As a labor-intensive industry, Mining has often faced large scale process changes to keep workers safe, while keeping a focus on increased productivity and efficiency. Consider some of the modern technological advances, as well as productivity pressures for clean Energie minerals and supply chain diversification, and this industry will certainly be changing over the next decade and beyond.
Mining Challenges and Solutions: Present and Future
Mining has been done for decades and decades, and most of the resource recovery techniques have remained the same. This industry, notably, has had very low levels of digital adoption, relying less on modern technological innovations. However, research has led to new discoveries that include digitalization within the industry, which will look to improve processes moving forward.
Continue reading below to discover some of the ways Mining projects to change and improve in 2025 and beyond, and some of our products which cater to the harsh environmental conditions of the industry.
Digital Future of Mining
As mentioned, Mining has seen very few digital changes over the years. However, some ways to digitalize the process have recently been discovered and experimented with. Leveraging technological capabilities and digital ecosystems can be critical to enhanced efficiency, safety and production in global mines.
The future of digital Mining is built on using advanced infrastructure and connectivity to support prompt collection and efficient processing of large volumes of data. This data will help companies understand where and how to mine as effectively and safely as possible. Further research, and the implementation of a globally distributed interconnection platform across various companies will improve productivity in mines and help reach the global pressures and demands present in the industry.
Predictive Maintenance
A crucial aspect of industries that require consistent productivity, such as Oil and Gas and Mining is timely repairs and maintenance. With the implementation of predictive maintenance into Mining applications, costs go down and efficiency is streamlined, ensuring production pressures are met much faster.
Traditionally this industry relied on preventative maintenance, only finding solutions when problems occur, or an assumed maintenance schedule based on usage patterns. The developments and use of AI have now created a predictive maintenance system which can improve decision making in advance of any issues.
Predictive maintenance was previously being conducted manually on vibration, oil and thermography. These systems were only being analyzed every few months, therefore missing faults that had deteriorated quickly. The future of predictive maintenance in Mining involves a much more efficient and practical process, backed by the research and application of AI software.
Urban Mining
Although not an example of typical Mining, involving downhole mineral recovery, Urban Mining is a recent phenomenon that supports innovation and sustainability. Instead, it means recovering and finding new use for cities’ waste materials, such as concrete or bricks.
Construction demolition materials contribute up to 850 million tons of waste annually, according to Holcim. Reducing this waste by repurposing common materials like concrete, which can be infinitely recycled, limits the materials wasted in landfills, and is a promising long-term alternative to mass waste.
A few Urban Mining projects have already taken off successfully, with the SQUARE building in Switzerland for example. It was built with the world’s first cement made up of 20% construction demolition materials, and with further research and testing, materials with higher percentages of these materials will be used for additional sustainable projects.
Safety and Efficiency Improvements with ROC (Remote Operation Centers)
The global need and demand for minerals is not slowing down any time soon, meaning that Mining efficiency must continue to improve while prioritizing safety. One of the ways companies have been eliminating worker injury risks while still enhancing efficiency and production is through ROCs. (Remote Operation Centers)
The labor-intensive nature of this industry, as well as heavy machinery, can create hazards for workers. These ROCs and central control rooms allow for some employees to operate and monitor mines and equipment from remote locations, increasing safety and offering an alternate perspective into Mining sites.
Along with increased safety, ROCs offer convenient training systems which help to consistently train, assess, and optimize the skills of workers without interfering with production on-site. With further training and development, these remote operating centers will continue to contribute to more effective training, increased worker safety, and overall mine efficiency.
Supporting Mining Advancements with Premium Raw Materials
Central Wire Group of Companies has experience with manufacturing durable products that withstand the intense forces of the Mining industry. Our premium alloy selection is capable of offering durability without a drop off in safety or mine production efficiency.
Here are a few of the superstars of our Mining product catalog:
Our Profil Draht, available in both standard and custom profiles, and 4 edge varieties, is perfect for the precise and demanding conditions in mines. Our on-site tooling capabilities not only ensure product consistency but also offer our customers the opportunity to develop complex requirements. The most common Mining application of this product is in Mining screens, with either wedge wire or square wire helping to support heavy media recovery in coal, gold or mineral sand operations.
For efficient mine conveyor belts, rely on our Canveyor® Conveyor Cable. Available in 302/304 Stainless Steel or Galvanized Steel, this product ensures durability and high-performance over a long working life. Avoiding wear and tear which leads to costly downtime is critical in industries like Mining, and our Canveyor® Cable possesses a breaking strength of up to 8,700 lbs., ideal for the crushing forces and heavy weights present in Mining.
Armor Wrapped Cable, one of our strongest and most durable products, is an ideal fit for heavy hoisting applications in mines. This product is available in Galvanized and Stainless-Steel alloys depending on strength requirements. The flat metal strip wrapped and swaged to the cable ensures the cable can withstand extreme abrasion and is not damaged by wear and tear caused by heavy hoisting loads.
Industries with the amount of physical exertion, heavy machinery, vibrations and environmental hazards as Mining require various safety measures and product standards to ensure productivity and safety are achieved. The future of Mining involves meeting productivity pressures with efficiency measures that prioritize safety, that will continue to grow with further research into the technologies mentioned in this blog.
To learn more about our contributions to this industry, visit our Mining webpage here! To invest in our quality products catering to this industry, Angebot anfordern heute mit uns!
