The
Digitization of
Sustainable
Mining

Are you a mining engineer, geologist, or surveyor?

Skill up and contribute to sustainable mining through digitization.

Introduction

The new normal created due to the pandemic has a big hand in the acceleration of the use of technology in every sector of work. Industry heads all over the globe are coming up with newer, faster, and more sustainable alternatives to existing practices. The sensitivity to environmental impact and social concerns such as the livelihood of communities also are essential factors that researchers have had to keep in mind while exploring different ways of increasing productivity.

These alternatives are especially beneficial in the case of potentially dangerous jobs because they are substituted by the use of digital tools that do the work in a much efficient way, without harming anyone or anything in the process.

Mining is one such sector that has faced a lot of criticism throughout history about unsafe methods, objectionable practices, and the potentially dangerous environments miners and mining engineers are subjected to. Thus, mining productivity decreased by about 25% in the last decade.

The mining industry is becoming even more complex as it deals with resources that are getting harder to access day by day, capital looking to be greener, and the rising demand and need for profitability. Thus, a change in approach in the mining industry is a need of the hour that can only be achieved by increasing the reliance on digital tools that ensure a growing focus on sustainability while increasing productivity.

Sustainability in the Mining Industry

The decline in mining operations has been noticed worldwide, and the decrease in productivity has been observed across different commodities in the past decade. Though the drop doesn’t seem so surprising when we consider the demand supercycle that this industry has seen in this period. It succeeded in expanding the production of certain commodities by 50% or even more, but it ended poorly with the production costs spiraling out of control.

So, the sword remains hanging over the heads of the managers to cut production costs while finding ways to improve mining outputs, in other words, to raise the productivity bar without additional cost. This productivity performance issue is one that must be addressed and studied closely. So governments, CEOs, and investors are putting joint efforts along with publicly funded research institutions to acknowledge and reverse the downward trend.

Leveraging digital tools can create an inflection point in the mining industry’s productivity rate by unlocking new,sustainable ways to manage estimations, variabilities, and constraints.

One such way is by having the latest geological estimation processes included in the production schedule. Geology and mine planning tools like GEOVIA Surpac with integrated production scheduling through their MineSched software do just this task for mining engineers. Quickly incorporated resource estimations help geologists improve their work efficiency as they don’t have to waste their time waiting for the computer to process estimations. Geologists, thus, have more time to devote to other areas of the business, which in turn helps in improving the overall productivity at the mine site.
Similarly, with digital geology and mining tools, mining engineers are able to design and mine effectively through scientific extraction of the minerals, which minimizes waste mining. This ensures that the correct material is sent to processing and waste. The reason why this is a substantial aspect is that if waste material is mined and sent for processing, not only will the mining company spend unnecessary money with zero returns, but it also will create unnecessary wear on equipment that will shorten its life cycle and drive-up maintenance costs in the long run. Thus, software like GEOVIA Surpac contributes greatly to supporting open pit and underground mining operations.

Digitization of the Mining Industry

In many developed countries, the mining industry has an aging workforce. It is estimated that more than 60% of the workforce will be retiring in the next decade itself. The younger generation getting into the mining sector does not see mining through the same lens, and it is only for the better. Digitization is infiltrating this space similar to what happened in the automotive and aerospace sector, and the mining community is becoming more digitally suave.

Extrinsic factors such as environment, social concerns, and limited resources are driving towards the digitization of mines to provide a transparent view to all stakeholders. On the other hand, intrinsic factors such as the younger generation being digital natives – interested in job automation, robotics, working with drones, and being familiar with remote working is also a huge driving factor for the digitization of mines.

While we have established that digitization has the potential to bring about sustainability in the turbulent mining industry, how exactly can we do so?

The aspects of mining, such as processing large amounts of sensor data to obtain accurate and consistent pictures of the rock face, its geological modeling, on-the-day scheduling, and predictive maintenance, are made significantly easier by digitization.

The Surpac software has comprehensive tools which include:
• Drillhole data management
• Geological modeling
• Block modeling
• Geostatistics
• Mine Design
• Mine planning
• Resource or reserve estimation.

It helps enhance productivity, usability, and sustainability to extract valuable resources while being modular and easily customizable to adapt to changing needs. In this integrated environment, designs can be created to maximize ore recovery while complying with project constraints such as cut-off grade, economic limits, and ground stability. It also aids usability by allowing expanded sharing of data, skills, and project knowledge across teams and departments and maintaining consistency of execution using task automation. This means increased time savings for the company.

Who can use it, and how will it help them?

