
According to Mining-technology.com, industrial robotics sector revenues are forecast to grow from $14.6 billion in 2020 to $352.1 billion by 2030. That’s an increase of 37.5%, year over year.
What’s driving robotics adoption? Safety, productivity and sustainability, with safety firmly in the lead in industries where hazards abound, such as mining and drilling. Patrick Salvador, Innovation Manager at Major Drilling in North Bay, Ontario remembers that robotics got its start in the field when programmable logic controllers (PLCs) entered the picture in the 1980s.
“Basic robotics was out there, but didn’t start to catch on until about 2010,” says Salvador. “That’s when the technology became more reliable, cheaper and user friendly both for end users and technicians.”
Robotics go remote
It wasn’t until even more recently that robotics overcame some of the main obstacles encountered in drilling. Most of those involve working in remote locations: the technical ability to troubleshoot and execute repairs, as well as having limited access to parts. Salvador finds that technicians’ abilities have increased, as has component reliability. Modern robotics are robust, reliable, and promise to help with production values, sustainability and workplace safety.
At Major Drilling, as with most larger players, safety is by far the number one priority. “That’s what every branch manager starts with in meetings,” says Salvador. “Health and safety. A big part of staying safe is awareness. Regular safety alerts go out across the company globally so that managers are educated on safety hazards and how to avoid incidents in their own area. The push towards robotics is an important aspect of Major’s health and safety program, but it’s just one way that Major keeps its staff safe.


Safety up
Safety has come to the fore in drilling around the world because a higher value is being placed on occupational wellness globally. The disparity in attitudes between developed and developing nations is closing.
At the same time, companies are getting wise to the true cost of injuries. According to the U.S. National Safety Council, the average direct cost for worker’s compensation claims across industries in 2020 was USD$41,353. In Canada, construction sector-specific claims average CDN$78,000. Indirect costs—lost productivity, admin of various sorts, re-training, lower employee morale, and increased employee turnover and absenteeism—are widely accepted to amount to three to four times as much as direct costs.
Production increases
The high cost of injury is a strong argument for robotics that can minimize its occurrence, but then there’s production. In industries like mining and drilling, production is the name of the game. The fear is that technologies like robotics will significantly slow production down. That has certainly been the case in the past, but the opposite is likely to hold true in the future.
“There is a reduction in our production to allow for robotics and hands free operations in some areas,” says Salvador. “What we’re aiming for there is hands-free in all operations.” Robotics cannot match the speed of a human drilling crew, but Salvador thinks that will soon change. “We’re getting much closer, speed-wise,” he says. “New robotic machinery with advanced software is making a big difference.”
