The fourth industrial revolution has significantly changed the traditional way of managing supply chains. The applications of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Machine-to-Machine communication (M2M) and cloud computing, in different processes of supply chains have assisted companies to improve their performance. Entire industries are taking new forms.
For the raw material sector, Mining 4.0 offers new possibilities for increased productivity and at the same time could create stimulating workplaces in a good work environment, by advancing automation, autonomous processes and remote control in the mining and processing value chains. Industrial digitalization will offer the potential to deliver significant improvements by improving the quality and availability of data and information in mining operations, delivering significant productivity gains and economic performance.
On the other hand, much of society as well as investors are demanding greater transparency concerning the true social, economic, and environmental impact of the mining activities. In order to meet the increasing social and environmental concerns, a resource optimization and digital transformation framework for enabling specific circular economy and “low-impact mining” strategies is required. There is also a need to making energy a core focus of overall design and operational planning and execution, throughout the life of the mine and beyond. Energy innovations, including the transition to electric vehicles, will lead to socially conscious profit, while creating a safer and cleaner environment for front-line workers, including higher air quality for those working underground. In the context of industrialization, informatization and sustainable development of the mining sector, Mine.io solution will build a novel mining digital ecosystem and a systemic structure for the implementation of I4.0 in mining industrial environments. Mine.io solution will embrace the whole mining value chain from resources’ exploration, extraction, and processing to waste management and post mining activity.
In line with the above, our fundamental concept is the provision of a manufacturing system architecture, under cloud environment, to be applied in the digital twin (DT) mining “shop floor”. Mine.io envisions an innovative cloud services system and a novel mining ecosystem of sharing, interconnection, and open cooperation. For achieving this, Mine.io will establish a unified data infrastructure and collaborative platform ecosystem to promote the openness and sharing of data and improve the cooperation environment between mining enterprises. Mine.io aims the enhanced systematization of the basic processes of the mining industry, that involve asset and process equipment optimization, through embedded predictive analytics, and optimization procedures based on completely data-driven processes and the integrated cyber- virtual and cyber-physical systems, automation and robotization of mining exploration and production processes and sustainable mining and post mining management. Mine.io ecosystem will be validated in different demonstration sites, involving 4 operational mine facilities and 2 historic mine sites, in 5 EU countries.