In mining and survey organizations, mining engineers, geologists, and surveyors are the primary users of the GEOVIA Surpac application. Mining engineers will utilize its tools for open pit and underground mine design and reserve estimation. Apart from Mine design, it will also assist them with dump design.

Geologists will be utilizing the Surpac tools for drill hole data management and exploration planning to prepare geological sections and for 3D orebody modeling, block modeling, geostatistics, and resource estimation.

Surveyors will utilize this application to fetch and process updated survey information of the mine sites to find updated features of the location. The input survey details will be from total station, DGPS, GPS, and Point cloud data.

How to get started?

If you’re a mining engineer, geologist, or surveyor and are willing to learn the futuristic and sustainable ways of the mining industry and the world’s most popular geology and mine planning software GEOVIA Surpac, the EDST e-learning course on the same will be a sound choice. This course will help you understand how this latest, industry-standard software is used in geology, mine planning, and management processes.

This Surpac course provides hands-on practice sessions along with the 12-hour long course video content that holds a validity of 90 days. All you need is a basic knowledge of computers, and on completion of the course, you will have industry-ready skills in the application of the software. AutoCAD and GIS knowledge, though not mandatory, might serve as an added advantage for you. You are also awarded the EDST e-Learning course completion certificate, which boosts your resume significantly while applying for jobs in this field.

Top 5 Hottest
Job Trends
In Automotive
Design

Explore the field of automotive design, emerging trends in electric vehicles and the trending jobs opportunities in automotive design

Over the last few years, the automotive industry has been experiencing steady yet significant evolution. Industry megatrends, such as the rise of electric vehicles, are transforming the outlook of the sector. Traditional processes, products and auto parts are evolving in the face of disruption, and this is forcing OEMs to rise up to the challenge, innovate and compete. The sheer magnitude and momentum of transformation makes this an exciting time to work in the automotive sector.

A career in automotive design is one among the top jobs in the automotive industry, and it is highly sought-after. In terms of lucrative employment, the industry holds ample job opportunities for those possessing relevant technical skills, an innovative frame of mind and abundant creativity.

Top Job Trends In The Field
Of Automotive Design

The competitive field of automotive design offers a myriad of vistas in regard to lucrative job opportunities. Some of the most popular job trends in this field are listed as follows:

Industrial Designer

As automobile manufacturing becomes more automated, industrial design skills are adding value to the field. An automotive designer – a specialized industrial designer – focuses on a fine blend of art and science that involves design & styling of automobiles and their parts. Industrial designers use different feature-based tools to build 3D models, create and position product structures, create detailed product drawings, wireframes, surfaces and sheet metal parts, annotate 3D parts and create 3D views.
Interested in a career in automotive design? Learn the necessary skills from the best in the industry. CATIA V5 Mechanical Design Engineer Bundle

Mechanical Engineer Design

Mechanical engineers conceptualise the blue prints into functional design using 3D applications like CATIA, Solidworks. This can be extended from auto component level up to full vehicle model. In order to produce auto components the supporting business function like jigs and tools development play key role. The mechanical engineers work closely with product design team to realise the products in the shop floor.
CATIA V5 Mechanical Design Engineer Bundle

Design Engineer – Simulation

An exciting career path, simulation engineering is all about using computer aided analysis or CAE to simulate or analyse a designed component. A simulation engineer fundamentally oversees the application of theoretical concepts in practical reality. They use different feature-based tools to build 3D models, create and position part structures and sheet metal parts, and conduct finite element analysis on existing parts and assembly.
Interested in a career as a simulation engineer? Learn the necessary skills from the best in the industry.
CATIA V5 Stress Analysis Engineer Bundle

Design Engineer – Vehicle Integration

Vehicle Integration: A vehicle integration engineer deals with product review, including collision checks between parts, space analysis, mechanism analysis and so on. A critical job role, these engineers use advanced tools to perform interference checks, create section views and 2D text annotations and analyse material properties – one of the primary goals being to check vehicle integrity, and ensure high performance prior to release.
Become an expert in vehicle integration by learning with the experts!
CATIA V5 DMU Space Analysis
CATIA V5 DMU Kinematics

Tool Design Engineer

Once you design and analyse the product, you need to produce them. Tool design engineers are adept at designing tools and moulds to produce auto components, be they sheet metal or plastic parts. They work with advanced feature-based tools to build 3D models, create product structures, detailed drawings, wireframes, surfaces, 3D views and so on that help to envision and build highly accurate and efficient parts.
CATIA V5 Mold Tool Design Engineer Bundle

