In today's emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, there are many industries, and mining is no exception. Today, the world's first "smart mine" is preparing to embark on a journey.
Jean Sébastien Jacques, CEO of global mining giant Rio Tinto, said in an interview with The Economist that they will seek approval from the board of directors later this year to invest $2.2 billion in the world's first pure "smart mine" "project.
The project will consist of a network of smart devices spread over robots, driverless mines, unmanned trucks, unmanned rigs and unmanned freight trains. They will be responsible for the daily production of the Pilbara iron ore mine in Western Australia.
According to reports, this consists of four major subsystems: Operation Center, Automatic Transportation System (AHS), Automatic Drilling System (ADS), and Automatic Train System (AutoHaul?). Jacques said that regardless of whether the project was approved by the board of directors, Rio Tinto has been ahead of the competition for more than a decade in the smart mining sector.
Beautiful blueprint for smart mines
In the eyes of Rio Tinto's management, the prospects for smart mines are so beautiful, they are safe, efficient and save a lot of labor costs.
Think about it, as the world's eight major iron ore bases, Rio Tinto's Hope Downs 4 iron mine main mine is no longer a figure, no more drivers, some are just roaring machines, weighing 300 tons of mining trucks The drone mode flies in the red smoke.
Engineers use computers to remotely control mine equipment at Rio Tinto's operational command center, which is about 2 hours from the mine and in downtown Perth. Here, they Monitor the two groups of machines excavating ore from six unmanned ore mining equipment.
Chris Salisbury, head of Rio Tinto's iron ore business, said that compared to human operations, unmanned diamonds have an average of nearly one-third longer operating hours and an average of 10% more per hour.
Rio Tinto management said that in 12 hours, the manned vehicles are more competitive, but the machine is more advantageous in terms of 24 hours or more. They do not need coffee, do not feel tired, and do not exist. The work that occurred due to the driver's handover was stopped. Unmanned trucks only need to stop and add oil once a day.
After the automation of the machine, the labor cost of the mine has been reduced by a third. With the help of 76 unmanned vehicles in the fleet of 400 heavy trucks, the operating cost of the Pilbara mine is expected to be about 15% lower than other mines.
Rio Tinto hopes that regulators will approve the opening of the world's first truly unmanned mine project next year to achieve true automation. 50 unmanned trains will travel between 4 ports and 16 mines with a total mileage of 1,700 kilometers. In September last year, it completed a test of 100 kilometers. The average speed of this type of car can be increased by 6% compared to human driving. The project also includes 1,200 unmanned ore trucks.
Jean Sébastien Jacques said that technological advances will only increase the expected additional free cash flow of $5 billion over the next five years by a third, but from 2021 onwards, new technologies, especially driverless technology, will become even bigger. The return on investment. They plan to start a real smart ore production at the Koodaideri mine in the Pilbara region, which costs about $2.2 billion.
Rio Tinto, which is transforming toward intelligence, is still accelerating the expansion of its driverless fleet. Australian media reported in early March that Rio Tinto President Chris Salisbury said that they will expand the driverless truck project later this month, and the fifth mine in the Pilbara region will be stationed in the truck.
In addition, Rio Tinto will expand its driverless trucks in the future. The company's West Angelas mine will be equipped with 15 smart trucks with automatic traction systems from May, which will account for 25% of the mine equipment.
The challenges of mine digitalization
As the Western Australia mine moves toward automation and intelligence, the mining industry faces two new problems: mechanical automation and the lack of relevant skills.
In this regard, Rio Tinto intends to invest 2 million US dollars in vocational education funds, including existing and potential workers in the company's training programs, so that they can prepare in advance for technological innovation and progress.
"To improve the skills and capabilities of companies and employees in the face of smart mining, we are providing more opportunities for existing and future workforces," said Rio Tinto Iron Ore CEO Chris Salisbury.
According to Future Market Insights, a US consulting firm, the automation and intelligence of mining equipment is the key to helping mines solve their problems. This includes automated ore scrapers, driverless trucks and freight trains, as well as other automation solutions.
To this end, Komatsu, Caterpillar and other large mining machinery manufacturers have joined forces with mining giants such as Rio Tinto to develop intelligent equipment and technology.
Following the automation of the mining system, the global mining industry is now moving towards the fourth generation of automation, namely automotive automation.
Komatsu of Japan has developed the first commercial unmanned vehicle for mining, equipped with AHS (autonomous traction system). These vehicles have wireless network systems, high-precision GPS systems, vehicle controllers and obstacle detectors. They can be easily integrated into other components of an automated mining system.
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