The global resources industry is a constantly evolving industry, and it is now entering a new age of technological development. Mining is currently seeing the start of what will be the great convergence of IT and operational technologies. Many observers have indicated that robotics is at the foundation for the next technological change in the mining industry, which will be focused on an effort to facilitate productivity gains, efficiency and safety.
A study by consulting firm McKinsey showed that multi-factor productivity was growing up until 2005, but it dropped 0.7% per year until 2011, likely resulting from the installation of new robotics technology. A report by the Mineral Council of Australia also highlighted that the mining industry last delivered a productivity increase in 2003, but since then overall productivity in the minerals sector has fallen by 30%. Late last year IBM, as part of its Smarter Planet initiative signaled that the industry is reaching the tipping point for productivity and must innovate. Philip Kirchlechner, who has spent years working in the iron ore industry, said that the move to automation was the only way for Australian miners to remain competitive in the world market. They have to do things smarter, they have to use technology to raise productivity, and that is going to drive the whole spectrum of mining, he said.
All the way from finding the new mines (via automated drilling and sampling), processing better (via automated transport, sampling, and hydrochemical and dry sampling for grade control will also allow for mining more efficiently. Tim Day has been in charge of rolling out BHP automation program at its brand new Jimblebar mine in the Pilbara. He says there are several drivers for the change. The single biggest driver is safety, but this is followed closely by increasing efficiency, mostly through robotics. Robotics will also extend to handling high-grade uranium ore and to off-world mining on asteroids.
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