Use Of Computer-Aided Software In The Field Of Automotive Design

Prospective automotive designers must have knowledge of various software applications in addition to impeccable communication skills and technical expertise. Therefore, alongside degrees in industrial or mechanical design, engineering or relevant work experience, they must know about computer-aided design too. One such software is CATIA that is widely used in the automotive industry. Powered by CATIA, a design career in the automotive industry could prove to be an enriching experience. Interested in learning CATIA? Click here

Have you been searching this article for a long time? Below is a compilation of some of the frequently asked CATIA interview questions. CATIA jobs are mostly in demand in the automotive, aerospace and engineering services segments. CATIA job opportunities exist for both freshers and experienced job seekers. The expectations from both the categories are very different. CATIA jobs for freshers would require you to be very adept in the software application.
In case you are browsing this article, you would surely be aware of what is CATIA?
CATIA is the World’s Leading Solution for Product Design and Experience. It is used by leading organizations in multiple industries to develop the products we see and use in our everyday lives. Just for records, the full form of CATIA is Computer Aided Three- dimensional Interactive Application.
Now let’s jump to some frequently asked interview questions. Note that this is only a preview. It cannot help you bypass proper learning CATIA software application from an authorized organization and trainer.

Interview Questions
1. What is the shortcut key to hide specification tree?

2. Is it possible to change unit of LMT (Length, Mass and Temperature) in CATIA?

3. What is the ‘Save’ extension of Assembly file?

4. Can we use pad tool as alternative for stiffener?

5. Which are Neutral file extensions that can be used for the part file?

6. How many degrees of freedom are there for ellipse in 2 dimensions?

7. Is it possible to extrude open profile using PAD?

8. What is the difference between Mirror and symmetry?

9. Is it possible to create pocket or groove as first features?

10. How many degrees of freedom are there for points in 2 dimensions?

11. What is the file save extension for surface?

12. What is the difference between ADD and ASSEMBLE in Boolean operation?

13. What are the different options in PASTE SPECIAL?

14. What is default value for distance objectives in join command?

15. Is it possible to perform a shell operation on a sphere?

16. How to change the reference plane for a sketch?

17. User defined parameters can contain text – Yes/No

18. What are the different types of coupling modes in loft?

19. What does symmetry option in sketcher do?

20. What is the difference between split and trim?

21. Which tool is used to fill the small gap between surfaces?

22. Where are the Formulas stored in the specification tree?

23. Which tool is used to extrude profiles to different heights?

24. Is it possible to give a variable distance for features in rectangular pattern?

25. Mention the colour code of ISO¬ constrain.

Hope these were helpful. In case you feel a need to refresh or be an expert on CATIA, learn from EDS Technologies which is the platinum partner and a Certified Education Partner to Dassault Systems. Discover and Learn CATIA advanced courses here through EDST e-Learning portal. Keep watching this space for our next part on Frequently Asked Questions on CATIA.

Virtual Learning

Virtual learning is a web-based technology which is available in the education field. It uses technology to enhance the learning experience of the learner. Virtual learning includes videos, animations, resources, activities, interactive exercises and assessments with in the course structure. It also provides the facility of monitoring and reporting for the co-ordinators to ensure the course progression.

Virtual learning can be performed through eLearning materials which are designed for the self-paced learning of the learner or by means of live online teaching sessions. The leaning happens when the learner performs the instructions given to him in the form of readable materials, videos, animations, etc. When the learner performs the tasks as instructed repeatedly the learning will happen.
Since these platforms are web-based there is a scope for analysing the learning behaviour of the learners. This helps in identifying the learning patterns and making necessary changes in the methodology and adopting the right methods. Therefore, the learners will have a more customised and personalised learning experience. Video sessions and animations help in the faster understanding of the concepts. Moreover, activities like quizzes, gamification, interactive exercises, feedback, etc can help in further enhancement of the learning.

Today the major learning platforms adopt two methods of virtual learning, i.e. eLearning and Blended learning. eLearning take advantage of the electronic technology and can happen online with or without the use of internet. Blended learning combines virtual learning and traditional methods of teaching which can be performed online.

The major benefits of the virtual learning platform are the following.
1.Accessibility: Virtual learning platforms can be accessed from anywhere in the world, so the latest technology and skills can be learned by anybody who wants to learn. In addition, virtual learning platforms can be used to reach much larger audience comparing to the traditional approach.
2.Self-paced learning: The learner can learn the courses at a pace which is convenient, depending on individual learning capabilities and can take the sessions multiple times.
3.Affordability: Virtual learning methods are affordable compared to the traditional training platforms.
4.Flexible learning: The learner can choose his own convenient time and location for the learning purpose.
5.Reporting: The tracking and reporting of the course progression can easily managed in these platforms by a coordinator.

