Tag Archives: ABB

Sandvik enters LKAB-led SUM project as Volvo Group departs

Automation, Communications in mining, Environmental, IoT, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sandvik has joined the Sustainable Underground Mining (SUM) project being run by LKAB at the same time as the Volvo Group has exited the Sweden-based collaboration.

The moves come as the iron ore miner looks to “further strengthen a joint endeavour towards sustainable underground mining at great depths”, it said.

To develop the digitalised, autonomous and carbon-dioxide-free mine of the future, in collaboration with other globally leading Swedish companies, LKAB initiated SUM in 2018.

After 2030, LKAB must be ready to mine iron ore deeper in the mines in Kiruna and Malmberget, in northern Sweden. For this, one of Sweden’s biggest industrial investments ever, decisions will have to be taken in the mid-2020s.

“This type of strategic collaboration project is very complex, each company contributes its specific expertise, and the partners will link together both digital systems and operations,” LKAB says. “Providing unique possibilities for SUM, the test mine, Konsuln, in Kiruna will serve as a real mine environment where technology, machines and working methods will be tested.”

Sandvik will be joining LKAB, Epiroc, ABB and Combitech in trying to achieve this goal. The Volvo Group’s earlier partnership in SUM will now take the form of other collaboration with LKAB, the miner said.

Jan Moström, President and CEO of LKAB, said: “In the coming years, LKAB must have a solution in place to be able to mine iron ore at depths approaching or exceeding 2,000 m in a cost-effective way by employing technology that is safe, autonomous, electrified, digitalised and carbon-dioxide-free.

“To enable this, collaboration with other leading industrial companies will be decisive. Sandvik’s longstanding experience of producing underground vehicle systems will complement the ongoing work in an important way.”

Stefan Widing, President and CEO Sandvik, said: “LKAB has used automated equipment from Sandvik for many years and we look forward to the opportunity to extend our collaboration and introduce new and advanced solutions that will set an industry standard.”

Epiroc and Sandvik will be relied on for battery-powered, autonomous and efficient mining equipment and related solutions that will ensure improved productivity and safety in LKAB’s mines. ABB’s role is to contribute knowledge and solutions for electrification, automation, service and maintenance. Combitech, meanwhile, will bring broad expertise and experience when it comes to connecting autonomous processes and people via so-called digital ecosystems.

LKAB says significant progress has been made on the project to date, including:

  • Successful establishment of the test mine, Konsuln, in Kiruna, where testing is carried out in a real mine environment;
  • An integration and collaboration platform, ‘LOMI’ (LKAB Open Mine Integrator) has been developed to enable an open systems architecture whereby all partners can develop modules and solutions that work together;
  • ABB has delivered ABB Ability System 800xA, the control-room console Extended Operation Workplace and a “Collaboration table” for visualising key functions and key figures in the mine, allowing the operator to monitor and control equipment in the best, most sustainable way. The ambition is that everything that is done in the test mine can be approved, planned and controlled via a project office at surface level, so that underground work can be done more efficiently;
  • Epiroc has delivered the drill rig Easer L and Scooptram ST18 LHD, both equipped for automation functionality, for the test mine, and operators and service personnel have been trained. The Easer L, commissioned in 2019, has shown good results in drilling over 50-m-long holes in the test mine, which is an important step for planning the future mine layout. For the loader, during Autumn 2020, the plan is to conduct tests with increasing complexity in terms of automation and interoperability; and
  • Combitech has delivered new solutions for systems platforms on an ongoing basis together with LKAB’s IT department. The aim is to synchronise new technology with existing systems.

In March 2020, the “Testbed for integrated, efficient and carbon-dioxide-free mining systems”, a part of SUM, received funding amounting to 207 million Swedish kronor ($23 million) from the Swedish Energy Agency.

ABB, TAKRAF complete commissioning of Chuquicamata conveyor system

Base metals, Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , , , , ,

ABB, working with TAKRAF, has completed commissioning and testing of the world’s highest-powered gearless conveyor drive system at the Codelco-owned Chuquicamata copper mine in Chile.

ABB has provided engineering design, gearless conveyor drives (GCD), electrical equipment for power supply, energy distribution and automation of a new underground and overland conveyor system at one of the world’s largest copper mines.

