By paying close attention to the sealing solution used in the gland area of slurry pumps, mining operators can increase productivity – and profitability.
Slurry pumps are the workhorses of mining operations, helping to efficiently transport ore in the form of slurry throughout the site. Unfortunately, they are also often one of the more trouble-prone parts of many plants, with the abrasive nature of mining slurries taking a high toll on pump components.
A particular stress point is the gland area, where mechanical seals or packing are used to prevent leakage. Sealing solutions that are of poor quality or that are ill-suited to the application at hand can greatly increase maintenance demands, and lead to unplanned stoppages and excessive water use.
Mining operators looking to increase the efficiency of their slurry pumps – and in turn the whole operation – should spend time analysing their slurry and choose a tailored sealing solution that can cope with the inherent stresses.
Some of the factors to consider when analysing the slurry include the hardness and abrasiveness of the slurry; the amount and weight of solids being carried; and the salinity, chemical composition and temperature of the slurry. These can all impact heavily on component wear.
Armed with this information, operators can make a more informed choice about what kind of features are required from a sealing solution, be it a mechanical seal or packing. While uptake of mechanical seals is varied across mining settings, they have the potential to extend time between maintenance intervals by up to four times compared to packing. However, a slightly higher level of training is required among maintenance staff.
How to choose the right seal and packing
So, what factors should be considered when choosing a mechanical seal?
A good seal should have a stationary sprung design with non-clogging springs and micro-polished dynamic O-ring surfaces. It should also have the flexibility to add erosion protection features, like polyurethane in applications where the slurry is extremely abrasive.
Additionally, a good mechanical seal should also be flexible enough to add support features to prolong operating life, such as quench/drain and flush. It should have line-to-line seal faces, and be designed with generous cross sections and a robust drive mechanism that can mount on hardened pump sleeves.
For packing, the yarn needs to be sufficiently strong to prevent the slurry from penetrating into the fibre. It should be woven in a manner that creates a torturous leak path.
The packing needs to be low friction for low energy consumption and to reduce any damage to the rotating shaft, despite the presence of slurry. It should also be flexible enough to transfer the axial energy into radial load and maintain a positive seal for prolonged periods. Thereby reducing the amount of follower adjustments required during the life of the packing.
In conclusion, slurry pumps play a crucial role in mining operations. By examining operating conditions and requirements and choosing an appropriate sealing solution, pump uptime can be increased, water consumption reduced, and high productivity maintained.
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To find out how to choose the best pump sealing solution for mining slurry operations, download the white paper.
Lance Brett has been working in mechanical seals for over 35 years. Now a national product manager at Seal Innovations, he is excited to bring the new Heavy Duty Slurry Seals onto the market for Australian customers.
“We’re really pleased with the quality of these seals and how they stand up in terms of wear life and reliability,” he said.
“It perfectly complements the rest of our product range and offers new potential for our involvement in the mining and quarrying sectors.”
The role of a sealing application cannot be overlooked, especially in resources where they act to secure valuable materials while they are being processed. Slurry is formed when water combines with ferrous and non-ferrous raw material, such as rock and soil between 1mm and 25mm thick. In mining, there are several types of pumps used in the transport of large volumes of slurry to mineral processing plants, where it then undergoes a separation process.
The solids within slurry can often prove highly abrasive, contributing to the accelerated wear life of critical parts, including seals. This problem can be amplified in a hyper saline environment, which may cause crystallisation of material around the surface.
The new Heavy Duty Slurry Pump Seal from Seal Innovations can withstand the harshest operating environments, providing maximum seal life in mining, quarrying and dewatering applications. The abrasion resistant metal components, along with silicone carbide faces, create an open design which reduces flush water and product dilution.
“This seal unit has been specifically designed for handling slurry concentration of up to 40 per cent solids by weight,” Brett said.
“It is an incredibly robust construct mechanical seal which is best suited to rugged mining and quarrying environments. Differently to standard O-ring designs, it is a rotating assembly, offering accurate installation with no special tools required.”
What’s more, the smooth, elastomer-coated cone spring increases the product’s reliability with an even spring load to the seal’s faces. This ensures minimal wear or clogging, in operating pressures up to 300 psig (20.7 bar).
“We have introduced this product to fill a prominent need in the market for mining-suited slurry pump parts,” Brett said.
“It’s a really exciting addition to our portfolio of industry leading seal products, and we’re already taking it to some of our most valued customers as an upgrade solution on troublesome equipment.”
He adds that, in addition to a comprehensive catalogue of sealing products, the business also provides aftermarket engineering and repair services from some of their centrally located branches.
“We can repair and overhaul slurry pump units as well as seals from our workshop in Brisbane, and we can repair any type of slurry seal from our Melbourne workshop,” Brett said.
“Everything is repaired back to manufacturer specification, and thoroughly tested for performance before re-entering the field.”
Technicians from Seal Innovations regularly visit customer sites, utilising their comprehensive knowledge of seal engineering to carry out audits, training and installation services. In line with its motto – “keep industry moving” – the company strives to meet each customer’s unique requirements and offer a one-stop-shop for all sealing needs.
