The latest mining maintenance trends: What to expect in 2024

Mining has provided raw materials civilisations have needed to develop economies and build communities for thousands of years.

Miners often risked and lost their lives to bring precious materials to the surface. But those days are increasingly being relegated to the past, with higher-tech mine sites and dramatically improved employee safety becoming the norm.

We live in an increasingly digital and automated world, and the mining industry is no different. The last few years have seen an explosion of tech advances implemented in the industry, and 2024 is predicted to continue this trend.

This shift towards digitalisation and automation will continue transforming the sector. This will include reshaping how sites work, how plant and equipment operates, and even the human labour requirements to run a mine.

Monitoring and analysing mine site operations and equipment provide a real-time window into how everything works and how efficiently onsite. It also allows teams to swiftly respond to impending issues that may affect productivity and even forecast possible problems before they occur to allow resolution before a breakdown.

Automate with Chesterton Connect

Smart monitors are a must-have maintenance support tool that ensures processes continue efficiently. Chesterton Connect is an advanced device designed to monitor asset processes continually, capturing real-time data 24–7 and providing valuable information about:

  • Process pressures
  • Process temperatures
  • Equipment vibration
  • Surface temperatures

The benefits of using the system include: 

  • Spot issues to allow early intervention to uptime threats
  • Pinpoint issues that cause difficult-to-discover failures
  • Predict potential future problems via data trends
  • Allow for preventative action to extend productivity
  • Detect processing instabilities early
  • Prioritise equipment maintenance easily
  • Modernise plant operations
  • Assist in cost reduction

Centralised control

There will never be confusion when interfacing with Chesterton Connect. Accessible via the user-friendly mobile app connected to multiple sensors that provide a comprehensive view of plant equipment and health. The mobile app and the in-unit LED display will alert maintenance about occurring or possible upcoming events that may impact functionality.

This alert system will help prevent unplanned downtime and asset failure. The system can also send data through a gateway system to the cloud, allowing the user to access even more data functionality from the office, home or on the road.

System control features include: 

  • The ability to view multiple sensors on a single mobile app
  • Secure data access
  • Data export for analysis
  • Supported on all popular operating systems and browsers
  • Easy to install and configure
  • Replaceable battery for units

Any alerts can be viewed on the Chesterton Connect app and corrected quickly, improving the maintenance and repair processes before machinery breaks down and affects profitability. By avoiding disruption and optimising efficiency, mines can meet production targets and react to market demand more efficiently in 2024.

Discover Chesterton

For more information on this or any other product that would suit your underground mining requirements, visit the Chesterton website or contact the team.