The global business landscape is changing rapidly because of technology and the recent pandemic situation, companies are gearing up for more focus on upskilling and reskilling of their employees. Virtual Learning has gained immense popularity among professionals and students as a result of this. The traditional training methods are not available and more and more students and professional are depending on virtual learning to enhance their skill sets and become certified professionals. Companies do not generally differentiate between an online certificate and a regular certificate. However, it needs greater self-motivation for the students to complete the online courses. In effect virtual learning will be the future in almost all the learning fields, there will be more focus in virtual learning in the days to come.

Online Learning Effectiveness

With the advent of the pandemic, the rapidly growing online learning market has skyrocketed into the mainstream. This begs the question – how effective are they at teaching compared to conventional in-person classes? A holistic analysis reveals that beyond just serving as functional alternatives, online courses are a vastly superior option in numerous cases. Before diving into that question, it’s important to clarify the mode of online classes this article will discuss. Only online courses which are off-the-shelf will be discussed. Live online courses will be excluded.

Most research that used student grades as a metric to gauge the relative performance of online courses versus in-person courses found no significant differences between the two. In several cases, online students had significantly higher grades than in-person learners. However, apart from this, there are several factors that make online learning a more attractive option.

Online learning is highly flexible in a number of ways. An individual has complete freedom over the speed at which he or she chooses to tackle different sections of a course. Unlike an in-person course which, in most cases, must standardize the time spent on a particular section, individuals can choose to speed through sections they are already familiar with or spend more time working on sections they find difficult. According to this study, students in online learning classes claimed that their flexible schedules led to better learning outcomes due to psychological reasons, like lack of stress. Online courses also eliminate concerns like transit time and reduce the likelihood of clashing commitments. This is especially useful to individuals with multiple personal commitments, who can now afford to spend time on education. Like all courses, it is essential to be cautious before enrolling in any online course. Check for accreditation from reputed firms or government agencies. Courses that have an unnaturally low amount of requirements or those that require individuals to put in very few hours are often scams. Evidence shows that institutions do not differentiate between students with an online degree and those with regular degrees, provided the course is accredited.

A commonly levied criticism against online courses is that students often do not complete the course. It is indeed true that self-motivation is necessary from the student’s end to complete the course. However, in this process, students can learn important skills like time management. Online course offering institutions can also mitigate this by placing a cap on the number of days for which the course is accessible. It is safe to conclude that the potential disadvantages can be worked around and are minor in comparison to the flexibility and conveniences that online classes offer

Upskill Yourself with EDST e-Learning

EDST e-Learning is an online learning initiative by EDS Technologies leveraging 25 years of industry experience as the largest Engineering and Enterprise Solutions company in India. The online courses are curated by industry experts and academic subject-matter leaders.

EDST Technologies is a Certified Education Partner to Dassault Systèmes and an authorized Academic Partner to Autodesk ensuring certified industry-specific programs enabled through these partnerships. EDS Technologies has developed training programs tailor-made for students, beginners and advanced users in Automotive, Aerospace, Industrial Equipment, AEC and other industries. It has trained more than 60 thousand users and has experience of 6 million training hours in the last 25 years.

EDST Technologies capitalized years of experience in training and launched online learning platform EDST e-Learning. It specializes in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Industry based skills courses. Courses are meticulously curated by a team of industry experts and academicians. Currently, e-learning courses range from Product Design, Domain Courses, Industry CAD applications such as CATIA, AutoCAD, Solidworks Inventor, and Revit and is extensively working on launching new courses.

The industry is amidst the Industry 4.0 revolution and it is going to transform the workplace through technology innovations such as Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Automation, Advanced Analytics Internet of Things and Advanced Robotics. As per Deloitte Consulting, there will be 4.6M manufacturing jobs to fill from 2018–2028 however skill gap may leave an estimated 2.4 million positions unfilled. EDST e-Learning’s vision is to bridge this skill gap and upskill the workforce of the future.

Design Engineer Learning Curve and Career Path

The Future of Working in Manufacturing

With Industrial Revolution 4.0, the nature of work is transforming with Artificial Intelligence (AI), Advanced Robotics, Cognitive Automation, Advanced Analytics and Internet of Things (IoT).

Advanced new age technology has created more jobs that require a unique skillset leading to the gap of available professionals specializing in these skillsets. To bridge this gap, it is important to educate the workforce of the future.

