Tag Archives: mining innovation

Metso Outotec takes mining and metals innovation to the next level with new facility

Automation, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , ,

Metso Outotec has launched its first innovation centre in Espoo, Finland, as it looks to bring “together the comprehensive value chain from ore to metals” and enable “rapid co-creation with customers and partners”.

The Metso Outotec Innovation Center offers unique expertise and tools for solving different types of challenges, from process optimisation to the selection and virtual prototyping of solutions, in a cutting-edge environment, the company says.

“It takes ideation, collaboration, and innovation to the next level,” Metso Outotec added.

Veli-Matti Järvinen, Vice President for Automation and Digital Solutions, Minerals, at Metso Outotec, explained: “The Innovation Center introduces a completely new way to collaborate and co-create with our customers and partners. Adding value to our customers’ processes and ensuring their reliable, efficient and sustainable operation, as well as safety are all at the core of what we do at the Innovation Center.”

The centre looks to serve demand for a suitable virtual environment in which to quickly develop and test flowsheet solutions and prototypes, with the facility able to offer digital demonstrations; host training, problem-solving and co-creation workshop sessions; demonstrate technologies and services; cement value calculations; and display three-dimensional engineering digital twins in accurate form while securely protecting data and sensitive content.

These are just some of the features currently in play, with more set to be introduced including process control demonstrations, 5G connectivity, a metallurgical digital twin, extended process optimiser demonstrations, and modelling and simulation.

Järvinen concluded: “In our new digital space, we can support our customers at every stage of their continuous improvement path. We’re thrilled about the opportunities offered by the Innovation Center: it speeds up the innovation cycle and makes efficient collaboration possible in a space that is both physical and digital.”

RMIT University opens up test facilities to the mining sector

Careers in mining, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , ,

RMIT University has signed an agreement with Amira Global that, it says, will see it join an international network of forward-thinking organisations working collectively to solve major mining industry challenges.

The Memorandum of Understanding between Amira Global and RMIT paves the way for mining and mining supply companies to use the university’s test facilities to de-risk innovation and technology entering the industry.

In announcing the agreement, Amira Global CEO, Dr Jacqui Coombes, said RMIT was a valued addition to the Amira CoLabs Program.

“The MOU offers Amira Global Members facilitated access to RMIT’s test labs on a case-by-case basis,” Dr Coombes said. “This will allow them to accelerate the implementation and translation of research and development with the least disruption to on-site operations.

“Amira Global’s CoLabs Program connects a network of test facilities around the world. Without facilities such as those offered by RMIT, the implementation of technology that could improve the economic, social, and environmental performance of the resources sector is severely impaired.”

RMIT Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation and Vice-President, Professor Calum Drummond, said industry collaboration was a key focus for the university and an important ingredient for producing high impact research.

“Industry is embedded in everything we do and a key way that we’re supporting Australia’s economic recovery,” Drummond said. “We look forward to codesigning and co-creating solutions with new industry partners.”

RMIT’s Advanced Manufacturing Precinct already has a track record in helping industry partners with high value-add technology, such as rapid prototyping and repairs of metal parts in mining using 3D printers.

“Mining companies will find a range of relevant research capability at RMIT, backed by world-class facilities and expertise,” Professor Drummond. “Some of these areas include circular economy and sustainability expertise, environmental custodianship, resource processing technology, materials engineering, advanced manufacturing, Industry 4.0, geospatial science and social policy.”

Amira Global is a member-based not-for-profit charged with transforming the minerals industry through thought leadership platforms; R&D collaboration to address key breakthroughs; and the development of implementation and commercialisation pathways to ensure R&D and innovation outcomes translate back into industry, it says.

As a global university of technology and design, RMIT enjoys an international reputation for high-impact, applied research.

Hitachi CM looks for access to resource industry start-ups with Chrysalix fund investment

Automation, Environmental, IoT, Mining finance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chrysalix Venture Capital, a global venture capital fund with a history of commercialising innovation for resource intensive industries, has announced Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd has invested in the Chrysalix RoboValley Fund.

Hitachi Construction Machinery, a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, joins a cluster of mining and metals players such as South32, Severstal and Mitsubishi Corp in the fund, and “will leverage Chrysalix’s extensive network in the mining field to strengthen open innovation by connecting with start-ups that possess the latest technologies for mining in areas such as robotic systems, IoT, AI and data analytics”, the company said.

