Picture Perfect:

The picture cannot be clearer than this, South Africa’s very own robots for safety purposes. Technology is really being used to improve the Quality of Life and in this case, miners’ safety is being prioritised.

The game is really changing – Mining transformation through technology

Apart from Robotics, there are various technological advancements that have a huge potential of transforming how mines operate. advancements such as the Internet of Things and plasma technology are changing the entire mining ‘game’, Robotics included.

Disadvantages of Robots in the mining industry.

When it comes to dealing with technological innovations, there are potential benefits and shortcomings or disadvantages associated with that specific innovation. Robotics is no different, regardless of the realised benefits – such as improved safety, productivity and reduced labour costs. Robotics has its own disadvantages.

What are the benefits of Mining Robots?

Ever since Robotics became a Boom in the industrial trades, innovations to improve safety, productivity, efficiency and reduce costs began to be researched and they are now materialising and getting implemented.

This post as per the title focuses on the benefits that mining automation innovations are bringing to the industry, maybe that’s why it is irresistible, but then, ‘who knows?’

Safer mining operations – Autonomy

The largest mining company in South Africa realised how Robotics can improve safety in its mines. In 2013, Anglo American South Africa partnered with a USA based company to build robots that will reduce the dangers that miners face whilst improving productivity and efficiency.

The core objective of this kind of innovation in Anglo is merely to automate the “underground mining tasks that are unsafe and extremely challenging for humans.” This innovations will also allow mines to achieve mineral deposits that though the current mining methods are almost impossible to achieve.

Useful Safety Robots

South Africa is a country that is rich in mineral goods. As per stats SA, in 2017 the total sales from the mining sector amounted to R460 billion. Remember that 2017 there was plenty of strikes in the mining sector, even though there was a decrease in the production there was plenty of sales made from the mining industry.

With the illegal miners – ‘Zama-Zamas’ – incident in Mpumalanga, resulted in the department of mining industry hiring a robot to assist in looking for the people that got stuck undergrounds. It is not only ‘Zama-Zamas’ that get stuck underground, reports about legal miners are there.