Ten years ago, Shuicheng Conch installed its first intelligent system on a new production line. A decade later, eight intelligent systems and five major smart mining modules now cover the entire process—from production and extraction to transportation and safety. On August 12, the company's mining branch in Shuicheng District, Liupanshui City, showcased the fruits of this digital journey.
At the mining site, engineering vehicles shuttle in orderly fashion while sensors on high and steep slopes transmit real-time data—including surface displacement and rainfall—back to the dispatch command center several kilometers away. On the large screen, curves pulse steadily. "If data deviates from normal, the system automatically issues warnings across four levels," explained Wu Boze, the mining branch factory director. "Previously, preventing geological disasters relied on manual inspections and experience-based judgment; now, with real-time data, we can take precautionary measures better, faster, and more effectively."
This high-steep slope online monitoring system is just one component of the branch's smart mining project. From 2024 to 2025, the mining division successively built five major systems: a truck dispatch system, an AI video intelligent monitoring system, the high-steep slope online monitoring and early warning system, an intelligent belt conveyor system, and an intelligent information infrastructure control platform—together forming a complete smart mining picture.
The changes are tangible in every corner. Road transportation was once Wu Boze's biggest safety concern. "In the past, dispatching relied entirely on manual scheduling—trucks waited for shovels, shovels waited for trucks—it was inefficient and carried safety risks," he recalled. Now, the truck dispatch system leverages wireless communication and navigation positioning technology to enable remote automated scheduling of mining and hauling operations. The system directly plans vehicle routes, and all production data is available online in real time.
The AI video intelligent monitoring system adds a "second layer of safety." High-definition cameras monitor key areas such as mining sites and haul roads around the clock. Inside the cabs of engineering machinery, cameras perform real-time facial AI recognition. If violations like phone use or drowsiness are detected, the system automatically captures images and issues alerts.
From the mining branch to the production area, the belt conveyor serves as the "artery" connecting the two ends. Previously, equipment along the line required individual inspections and manual start-stop operations. Today, the intelligent belt conveyor system, integrated with video monitoring, enables centralized start-stop control, while parameters such as speed, temperature, current, and belt deviation are monitored and alerted in real time online, dramatically reducing equipment failure rates.
All intelligent units ultimately converge into the "core brain"—the intelligent information infrastructure control platform. In this integrated control room combining data center and dispatch functions, the dynamic status of the mining branch is displayed at a glance on the large screen. Production commands are issued from here, data is accumulated here, and safety supervision and abnormal handling are coordinated through this hub.
Beyond the full rollout of intelligent systems, the mining branch is simultaneously advancing its green transformation. Wu Boze noted that engineering vehicles are progressively being converted from diesel to electric power, further reducing energy consumption.
The smart transformation of the mining branch represents the company's latest achievement. Yet the starting point of this intelligent evolution dates back even further. "On the production side, we began in 2014," said Sun Zhihua, factory director of the manufacturing division. That year, the company acquired another cement plant, integrated and rebuilt it—demolishing old lines and constructing a new intelligent dry-process cement production line. The first step in the company's smart construction targeted the core of cement production: the "two grindings and one firing" process.
Previously, operations relied on manual experience, and adjusting parameters meant visiting the site in person. Now, expert operating systems automatically regulate controls, unmanned cranes replace manual loaders for feeding, energy management systems automatically adjust consumption, and equipment management systems have shifted from "post-failure repairs" to "preventive maintenance." To date, the manufacturing division has built eight intelligent systems, boosting production efficiency by 10% and reducing energy consumption by 30%.
From a single process in the manufacturing division to five major systems in the mining branch, Shuicheng Conch's journey toward intelligence has spanned more than a decade. It has not been a sudden leap but a step-by-step, gradual transformation. Looking back, the small step taken on the production line years ago has now grown into a smart landscape covering the entire chain.