Deutsches Bergbau-Museum's Digital Transformation in Documenting Mining History
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Cement
- Mining
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
About The Customer
The Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, also known as the Leibniz Research Museum for Georesources, is the world's largest mining museum. Founded in 1930 and based in Bochum, the museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, investigating, exhibiting, and teaching the material heritage of the mining industry. The museum not only hosts permanent exhibits but also conducts its own research, data and artefact collection, and teaching by investing in the latest scientific innovations. A landmark project for the museum began in the 1980s when the oldest underground mine in Europe, dating back to 20,000 BC, was discovered on the Island of Thasos.
The Challenge
The Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, the world's largest mining museum, has been dedicated to the collection, preservation, investigation, exhibition, and teaching of the material heritage of the mining industry since 1930. A significant project for the museum began in the 1980s on the Island of Thasos, where the oldest underground mine in Europe, dating back to 20,000 BC, was discovered. However, the museum faced challenges in documenting its research due to the fragile nature of ancient mine sites and the need for unobtrusive technologies to create the models and drawings required for restoration. The process involved collecting two-dimensional and three-dimensional spatial data specifically designed for underground projects, using 2D-line-scanners and a photo camera to take thousands of images. The multiple data outputs gathered required an open technology platform to build digital replicas that could be trusted and used as the foundation of actual research activities.
The Solution
To overcome these challenges, the museum started using BricsCAD, a global design software provider, in 2021. This software supports the museum's continuous efforts to build better virtual models at Thasos and other mines worldwide. Gero Steffens at the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum stated that CAD software had been a crucial part of their documentation work for over 20 years, but finding the right partner had become increasingly difficult due to restrictive fee arrangements and proprietary platforms offered by industry incumbents. The museum chose BricsCAD for its ease of use, good reputation as a DWG-based alternative, and the fact that it allowed the museum to continue using all existing documentation created with the legacy system without any restrictions.
Operational Impact
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