Leading telecom, AI, automation assist enhance effectivity, security, general safety

On the golden shoreline of jap China’s Shandong province lies the nation’s “Golden City” — Laizhou. Boasting wealthy gold reserves, town’s financial system is underpinned by the gold mining trade, however like many different mines worldwide, it was once tormented by office security dangers.

Now, due to superior telecommunications and synthetic intelligence applied sciences, native mines are present process a digital and sensible makeover by embracing cutting-edge automation and unmanned options, which may provide classes for mines all over the world.

In the Jiaojia Gold Mine, a forklift is busy transporting gold, as a driver on the floor, about 77 meters above the car, remotely controls the forklift from an workplace.

Meanwhile, within the close by Sanshandao Gold Mine, many younger miners are remotely crushing ore. They solely must function buttons and handles to remotely command the mechanical arms tons of of meters underground to carry out the duties.

Such operations free employees from harmful environments and provide a glimpse into the evolution of China’s sprawling mining sector. For firms reminiscent of Shandong Gold Group Co Ltd, which owns the 2 mines, embracing digital intelligence not solely fulfills its personal wants, however can be representing the final pattern in trade improvement. At the identical time, a collection of insurance policies on mine security and the digital financial system have significantly promoted the transformation strategy of the mining trade.

Huawei has provided cutting-edge applied sciences reminiscent of a WiFi-6 community to allow distant controls within the above-mentioned two gold mines in Laizhou. WiFi-6 can help a spread of modern options, reminiscent of automated guided automobiles, industrial robots and plenty of different compelling use circumstances.

Chen Wenfeng, vice-president of gross sales and advertising within the Huawei Mining Business Unit — a devoted workforce that the corporate established to supply sensible options to mines — mentioned, “At present, most mines at home and abroad are between the stages of mechanization and automation, with great potential for intelligence.”

“In the next three to five years, digital technologies will see wider use in the mining industrial links such as transportation and mineral processing,” Chen mentioned.

The strikes are a part of Huawei’s broader push to construct world-class sensible mining options that combine new-generation data applied sciences, reminiscent of 5G, WiFi-6, industrial web and synthetic intelligence, to spice up mine security and inexperienced effectivity.

Ren Zhengfei, founding father of Huawei, mentioned in an interview in 2021, “In terms of 5G applications, most information and communications technology companies in the world did not choose mines as a point for breakthroughs, but we chose mines.”

Ren mentioned China has tens of hundreds of mines. If Huawei can obtain sensible operations in such mines, the corporate may present such providers to mines all around the world.

“We hope that mines will become unmanned in the future. If we can achieve this step, it will be of great significance to Canada and Russia’s mining in the Arctic Ocean. The conditions are extremely harsh and not suitable for living, but such rich resources are located there. If unmanned mining is possible, these resources will be better tapped, which will contribute significantly to human society,” Ren added.

Governments in China are additionally rolling out favorable insurance policies to advertise using digital applied sciences to make sure security in mines. In October, the Ministry of Science and Technology, as an example, unveiled a discover on advancing the economic use of AI applied sciences with sensible mining highlighted as a typical utility situation.

Last yr, the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation’s high financial regulator, and the National Energy Administration collectively launched a 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for the power sector, which requires the broader use of 5G, cloud computing, the web of issues and large information in areas reminiscent of coal mines.

Amid the coverage name, progress is underway in mines throughout China. On the financial institution of Laizhou Bay, the auxiliary shaft of Sanshandao Gold Mine is being excavated towards a goal depth of 1,915 meters. Once the excavation is finished, the auxiliary shaft will grow to be the deepest shaft undertaking in China and even Asia.

With the gradual deepening of mining, environmental challenges, reminiscent of excessive temperatures, excessive humidity and low oxygen more and more weigh on operational security, with uncertainties reminiscent of rock bursts and water gushing additionally rising. There is a urgent must leverage digital applied sciences to spice up safety and security.

Amid such context, Shandong Gold Group has established a three-dimensional visualized complete administration and management platform, which has realized the appliance of visualized clever administration and management of ore circulate in the entire course of, unmanned driving of electrical locomotives and the remote-controlling of rock drilling jumbos.

As a consequence, the manufacturing effectivity of Sanshandao Gold Mine has elevated by greater than 20 p.c year-on-year and the annual direct financial advantages have reached greater than 80 million yuan ($11.6 million), the mine mentioned.

Specifically, the remote-controlling of rock drilling jumbos helps cut back the variety of on-site operators by 80 p.c, ensures the protection of miners, saves shift time and boosts effectivity significantly. Meanwhile, within the subsequent transportation part, the unmanned electrical locomotive system has realized distant loading, unmanned driving and automated unloading, enhancing effectivity by 25 p.c.

Meanwhile, the deep shaft of the Jiaojia Gold Mine has realized unmanned operation of forklifts. In September 2022, Shandong Gold Group and Huawei constructed the primary WiFi-6 Mesh-supported community for the mine. A superior community connection remains to be one of many core necessities of gold mines as a result of networking is the muse for digitalization and intelligence.

Intelligent expertise has helped Shandong Gold Group cut back the variety of underground operators by greater than 3,046, saving 460 million yuan in whole labor prices.

But challenges nonetheless exist. Wang Chengxiang, head of the Jiaojia Gold Mine, mentioned one of many challenges is the way to shortly transmit data in a restricted area. The particular geographical atmosphere of excessive temperatures and humidity additionally requires focused options. At the identical time, the trade is in nice want of interdisciplinary abilities.

Moreover, sensible mines embrace not solely unmanned operations, however data infrastructure building, geological safety methods, tunneling methods, intermediate mining methods, transportation methods, sorting methods and safety methods.

Now, the highest three analysis fields of sensible mines in China are inexperienced administration, accounting for six.11 p.c of all analysis; driverless applied sciences, accounting for six.09 p.c; and knowledge and communication, accounting for six.02 p.c, information from market analysis firm ITtime confirmed.

Chen from Huawei mentioned there are greater than 4,000 coal mines in China and greater than 10,000 metallic mines. All underground geological situations are completely different and the way to adapt options to every particular atmosphere is a really massive problem.

“The journey of mining’s intelligent technological transformation only has a starting point and no end point,” Chen added.