{"id":5970,"date":"2022-02-17T10:00:25","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T15:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.hexagonmining.com\/?p=5970"},"modified":"2022-06-07T16:54:49","modified_gmt":"2022-06-07T20:54:49","slug":"twinning-mining-and-the-digital-twin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.hexagonmining.com\/en\/twinning-mining-and-the-digital-twin\/","title":{"rendered":"Twinning: Mining and the Digital Twin"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was a kid, I enjoyed playing a video game called StarCraft<\/em>. This real-time strategy game let me control an army in an intergalactic war against other alien species. While I remember the epic battles with friends, the game was really about mining.<\/p>\n

To build an army and advance my technology, I needed to first explore the map, locate deposits of minerals and natural gases, and begin mining those deposits. I would point and click to assign workers to mine a deposit. They would follow the same path to deliver these resources to a center for processing, giving me updates in real time.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The mining operation became automated after a few minutes and often faded to the background with all the action taking place. However, controlling and defending these resources and operators determined the fate of the game.<\/p>\n

Now imagine if instead of a three-dimensional video game map, we had a map of Bingham Canyon or another large mining site around the world. What if this map was dynamically refreshed to reflect operations happening around the clock? What if we could point and click anywhere on the map to assign operators and vehicles? What if we could monitor the entire production and run simulations to predict future outcomes and increase efficiency?<\/p>\n

What if I told you that mines are on the verge of possessing all these capabilities?<\/p>\n

This idea is the essence of a digital twin: a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle is updated from real-time data, and uses simulation, machine learning and other artificial intelligence techniques to inform decision-making.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

While we are not quite there yet, this is where mining is headed. Soon we\u2019ll have digital mines that reflect and impact their physical counterpart. This starts by connecting all the data produced by the many systems, sensors and software found onsite at a mine.<\/p>\n

At last year\u2019s MINExpo in Las Vegas, Hexagon unveiled the Power of One, our platform of holistic solutions connecting all mine processes from the pit to the plant. One platform connects all sensors and software with an intelligent monitoring system that can be accessed from the field to the cloud, effectively connecting the mine to the boardroom.<\/p>\n

Here are a few examples of how we are achieving this digital vision today.<\/p>\n

From the field to the cloud<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When it comes to mine planning, planners must evaluate and update several plans on a regular basis. Often, planners don\u2019t have the most accurate data from the field.<\/p>\n

The integration of HxGN MinePlan 3D and Leica Cyclone 3DR fuses the powerful point cloud capabilities of 3DR with the comprehensive downstream planning and engineering processes in MinePlan.<\/p>\n

This means users can import their point cloud field data, clean the data, create and update surfaces, send the surfaces directly to MinePlan 3D, and seamlessly incorporate them into daily planning and engineering workflows.<\/p>\n


\n