2019 digital | Page 19

TECHNOLOGY
Disrupt mining:
technologies that are shaking up the industry
Electric Vehicles
Mining isn’t necessarily seen as the most
environmentally friendly industry, and with
the Paris Climate Agreement and a host
of other factors urging the international
community to do more to reduce
emissions and tackle climate change, the
use of electric vehicles is set to become
more and more popular, replacing their
diesel-powered alternatives.
It’s an interesting market too – no
one company has monopolised the
space and, whilst companies like Cat
are developing products like their
Underground Electric LHD, we’re also
seeing a host of smaller players moving
into the area. ETF Manufacturing
introduced their all-electric surface haul
truck and GHH have also introduced
their own range of electric LHDs.
C
onstruction and mining are two
industries often considered to be
behind the times when it comes to
technological advancements but those
within the industry itself certainly know
very different. In fact, they tend to take
upcoming technological advancements
in their stride, introducing new and
innovative ways to get the job done.
Whether it’s the introduction of a drilling
rig for mining, or even something as
simple as a laser level, technology is
constantly helping these industries
thrive.
The mining industry faces a number of
challenges as worldwide prices fluctuate,
firms are held more accountable for the
safety of their workers and contractors,
and the performance of every single mine
in effectively engaging local communities
and protecting the environment is more
heavily scrutinized than ever before. The
mining industry is being forced into more
cost saving and efficiency measures and
this has naturally bred innovation.
Automation
Automation is one of the hottest topics in
every sector of industry at the moment.
Whether it’s the World Bank fearing
for the future of low skilled workers or
reasons to be optimistic, it’s an issue
very much in vogue.
frequent presence around mines, with
market leaders Cat and Komatsu, Hitachi
introducing their automated haulage
systems in the last two years.
The next step in mining automation could
even be mines with no miners, after Rio
Tinto unveiled their plans for a $2.2B
‘intelligent mine’ packed with driverless
trains, trucks and robotics.
They’re not necessarily just replacing
jobs either – some automation in mining
is allowing producers to drill deeper and
with narrower shafts into conditions
uninhabitable for humans.
Underground Excavators
In underground mining, safety is a top
priority and Atlas Copco released their
new line of Underground Mobile Miners
specifically for hard rock mines.
This new technology circumvents the
traditional, and more dangerous, drill
and blast method and also means that
mines wouldn’t have to be evacuated
in order to mine hard rock. Atlas Copco
believe their technology has the potential
to ‘change the mining industry’.
X Ray Diffraction
It’s not all hardware that is changing the
game, mining software has been making
every mine ‘smarter’ for some time, and
one of the most innovative examples of
this is X-ray diffraction. This is used to
analyse samples to check their property
densities, which saves both time and
money when targeting particularly rich
materials. Companies like ALROSA are
already enjoying the benefits through
effectively utilising the technology.
Sensor Based Sorting
Innovation isn’t just staying down the mine
either. Companies have been investing
heavily in new mineral processing
technology, with sensor based sorting
being a particular area of focus.
Sensor based sorting is designed to
split commercially valuable minerals
from ores as efficiently and cheaply
as possible – leading to increased
productivity.
Steinert and Tomra are both big players
in sensor based sorting, and in 2018
I think we’ll see these two and others
investing more into the area, and the
incorporation of even newer technology
into separation, such as mining magnets.
Mining is no different – autonomous
trucks are becoming an ever more
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