As mining operations evolve their digital infrastructure, Aveva provides comprehensive and valuable technology to consolidate all forms of data and records.
Conflicts in data and records are a cause of concern for the mining industry at large.
Having accurate and up-to-date knowledge of materials, fuel and waste spread far and wide across a mine site is integral to ensure a company maintains a productive and efficient operation.
As businesses focus on realising environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets and limiting downtime on-site, having the digital framework and tools to manage information is imperative.
This is where AVEVA comes to the fore.
“Using a data infrastructure layer, we can bring together all information or data from disparate sources and locations and turn it into digestible, usable information,” AVEVA strategic account executive for mining, minerals and metals John Macdonald told Australian Mining.
“In doing so, we have a single digital thread that can stop the data conflicts within different sections of the value chain.
“By treating information this way, arguments about data validity are either minimised or eliminated across the value chain.”
AVEVA’s software also allows for locally stored data, whether physically or digitally, to be uploaded to cloud-based software so all information is available on one data layer.
The scope of AVEVA’s software is dependent on the needs and usages of the site, with customer-centric solutions unique to each operation.
To aid sites that have issues with double-handling of materials at any point in the supply chain, Macdonald said having almost real-time inventory management updates is crucial to reducing operating costs.
“It starts with the rear-end inventory management. Normally, companies would know what their production is during a certain period of time, like the end of month, for example,” he said.
“The issue, however, is that quantity can and does change, often unexpectedly, in an operation with as many moving parts as mining.
“What we’re able to do with capturing near real-time information is have those stocks validated in a near real-time basis, which allows companies to actually make better decisions, as they are working with the most relevant and up-to-date information.”
In turn, the reduced double-handling of materials enables companies to realise cost savings for themselves and their customers.
Additional tools from AVEVA include the AVEVA Production Management technology, which monitors the uptime, downtime and efficiency of pieces of equipment.
Taking diagnostic information from the consumption of resources such as water and energy, AVEVA’s technology can make that data classifiable and readable so it can be acted upon.
“By taking classifiable metrics from the equipment, there exists the potential for a root-cause analysis to be undertaken to be able to understand what is happening in the equipment,” Macdonald said.
“From there, our customers can implement a continuous improvement loop, ensuring anything that isn’t working efficiently or as intended doesn’t continue to happen in the future.
“Our systems allow businesses to see the data of how their businesses are running. They can then make the changes they need and continue to monitor that data to ensure the changes are optimal.”
The AVEVA Production Management technology allows businesses to address the difficulties that come with the bulk handling and transport industry.
Enabling mining companies to maintain productivity through the natural bottleneck of the value chain, AVEVA Production Management prevents conflicts from arising upstream or downstream by providing accurate data on exported materials.
“Each value chain has a natural place where it will bottleneck,” Macdonald said. “The ideal situation is to maintain a sustainable rate through that bottleneck. That means you’ll have maximum production throughout the whole value chain.
“A lot of the time, there’s conflict either upstream or downstream. That can push people to try and overperform, which will lead to one of two problems: either equipment downtime or quality losses through decreasing recoveries.
“AVEVA has the tools to prevent that by optimising the rate of materials passing through that natural bottleneck to keep both workers and the value chain healthy.”
AVEVA customers can receive access to the company’s full portfolio of services through the use of Flex credits.
These can be trialled and then kept on or cancelled once the digital solution has been applied by the business.
Flex credits allow customers the ability to see the impact of the software and decide for themselves whether the solution will be a good fit for their operation.
“The solution is fully managed by the customer,” Macdonald said. “They put in the request and can download and use that AVEVA service. We’ve tried to cut out as much of the middleman as possible in delivering these services.”
As automation increases on mine sites, the way companies work with people on-site and across separate locations is changing.
AVEVA’s software is fundamentally based around the asset and product data, enabling that data to be actualised on-site so workers are able to adapt and understand the changes taking place and contribute to a safer and more efficient mine operation.
“We aim to provide a seamless integration of data as it flows across the value chain.”
This feature appeared in the October issue of Australian Mining.