Mining industry experts shared their perspectives on automation at MEC’s exclusive panel discussion and networking event on Thursday 27 June, 2019. Engineers and other industry representatives gathered at Brisbane’s Alchemy Restaurant and Bar for the breakfast event, entitled Digital technology: Automation at the forefront.
Automation in mining has been very slow to catch on. The reason is that much of the present batch of automated machines follow a sequence rather than think for themselves. When a sensor detects something out of line, safety protocols intervene and the sequence stops, undermining their cost effectiveness. Mining is a very dynamic environment and little things like rocks on the road present a complex challenge for a pre-programmed machine.