AUTOMATION
cost of transporting drivers to the changeover points. Improved productivity through
Big Data is a new area where value is being delivered across Rio Tinto. T e company’s computational infrastructure includes a cloud-based, web-enabled big data server cluster that is inexpensive to operate and rapidly expandable. T e team that developed and now administers this solution includes data scientists at the
Rio Tinto Innovation centre in Pune, India, the Rio Tinto Excellence Centre in Brisbane and Rio Tinto site-based subject matter experts. T e system is not confi ned to the company’s mobile equipment fl eet, but is being expanded to include fi xed plant equipment. A typical process plant could have as many as 30,000 sensors that provide a rich source of data. Greg Lilleyman, Rio Tinto group executive, Technology and Innovation,
AN ENGINEER SPEAKS… M
ichael Murphy, chief engineer of Mining Enabled
Solutions at Caterpillar Inc., off ers his thoughts on autonomous mining. “Automation is enabled by technologies such as high- precision GPS, object detection systems using radar and lidar. More importantly, automation is enabled by new algorithms and software that allow a machine to have very consistent operation and interaction with other machines and light vehicles. At the heart of automation are the thousands of lines of code that manage the exceptions that occur in a mining operation. Unlike remote control, the on-board machine computers in conjunction with the offi ce software make the decision and actuate steering, brakes, body hoist, drill steel, bucket or blade. In our set-up, the role of the MineStar Controller is to manage the exceptions rather than to control the machine. “In the case of autonomous
trucks, the vehicles have all of the same capabilities as a manned truck. They received
says, “We continue to build on this with other world-class productivity initiatives, which will be supported by group-wide analytics capabilities and delivered through our world-leading Excellence Centres and Innovation Centres.”
Look to the future Sandvik is another company with an eye on the future of autonomous mining. T e company offers real-
their assignments from MineStar offi ce. The high-precision GPS along with inertial systems and on-board maps guide them to the loading tool. The truck reverses to exactly where the loading tool operator has requested it to spot. It can reverse in on the blind side as it does not use mirrors, hence
and then automates the hoist lever to dump the material. Just like a manned truck it then lowers the body, gets its assignment and heads to the next loading tool.” With regard to the value of
An autonomous mine in Australia using Caterpillar equipment
reducing truck exchange time. The safety systems are continually monitoring the location of other machines and vehicles just like air traffi c control. If a vehicle gets too close to the autonomous truck then it will stop. Once it arrives at the dump, the offi ce software has provided the truck with the best location to dump and it reverses just like a manned truck, stops
automation, Murphy believes this comes from the consistency of operation. He says: “The machines consistently do the same thing every time when given the same set of operation conditions. This results in a safer environment. Automation does require a strong focus on process compliance. Without this focus, then mining customers will fail to achieve the benefi ts
of automation. However, there is great opportunity to change and optimise processes. Manufacturing has gone through signifi cant automation over the past 40 years, which has driven greater quality, safety and lower costs. Mining is now beginning that journey. Given the mining industry is a late adopter, there is a big opportunity to leverage the newer technology and make stair step gains.” ●
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