As global demand increases for resources locked deep within the earth, the mining industry must adopt processes and technologies that streamline every step of the process. Automation holds the key to a more efficient mining industry.
Since the industrial revolution of the mid-1800s, processes and technologies across every sector of the modern economy have developed at a rapid pace. From the Bessemer Method of processing steel to the production of mechanized tools, this era in American history set the pace for the rapid growth of industry and technology through the 21th century. And as the means to produce became more efficient, demand for those products increased — and as demand grew, the methods by which those items were produced advanced further.
Mining is no exception. The steam engine revolutionized both the digging of new mines and the transportation of product from the mines. Every step of the process — exploration, discovery, extraction, processing, and distribution — has been made far more efficient and safer by inventions such as steam-powered mine hoists, mechanical ventilating devices, shaft excavation systems, and cementation.
The industrial revolution was no doubt a catalyst for the development of these inventions, and now the tech revolution is aiming to take a similar hold on the mining industry. With global demand for an array of natural resources only increasing, mining companies must work both smarter and harder to unearth and distribute these commodities around the world. As a result, the future of mining lies within the technology of automation.
He challenges confronting the globalized mining industry – now and in the future – can only be mastered by raising productivity and by reducing operating and extraction costs. Ever stricter environmental regulations must also be met and safe working conditions ensured.
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