The Internet of mining things delivers the next wave of productivity 34 March 2016 W O R K S H O P HM030 Fairfit can design & build you specialised machinery, tooling and jigs so you can manufacture, cut, bend, weld, assemble and process in you own factory. PROTECTIVE CAPS & PLUGS Extensive range in stock, fast delivery • Tapered & threaded • Metric, BSP & JIC • Tube inserts • Silicone & EPDM • Bolt & nut protection H_2370 Available from Hi-Q Electronics Limited engineering@hiq.co.nz 0800 766 709 www.hiqplugsandcaps.co.nz The Internet of Things (IoT) is increasing the connectedness of people and things on a scale that once was unimaginable. The magnitude of this evolution is momentous with more than 80 billion Internet-connected devices projected to be in use in 2024, up from less than 20 billion in 2014. When we then couple the data produced, and processes involved, in the interaction of things-to-things and things with people what results is a powerful model upon which to drive the digitization and transformation of companies, industries and whole nations. The ability to use standard Internet technologies, such as unmodified Ethernet, throughout, from the enterprise all the way down to individual field devices enables new levels in connectivity for people, processes, data and things, ultimately providing greater productivity, better utilisation of assets, and improved decision-making to industrial companies. According to Michael Boland, distinguished systems engineer at Cisco, “The IoT is connecting people in more relevant, valuable, and meaningful ways; delivering the right information to the right person or machine in real time. Data is being leveraged in more useful ways for better decision-making. It has applicability across all markets; private sector and governments.” The mining industry has a lot to gain from the connectivity that the IoT delivers. Mining operations around the world are on an automation curve – they are applying technologies processes to automate their key functions to gain efficiencies in production, however these initiatives are often focused and restricted within production silos. “We see a significant number of mines that have data locked away in individual systems but now want to federate that data together, instigate new processes, involving their people in new ways to achieve better outcomes. Mining generates big data because the number of sensors are growing rapidly and systems involved are becoming more intelligent, so the challenge ahead is to federate that data to gain insight and optimise operations,” says Boland. Productivity and safety are two key drivers of the mining industry. Removing people from the mine site and into remote operating centres helps companies achieve both these objectives. By leveraging IoT technologies, the interaction between people, process, data and things can be securely and reliably monitored, modified and maintained remotely. “The next big boom in mining is going to be connecting a lot more ‘things’. There are going to be more wireless and mobile devices that will be able to be instrumented, sensed and controlled more effectively,” says Boland. This results in a lot of data being generated that needs to be analysed to generate useful information. Data needs to be intelligently captured, correlated and analysed to optimise production systems. Not only does this data need to be captured and analysed, but it also needs to be available as useful information in real time so that the mine’s remote operating centre can modify processes, asset utilisation and maintenance to optimise production rates in relation to dynamic market demands. Through IoT, this next level of optimisation can be achieved for a single mine or a federation of mines, rail and ports. IoT enables the digitisation of the entire mining supply chain for optimisation. The complete mining operation, from pit to port, involves many functions with many specialist devices and equipment. Centralising control allows mining operations to pool resources to optimise production and reduce costs. “The other trend here is that we are arriving at a point where instead of doing everything ourselves, we are
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