What changes can mining ind ustry expect in [631724]

What changes can mining ind ustry expect in
consistency of I ndustry 4.0
Maria Daniela Stochitoiu1*, Ilie Utu1
1University of Petrosani , Department of A.C.I.E.E, 20 Universitatii Street, Petrosani, Romania
Abstract. In order to benefit today from all the a dvantages of the
intelligent production of tomorrow, the connection between the real
production and the processes based on digital data is necessary. To be
successful in the future, too, standards and guidelines must be open to
development. This means that changing framework conditions and new
business models can be provided for, too. Smart engineering and
production 4.0 represent the basis for tomorrow`s intelligent mining
production in the use of consistent digital information .
1 Features of Industry 4.0
The rise of new digital industrial technology, known as Industry 4.0, is a transformation
that makes it possible to gather and analyze data across machines, enabling faster, more
flexible, and more efficient processes to produce qualitative produces at r educed costs [5].
The so -called fourth industrial revolution or “Industry 4.0” is now upon us with big
data, connectivity and automation. The current level of innovation and strategic
partnerships within the mining technology space demonstrates the agility of businesses and
bodes well for the future of the industry. The continuing trend in the development and
application of technologies in the mining sector will no doubt influence how the industry
will look in the medium to long -term, which is therefore a c redit to foresight and lateral
thinking, whether this results from cross -sector alliances or/ and responding directly to
practical needs. [ 6]
Industry 4.0 is a name given to the current trend of automation and data
exchange technologies . The four principles in Industry 4.0 :
-interconnection: t he ability of machines, devices, sensors, and people to connect and
comm unicate with each other via the Internet.
-information transparency: t he transparency afforded by Industry 4.0 technology
provides operators with amounts of useful information needed to make appropriate
decisions. Inter -connectivity allows operators to co llect immense amounts of data and
information from all points in the manufacturing process, thus aiding functionality and
identifying key areas that can benefit from innovation and improvement.

* Corresponding author: [anonimizat]

-technical assistance: the ability of assistance systems to s upport humans by
aggregating and visualizing information comprehensively for making informed decisions
and solving urgent problems on short notice.
-decentralized decisions: t he ability of systems to make decisions on their own and to
perform their tasks as autonomously as possible.
The basic principle of Industry 4.0 is that by connecting machines, work pieces and
systems, businesses are creating intelligent networks along the entire value chain that can
control each other autonomously. In order to estab lish the new requirements,
interdisciplinary competencies are growing an importance, which is why it is necessary to
adapt the skills and abilities that are taught for the various trades [7].

2 The evolution of industry
Technological advances can now pro vide an automated and better standardized process that
achieves consistent production levels from previously laborious processes. The production
of low –margin bulk minerals has been developed with more advanced equipment that is
not only remote -controlled but incorporates the ability for output levels to be far less
variable.
The concept of remote controlled mining, introduced thirty years ago, and demonstrates
how forward thinking the industry is in terms of reducing the human element involved. It
also hi ghlights the level of sophistication this has now reached, with advanced capabilities
now constantly feeding into its evolution.
In the mining sector, technology is not restricted to automation, for example, sorting
machinery uses this tool to separate val uable mineral ores from waste rock, significantly
reducing the time. Incorporating individual solutions like this is now commonplace, but the
mining sector's leading players have the internal capacity, funding and resources required to
develop their own te chnology, helping to push the innovation boundaries further [8], [9 ].
Mining, a conservative and traditional industry, has shifted its focus to efficiency and
productivity only in the past decade. Despite the dominance of continuous processes in
mining, at an abstract level, a mine site is not much different to a factory for discretely
manufactured goods when it comes to efficiency, productivity and the entire value chain.
As a consequence, advances and developments of Industry 4.0 and smart factories once
adapted and transferred to the specific requirements of mine production and the mining
value chain as Mining 4.0, will be the main driver and cornerstone of digitization and the
development of smart mines.

Fig.1 Transition from 1st to 4th industrial rev olutions in mining

The first innovation in mining started from mechanization using hydraulic drills, and
steam powered engines (fig.1) . The second revolution started with the mass production and
assembly lines along with electricity, giving miners more ac cess to more and better

equipment with the aid of electricity. The third revolution starts with computers and
automation , giving way to various mining robots to perform dangerous excavations and
also to lift heavy materials. And lastly, and the current ind ustry are in is the fourth
revolution or “Industry 4.0” .

