From November 18th to 21st, 2020, the 2020 Mining Frontier and Informatization and Intelligent Technology Annual Conference hosted by Hunan Chuangyuan was successfully concluded. The sub-forum on intelligent mine construction was packed, and the intelligent mining equipment industrial exhibition attracted widespread attention from participants and the media. Li Ping, a reporter from China Mining News, conducted an exclusive interview with Chairman Wang Yi on the development of intelligent mining equipment and technology. The interview was included on the official website and WeChat official account of China Mining News.

Photo of Chairman Wang Yi during the interview

Original text included on the China Mining News website:

Mining is a very ancient industry. New-generation information technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and mobile internet, combined with robots and artificial intelligence, are bringing an unprecedented revolution to the global mining industry. Currently, the domestic and international mining industries have entered the best period for the rapid development of intelligent businesses.

In fact, the intelligent development of mining did not start today. Starting in the 1990s, countries such as Finland, Canada, and Sweden formulated development plans for "intelligent mines" and "unmanned mines" to gain a competitive advantage in the mining field; the United States conducted research on automatic positioning and navigation technology for underground coal mines, achieving commercialized research results.

In 2016, China issued the "National Mineral Resources Plan (2016-2020)", which clearly proposed that in the next 5 years, we should vigorously promote technological innovation in the mining industry and accelerate the construction of digital, intelligent, information, and automated mines. Overall, the mining industry has experienced different business formats such as manual mines, mechanical mines, digital mines, and sensing mines, and is moving towards automation, intelligence, and unmanned operation.

As a major mining country, although China's research and development of intelligent mining equipment started relatively late, with the increasing maturity of 5G technology in China, intelligent and information systems can already keep pace with those in advanced countries, and even surpass them in some aspects. Experts say that the significance of intelligent mining lies mainly in using modern high-tech to upgrade traditional industries, promoting the development of China's mineral resource development towards high efficiency, safety, greenness, and sustainability, and enhancing the core competitiveness of China's mining industry. Against this background, building a national brand of intelligent mining equipment in China is particularly important.

The 2020 Mining Frontier and Informatization and Intelligent Technology Annual Conference, held in Changsha, Hunan, concluded on November 21st. Regarding the relevant issues of intelligent mining equipment in China, a reporter from China Mining News interviewed Wang Yi, an expert enjoying special government allowances from the State Council and chairman of Hunan Chuangyuan High-tech. Wang Yi stated that we should strive to allow domestic mining enterprises to use suitable, satisfactory, and national intelligent mining equipment and systems.

China Mining News Reporter As one of the leading authorities in domestic intelligent mining technology, you have been engaged in research on intelligent mining construction for many years. What is an intelligent mine, and do you have an accurate definition?

Wang Yi Currently, the construction of intelligent mines has become a hot trend. The technologies used in intelligent mines are also the technologies promoted and applied in the current new infrastructure, such as industrial internet, 5G, big data, and cloud computing. Against this background, the task of intelligent mine construction has been placed before us. The construction of intelligent mines is an inevitable trend. As for the definition of intelligent mines, we must first trace back to the purpose of intelligent mine construction. The purpose is actually very simple: to liberate people from harsh environments and allow mine workers to live and work with dignity. Without intelligent mines, the future employment problems of mining enterprises will be quite difficult, which will affect the overall development of the mining industry. The so-called intelligent mine is essentially using machines to replace manual labor, reducing labor, and using intelligence to achieve unmanned production.

China Mining News Reporter What are the differences between intelligent mining technology and traditional automation?

  Wang Yi The most essential characteristic of an intelligent mine is autonomous operation. In essence, the concept of "intelligence" has been overused for a long time in the past. True "intelligence" actually requires possessing human wisdom and abilities. When we talk about "intelligence," we mean using machines and computers to replace human wisdom and abilities. Therefore, the "remote control" and "automation" we used to talk about are not strictly intelligent. "Automation" is based on rule-based, reflexive instructions; setting known conditions can produce predetermined results. Intelligence is the digital structure of human intelligent thinking, a technology that uses deep learning methods to allow machines to imitate and possess human thinking and abilities.

