The program will offer panel discussions on specific topics with groups of experts gathered to discuss their differing perspectives. Each panel will have 3 to 4 experts in the field, who will share facts, offer opinions and respond to audience questions. Each panel will be facilitated by a moderator who will guide the panel and the audience through a lively conversation about the topic.

 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1 – 11:00 to 12:00 EDT
LIVE PANEL ON BUILDING THE DIGITAL PROGRAM

Mining 4.0 is an allusion the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, generally defined as the ongoing interconnectivity, automation, bridging the physical and digital world through IoT, and the use of that information in control systems and customization of products.  Technology-focused mining companies have been early adopters of early forms of this technology such as machine health monitoring, data historians, and fleet management systems (FMS).  A level of overhead has been added to manage the devices, connectivity networks, back-end databases, and apps to make use of the data, all much be managed.    /p>

• How should companies structure the business to adequately manage these technologies from acquisition, to support and use?
• Should this smart technology fall within the IT department?  Operations?  A new group?
• How much should be developed using platforms rather than buying multiple apps?
• Should a separate Operations Technology group handle the complete technology stack?
• Should all affected departments raise their own digital capabilities?

PANELISTS:

Aaron Wylie, Manager, Automation, Teck Resources Limited

Laeeque Daneshamend, Noranda-Falconbridge Chair, Professor Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining, Queen's University

Andrew Scott, National Cluster Development Manager, METS Ignited

MODERATOR: Sean Dessureault, Vice President, Technology and Innovation, The Mosaic Company

 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1 - 15:45 to 16:45 EDT
LIVE PANEL ON THE DIGITAL WORKFORCE

New sensors measuring plant and equipment performance are creating an explosion in the amount of data we are now collecting and storing. New technologies in areas of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are opening new ways of working and training operational staff. All this data and new tools can help provide workers with valuable information about safety, maintenance issues, and operational performance. But how well are we connecting this data and tools into the needs of the worker, and what automated workflows and digital tools can best support this shift to The Digital Workforce?

• What is the greatest need today in developing the Digital Workforce in mining industry?
• What are some of the key enabling technologies that can best support the new Digital Workforce?
• What areas can best benefit from a digitally enabled workforce: safety, maintenance, operations, resource training?
• How does a company best develop and manage a Digital Workforce strategy, and ensure IT/OT alignment?

PANELISTS:

Sam Hampton, Co-Founder, SiteVantage, Inc. (former CEO and Founder of Tehr It)

Ray Gelinas, Mine Dispatch Coordinator/MineStar Site Champion, Mount Milligan – Centerra Gold Inc.

Allyson Hawley, Asset Health Lead, Teck Resources Ltd.

Henro van Wyk, Vice President and General Manager, Wabtec Digital Mine

 

MODERATOR: Shawn Tetreault, Manager, Smart Mining Solutions, SMS Equipment Inc.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 15:15 to 16:15
LIVE PANEL ON DATA TO ACTION

The data to action flow starts with data.  One of the challenges in collecting data is in selecting and deploying the right technology such as IoT, fleet management systems (FMS), historians, and the communications infrastructure that easily brings the data into integrated databases with context.  The bigger challenge then becomes how to turn our data into information, often through contextualization, KPIs, visualization tools, and integrated workflows.  The challenge then moves to turning that information into knowledge, and connecting this knowledge into our workforce so we can quickly take the improvement actions required, fully supported by the data and knowledge.  There are many new and well known techniques, such as Pareto analysis, machine learning or six-sigma analysis, that can all support this process. From the clearest conclusions on root cause analysis to the most precise machine learning algorithm identifying an impending component failure, that knowledge must be acted upon to gain the value.  Defining more comprehensive digital programs such as Equipment Health Monitoring, Predictive Maintenance, Role-Based Operational Dashboards, and Integrated Operations Centers, are now part of a company’s core digital transformation strategy to move these efforts to broad organizational adoption. The panel will discuss the challenges in all these areas, with a special focus on driving the data to action.

PANELISTS:

Mike Rikkola, Director of Analytics, Komatsu Mining Corp. Group

Ian Jones, Product Manager, Reporting and Business Intelligence, RPMGlobal

Mark Baker, Principal, CheckMark Consulting Inc.

Andrea Bauer, Director, Asset Management, KMC Mining Corporation

MODERATOR: Mike Brown, Executive Vice President, Technology & Innovation, SMS Equipment Inc.

 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3 - 12:30 to 13:30
LIVE PANEL ON THE CONNECTED MINE

We all recognize the growth of opportunities and benefits that new digital solutions in mining can deliver, from AI to autonomous operations. But these solutions are often reliant upon a solid IT/network and enabling digital infrastructure so important in ensuring this next generation of digital solutions can be delivered and sustained in very complex mining environments (remote, underground, …). 

The Connected Mine panel session will explore key areas of this digital and data infrastructure, where this technology is heading, and how to best develop a Connected Mine plan to support digital solutions now and into the future. 

• What are some of the key technologies impacting the digital mine infrastructure path forward?
• How should a company best define and manage a deployment/support strategy for this increasingly complex layer?
• How do we best pace infrastructure investment with digital solutions?
• What does a comprehensive operational/equipment data infrastructure layer look like, and how do we manage on-prem vs cloud environments? 

PANELISTS:

Richard Fiorante, Director Digital COE, Americas, Worley Digital

David Haukeness, Product Manager, Autonomous Systems, Komatsu Mining Technology Solutions

Grenn Holden, Manager, Mobile Mining System, Teck Resources Limited

Patrick Cawley, Mining Industry Process Consultant, Dassault Systèmes

MODERATOR: Laura Mottola, Director, Digital Transformation, BBA