Operational and technology trends
The critical role of interoperability in mining automation Jeff Sterling, Managing Director, Universal Field Robots
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n Australia, the resources sector is a critical sector, responsible for an estimated 10% of our GDP and contributing to almost 35% of Australia’s GDP growth in 2019.
Photo: Peter Turnbull
Advanced digital technologies are enhancing – and in many cases revolutionising – equipment, processes, planning and execution to enable more productive, safe, and cost-effective mines.
The remoteness and vast distances between resources operating sites and difficulties related to technology connectivity and integration present considerable challenges for the industry. This has accelerated Australia’s push into robotics and automation, particularly over the last decade. Automation, digitisation, and integration initiatives are at the forefront of most mining companies’ technological roadmaps. Interoperability is a necessity for the success of these initiatives and can only be solved using collaboration and communication in order for the mining industry to build an interoperable future. According to the Global Mining Guidelines Group, interoperability is the ability of two or more systems, components, or processes to exchange contextualised information so that they can act on this information to achieve business and operational outcomes. Mining equipment and systems interoperability is a high priority for the international mining community. Universal Field Robots has been heavily involved in interoperability in mining automation, running robotic machines on the surface and underground, within different jurisdictions and diverse corporate cultures. This presents varied and unique challenges. BBMC Yearbook 2021
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