Chuquicamata is currently transitioning from open-pit to underground mining, with the conveyor system, commissioned in just four months, part of a new underground project that is expected to extend operations for the next 40 years.

Project management and engineering for the full electrical, control and instrumentation scope was led by ABB in Germany, with long spells on site in northern Chile to work side-by-side with TAKRAF to equip the site’s new underground operation with a large conveying system that overcomes an altitude difference of 1,200 m and covers a distance of almost 13 km, ABB said.

The three principle 11,000 t/h conveyors feature GCDs equipped with large ABB AC synchronous motors with a rated power of 5 MW each, resulting in a motor shaft torque of about 900 kNm. With every line in constant use, high availability and low maintenance are essential. Designed with a minimum of transfer stations, just one was required underground, saving significant project cost, ABB said.

Based on continuous conveying technology, the infrastructure is completely truck-less, eliminating the need for 120 large haul trucks. This results in saving around 130 million litres/y of gasoline consumption, bringing the carbon emissions from 340,000 t/y down to 100,000 t/y. It is also the first transportation system in the world to employ premium steel cable belt technology, ST10000, for use on uphill tunnel conveyors, according to ABB.

ABB high power motors in position

“This mega project achieves a number of firsts, from the system’s installed drive power to the application of the ST10000 conveyor belt,” Marc Hollinger, TAKRAF Project Manager, said. “With this project, we firmly establish TAKRAF as one of the world’s only providers capable of delivering a mega project of this nature incorporating advanced technologies that push the boundaries of what has been done before. This is a complex project of the highest magnitude demanding global cooperation between internal and external parties.”

Ulf Richter, Global Product Manager for Belt Conveyor Systems at ABB, said: “This is a new milestone in underground applications for continuous mining. It is the highest drive power ever installed on a conveyor and uses a wide range of features for data acquisition, equipment assessment and process optimisation.

“In piloting this gearless drive application with TAKRAF, we have overcome tremendous technical and logistical challenges due to underground situations, elevation change and capacity requirements.”

ABB liquid-cooled MV voltage-source frequency converters, together with large synchronous motors, deliver a decrease in active and reactive power consumption at the operation. This is highly energy efficient, and without additional network filters, it says.

ABB’s Mining Conveyor Control Program ensures smooth belt operation and safe synchronisation between high power motors and high power hydraulic brakes, necessary for secure operation of steep uphill conveyors. The drive systems also work without mechanic backstops, ABB said.

A novel embedding concept, developed jointly by TAKRAF and ABB, enables straightforward installation and alignment of the GCD motors, saving installation time and longer deployment of maintenance teams. This was considered a major benefit compared with existing GCDs in cantilevered construction, ABB said. The concept also meant motors were 100% factory assembled and tested. They can also be mechanically disconnected from the drive pulley quickly so operations can continue if drive failure occurs. The total installed drive power for the entire system, including multiple feeder conveyors, totals 58 MW, of which there are 11 x 5 MW gearless synchronous motors.

ABB has also installed ABB Ability™ Ventilation Optimizer at Chuquicamata reducing carbon emissions and providing clean air to workers in line with the strict health, safety and environment requirements.

ABB tackles ‘open automation’ with UWA, ETP, AMIRA Global and Gold Fields

Automation, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

ABB says it has linked with the University of Western Australia’s (UWA) new Energy & Resources Digital Interoperability Industry 4.0 (ERDi i4.0) TestLab, run by Enterprise Transformation Partners (ETP), to advance Industry 4.0 open process automation standards.

This includes collaboration on AMIRA Global’s P1208 Interoperability Enablement for Natural Resources project, which is designed to realise the future digital mine. It aims to develop and implement interoperability standards for mine planning, mine scheduling and execution so equipment and applications for mine operations become ‘plug and play’. Building on the University of Western Australia I4.0 ERDi Test Lab (pictured), this initiative will enable an off-site test laboratory to evaluate efficacy of interoperability of technology without disrupting ongoing mining activities, according to ABB.

Separate to the AMIRA project, ABB is also working closely with ETP on an integrated systems project at Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mine, 740 km northeast of Perth, Western Australia, one of the largest and highest producing gold operations in the country.