“Chrysalix has made step-change innovations in the metals and mining, manufacturing and machinery industries, through digital solutions and advanced robotics technologies, a major theme of our fund, and we are delighted to welcome Hitachi Construction Machinery to the Chrysalix RoboValley Fund,” Alicia Lenis, Vice President at Chrysalix Venture Capital, said.

Just some of the companies included in Chrysalix’s portfolio include Novamera, which is developing its Sustainable Mining by Drilling technology for narrow-vein mines; and MineSense Technologies, a Vancouver-based start-up developing real-time, sensor-based ore data and sorting solutions for large-scale mines.

Naoyoshi Yamada, Chief Strategy Officer at Hitachi Construction Machinery, said: “We identified Chrysalix as having a valuable network of start-ups in its global innovation ecosystem, and a unique window on innovation opportunities in the mining industry.

“With the trends toward digitalisation, the autonomous operation and electrification of mining machinery, as well as the growing need for solutions to streamline and optimise not only mining machinery but also overall mining operations, many start-ups offer novel technologies and services, and our investment in the Chrysalix RoboValley Fund will enable Hitachi Construction Machinery to tap into these new breakthroughs.”

The Chrysalix RoboValley Fund, Chrysalix says, seeks to achieve significant returns for its investors by enabling resource intensive industries, including energy, mining, construction, infrastructure and mobility, to tap into innovation from high growth start-ups.

Austmine welcomes BHP as key sponsor for 2021 innovation event

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining events, Mining industry recognition, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , ,

BHP is backing Austmine’s next mining innovation conference, to be held in Perth, Western Australia, from May 25-27, 2021.

Austmine CEO, Christine Gibbs Stewart (pictured at the 2019 event), said the conference theme, ‘Harnessing Intelligence’, will explore the importance of optimising the interaction between people, processes and technology, further positioning Australia as the global hub for mining innovation.

“Given its importance to the Australian economy and continuing global demand, the mining industry has been able to weather the global pandemic relatively well,” Gibbs Stewart said. “While the pathway forward might be uncertain, the need for innovation and technology in areas such as automation, remote monitoring and advanced communications, has been accelerated.”

She continued: “The Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector has always been a leader in the creation and adoption of new technologies. We have a unique opportunity to continue to lead in this area, particularly as other mining nations look to us for guidance in the new COVID world.”

Austmine 2021 is set to bring together executive-level leaders and thinkers to showcase how they are using innovation to lead change in a more competitive, sustainable and efficient way, into the future.

The 2021 conference might be one of the first major opportunities for the industry to come together, since COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, Gibbs Stewart said.

“As a community, we will be hungry to collaborate to build a resilient, future-focused industry,” she said. “There are many brilliant, innovative minds in mining and METS and, when we work together, we can only move our industry forward.”

Gibbs Stewart said she was thrilled to welcome BHP as Austmine’s principal sponsor, which is part of the two companies’ strategic partnership to advance the interests of the METS sector and fast-track technology adoption in mining.

“Through this partnership, Austmine 2021 will deliver an exciting and cutting-edge event, with a high calibre conference program and valuable networking opportunities for delegates and exhibitors alike,” Gibbs Stewart said.

Held every two years, the Austmine Conference is one of the leading, global mining innovation events. It features more than 50 mining innovation and technology experts across a two-day conference program and interactive pre-conference workshops. The event is underpinned by a series of educational and networking opportunities, including a trade exhibition featuring live demonstrations, the collaborative Ideas Exchange, Meet the Miners and the social highlight, the Austmine Industry Leaders’ Dinner and Awards.

To find out more about the event go to: www.austmineconference.com.au

International Mining is a media sponsor of Austmine 2021

ennomotive challenges developers to supress the dust problem

IoT, Mine ventilation, Mining software, , , ,

Chile-based ennomotive recently launched an open innovation challenge to look for IoT solutions to monitor dust contamination in “extreme work environments” like mining.

During this process, 43 applications – including companies, scholars, freelancers, and employees from other companies – participated in the challenge. Six startups from France, India, Argentina, Chile, and Indonesia also proposed an adaptation of their technologies.

