Quarry Southern Africa September 2017 | Page 13

global news

FLSmidth has reached an agreement to acquire a part of Sandvik Mining Systems , subject to certain conditions , including regulatory authority clearance . Closing is expected by the end of 2017 . The agreement covers Sandvik Mining Systems ’ continuous surface mining and minerals handling technologies , as well as related intellectual property , including drawings and reference lists . It also covers the transfer of employees with strong experience , competencies , and customer insights , which will strengthen the Group ’ s core minerals business . The pending acquisition will enable FLSmidth to improve productivity for its customers by closing a gap , and to cover a wider range of the full mining value chain ‘ pit to plant ’: from the primary crushing point in the mining pit and the transport from mine to plant , all the way through the minerals processing plant to the tailings handling .

Melker Jernberg has been appointed president of Volvo Construction Equipment and member of the Volvo Group Executive Board , effective 1 January 2018 . Jernberg replaces Martin Weissburg , who is moving back to the US for family reasons and taking up a position as senior advisor to Volvo ’ s president and CEO , Martin Lundstedt . Weissburg will be stationed in Greensboro , US . Born in 1968 , Jernberg is currently president and CEO of the Sweden-based powder metallurgy company Höganäs AB . Prior to this , he held the position of executive vice-president and head of business area EMEA at Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB .

Hatch regional director : Digital Mining Australasia , Jeanne Els .

A paradigm shift in the mining industry is being driven by the fourth industrial revolution ( Industry 4.0 ) and the advent of the Internet of Things ( IoT ), which promotes connectivity , modularity , and reuse of sensors , data , networks , and platforms . Because of this , big data and analytics will play an increasingly important role in the industry ’ s future .

Speaking at the Hatch Intelligent Mining Conference 2017 , held at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg recently , Jeanne Els , Hatch regional director : Digital Mining Australasia , said that only between 1 % and 5 % of the data generated by the mining industry is actually used for prediction and optimisation . “ There are tremendous opportunities to use data in the mining industry , and much of it is low-hanging fruit ,” said Els .

Not all of the correct data is being collected , and what is being collected is either not stored at all , or often not stored properly , making it difficult to extract and use for analytics . The lack of available real-time data is also making the actual decision-making process more challenging .

Advances in technology offer the mining industry the opportunity to develop sophisticated models to simulate processes and systems that can then be used for prediction of outcomes and optimisation . “ Once this is done in real-time , you then have the ability to close the loop and introduce automation ,” Els added . “ The aim is to transform mining from a people-intensive industry to an algorithm-based industry , to get to a place where we have codified processes and real-time

Hatch

information to make realtime decisions — that is really powerful .”

The first major benefits are decreased variability and increased predictability , meaning fewer unplanned events such as unforeseen stoppages , and resulting in better health and safety outcomes , as well as improved productivity and efficiency . According to Els , this also unlocks new ways of doing business .

However , the biggest challenge for the mining industry is not technology , but rather being open to collaborative ecosystems and open platforms to drive such innovation . “ We have to get to a place where we encourage different companies working together on open platforms to develop new applications and new types of sensors , for example , that will ultimately unlock this kind of value for the entire industry ,” said Els .