Tag Archives: Rockwell Automation

Eramet’s SLN leverages Rockwell control system to improve uptime at nickel furnace

Automation, Base metals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining services, , , ,

Société Le Nickel (SLN), part of the Eramet Group, has managed to improve uptime at its nickel furnace in New Caledonia by leveraging a new control system from Rockwell Automation.

Processing ores is a complex activity requiring the stable control of the rotary furnaces’ temperature profile and automating operations across different operating ranges. Feed ore introduced into the rotary kiln undergoes calcination as it travels through the length of the furnace. If the calcined product is not at a high enough temperature, product quality is compromised.

Heat is distributed across the furnace with air being supplied for combustion to occur. If there’s too much air supplied, more fuel needs to be burned to maintain the same product temperature, thus decreasing energy efficiency. Excess oxygen must be minimised to a safe level to reduce operating costs and greenhouse gases.

SLN was using an expert system, an existing fuzzy logic controller, designed to automate the operation of the furnace. However, the company faced several challenges with the legacy system, particularly with varying ore content and variable heating values leading to temperature spikes and frequent electrical trips, Rockwell explained. Trips were being caused by high product temperature, which compromises both the quality of the product, and the integrity of the equipment.

“The fuzzy logic was unable to reduce fuel fast enough to prevent trips from occurring and when in manual operation, the operators were not able to react quickly enough,” Leslie Hii, one of Rockwell Automation’s Advanced Process Control Engineers responsible for delivering the SLN project.

“Maintaining the required furnace temperature can be complex and challenging given the number of variables that need to be managed. Fuel type can be oil, coal, or a mixture of the two – each with their unique thermal characteristics. Moreover, the rate of feeding material impacts the furnace temperature and needs to be carefully managed.”

SLN upgraded to Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk Analytics Pavilion8 to boost efficiency and performance (image copyright: Société Le Nickel, part of the Eramet Group)

The expert system can only be turned on when the furnace is operating normally and, in the event of any instability, the operators turn it off and take control. The expert system also rated poorly in terms of user friendliness and ease of maintenance, both factors contributing to low system uptime, Rockwell said.

To rectify the situation, SLN upgraded to Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk® Analytics™ Pavilion8®. This model predictive control (MPC) solution offers an intelligence layer that sits on top of automation systems and continuously assesses current and predicted operational data, according to the company. It then compares this data with desired results, and drives new control targets to reduce process variability, improve performance and boost efficiency – all autonomously and in real time.

“Using a MPC solution is an ideal example of how Rockwell Automation is using artificial intelligence to drive better operational results by making use of available data,” Hii said. “In this project, we also used machine learning, process knowledge and data to develop kiln models tailored to SLN’s operations.”

The initial phase of the enhanced solution was successfully completed in just 13 months in contrast to the years it took to implement the expert system. It has already been implemented in five rotary furnaces at SLN’s facility. Operators now have the option to minimise the usage of high value fuel oil while maximising lower value pulverised coal during mixed mode operation, Rockwell said.

Mickael Montarello, Process Control Manager, SLN, said: “The MPC application can handle significant variability on ore feed and heating values and prevents trips from occurring, allowing the furnace to stay in operation at a higher rate. The calcined product temperature error was reduced by 6% and the furnace temperature profile variability reduced by 16.1%.

“The average uptime of Rockwell’s MPC is 83% compared with 70% with the earlier expert system. The new solution allows the furnace to stay in operation for longer.”

He added: “Users appreciate the tool’s user-friendliness and flexibility. In the event of a problem with one element of the process, operators can easily intervene on the element in question, while allowing the MPC to continue controlling the other manipulated variables.

“Thanks to this tool, new opportunities for optimising control and management are opening up, which were not possible with the old fuzzy logic controller. Our target for 2024 is to achieve a 90% utilisation rate.”

Rockwell Automation to provide process control solution at Cornish Lithium demo plant

Automation, Energy minerals, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , ,

Rockwell Automation says it is working with Cornish Lithium on a demonstration plant to validate the sustainable production of lithium hydroxide from micaceous granite.

The Cornish Lithium demonstration plant will be controlled by the PlantPAx® modern distributed control system from Rockwell Automation. This DCS provides a single, plant-wide control system and increased flexibility for better business decisions, according to the company.

Phil Hadfield, UK Managing Director, Rockwell Automation, said: “Rockwell Automation has both the technology and domain expertise to support the complex lithium extraction process. We have successfully worked in lithium projects around the world, including Australia, Africa and South America. The integrated architecture from Rockwell Automation provides end-to-end system integration. The systems are designed with scalability in mind, leveraging the new advancements in digital technology.”

Cornish Lithium has licensed an acid-leaching, selective precipitation and crystallisation process developed to create lithium hydroxide from micaceous granite. This process is expected to be more environmentally friendly than the traditional hard-rock process, which usually involves a significant calcination step, where the ore is calcined at 1,000°C, the company says.

The validity of the process has already been tested at a small pilot plant in Australia and proven that it can produce lithium hydroxide monohydrate salt, according to Cornish Lithium. The next step is constructing a demonstration plant at the site in Cornwall. This will be a complete conceptual end-to-end process from the raw material to lithium hydroxide, using all the same equipment employed in a full-scale facility with just one or two changes for scale reasons. This simulation of the actual process will assure all stakeholders and potential customers of the effectiveness of the processing technology on Cornish ore ahead of the construction of a full-scale production facility.

David Moseley, Process Manager, Hard Rock Minerals, Cornish Lithium, said: “Rockwell Automation will play quite a crucial role in what we are doing. We want to try and simulate as much as possible the industrial process control that we might employ at full scale. We are trying to put as much of that into the demonstration plant as possible because it is a complex multi-stage process with lots of recycles – and sequential operation, particularly with filtration, and process control is critical. Rockwell Automation is putting together the process control philosophy based on our instrumentation. This is a series of different process control units that must be coordinated to have a plant that will operate effectively.”

Two plants will be built; one is a mineral concentration plant where raw ore is crushed, milled and separated to create lithium-enriched mica concentrate. The second is the chemical plant, with a hydrometallurgical acid leaching system that produces lithium sulphate, which is converted into lithium hydroxide. The chemical plant combines chemical reactors, precipitators, filtration and crystallisation. The demonstration plant is currently under construction and, when commissioned, is expected to operate for a year.

Rockwell Automation and Energy Drive provide energy, emission savings at Sibanye-Stillwater mine

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Rockwell Automation Inc has, as part of an energy-savings-as-a-service partnership, helped reduce emissions and deliver substantial annual energy savings at the Sibanye-Stillwater Driefontein gold mine in South Africa, it says.

Rockwell Automation and Energy Drive, an energy-efficiency specialist with headquarters in Durban, South Africa, recently signed a memorandum of understanding in which they will collaborate on projects designed so that the resulting energy savings offset any investment in technology and systems required to drive the sustainability solutions.

Designed by Energy Drive, the system at the Sibanye-Stillwater mine is central to the new optimised control solution for the mine’s ventilation architecture. The new efficiencies – which have delivered annual energy savings of more than 55 GWh – will help Sibanye-Stillwater address some core goals of its ESG activities.

The ventilation system’s operational parameters have been remodelled to leverage the capabilities of Rockwell Automation’s PowerFlex® 6000T variable frequency drives. Through optimised control of fan speed and air circulation, this new approach has resulted in an average energy saving of 62% in one shaft and 48% in the other, with another shaft soon to be commissioned, according to Rockwell.

Engineers anticipate that the three upgrades will eventually deliver a total energy saving of about 360 GWh over the term of the contract – equivalent to removing 5,000 South African homes from the grid every month. Notably, it will save 379,000 t of carbon over the period, while significantly reducing water and coal consumption.

