In the past, the mining sector has been thought to be one of the last to incorporate technology into their industry. However, with recent technological advancements working in their favour, they have begun to use this to help combat daily problems and improve the entire process as a whole. One such technology is IoT and here, we are going to see how this is impacting the mining sector.
Management
The IoT, also known as autonomous technology, can be used within mining to fix and maintain machines during the course of the dig. This is crucial in order to make the dig a success and help promote better health and safety as the machines will need to be running at all points of the day. With large pieces of machinery such as crushers, there are multiple components involved and it can be challenging to find the element that is broken. With IoT, technology helps to identify the problem for efficient fixing without wasting too much time.
Not only does the IoT help to maintain the machines but it can also help to record and manage information all in one place. This then reduces the need for paper records that could become damaged or lost and helps to promote easy access to company records. This also allows members of staff who are off-site to access the information and resolve any issues much more quickly.
Improving Environmental Monitoring
Another of the most efficient ways that IoT has begun to be used in recent years is through environmental monitoring. Through promoting proper, detailed environmental monitoring, dig sites can be kept safe, efficient and eco-friendly where possible. By keeping track of weather changes, it is easier to prevent equipment from getting damaged through mining in dangerous conditions and will even ensure that the site operates as safely as possible all-around.
Time Efficient
The IoT within the mining industry also helps to ensure that everyone at the site is aware of what is going on each day and allow them to run as time-efficiently as possible. This is crucial as variables such as insufficient planning could put a team behind schedule very quickly and of course, could then end up costing them additional money. However, with the IoT and the connectivity that it gives, you can make up for lost time without being out of pocket.
Improves safety
Additionally, the IoT has allowed for elements of large pieces of machinery to be controlled remotely. This, therefore, improves safety on the site and helps to ensure that an element of health and safety is maintained at all times. This also helps when going into deeper levels of the quarry as there may be areas that are hard to reach. By driving the piece of equipment into the location remotely you make sure that no members of staff are hurt or at risk in the process.
With all this in mind, the IoT is slowly becoming increasingly important within the mining industry helping them to reach new targets and revolutionise the way that they use their technology, ultimately allowing the industry to be as time efficient as possible.