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By Stefan Mede

Automation in segment production doesn’t necessarily mean the use of robots. Several other aspects of automation in the process are available. Herrenknecht has collected many experiences in the automation process of carousel systems for segment production, implemented several robot systems and launched new artificial intelligence-based camera system supporting the production team in the quality control This paper is a follow up of the presentation on Automation in Segment Production held in 2021 at the RETC.

Dec 1, 2022

By Irwan Halim, Bhoshaga Mitrran Ravi Chandran, Kevin Huynh

Tunnel segmental lining design constitutes a significant iterative process where modeling and numerical analysis are factors in deciding the number of segments, their dimensions, gasket placements, as well as the locations of dowels and bolts. Consequently, these modifications lead to revisions in the final drawing details. However, the current tunnel engineering practices lack systematic solutions that effectively bridge the gap between the iterative design process and efficient visualization of completed drawings due to the time- consuming nature of redrawing. This paper presents a pioneering application of AI-driven solutions including using Autodesk's API, for the Northside Interceptor Tunnel (NSIT) Project. It showcases the automation of drawing design and the real-time visualization of modifications, thereby streamlining the drawing process.

Jun 23, 2024

By H. W. Rimmer

Automation in the aggregate industry is characterized by the increased use of purpose-built PLC systems put together by independent computer-control houses and/or equipment suppliers. These systems range in complexity from simple startup/shutdown sequencing systems through to complete centralized control/MIS systems that are increasingly concerned with providing timely information on overall plant and/or equipment performance. As such, they should be of considerable interest to the operator seeking low-cost solutions to the many problems associated with the effective operation of small-scale plants.

Jan 1, 1989

By John McCaslin

ONE of the most common technical terms in the U. S. today is automation-a word not listed in the 1946 dictionary. The influence of automation on the national economy has been tremendous. It has even been the subject of congressional investigations. Automation, writes Aronson, substitutes mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, and electronic devices for human effort and decision? Automatic devices and instruments are used extensively in some industries, but many others have yet to take full advantage of these great discoveries. The petroleum industry has been a leader in using automatic controls-some refineries are almost completely controlled by automatic devices. The field of geophysics is entirely dependent on instruments and has progressed at almost exactly the same rate as improvements in instrumentation. In metallurgy and mineral dressing use of instrumentation is increasing very rapidly. Mining engineers throughout the country are beginning to think in terms of instruments and controls.

Jan 3, 1958

By Kritika Baxla, M. Mustafa Kahraman, Frank A. Drews, Yaxue Wang, Joel M. Haight, Kody Powell, Mohit Sobalkar, W. Pratt Rogers

In the opinion of these authors, technology alone can never give an organization an edge over competitors or provide an industry step change. However, history has shown that technology applied with correct logistics and strategy makes a significant difference. Never has the minerals industry faced such daunting challenges and been in such need of a step change. Application of autonomous systems has been steadily increasing in the minerals industry. Automation technology has changed the mining value chain from exploration to mineral processing and refining. The future state will only see additional in-roads of automation into more processes and the whole system design. To better understand the near-future potential of automation, it is useful to explore and review the current state of automation in minerals development. A review of the state of automation research is given. The review will consider three critical areas: automation technology, system’s engineering and management processes around automation, and the role of human factors engineering in automated and semi-automated systems. The review ends with a discussion on the social and political risks of automation in terms of shared value and sustainable development.

By Kritika Baxla, M. Mustafa Kahraman, Frank A. Drews, Yaxue Wang, Joel M. Haight, Kody Powell, Mohit Sobalkar, W. Pratt Rogers

In the opinion of these authors, technology alone can never give an organization an edge over competitors or provide an industry step change. However, history has shown that technology applied with correct logistics and strategy makes a significant difference. Never has the minerals industry faced such daunting challenges and been in such need of a step change. Application of autonomous systems has been steadily increasing in the minerals industry. Automation technology has changed the mining value chain from exploration to mineral processing and refining. The future state will only see additional in-roads of automation into more processes and the whole system design. To better understand the near-future potential of automation, it is useful to explore and review the current state of automation in minerals development. A review of the state of automation research is given. The review will consider three critical areas: automation technology, system’s engineering and management processes around automation, and the role of human factors engineering in automated and semi-automated systems. The review ends with a discussion on the social and political risks of automation in terms of shared value and sustainable development.

By Ulvelin K, Antila K

Large scale cut and fill mining in narrow silver-lead-zinc orebodies began at Mount Isa in 1964. Initially each orebody was one stope and access was via raises from the level above. Upholing was the principal mining method, although flatbacking was employed where ground conditions were more difficult. Developments since have included access via footwall inclines and connection of all stopes with major crosscuts. Flatbacking is the principal method. The most recent cut and fill operation is now fully mechanised using drilling jumbos, rockbolting jumbos and load-haul-dump units. Improved ground support and drilling and blasting practices have enhanced safety, recovery and productivity in all cut and fill operations.

