Nokia Bell Labs, Vale dig deep for mining network service | Computer Weekly

Working to the expectation that future mission-critical networks will enhance productivity and safety by including cognitive services in almost every layer, Brazil-based global mining company Vale has inked a research agreement with Nokia’s research arm, Nokia Bell Labs, to implement a cognitive monitoring network service, enabling performance, reliability and safety enhancement of mining operations.

Headquartered in Brazil and operating around the world, Vale claims to be one of the world’s largest producers of iron ore and nickel, and a major copper producer.

Its operations comprise integrated logistics systems, including approximately 2,000 km of railways, marine terminals and 10 ports distributed around the globe.The company said that as it performs its core activities, it has the ambition to be recognised by society as a benchmark in safety and a leader in sustainable mining.

Looking to address the latter, the agreement builds on the longstanding relationship at Vale’s autonomous iron ore mine in Carajás, Brazil, said to be the largest iron ore open pit mine in the world. The technology tested there is designed to offer a solution for creating networks that can sense, think and act ahead of time to enable mission-critical communication in a risky environment.

The project will see Nokia Bell Labs and Vale collaborating to develop such systems within connectivity for enabling future mining operations and to automate planning intelligence.

The relationship will aim to create a holistic digital twin for mission-critical connected operations in the mine. The cognitive monitoring network service enables performance, reliability and safety enhancement of mining operations by utilising data from mine production systems, including hauling trucks, and autonomous drillers, relating them with network key performance indicators.

The project will see use of the Nokia Bell Labs Nokia Industrial eXperience (NiX) research platform, which led to the creation of the Network Cognitive Digital Mine (CDM) venture in Nokia’s strategy and technology organisation.

Mario Azevedo, global manager of engineering and technology projects at Vale, said: “Connectivity is a key enabler for enhancing our operations at Vale, driving improvements in efficiency, safety and performance.

“By integrating advanced connectivity technologies with Nokia Bell Labs, one of our partners, we ensure more robust and consistent processes across IT and Operational groups, implement real-time monitoring for a safer working environment, and optimise processes to reduce downtime and increase efficiency,” he said. “This strategic approach empowers us to achieve operational excellence and maintain the focus on what matters most: safety and value generation.”

Lelio Di Martino, general manager of cognitive digital mine venture at Nokia, said: “This collaboration between Nokia Bell Labs and Vale is the next step in making the mining industry safer and more productive. Mines are complex, multi-domain and multi-stakeholder operations where low agility and high uncertainty can significantly impact profitability.

“The results of this collaboration will enable the creation of cognitive services that can optimise mining processes. Together, we will drive a revolution that will change the way we design and control networks – and mines.”