The future workforce is predicted to have collaborative platforms and instant messaging for high productivity. Digital Transformation in Business has rearranged the work architecture by cutting down routine tasks to focus on meaningful tasks that add value to the customers, end product, company, and the workforce.

EDST e-Learning aims to train the future workforce on the digital and soft skills required. The online courses are based on CAD software applications such as 3DEXPERIENCE platform, CATIA, INVENTOR, SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, REVIT and more. These courses are curated to train the workforce for engineering industries such as Aerospace, Automotive, Civil, Mechanical and other relevant fields.

Design Engineer Career Path

Industrial Design is an integration between the field of art and engineering that involves product design and management for manufacturing. Design engineers use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to create, refine and test products and processes involving Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machines.

Design engineers formulate product design and refine the design with visual 3D models for streamlining efficiency throughout the manufacturing process. These engineers also test the assembly design and review the final product to ensure high quality and compliance with company, legal and customer standards. They work in a team of design engineers to boost the functionality in creating the final products within the time and cost constraints efficiently.

Design engineer core responsibilities include:

Interact with the R&D team to understand the design requirement
Use CAD software to transform ideas into plans and models
Collaborate with engineers and managers from different departments
Formulate and test product designs in prototypes
Refine ideas and designs to execute as per the change in requirements
Ensure the design and final product comply with industry standard and guidelines
In the era of digital transformation, design engineers have upgraded to 3D virtual design by using CAD software tools. Today, design engineers use the listed Visual 3D CAD software applications as per their design requirements.

• 1.3DEXPERIENCE

• 2.CATIA V5

• 3.INVENTOR

• 4.SOLIDWORKS

5.Design Eng

Design Engineer Career Requirements

If you want to Upskill yourself with EDST e-Learning courses, visit the learning portal here and register for a course today.

For decades, designers have been following traditional design methods that involve lengthy processes and several iterations. But today, the advancements in software have made design process simple and swift while minimizing the costs entailed. Hence, designers skill up on design best practices to reduce the repetitive design work with the help of design templates and easily implement key user-defined features adopting the right tools. This will provide them more time for innovation and new product design rather than repetitive work.

Generative Design is one such system that is transforming the way we design. CATIA software applications creates optimal designs from the set of system design requirements provided. With minimal efforts, engineers can create and simulate thousands of designs in a short span of time.

How to transform the current traditional design into a new generative design?

Simply input your design parameters such as materials, manufacturing methods, size, weight, strength, and cost constraints and receive numerous manufacture-ready designs promptly. Using AI-based algorithms, the Generative Design system outputs a myriad of design options that meet your project goals or specifications. From the multitude of options available, you can choose the one that best meets your requirement.

Why Choose Generative Design?

Generative Design system is an excellent approach that enables designers to explore an array of designs without altering the predetermined design specifications. The simulation is built into the design process, where the design undergoes hundreds of iterations before giving the output. With generative design, focus more on your vision and goals rather than doing manual design iterations. Just give your inputs, find unimaginable shapes that align with your design specifications like weight, stiffness, durability, cost, and material.

New light-weight design and assembly methodologies

Manufacturing engineers are leveraging the generative design to create accessories and tools that are lighter and stronger. They are using it to minimize part weight, optimize material usage, maximize strength, and minimize costs. The largest manufacturing companies like Airbus are utilizing generative design to redesign their interior parts with reduced weight which minimizes fuel consumption and allowing them to save big. Therefore, if you would like to optimize your material usage and reduce weight while maintaining strength and stability then adopt the generative design system to create lighter, stronger, and more cost-efficient outputs.

Check out the workflow of generative design by Dassault Systemes and how different variants are created after multiple processes.

Use Case: Generative Design Engineering at NIAR

National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University (WSU) collaborated with Dassault Systemes to launch a 3DEXPERIENCE platform to familiarize students with emerging technologies such as Multi-Robotic Advanced Manufacturing (MRAM), additive manufacturing, and the development of new engineered materials for future aviation innovations. The WSU-NIAR designed an unmanned aerial system (UAS) or drone using the Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE platform. One of the major challenges while designing the product is the weight. The team practiced Generative Design Engineering (GDE) to optimize the UAS Gimbal assembly for the cameras and allows topology optimization and CAD reconstruction on a unified platform. With this, the team was able to reduce the vehicle weight, which added 15 to 30 min of flying per battery charge.

WSU-NIAR also leveraged additive manufacturing combined with GDE to optimize standard parts while reducing the overall part counts, avoiding material wastes, and lowering tooling costs compared to traditional milling methods