The mining industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Activity is driven by the need for greater productivity as well as safety. Related to this, miners are using tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in place of traditional drilling and blasting methods. Deployment of TBMs reduces disturbances to the surrounding conditions thereby increasing safety. In the last three years alone, there have been over 48,000 patents filed and granted in the mining industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Internet Of Things in Mining: Tunnel Boring Machines. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 350,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the mining industry, there are 150+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Tunnel boring machines is a key innovation area in Internet of Things
TBMs are used instead of drilling and blasting through rock and conventional mechanical excavation in soft ground. TBMs used in mining projects differ from those used in typical civil engineering applications. TBMs have been used for a variety of purposes as part of new and expanding mining projects, including new access, ore and waste conveyance, drainage, exploration, and water diversion.
Some of the benefits of using TBMs include higher and more sustainable progress rates in generally good quality hard rock conditions. Lower ventilation is required, allowing for the construction of smaller tunnels and improved health conditions for workers who are not exposed to blast smoke and fumes. They also produce a smooth tunnel wall, which lowers the final lining cost. TBMs significantly reduce the total excavation time of long tunnels when compared to conventional excavation methods.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 10+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established mining companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of tunnel boring machines.
Key players in tunnel boring machines – a disruptive innovation in the mining industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to tunnel boring machines
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Sandvik | 192 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Komatsu | 180 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Joy MM Delaware | 47 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Caterpillar | 35 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Atlas Copco | 29 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway Group | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Epiroc | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Herrenknecht | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway Construction | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Bouygues | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China National Building Material Group | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway First Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Leaders in tunnel boring machines include Komatsu. Komatsu, a Japanese machinery manufacturer, and Codelco, a , is the first boring machine to cut rectangular tunnels. Unlike other machines that have been developed for cutting soft material, the MDM5000 is the first to be successful in rectangular hard-rock tunnelling. Furthermore, driving a tunnel with a circular full-face TBM necessitates secondary operations to create a flat roadway, which takes time and money.
To further understand how Internet of Things is disrupting the mining industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Internet of Things in Mining, 2021.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
