QUARRY MINING
He said : “ Things have definitely changed over the last decade in the quarry and mining industry . Operations have become increasingly bigger and as a result , smaller companies closed , and businesses concentrated on larger projects .”
“ We designed the biggest crushing and screening plant for limestone . This plant is operating at a much lower cost per ton than it ever would have been able to achieve in the past . There are also many new products around that we can use to support our operations . I have seen a big change in the way the industry operates throughout my career ,” added Kerler .
Expanding on this , Drewes highlighted what catalysed this change , he commented : “ Operations are only increasing in size . The bigger you can get , with lower operational costs , the better your company will be . It ’ s only the development of new technologies that have made it possible for operations to grow .”
“ To have large operations , you need new , larger machines and complex control systems ; this is not possible without the development of technology . Things like the introduction of cloud connection , integrated systems and improved electronic offerings mean we can operate differently than ever before . It is technology that has brought us up to this level of efficiency ,” Drewes continued .
With rapid advancements in technological innovation , including automation , digitisation , and electrification , it comes as no surprise that both Kerler and Drewes are seeing fundamental changes within their industries .
62 January 2022