Study Case in Mining Industry: Monitoring Rollers using Embedded LoRaWan

Industry 4.0 is influencing the mining industry segment; from this influence, digital transformation projects arise by implementing new technologies to optimize production and maintenance processes. In the mining industry, the conveyor belt is one of the primary means of conveying large quantities of bulk material, capable of moving any solid volume over long distances at high production rates. Rollers are part of this process, and due to their massive use in conveyors, rollers' failures may cause unexpected recurrent stops in operation and, consequently, impact negatively on operational effectiveness. Although several initiatives have been aimed at detecting, predicting, or preventing these failures, there are still no definitive solutions to prevent roller failures. This study has proposed and evaluated, in a case study, an embedded monitoring solution based on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and LoRaWAN technologies to keep track of the rollers' service life. Finds show that embedded solutions may improve the fail detection capability and prevent damage, reducing unexpected plant shutdowns and production losses.