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EDGE COMPUTING FOR MINING AND METALS APPLICATIONS Digitalisation through edge computing can unearth new value in mining and metals processing.
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oday the mining and metals industries face several challenges in balancing profitability and production efficiency while managing sustainability and minimising environmental impact. It is also critical that production efficiency be achieved in conjunction with flexibility to ensure industry stays nimble and adaptable in a highly volatile world. These industries are embracing the digital transformation journey, which includes incorporation of IIoT technologies and concepts so data can be leveraged to achieve new levels of production efficiency. Gathering, storing and analysis of production and machine data form the building blocks in this strategy. Mining, like many other industrial sectors, generates large volumes of data. Much of the initial IIoT discourse has focused on cloud computing, which meant that large quantities of raw data would be dispatched to cloud-based data lakes, analysed and used in optimisation algorithms to drive real-time decision-making. However, mining operations are often distributed throughout many remote locations with limited infrastructure, and this presents connectivity challenges. When factoring in cloud architecture, data costs and latency, a pure cloud computing solution may not be the best answer for a mining and metals operation.
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Traditional PLCs are commonly used for real-time control, but more recently have been tapped for implementing higher level IIoT communications and analysis. This change is enabled by improved IT computing methods merging with OT platforms, resulting in highly capable edge-located IT/OT controllers. Data available at the operational edge is now easily accessible and able to be processed and transmitted, paving the way for analytics and optimisation deployments.
Process overview Mining and metals processing operations consist of many areas with opportunities for improvements through automation and data gathering (Figure 1). Sometimes the automation and communication platforms are delivered as part of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) machinery or equipment skids, while at other times they are constructed in the field. PLCs play an important role in almost every area and may include local HMIs. Remote terminal units (RTUs) are also widely used, providing some functionality similar to PLCs and adding remote connectivity features. Increasingly, systems incorporate intelligent field devices like variable frequency drives (VFDs) that can supply
JULY 2023 - PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 17