All posts by Paul Moore

LKAB selects ABB gearless conveyor drives for Malmberget

Automation, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore

Iron ore miner LKAB has awarded ABB a contract to install two ABB Gearless Conveyor Drives (GCDs) on the existing TR020 conveyor belt system at its Malmberget mine near Gällivare, Norrbotten County, Lapland, the most northern province in Sweden.

The existing setup already carries up to 15 Mt of iron ore every year, using a 2,800 kW wound rotor induction motor (WRIM) with gearbox to drive the conveyor. It will be replaced with ABB’s latest GCD technology, two 1,600 kW models with permanent magnet motors (PMM), to enable an increase in annual production while reducing energy consumption per tonne.

ABB’s installation engineers and project management team face the challenge of working in a tight space at around 1,250 m underground to remove the large equipment and replace it with the new units. Once the upgrade is complete in 2025, LKAB will be able to achieve overall energy savings of between 6 and 10%, which will translate to considerable OPEX savings per year.

ABB GCDs have a motor power of between 0.2 MW and 8 MW, removing the need for a gearbox and thereby lowering maintenance costs while improving overall reliability and leading to greater uptime. A unique ABB innovation, they are known to be the most energy-efficient conveyor drive solution.

“We are managing the largest iron ore mines in Europe where productivity must remain high while energy efficiency increases,” said Pär Sundqvist, Engineer and Project Owner, LKAB. “This important upgrade will improve the throughput on the conveyor and help us to meet our energy targets. ABB’s technology will also reduce both OPEX per ton and ongoing lifecycle costs.”

“The new ABB equipment will allow for an improved working environment in the mine – cleaner and safer,” said Ulf Richter, Product Manager Conveyor Solutions, ABB. “Gearless Conveyor Drives are known to be the most energy-efficient solution for conveyors, enabling reliable transportation of ore. The upgrade also means reduced noise and heat in the conveyor drive area.”

The GCD’s PMM are directly coupled to the existing conveyor’s drive pulley and can also adapted to meet the particular demands of this underground installation. The main advantages are energy savings, health and safety improvements, reduced maintenance costs and steady, solid production due to higher reliability.

ABB was awarded the project contract in the third quarter of 2023 and the installation will take place during scheduled maintenance stops with the final commissioning due in August 2025.

Fenner opens new state of the art pulley and fabrication facility in WA

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Sustainable mining

Last week the Fenner Conveyor Products & Solutions (CPS) team showcased its latest investment in Australian conveyor manufacturing – a state-of-the-art pulley and fabrication facility in Bayswater, Western Australia.

Clients, partners and industry stakeholders visited the new facility to witness the latest in conveyor manufacturing technology.

The day kicked off with CPS National Sales Manager, Travis Lewis, welcoming guests. “This day is all about a sense of community and collaboration. We want to provide you with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into what makes us…us.”

From there General Manager – Operations, Warren Sexton, provided a glimpse into the company’s journey and where it’s headed in the future. “Reflection offers important perspective. When you look back you can really appreciate how far you have come.”

CPS embarked on its journey back in 2003 in a modest workshop in Welshpool, Perth, introducing the first polymer roller to market. Fast forward to today, 20 years later, and CPS has evolved into a world-class leader in innovative conveyor technology and fabrication.

CPS’ Pulley Division was established in 2018 to meet the growing demand for high-quality and reliable pulleys in the mining industry. Since then, CPS have expanded operations to a dedicated facility that can produce custom-made pulleys and fabrication products to suit any application.

CPS pulleys are designed and manufactured to the same exacting standards as the business’ industry-leading roller products, which have been proven to reduce conveyor downtime, maintenance costs, and energy consumption.

“Our focus for pulleys and fabrication products was always to replicate the same methodology as our roller products; reliability and performance is key – everything else is a secondary consideration,” said Sexton. “This event was an opportunity to demonstrate this to our customers and convey how CPS can take their business into new fields of reliability, enabling plants, mines and conveyors to run faster for longer.”

From the current premises in Bayswater, CPS are producing over 300 pulleys per year and north of 3,500 aftermarket idler frames per year. “Within the next 12 months, further investments into additional automation equipment and new technologies will allow us to expand this output significantly,” explained Lewis. “We focus on smart, efficient investments. We deploy our resources where maximum value can be added to our own people, our customers and our operations.”

CPS says it is proud of what has been achieved to-date but is not complacent. “We are always looking for ways to improve our products, processes, and services. We value the feedback and input from our customers, as they help us to understand their needs and challenges better, which is why we were thrilled to host some of our customers at the facility,” said Lewis.

The event also marked the introduction of Max Herscovitz as the new CPS General Manager – someone who has been a driving force behind CPS’ international success and embodies the business’ dedication to delivering quality products.

“At CPS, we are more than just a supplier of world-class conveyor components. We are a community of innovators, problem-solvers, and collaborators who are committed to delivering the best solutions for our customers,” said Herscovitz. “Our growth over the years is only possible because of the amazing people we employ here at CPS. Each person brings a wealth of industry knowledge to our engineering, quality and manufacturing expertise. Together, the collective intelligence across the business is second to none and that is the secret to our success.”

The CPS team also shared ambitious future plans, emphasising their shared goals with Fenner Conveyors.

“As most of you are aware, Fenner Conveyors, part of One Michelin Group Australia, acquired CPS in July 2022. Combining capabilities in Australia, with our aligned commitment to quality and local manufacturing, has supported both businesses to enhance value and sustainable outcomes for customers,” explained Herscovitz.

“Ultimately our goal is to deliver the highest quality conveyor pulleys and fabrication products at a competitive price. This combined with Fenner Conveyors’ belting, conveyor system design, performance monitoring technology and field services network, allows us to deliver unrivalled sustainable value and supports us on our drive to be the lowest total-cost-of-ownership supplier on the market.”

 

 

 

 

Sandvik celebrates milestone 1,000 large Toro™ truck deliveries

Automation, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mine shafts and equipment, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services

Sandvik is celebrating 1,000 deliveries of its 51- and 63-metric-ton underground trucks, the Toro™ TH551 and TH663. The 1,000th truck, a Toro™ TH663i for a mine in Portugal, recently rolled off the production line in Turku, Finland, for a delivery ceremony.

“Sandvik and our Turku factory have achieved this milestone through more than a decade of committed work, customer collaboration and continuous innovation,” said Patricio Apablaza, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Load and Haul division.

The two large trucks were born from a 2011 customer workshop in Perth, Australia. Close collaboration and engagement with customers started in the very early phases of product development to ensure the trucks met customer needs. Sandvik also tapped into its global network of technical expertise to harness real field and user experience.

At the time of their introduction at MINExpo INTERNATIONAL® 2012, the modern, innovative, state-of-the-art underground trucks included new leading technology, such as an integrated jacking system to facilitate tire change underground and integrated weighing system for measuring truck payload. The switch to Volvo engines reduced fuel consumption and emissions and improved reliability and efficiency. The Volvo engine system became available with new options such as a diesel particulate filter. The engine change also contributed to the development of a more efficient driveline.

In addition to improving TCO, productivity and reliability, the trucks were designed with operators in mind. Significant efforts were put into developing the industry’s most ergonomic cabin. The trucks were among underground mining’s first to have front axle suspension for a smoother ride. Smooth gear shifting further improved operator comfort. Safety was naturally a key focus area of the design, and at the time of launch, the trucks included more than 100 safety-enhancing features or functionalities.

In 2017, the TH663i and TH551i models were upgraded to become part of Sandvik’s Intelligent Trucks series for autonomous haulage. In addition to being automation-ready, as i-series equipment, the trucks can utilise OptiMine® Mine Digital Platform (MDP) to optimise fleet operations, and the Knowledge Box™ for efficient data utilisation.

The trucks today belonging to the underground Toro™ family are known as the Toro™ TH551i and TH663i. Through extensive R&D efforts, Sandvik says it keeps driving the industry forward. The company is actively developing diesel-electric technology for underground mining equipment and a fully battery-electric truck, Sandvik TH665B, is currently tracking trial hours in Australia.

“One thousand large trucks is a remarkable achievement,” said Juha Virta, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Load and Haul division. “We are grateful for our customers’ trust and the commitment of our employees in helping Sandvik reach this milestone.”

Bell launches new Bell Heavy Industries division in Richards Bay

Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services

With almost 70 years of demonstrated expertise in complex engineering, heavy fabrication, and machining for its own range of material handling equipment, Bell Equipment is now offering these specialist services to all industries in South Africa through its newly formed division, Bell Heavy Industries (BHI).

Bell Equipment’s Group Business Development Director, Stephen Jones emphasises the current scarcity of companies providing these vital services locally. “South Africa has seen a huge reduction in engineering companies, and, in response, we have strategically positioned our South African manufacturing facility to fill this void by providing project engineering and contract manufacturing through BHI.”

He adds: “The growth of Bell as a well-established mining, earthmoving, and agriculture equipment manufacturer, both domestically and in terms of exports around the world, is a testament to the skills available and the quality of products that we make in Richards Bay. We’re confident in our ability to expand into other industries and believe this will benefit not only the manufacturing sector but the whole country.”

Bell has also received accolades for its demonstrated performance from organisations such as the South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC), the Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa (MEMSA), and the Department of Trade and Industry, which hosts the South African Premier Business Awards together with Proudly South African and Brand South Africa.

The 45,000 m² undercover manufacturing area in Richards Bay complies with the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and welds to the internationally recognised ISO 3834-2 Appendix 10 standards. It is well equipped with specialist machines including both horizontal and vertical CNC (computerised numerical control) machining centres, 5-axis boring machines, laser cutters, high-definition oxyfuel and plasma cutters, bending brakes, and advanced welding technology. A blasting plant, phosphating tanks, sealed spray booth, galvanising bath, and an automated powder coating installation are available to take care of surface treatments.

The Bell team in Richards Bay of over 800 machinists, welders, and assemblers is among the best in the country thanks to the company’s own training centre, which plays a crucial role in internally developing world-class skills from the surrounding community. “This is complemented by our highly skilled team of welding, quality, and industrial engineers, along with onsite calibration facilities, equipment to perform material checks, and a number of highly specialised co-ordinate measuring machines. Together with our strong focus on process development, BHI can guarantee consistent quality to customers. BHI can also tap into a wealth of group resources, notably a team of over 100 South African design engineers, enhancing its suitability for local manufacturing across diverse industries,” adds Jones.

Bell Equipment’s manufacturing operation, which is 55% black-owned and 24% black women-owned, contributes to B-BBEE scores and creates localisation opportunities for potential customers. “Over the years we have established a global supply chain with access to world-class suppliers. Procurement staff are well skilled in international logistics and our strategic sourcing department has strong commodity expertise, which ensures stringent input cost control. We have always maintained that manufacturing has massive transformation potential for the South African economy and employment, so we are optimistic about this new division and will be actively engaging with those looking for the expertise we now offer outside of our traditional market segment,” he concludes.

Trafo on mining infrastructure evolution and EPCM collaboration

Equipment maintenance, Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining services, Power supply for mines

As the demand for raw material continues to surge, the spotlight has turned to the mining sector, bringing both greenfield and brownfield mining projects into focus. Ensuring these ventures are efficiently executed without compromising on time or budget necessitates a tailored strategy. Often, this means relying on the expertise of an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) contractor.

David Claassen, Managing Director of Trafo Power Solutions, firmly believes in the importance of partnering with adept EPCM professionals and says the key to successful partnerships lies in comprehending the EPCM domain. Established in 2017, Trafo Power Solutions specialises in dry-type transformers and has established robust collaborations with EPCM contractors globally, especially across South Africa, Africa, Australia, and Canada.

According to Claassen, Trafo Power Solutions’ consistent successes hinge on several principles, which include understanding project complexities, fostering effective communication, flexibility in adjusting to evolving project scopes, access to proven technology and products, and delivering timely results.

“It’s vital to understand that each project has its uniqueness, and our team successfully navigates this by adopting an “understanding strategy”, emphasising the importance of collaboration to manage the complexities,” he says. “Our deep comprehension of the project process helps us pinpoint and provide the most suitable solution tailored to customer needs.”

EPCM contractors handle intricate tasks such as detailed engineering and design. Trafo Power Solutions contributes by suggesting alternate solutions, ensuring efficient procurement, avoiding redundancy and ensuring the best outcomes for every project.

Communication is the cornerstone of successful project execution. With various EPCM entities employing different communication tools and software, Trafo Power Solutions prides itself on its adaptability. “Our flexibility allows us to mesh with any project team, irrespective of their chosen software,” Claassen notes. He emphasises that this adaptability optimises project management processes, contributing to each project’s success.

Integrity and collaboration remain at the core of Trafo Power Solutions’ operations. Their dedication to understanding project requirements and prompt responses ensures minimal risks and streamlined operations. As Claassen aptly puts it, “The collective goal of stakeholders is the successful execution of a project.”

“Trafo Power Solutions, in partnership with TMC Transformers from Italy, offers top-tier dry-type transformers, emphasising quality and reliability. As the world shifts towards rapid infrastructural developments, such collaborations and expertise will only become more invaluable,” Claassen concludes.

Sandvik’s carbide recycling supporting SA small businesses

Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Sustainable mining

In an innovative step that promotes both sustainability and local economic development, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is recycling the carbide buttons on its drill bits while boosting entrepreneurship and creating jobs in South Africa.

The local initiative is part of a global strategy by the company to continuously improve the circularity of its manufacturing processes, according to Johan Blomerus, Business Line Manager, Rock Tools Southern Africa for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions.

“Our solution combines years of technological development on specialised equipment for automated recycling, and a supplier development intervention to support two small black, youth-owned businesses,” says Blomerus. The businesses, located in the Gauteng and Free State provinces, are expanding to create up to 20 new employment opportunities in coming years.

He explains that the recycling of used drill bits contributes to the Sandvik group’s ambitious sustainability goals to halve its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. By embedding circularity across an essential component of mining, the group is supporting its customers’ drive to mine more sustainably.

“Making tools from recycled carbide requires 70 percent less energy and emits 64 percent less carbon dioxide,” he says. “It also reduces nitrous oxide emissions.”

The two South African SMMEs (Small Medium Mico Enterprises) appointed to undertake the carbide extraction from drill bits have been equipped with the necessary machinery to make the process safe and cost effective. Since 2016, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has invested nearly R5 million in developing carbide extraction equipment, notes Blomerus.

“The equipment has been installed and commissioned at their facilities, so they can extract the carbide buttons from the drill bits we deliver to them from our customers,” he says. “We then pay them for the carbide extracted, and they have the added benefit of earning income from the steel bits – which they can sell as scrap.”

As well as the capital equipment and financial support, the SMMEs have received extensive training to ensure safe operation of the dedicated machinery – which was initially developed in South Africa and further improved in Sweden. This automated equipment replaces what was a slow and laborious manual process, providing an efficient business model for the SMMEs. Extracting the carbide in-country means much less weight that has to be exported to Germany, where the highly specialised task of carbide recycling can be conducted.

“Our recycling initiative has been extracting over six tonnes of carbide material annually over the last three to four years,” he says. “And we are planning to ramp up this initiative to operate 24 hours a day, which will allow the recycling of about 22 tonnes a year by the end of 2024.”

Blomerus concludes that Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions will also be rolling out the project to neighbouring countries, including Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Pronto to bring its AI-powered easy deployment AHS to Chile with new RAICO partnership

Automation, Base metals, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Industrial minerals, Mineral commodities, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software

Pronto, the Silicon Valley-based autonomy pioneer with a new Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) approach for mining, has announced a partnership with RAICO SA, a leading mining and forestry equipment sales and rental services provider in Chile, to scale mining and forestry autonomy in the country.

Under the agreement, RAICO will exclusively provide sales, distribution, installation, and aftermarket support services for Pronto AHS and Pollen Mobile private LTE/5G network technologies in Chile. The partnership will initially be focused on deploying Pronto’s OEM-agnostic AHS on Bell articulated dump trucks, but will then expand to supporting other OEMs and applications.

“It’s not a coincidence that our first international partnership is in Chile, a critical supplier of minerals such as lithium, which like autonomous technology will be essential to the world’s transition to a carbon-neutral economy,” says Anthony Levandowski, CEO of Pronto. “The greenest mining is autonomous mining. We’re looking forward to bringing the environmental, cost, productivity, and safety benefits of our Autonomous Haulage System to mining, quarrying, and forestry operations of all sizes in Chile.”

Pronto’s AI-powered, software-centric solution is engineered to be deployed in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of competitive technologies, bringing autonomy within reach for operations and equipment of all sizes. The company’s AHS operates fully autonomously (Level 4), enabling customers to overcome labour shortages, maximise equipment utilisation, optimise efficiency, and minimise environmental impacts, while improving safety.

Christian Kurasek, CFO of Pronto told IM: “Chile is the world’s leading supplier of copper, and second-largest producer of lithium, and their mining industry is an essential source of the transition minerals needed for the global economy to meet its net zero carbon goals over the coming decades. As the mining industry races to meet the exponentially growing demand for transition minerals in a capital and labour-constrained environment, autonomy is going to be a pivotal enabler for operators who must do more with less. We’re looking forward to working with an industry leader like RAICO to bring our autonomous technologies to such a critical market. At this time, we cannot share any additional information about the projects that we have in-flight with RAICO but will have more to report in the coming months.”

“Autonomy is going to be necessary to support the world’s growing demand for critical resources such as lithium and cellulose, and it is the future for most operations in Chile. It is safe, reliable, environmentally friendly, and will help advance the productivity and technical capabilities of critical Chilean industries,” says Cristóbal Alexandroff, Commercial Manager of RAICO. “We’re excited to be helping usher in the future of sustainable energy, forestry, and mining with a global technology leader like Pronto.”

IAMGOLD’s fully autonomous Epiroc Pit Viper fleet – a first for Canada

Automation, Equipment maintenance, Explosives and blasting, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Precious metals

As mining methods continue to modernise, sustainability and safety remain top priorities for operations as they adopt new technologies to boost their overall productivity. For IAMGOLD Corporation’s Côté Gold Project, their willingness to embrace this evolving technology coincides with their vision for zero harm in all operations and activities undertaken by their organisation.

This goal is bolstered by their recent agreement to purchase five autonomous Pit Viper rigs from Epiroc to work at their open pit mine in the Sudbury District of Ontario, which will help keep operators out of any potential danger zones while drilling.

For Epiroc, the agreement marks the first fully autonomous fleet of Pit Viper rigs on Canadian soil. The powerful blasthole drill rigs are also equipped with Mobius for Drills, a digitalisation tool that imports drill plans and collects key data for mining personnel all while enabling multi-machine control which was developed in partnership between ASI Mining (owned 34% by Epiroc) and Epiroc. The solution also introduces Epiroc-owned 3D-P, engaging Epiroc’s wireless networking capabilities into the agreement which enables integration and connectivity with the mines existing networks.

With the introduction of new technologies in both automation and digitalisation, the Côté Gold Project is utilising innovative techniques to ensure operator safety, increased longevity of their machines and a higher output in their surface drilling operation.

“This is an important milestone for Epiroc Canada, we are excited to collaborate with IAMGOLD to continue driving innovation within the mining industry,” said Charlie Ekberg, General Manager Epiroc Canada. “The autonomous Pit Viper fleet has a strong reputation for reliability and this recent agreement shows our shared commitment to operator safety on site,” said Chris Graves, Business Line Manager Surface Drilling at Epiroc Canada.

“The Epiroc Pit Viper fleet is an integral step along the Côté Gold journey to be the first fully automated haulage and drilling mine in Canada,” said Francis Letarte-Lavoie, Operations Manager Côté Gold. “The existing four Pit Viper rigs are progressing towards full autonomous mode, and we anticipate the fifth drill set for delivery in April 2024 will complete the fleet successfully. We look forward to continuing to develop the partnership with Epiroc in order to meet our milestones during this critical time for Côté Gold and IAMGOLD in general.”

Stantec to help Codelco evaluate thickened, paste and filtered tailings in Chile

Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Sustainable mining

Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has been selected by Chilean copper mining giant Codelco to provide engineering and technical support for a C$16 million service agreement at multiple copper tailings sites in Chile. Copper is an essential component to meeting the growing demands of the energy transition, and proper tailings management is part of delivering sustainable and responsible mineral projects.

Stantec will play a key role in supporting Codelco’s Tailings Project Management Office on projects associated with the company’s active tailings deposits. The team will review engineering deliverables, documents, and plans developed by third parties for the Talabre, Pampa Austral, Ovejería, and Carén tailings deposits. Stantec will also provide professional and engineering services as well as building information modeling (BIM) management. This project extends an existing contract with Codelco through September 2027.

“We are proud to partner with Codelco to deliver safe, sustainable, and responsible copper tailings management,” says Mario Finis, Executive Vice President of Energy & Resources at Stantec. “Copper is critical to the energy transition, and we must continue to commit to sustainable practices in all phases of mining of critical minerals and metals to meet the world’s growing needs.”

The work also includes tradeoff studies and the evaluation of new tailings technologies. Stantec will support the Codelco team in performing technical evaluations of thickened tailings, paste, or filtered tailings for their different operations and tailings facilities. Codelco is one of many companies exploring tailings options that decrease water use, reduce energy consumption, and have a smaller site footprint. These actions help reduce environmental impacts and make the mining industry more sustainable.

“Codelco has chosen Stantec’s team to continue in this role due to the excellent service provided during the previous contract, the technical quality of the professionals involved, and the great relationship with a team that is constantly surpassing expectations and helping Codelco to comply with their objectives,” said Gonzalo Caro Pineda, Project Director of Tailings Management Program at Codelco.

Stantec and Codelco have partnered since 2017. Stantec served as engineer of record (EOR) for two of Codelco’s tailings deposits in the past. Strong partnerships with critical mineral mining companies reinforce Stantec’s commitment to decarbonisation.

Stantec brings a wealth of tailings experience for projects across Central and South America. The firm led the Cerro Corona Gold Mine Tailings Dam Design in Cajamarca, Peru. Stantec also provided tailings-related services for the historically significant Antamina Copper Mine in the Ancash Region of Peru. Stantec is currently the EOR for Cerro Verde Tailings dam in Peru and was the EOR for Laguna Seca Tailings Storage Facility near Antofagasta, Chile.

BHP opens up on the future of maintenance and the role of strategic partners

Automation, Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Industrial minerals, Mineral commodities, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore

International Mining had the chance to hear from BHP’s Vice President Maintenance & Engineering Centre of Excellence Maria Joyce in person at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) this week when she presented a keynote on how the company sees the future of maintenance, technology and innovation.

Joyce said BHP’s focus remains squarely on productivity and sustainability. “Productivity remains our single biggest lever to extract more from the resources and assets we have and grow value from the business. Our BHP operating system, coupled with our centres of excellence, will ensure we safely and responsibly drive productivity. We see opportunity at the intersection points of maintenance, innovation, and technology.”

She then covered three key opportunities in some detail, namely: data and technological innovation; operational efficiency and cost reductions; and the co-development role of OEMs and strategic partners.

BHP “has determined, and proven, that the most effective way to unlock innovation through ways of working or technology, is through our centres of excellence and our BHP operating system that empowers the front line. This enables us to take ideas from our teams that physically execute the work and assess these opportunities at a macro scale. And conversely ensure the high-quality execution of maintenance activities on the ground. Delivering on strategy and as planned.” Through the centre of excellence, Joyce says it is able to hold tension on this performance and can drive macro continuous improvement into its global operations, consistently at scale and pace.

Over the past few years, the global miner has strengthened its capability in data access, data integrity, and machine-assisted data analytics. These sit alongside its globally common approach to asset management, centralised maintenance strategies and governance in the maintenance and engineering centre of excellence.

For common mining equipment, like an ultra-class truck, Joyce says it means that it centrally trades off the right balance between risk of component failure, cost and equipment performance at an enterprise level. “We then centrally govern and optimise these equipment strategies to ensure  global best practice performance across our operating footprint. We have built up a substantive central archive of data and intelligence [Ironman]. This has enabled us to achieve top quartile truck performance across several of our Australian operations. We can now mine our data in the same way we mine our commodities.”

With the foundation of centralised data and strategy governance BHP has also developed proprietary tools and in-house capability that uses artificial intelligence in its decisions along the value chain. “These models are fully integrated into our BHP frameworks and systems and at an enterprise level. But they are smart enough to adapt to the high-altitude operating environment of Escondida, all the way through to a metallurgical coal mine in the Bowen Basin. Both open cut mines but very different mining, haulage and dump conditions.”

The models help BHP run advanced analytics [using APM] and dynamic system modelling to predict supply chain performance. And pressure test the supply chain to anticipate potential performance deviations and compliance challenges. “Allowing us to take action early, before a problem presents itself in the day of operation. It is defining new ways to operate and maintain. Autonomy is a good example. An autonomous site faces a range of complications including interactions between manual and autonomous vehicles and obstacles between the machinery  itself and other objects. It is a highly complex and dynamic environment with lots of moving parts, which can make it more difficult to identify the root causes of underperformance in a fleet. Condition monitoring and sensor data attached to those assets becomes even more important to help us work smarter.”

BHP takes these tens of millions of data points into a machine learning model that does the hard lifting. “Identifying factors correlated with good and bad performance. That performance is then mapped over time to predict variability across the mining system, as we flex operating conditions. This allows us to optimise our equipment strategies and drive rapid improvement back into the system. In a very recent example, it allowed us to increase productive movement by 10% per annum in one of our Australian autonomous operations.”

Operational efficiency, cost reduction
Next is cost efficiency, which is a constant focus in mining. Maintenance is one of the biggest drivers of operating costs globally. Joyce: “We know that predictive maintenance minimises unexpected equipment failures and costly downtime, making our operations more reliable and resilient. When we can accurately predict when equipment will require maintenance [using APM], we can schedule repairs during planned downtime, minimising production disruptions and costs. That is the opportunity. We have predictive analytic models running across most of our load and haul fleets globally, as well as our materials handling systems.”

These models are developed and maintained by a small footprint of people in its maintenance centre of excellence, which provide real time and long-range indications of machine health and potential failure or degradation. In West Australia Iron Ore one of the material handling facilities was challenged by ongoing vibration and material handling impacts that threatened to shorten the structures’ lifespan. “Through our technical centres, we developed a scalable framework where hundreds of gigabytes of sensor data were processed to diagnose and solve for the challenge. Way faster than any human brain could. In fact, it enabled us to identify other locations in the fixed plant structures where we could make changes to prevent the same risk from occurring.”

Co-developed technology roadmaps
The third area of opportunity is technology and innovation that is delivered with BHP and its business partners. A good example of this, is across its decarbonisation efforts, where displacing diesel at the scale of BHP is not just about buying new equipment. “The sources of our Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions is mixed, which is why our decarbonisation pathway is non-linear and reliant on new technologies that are not yet commercially available. Our approach is to collaborate with our OEMs and others across industry to  accelerate development, where for example, we have partnered with Caterpillar and Komatsu to collaboratively develop commercially viable zero emission mining trucks. Every part of the mine will be touched by this change, particularly maintenance.”

Diesel displacement requires a whole new operational ecosystem to surround the fleet. Joyce: “Changing the energy source of mining trucks will change the way we maintain and manage our equipment. Let me help you visualise this change. Let’s take the battery in a large electric haul truck, it may have around 10,000 individual cells that need to be mapped, monitored and maintained. When we scale this up, across our global footprint of fleets, the magnitude of data intensity, management and evaluation we are introducing into the maintenance world is nothing short of remarkable.”

At Jansen, in its Potash business, BHP has partnered with Sandvik to pioneer a world first, ultra large underground borer – 10 times the size of typical systems, with three times the number of process sensors and 10 times the number of asset health sensors. “It is these kinds of collaborations which will accelerate our industry’s rate of development. Our centres of excellence position BHP strongly to navigate and realise these opportunities both those in our existing footprint, and those in new Greenfields expansions like Jansen.”

Near-term challenges
Joyce then turned towards a few of the challenges that BHP sees on the horizon. “The first is investment costs. The remote nature of mining operations, coupled with the industrial scale requires high investment to ensure the right technology infrastructure and connectivity. The reality is that this investment must be made into existing operations and infrastructures, which requires a phased approach constrained by technology readiness, capital, and supply chains.”

The second challenge, perhaps not surprisingly, future skills and technical expertise. “We increasingly need more people with digital skills sector wide, from innovators to the front lines of production and maintenance. We need to bring workers on that journey. We simply don’t have enough of them. This isn’t just a challenge for BHP but industry alike as we draw from the very same talent pools.”

The third challenge exists in global supply chains. The future is heading towards increased global supply chain demand for technology components and future facing commodities. “We saw recent examples of the disruption that can occur in the motor vehicle industry. Where the supply of semi-conductors significantly impacted new vehicle production rates.These are all areas BHP are navigating in the here and now. Our strong Capital Allocation Framework to prioritise funding, through to our Future Fit Academies developing and growing the trades skills that will be brought on by technology and decarbonisation. Strong partnerships with communities, vendors and OEMS will also be pivotal to solve for pressures on the end-to-end supply chain and future skills capability.”

Long-term opportunities in technology and data
Finally, Joyce turned to the long term view. “If we all stood here together in 10-to-15-years, the operating environment for BHP will be very different again. We expect to see the quality of datasets to grow exponentially as we deploy next generation devices and sensors that capture more data, in real time. These always-on, advanced devices and sensors across our operations will provide a real time view in a 3D space. The ability to harness this data will need to be underpinned by the ongoing expansion of our digital backbone, in areas such as next generation networks and edge computing. We expect network solutions, such as 5G+ and Low Earth Orbit satellites to provide high bandwidth, low latency network connections in all areas of a mining operation. A far cry from connectivity challenges we face in some of our remote operations today.”

She added: “Closed loop, AI driven, automation and predictive maintenance we will help us to achieve new heights of asset performance, as we respond to the early warning signals and optimise strategies in real time. And for our people, a world where we leverage responsible AI to augment our workforce, driving even greater productivity and cost efficiency. And most importantly, above all else, remove people from harm’s way.”

For its supply chain, BHP will stretch way beyond the AI tools it uses today into an era of Quantum and space-based computing. “Allowing us to sense and rapidly respond to supply chain demands to any location in our global footprint, at any time. These technologies present exciting opportunities that will fundamentally change the way we will work in the future.”

She concluded her talk as follows: “The leading edge of maintenance, technology and innovation will deliver the next frontier of mining productivity more rapidly. As we apply new technology and at pace we will require new innovative maintenance practices and new skills in our people. The opportunities for data and technology innovation to deliver even greater cost efficiency is huge. More importantly, it will make our work environments safer. Our OEMs, local suppliers and other partners will play a key role at setting the pace at which the future arrives. The future for maintenance is bright and exciting.”