China Mining News Reporter As an emerging industry, what were your thoughts and initial intentions when you entered the field of intelligent mining equipment? Did you ever consider failure?

Wang Yi The construction of intelligent mines is essentially a need for social development. In 2012, I undertook a national research project on intelligent mining equipment and have been paying attention to the construction of intelligent mines at home and abroad. Around 2000, many developed countries had formulated plans for intelligent mines and unmanned mines. China's construction of intelligent mines started a little later, and the demand for intelligent construction is even more urgent. Especially considering factors such as mining environmental protection management costs and safety costs, many practitioners have said that safety issues are now a matter of life and death for mines. However, it is difficult to achieve the intrinsic safety of mines without intelligent construction. With this in mind, we have been committed to the intelligent construction of the mining industry.

Using machines to replace human manual labor and computers to replace human brainpower, allowing workers to work more easily, comfortably, and safely. From this perspective, only intelligence can achieve this. Therefore, this is not only a career I want to pursue, but also a mission I must shoulder.

China Mining News Reporter From the current perspective, in the field of intelligent mining equipment research and development, in your judgment, do you think Chuangyuan High-tech is a leader or a forerunner?

Wang Yi: I wouldn't dare say whether we are a leader or a forerunner. Chuangyuan has always focused on the pain points of mines to develop products, and to practically solve practical problems and pain points for mines. In making intelligent mining equipment, I am most concerned with the application of research results, not for the sake of being advanced. Allowing products to truly serve mines is our fundamental purpose.

For China's mining industry, what we urgently need to solve is the problem of small and medium-sized mines. Small and medium-sized mines account for more than 90% of China's total. Due to high labor density, backward production methods, and insufficient safety measures, the accident rate of small and medium-sized mines is very high. To improve the overall development level of the mining industry, I believe that the top priority is to solve the problem of mechanization of small and medium-sized mines, and on the basis of solving mechanization, integrate some intelligent functions into the main functions. This is what Chuangyuan aims to achieve.

Chuangyuan's team has many years of industry experience. We understand the true needs of mine construction, the demand for intelligence in mining, and the type of intelligence required. Therefore, I don't believe Chuangyuan is a leader, but Chuangyuan's intelligent mining equipment can best meet customer needs and consider the overall intelligent mining solution from the overall efficiency and the entire system of the mine. Whether it's unmanned driving technology or the autonomous operation technology of drilling rigs, Chuangyuan pursues "three uses": "want to use, can use, easy to use". Chuangyuan does not blindly pursue advancement but practicality, allowing mines to use it affordably and effectively, bringing substantial benefits. The difference in Chuangyuan's intelligent mining solution lies in the integrated support of processes, equipment, and intelligent systems. Chuangyuan has gathered a group of mining process technology experts, has many years of accumulated experience in mining equipment development, and has professional cooperative teams such as Huawei and China Mobile to handle intelligent technology. I believe that Chuangyuan's technology and products best meet the needs of mining enterprises and allow mines to feel the benefits brought by intelligent technology.

China Mining News Reporter Compared with international intelligent mining equipment suppliers, what are the advantages of domestic intelligent mining equipment supply enterprises?

Wang Yi In fact, we have competed many times with large foreign intelligent mining suppliers. China's mines have certain particularities compared with foreign mines, and there are many restrictions on objective conditions. Therefore, we have closely grasped the actual situation and specific characteristics of domestic mines and carried out technological research and equipment development, so many foreign products are difficult to compete with us. It's not that our technology is absolutely leading, but because we best meet the needs of domestic mines, which is the fundamental reason for our winning the competition.

  China Mining News Reporter At present, many domestic mining enterprises have gone global. If these enterprises use our domestic 5G+ smart mining series products abroad, in the context of the Sino-US trade war, the United States and some Western countries restrict Huawei from building 5G base stations abroad. As a supplier of intelligent mining equipment, how do we solve such problems?

