INNOVATION
facilities ; as we go deeper , so the demands grow on aspects like ventilation and roof support , and the working environment becomes more complex and harsher .
PEH : What services does WMI offer and how do they support the industry ? FC : WMI conducts and facilitates multidisciplinary research , encouraging partnerships to ensure a sustainable business model . Its flagship programme is the digital mining laboratory ( DigiMine ), where its focus is to conduct tests , research and development for transferring surface digital technologies into the underground mining environment . It also identifies and develops skills required to operate 21st-century , technologically intensive mines , which feed into a programme for developing modern skill sets at artisan , technician , and professional levels for the mining sector .
The big trend now is to introduce current technology into the underground mining environment — to create a technologically intensive mine that will employ more machines to enhance the productivity of people in confined spaces and difficult environments . Digital mining technologies are also important because they will put distance between workers and risk , making underground mining progressively safer .
PEH : And the automation side ? FC : Automating underground mines — especially in South Africa ’ s narrow-reef conditions — has proved a stubborn challenge . Introducing digital technologies as a platform for automation so that digital systems can support the automation process , can certainly help .
PEH : Please explain , then , the digital systems . FC : Included in your digital systems are aspects like mining plans , navigation systems , information and communication systems ( ICT ), software , computers , and technologies to visualise underground mining activities and risks . These allow vast amounts of data to be collected and put together in a manner that can remove workers from risky areas , or that allows the mine to operate more efficiently . That is the entry point for smart mining and automated mining : you cannot move to an automated mine before you have this integration of data — and it is actually very difficult to do .
In my opinion , we are not even close to an automated mine . We are still grappling with the incredibly difficult environment underground to apply digital technologies , and to ensure they work reliably all the time . The companies that supply products and services into this space agree that it can be done , and so we are collaborating with many of them by conducting this type of research .
PEH : Do you think the excitement and hype is getting ahead of itself ? FC : Yes , I do think so ; there ’ s certainly a lot of hype in this space . But I think it is also important that we have some hype because it stimulates thinking , and this accelerates the introduction of digital technologies in the workplace .
PEH : South Africa , globally ? FC : I think in a global context , South Africa compares well . There is not yet a complete or proven solution for a digital mine anywhere in the world ; many countries are working towards that goal , but we are not there yet .
PEH : You say we are well in line with the best ; who would you say we could learn from ? FC : While we are in line with the best , we could learn from the leading systems for measuring air quality , for example ; such systems can send an alarm to the control room when air quality underground deteriorates for some reason . This is not automation as such , but rather a sensor that sends a signal ; we need to move beyond alarms to a complete solution , where all data sources are integrated in one specialised database , from where decisions can be made in an intelligent manner . This will mark the advent of ‘ smart mining ’ — and we are working towards this kind of complete system .
PEH : Can any South African mine claim to be technologically advanced ? FC : There are some leading practices used by South African mines . For example ,
South Deep is a mechanised mine and we also have some mechanised platinum operations , while almost all large surface operations and coal mines are technologically advanced . Our next step is to strive for ‘ smart mining ’, where we can apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to mining operations so that we can predict events and avoid accidents more effectively .
PEH : What differentiates WMI ’ s offering from those of other similar institutions ? FC : We specialise in doing research , but also conduct training to advance knowledge on mechanised , digital , and sustainable mining . WMI can fill the gap where these topics are currently not available in the curricula — by generating courses that develop the appropriate bodies of knowledge to help the curricula to keep up with changes .
PEH : That must be quite challenging ? FC : It ’ s exciting , because there are new skills being developed in the process . The skill set for mining operators is very different compared to 10 – 20 years ago and vastly different to 30 years ago . The exciting thing is that none of us knows exactly what the mine of the future will look like . All we know is it will be staffed by new professions that do not exist today — so new areas like data science will become more important over time .
PEH : Is there resistance to automation ? FC : In any developing country , automation is a complicated conversation because some people will emphasise that machines and mechanisation are a threat to jobs . However , in the same way as skills change in the 21st century , jobs will also change . If you hang on to a job that no longer fits the 21st-century mine , then you will find yourself without a job — that is the reality . There will certainly be resistance to change in such a context , but it ’ s more of an education challenge because the trend in technology is unstoppable . Ultimately , to get a job in a technology-intensive mine , you will need to be ‘ tech savvy ’: you will be required to operate a computer , read a mobile app , and be able to read and write , for instance . These are all skills that are transferable to other sectors of the
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OCTOBER 2018