Increased technological advancements is one significant component of what future mines will consist of, according to a published report.
Those mines will be digital and more reserved, Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg reports. Additional speculation about what the mines of the future will look like manifested during the Mining Into The Future exhibit, a two-day fair that was Wednesday and Thursday of last week in Boksburg, a city in Northeast South Africa, according to the fair’s website. Barloworld, a brand management company for industry, was a sponsor of the fair.
“The good times are gone,” equipment information bureau officer JP Briggs with Barloworld said. His discussion at the conference noted that futures mines will require deeper probing with drills along with stronger regulations for safety and the environment.
Additional discussion covered change management and additional problems that are correlated.
Academician presents school’s view
Professor Fred Cawood, who leads the Wits School of Mining Engineering, introduced what the future mine will hold, according to the outlook manifested by the Merchandise Mining Systems of the Wits Centre.
Real-time information regarding various advanced systems will be automated for important components such as safety measures, mine optimization, guidance, tracking and reporting.
Communication will be enhanced among the geology tools and additional equipment, operators and managers at connected worksites. As one example, some mines will have monitors that will track workers while noting that laborers have accessed an area of the mine where they are prohibited.
“A connected worksite is key. If you know more, you can do more, you achieve more,” the equipment information bureau officer said.
Increased likelihood of underground mining
The mine of the future also will present the opportunity to deploy underground mining methods.
A test tunnel that is underground, airtight and roughly 67 meters long is under construction and that work is being performed by the School of Mining Engineering. The site is beneath the Chamber of Mines building that is located on East Campus. Various methods – like WIFi, WPAN, UWB and WiMAX – are being tested to gauge their capacities to transfer information in larger capacities as compared to what’s in underground mines.
New technology also is likely to be spurred by adaptations and adjustments to mining conditions. The coal supply in South Africa is likely to deplete more quickly than forecast, which would establish a dire demand for underground coal mining in the region.
The new environment underground includes the capacities for spontaneous combustion, which is forecast to be a continuous hazard.
Latest posts by GEOVIA (see all)
- Join the GEOVIA User community - July 13, 2021
- GEMS Software Update - June 21, 2021
- Reducing Impacts on Water - May 25, 2021
