Mélissa Dardaine
…The sawfiler’s role may have changed, but the need for the sawfiler’s knowledge has not. Photo: Annex Business Media Robotics are now available for our filing rooms. Sawfilers can now depend on robotics to do the repetitive work, day in and day out. However, it seems robots with automation in the filing room may be a little misunderstood by a few. Robots are programmable machines that are usually able to carry out a series of actions and repeat the same series of actions over and over. In my opinion robots get this done via sensors and actuators that are determined and set by a human. Artificial intelligence (AI) is when a computer is programmed to complete tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence. Robotics does not require any intelligence because the robot will never change what it is doing nor will it make a decision to change. AI has […]
…The number of deaths caused by remote mining vehicles has risen to become the leading cause of mining site deaths worldwide in 2021. According to a new report from the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), ‘ Safety Performance: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members in 2021 ’, the total number of work-related fatalities in the mining sector remained relatively consistent with 2020, seeing 43 deaths in 2021 compared to 44 the year before. This comes despite a 7% increase in the total number of hours worked in the year before. While approximately half of mining deaths happened in South Africa, the highest death rate compared to hours worked came from Côte d’Ivoire, followed by Bolivia. However, each of these countries saw only one death each, giving drastically skewed death rates due to the low number of hours worked. This marks the lowest annual total of deaths and […]
…Suzano’s new tissue mill would have the capacity to produce sixty thousand (60,000) tons per year of tissue, which would then be converted into tissue and towel products. June 30, 2022 – Suzano has announced plans to build a tissue mill with converting operations in the municipality of Aracruz, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The new plant would have the capacity to produce sixty thousand (60,000) tons per year of tissue, which would then be converted into tissue and towel products. Suzano estimates investment in the project of around R$ 600 million and an implementation period of approximately two years from the time of its approval. The project is subject to approval by the company’s internal governance bodies, including the Board of Directors, as well as the closing of contracts with suppliers. Suzano plans to fund the investment using its balance of ICMS tax credits in the state, which […]
…The Kwale operations accounts for 65% of Kenya’s mining industry. Credit: Base Resources. Base Resources has announced its decision to move forward with the Bumamani mineral sands project in Kenya. The decision follows the completion of the definitive feasibility study (DFS), which determined the mine’s economic viability. According to the study, the Bumamani mine is expected to involve a $28.1m investment for development. This project includes the higher-grade subsets of the Bumamani and Kwale North Dune deposits. The DFS also validated the feasibility of concurrently mining the two areas with the Kwale South Dune deposit. Base Resources expects to begin mining at the Kwale North Dune deposit in March 2023. The Australia-based firm said that its latest decision will extend the operational life of the firm’s fully owned mineral sands operations in Kwale County (Kwale operations) by 13 months to December 2024. Located 50km south of Mombasa, Kenya, the […]
…Barkerville Historic Town Wildfire Fuel Treatment. Photo: FESBC With $25 million in new funding from the provincial government , the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) is now accepting applications to finance projects that will assist the province of British Columbia in reducing wildfire risk and increasing community resiliency to wildfire across B.C. Successful applicants will receive funding to undertake activities that fall under at least one of the three criteria: Wildfire Risk Reduction planning and treatment prescription development. Wildfire Risk Reduction treatments. Recovery and utilization of low-value residual fibre resulting from wildfire risk reduction treatments funded by FESBC. “The FESBC is a proven partner in delivering projects on the ground that protect people from wildfire risks and reduce emissions from slash pile burning,” Minister of Forests Katrine Conroy said. “Along with the historic investments in Budget 2022 to transform the BC Wildfire Service into a year-round service and […]
…Kruger Products officially inaugurated its Sherbrooke Tissue Plant on June 20. It also kick-started its $351.5 million expansion project for another tissue plant being built at an adjacent site. In a statement by the company, Kruger Products explained that the second project, expected to be completed by 2024, is aligned with its vision to make Sherbrooke a major tissue product manufacturing hub in North America. The plant is to feature one of Canada’s most advanced and best-performing TAD tissue machines. In total, the company will have invested nearly $1 billion in the Estrie Region since 2018. The inauguration of the Sherbrooke Tissue Plant and breaking ground on the expansion project took place in the presence of Joseph Kruger II, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kruger Inc.; François Legault, Premier of Québec; Pierre Fitzgibbon, Québec Minister of Economy and Innovation; Geneviève Hébert, Member for Saint-François and […]