Demetre Harris, Sandvik Mining & Rock Technology, USA,
explores how technology has changed and improved mining operations.
O
ne must admit, humanity has come a long way since solution capable of reproducing the work of five professionals
using the stars for navigation, Egyptian cubits for with traditional hand drills. Utilising some of the earliest versions
measuring length and carrier pigeons for wireless of Sandvik TIM measuring system, these rigs utilised radio
communication. Concurrently, Sandvik Mining & Rock remote controls to assist with hole inclination and depth with
Technology has come a long way since 1997 when the company automatic alignment of the feed.
acquired Tamrock Oy.
One of the earliest fit-for-purpose drill rigs, the DC120 series Introduction of data
rigs, originally known during their release in 1988 as the Data changed the world as it was known. The introduction of the
Tamrock Commando series, utilised technology available in the 900 MHz band and the global positioning system (GPS) to the
1980s to transform surface mining as it was known. The DC120 mining sector during the 1990s and IEEE 802.11 wireless
series increased performance and productivity by providing a technologies in the mid 2000s transformed the industry.
global mining review // REPRINTED FROM November/december 2020
Despite the slow adoption rate of advanced technology within organisations across the globe to develop digital
the mining sector in the 1990s and early 2000s, the benefits of transformation strategies to improve their operations.
technology were recognised. In June 2019, RTI International The use and availability of technology has not only changed
reported within their Economic Benefits of the global positioning how the drilling activity is carried out within the industry, but
system (GPS) study that by 2017, cumulative adoption of GPS in also how it is measured. The introduction of technology has
the mining sector reached 75% – up from 4% adoption in 1995. extended how key performance indicators (KPIs) such as
The report goes on to state that productivity gains from GPS can utilisation, efficiency and availability are measured. No longer
increase overall mine productivity upwards to 21.1% and are operators limited to visual checks or ex post facto
decrease labour requirements by 13.5%, depending on measurements of performance but are instead now able to
organisational expertise level. By 2017, it was also estimated utilise instantaneous measurements to provide feedback for
that the mining industry saw over US$1 billion net productivity corrective actions during drilling operations. The company’s
gains due to benefits from GPS. solutions leverage the availability of viable data to increase
Now that the mining industry has tasted the fruit of safety and drive productivity in all facets of the drilling
technology, an irresistible thirst to continue implementing the operation from production and maintenance to planning and
latest technologies has developed. To satisfy the demand and blasting.
push for excellence, Sandvik launched the iSeries family of top
hammer, down the hole (DTH), and rotary solutions to providing Improving operations through
its customers with innovative technology improving productivity technology
and efficiency; but more important, increasing safety and At the forefront of improvements enabled through data is the
limiting operational costs. precision and accuracy made available through GPS and
sensor technologies. The company’s high-precision navigation
Accurate, efficient, safe solutions solution, TIM3D, provides operators with visual guidance and
Now the mining sector is entering the post-digital era. Data positioning with precision between ±10 cm. The solution
availability in mining is at an all-time high, enabling mining provides drill and blast engineering departments the capability
of uploading drill patterns with target elevation, spacing, and
angles from their planning applications directly to the TIM3D
onboard operator interface.
Once positioned and tightly coupled with the sensors and
components installed on the drill, the navigation solution
provides operators with the ability to drill either to a set
elevation or a specific depth. The sensors on the drill measure
the actual depth of the bit as the driller progresses through the
terrain providing the operator visual measurements and the
tools necessary to drill a hole to the designed elevation.
In addition to depth indicators, iSeries drill rigs come
pre-equipped with sensors capable of monitoring fuel and
water levels, rates of penetration, pull-down pressures, bit air
pressures, rotation pressure and revolutions per minute
(RPMs) as the hole is drilled. This measurement while drilling
Figure 1. Cumulative adoption of GPS in the mining sector (MWD) data is then transmitted to Sandvik’s OptiMine® for
between 1990 – 2017. (Source: RTI analysis of expert Surface with Driller’s Office solution, providing drill and blast
interviews). engineers the ability to strategically analyse pattern profiles
and create blast sequences utilising an optimal amount of
blasting material avoiding excess usage and lowering blasting
costs.
As well as providing data-rich solutions, the drill rigs
product family extends the capability of the company’s
technology solutions with its AutoMine® equipment
automation and teleoperation systems. This system offers
automation to the industry for each phase of the autonomy
journey from onboard automation to tele-remote operation
and ultimately drill fleet automation.
Automine Onboard automation includes functionality to
auto-level the drill rig prior to drilling any hole, saving
operators time and increasing efficiency by removing the need
to manually level the drill. The auto-mast algorithm provides
operators executing angle drilling the security that the correct
angle will be utilised based on electronic sensors without the
Figure 2. Sandvik's TIM3D high-precision navigation solution need to rely on manual indicators. Lastly, auto-drill
(driling interface). functionality operates in two modes: locked drilling and
REPRINTED FROM November/december 2020 // global mining review
automated drill to target depth or elevation. The functionality through controlled blasts, as well as crusher throughput, by
provides insurance that each hole will automatically be drilled increasing the feed rate of the crusher due to better
to the correct depth/elevation. AutoMine Onboard automation fragmentation. This all begins with the drilling process and
functionality is available on drill rigs without TIM3D with the ensuring that holes are drilled at the correct location as
exception of auto-drill to elevation. planned.