The project will enhance ABB Ability™ Operations Management System (OMS) Platform – Fleet Management Software Module to support the latest in reliable messaging and Industry 4.0 interoperability standards; ISA-95 (IEC 62264) via B2MML V7.0, ABB said. This advancement will enable the mine to connect and coordinate mine operators, workforce, equipment and all mining activities in real-time, from face preparation to crusher, according to the company.

“In 2019, we launched the Integrated Systems project to increase production throughput of the Granny Smith gold mine,” Michael Place, Technical Service Manager, Gold Fields Australia, said. “To achieve the objective of a fully-connected mine, we are working with ABB and ETP to build an integrated business process and system architecture that will enable visibility of operational activities in near real-time via automated information exchange between various mining systems.

“The system architecture has been designed to allow deployment across various operations, both open pit and underground. This deployment will be the major phase of the technology strategy for the Granny Smith mine and will be a pilot for integrated platforms across Gold Fields Australia, which aims to create one of the most innovative, digitally connected mines in the world. This project and agreement will be key to achieving this.”

ETP Managing Director, John Kirkman, said: “ABB’s investment, both in financial terms as well as time, together with their expertise, is critical for this project to support the re-engineering of products that are often required to deliver a reliable, performant and standards compliant software package.

“The performance requirements of a software package that exchanges and processes granular events with rich information in real-time, when compared to a software package designed for periodical manual entry, are like comparing chalk and cheese, and that’s where ABB plays a big role.”

Stuart Cowie, Head of Industrial Automation Process Industries, ABB Australia, added: “Industry 4.0 and digital transformation are huge opportunities for the Australian mining industry with automation, analytics, and artificial intelligence generating insights and accelerating greater productivity and efficiency.

“This underlines ABB’s commitment to ensuring Industry 4.0 concepts influence its product roadmaps into the future, and demonstrates the significant value that can be delivered to customers through interoperability and automation across both processes and systems. It will give ABB valuable insights into digital transformation and Industry 4.0 concepts for mining. Through our work with the ERDi TestLab, the OMS platform has become an even more powerful tool with reliable real-time access to operational data through ISA95 standardised messages.”

As part of POC 1, ABB will showcase ABB Ability Operations Management System and Fleet Management System software to AMIRA P1208 project sponsors, automatically exchanging information with scheduling and materials tracking software packages via i4.0 standard interfaces.

ABB goes up a level with new LST200 measurement device

Communications in mining, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , ,

ABB has launched a new feature-rich ultrasonic level transmitter that, it says, is designed specifically for industries with large installed bases of level measurement devices, particularly water and wastewater treatment, which could find its way into the flotation process.

With its modular design and intelligent algorithms, the LST200 is easy to install, commission and maintain and stable in use, decreasing total expenditure over the product’s lifetime, according to the company.

“Commissioning the LST200 is easy thanks to a set-up menu that guides customers through configuration within one minute,” ABB says. “Operating the device is easy because the LST200 has a blue backlight that makes it highly visible even in strong sunlight or darkness in locations such as lagoons and settling ponds. Maintaining the device is easy because it offers real-time echo waveform and diagnostic messaging for efficient troubleshooting.”

High stability is achieved by a sophisticated algorithm that enables the LST200 to detect and automatically compensate for any instability in the strength of the ultrasonic signal. This makes the LST200 a good choice in process basins for aeration, chlorine contact, skimmer tanks, sedimentation, and flotation thickeners where there can be unstable surface echo from foam or turbulence, according to ABB.

An algorithm with noise filtering, meanwhile, makes the LST200 useful in wet wells, lift stations and pumping stations because it is immune to noise from heavy equipment such as variable speed drives. Temperature compensation is another key feature, with the LST200 offering reliable accuracy that is better than +/-3 mm or 0.25% of full span, ABB says.

Submersible in water, the LST200 can survive flooding. It has a waterproof rating of IP68 relevant for the water and wastewater industries.

“A non-contact instrument made from polycarbonate, it is resistant to process liquids such as mild acid and base, chloride and oxidiser, making the routine work for cleaning unnecessary,” ABB says. “For open channel flow measurement, built-in equations and supporting software prevents the need for any manual calculations, saving the user time and effort.”