Jan 1, 1988

By W. B. Weston

To mining people who have experienced the tremendous expansion of existing operations and the development of new properties over the last several years we do not have to point out the difficulties in hiring skilled equipment operators. To those of you who have opened operations in some of the more remote places in the world this is not just a difficulty. It is an impossibility. Your only recourse has been to try and train whatever manpower has been available. Depending upon your success in training, the next problem has been to keep them. On todays modern equipment, the skill of the operator remains as the greatest single variable affecting the performance of the machine. On a blast hole drill, for example, a skilled operator will get good production footage, acceptable bit life and minimal machine downtime The unskilled operator will not only fail to get the acceptable production footage but all too frequently this failure is coupled with low bit life, high repair costs and excessive machine downtime. Even between experienced operators, on identical machines, in the same kind of material we find significant variations in performance. It is, therefore, the skill of the operator, not just his experience, which makes the difference. The problem, as presented to us by our customers, has been to find a way for the unskilled man, with minimal training, to match the performance of the most skilled and experienced operator. The obvious answer is automation.

Jan 1, 1970

By John Turner, David Carey

The Robbins Mobile Miner demonstrates the successful combination of hard rock excavation technology and the latest electronic control technology. The mobile miner, a partial face hard rock tunneling machine, features a fully integrated control system relying on a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). This PLC controls all functions: tramming, steering, boom swing, cutting depth, conveyor operation, air scrubbers, hopper loading and unloading, etc. The machine is fully instrumented allowing the PLC to monitor the results of all commands on a continuous basis, to record data, to evaluate developing problems, or to shut the machine down if necessary. The paper describes the development of the Robbins - Pasminco automated mobile miner and early testing at Pasminco Mining's Broken Hill Southern Operations, New South Wales, Australia.

Jan 1, 1993

By Alan English

This paper reviews the process control systems used in early commercial pelletizing plants, traces the development of these systems into present day practice, and briefly outlines advanced automation concepts being considered for future installations. It deals specifically with controls for the balling circuit, pelletizing machines, and related material handling and combustion equipment. The importance of instruments for visual observation and data logging is discussed, and the potential use of computer control is evaluated.

Jan 1, 1965

By M. J. Greaves, Alan English

Pelletizing on a commercial scale is only 10 years old; yet in this period more than 150 million tons of pellets have been produced. Instrumentation and controls have played an important part in the development of an entirely new industry in almost unprecedented time. Initially, most control circuits used in the pelletizing industry were manually operated, since the confidence factor in instruments and controls was quite low at that time. This changed considerably in recent years and improvements in the use of instruments and controls have probably developed more rapidly in pelletizing than in any other metallurgical process. Now, within a decade of the start of commercial operations, the use of manually operated controls has changed and consideration is being given to the utilization of computers for data logging and control purposes.

Jan 7, 1965

By N. P. Kripakov

The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) is conducting research to develop a practical computer-based tool that will allow coal mine planners to anticipate rock mass behavior surrounding mine entries prior to actual mining. More specifically, this tool estimates to what degree and extent the immediate roof and floor strata and the coal pillar ribs surrounding an opening will weaken or fail for a given set of mining parameters. The technical approach couples together two numerical techniques: the boundary-element method and the finite-element method to allow for an approximate three-dimensional simulation of actual mining situations. Outputs from plan-view, linear-elastic, boundary-element models executed at different mining stages are used as input to a detailed, section-view, finite-element model to estimate the degree and extent of failure expected to occur around the periphery of an entry system. Using a pseudo-elastic approach. elastic rock mass properties are continually updated as different zones are predicted to fail. The procedure is relatively easy to use and is being set up to work interactively with the user who will not be expected to be a computer expert. Inputs include easily understood parameters obtainable from the field and rock mechanics laboratories. Examples of computer-generated output from generic sample models representing typical mining situations are presented and results discussed.

Jan 1, 1994

By John R. Riede

Most modern crushing and grinding facilities are automated to some degree. Some, of course, have a very minimum of automatic control whereas others utilize very complex control equipment. However, with very few exceptions, the re has not been a new basic control philosophy applied in this field in the past seven years. The philosophy has been broadened in scope and applied to larger plants, some of them with data logging and so- called computer control, but almost always the same tried and proven basic control philosophy is the basis for the control system. New types of control devices to better implement the automatic control have been developed and are continuing to be developed. These devices and their application will be explained and the advantages and disadvantages of each will be discussed. Automatic lubrication of plant equipment is most essential, but this paper will not cover these systems. The use of data logging and computer analysis of the data obtained is fairly recent and it is hoped that by careful analysis of this information that new and better basic control philosophy will be forthcoming. This paper will describe the basic philosophy applied in its simplest form to several types of crushing and grinding equipment, and it will describe how it is being expanded to more complex systems. Some of the economics with regard to first cost, return on investment and maintenance will be covered.