As ennomotive explained, there are already some devices in the market specifically designed to monitor air quality in urban settings, but they only measure low level dust concentrations. “The sensors in these devices are not robust enough to operate under extreme industrial conditions since they get dirty very easily, collapse, stop measuring, and need constant maintenance.

“Extreme work environments need easy-to-install and autonomous devices that can measure PM10 particles and 50 mg/m3 concentrations. The minimum number of particles must be 500 mg/m3 and maximum 200 mg/m3.”

IoT devices are an able alternative to solve this problem, ennomotive says, with industrial IoT devices safer, more robust, and reliable for extreme environments (high temperatures, powerful vibrations, dust, humidity, corrosion, wear, etc).

ennomotive said the open innovation challenge ruled out existing commercial solutions due to their lack of robustness (too sensitive to endure extreme environments), reliability (high failure probability for some components) or precision (indirect measuring).

As part of the challenge, three solutions were selected with the following technologies:

  • Autonomous laser interferometer technology with a sensor-cleaning system and Edge computing for local alert-management data processing;
  • Combination of LED sensor and broadband photodetectors, and automatic calibration of the receive paths with mathematical processing; and
  • The development of a new sensor based on light scattering: an Arduino board converts the measurements into intensity relations and sends them to a central server as concentrations.

The first three prototypes were evaluated on site according to measurement quality, maintenance, autonomy, data transmission, etc. The result was a more robust prototype that combined the strengths of the three previous technologies, ennomotive said.

Thanks to the challenge, it was possible to design and evaluate different technologies, prototype, and test in a record time of five months, ennomotive said. “Open innovation has proven to be a very efficient tool to accelerate the development of new products.”

To read more about the winners, follow these links below:

https://www.ennomotive.com/power-consumption-optimization-iot/

https://www.ennomotive.com/artificial-intelligence-industry/

https://www.ennomotive.com/winner-maksym-gaievskyi/

Technology developments at BHP Innovation Centre start paying off

Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , ,

Developments at BHP’s Innovation Centre during the miner’s 2019 financial year have led to the take up of several new technology-based solutions, BHP explained in its just released annual report.

This included a live mine scheduling tool that enables mine schedulers to deliver faster and higher-quality schedules and decisions for mine load and haul operations. It works by analysing disparate data sets consisting of real-time and contextualised information, the company said.

After the successful application of live mine scheduling at its Eastern Ridge innovation mine in the Pilbara of Western Australia, the company has scaled and deployed this solution at its Whaleback mine, also in the Pilbara, it said.

In addition to this, the company says, in its 2020 financial year, live mine scheduling will be scaled across all its iron ore operations, which is expected to result in better mining fleet utilisation and visibility throughout the BHP iron ore supply chain.

This is not all though. Another technology tested out at Eastern Ridge – the real-time payload distribution display – was implemented during its 2019 financial year.

This display is a visual tool enabling BHP’s digger operators to “precisely and efficiently distribute and deposit payload onto trucks”, the company said. The technology is expected to improve operators’ ability to accurately deposit the target payload onto trucks, enabling lower equipment maintenance costs.

Lastly, the company has made advances in its adoption of what it calls “pedestrian avoidance technology”. This sees a video and audio detection and alert system provide forklift operators with 360° detection of personnel near forklift machinery, reducing safety incidents that have previously occurred due to poor visibility.

Developed and tested at BHP Innovation Centre’s Welshpool facility, pedestrian avoidance technology was piloted at Eastern Ridge, Port and Nickel West in July 2019, the company said.

GMG strengthens mining innovation ties with SME partnership

Automation, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining policy, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG) and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) have announced a strategic partnership to “drive increased openness in the mining industry”, GMG says.

“The SME-GMG partnership will enable SME members to maintain a leadership position in the global mining community,” GMG said, adding that it has similar agreements with other mining organisations as a key strategy to building and strengthening the global mining innovation network.

GMG Executive Director, Heather Ednie, said: “The future of mining requires greater collaboration, increased openness and sharing across the industry, and a willingness to embrace new technologies and practices – that is the premise of GMG. And, we need leadership level participation from the US mining community to be successful – and SME represents that community.”

As part of this collaboration, SME will become the official partner on all GMG events held in the US as of 2020.

