4 THINGS UNDERGROUND MINES CAN BENEFIT FROM USING

By: Scott Bahr

Over the years, underground mining has gone through an evolution. We have specifically seen a real resurgence with the benefit of technological developments in recent years, which is what we wanted to focus on as our topic of discussion today.

As we move forward into the future, here are a few of the things that underground mines can benefit from using that the wondrous world of modern technology has made possible:

IT´S ELECTRIC: IMPLEMENTATION OF BEVS

Now is the prime time to tap into the power of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The implementation of BEVs for the movement of ore, personnel carriers, and mine inspection has not only improved efficiency, but it has also reduced underground emissions, heat generation, and noise levels.

Don Duval, CEO at NORCAT, a leader in training and skills development and the testing and showcasing of mining technology and innovation located in Sudbury, Ontario, is among the numerous ardent supporters of the adoption of BEVs. Duval stated, “The global mining industry is undergoing a technology transformation unlike any other time in the industry’s history, [and] the electrification of mining operations is going to be an absolute core contributor to the transformation of mining operation in Canada and around the world.”

Currently, statistics show that the vast majority—more than 80%—of electric mining machinery in use today is taking place in Canada (mostly in the regions of Ontario and Quebec). Canadians are beginning to reap the financial and non-financial benefits of going electric.

Moving towards BEVs offers mining companies several exciting benefits. If you are still hesitant about making the change or don’t know exactly how to get started, this article from the Canadian Mining Journal will help. It lays out a road map to implementing BEVs, which will provide confidence and easy-to-follow next steps to even the most hesitant adopter of new solutions.

IMPLEMENTATION OF IOT DEVICES

In layman’s terms, the Internet of Things (IoT) aims to extend sensing and computing capabilities to every device. In the world of mining, this unlocks exciting opportunities and rewards. Implementation of IoT devices for system monitoring and inventory tracking have major impacts, including the freeing up of precious operator time and a vast improvement to personal safety. More information can be found here, should you want to peruse it during your next reading break.

IMPROVEMENTS IN UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

These vital improvements have allowed for real-time wireless contact between mining panels, which has provided increased safety, vastly improved productivity cycles, and the ability to deploy needed personnel resources throughout the mine. As underground mines increase in size and scope, and travel distances increase the need for and value of reliable real time communication becomes more important.

PREVENTATIVE VS. REACTIVE MAINTENANCE

Newly developed and fine-tuned methods for preventative rather than reactive maintenance have enabled mine maintenance teams to improve production uptime. By tracking failure cycles and modes, maintenance teams can predict service lives more accurately. Combining this with condition sensors monitoring such variables as thermal variance, vibration and general non-conformance, this allows them to take action before failures happen, ultimately saving time and money. Bit Service believes in this preventative over the reactive mindset and strives to practice what we preach daily in this arena. In a recent article, we wrote about our process for product selection and how we constantly strive for continuous improvement and efficiency.

For more information about Bit Service, and to learn how we can help you in your journey to further benefit from the incredible technologies being introduced into the mining industry, contact us today.