As the mining industry continues its path toward a cleaner future in the digital-first era, Siemens is leading the pack. The company has launched its SIDRIVE IQ industrial IoT monitoring solution drive systems, intended to increase drive uptime and ultimately improve mine site productivity. The system was launched at Siemens’ Virtual Smart Mining Forum, with the goal of putting more powerful tools in the hands of mining companies to boost productivity and profits over the long term. 

IoT, or Internet of Things, is a technology that connects devices for communication, monitoring, and synchronized feedback across a single system. Many IoT systems are in the early stages of development, but one popular consumer example is an Amazon Home system consisting of smart light bulbs, a fridge, or other appliances linked via an app and run using the AI system called Alexa. 

IoT for Mining

Siemens is now bringing full connectivity to industrial monitoring to allow miners to connect their equipment, monitoring pipelines, and continue to stay in touch even when managing multiple projects across different sites. The forum the product was launched at, The Virtual Smart Mining Forum, focuses on exploring new trends and the impact of technology on the African mining sector. 

SIDRIVE IQ will monitor and track the performance and health of drives across multiple sites. The product can monitor the health of medium voltage converters and high voltage motors simultaneously while providing feedback through an advanced user interface. The system will let companies know when their equipment needs servicing and even whether the equipment is functioning properly in real-time. 

SIDRIVE IQ starts with a collection of smart products that can be connected to the system. These products and equipment can be linked using the SIDRIVE IQ digital platform for monitoring and management. When equipment needs repair or on-site checkups, the system is linked to the services that are required, and the proper service can be dispatched to take care of any issues. 

The Complete Package

The Suite’s dashboard can minimize unplanned downtime with automated failure notifications, improve data transparency with easy access to recent and historical data, and troubleshoot any faults. Mining companies will be able to increase efficiency and reduce losses. This is of particular importance for the African mining industry after a challenging year and goals of bigger production. 

“COVID-19 has prevented the industry from having progressive conversations about how to move the mining sector forward,” Tim Walwyn – Head of Mineral Solutions, Siemens Southern and Eastern Africa, said. “This three-day event is an opportunity for us to bring the mining community together to reignite the dialogue and share knowledge to help us sustainably transform the future of mining in Africa. As a partner to African mines, our electrification, automation and digitalisation portfolio offers a combination of deep understanding of the mining industry with state-of-the-art technologies.”

Sabine Dall’Omo, Siemens CEO for Southern and Eastern Africa, says: “Our main objective with this event was to initiate a forum for knowledge transfer to the industry and raise awareness of the opportunities created by technology. We’re excited to bring this collaborative forum, where we can showcase the latest technological innovations for the industry and explore their effects on the African mining landscape.”