SME Executive Director, David L Kanagy, said: “The United States is one of the leading mining nations in the world, home to many large mining companies as well as key mining suppliers, both traditional and non-traditional.

“This partnership will enable SME members to participate in global innovation collaboration and ensure that the US has input into international guidelines development.”

MICROMINE to offer Austmine attendees a preview of Micromine 2020

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , ,

Mining software solutions provider, MICROMINE says it is preparing for what will be a busy few days at the Austmine 2019 convention on May 21-23.

The theme of the biannual event is “Mining Innovation: The Next Horizon” and product specialists and experts from MICROMINE will be on hand to demonstrate the company’s leading mining software solutions and answer technical questions, the company said.

Micromine Product Strategy Manager, Mark Gabbitus, said: “Austmine is Australia’s premier event for the mining industry, with insightful presentations, interactive workshops, networking opportunities and the chance to find out about the latest innovations and technology on offer from exhibitors.

“With representatives of dozens of global mining and exploration companies gathered specifically to hear about product innovation and developments, MICROMINE will showcase its range of software solutions, detailing the latest innovations and enhancements and providing expert guidance on how users can achieve the best results and outcomes from our products.”

Product specialists on the MICROMINE stand at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre will be demonstrating the Geobank (geological data management), Pitram (fleet management and mine control) and Micromine (exploration and mine design) solutions, according to the company.

“Our experts will be on hand to discuss how our applications, which cover the entire mining process, can help delegates meet and exceed their business operation objectives,” Gabbitus said.

Interest in the just-released Geobank Mobile 2019 is expected to be high, MICROMINE said, with the field logging solution boasting an enhanced user interface control, data capture, camera integration, offline help and file exchange functionality.

The team will also be demonstrating the latest innovation in the Pitram solution – with the help of a Lego toy truck!

Using artificial intelligence, the latest advance in the software takes loading and haulage automation in underground mines to a new level. Computer vision and deep machine learning are tapped to enable the on-board video cameras to track variables such as loading time, hauling time, dumping time and travelling empty time, which can then be analysed to identify efficiencies.

A Lego toy loader will be connected to the Pitram mobile device to showcase the new functionality, having its trips around the MICROMINE booth recorded and then using the software to process the data.

With the launch of Micromine 2020 set for October, conference attendees will get a sneak peak at the latest version of the 3D modelling and mine design solution. Software enhancements include new charting tools, a new unfolding tool for model interpolation, a new Scope Optimiser, an improved scheduler and advances in the Implicit Modelling and Pit Optimiser modules.

ANDRITZ hopes to bring autonomous plant operation to mineral processing

Automation, Communications in mining, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining software, , , , , , , ,

After being crowned the winner of #DisruptMining 2019, ANDRITZ is now ready to negotiate a contract or investment of up to C$1 million ($750,480) with Goldcorp.

The live finale of the 2019 #DisruptMining, the innovation accelerator that offers entrepreneurs a platform to bring disruptive and exponential technologies to the sector, took place last night on the sidelines of the annual Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada event in Toronto, Canada.

Sohail Nazari (second from right), Business Development Manager, ANDRITZ, and Arthur Gooch (second from left), Director of Innovation, ANDRITZ, said: “We thank Goldcorp and KPMG for their tremendous leadership driving innovation and digitalisation forward in mining. We are excited to be part of Goldcorp’s success to bring autonomous plant operation to mineral processing and we look forward to getting to work.”

David Garofalo (left), President and CEO, Goldcorp, said: “Innovation doesn’t stop or start with one idea, one technology, or one company. For the mining industry to reach the demands and potential of the 21st century, every company must step up and innovate. We must all be safer, more efficient, and responsible and we’ll get results faster through collaboration and the kind of break-through thinking the #DisruptMining platform is meant to uncover for our industry.”

ANDRITZ, a supplier of machines and automation solutions worldwide, developed a unique and continuous way of training artificial intelligence to operate a mineral processing facility using ANDRITZ’s digital twin as part of its award winning concept, Goldcorp said. “The AI is trained to respond to a variety of situations, making it capable of adapting to changing inputs and improving recovery time. The trained AI’s ability to quickly process information and recommend data-driven solutions will allow for the improvement of the operation, such as start-up and shutdown, and assist operators to achieve plant-wide optimisation.”

