Advancements in Mining Technology

by | Aug 22, 2022 | AeroVoxel

Advancements in Mining Technology

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Advancements in mining technology 

Innovations in technology have transformed mining from an industry where workers once dug by hand to one where robotics can be used to control multiple drill rigs at once and autonomous vehicles explore deep tunnels. 

Technology in the mining industry is being used to make mines safer, cleaner and more efficient and, with the demand for resources continuing, the growth in innovation remains high. In Australia, the Mining Equipment Technology Services (METS) industry contributes $90 billion annually to the economy. Technology is helping to improve and solve problems in the mining industry across the supply chain from exploration to mining consumables, professional services like engineering, software and mining equipment. 

Here we take a look at how advancements in mining technology is helping the sector. 

Technology used in mining

From the very first hand-carved mining tools to the automated drilling and boring machines in use today, technology has been an important part of the mining process. In the past few centuries, demands for the resources reaped from mining have increased dramatically, with mining providing fuels to create heat and electricity and raw materials to build with. As demand for these resources has grown, so has the demands on the mining sector. 

Mining booms have helped fuel innovation in mining to help improve productivity as well as efficiency and technological improvements have also given rise to demands for better environmental outcomes. Technology is also helping the mining industry to explore and extract different minerals and to safely and efficiently mine in areas where it may not have previously been feasible to do so. 

Today, technology in mining is used in all areas of the mining process and includes technology like: 

  • Autonomous trucks  
  • Automated drilling and boring 
  • Sensors to detect equipment maintenance requirements and mine monitoring 
  • Automated ventilation systems 
  • 3D modelling 
  • Drone technology 
  • Artificial intelligence 
  • Geographic information systems 
  • Robotics 

Technology has also played an important role in mine safety. 

    Mine safety technology

    Mining has long been potentially dangerous work. From the risk of injuries from equipment to the risk of collapse in underground shafts, fire or poisonous gas exposure, there are many dangers on a mine site. Technology is helping to reduce the risks on a mine site through the use of innovations like real-time sensors, improved underground communication, using automated vehicles in deep shafts instead of people, data analytics and sophisticated mine modelling software to better understand the mine environment. 

    Improvements and innovations in technology have  helped reduce the fatality rate in mining in Australia by 65 per cent from 12.4 worker fatalities per 100 000 workers in 2003, to 4.4 in 2015. 

    Technology has been the key to improving mining safety for decades. The introduction of the Davy’s miner’s safety lamp in 1815 had an immediate impact on mining fatalities as miners could safely light the lamp without the heat from the flame exploding in the methane rich environment. 

    While much of the essential equipment in use today is similar in nature to the mining equipment used 100 years ago, much has changed in the design and use of the equipment. The trucks, shovels and drills used are much larger, electricity powers many machines and construction materials are stronger. The introduction of the computers and the internet also radically changed the industry. 

    There have also been a number of major technological advancements that have led to higher productivity, better safety for workers and improved environmental protection. These include the use of ammonium-nitrate explosives, millisecond delays in blast ignition, global positioning system technology, rock bolts and safety couplers on mine cars. 

    Advanced mining technologies

    Today, mining companies are not only under pressure to perform more efficiently, but also more sustainably and safely too. Mining companies are turning to technology to help advance some of the problems facing the industry. These challenges include the ability to discover mineral deposits deep underground which the industry expects will improve as computers become more powerful and data becomes better used. 

    It is also expected that the industry will have to rely on technological advancements to improve exploration and extraction processes to keep up with demand. Internationally, the International Council on Mining and Metals is looking to technology to deliver safer and cleaner vehicles from collision-avoidance technology to zero-emissions solutions and to significantly reduce mining tailings, or the liquid slurry that’s often a mining byproduct. 

    Advanced mining technologies are continuing to be developed using advances in robotics, computing and data analysis, artificial intelligence and drone technology. 

    Technologies for underground mining

    Mining has long been potentially dangerous work. From the risk of injuries from equipment to the risk of collapse in underground shafts, fire or poisonous gas exposure, there are many dangers on a mine site. Technology is helping to reduce the risks on a mine site through the use of innovations like real-time sensors, improved underground communication, using automated vehicles in deep shafts instead of people, data analytics and sophisticated mine modelling software to better understand the mine environment. 

    Improvements and innovations in technology have  helped reduce the fatality rate in mining in Australia by 65 per cent from 12.4 worker fatalities per 100 000 workers in 2003, to 4.4 in 2015. 

    Technology has been the key to improving mining safety for decades. The introduction of the Davy’s miner’s safety lamp in 1815 had an immediate impact on mining fatalities as miners could safely light the lamp without the heat from the flame exploding in the methane rich environment. 

    While much of the essential equipment in use today is similar in nature to the mining equipment used 100 years ago, much has changed in the design and use of the equipment. The trucks, shovels and drills used are much larger, electricity powers many machines and construction materials are stronger. The introduction of the computers and the internet also radically changed the industry. 

    There have also been a number of major technological advancements that have led to higher productivity, better safety for workers and improved environmental protection. These include the use of ammonium-nitrate explosives, millisecond delays in blast ignition, global positioning system technology, rock bolts and safety couplers on mine cars. 

    Future mining technology 

    Mining technology has an exciting future with many challenges ahead to make the industry more efficient, safe and sustainable while meeting increasing global demand for resources and new minerals. Robotics, artificial intelligence, radar and drone technology are increasingly being used to develop solutions to improve mining operations. 

    Making mining operations more sustainable is a key priority for the industry one it is relying on technology to help solve. Many mining sites use fossil fuels to power their operations, but there are companies who are trialling the use of hybrid diesel/electric or fully electric vehicles and machinery. Others are also experimenting with renewable energy to power their mine sites.  

    Further, the use of technology such as remote sensing tools, including drones and satellites, can help to reduce the environmental impact of a mine site and also help to better monitor the surrounding ecosystem. The industry is also under pressure to find innovative solutions to solve the environmental problems of mining waste, reduce pollution risks and decrease water usage. 

    Geobotica has developed innovations in mining technology that have saved money, time and, importantly, lives. Geobotica is a customer-led research and development house based in Brisbane, Australia. We work with industry partners to develop world-leading sensors, software and AI solutions.

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