https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Digital mining gaining traction – EY

EY mining and metals leader Wickus Botha

Photo by Duane Daws

EY partner Wim Hoogedeure

Photo by Duane Daws

30th January 2017

By: Martin Creamer

Creamer Media Editor

     

Font size: - +

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The tempo of mine modernisation – the coming together of mechanisation, digitisation and behavioural change – is on the up as mining companies pursue what is seen as the next productivity step change.

With several companies having already mechanised, a growing number are now looking to digitise as well as introducing behavioural change programmes, which are increasing the potential for improved mine safety.

Ernst & Young (EY) mining and metals sector leaders have for some time been sharing with clients how digitisation can increase mining productivity and how digital advances in adjacent industries as well as completely different industries can be applied to mining.

Everything miners have been doing intuitively can now be done with detailed fore knowledge through digitisation, which converts data points into decision-making, EY mining and metals leader Wickus Botha explained to Mining Weekly Online.

Digitisation facilitates the receiving of advance data in real time and in far more granular form.

The goal being earnestly pursued is the attainment of real time orebody visibility, which ensures the best financial return through certainty of what the orebody contains.

It is clear that digitisation will definitely not be brought about by technology alone and that the required interaction of people, process and technology will result in more jobs rather than fewer jobs.

“We in South Africa could become the centre of mining excellence for the rest of the world in the area of digital mining,” EY partner Wim Hoogedeure commented to Mining Weekly Online.

The digitisation picture outlined by EY resonates with that expressed last week at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), which highlighted the strong commitment of major companies like GE of the US and Transnet of South Africa to digital transformation as a means of driving growth on the African continent.

It also resonates with the views expressed at last year’s Mining for the Future conference of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) on where proven technologies are taking industry – and also mining.

At the core of digitisation is the ability to analyse and use data.

As outlined at GIBS, GE is investing in big data to improve operating efficiencies at operational level and engineering schools like the School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand are continuing to delineate the way in which information technology can improve mine economics.

Interestingly, software is available that allows anything envisaged for use in mining to be proven digitally before being physically applied and before any equipment is bought.

All process development can be done on computer and production considered only once there is security of accuracy.

“We could potentially leapfrog mining into a next-generation digital industry. I believe we could even leapfrog other industries,” was NxGN CEO Gary Lane’s comment on the sidelines of the SAIMM seminar.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Showroom

Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East

Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Magni SA
Magni SA

Magni SA is committed to developing the safest Telehandlers available to our customers for underground and surface mining, construction, forestry,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.067 0.118s - 139pq - 4rq
Subscribe Now