Deciding the fate of the three finalists was a panel of industry judges including Ian Telfer (Chair of Goldcorp), Katie Valentine (Partner at KPMG Australia and Global Head of Mining Consulting), Sue Paish (CEO of Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster), Jacob Yeung (University of British Columbia student and #DisruptMining UBC Captain) and Wal van Lierop (President and CEO, Chrysalix Venture Capital).

Net proceeds of C$200,000 from the #DisruptMining live finale will be granted toward mining, innovation and technology scholarships to the University of British Columbia, Garofalo announced.

Safety, electrification, recycling and gold recovery tech to be shown at #Disrupt Mining

Automation, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining industry recognition, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Goldcorp has announced the six semi-finalists that will display their ideas and technologies at the #DisruptMining Innovation Expo in March.

Commercial Pau, Envisioning Labs, ETF Mining, Gekko Systems, Hydrostor Inc and RubberJet Valley have made the shortlist and will showcase their technologies at the event on March 3 at the Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto, Canada.

The list will get even shorter when the three finalists are announced next month. This trio will pitch their ideas to a “shark-tank” style panel including Ian Telfer (Goldcorp Chair), Jacob Yeung (University of British Columbia student/#DisruptMining UBC Captain), Katie Valentine (Partner, KPMG Australia, Global Head of Mining Consulting), Sue Paish (CEO of Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster) and Wal van Lierop (President and CEO, Chrysalix Venture Capital) at a live event held at the same venue on the same day in March.

“#DisruptMining offers innovators and entrepreneurs a platform to bring disruptive and exponential technologies to the mining sector,” Goldcorp said. “The panel of industry leaders will award one of the finalists the opportunity to negotiate a C$1 million ($753,655) investment in its technology, company or idea.”

Todd White, Chief Operating Officer of Goldcorp, said: “Look within Goldcorp and across the mining industry generally, you can see it – #DisruptMining is making an impact, spurring innovation, forging new partnerships and accelerating technological change. We’re looking forward to showcasing the semi-finalists and their technologies at #DisruptMining to continue to move innovation in our industry forward.”

Goldcorp, which has helped run this annual innovation challenge since launch in 2017, has invested over C$10 million in a range of new technologies and companies identified through the #DisruptMining innovation accelerator. “This funding has supported companies through the start-up phase into growth and scale-up,” it said.

The gold miner provided some more details on the six semi-finalists:

Commercial Pau

With the use of a patented biometric technology, Commercial Pau’s Digital Remote Lock Out System is designed to enhance safety and security on-site while reducing the amount of time required to effectively complete the lockout process, Goldcorp says.

Envisioning Labs

Envisioning Labs has developed an innovative concept to reuse mine tailings to produce concentrated solar power reflectors. “These reflectors are then used to generate clean energy and sorbents to reduce pollution,” Goldcorp says.

ETF Mining

ETF Mining’s Modular Mining Vehicles are fully electrified, digital and autonomous; offering improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact, according to the gold miner. “Their modularity allows for the adoption and integration of new technologies as they become available,” it added.

ETF Mining will also be on show at IM’s inaugural Electric Mine conference on April 4-5, 2019, where CEO Koen van Peteghem will present a paper titled: Ridding haulage of diesel: why only modular will deliver

Gekko Systems

Gekko Systems supplies innovative modular equipment and processing technologies focused on the recovery of gold. “It is introducing the development of a product, the OnLine Gold Analyser, which will help determine the actual gold content in mineral processing slurries and solutions in real time,” Goldcorp says.

The OnLine Gold Analyser was originally developed by CSIRO, before the research organisation signed an agreement with Gekko to commercialise the technology.

Hydrostor Inc

Hydrostor Inc’s Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage technology transforms unused mining infrastructure into energy storage systems that help mines manage their energy use and reduce their environmental footprint, Goldcorp says. The system can serve both the electricity grid and mining operations alike, reducing operational costs and providing legacy mines with new revenue opportunities.

RubberJet Valley

RubberJet Valley uses a proprietary high-pressure water jet that breaks down large truck and mining off-the-road (OTR) tyres in an environmentally-friendly way. The resulting material is then used to produce new tyres or other rubber-based products for commercial use.