MINExpo, which is held every four years (COVID disruptions aside), gives the industry a chance to showcase their evolving technologies and concepts to the world. It also gives companies a chance to level-set a little and see where the mining industry stands now and where it could be going in the future.
The two twin themes throughout the event have been sustainability and automation. This has been a long-term goal for many companies now. The goal is two-fold: Building on what companies have now and planning for the future.
Regina Barringer, executive director of OEMs and end users for Cummins said, “From a standpoint of sustainability, what can be done today? What can be done long-term?”
In Cummins’s case, she said their engines are being designed to work with different fuels in different industries and different settings. No two are alike and the immediate and long-term goal needs to be considered. She said they were gradual steps, but they were working on bridges with their engines to build the pathways to zero carbon initiatives, which is a goal many companies and industries are hoping to achieve.
“In terms of bridges with hybrid and the electrification path type, how do we think of the system in a configurable and modular way? Customers adopt the technology as it becomes viable and stabilized,” Barringer said.
Molly Puga, executive director of strategy for digital and product planning for Cummins, said in a press conference: “The cost of zero carbon infrastructure creates the window for bridging technologies. Miners hold onto technology for a long time. When you think about the decarbonizing, you have to ask how do I address the large install vehicles? Not just the first-fit vehicles, but as well as the older ones that help them get decarbonization progress today.”
Molly Puga, executive director of strategy for digital and product planning for Cummins, discussed bridging the gap for the short- and long-term in a press conference. Courtesy: Chris Vavra
It's this long-term thinking that will be critical for the future. Mining equipment is often old and expensive and companies can’t buy them at the drop of a hat like they might in other industries. So, to that end, companies have to work with what they have and ensure they last as long as possible.
Improving overall safety through components, structure
Bosch Rexroth highlighted several sensor solutions with radar, ultrasonic and camera solutions that help users operate machinery safely and efficiently for off-highway applications.
Tim Kovacs, senior acquisition project manager at Bosch Engineering, said about their sensor display, “We invent these products for life. We want to keep our workers and drivers safe.”
They’re not only focused on making the environment smarter, but also safer, and that brings a peace of mind to the operator that cannot be underestimated. And as the technology gets smarter, the operators and the company will have more information to work from to make better insights.
Bosch Rexroth’s camera, radar and ultrasonic technologies are designed to make off-highway drivers safer.Chris Vavra
Making machines stronger on the inside
Lubrication and grease development is an underrated, but critical aspect of keeping these machines running at their best.
Heather Rogers, B2B director for commercial and industrial lubricants at Shell, said they have worked on building an integrated portfolio that takes advantage of their technical experts as well as products.
“We’ve hung our hat on products as well as R&D and the number of technical centers around the world,” she said. “We work closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and we work to make sure we’re meeting not just the minimal specs, but also achieving innovation and optimizing what they have.”
Good lubrication and grease is critical, she said, because unplanned downtime is catastrophic and can cost companies millions in a short period of time. In an industry where every second counts and production is critical, every edge matters.
Shell emphasized the importance of educating their customers and one of their methods is through interactive displays that give companies the information they need to make more informative decisions.Chris Vavra
She said they’re also working on educating their customers and ensuring they know how to make the right decisions. They do this through on-site training, interactive videos and more. They also provide condition monitoring solutions that can be done on-site or remotely with the help of their expert team.
“We want to provide a total lubrication management solution,” she said. “Whether it’s through preventive maintenance and repair. We want to take the worry off their mind and manage that for them.”
