AS THE WORLD moves towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), the exponential growth of disruptive technologies is fundamentally changing many industries, and mining has not been left in the dust. From big data to connected helmets, autonomous robotics, and 3D printing, technology today means more intelligent, digital, automated and sustainable ways of mining. Here are some of these technologies, and how they are changing the future of mining around the world.
DEBSWANA’S DIAMOND DATA
Debswana Diamond Company owns and operates four diamond mines in Botswana (Orapa, Letlhakane, Jwaneng, and Damtshaa). As a world leader in gem diamonds, Debswana produces a lot more than precious stones – it generates a huge amount of data. Microsoft has been working closely with them to unlock the full potential of this valuable resource.
‘Debswana generates a massive quantity of data at its mines from the vast amounts of machinery and applications used at its facilities, but it often experienced machine failures and unpredictable performance despite having a robust maintenance and repair strategy already in place,’ explains Wale Olokodana, Cloud and Enterprise Lead, Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). ‘This made business processes slower and led to significant losses of revenue.’
‘Now, through the dashboard created on the Azure platform, Debswana is able to quickly and easily manage its data. It provides the capability to predict any problems, saving the diamond producer greatly on time and costs.’
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