Sandvik will deliver a full OptiMine® platform to Vedanta Zinc International’s Black Mountain Mining (BMM) operations in 2019, accelerating the site’s data-driven operation for world-class mining safety, efficiency and productivity.

Sandvik is providing the complete OptiMine® suite –  the world’s most comprehensive digital offering for underground mining– to Vedanta Zinc International’s Black Mountain Mining (BMM) operations in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province. The OEM-independent OptiMine® digital platform includes:

• Equipment/asset location tracking
• Planning and task management
• Scheduling
• Monitoring equipment and operations
• and OptiMine® Analytics with IBM Watson IoT.

The scope includes trucks, loaders and drills. The system will be commissioned in 2019.

“OptiMine® gives us end-to-end visibility and control over our underground mining operations,” said Andre Trytsman, General Manager, Black Mountain Mining. “It was important to us to have the full scope, from scheduling to analytics, to ensure we’re optimized for the safest and most productive operation possible. The OptiMine® platform is the next step in Black Mountain’s digital journey, delivering efficiency and increasing operational performance allowing us to unlock more value. We are excited to partner with Sandvik and incorporate the OptiMine® technology into Vedanta Zinc International’s exciting digital strategy.”

OptiMine® is a powerful, OEM-independent suite of digital tools for analyzing and optimizing mining production and processes. It integrates all relevant data into one source, delivering both powerful real-time and predictive insights to improve operations. OptiMine® is open and scalable, providing flexibility to grow as needed, and incorporate other equipment, systems and networks.

Black Mountain Mining’s current operation comprises two underground operations – Deeps and Swartberg – and a processing plant. The Deeps shaft produces copper, lead and zinc, with silver as a by-product, and the Swartberg mine produces primarily copper and lead, with silver as a by-product. BMM is also developing the Gamsberg Project a new zinc mine in the Northern Cape district of South Africa.

“Sandvik is proud to work with the Black Mountain Mining team to integrate and optimize their mining processes with OptiMine®, developing a world-class, data-driven operation and accelerating their productivity and safety, said Patrick Murphy, President, Rock Drills and Technologies, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology. “The process will become fully transparent and predictable based on the advanced OptiMine® data management and analytics capabilities. This means Black Mountain Mines will leverage the full value of digitalization, and we’re really pleased to partner with them to achieve their goals.”