Updated on July 23, 2021
Humans are makers of all sorts. The tools we operate constantly leverage our human capabilities and evolve to benefit from many new technologies or energy sources that comes about. This human-technology symbiosis has been the foundation for our leaps and bounds to enhance our standard of living and make life a bit easier. Consider how life-changing the laundry machine was. While the recent revolution in communications technologies, represented by the internet, has fundamentally changed how the world works, the washing machine and other household appliances allowed more women to enter the workforce by vastly reducing the amount of work needed for household chores. Thus, embracing technology innovation and change is paramount. As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, we must focus on challenges and opportunities that can enhance the workplace. This is where Mining 4.0 comes in.
What is Mining 4.0?
Digital technologies and automation, or Mining 4.0, are defined using innovative equipment, driving data-driven (and thus better) decisions, catalyzing related communications, and providing more accessible, more affordable maintenance. This digital transformation, in general, will impact stakeholders, particularly operators.
While many think that the future operator might be confined to a small control room, some researchers envision the "Operator 4.0" as an augmented miner with skills and productivity enhanced through technology. Not only will Operator 4.0 be fed with real-time process data as they move around the mine, but they'll also able to solve problems directly at the source with remote support and interactions with their team, experts, and suppliers.
The Typology of Operator 4.0
Researchers presented the Operator 4.0 typology and looked at eight different ways in which Mining 4.0 can shape the future role of a mine operator:
• The super-strength miner uses the mechanical support of robots and machines to increase strength, speed, and precision.
• The augmented miner relies on augmented reality to interact with information in both digital and physical dimensions.
• The virtual miner uses virtual reality to simulate and train in various challenging scenarios.
• The healthy miner wears protective equipment and sensors to monitor their health and safety while working on site.
• The smarter miner utilizes technology as intelligent assistants to oversee various processes and report on malfunctions.
• The collaborative miner first "teaches" the machine a path which it then mimics automatically. The operator controls it afterward remotely during the actual loading.
• The social miner uses various social networking platforms to interact with other operators, consultants, and suppliers.
• The analytical miner uses big data analytics to identify helpful information, chart out patterns and predict relevant events.
How CyanoGuard Interacts with Operator 4.0
Super-strength miner (with extended capabilities):
Our portable, handheld devices allow Operator 4.0 to precisely obtain real-time cyanide measurements at different points in the cyanidation process.
Healthy miner:
Our solution produces reliable measurements without the need to handle a large amount of a cyanide-containing sample, there by offering a new way to keep miners safe on the job site. One milliliter of the sample is sufficient for a measurement.
Smarter miner:
All cyanide measurements are directly transmitted into our AI-based cloud platform. Operator 4.0 can set limits and receive alerts via WhatsApp, SMS, and email when cyanide measurements fall outside the desired boundaries. Having an alert system not only cuts down the response time if a malfunction occurs but it also prevents an incident from happening in the first place.
Social miner:
Our cloud platform, Cyano.iO, allows multiple user access, thereby promoting collaboration and information sharing among different stakeholders. Operator 4.0 can also access 24/7 remote support from our technical team via chat functions online or directly on the handheld device.
Analytical miner:
Operator 4.0 has access to all historical cyanide levels. They can visualize and compare cyanide consumption using the charts function as well as feed data into other process control systems. Full data traceability simplifies the reporting process and enables forecasting future cyanide consumption and predicting future events.
If you'd like to drive data-driven decisions, create better communication methods to optimize your cyanide monitoring methods, and enhance your bottom line, then contact us today to see how we can help.
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