Automation and reliability: Addressing labour shortages in mining
In the first part of our blog, we examined the potential causes of the mining industry’s ongoing workforce shortage and discussed how industry-appropriate sealing technologies can help address it.
In part two, we look at how a combination of digital monitoring and support services offers additional protection against maintenance shortfalls.
For example, in supporting modern mining processes, the right automation can enhance efficiency and reduce unexpected downtime. John Crane Sense® Monitor, a digital sensor technology that remotely monitors rotating equipment, can provide near-real-time, plant-wide visibility into asset health.
Mining operations put conventional mechanical seal designs under stress. John Crane seal face technologies can mitigate these pressures and extend seal life in the face of high heat generation, low lubricity, intermittent dry-running and abrasion.
This extra robustness means our customers can boost productivity without complex seal support systems and reliable high-pressure gland service water.
Upstream Pumping (USP)
For caustic, abrasive and low-lubricity applications, USP eliminates the need for high-pressure external flush water and complex pressurised seal support systems by pumping a low volume of fluid/water across the seal face. Benefits include:
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Longer seal life through non-contacting operation
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Reduced heat generation and energy use
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Improved reliability in fluids that polymerise or dry run
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Better resistance to sudden pressure, speed or temperature shifts
With a spiral groove design, USP helps overcome challenges posed by hydrogen sulphide services, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), polymerising fluids and caustics.
John Crane Diamond®
With fewer engineers available, opportunities to minimise intervention are welcome. Our ultra-hard diamond seal face treatment reduces wear and heat, and the threat of dry-running or intermittent lubrication failures. This supports longer seal life in aggressive chemical environments.
Couplings and seal support systems
Equipment misalignment stresses technology that may lack skilled technicians to repair. That is why couplings play an important and often understated role. Our elastomeric and disc couplings require no regular maintenance.
John Crane’s Powerstream® A Series couplings use a polymer insert to connect rotating shafts. They are swiftly installed, lubrication-free and absorb shocks to protect machinery while providing an overload disconnect point.
A cost-effective coupling solution, our L Series range is pre-assembled and easy to install. These ATEX-certified metallic membranes protect against angular, lateral and axial misalignment.
Robust and easy to operate, our barrier fluid reservoirs, heat exchangers, and flush systems deliver optimal mechanical seal performance, ensuring equipment runs reliably with minimal human intervention.
This translates into:
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Extended seal longevity in remote, harsh mining environments
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Enhanced safety around critical pumps and hazardous fluids
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Compliance with ASME VIII, ASME B31.3, AD2000, ATEX, CE, PED and SELO
Where automation meets mechanisation: John Crane Sense® Monitor
With the headcount of maintenance engineers reduced, automation has a more important role. It supports continuous condition monitoring and prevents small faults from escalating into major failures.
John Crane Sense® Monitor is hazardous-area-certified and provides near-real-time vibration and temperature monitoring. Quick to deploy, the wireless sensors enable continuous health visibility without increasing labour demand.
Digital monitoring: A positive impact on mining operations
In a labour-constrained mining environment, the switch to predictive, data-driven maintenance ensures faults are detected early, preventing costly failures and reducing emergency interventions and unplanned downtime in isolated sites.
Similarly, in an industry where well-trained and available engineers are in short supply, external support can backfill in-house expertise gaps. The John Crane Performance Plus™ modular services framework can help in many ways.
Reliability engineering and John Crane Performance Plus™
Modular by design, John Crane Performance Plus™ empowers you to select the services that best meet your business needs. This is supported by the largest mechanical seal service network, which responds quickly, delivers tailored solutions and builds lasting partnerships that drive performance.
On-site Seal Reliability Management contracts optimise seal performance and help ensure enhanced reliability and production across every site of the mining operation, while reducing safety incidents, fugitive emissions and the total cost of ownership.
Understanding why problems occur prevents repetition and supports predictive maintenance strategies. Root-cause failure analysis enables smarter, faster and more sustainable decisions, turning technical insights into operational advantage.
It supports faster resolution and long-term corrective actions, improving safety, environmental performance, production and cost efficiency.
Building internal capability can replace the expertise that, according to a recent Shell white paper, is retiring and not being replaced. Training and upskilling the in-house workforce to manage advanced sealing technologies through our Seal Reliability Management Programme contracts.
This training can be delivered locally at a customer’s site or at John Crane’s training facilities, empowering teams with the expertise to improve uptime and reduce cost.
For operators, there are other business benefits beyond the obvious procedural improvements. One reason behind the ongoing labour shortage that mining is experiencing is that this is a heavy industry, characterised by potentially dangerous materials, and heavy, labour-intensive operations often in challenging environments.
Opportunities to improve operator safety and sustainability are available, and operators who improve or incrementally upgrade their technology profile will be more attractive to a diminishing talent pool, investors and others who factor in environmental, social and governance (ESG) when choosing suppliers. The sustainability and risk reduction benefits include:
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Advanced seal designs can reduce water and energy use
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Automation-ready sealing solutions can reduce human exposure to hazardous environments
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John Crane Sense® Monitor’s early fault detection can minimise catastrophic failures, environmental incidents and unplanned shutdowns
Building reliability in a constrained workforce environment
A single challenge – addressing the diminishing labour pool available to mining industry operators – is too big to be resolved by a single solution. The answer is more nuanced and will look different for every operator.
What’s required is a hybrid approach that includes a switch to smarter solutions, pairing reliable sealing systems with condition monitoring.
Operators can create a fully integrated reliability ecosystem through John Crane’s mechanical seals, including split and slurry seals, couplings and support systems.
Adding the resilience of advanced seal face technologies through John Crane Diamond and Upstream Pumping strengthens performance at the equipment level.
The support of the world’s largest engineering network delivered through John Crane Performance Plus™ modular framework, ensures consistent reliability across operations. The remote monitoring functionality of John Crane Sense Monitor provides continuous insight.
Together, these capabilities can make the industry more attractive today while future-proofing tomorrow’s operations.
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