Boonray Technology and Jiugang Group Xigou Mine were selected by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Mine Safety Supervision Bureau as Excellent Scenarios for Robot Application in Mining Fields

Jiayuguan City, located at the strategic throat of the Hexi Corridor, is a key city along the Belt and Road Initiative. Because of the location of the Jiuquan Iron and Steel Group (JISCO), it's also known as the "Gobi Steel City." As China's fourth largest iron and steel conglomerate and a key enterprise in the national "Third Front" construction program, JISCO invested a total of 1.17 billion yuan in the first year of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2014-2021) to promote high-end, intelligent, and green transformation. The company is actively developing a "5G+ Smart Jiuquan Iron and Steel" initiative, deploying and operating 47 5G base stations and achieving full 5G network coverage. In November 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in conjunction with the General Affairs Department of the State Administration of Work Safety, issued a joint letter, emphasizing the implementation of key tasks outlined in the "14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China and the Outline of the Long-Term Goals for 2035" and promoting robots to better serve economic and social development. The solicitation of typical application scenarios for the mining sector aims to encourage the use of new technologies such as 5G, AI, big data, and cloud computing to enhance the digitalization, networking, and intelligence of robotics applications and create a positive demonstration effect. As the provider of unmanned driving and remote control technology for Jiugang Xigou Mine, Boray Technology, in collaboration with the mine, stood out from over 100 projects and was selected as one of the "Excellent Scenarios for Robot Application in Mining."

Jiugang Group's Xigou Mine is located in the Qilian Mountains, at an altitude of 3,384 meters. Winter temperatures can reach -30°C, creating a harsh production environment. Consequently, the mine has long faced difficulties in recruiting workers, numerous safety hazards, high costs, and low efficiency. Yet, a visit to the Xigou mine reveals that even on snowy nights, operations continue smoothly. Mine trucks shuttle back and forth, and the mining area is deserted. Inside the warm offices, neatly dressed employees, using joysticks, operate unmanned excavators thousands of meters away, supporting the on-site autonomous mining trucks. The Xigou Mine's 5G smart mining project enables unmanned and remote control of mining and loading equipment, increasing labor productivity by 33%. It was also here that Boonray Technology, powered by China Mobile and Huawei's highly stable, low-latency 5G network, achieved China's first 24-hour, continuous production (including nighttime) without a safety officer, ensuring vehicle-to-shovel collaboration and ensuring the inherent safety of the Xigou mine.

On May 22nd, the "5G+Smart Mine" innovation demonstration project, implemented by Jiugang Group in collaboration with Huawei, Gansu Mobile, Boonray Technology, and other high-tech enterprises, was unveiled in Jiayuguan City. According to Jiayuguan News, "As the nation's first '5G+Smart Mine' project featuring coordinated operations involving vehicles, shovels, drills, and hammers, the project's launch marks the fast-tracking of the application of new technologies such as 5G, the Industrial Internet, and artificial intelligence in our city. It will play a significant role in driving the province's industrial transformation and digital development."

"In the past, we worked in a mine at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. The high altitude, lack of oxygen, high dust and noise levels created a poor and unsafe environment," said Lu Jun, a down-the-hole drill driver at Xigou Mine, in an interview on May 27. "Now, we can sit in an office, looking at a screen and enjoying the air conditioning, just like white-collar workers, and get our work done effortlessly." Boonray Technology has been involved in 5G intelligent construction at Jiugang Xigou Mine for more than two years, continuously advancing the intelligentization of the mine, helping the mine to significantly reduce operating and maintenance costs and significantly improve operational efficiency. The "5G + Smart Mine" solution jointly developed by Boonray Technology and Huawei has established replicable and scalable experience, and we are continuously expanding the scope of smart mines.