With the rise in UAVs and artificial intelligence tools, the mining sector has slowly started to take advantage of these resources to help them improve operations and streamline operations for the better. Be it for efficiency, mapping or surveillance, companies in this sector are turning to drones for a number of reasons.

Here are a few ways in which drones can be helpful in the mining and metal industry:

• Helps to improve productivity

Mining commodities are forever dropping, forcing companies to search for new ways to increase productivity. With helicopters and human resources have been the most advanced way for managers and workers to maintain and monitor their environments in recent years, it wasn’t always the most effective in terms of time. Today, drones are giving better results at a fraction of the cost.

• Monitors safety more efficiently

Companies aren’t only looking for new ways to improve the safety around their own employees, but they’re also leveraging the latest technologies to help improve their equipment safety in high-risk areas. Drones/UAVs are one of the few tools that can do several things at the same time. From GPS tracking to taking videos these flying aerial vehicles can monitor the workplace faster than any human could.

Staff is no longer at risk, as nearly everything can be overseen by a drone. Information can be reported back to management, where they will be able to make further decisions without staff having to get involved and perform these tasks themselves. As a result, these incredibly smart business assets can act as an effective tool when looking to automate time-consuming tasks and security on-site and after hours.

• Easier for maintenance purposes

Drones have the ability to complete tasks faster than any human being could dream of doing. In terms of maintenance, drones are mainly used to measure stockpiles on mining sites because of the time assistance. Before drones, this was an incredibly labor-intensive job that took hours to complete. Land surveyors were usually tasked to climb up onto areas with GPS equipment to try and record multiple data points when surveying the land. These tasks also require costly industrial equipment, therefore with the help of drones, business owners can be more strategic with their plant and machinery finance options. It’s no longer a case of deploying all types of equipment but rather the important units which are chosen based on drone footage.

• More accurate approach to mapping

With mining pits in general, it’s easy for contractors and surveyors to say that something is complete when it’s far from the truth. Often times, this happens simply because it feels like you’ve touched on everything when you haven’t. Mining companies can make use of drone footage to keep interactions professional. Projects can be guided through drone footage, giving workers a clear representation of what has already been done and the work that still needs to be completed on the site.

Challenges in using drones in the Mining and metal industry

– Drones have the limited flying capacity, load endurance, and processing power

– Drones solutions are incompatible with existing solutions

– Concerns related to public privacy and safety and air traffic interference

– Lack of availability of experienced vendors and readily customizable solutions

Dronitech is a national leader in the drone industry providing drone services, training to its clients/customers across India. Visit https://www.dronitech.com/ Or you can request a consultation with one of our team members.