ifm’s moneo platform is delivering tailored data solutions to Australia’s mines.
The digital landscape is becoming as well traversed by miners as a road into an open pit. But navigating this new world is tricky without the proper tools to guide the way.
At ifm, the goal is to get miners on the path to success with easily accessible data at the touch of a button.
The company’s moneo platform tracks the minutiae of a mine – every valve released, every gram processed – and collects the data on one platform.
It can be overwhelming and even unnecessary to launch a full-scale data overhaul at once. But ifm’s approach sees the company work with operators to tailor solutions to specific needs.
“moneo serves as the compass, guiding engineers towards operational excellence,” ifm national internet of things business manager Freddie Coertze told Australian Mining.
“Our land-and-expand approach ensures that as engineers experience the transformative power of moneo in solving specific challenges, they naturally expand its applications across their operations.”
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“We don’t just want to collect data to be displayed; we transform it into actionable insights operators can use to troubleshoot, analyse and optimise processes seamlessly,” Coertze said.
“The overall mission is to make customers more successful with state-of-the-art technology.”
With ifm’s ‘technology for everyone’ approach, innovative solutions are readily available to all of its customers, whether they want to completely digitise their operation or gather data from one particular area.
“The platform is all self-service with artificial intelligence already built in, so it makes it easy for operators to deploy the knowledge it gathers without needing to be a data scientist,” Coertze said.
“The implementation of that knowledge is made seamless by moneo’s integration with the rest of the equipment on-site.”
“As an agnostic solution, moneo integrates seamlessly with any site’s legacy technology and equipment so there’s no need to develop anything. Our software links up with ifm sensors and collects the data automatically.
“It means there’s no major upfront investment and operators can keep costs low while they decide how they want to expand the technology.”
ifm national product and brand manager Glenn Thornton told Australian Mining that moneo leverages the latest advancements in sensor technology to provide concise real-time digital information about a facility’s operational status.
“These sensors go beyond basic monitoring, offering predictive insights that enable moneo to generate notifications, warnings and alarms before issues escalate,” Thornton said.
“For instance, vibration sensors can detect early signs of bearing faults and excessive machine vibration, allowing for planned maintenance and the prevention of catastrophic breakdowns.
“This translates into significant efficiency gains and productivity improvements for manufacturers.”
Features like level and flow sensors help to ensure optimal lubrication, reducing the risk of downtime and equipment damage.
“By continuously monitoring critical aspects like system pressure and temperature, moneo empowers facilities to maintain optimal operations and achieve increased profitability,” Thornton said.
moneo is designed to reach into and improve every aspect of an operation, from maintenance to stock replenishment – even sustainability goals.
“By tracking elements like how much oil is being used in certain processes and noting anomalies, operators can make macro decisions about reducing waste and lowering carbon footprints,” Coertze said.
“This proactive approach saves time and money, safeguards production schedules and ensures optimal plant performance, all while helping operators reach new levels of sustainability.”
No matter the size of the operation, Coertze said the benefits of using the moneo platform are hard to overlook.
“We’ve had countless operators come to us with feedback saying they’re increasing efficiency across the board,” he said. “And … with the benefits of remote monitoring, workers are being kept out of sticky situations.
“If there’s a problem, workers know exactly what it is without having to step on-site; they can simply fix it remotely.”
With the future of mining shifting towards autonomy and cloud connectivity, it’s solutions like ifm’s moneo platform that are helping operators take the next step on the journey to fully optimised processes.
“Our goal is to empower organisations with innovative solutions tailored to their unique needs so they can move confidently into the future of mining,” Coertze said.
This feature appeared in the July 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
