Automation is the operation of machinery or processes by devices, such as robots and machines, able to make and execute decisions without human intervention. Automation is one of the most attractive research and development areas in mining, as it aims to solve many technical, production and safety problems in current and future mining. This paper studies the structure of automated mining systems from a reliability and failure occurrence perspective. It reviews the main subsystems and related failure modes. Based on field investigation and a literature review, it highlights some critical issues and technical difficulties. Finally, it presents some challenges for future automated mines and offers some related solutions