Author: Juan Carlos Bravo
This weekend, the movie named “The 33” opened in theaters. It depicts the story of the 33 miners trapped for 69 days in a gold mine in Copiapo, in Chile.
I think this movie provides a glimpse of how the mining operations are a serious but sometimes dangerous business.
For manufacturers and producers across all the process industries, we know that safety can never be taken lightly or under-invested in, since lives are at risk.
I think that these type of accidents accelerate the use of technology in order to achieve autonomous underground mining operations, a concept that includes the use of robotics and other technologies in order to remove miners from harm’s way and increase mining efficiency. Miners look to invest in these type of initiatives, not only for personnel safety but also in order to remain competitive during this time of lower commodity prices.
I have not seen the move yet, but based on the trailer, I hope it shows how technically difficult the rescue was, because it truly was not an easy task and nothing short of a miracle. Also, I hope it shows the triumph of the human spirit and how the world united to help rescue the miners. Several of my Chilean friends have told me how during this time they really felt the country was united and felt the support of the rest of the world. Regardless of the movie, I think this accident showed the discipline and resilience of those miners, as well of the Chilean people.
From Jim: You can connect and interact with other mining experts in the Metals & Mining group in the Emerson Exchange 365 community.