Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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SUPPLIERS REPORT "Dassault Systèmes started out as an engineering company, and they've maintained a philosophy that 'it's all about the end user,'" said Moignard. "They understand the importance of making any product intuitive and easy to use. And from their experience in other industries, they have developed technology that can manage huge datasets in real time to improve enter- prise productivity." According to Moignard, the mining industry has lagged other resource industries such as oil and gas by as much as 15 years in utilizing the tech- nologies that Dassault Systèmes spe- cializes in—but that's changing rapidly. Persistent shortages of technical and skilled-labor personnel, coupled with the industry's need to develop mines in increasingly remote locations, is put- ting pressure on producers to find ways to maximize the effectiveness of their finite corporate resources. As a result, the associated mining software market is experiencing strong growth, with third-party analysts estimating a dou- ble-digit trend for the future. Counting on Collaboration Technology from Dassault Systèmes, integrated with Gemcom's products, will enable companies to collaborate more productively with their widespread personnel and work sites, explained Moignard; and conversely, improved real-time collaborative capabilities could allow fewer workers to be sta- tioned on-site for extended periods of time, fewer fly-in/fly-out assignments would be needed, and more employees would be able to work effectively in comfortable environments. Although the technology sounds— and is—extremely sophisticated, he noted, it doesn't exclude all but major producers from benefiting from it. "Our products are used by the top 10 majors, but we also have enterprise agreements with perhaps 30 of the 40 or so mid- tier producers as well. Our engagement models may vary from group to group, but the overall intent is to provide tech- nology that works across the spectrum" of company resources and require- ments, said Moignard. The acquisition is subject to normal closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. It is expected to be complet- ed in July 2012. www.e-mj.com JUNE 2012 • E&MJ; 149 Michelin to Expand North American OTR Tire Production Michelin North America announced it is planning an additional expansion of its earthmover tire operations in the United States. The company said it would break ground in mid-April on a new manufac- turing plant in South Carolina, and also expand its existing earthmover tire facil- ity in Lexington, South Carolina. Initial production from the new plant, compris- ing 49-in. and larger radial OTR units, is scheduled for 2013. The two projects represent a $750- million investment and are in addition to Michelin's 2011 commitment to invest $200 million in its existing Lexington passenger and light truck tire manufacturing facility. This expanded operation at Lexington will begin pro- duction in October. "Michelin intends to maintain and strengthen its leadership in all its spe- cialty businesses, especially earth- mover radial tires," said Jean- Dominique Senard, managing general partner of Michelin. "The market for earthmover tires grew by more than 20 percent between 2009 and 2011. This Michelin North America's newly announced OTR plant in South Carolina will primarily produce 49-in.-diameter and larger radial tires for mining customers. (PRNewsFoto/Michelin North America)