Mining Methods and Processing | Report

MINING METHODS AND PROCESSING
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Introduction
Due to the competition in the global market, a lot of pressure is piling on the
mines to ensure that they maximize the processes of production and have
revenues increased. This implies that the plans or strategies to address the
economic impacts are very relevant. A part of the developed technologies in
the processes of maximizing production includes automation of various
sectors.
Level of Improvement of Autonomous Haulage Technology
The industries of mining are embracing automation increasingly as an
enabler of productivity and safety and as very important factor as far as
sustainable methods of mining are concerned (Morkun et al.2015, 3).
Autonomous Haulage technology has improved to the advanced levels and
this has enabled it to achieve the following in the mining industry:
 Increase the efficiency of production
 Improve safety
 Lower the costs of maintenance.
The improvement process of the autonomous technology has been
characterized by new technologies like or the case of autonomous systems.
Part of improvement has included embracing the concept of;
 Interoperability: This has been necessary for the autonomous system
implementation.
 Data exchange and open data incorporation
 In cooperation of the underground infrastructure of communications
 Integration of the cyber security systems
 Use of the Al concepts

In general the concept of autonomous haulage technology has been given a
new face of improvement in the context of embracing internet of things,
robotics and artificial intelligence.
Benefits of Robotic trucks/Efficiency of autonomous trucks
Autonomous haul trucks are basically large expensive machines that are
capable of operating 24hrs er day. These equipments are very efficient since
they operate without drivers. This implies that there will be no idle time as
for the case of human drivers who will need breaks between the shifts, or
lunch breaks. Also, this would mean that very few robotic trucks can perform
the same quantity of work as for the case of trucks operated manually
(Morkun, Vladimir and Vitaliy 2014, 6).
The robotic trucks are likely to save on the cost since their operations are
more efficient in terms of shorter cycle times, improved tire wear as well as
lower fuel consumption. Through the use of robotic trucks, it basically implies
that there will be improvement in the safety of human. This is due to the fact
there will be fewer cases of exposure of personnel to the dangerous
underground mines. The technology of robotic trucks tends to effectively
eliminate some jobs at significant costs with the creation of new ones that
potentially improve the skills of the worker in work places which are safer.
Indicators of the mine key performance as the measure of the new
technology effectiveness
The key performance indicators for the mine as highlighted in this particular
literature include the following:
 Management of fleet
 Quality of the product
 Cost
 Safety and Heath

Safety and Health: The idea behind the introduction of autonomous haulage
technology was to ensure there is total adoption of zero harm culture in the
industries of mining. In the event that this can be achieved by the use of this
AHS technology as it has been evidently proved, then it should be regarded
as being efficient.
Fleet Management: It has been found that the robotic trucks are very
efficient as far as the management of fleet is concerned. In the case of the
robotic trucks, the potential damages can be detected earlier enough. This
implies that the issue of traffic jams on the site can addressed as early as
possible.
Cost: A lot of time and money is saved by the use of autonomous technology.
Allowing the machines or the robotic trucks to be operated without idle time
or unnecessary breaks for lunch are clear indicators that a lot of resources
are saved both in terms of labour and money (Corke et al.2018, 30)
Quality of the products: The quality of the products has significantly
improvement. This can be attributed to the use of the artificial intelligence
which is used in the continuous monitoring of all the involved processes.
Other indicators of performance which may approve the effectiveness of the
autonomous technology include delivery process which has since become
easier with the introduction of robotic trucks.
Readiness of the Mines for the technology of Haulage
Considering that all the mines just like any other sector of economy are
interested in the maximization of the production out, the technology of
autonomous has been embraced overwhelmingly. The implementation
process which has been adopted by the mines as indication of embracing
attitude has been broken down into at least three categories: