Sierra Gorda applying Kom-Expert digital analysis solution on its fleet of 58 Komatsu 930E trucks

This year, Kom-Expert, Komatsu’s Big Data and digital analysis system, is being deployed on the full fleet of 58 Komatsu 930E mining trucks at the Sierra Gorda copper-molybdenum mine in Chile, 55% owned by Poland-headquartered copper mining major, KGHM and 45% by Sumitomo. Last year the platform was already operating on 25 trucks and through 2020 is being extended to the remaining 33 trucks.

Komatsu’s digital platform, Kom-Expert, is a technological solution developed by Komatsu Chile originally in 2017, generating information in order to make decisions based on data. This information has improved tyre performance, made material loading more efficient, managed the operator’s behaviour under risky conditions, enabled the most effective use of shift hours and extended asset component life.

Concerning the service implementation, Cristián Bustamante, Monitoring, Analytics, and Transformation Assistant Manager of Komatsu Chile, highlighted the joint work carried out for such purposes: “This implementation was not only developed with technology, but involved the work of several business units, which allows us to be stronger when delivering our final product to customers.”

José Luis Carrasco, Mine Manager of Sierra Gorda, expressed his confidence in the platform and underlined the teamwork of both companies which helped the mine have a good year in terms of tyres, road conditions, equipment use, and reduction of wasted hours. The Sierra Gorda representative added that the mine objective for 2020 is to improve results in all the mine’s operational indicators in order to become a model nationwide through best practices and results.

The platform is also being implemented now using the system-independent data exchange format CAEX. This will allow the expansion of the attributes of the Kom-Expert system to other fields and to another types of equipment, such as shovels and other earthmoving equipment, further highlighting the teamwork element that has been highlighted by the customer as a distinguishing element of the services provided by Komatsu.