Jack Wang, Global Product Manager for Ultrasonic Level Transmitters at ABB, says: “Thanks to its modular design, user-friendly interface and built-in intelligence, it meets our customers’ key requirements for ease and reliability when they are considering total expenditure on the device from purchasing, to installation and maintenance.”

ABB and Hydrogen Optimized to study large-scale green hydrogen production systems

Environmental, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

ABB and Hydrogen Optimized have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development of large-scale green hydrogen production systems connected to the electrical grid to offer a clean, sustainable and affordable energy source for industries such as mining.

Hydrogen Optimized has ambitions to use its high current water electrolysis technology at scale to produce green hydrogen for emerging clean applications across industries, including chemical, utility and transportation. ABB’s hydrogen research team, meanwhile, will explore electrical power supply optimisation through projects involving ABB high power rectifier (HPR) systems.

Together, the companies plan to prove that Hydrogen Optimized’s RuggedCell™ water electrolysis technology can be used to develop an integrated product solution based on a 100 MW single module plant design concept, they said.

Within ABB’s HPR range, rectifier systems provide DC current in the range of 5,000 A to 550,000 A, as single or multiple units and, as such, can provide nearly unlimited current and voltage combinations and meet most plant specific requirements, the company says.

“ABB is a world leader in the control and electrification solutions designed for large-scale electrochemical processes,” Andrew TB Stuart, President and CEO of Hydrogen Optimized (pictured), said. “Such technology is an excellent fit with our patent pending RuggedCell. Together these technologies create a continuous reduction in the installed capital cost as the scale of the green hydrogen project increases.

“Our joint work will lay the foundations for single-plant sizes up to the hundreds of MWs input power range. Demonstrating the scalability of these two key components of a water electrolysis installation is vital to economic green hydrogen and we are excited about the potential benefits for customers.”

The MoU signed by the companies formalises the agreement to explore the implementation of a demonstration system as well as the preparation of a 100 MW plant design and commercialisation strategies, the two said.

Charl Marais, Global Product Manager, Process Industries, ABB, said: “This project plays to our strengths of building large, highly efficient, customised HPR systems, pushing the boundaries of what is possible from one rectifier unit. Based on our many years of experience in providing control and electrical system solutions for electrochemical industries, we understand that HPR systems have the characteristics required for successful large-scale project deployment.

“This collaboration advances the commercial availability and feasibility of large-scale green hydrogen systems. We have been exploring this type of project for more than two years and the synergies with Hydrogen Optimized have been very apparent. We have a clear vision, and the results could be significant.”

Applications using green hydrogen include zero-emission transportation fuel supply, ammonia and other chemical production with non-fossil sources of hydrogen, and green metal production with hydrogen instead of a coking-type process, the companies say.

ABB to energise world’s largest advanced diamond recovery vessel

Bulk handling, Diamond mining, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , , , ,

ABB has won a contract from Damen Shipyards Group to deliver an advanced power system for Debmarine Namibia’s custom-built diamond recovery vessel.

The Switzerland-based company will supply an integrated power system package that will ensure the world’s largest and most technologically advanced diamond recovery vessel meets exceptional safety, efficiency and availability requirements, it said. The vessel is being built by Damen at Damen Shipyards Mangalia on the Black Sea, in Romania.

With a total cost of $468 million, the vessel is the largest single investment ever made in the marine diamond industry, according to Debmarine. It deploys advanced subsea crawling – a technique for recovering diamonds from the seabed. The new build will be delivered to Debmarine Namibia, a joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Group, in 2022.

Debmarine Namibia extracts some of the highest quality diamonds available anywhere from water of between 90-150 m deep off the south west coast of the country.

The new 177 m ship has been designed by Norway-based naval architects, Marin Teknikk. It will become the largest ship in the owner’s fleet, exceeding the size of Debmarine Namibia’s current largest vessel, the Mafuta, by 8,000 t displacement (vessel weight based on the amount of water displaced by the hull). It is expected to increase the shipowner’s annual production by 35%, contributing an additional 500,000 ct to today’s production levels.

The offshore mining specialist previously installed ABB’s power systems on board the SS Nujoma (SSN), Debmarine Namibia’s deep-water diamond exploration and sampling vessel.

Michael Curtis, who is heading the new build project for Debmarine Namibia, said: “The success of the SSN, with high reliability, efficient positioning and low fuel consumption coupled with safe operation, was instrumental in selecting the same systems for the new diamond recovery vessel, with ABB’s power systems being an integral part of the solution.”

