CROSS CUTS Keep it Simple

The following remarks were heard from people who attended the Mining Automation Symposium, in Sudbury, Ont., Oct 15-16, 1986. We think they provide a good illustration of the diversity of opinion in the industry.

“Perhaps we North Americans are too complex,” says Blue Taylor, mana ger of R&D for the Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, which set up a committee to design a new potash mining machine. Eight companies were contracted to build the new machine which cost $17.6 million and which resembles a space ship. It was so complex only one man could operate it. It turns out he was a pipe organ player, so he was used to using his hands and feet simultaneously. But he could only run the machine for 20 minutes. Fair Warning

Ian Barrie (Ontario Robotics Centre) warned: “You should not automate for the sake of automation. To justify it you have to show an increase in output or a reduction in workforce.”