The 2024 MMP Showcase asked a difficult question: how can a mechanised-mining research programme turn increasingly available data into decisions that are robust enough for real operations?
The answer was presented as a roadmap rather than a single technology. Ncedo Matukane’s mineralogical characterisation and Mphaphuli Mavhungu’s drillability work describe the rock. Ulrich du Preez’s experiments and finite-element model represent the tool–rock interaction. Equipment and engine models then connect physical behaviour to measurable performance indicators.
Hybrid modelling provides the bridge. Physics supplies interpretable structure; data-driven components adapt that structure to measurements. A digital twin can synchronise the combined model with a physical asset and use it to recommend an intervention.
Seen together, the student projects are not isolated theses. They are components of a route from rock properties to machine behaviour, system performance and, ultimately, actionable insight.