Finnish-Russian IIoT solutions to revive SA mining industry

ZYFRA Group is bringing its IIoT and AI solutions to South African industry. On January 15-17 Managing Director of ZYFRA Group Pavel Rastopshin and Dmitry Klebanov, Business Development Director VIST Group (ZYFRA subsidiary) are meeting represantatives of South African leading mining companies and automotive solutions providers.

By the end of the past year Finnish-Russian biggest digital solutions vendor ZYFRA has reached $30 mln revenue facilitating industrial manufacturers in Europe and Asia with AI and IoT based solutions as well as autonomous vehicles. In the end of 2018 the company has announced its plans to enter markets of South Africa as early as 2019. The current meeting is the primary step to its fulfillment.

South African economy has finally moved beyond the country's second recession since 1994 and grew by 2,2% in the third quarter of 2018, bringing to an end the country's second. As the STATS SA reports manufacturing was the main driver of positive growth in the third quarter. The industry grew by 7,5%, largely as a result of increased production of basic iron and steel, metal products and machinery; wood and paper; petroleum products; and motor vehicles. This is the largest jump in manufacturing production since the second quarter of 2016.
On the contrary the mining industry was the biggest detractor from economic growth, declining by 8,8%. Lower production levels were recorded for platinum group metals, iron ore, gold, copper and nickel. An increase in the percentage of digital manufactures will allow to keep economics on the positive field through the technological advancement enhancing efficiency.
"Smart manufacturing (the term refers to IoT and AI) is projected to grow noticeably in the 3 to 5 years. Recent surveys showed 92% of senior manufacturing executives believe that "Smart Factory" digital technologies such as artificial intelligence will allow them to improve their degrees of productivity and empower their staff to work more intelligently. Some even account for smart manufacturing market volume to increase to over $320 billion by 2020," said Mr. Igor Bogachev, CEO of ZYFRA Group.
ZYFRA, founded in November 2017, currently operates in Finland, China, Russia, Bulgaria, and India, and its platform connected over 7,000 CNC machines across the countries. By the end of 2018 more than 200 production facilities are equipped with its products.
By now the company offers global market its Real-time machine data collection system MDCplus that can be used to track jobs, operations, work centres, scrap, costs, downtime and people. It also provides its clients with Industrial AI-solutions that can either predict quality and product properties, or recommend process settings and material usage. The company is applying cutting edge data science combined with industrial expertise to provide end-to-end solutions for optimizing production speed, quality, and costs for industries such as machinery, metallurgy, oil and gas and mining.
Back at home ZYFRA's clients are giants like Gazprom, Chelpipe, NLMK Group and United Engine Corporation.
According to the International mining fatality review there were more than 2500 death cases in 2018 alone. Approximately 77% of all mining accidents resulting in a fatality have occurred to involve human factor in operating with equipment. The design and fit for purpose equipment is a very important aspect to be analyzed and focusing on this area is an important way to reduce fatalities. The statistics is counted for about 150 years. But now we have technology that allows us to reduce human involvement in a dangerous process. AI, IoT and robotization combined could turn into what is to be called "Intelligent mine". In an end-to-end smart mining, you remove all personnel from autonomous operating zone and leave robots to themselves. If you need a person or vehicle in there, you equip them with trackers, and every autonomous truck watches them carefully. Counted in numbers that could reduce fatal cases down to zero level. Moreover, the economic and ecological impact are respectively positive: as the use of self-driving vehicles and smart machines allows to reduce costs, it also allows to cut emissions. Industrial sector is conservative, but as the benefit is obvious, it is not only about the industry but about the society as we shall support any innovation that can help us to save lives and environment

Digital solutions implemented could allow to reduce human involvement in a dangerous process. In an end-to-end smart mining, you move all personnel from autonomous operating zone to safe remote control posts and leave robots to carry out all the hazardous works on themselves. Counted in numbers that could reduce fatal cases down to zero level. According to the International mining fatality review there were more than 2500 death cases in 2018 alone. Approximately 77% of all mining accidents resulting in a fatality have occurred to involve human factor in operating with equipment.

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