What I Learned “Digging” into Mining Operations

The mining industry relies heavily on the choreographed movement of people and machines to get the most out of a day’s work. Given this complexity, many technologies are used in locating material, then plotting locations to maximize production. Since Geoforce has gained significant traction in mining this year, I was excited to spend time last week with a new Geoforce customer that operates one of several bentonite mines in the United States.

One key thing I learned in my time with them is that even with all the fancy technology being used in their mine operations, the missing link was the ability to view, in near real-time, the precise movements of their people and equipment.

Without this missing link, they couldn’t address things like:

• Was everything running as planned?

• Could planned versus actual movements be better managed remotely and centrally?

Working together, we were able to prove they could address these issues with the use of Geoforce’s Track and Trace solutions. With Geoforce, this mining company can now confirm that their carefully planned movements are being executed with the precision needed to ensure maximum profit.

GPS tracking has allowed their mine operation managers to plot the most efficient movements of large earth movers, rubber-tired scrapers, bull dozers, and dump trucks, ensuring they are operating in the recommended and designed manner laid out by GIS plotters.

Additionally, since it was critical their vehicles be able to make it from the pit site to the processing plant safely and efficiently, the use of Geoforce’s Advanced Vehicle Tracking solutions has been extremely beneficial. Mining companies often operate on private roads, and Geoforce’s GPS-based systems can track miles driven on these roads, generating fuel tax benefits, saving money, and readying companies for the upcoming ELD regulations.

We recently shared stories about the successful use of Geoforce by other mining operators, including how:

• American Colloid improved their mine production, operational logistics, and equipment maintenance in the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana; and

• Mine Bridges of Santiago, Chile, utilized Geoforce to reduce the risk of relocation loss during shifts.

Given how quickly we were able to show value to these and other mining operators, it’s no surprise that surface mining is now a big market for Geoforce. As great as these stories have been, we can’t wait to keep “digging” our way into more.