Mining & Minerals Processing

The Mining and Metals processing (MMP) industry has specific requirements when it comes to applying enterprise application software principles.

Traditionally MMP industries were supply-based, but in recent times MMP transitioned to demand-base with minerals and ore being drawn to market by booming economies.
Mining and Metals Processing is experienced increased productivity demands. This is due in part to minerals pricing and foreign exchange fluctuation at times reflecting consumer demands. This is a trend that continues and places a focus for companies on ‘time to market and price’.

“Mining” operations are divided into two categories; underground and surface/pit operations.

Under ground operations tend to be organised around teams (gangs) or units performing tasks to meet the mine call objectives. Face advance is a key measure to operational progress in meeting mine call. The key events or “drum beats” dictating the pace underground are listed as follows:

Drilling, blasting, breaking, cleaning and ventilation.
“Skips” for the transport of ore and waste rock.
- Inventory/Logistics movement tracking
- Hoists for the transport of men and materials.
- “Mary-Annes” for emergencies and unscheduled trips.

The minerals processing operation (surface ops) on the other hand has a ‘process oriented’ dynamic, similar to that of chemical and pharmaceuticals companies. The typical bill of material (BOM) production model as used in discrete manufacturing does not support this process modelling, ‘formulations’, discreet and continuous batches. It also does not deal with the assayed properties of the batches processed.

Few software packages provide a comprehensive and compelling solution to MMP industries. Axnosis staff has over the last 10 years accumulated a wealth of knowledge in this domain. This knowledge has successfully been applied using technologies from Microsoft – in particularly the Dynamics Ax suite of software. Axnosis with its clients work together to enhance and refine this solution.

Dynamics Ax ERP from Microsoft with Ax SRM, Ax PA, Ax SIM. Ax TMS and Ax SAM provides a production-and-asset-centric application, designed specifically for capital intensive industries such as Mining and Metals Processors. The Dynamics Ax MMP solution map is described below.

	Dynamics Ax ERP & SRM	Dynamics Ax covers Financials, Fixed Assets, Trade and Logistics, Warehousing, Projects, Business Intelligence, commitment accounting, stores-, purchase-, and maintenance requisitions, workflow and more.

	Dynamics Ax SAM	In addition Dynamics Ax SAM addresses the business systems requirements of MMP from a preventative maintenance point of view. Setting up of an engineering asset register, scheduling of job cards and feedback against these job cards.

	Dynamics Ax PAM	Production Accounting for Dynamics Ax provides functionality specific to those functions tasked with the management of ROM and minerals processing. This module enables Dynamics Ax to model, ‘plan’, and report and analyse the dependencies in the mining operation crucial to the throughput of the operational units.

	Dynamics Ax TMS	TMS was developed for logistic intensive mines which manage their own (or third party-owned) fleet. Mines that do not want a separate transportation solution but are looking for an integrated TMS and an ERP system that still enables them to benefit from best of breed functions in transport and logistics domains.

	Dynamics Ax SIM	Some MMP enterprises prefer to have a Best-of-breed mix of applications. Axnosis has also developed a Software interface module (SIM) in Dynamics Ax that allows Ax users to control the information that flows into Ax. The SIM module is 100% Ax and supports secure access to external Microsoft based systems. Such as Labware LIMS, Wonderware ArchestrA and CadsMine.

	Symplexity	Finally, interfaced into the above Axapta solution is a proven MMP specific HR/Payroll solution from Symplexity, currently being used at Goldfields, Northam, Rio–Tinto, Murray and Roberts etc.

Dynamics Ax MMP components explained: