Implementation of industry 4.0 technologies in the mining industry: A case study

In modern mining, it is imperative to have a real-time flow of information between enterprise level systems (ERP, CRM, SCM) and shop floor systems. The gaps that exist between the two spheres make it difficult for managers to have timely information for optimum decision making. A mining company needs instantaneous visibility on production, quality, cycle times, machine status, and other important operational variables in order to achieve optimum and effective operations. With the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies fragmented shop floor systems and the enterprise level systems communicate seamlessly in delivering optimum operations. The research demonstrates Industry 4.0 technologies as the mechanisms for integrating business systems and processes. The methods researched are deployed in a uranium mining company to integrate all shop floor systems with SAP ERP. The results introduce a semi-smart Mine with real-time visibility of overall mining status.