Wang Yi The birthplace of 5G technology is in China, and it provides a highway for Chuangyuan's smart mining products. How to make our products run faster and safer on the 5G highway is what we need to study. In fact, the 5G+ smart mining solution we built in close cooperation with Huawei was completed through joint discussions. Individual mine solutions are not universally applicable but are tailored to different mines. Each mine has its own personality.

We established very good cooperative relationships with Huawei and China Mobile very early on. Intelligent mining equipment is impossible without the 5G technology and network services they provide. It's not just Huawei; many of our business partners have provided significant technological support. For example, our cooperation with the German company Bosch in unmanned driving intelligent technology. I always believe that professionals should do professional things. Using Chuangyuan's mining equipment professional advantages to integrate the professional expertise of multiple disciplines and units can make our products have the most comprehensive functions and be most suitable for mine needs. It is difficult for any unit or individual to concentrate all the best and most cutting-edge technologies. Multifaceted and multidisciplinary cooperation is crucial. Integrating the excellent technologies of other units based on our own most proficient technology can formulate product solutions and development routes that best meet customer needs.

China Mining News Reporter The 2020 Mining Frontier Informatization and Intellectualization Technology Annual Conference Chuangyuan Mining Intellectualization Construction sub-venue was packed, the aisles were crowded, and there were 40 or 50 people queuing at the entrance. Many people insisted on standing and listening to the meeting even without seats. How do you view this phenomenon?

Wang Yi I am very pleased that everyone has begun to re-recognize intelligent mining. I have always advocated that intelligent equipment is the foundation and support of intelligent mining, and equipment, technology, and processes complement each other. Processes and systems and platforms that are separated from equipment cannot achieve the ideal effect of intelligent mining. Only with advanced equipment can intelligent mining be complete. Therefore, after the meeting, many mining enterprise leaders and conference representatives came to communicate and discuss intelligent mining equipment with us, indicating that everyone's understanding of smart mining has deepened, and they have realized the importance of intelligent equipment.

In the intelligent mining equipment construction sector, we also hope to create a model in China. At present, there are too few companies in China that produce intelligent equipment. There is no competition between intelligent equipment manufacturers, but rather a need for mutual cooperation to learn from each other's strengths and make up for each other's weaknesses, truly making China's intelligent equipment perfect. Currently, the demand market for China's intelligent mining construction is very broad, and it cannot be completely digested by one or two enterprises. In the past, China was a major importer of mining equipment. Whether we can achieve overtaking on a curve and bring intelligent equipment to the same level as foreign countries is something I care about and the direction I will strive for in the future.

China Mining News Reporter As a leader of an intelligent mining equipment enterprise, in your judgment, what level has the construction of intelligent mining in our country reached?

Wang Yi At present, the state is vigorously promoting new infrastructure, and the construction of intelligent mines fully conforms to the definition of new infrastructure. Many large mining companies are also establishing some demonstration intelligent mines. This is an irreversible trend, a new trend, and a new starting point. On this basis, as a manufacturer of intelligent mining solutions, we have an unshirkable responsibility and will do more work in this field in the future, so that our mining customers can use suitable, satisfactory, and national intelligent mining equipment and systems. I think I am full of confidence in this.

China Mining News Reporter So, what are your next plans in the field of intelligent mining construction? For example, how far will you lead Chuangyuan, or how far will you lead the intelligent construction of China's mining industry?

Wang Yi Based on Hunan Chuangyuan's business philosophy of "innovation leads to the distance," "innovation" is based on the needs of mines and is continuous and consistent. Chuangyuan's goal is first to solve the mechanization problems of small and medium-sized mines and the intelligent construction problems based on mechanization. At the same time, we also have mechanization and intelligent solutions for large and medium-sized mines suitable for China's national conditions. I believe that by following the needs of mining customers and solving the practical needs and pain points of mines, Chuangyuan will surely achieve long-term development synchronized with the mining industry.

Profile Wang Yi, Chairman of Chuangyuan High-tech. Professor-level senior engineer, master's tutor, national science and technology progress award appraisal expert, member of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Expert Committee, member of the Technical Committee of the National Mining Engineering Technology Research Center, national model worker in the nonferrous metals industry, and expert enjoying special government allowances.  。