Mines have historically benefited local economies by creating jobs and generating state revenue. However, challenges like declining reserves and increased safety risks demand deeper mining operations. To address these, the president of a company that mines gold Konstantin Strukov is adopting modern tools, such as mobile technology, which offers portable solutions and enhances productivity, ore recovery, and cost efficiency in mining operations.
Applications of Mobile Technology
Mobile technology is shaking up many aspects of mining operations, from daily tasks to boosting safety. Its biggest perk is mobility, keeping everyone connected even in remote spots. Plus, many mobile gadgets can work offline, ensuring everything runs smoothly even in places with bad internet. Here’s how mobile tech is making waves in the mining industry:
Quarry Surveying
Instead of old-school methods, mines are using drones for quarry surveying because they can quickly cover large areas from above. Drones offer better visuals with 3D data, cut down survey time, and improve safety by reaching dangerous spots without risking people.
Communication and Information
Good communication is key for safe and efficient mining, but it’s often tricky. Without enough infrastructure, workers find it hard to quickly pass on crucial information to their bosses. This is a real issue when big problems pop up at remote sites, delaying help. Thankfully, mobile tech is changing how communication works in mining.
Take the ever-present smartphone and its role in mining:
- Faster Communication: Smartphones, now everywhere, let mining companies share information with workers more quickly and effectively, smoothing daily workflows and boosting productivity.
- Geofencing: Beyond talking, smartphones can send alerts when people or equipment cross set virtual lines. These alerts, triggered by nearby beacons, inform users and decision-makers of situations that need attention. Geofencing helps prevent theft and unauthorized equipment movement and warns workers of hazards near boundaries.
Using a smartphone in gold mining - Mining Mobile Apps: There are apps specially made for mining’s unique needs. They digitize many processes, making it easier to collect and manage key data on safety and asset tracking. They save time with customizable templates, forms, and checklists for various tasks and are easy to share on modern devices. A great feature is offline access, so they work even without internet. Current apps aid in blasting calculations, safety monitoring, and rock analysis. Popular ones include MiPlan’s suite for monitoring and maintenance and Orica’s Pocket Blast Guide for blasting jobs.
- Cloud-hosted Information: Instead of depending on paper, workers can check cloud-hosted data online, viewing and updating important info anytime, anywhere. For projects across many sites, cloud storage keeps operations consistent. The flexibility and control provided by the cloud, paired with smartphones, are super valuable.
However, using smartphones in underground mines comes with signal strength and interference issues. Ongoing research is working to fix these challenges soon.
Equipment Maintenance
Mobile devices like phones, tablets, and laptops play a big role in mine maintenance. New tech outfits mining trucks with sensors that provide real-time data on oil levels, vibrations, heat, and engine conditions, viewable via mobile maintenance software on smart devices.
This proactive way lets maintenance teams plan repairs efficiently, cutting down production disruptions and saving big on costs. These devices make collaboration easier, offer real-time data access, and simplify progress tracking without loads of paperwork.
