Industry Leaders

BMA Chair and Head of Division of Mining Engineering School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, Australia BMA Chair and Head of Division of Mining Engineering School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, Australia

Peter Knights

“Mapla is one of the best conferences in the area of mining maintenance”

As Co-Chair of the 9th International Mining Plant Maintenance Meeting, Mapla 2012, Peter Knights stated that he was proud of the successful outcome of this conference as it provided an ideal space for busy professionals that maintain plants and mining equipment to share their experiences.

Next year will be the Mapla´s 10th anniversary. What do you believe has been accomplished at these conferences during all this time?
I think Mapla has grown a lot over the past 10 years. Today Mapla is one of the best conferences within the area of maintenance. In countries like Australia it is quite difficult for maintainers to have time to write a paper that is also evaluated by a panel of experts. Some of the case studies found at Mapla set the bar for global standards.

What has convinced you to continue supporting Mapla, both in your roles as Co-Chair and representative of the University of Queensland?
The level of professionalism, the organisation of the event and its capacity to attract people from many countries to come to Chile for the conference. Today the event has grown from approximately 100 to over 400 people. This demonstrates the success of the event.

What do you think of Gecamin´s role in the organization of this conference?
I think they are very professional and in this way they help create an atmosphere of sharing experiences by both at listening to presentations at professional level and networking at a social level.