eBusiness Weekly
Business
Harare – Germany based technology company – Kuchera GmbH – in September 2023 embarked on an innovative pilot project, collaborating with three major global mining houses in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa on optimising haulage operational efficiency in mining industry.
This pioneering initiative allowed the company to dive deep into the mining landscape, incorporating real-world challenges and aspirations into solutions especially for small scale miners across the region.
This venture’s aim is to redefine the terrain of mining operations using Augmented Intelligence. The strategic collaboration with three major mining houses in Southern Africa, reaffirmed Kuchera’s commitment to ensuring real-world applicability of its solutions.
By integrating their technology in actual mining spaces and facing the challenges head-on, the Kuchera team embarked on an innovative exploration in the world of mining operations.
The pilot project served as the real-testing ground where customer feedback was a crucial contributor to shaping Kuchera’s offerings.
“The team engaged with key industry stakeholders, such as mine managers, production managers, and haulage contractors.
This approach provided valuable insights into the operational struggles faced by these teams daily and informed the interventions made by Kuchera,” said co-founder and head of sales and stakeholder engagement, Kumbirai Chipadza.
One particular success, reported by an operations manager at a local coal mine, highlighted Kuchera’s ability to bring factual improvements via their breakthrough platform.
By acting on performance insights provided by Kuchera, the pilot customer reported a remarkable 6 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.
Additionally, Kuchera’s mission is to assist customers in achieving their productivity targets, enhancing profitability, and addressing hauling challenges efficiently.
Furthermore, the pilot extended into the field of communication and decision-making with the successful launch of the TeamUp App enabling operators and managers to have a real-time insight into the operational processes,
“Kuchera’s data-driven approach enables mining teams to optimise manpower placement, matching skilled operators with the right equipment. This capability reduces unnecessary labor costs and enhances operational efficiency. Data on operator behavior, such as speeding or braking, is used to establish profiles across different machines.” said Chipadza.
Recently the company secured a significant investment from the German family-owned intralogistics giant, BEUMER Group through their company builder, Beam.
Kuchera was co-founded by Zimbabwean-born entrepreneur Kumbirai Chipadza, French technology guru Christian Hugger, and South African Mxolisi Sibiya.
Kuchera’s TeamUP technology arrives at the perfect time for the annual Mine Entra event, which started on the 1st of November. Government is angling for promotion and adoption of new technologies to optimise operations.
