Digital tools provide mine of information
An expert in advanced software solutions explains to Louise Davis how mining companies can deploy digital tools to modernise – and greatly improve – their operations.
Like many engineering sectors, mining operations generate (and rely on) a great deal of data. But unlike some more tech-forward sectors, mining hasn’t always been great at joining up its various data points – either in terms of collection, transmission or indeed usage of said data. But, says Glenn Kerkhoff, Global Industry Principal, Mining, Metals & Minerals at AVEVA, things are beginning to change for the better. “Current trends in the use of industrial data in mining include the integration of different data types into a common unified data repository. This includes times-series data, transactional data, geospatial location data, business systems data,” explains Kerkhoff. “Digital twins and simulation models are also being increasingly used to enable ‘what-if’ scenarios and optimise operations.”
According to Kerkhoff, many of today’s mining companies are looking for cloud-based platforms with OT/IT integration and information sharing, allowing them to break down siloes within their organisations and improve overall efficiency using an integrated data and insights approach. He adds: “They’re also looking for ways to incorporate software and technology from different vendors into an overall solution, in a seamless and integrated approach. AVEVA’s cloud-based industrial intelligence platform, Connect, helps customers address these challenges.”
The Connect data services platform provides a scalable, secure industrial data management service. By building a connected data ecosystem, companies quickly explore AI and predictive analytics, monitor remote assets, increase efficiency, and drive digital transformation. Kerkhoff notes: “Many mining companies use Connect to aggregate, share, and contextualise data securely from multiple site operations to corporate, as well as with external stakeholders (such as equipment OEMs). It allows for seamless and secure integration with other systems, including OT applications and IT business systems.”
DIGITAL REVOLUTION
Connect is just one component among many in AVEVA’s digital mining tools portfolio and Kerkhoff explains that in general, the company is focused on operational technology (OT) solutions that provide performance improvements. He comments: “We have decades of experience with technology solutions focused on improving reliability and availability, utilisation and efficiency, productivity, overall equipment effectiveness, and value chain optimisation.”
Vast experience goes a long way in selling and marketing new technologies, but mining is a sector that’s known for being quite risk-averse when it comes to deploying new tools. Has Kerkhoff encountered much reluctance to embrace new concepts when dealing with this industry? “It’s true that mining has been ‘traditional’ or ‘old-school’ and slow to adopt new technologies,” he acknowledges. “For many decades, miners have not had a strong focus on OT solutions. They relied more on increasing equipment and plant capacity to meet production targets, rather than using advanced operational technology to improve availability, utilisation, efficiency and productivity.”
But, says Kerkhoff, change is certainly afoot: “Several factors have forced mining companies to rethink the adoption of OT and advanced analytics solutions. These factors include workforce shortages, Covid constraints, new environmental social and governance (ESG) targets, the need to decarbonise and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the need to improve workforce health and safety.
“Mining companies are finding new ways to mine smarter, not harder. To produce more, with less. More tons with less waste, less equipment, less infrastructure, less workforce, less carbon fuel, and less environmental impact. All while maintaining product quality. And to do this involves technology, operational technology!”
FUTURE-FOCUSED APPROACH
Kerkhoff cites many recent advances in OT, including machine autonomy, remote operations, electrification, and process automation. But he says there is still a long way to go: “Mining companies understand they must change their ways to maintain their license to operate in the future. And
we are well positioned to provide
OT solutions to the mining industry. Our expertise spans execution and process control through to real-time, time-series data and analytics and a wide range of applications for production, maintenance, advanced and predictive analytics, process simulation, enterprise visualisation and much more.”
However, Kerkhoff does point out that the 24x7 nature of mining increases the risk associated with new technology adoption. “Any technology set-back can mean lost production,” he states. That risk is somewhat minimised by the fact that most AVEVA solutions are being integrating into existing control and execution systems. “For example, in processing and metallurgical plants, much of our technology is integrated to existing DCS control systems. For heavy mobile equipment, we integrate to existing onboard electronics systems and to office-based fleet management and machine guidance systems. Therefore, improving a customer’s productivity and efficiency using AVEVA capabilities is a lower risk,” explains Kerkhoff.
TRACK & TRACE TECHNOLOGY
When asked to highlight a recent customer success story, Kerkhoff recalls that a large iron-ore producer performed a digital technology project with AVEVA to improve reliability of critical assets and enhance iron-ore traceability from pit to port. Detailing this, Kerkhoff says: “The customer had several business challenges to address. Top of the list was that the reliability of critical equipment needed to improve to support a mine expansion project. The client also needed to increase throughput to full nameplate capacity by debottlenecking production operations. Not to mention, the company also lacked an inventory tracking and traceability solution for iron-ore movement from pit to port.”
