Mobius for Drills fleet management platform

Aitik knows the drill

August 26, 2022

North of the Arctic Circle, just outside Gällivare lies Aitik, Sweden’s largest open pit copper mine and one of Europe’s largest copper mines. When the mine opened in 1968, Boliden was hoping for 15 years of mining. Fifty-four years later, at least 23 years of mining are planned. In order to achieve production targets, Boliden must remain at the forefront of automated drilling and other modern technology. Mobius for Drills, a new platform to convert data into useful, actionable information, has been in use since last year with the aim of going even further. Linda-Marie Lantto, supervisor for preparation, explains more:

This year you aim to drill roughly 350 000 meters. What are the main challenges to achieving this goal?
“That everything works as it should, both autonomously and teleremotely. Aitik is a large, long-distance mine, so we need to do what we can to maximize drilling and be efficient. We save a lot of time being able to start the machines from the control room instead of going down into the mine.”

How does Mobius for Drills work in your operation?
“We have been involved since the start and informed Epiroc about the challenges and needs involved in our daily work. Epiroc has been responsive and made changes to the platform during the journey. It’s great working with a supplier who looks after the customer’s best interests, and it’s thrilling to have the latest technology in place.”

What do you think Mobius for Drills will mean for the business?

“That we have more time for what we actually have to do. We hope that to avoid having to write manual drill reports about where our machines are and how deep the holes are. Now we can rely on Mobius for Drills to produce the reports we need to help us with our work. Following our machines in real time and gaining greater insight into the entire drilling process is worth a lot. Our work is easier and more efficient.”

How does the platform benefit your work specifically, and what strengths are planners highlighting?
“I mostly handle the drill maps and send them out to the machines, which in the long term will mean more insight into the process. What I’ve picked up from planners so far is that they get a better overview of where the machines are in the mine and good reports that facilitate planning. We look forward to gaining additional benefits from Mobius for Drills once we really get going.”

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