The latest ABB technology will ensure the vessel achieves unsurpassed uptime, according to the company.

In addition to the advanced system for power generation, distribution and variable speed drive propulsion systems, the solution includes a large online double-conversion marine uninterruptible power supply (MUPS) to support the ship’s control processes, significantly reducing the risk of critical power loss and downtime.

“ABB’s MUPS is designed for undisrupted availability, ensuring power backup for the vessel’s on-board control systems of the subsea-crawler and processing plant that sorts through sediment lifted from the seabed to extract diamonds,” ABB said. “ABB’s advanced and tightly integrated power system will help optimise engine loading, as well as reduce running hours and fuel costs, and decrease maintenance needs.”

Juha Koskela, Managing Director, ABB Marine & Ports, said: “This is a truly special ship, packed with sophisticated technology, and a project demanding an especially close relationship with the customer to ensure that optimal solutions were delivered for exact specifications.

“We are thrilled to see that the team behind this advanced vessel recognises the benefits of efficiency, safety and uptime available through integration. This success is also consistent with growing traction for ABB’s electric, digital and connected solutions across an increasing number of vessel types and operational profiles.”

ABB envisages eliminating diesel from the open-pit mining mix

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , ,

Reducing carbon emissions during open-pit operations is now a major driver for global mining companies, who are going back to the future by employing trolley assist systems for trucks to limit diesel fuel usage and costs, while at the same time boosting speed-on-grade for greater throughput, write ABB’s Mehrzad Ashnagaran and Michel Serres*.

Haul road electrification technology has been in development for decades, but the emergence of a new generation of diesel-electric trucks that already have an electrical system on board to tap into – making it easy to attach them on a trolley line – means the concept has recently begun to gain significant traction as a commercially viable way to facilitate the all-electric mines of the future.

One of the key challenges when it comes to reducing diesel fuel usage is cycle times. There is no technology today that enables miners to fill the truck’s tank and complete a shift without stopping; either you have to increase the speed of the mobile equipment or the size the fleet itself – both of which have a direct impact on capital expenditure.

Trolley assist systems have returned to the market in the last two to three years in places such as North and South America, Africa and Turkey, mainly due to CO2 emission taxes, the removal of tax advantages from diesel, and premiums offered by energy suppliers to incentivise companies to use electricity.

Going forward, there are many synergies with using trolley lines, which offer huge benefits in terms of CO2 reduction.

Large trucks regularly carry 3,000-5,000 litres of diesel in the tank and consume around 300-400 litres per hour while travelling up a 17 km ramp in half an hour.

By going electric, the vehicles, when on-trolley, only use around 30-50 litres an hour, which equates to a reduction in diesel consumption of as much as 350 litres an hour, making operations much more CO2 efficient. In addition, the speed of the trucks will increase, meaning you have a higher throughput at the mine. Operators can also start to think about parking some of their fleet, which will bring additional indirect value to overall operational improvements through better maintenance planning to improve fleet availability and fleet longevity.

One example of the revival of trolley assist systems is at the Aitik open-pit copper mine in Sweden. Here Boliden, ABB and partners trialled the electrification of four haulage trucks on a 700 m trolley line, with the goal of reducing annual diesel usage by 800,000 litres and carrying 70 Mt of ore every year at the mine without using fossil fuel.

Reduced diesel consumption at Boliden mines

Boliden has now moved on from the 700 m trolley line trial at Aitik to confirming it will install an additional 3 km of trolley line at the mine, plus 1.8 km at Kevitsa (in addition to the accompanying conversion of diesel-electric haul trucks). By doing so, Boliden says it will reduce its diesel consumption by 5,500 cu.m/y when its investment is complete. That is a big number.

Aitik is currently the only mine in an arctic climate where electric trolley has been installed. Overall, with the further three kilometres of electric trolley line, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation over the life of mine are reduced by nearly 15%.

In Kevitsa, 13 mining trucks are converted for electric trolley lines at the same time as the 1.8-km-long electric trolley line is being built. The investment means that greenhouse gas emissions over the life of this mine will be reduced by 9%.

