The mining industry is at a turning point in its history due to rapid technological developments that could change it to accommodate the transition to a new era of Industry 4.0. And while technology adoption has been slow over the past few decades, recent pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues and falling commodity prices have accelerated the need to rethink how mining works.

Digital transformation can help companies cut costs and drive growth by streamlining operations and providing more insight to make strategic decisions. Carefully selected and implemented technologies can have a positive impact on operating costs, as we have seen in other industries such as food and beverage, manufacturing, etc.

Mining companies have the ability to generate vast amounts of data that can provide critical insights to optimize day-to-day operations. One of the biggest technology constraints for the industry is the ability to develop technology solutions in remote locations where mining operations are frequent. With the growing demand for connected machines and the open flow of mission-critical data, mining companies must decide how to provide a network infrastructure that has the power to process the data they need, as well as the portability and flexibility to deploy anywhere to respond to potential expansion. .

In the field of digital business maturity, Greece does not show a performance comparable to other European countries, however, the situation seems to be gradually changing, a typical example is the Olympias underground mine in the northeast of Chalkidiki, where the first private network was recently installed. completed (Campus Network) with mobile telephony infrastructure in Greece, in detail 300 m undergroundwhich covers arcade about 10 km.

Benefits of Digital Transformation for Mining

Recently awarded gold and silver medals in BITE Awards 2022, Campus Netallows Greek gold gain important knowledge that will help in the planning and coordination of mining activities, and at the same time further enhances security underground mine and invests in protecting human life.

With the help of specially designed tablets, you can more direct communication between workers underground, with their counterparts on the surface and, in particular, with a state-of-the-art Control Center that oversees and coordinates all operations.

In addition to, production time increasesas shifts, production and fleet management are organized more efficiently, at the same time, critical operational data, such as the weight and type of ore during loading, possible machine breakdowns, etc., are transmitted in real time.

The fact that through suitable sensors which measure the concentration of particles or hazardous gases in the atmosphere (gas monitoring), the Control Center will have the ability to remotely adjust the supply and air quality (ventilation on demand) or even remove employees as a precautionary measure, if deemed necessary, to ensure their safety.

This innovative technological solution opens up important new opportunities for Kassandra Mines, as it creates the conditions for the complete digitization of individual mine operations.

It’s in the company’s plans. continued use of the campus network With development of new applications as well as technology enabling functions such as remote mining, remote loading control, vehicle telemetry and vehicle collision avoidance systems creating conditions for a high level of safety, but also for optimal performance.