Mining 4.0—The Impact of New Technology from a Work Place Perspective
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Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2019) 36:701–707 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-019-00104-9 Mining 4.0—the Impact of New Technology from a Work Place Perspective Joel Lööw1 & Lena Abrahamsson1 & Jan Johansson 1 Received: 6 May 2019 /Accepted: 28 June 2019 /Published online: 15 July 2019 # The Author(s) 2019 Abstract Industry 4.0 offers new possibilities to combine increased productivity with stimulating workplaces in a good work environment. Used correctly, digitalization can create attractive jobs in safe control room environments, which provide space for the em- ployee’s full expertise and creativity. This is true also for the mining industry. But, to succeed, it is important to analyze the development from a worker’s perspective. What will happen to their work? What skills will be needed in the mine of tomorrow? We must also consider the risks, such as privacy issues, increased stress, and work-life boundaries. These questions must be understood if we are to create workplaces that can attract a young and diverse workforce to tomorrow’s mining industry. In this article, we try to illustrate what the new technology can mean for the individual miners. We formulate the notion of Mining 4.0 (Industry 4.0 in the mining industry), where we try to create an image of how the future might look from a miner’s perspective and how mining companies may navigate their way to a future that works for all miners. To illustrate the range of possible outcomes, we formulate two scenarios: one utopian and one dystopic. At the end of our article, we bring forward six recommendations that can be considered a beginning of a road map for the human side of Mining 4.0. Keywords Industry 4.0 . Mining 4.0 . Attractive jobs . Safety . Utopia . Dystopia 1 Introduction of the German industrial concept, Industrie 4.0. Used correct- ly, digitalization can indeed create attractive jobs in safe con- Future mining will be shaped in a context where it is necessary trol room environments, which provide space for the em- to produce at costs that are determined by international com- ployee’s full expertise and creativity: the control room re- petition [1]. The mining industry has overcome many chal- ceives online processed information from the “rock”, from lenges with the help of technology [2], but technology alone personnel, and from machinery, and control room equipment will not be enough in the future. So, while having a technical makes it possible to control and fine tune the complete oper- production process that is at the forefront is one the most ation, from resource characterization to the final product. important conditions for the future, having a competent work- Sensors and the extensive use of cameras and image tech- force that can handle the technology is another but equally niques even permit “live performances” in the control room important condition—here, generational issues are a big chal- [2]. lenge to overcome. Digitalization is a recurring buzzword that But, in many countries, there is a lack of skilled is often claimed to be able to combine these two requirements. personnel—both miners and mining engineers. The present But how do we build such a production system? workforce is aging and companies have difficulties recruiting The emerging digitalization in the mining industry offers young talented people that in general are not very interested in new possibilities for increased productivity and at the same working in the mining industry [3–5]. To be able to handle time could create stimulating workplaces in a good work en- these problems wisely, it is important to analyze the develop- vironment. Inspiration often comes from the positive images ment from a worker’s perspective. What will happen to their work? What skills will be needed in the mine of tomorrow? We must also consider the risks, such as privacy issues, in- * Jan Johansson creased stress and work-life boundaries. Work, no matter how [email protected] attractive, may not be so attractive if it follows one home. If 1 Human Work Science, Luleå University of Technology, safety is achieved through constant supervision, this might be 97187 Luleå, Sweden too high a price to pay. These questions must be considered if 702 Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2019) 36:701–707 we are to create attractive workplaces that can attract young 1.2 Mining 4.0—an Upcoming Concept people to tomorrow’sminingindustry—a workforce that le- verage its future high-tech environment. Industry 4.0 will also come to affect the mining industry. In Thus, in this article, we try to illustrate what the new tech- fact, some mines have taken important steps towards the dig- nology can mean for the individual miners. We will try to italized mine of the future. Gradually, the mining industry gets create an image of how the future might look from a miner’s closer to the visions of Industry 4.0 and fully automated mines perspective and how mining companies may navigate their as well as more technologically sophisticated ore-processing way to a future that works for all miners. facilities. Analogous to the application of Industry 4.0 in a mining context, we conceptualize Mining 4.0 as a mining operation where the miner is an expert who ensures that pro- 1.1 Industry 4.0—the Engineering Industry Is duction runs smoothly. A Mining 4.0 operator is not confined Showing the Way to a control room. Instead, real-time process data and the sta- tus of machines follow the miner as they move around the Industrie 4.0 is a strategy that was shaped by the German mine. The miner solves problems directly at the source by government in 2013. Industry 4.0 (to use its English name) remotely interacting with other operators, experts, suppliers, is described as the fourth industrial revolution. After the steam and customers in multi-competent teams. Production control engine, electricity, and electronics, the revolution consists of could even be done in a “digital twin” far away from the an implementation of “Internet of Things, Humans, and factory. In short, Mining 4.0 envisions an augmented miner Services” where the entire production process is included in with senses and memory extended through technology. This internet-based networks that transform ordinary factories to technology takes advantage of and supports human skills and smart factories. The German concept as a whole is formulated increases situational awareness through sensors embedded in in the report “Recommendations for implementing the strate- the clothes of operator, for example, while keeping an unin- gic initiative Industrie 4.0 – Final report of the Industrie 4.0 terrupted operational vigilance. This could be essential in dif- Working Group” [6]. Similar concepts have appeared all over ficult mine environments, to manage the effects of heat and the world. The Chinese government promotes a similar idea long shifts. under the name Made in China 2025 [7] and the Japanese Romero et al. [14] formed a typology of the future Industry government has launched Society 5.0 [8]. 4.0 operator: Operator 4.0. It built on eight stereotypes that Meanwhile, the German vision paints a bright picture can be seen as the core of the new technology; we have mod- of the future industry in which virtual and physical ified them to relate to the future miner: worlds will be linked into a powerful “whole” through the integration of software—from product development & The super-strength miner uses biomechanical support for and production, machines will not just do “physical increased limb movement and increased strength and work” but also perform calculations [9, 10]. This is endurance. described as cyber-physical systems, or even socio- & The augmented miner uses augmented reality (AR) for cyber-physical systems: smart ventilation, smart logis- integrating information from the digital to the physical tics, smart maintenance, smart machines, and other world. Examples include maintainers receiving direct as- smart systems continuously exchange information with sistance from equipment manufacturers. Through special themselves and with human workers. The German strat- glasses that send and receive live video, both parties egy highlights the potential for skill expansion and an would be able to see the problem—which can then be enriching working life with more challenging work solved through instructions from the equipment tasks. manufacturer. Kagerman et al. [6] noted that it is necessary for companies & The virtual miner uses virtual reality (VR) for simulation to have a sociotechnical approach where the participation of and training of risky real-life situations. In fact, VR train- employees in job design is central. Without participation, the ing is already relatively common in mining [15] and is desired effects may not be achieved at all. Several commen- probably one of the industries where it sees the most ap- tators have argued that Industry 4.0 requires a flat organization plication. This includes training for high-risk scenarios, with more organizational innovations, learning, enhanced such as fire events and simulating new equipment (how human–machine interaction, and a more human-focused view will the new machine look, if it will fit in drifts etc.). In on the new technology [cf. 11–13]. The German strategy also principle, it is possible to place the entire control room and underlines that these developments will reduce the need for production control in a VR environment and thus make it employees; functions such as remote controls and preventive independent of location. maintenance will reduce labor costs but increase the employ- & The healthy miner uses wearable sensors for monitoring ment security of the remaining factory staff [6, 13]. health-related metrics as well as GPS location.