Interesting recent comments from Peter McCarthy (Director of CGT and BDG)
Message from the Chairman Innovation in Underground Mining When I recently received an invitation to speak on innovation in mining, it coincided with publication of a series of articles on the same topic in an on-line journal. The articles were based on extensive surveys and interviews with experienced mining people. ?That?s great? I thought, ?I can summarize the articles for my talk. Job done?. But when I read them, I found that I disagreed. Sure, there will be improvements in data management and communications, real-time sampling and sensing, simulation and planning, computing and visualization. Tele-remotes will improve, with more automated functions. But I don?t expect to see full automation in underground mining in my lifetime, other than in block caving operations. There are too many activities in most mines that require human input and you can?t mix humans with huge robotic machines. The future of underground mining is not in big block caves either; there are too few suitable orebodies. Instead, mining will become increasingly more precise and selective. Machines will not get bigger ? they are already at a limit ? they will get smaller. Underground openings will revert to manageable dimensions and stability will improve remarkably, bringing down support costs. The 20th Century was the era of ?economies of scale?. As commodity prices rise in the 21st Century, intelligence will prevail over sheer grunt. Small, smart machines will change the way we plan mines. Without operators, dozens of small trucks can replace a single large truck to give a lower fleet capital and operating costs. This will happen when we get better systems for breaking rock at the face, or when a continuous hard-rock mining system is developed so that we are dealing with cuttings. The secret to productivity in underground mining is always in the materials handling system. Mining can be done with half-tonne trucks ? it was done that way for two hundred years. Before that it was done with wheelbarrows, perhaps of 50 kg capacity. If either of these has battery power and the intelligence of an ant to follow a trail, then we have an infinitely flexible and 100% available conveying system. Speaking of ants ? how small can future mining systems be made? Future underground mines will depend on selective ore sensing systems at the face, compact rock breaking units and small, autonomous ore transporting machines. The same machines will work in civil construction and many open pits, so their costs will reflect mass production. Like all of the devices in my home today they will have zero maintenance cost. When they break, they will be scrapped and replaced. This isn?t all a pipe dream ? I?ve done enough costing and modelling to believe it can make economic sense - but it needs hands-on development and I can?t see existing manufacturers or mining companies doing that. If you are looking for me I will be out in the shed.