3 The possibility to shape the intelligent production of tomorrow
The answer to this question lines in the new opportunities in which people, machines and
data can interact. The smart industry combi nes the real world of production with the virtual
world of information and communication technology; therefore traditional industrial
processes are supplemented and optimized by the digital world [2]. This creates the
foundation for the series manufacturin g of individual product s to a high standard of quality .
In order to establish the new requirements, interdisciplinary competencies are
growing an importance, which is why it is necessary to adapt the skills and abilities that are
taught for the various tr ades [7].
Modern SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems feature
considerable flexibility and power, permitting applications where a wide variety of
industries and applications can be monitored, controlled and analyzed with this software.
One such industry is mining, where a number of subsystems have to be integrated into one
view console to form a comprehensive overview of the mine (like reticulation,
environmental monitoring, asset tracking, etc .) [9]. The system is an environmental
moni toring system and its main function is to collect environmental parameters (like CO
and methane gas, temperature and humidity, status of ventilation fans and dam levels, and
many more operational parameters which are essential to the safe and effective ope ration of
a mine) and then transmit these parameters via a telemetry network to a SCADA system.

Fig. 2 The management scheme of the industry processes

A customized approach supports the principal need for technological solutions:
– to increase the le vel of automation throughout the entire mining industry,
– increasing accuracy,
– reducing human input in the process.
There are many technologies/methods can be involved and these include:
– drones
Drones in mining are used for exploration of mining site s by taking images and videos that
are relayed to the operator. These data are therefore used for planning, and mapping.
– 3D mapping

Mapping mining sites helps mining companies to evaluate ideas and plans , where to drill
and make tunnels and routes, to gather more materials at a reduced cost. It also lessens the
risk of tunnels collapsing which will save lives and costly equip ment.
-robots:
The mine inspector robot carries a high -definition camera that scouts dangerous areas
to ensure the safety of miners.
The modern industry is still improving and has growing innovations involving
advanced engineering , etc. The use of data -mining as an analytical tool has been increasing
in recent years; and the emergence of new manufacturing paradigms such as the Industry
4.0 initiative have led many smaller manufacturers to look at utilizing these powerful
techniques; however, practical appli cations are still in their infancy, and remain out of reach
for many of these manufacturing enterprises.
Mines and open pits are obvious places where explosions can occur. But they could
also happen where the flammable vapours , gases or combustible dusts are likely to occur
the quantities of sufficient to cause a fire or explosion. While national regulation exist
appear the necessity that international approach to increase safety where workers and
communities are exposed to high risk of explosions occurri ng.
The equipment used in these environments and especially in the mining industry is
increasingly based on a single engineering approach and on fundamental principles of
explosion protection, which have been applied in industry and mines for over 100 yea rs.
These are codified in international standards such as the IEC60079 series.
Minimum requirements for improving the health and safety protection of workers
potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres should be taken into account: likelihood and
durati on of the presence of the explosive atmosphere; likelihood of ignition sources being
present, activated and becoming effective; materials and methods used and their possible
interaction; the extent of the expected impacts of explosions. [ 10]

Fig.3 The so ftware functions for smart measurements systems
The main advantage of measurement system commanded by PC compare with the
classic methods of measurements is consisting in the larger opportunities of configurations
(fig.3 ). The solutions and intermediate re sults have to repeat for every domain for classic
apparatus, the PC numeric measurement system realise the same function only changing the
customers interfaces. Using standard software (S -Soft) associate to measurement devices it
can realize modern updated acquisition data, process monitoring, control and results
analyze [3].

Fig. 4 Standard elements through the computerized measurements system
The Standard In the software domain can emphases more aspects as shown in above
figure. It should take into ac count the compatibility between different software productions
which have the purpose to fulfil the same scope or function (fig.4).
Basically, the smart industry is the combination of information and communication
technologies into the electric transmiss ion and distribution networks for mining process .
An important role of distributed energy systems in combination with power electronics
devices is considered and will have a huge impact on future electrical supply systems and
lead to many financial benefi ts, the challenges for a self -healing power grid in reliability,
efficiency, security and resilience of energy infrastructure . [4]

References
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2016 International Con ference on Electrical Power and Energy Systems , India
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(2017 )
3. C.,Stefanescu, s.a Sisteme inteligente de masurare si control , Ed.Albastra,Cluj, 136 –
145,(2012)
4. Eremia M., s.a, Dispozitive FACTS, Concepte si aplicatii in electroenergetica, Editura Agir,
(2017)
5. www.bcg.com/capabilities
6. www.miningglobal.com/machinery
7. www.festo -didactic.com
8. www.r -stahl.com
9. www.ennomotive.com/mining -innovations
10. www.onit.it