Tag Archives: Eduardo Lima

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 Outdated chart technologies are continuously being replaced with a variety of newer ones that are based on HTML5, providing more interactive functions and better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.”

ABB closes the short interval control and scheduling loop

Automation, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine surveying, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , ,

ABB, in collaboration with Boliden AB and ArcelorMittal Mining Canada, has launched ABB Ability™ Operations Management System (OMS) for mining, a system that “connects and coordinates mine operators, workforce, equipment and all mining activities in real-time, from face preparation to crusher”.

OMS maximises coordination between weekly production plans and dynamic situations in the mine to improve efficiency, increase productivity and maximise profitability, according to the company.

The company explained: “Mine planners often have to build a short-term plan with limited visibility of ongoing activities in the mine. While mine operators constantly consider and evaluate a complex set of operational constraints, adjusting to ever-changing, day-to-day and hour-to-hour situations. This can impact operational efficiency and raise costs.”

ABB says the integration of short interval control and closed loop scheduling into a single digital platform, ABB’s OMS, will improve responsiveness to unplanned events and reduce production variability through all the mine stages.

The ABB Ability OMS can present ‘what-if’ scenarios in case of task failure or operational change, helping mine operators and planners make better decisions faster, ensuring ongoing operation of the mine and increased productivity, it said. Equipment availability is also improved by moving from a reactive to a predictive maintenance model, according to ABB. “Through all the stages of the production cycle, the production flow from the mine is maximised.”

Eduardo Lima, Product Manager for Integrated Mine Operations at ABB, said: “Although it may seem simple, the coordination between the tactical plan and the operational plan is one of the top challenges faced in modern mining. By offering advanced short-term planning and increased automation, ABB Ability Operations Management System enables the mine to act as an ore factory.”

He added: “Ore inventory can be tracked and controlled to allow maximum flow and optimal grade. By integrating operational technology and information technology, operational awareness is increased for all personnel.

“Staff see the same information at the same time and can jointly decide what actions to take in real time with no need to wait until the end of the shift.”

Short interval control application allows mine operators to monitor and review operational plans and performance based on targets, metrics and key performance indicators. Variances can be analysed and mitigated in real time during a shift for immediate corrective action.

The closed loop scheduling application, meanwhile, combines high-level planning with low-level control through a “heuristic auto-scheduling algorithm”. ABB said: “This allows mine planners to achieve new levels of production scheduling efficiency from bench preparation to crusher, optimising resource usage in real time and following the production plan more effectively.”

In developing ABB Ability OMS with ABB, project teams at both ArcelorMittal Mining Canada’s Integrated Remote Operations Center and the Boliden Mine Operation Center provided operation expertise, existing infrastructure and dedicated resources support, ABB says. The technology was piloted at Boliden’s Renstrom underground mine, in Sweden, and by ArcelorMittal at the Mont-Wright open-pit mine, in Canada.

The ABB Ability OMS is part of the ABB Ability MineOptimize portfolio of digitally connected products, services and solutions aimed at enabling modern mines to “maximise visibility, reliability, productivity and energy efficiency and optimise performance”.