Forward-thinking mining organisations are realising that industrial-scale, three-dimensional (3D) printing of equipment used in mines could make operations more cost effective and reduce the frustrations of equipment downtime, says information technology consultancy and systems integration firm Wipro South Africa energy and natural resources director Louise Steenekamp.

“By 3D-printing the spare parts and replaceable components that complex mine machinery requires, operators can gain greater control over the supply chain and ensure the smooth running of equipment.”

She avers that the current methods of producing tooling and components are often time-consuming, expensive, wasteful and rely too much on third-party equipment manufacturers. “[Further], mines have to bear the brunt of excess inventory, warehousing and storage costs, as well as the logistical costs of urgently transporting parts.”

Steenekamp believes that 3D printing is at the nexus of information technology and operational technology and that, as these realms are moving closer to each other, interesting opportunities for miners will emerge.

Miners worldwide must dig at greater depths to find seams of resources and, therefore, use mining equipment that needs to be monitored and maintained, she says.

“By using robotics and other machines fitted with sensors, we can create a digital representation – such as a hologram or on-screen display – of the equipment to [monitor and] understand its performance, and interaction with the environment kilometres below the surface,” Steenkamp explains.

Subsequently, by leveraging this sensory data, companies can start to predict when equipment may fail, need servicing or require new parts.

“The data can be fed into the 3D printing systems to ensure that the required components are produced on the surface and sent down, ready for when they’re needed,” Steenekamp advances.

Different mining environments require different approaches and tools, which subsequently makes the cost-effective production of unique and customised items, even in small quantities, the most significant advantage of 3D printing, compared with traditional mass-scale manufacturing.