In addition, productivity gains are added as the electrically powered trucks can run at a higher speed, and the working environment for the drivers is also improved, not least through lower noise levels.

Today’s mine design

Diesel-electric trucks have an electrical powertrain in the wheels, meaning they can be driven fully electric, and have an electrical genset on board, so they generate electricity as they go.

However, due to the limitations of existing battery technologies at surface mines, we cannot yet manage large payload trucks of 280-400 tons (254-363 t) fully battery equipped. Companies are therefore trying to close the gap between the trolley and the loading or dumping point using battery packs and other solutions.

Constraint management

The transformation from diesel to electric is bringing new advantages in terms of CO2 reduction but also new constraints in terms of mine planning and fleet management. Energy costs represent almost one third of a mining company’s total cost base; helping industry to manage these costs is therefore key.

Switching OEMs on to electrification

Having initially adopted a ‘fast follower’ approach to new digital technologies, the risk-averse mining sector has also been slow to embrace electrification. Operators are looking to technology leaders such as ABB as well as more niche players to make change happen.

A lot of mining companies are looking to the likes of ABB to influence mining equipment manufacturers and engage them in the electric transformation, and so accelerate the process.

A clear technology roadmap and shifting workforce skill are key to this transition.

The biggest challenge is that customers are nervous about redesigning existing diesel-powered mines to integrate new electrification systems. Asset lifecycle strategies, ownership models and duty cycles are all subject to change. Ultimately, the customer needs a very clear technology roadmap and finding the right partner for this major undertaking is key.

According to Accenture’s resources practice, the profile of the future mining workforce could change by up to 80% by 2024, driven by increased adoption of advanced technologies. The onus is therefore on mining companies to demonstrate a progressive commitment to electrification to attract and retain the next generation of digitally literate talent.

Today the worldwide situation with COVID-19 may accelerate these changes faster than forecast.
Current skill sets will have to be re-evaluated for the all-electric mines of the future, and so the need for change management is key. Tomorrow we will need more workers understanding the concept of electrification, in addition to digital and planning skills – so the shifting skill profile is an important consideration.

*Mehrzad Ashnagaran is Global Product Line Manager Electrification at ABB, while Michel Serres is VP Innovation and Digital North America at ABB

ABB ramps up remote services to counter COVID-19 crisis

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining services, , , , ,

ABB says it is accelerating the roll out of and access to remote service tools and digital solutions across critical industries as it looks to equip customers with the means to continue operating in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company is working with customers to ensure the access to field operators and service engineers who cannot be on-site at this time by delivering control room livestreams, operational insights, process data and plant key performance indicators to users at home.

To ensure continuous operations, customers can access ABB remote-enabled solutions, including remote condition monitoring of critical assets; augmented reality maintenance support; online tools for training and spare parts stocking; and self-diagnoses that mitigate risk to assets, processes and security.

Many of these services are delivered to customers through ABB Ability™ Collaborative Operations, a suite of digitally enabled solutions and services, and its network of Collaborative Operations centres located around the globe. ABB has Collaborative Operations centres dedicated to the mining industry to connect mine and mill operators and engineers with ABB applications and experts in mining processes, automation and electrification.

“With 24/7 access, ABB domain experts and data scientists use digital technologies to help customers monitor assets, processes and risks; jointly derive insights from data; suggest mitigating actions; and provide critical remote assistance to help customers to keep production running,” it said.

Peter Terwiesch, President Industrial Automation, ABB, said the COVID-19 outbreak was leading to governments and companies having to make difficult choices, balancing people’s safety with economic livelihood.

“ABB is committed to supporting both: protect people, while helping businesses to stay operational during these challenging times,” he said. “Remote services and digital solutions can make a major contribution to keep people safe, production running, and critical supply chains and economic livelihood preserved.”

He continued: “We are committed to support our customers to run their operations safely, to keep the lights on, keep people connected, and help us all to weather this storm, together.”

ABB’s Bonvicini argues the OPEX case for grinding mill installations

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , ,

ABB’s Leandro Bonvicini is urging mining companies to think outside of the capital expenditure box and conduct numerous tradeoff studies when deciding on their grinding circuit of choice.