“We share a common vision to provide the most efficient and sustainable solutions for customers and the environment,” Tom O’Reilly, Global Vice President, Sustainability, at Rockwell Automation, said. “We are excited to address the rapidly growing needs of our customers with this energy-saving-as-a-service partnership, to help them on their journey to greater sustainability and achieving net zero.”

James Hynd, CEO of Energy Drive, added: “Collaboration is at the core of our business, and actualising sustainability is what drives us.”

Describing ‘actualising sustainability’, Hynd explained that a direct result of the energy savings it delivers is the reduction of CO2, which contributes to clients’ sustainability targets, specifically carbon-reduction targets.

Thomas Malomane, Power Control Business manager, Africa, at Rockwell Automation, explained: “A large proportion of global energy is consumed by electric motors, with HVAC applications accounting for a significant part of this. Many motor-based solutions are either running without any form of motor control or are using outdated technology and practices that do not offer contemporary efficiency capabilities. Our PowerFlex range of variable speed drives undergoes continual development to address modern demands and is a core solution for reducing energy consumption across a huge variety of applications globally.”

Analytics, data and security on the Austmine 2019 agenda

Automation, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining maintenance, Mining people, Mining safety, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Austmine 2019 is set to delve into the future of analytics, data and security, key themes that are setting the agenda for the next horizon in the mining industry, according to event organisers.

Running from May 21-23 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Austmine 2019 will, organisers say, feature thought leaders from around the world, who will present their insights into the latest developments in digital efficiencies and live analytics systems, as well as how big data is leading to change across the industry.

“The topic of digital change is one which encompasses the entire value chain, with the optimised use of data leading to production efficiencies, while also having favourable human and environmental outcomes,” the organisers said.

For Austmine 2019, presenters will cover a broad range of perspectives, from mining companies, METS, academia and government.

One of the keynote speakers is Michelle Ash, Chair, Global Mining Guidelines (GMG) Group, who will examine the question: “Disruption is here: how will we harness it?”

Ash said: “I am really excited to be speaking at the Austmine 2019 conference and sharing with delegates how digital technologies are impacting mining around the world.

“There are some amazing advancements in other industries that are also applicable and exciting, but as always, the technology is only part of the challenge implementing them into our organisations, and driving the value and impacts of safety, the environment and productivity is key to the success.

“Delegates will also hear about some of the keys to ensuring that implementation of technology is successful, and how we can increase our rate of change as an industry.”

Other speakers slated to present include Rob Cunningham, Mining Operations Manager at CMOC Northparkes Mines, who will explain how the company is driving an Improvement Innovation Culture at its operations, which embrace the latest block cave mining technologies.

Rob Labbé, Director, Information Security, Teck Resources, will delve into cyber security – enabling the digital mine through cyber risk management and collaboration – while John Vagenas, Managing Director, Metallurgical Systems, asks the question – “Blue pill or red pill? Digital case studies within mineral processing.”

During his presentation, Vagenas is set to explore why so many companies are hesitant when it comes to digital transformation.

“Essentially, digital transformation is about turning data into information so as to gain full transparency into a plant’s operations,” Vagenas said. “For many companies in our sector, it can be an uncomfortable notion. Transparency isn’t always immediately popular, as it threatens how much control some people have over what is and isn’t reported. But, in reality, it can deliver such an enormous and rapid benefit that it’s madness not to make the transition.”

Joining this speaker line-up is Barry Elliot, Vice President, Enterprise Accounts: Heavy Industries, Rockwell Automation, from South Africa, to provide insights into improving mining value from operations data.

He is set to outline solutions around data collection, storage, visualisation and analytics, with a focus on the company’s scalable analytics approach, the FactoryTalk Innovation Suite, as well as applications of AR/VR for visualisation, according to organisers.

In addition to a focus on analytics, data and security, other key themes are set to include the human element of technology, intelligent equipment, sustainability, as well as integration and connectivity.

The two-day conference will be complimented by workshops, a sold-out exhibition, networking opportunities, the Industry Leaders’ Dinner and Awards and more, organisers said.

International Mining is a media sponsor for the upcoming Austmine event