When the two technologies are combined, the automation
provides mining operations the capability of drilling each and Advance troubleshooting and event
every hole to plan. Combined with MWD data, blasting logging increasing drill availability
activities are able to maximise the efficiency of scheduled Often mining solutions focus primarily on improving
blasts by ensuring that each charged hole is at the correct productivity and equipment utilisation. Maintenance
depth with the correct powder factors necessary to fragment improvements are equally important for mining operations.
the rock in the particular area, properly maintaining ore and Sandvik understands that it is impossible to efficiently operate
reducing waste dilution. This is done by providing blasting equipment if it is not available. Therefore, in addition to
engineers the relevant MWD data of the drilled pattern. With innovative engineering design, the company provides
this information, the blasting engineers can properly set maintenance professionals with the tools necessary to improve
powder factors and modify the blasting sequence to increase equipment availability.
efficiency of the blast using a minimum amount of product. Equipment availability begins with informing the operator of
AutoMine Tele-Remote and Fleet solutions remove the current condition of the drill rig. The intuitive design of the
operators from the mining environment, increasing equipment onboard high-precision navigation solution provides the ability
utilisation and providing the capability of operating multiple to define the level of access available for each user. Drill
rigs from a single Tele-Remote station. A operators may be given access to basic troubleshooting items
mining applications engineer for Sandvik, estimated up to a such as GPS positioning and quality to ensure accuracy.
34% overall equipment effectiveness improvement based on As for maintenance specialists, the company understands
utilisation and consistent productivity through analysis of a that it is imperative that they have additional access and
manually operated DR412i iSeries drill rig compared to a controls to diagnose problems before taking drill rigs out of
tele-remote operated DR412i drill rig. production. Their upgraded Sandvik Intelligent Control System
Mining organisations all understand that a successful blast Architecture (SICA), provided with all iSeries drill rigs, offers
with appropriate fragmentation of material increases efficiency quick access to instantaneous parameters related to all
not only with the blasting process but also with regards to load components of the drill from dust collectors to engine
and haul. This is achieved by reducing the number of overloads components. Maintenance operators can review machine logs
or bucket damage due to properly fragmented rock; ore and events from the date of user logins to equipment warnings
excavation and processing, by reducing material dilution and errors. This data can then be downloaded along with error
codes for further review without the need of a special laptop or
diagnostic software.
The onboard solution also allows maintenance professionals
the capability of troubleshooting major system components
without the need of tools or wiring diagrams. With the push of a
few buttons, the maintenance specialist can diagnose sensor
issues, read actual parameters of the drill while it operates and
highlight components operated outside of specifications.
Sandvik has found that by providing operators and
maintenance professionals the correct tools with quick access,
it is able to positively impact maintenance processes overall
increasing availability and allowing the drill rig to do what it
does best: drill.
The technology curve and change
management
One of the primary factors contributing to the slow adoption
Figure 3. Sandvik's TIM3D real-time diagnostics and rate of technology in mining when it was first introduced in the
troubleshooting display (feed system). 1990s is change management and operational readiness.
Implementing technological solutions changes the way that
mining operations execute day-to-day tasks. Of course,
technology improves efficiency, productivity and safety while
limiting costs, but processes must be changed or amended to
ensure that the correct procedures are in place in order to
realise the success that comes with proper execution of
technology solutions.
Sandvik takes a phased approach to deploying technological
Figure 4. Sandvik's technology adoption progression plan. solutions based on the readiness of its customers, their
global mining review // REPRINTED FROM November/december 2020
personnel and their mining operations. In addition, the phased change and the expertise involved with maintenance will also
approach differs for every customer. Some customer’s see change. Maintenance specialists must continue maintaining
benefit in deploying MWD analytics before tele-remote physical drill components in addition to IT professionals
operations, where other operations are located in dangerous maintaining network connectivity and GPS availability.
environments and may want to capitalise quickly on moving Ultimately, the adoption of technology does not occur
the operator out of dangerous mining conditions. overnight and involves insurance that pre and post
It is important that the mining industry understands the implementation processes are put into place along with
processes, technologies and management necessary to relevant training. The change management process differs from
developing and implementing technological solutions. operation to operation based on current systems, processes
Each stage of the procedure involves specific processes, and expertise in place to ensure a speedy adoption of the newly
technology and expertise necessary to reap the benefits of new implemented technology.
technology.
An example is the movement from onboard equipment The new beginning
operations to tele-remote operations. Removing the operator The future of data generation and analysis in the post-digital era
from the drill rig to a safer environment is the primary objective is limitless. As more and more data become assessible, the
increasing productivity and utilisation. However, the transition challenge will no longer be how to access the data but rather
from operating onboard and operating remotely requires how to make sense of the data. Data analytics will become the
planning. New processes must be put in place for the operator next phase of the technology evolution and systems will be put
to understand how the shift should be carried out. The nature in place to utilise data to optimise automation and
of the pre-operational checklist changes where the operator pre-emptively detect and prevent costly failures. Sandvik plans
now will rely on sensors and onboard cameras to complete the to be in the forefront of the technology evolution by continuing
check vs physically accessing the drill. For some operations, development of its automation and analytics solutions to offer
pre-operational checks may occur during fuel changes or water their customers peace of mind. Despite the changes in the
refills. In addition, depending on the location of the remote industry, one thing has not changed: people and companies will
station, the pre-shift safety meetings must also be adjusted to continue to follow the stars developing innovative solutions
take into consideration remote operators. For most operations, and technology savvy processes to elevate the industry to
the manner at which shift changes, lunches and breaks are ensure efficiency, production and safety for the years to
taken will be modified. The process of maintaining the units will come.
REPRINTED FROM November/december 2020 // global mining review