Kerkhoff describes the customer’s goal as being to produce the highest-grade, lowest-emission iron ore, whilst tracking and reporting production, energy and greenhouse gas emissions. “The producer wanted to enable systems across the whole operation to make decisions automatically on live operational data, using Industry 4.0 concepts. And the team wanted to determine a robust and efficient way to transfer data across company OT and IT systems multiple times per day,” he reveals.
Several AVEVA solutions were deployed to solve these challenges, as Kerkhoff explains: “Our Operations Control solution was installed in multiple control rooms to integrate process control data via SCADA. Our PI system was implemented, including data archive, asset framework, asset analytics and event frames. This solution provided very large volumes of operational data, with context, using streaming calculation, to automatically pinpoint important events in operations. Our Predictive Analytics product was implemented using machine learning for critical assets to provide early warning anomaly detection. And our Production Management solution was used to implement process models for pit to port material tracking, inventory, and product traceability.” The customer also reaped the benefits of the Connect Data Services platform, which was implemented for cloud integration, advanced analytics, and data sharing, across all parts of the iron-ore producer’s operations.
Commenting on this holistic and thorough project, Kerkhoff says: “By adopting an integrated solution, the customer was able to achieve outcomes such as improved real-time health tracking of critical equipment. This solution allowed the producer to determine equipment anomalies during operation and determine iron-ore inventory levels across various parts of the value chain. The operator also gained improved visibility of iron-ore material flow through mining, crushing, processing, rail, and port. These technologies were also integrated via Connect Data Services to provide company-wide business intelligence and decision making.”
A BRIGHT – AND DIGITAL – FUTURE
With regard to what’s next for AVEVA, Kerkhoff reports plenty of progress still to come, explaining that the Connect platform’s capabilities are continually being expanded: “This includes the development of various OT software solutions around engineering, production, maintenance, energy and sustainability. In addition, Connect allows us to integrate OT and IT, to include business solutions and ERP systems.”
Kerkhoff and his team are also well aware of the value of cross-industry partnerships in bringing digitalisation to mining. “We are busy growing our ecosystem of technology partners – including system integrators, SaaS experts, and customer technology developers – who will provide even more features for many different use cases, on Connect,” he confirms.
Ultimately, says Kerkhoff, mining companies will inevitably embrace digitalisation regardless of any risks they may face in embracing new solutions. “For mining companies to exist in today’s modern world with its wide range of new constraints, adoption of digital and advanced technology solutions will be key. Miners need technology now to meet the demands of tomorrow’s mining industry and enable them to succeed in the future,” he emphasises.
RISE OF THE MACHINES
It would be remiss not to ask an expert in digital technologies for his thoughts on the role of AI, and Kerkhoff confirms that it is being used to solve problems and generate value across the mining industry. He explains: “In production, AI is helping with operations management and optimisation – increasing productivity, throughput, and maintaining quality. AI also assists in ore/waste identification to increase recovery and reduce dilution. For advanced automation and machine autonomy, AI is critical. Driverless operations of heavy mobile equipment significantly improve productivity and safety.
For advanced decision support, AI plays an important role. By collecting, integrating and interpreting vast quantities of data from many different data sources, meaningful production insights can be presented to operations management for better decision making. In maintenance, predictive analytics is helping to provide early warnings on machine and component failures. This helps improve maintenance processes to increase reliability and availability and reduce maintenance cost.”
Kerkhoff also notes that in other areas, such as geology, AI is helping improve processes for locating and delineating mineral resources. “AI computer vision can provide rapid interpretation of geological information, improving the speed and accuracy of geological modelling. Advanced analytics and machine learning can also be used to improve the process and increase likelihood of finding new mineral deposits,” he details.
LET'S GET DIGITAL
AVEVA offers a variety of digital technologies to the mining sector. Mining companies use its PI System to collect data from critical equipment in the mineral value chain, including drilling, blasting, loading, hauling, and crushing, grinding, floatation, and drying. Meanwhile, the Production Management product allows mining operators to increase operational profitability, agility and competitiveness.
Mining firms use the Predictive Analytics tool to determine when equipment and machinery is showing anomalous behaviour and is operating outside of normal limits. And they use the Asset Information Management solution to aggregate information from multiple sources and formats, including engineering data, 3D models, reporting, laser scans, ERP, operations and many other data sources
Finally, many mining companies use AVEVA Unified Operations Center (UOC) to monitor all aspects of operations, including mining, processing, transport and logistics, from pit to port.