Jan 1, 1965

By Ewan Selers, Gary Cavanough

Drilling automation technology is well advanced and automated drill rigs are in use at a number of operating mines. This is not the case for the other drill and blast processes due to significant technical challenges to overcome. These challenges, with regard to the current “on bench” practices, include placing the initiators, loading the explosive and connecting up the initiation system. Although difficult, these challenges will be solved with engineering advances.

Jan 1, 2016

By Ewan Selers, Gary Cavanough

Drilling automation technology is well advanced and automated drill rigs are in use at a number of operating mines. This is not the case for the other drill and blast processes due to significant technical challenges to overcome. These challenges, with regard to the current “on bench” practices, include placing the initiators, loading the explosive and connecting up the initiation system. Although difficult, these challenges will be solved with engineering advances.

Jan 1, 2016

By Stewart W. Daniel

Competitive pressures involving product duality, uniformity and economics are increasing the interest in and accelerating' the adoption of automation by the cement industry. The demands of this industry on instrumentation and control manufacturers for more effective and reliable control of process variables is also increasing. The trend to replacing small grinding mills with a fewer number of larger mills is lowering the investment requirement per unit of capacity both for the mills and for their automation. Cement process control systems of today are more sophisticated than the equipment installed two or three years ago, not because the process itself is more complex but because todays demands require a higher degree of control action and accuracy. Because of increasing labor costs, an important objective of an automation program is a reduction in the process labor content. This can be realized by allowing the operator free time for other duties, by increasing the number of grinding circuits one operator can supervise and by removing to. a large extent the need for the operator to make process' adjustment decisions.

Jan 1, 1965

By L. F. Engle

There continues to be a certain magic attached to the word "Automation". When properly planned for, engineered, installed, and operated, the magic truly does take place - witness certain publicized mineral processing, metallurgical, and chemical plants. They operate successfully with few people, instead of previous dozens as in similar facilities not automated. Production quality has improved. Maintenance costs have been lowered. When such welcome results are achieved, it's proved to be a function of method and procedure in establishing criteria for choosing the intelligence and control systems followed by skilled choice of the specific elements used. The criteria, the bases for decision, are associated with design, construction, startup, operations, and maintenance. How to go about automating any process system to achieve the optimum profit depends on attention to all those aspects of a project. None of them can be forgotten if maximum satisfaction is to be gained. Control loops that look wonderful on an equipment. Piping, and Instrumentation diagram can suddenly turn into costly and. annoying problems in the field if there has been too little coordination of design. Panel boards that are literally works of art just before startup can become the largest of white elephants if an air header is inadequately sized and the pneumatic control circuits are sluggish. Conveyor belt replacement costs can skyrocket if a critical discharge chute far away from immediate operator attention lacks a simple yet effective clog-chute switch. Planning, execution, and followup of the work, the skills, and function of-the automating material can make any new project a success. An integrated owner contractor, producer-engineer approach is the key.

Jan 1, 1963

By G. C. Kachel

Significant effort has been expended and considerable success has been realized m the application of instrumentation and automatic control equipment in the mining and ore processing industries. This effort has been applied principally to process equipment with the objective of increasing throughput, minimizing labor requirements and/or improving grade or product quality. Less spectacular, but quite rewarding has been the successful application of instrumentation and automatic control equipment to a wide variety of material handling equipments. This paper describes some of this work including: (1) automatic weighment of load-haul-dump units and trams underground; (2) automation of skip loading; (3) instrumentation applied in feeders and conveyors; (4) level measurement in bins, silos, vessels and sumps; (5) automatic blending of sized materials; (6) automatic loading of ships, trains and trucks; (7) automatic control of tailings disposal facilities

Jan 1, 1973

By M. Dayne Aldridge

A discussion of the definition of automation in mine ventilation applications is presented. The results of theoretical studies, experiments and practical experience from work in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, the Soviet Union and the United States are summarized. Conclusions are drawn from these efforts and the prospects for the future development of automatic mine ventilation systems are explored.

Jan 1, 1978

By M. Dayne Aldridge

A discussion of the definition of automation in mine ventilation applications is presented. The results of theoretical studies, experiments, and practical experience from work in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, the Soviet Union, and the United States are summarized Conclusions are drawn from these efforts and the prospects for the future development of automatic mine ventilation systems are explored.

Jan 1, 1980