Speaking about the Toquepala copper expansion project in Peru (pictured), specifically, in a talk titled, ‘SPCC Toquepala Expansion: Designing a reliable grinding circuit’, at the SME MineXchange Annual Conference & Expo, in Phoenix, Arizona, Bonvicini said the mine owner, Southern Peru Copper, was keen to employ a solution that was not only affordable from a capital cost perspective, but also energy efficient and came with low operating costs.

The $1.2 billion expansion, which saw throughput rise from 60,000 t/d to 120,000 t/d, involved the addition of two new thyssenkrupp-made ball mills, with ABB providing the gearless mill drives (GMD) technology. This came on top of the 33 mills the miner already had up and running as part of the existing 60,000 t/d plant at the operation.

GMDs are the grinding solution of choice in challenging environments, according to ABB. By eliminating bolt-on mechanical components such as ring-gears, pinions, couplings and gearboxes, GMDs offer ore producers unrivalled availability, efficiency and durability, while reducing operating expenditure, the company says.

Unlike more traditional ring-geared mill drives – where a ring-shaped gear encircles the mill and drives it through one or two pinions followed by conventional motors – GMDs work by mounting rotor poles directly to the mill body and surrounding it with the stator ring, meaning the mill itself is incorporated into the motor.

The necessary torque to turn the mill is transmitted between the GMD motor and the mill via the magnetic field in the tiny air gap between the stator and rotor. Because this type of motor system requires no gearing or direct contact transmission, GMDs boost efficiency by reducing frictional losses, while fewer mechanical critical components means less maintenance downtime is required due to wear and tear, according to ABB.

Bonvicini said SPCC weighed up numerous drive options during the due diligence phase but settled on GMDs even though the mill power required was as low as 11 MW. He said this was one of the lower power installations the ABB GMD team had employed, but the operating economics stacked up.

The project team was focused on choosing a solution that, even if it cost slightly more to install, would provide the lowest operating costs over the life of the mine, according to Bonvicini. This convinced the company to employ GMDs for the very first time in its grinding circuits.

In addition to the GMDs on the ball mills, ABB supplied two 2.65 MW motors for the high pressure grinding rolls working at the operation, according to Bonvicini.

ABB adds to Knowledge Manager following pilot trials

Automation, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining software, , ,

ABB has announced the newest version of its Knowledge Manager (KM) software, following direct customer feedback from several worldwide pilot installations of the technology.

ABB Ability™ Knowledge Manager 9.1 offers new features to improve usability and engineering capabilities for mining and cement customers, according to the company.

Eduardo Lima, Global Product Manager Digital Mining and Cement at ABB, said: “This version of ABB Ability Knowledge Manager is a great example for how we collaborate closely with our customers to design and improve the solutions they need for their operations.”

Older KM installations can be upgraded to this new version, which further builds upon the improvements started in its previous 9.0 version, and now includes visually improved dashboards. Outdated chart technologies are continuously being replaced with a variety of newer ones that are based on HTML5, providing more interactive functions and better performance.

The new version also supports engineering based on standard ISA-95 equipment model and provides engineering synchronisation with other ABB solutions, such as ABB Ability™ AssetVista, for easier integration. New data collection mechanisms using the OPC UA standard are now also available, enabling simpler and more secure integration with other systems and solutions.

ABB said: “Information management and transparency across operations is key for users at all plant levels. There is a particular need at companies with multiple plants to understand why these are operating at different performance levels. An integrated information management system, such as ABB Ability Knowledge Manager, allows sharing knowledge across sites in the organisation.”

KM provides analytical insight to identify best practices and improve overall operation at the plant and at corporate levels, according to the company. The system incorporates leading-edge digital capabilities and technology, providing mining and cement industry customers with the ability to view, analyse, and act upon critical data, ABB says.

Integrated with the ABB Ability™ System 800xA process control system and its extensive Minerals Library, Knowledge Manager includes an easy-to-use mobile interface, so operators can access process performance information at any time from any location. The new version also includes functions to create, view, and share reports, charts, and trend analysis, and improvements to navigation and information storage.

The company concluded: “Knowledge Manager simplifies production management by enabling performance monitoring, downtime management and maintenance support, as well as providing statistical production analysis tools. It provides solutions and advanced tools to facilitate the collection, consolidation and distribution of production, quality and energy information via web-based dashboards, reports, trends, and graphs.”