This thrust connects the geology and mechanics of the rock mass to the machines that must cut, drill and move through it. Work ranges from mineralogical brittleness indices and drillability tests to finite-element cutting models, core-drill digital twins and fractured-rock stability modelling.
The goal is practical: represent the rock-machine interaction well enough to guide equipment selection, design and control in South African narrow-reef conditions. A digital twin can connect those representations to measured cutting or drilling response, allowing estimates of changing rock properties, tool wear and machine condition to inform decisions in real time.