Monthly Archives: March 2018

Innovative technology prevents accidents due to collision or run over in mining operations

FleetSafety, a patented solution by HighService Technology, provides greater safety to vehicle operations, by extending the range of visibility around equipment and measuring distances, activating braking systems and alarms.

An innovative solution that reduces the risk of accidents in mining operations has just launched HighService Technology, a subsidiary of the holding HighService Corp.

This is the latest version of FleetSafety, an innovative development patented by the company for the protection of people and operators of mining equipment, which results in greater productivity and safety in operations.

“Our solution raises the visibility to 360 degrees around the equipment and provides alerts in cases of risk, defining security zones based on the speed and direction of the equipment,” explains Guillermo Vidal Rudloff, General Manager of HighService Technology.

Timely reaction

FleetSafety has a useful life of between five and six years and has the ability to operate autonomously, without relying on a GPS.

“Each of the components of FleetSafety are rigorously tested to provide the highest possible reliability,” the executive precise.

This system is available in three formats, according to the needs of each client.

One of them avoids collisions of mining trucks. Since the visibility for the drivers of these large vehicles is low, the system includes cameras and antennas that activate an alarm each time the truck approaches an area with the possibility of a collision.

Emergency braking

A second format of the solution aims to avoid accidents in the loading areas, thanks to the incorporation of antennas installed around the extraction blade. In this way, when the truck is loaded the auxiliary equipment enters the interaction zone of the shovel to clean the remaining material on the floor, warning by means of an audible alarm.

The third variant of FleetSafety is headed at the safety of pedestrians and minor cargo equipment at work, using portable devices that pedestrians carry in their pockets.

“The system measures distances with precision to warn of an imminent accident and generate emergency braking,” says Vidal.

The company will present this and other technological innovations at Expomin, a specialized fair that will be held in April, where the latest technologies and developments related to mining will be announced.

Innovative technology prevents accidents due to collision or run over in mining operations2023-06-05T20:46:58-04:00

HighService Service optimizes the security and availability of Los Pelambres

The subsidiary of HighService Corp holds a record of zero accidents in 19 years.

HighService Service (HSS), subsidiary of the holding HighService Corp, managed to improve the operational availability of Minera Los Pelambres, owned by the Chilean group Antofagasta Minerals, thanks to a quality maintenance policy implemented by a human group with more than 20 years of experience.

HighService Service has been working with Minera Los Pelambres for 19 years. In 2017, an integral crushing contract was awarded, which includes all the specialties, which was added to the current contracts for electrical execution and instrumentation.

“We have a strong commitment, which translates into our ongoing search for continuous improvement, both our processes and procedures and our equipment and services,” explains HighService Service Operations Manager Mario Arros.

For his part, the Maintenance Manager of Los Pelambres, Ivo Fadic Gálvez, highlights the importance of having “a partner connected to the business challenges of the company, especially in aspects of safety, labor relations, communities and productivity”.

Security

HSS also stands out for another milestone: it reached a zero accident rate with time lost in 19 years of contractual relationship with the mining company. According to Arros, behind this figure there is a policy of prevention of occupational risks based on knowledge, training and surveillance in the field.

“This area is reinforced, especially in the eventual equipment, since they are workers who move occasionally to the site. We work with prevention of occupational hazards, inductions, training of workplaces and prioritize teamwork, “he says.

HighService Service has 86 fixed operators in the concentrator plant and 96 in the Los Pelambres crushing plant. In addition, it transfers between 300 and 400 workers in the eventual maintenance service every six months.

HighService Service optimizes the security and availability of Los Pelambres2023-06-05T20:46:58-04:00

The last stage of the contract with the Oxidos Encuentro Project concludes

Executed by HighService Engineering and Construction for the client Antofagasta Minerals.

On January 31st, the last contract of HighService Engineering and Construction (HS) concluded with the Oxides Encuentro Project in the district of Centinela for the company Antofagasta Minerals, Chile’s main private mining group that concentrates its operations in the Antofagasta Region. 21 kilometers from the commune of Sierra Gorda.

The three most relevant activities of this project, which will use seawater without desalination, contemplated:

– Construction work: assembly of minor and major equipment, in addition to the normalization of the systems for the final delivery of the Plant to Operations.

– Pre Commissioning: tests of individual systems, adjustment of the plant, of individual equipment and by system, as well as tests of hydraulic lines, motors, valves and instruments.

– Start-up: tests with loading systems and resolution “in situ” of operational problems.

This project was implemented by HS, a subsidiary of HighService Corp, between March 2017 and January 2018, with a maximum staff of 156 direct and indirect workers, which totaled 198,069 hours.

Thanks to the Oxides Encuentro project, Centinela’s SX-EW plant will operate at full capacity (100,000 tons of copper per year), providing an average of 43,000 tons of copper cathodes annually for eight years, and thus counteracting the effects of depletion and fall in the ore grades that today extract from Sentinel Oxides.

The last stage of the contract with the Oxidos Encuentro Project concludes2023-06-05T20:46:58-04:00

Minera Escondida installs MIRS innovative robotic solution

This technological innovation replaces automatically and remotely the the Trommel palmettes during programmed stops at the SAG mill, improving safety and productivity.

Maintenance robot is already a reality. MIRS, a subsidiary of HighService Corp, and Minera Escondida, began the exploration of opportunities and collaboration within the framework of the BHP World Class Suppliers Program.

This gave rise to the automation of the change of the Trommel palmettes, an innovative robotic solution that responds to the challenges posed in the road map of the National High-Mining Program and the objective of increasing productivity.

“One of the main characteristics of this equipment is that it allows replacing up to 100% of the palmettes during the change of coatings of the SAG mill, avoiding operational problems, such as the interruption of the process”, explains the Commercial Manager of MIRS, Igor Elías, during the demonstration event, held at the beginning of March in Antofagasta.

The executive adds that this robotic application minimizes emergency maintenance and reduces the changeover time, improving flexibility and operational precision. “The final result is an important advance in the availability of the equipment, adding, as a result, value to our customers.”

The Challenge

On a physical level, the Trommel is attached to the SAG mill (Semi-Autogenous Grinding) and when the mill stops for maintenance, the palmets must also be changed.

The problem is that the duration of the pallets of the Trommel is not the same as that of the coatings of the mill and, therefore, the availability of the SAG grinding process is affected by stopping only to change the palms of the Trommel, generating a high impact on production.

The risk of accidents is another factor to consider, since the palmettes weigh between 80 and 100 kilos, approximately. By making a manual exchange, operators are not only exposed to possible accidents, but also to possible errors in the installation process.

Security and value for all

The manual process of replacing the palmettes takes approximately 23 minutes for each piece, while this same task is performed in just 3 minutes by the team developed by MIRS: one minute to extract the palmette and two minutes to place it.

That is to say, the automated process reduces up to 85% the replacement time of the Trommel palmettes, in SAG mills of any brand.

For all this, the objectives of this robotic solution are to preserve the safety of the workers and increase the productivity of the concentrators.

 

Minera Escondida installs MIRS innovative robotic solution2023-06-05T20:46:58-04:00
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