For a variety of reasons, industries that rely on equipment for their functions, such as mining, manufacturing, and oil and gas businesses, are rapidly adopting IoT. The Internet of Things allows “things” to be controlled or sensed remotely using existing network infrastructure, allowing for a more direct integration of the physical world with computer-based systems. With less human intervention, this would result in increased efficiency, precision, and economic gain. This transition is critical for the mining industry. This would aid in improving performance, productivity, and profitability while reducing unnecessary costs and waste in the mining process. Here are a few advantages:
Time-saving technology
The Internet of Things aids in the upkeep and development of a mine site. Data for things are gathered and populated into the Minelert IoT system. This can automate certain tasks and allows the duties to be accomplished in a shorter amount of time, saving the workers valuable time. Not even to mention the time and cost-saving with reduced maintenance costs as maintenance is converted from planned to breakdown.
Some mining businesses are already employing technology that do not require human intervention, such as self-driving cars and autonomous drilling devices.
Improving safety and compliance
The operations taking place in mines are mostly in far-flung areas, with hazardous conditions. Therefore, the safety and security of the employees and the equipment become important. IoT can benefit a lot in this aspect, such as:
- It can provide real-time analysis of the mine and send warning signals to workers at any time.
- Accurately report on Water Use License requirements for Dept. Water and Sanitation for compliance.
- Gas detection sensors and airflow and ventilation monitoring sensors can be used to keep a check on the mine’s environment.
- Remotely control substation switching to remove the human from the switching environment.
- This technology can also predict which machinery is likely to require repairs or maintenance, hence removing the danger of equipment malfunctioning while used.
Cost and energy saving
Mining operations use high volumes of energy while working, and any fault in some equipment can exuberate energy wastage greatly. The IoT results in reduced asset downtime as workers work proactively, and consequently, a reduction in costs can be noticed. By following preventive measures, the supervisor can ensure that the right machine is available at the right moment and place, preventing production delay costs.
Improve traceability and visibility
With the help of IoT, data is automatically transferred and received over a network without requiring any human intervention. Remote monitoring of operations ensures maximum efficiency, improved traceability, decreased variability, and better identification of performance problems.
Move from preventive to predictive maintenance.
Monitoring every part of a mining operation becomes easier with an Internet of Things strategy, which leads to increased production and safety. This assists in anticipating difficulties and ensuring that supervisors are aware of their next steps. The Internet of Things has revolutionized the way we work; we can now transition from preventative to predictive maintenance and improve the quality of our work by scheduling planned maintenance according to OEM requirements as well as monitor asset performance within limits. Automated reporting is used to identify maintenance tasks of assets even before someone knows there is something wrong with it.