Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

mining

Universal Robots ‘future-proofs’ production processes at Vietnamese manufacturer with collaborative robots

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Universal Robots has helped Vietnam-based Vinacomin Motor Industry Joint Stock Company “future-proof” its production processes with collaborative robots.

VMIC is a subsidiary of the Vinacomin Group, a state-owned coal and mining giant.

VMIC, one of the first state-owned manufacturers to deploy cobots, has seen productivity increase two to three times, with improved product quality, leading to a 50 to 60 percent rise in orders. [Read more…] about Universal Robots ‘future-proofs’ production processes at Vietnamese manufacturer with collaborative robots

Construction and mining ‘next frontier’ for robotics adoption, says research company

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The construction and mining industries are the “next frontier” for robotics adoption, according to a report by ABI Research.

In the past, for heavy industry-related locations like mines, robots must either be controlled by teleoperation or navigate autonomously across uneven terrain or within subterranean interiors with little to no human interaction.

This was the same for construction sites, where robots must understand changing floor plans, keep track of inventory, and navigate stairs.  [Read more…] about Construction and mining ‘next frontier’ for robotics adoption, says research company

Scania and Rio Tinto trialling autonomous truck in Western Australian mine

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Truckmaker Scania and mining giant Rio Tinto are trialling an autonomous truck in a Western Australian mine. (See video below.)

The first phase of the trial started in August 2018 and involves a Scania XT 8×4 autonomous tipper truck working separately from Dampier’s active operations.

During this initial stage, a safety driver rides in the vehicle to observe the truck’s performance and, if necessary, intervenes. In subsequent phases, additional autonomous Scania trucks will be added to develop vehicle-to-vehicle awareness and intelligent fleet supervisory controls. [Read more…] about Scania and Rio Tinto trialling autonomous truck in Western Australian mine

Komatsu to build new headquarters 
in Milwaukee’s Harbor District

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Mining vehicles and technology supplier Komatsu is planning to build its new headquarters 
in Milwaukee’s Harbor District.

Just shy of its 135th anniversary in the Milwaukee area, Komatsu Mining says it intends to build a new, state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing campus near the location of the company’s original machine shop off South First Street.

The company’s 2.5 million-square-foot South Harbor Campus is planned for Milwaukee’s Harbor District, off Greenfield Avenue.  [Read more…] about Komatsu to build new headquarters 
in Milwaukee’s Harbor District

Komatsu autonomous trucks ‘increase productivity by 34 percent’ at Rio Tinto

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Global mining giant Rio Tinto is said to have increased productivity by 34 percent through the use of Komatsu autonomous trucks.

Rio Tinto has been testing and implementing autonomous technology for around a decade, and after a decade of using Komatsu’s massive driverless trucks, the company is integrating autonomous trains into its operations.

Komatsu’s vehicles are called autonomous haulage systems, or AHS. The AHS truck fleet is forecast to drive reductions in operating costs at Australia’s iron ore mines by up to $0.62 per ton by 2020, according to research company GlobalData.  [Read more…] about Komatsu autonomous trucks ‘increase productivity by 34 percent’ at Rio Tinto

Infographic: The mined minerals inside the devices you use every day

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Think your life isn’t impacted much by the mining industry? Think again.

Without mining, our lives as we know them would be very different: There would be no mass-produced light bulbs, no microwave ovens, no computer monitors.

Even our cell phones are made possible by mining – there’s a world of minerals in mobile devices from copper to quartz to silicon and more.  [Read more…] about Infographic: The mined minerals inside the devices you use every day

How robots and artificial intelligence will transform the mining industry

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By Joao Piexe, FN Media Group’s Safehaven.com

Drones are sweeping over the global mining industry and for good reason.

The future of mining will increasingly rely on the use of drones and automated systems, slashing costs while helping mining companies find and dig up more gold, silver and other metals and minerals.

According to a 2015 survey of 190 mining companies around the world, about two thirds of them were aiming to integrate remote operations and monitoring centers into their operations.  [Read more…] about How robots and artificial intelligence will transform the mining industry

Competition to mine outer space could change mining industry on Earth

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For the past eight years, Nasa has been running a competition to find the team that can develop the best robotic systems to mine the moon. 

This year’s winners were announced recently, and Nasa gave out prizes and commendations for about 10 teams.

The discoveries made those 10 teams and all the others that entered the competition may end up in the mining industry here on Earth, long before they even take off for the moon.  [Read more…] about Competition to mine outer space could change mining industry on Earth

Kespry says its new drone is twice as capable as its previous model

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kespry drone 2.0

Kespry, which designs automated drone systems for commercial use, has launched its new Kespry Drone 2.0.

The company says its new lighter-weight drone flies twice as long, covers twice the ground area, and has double the wind resilience, due to the new airframe, battery, and flight system improvements.

Based on requests from commercial customers, the new Kespry Drone 2.0 now flies over 30 minutes per flight, covering up to 150 acres at a 400 foot altitude, and can operate effectively in up to 25 mph sustained winds and 35 mph wind gusts.  [Read more…] about Kespry says its new drone is twice as capable as its previous model