The extraction and processing of aluminium metal can be broken down into three key stages: the mining of bauxite ore, refining that ore to recover alumina, and then the smelting of alumina to produce aluminium sheets or ingots. This type of metal is prized for its strong yet lightweight properties, as well as its resistance to rusting.
Although aluminium is the third most abundant element to be found in the Earth’s crust (after oxygen and silicone), it has only been widely utilised over the last 100 years. This is because it does not exist in nature in a pure state, and must be extracted from compounds through an intensive refining process.
Australia’s aluminium industry is the world’s largest producer of bauxite, despite having only been in commercial operation since 1955. It is a major contributor to employment and the national economy, generating around 21 million tonnes of alumina material each year.
Michael Greelish, national accounts manager for mining at Motion Australia, worked recently with a Victorian aluminium smelting business to implement NTN’s angular contact ball bearings on various machinery parts to great success. The company itself produces approximately 300,000 tonnes of aluminium every year, adhering to robust environmental management plans and sustainability targets.
“We are proud to support such a forward‑thinking player in the Australian mining space, supplying them with the best quality bearing components to ensure that they meet efficiency targets,” Greelish said.
“CBC carried out assessment on their application where part failure was becoming a costly issue, and recommended the angular contact ball bearings from NTN as a premium, long-term solution that could promise reliability.”
These non-separable bearings are incredibly useful, due to their ability to support simultaneous radial and single‑direction axial pressure. Because of this, they are usually used in pairs or sets to transmit load between raceways along a radial plane. Popular with OEM customers, these NTN units have been generating widespread positive feedback following extended operating life on different sites.
“Put simply, the NTN product is one of the best on the market, and can be fitted without fuss if the situation calls for efficiency,” Greelish said.
“When you have got a failure on a generic bearing, or need to carry out maintenance change-overs, the last thing you want is extended downtime. These angular contact ball bearings also feature a ‘flush ground’ finishing method, which allows for universal pairing and back-to-back arrangement if required.”
Resistant to premature fatigue, this product has proven longevity in harsh mining conditions and under extreme pressure peaks. The steel bearing cages are set to maintain rolling elements at a uniform pitch, so that the load does not fall onto the cage directly. This prevents the rolling elements from falling out when the bearing is handled by fitters or technicians.
“Their design is seriously smart, and addresses the concerns of every-day industrial operations,” Greelish said.
“Pretty much any application requiring angular bearings could benefit from this product, because they are available in such a broad catalogue of sizes and arrangements.”
Since 1971, CBC and NTN have operated under a joint venture partnership, delivering expert engineering products to the Australian mining market and beyond. As one of the top five bearing manufacturers in the world, NTN sets an international standard for end-to-end logistical service and supply.
Features and benefits of the NTN Angular Contact Ball Bearings • Peak performance in high or low temperature settings • Lower starting friction coefficient • Low lubrication consumption • Internationally standardised and readily available through CBC • Improved pre-loading due to bearing rigidity • Accessible and efficient product numbering system • Can simultaneously support radial and axial loads
The site of the Saint Elmo vanadium mine in Central Queensland. Image: Multicom Resources
The Queensland Government has recognised the importance of vanadium as a new economy mineral with plans for a processing plant in Townsville.
The mineral is used in large-scale grid batteries called redox flow batteries. These batteries store the charge in liquid form, enabling larger capacities.
Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said vanadium would play a significant part in the state’s transition to clean energy.
“We want regional Queensland to be a global leader when it comes to everything that’s part of the renewable energy revolution,” he said.
“Australia has the world’s third largest deposits of vanadium resources, but right now we don’t produce a single kilogram of processed vanadium.
“The mining companies looking to process vanadium at an industrial scale don’t have the capital necessary to make that jump. That’s where our government can step in.”
The government will put at least $10 million towards the common-user facility, sourced from the $520 million Invested in Queensland program.
The Treasurer said it was still in the process of tendering for construction contracts and selecting the location.
“Once producers can see for themselves how processing occurs, they will have the confidence to invest in more manufacturing infrastructure and more jobs,” he said.
“Mining companies will be able to transport ore from their mine site to Townsville, enabling them to begin producing mineral samples at scale.”
Earlier in 2021, the mineral made headlines for Queensland’s mining industry when Multicom Resources announced the go-ahead for the $250 million Saint Elmo vanadium mine, 250 kilometres east of Mount Isa.
This mine and the new Townsville processing facility will ramp up concurrently, as both begin construction in 2022 with first production expected in 2023.
Queensland Minister for Resources Scott Stewart said these developments were only the start of Queensland’s vanadium industry.
“Saint Elmo is just the beginning, with other companies progressing other potential vanadium mines in what could become a world-class vanadium hub in the northwest, so having this processing facility in Townsville will ensure locals reap the benefits,” Stewart said.
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Example of condition diagnostics with Lumada Enterprise Asset Management.
Advances in digital technology are set to transform safety in the mining industry and equip remote operating centres with better tools and leading-edge analytics to improve the safety of workers in high risk locations.
Smart mining operators are replacing paper-based systems with new cloud-based technology to improve safety and predictability by overseeing people and equipment on site from back office locations, accessing real-time data for incident prevention and even using facial recognition and geo fencing alarms to safeguard isolated workers.
New safety challenges require a new approach
Although health and safety in mining has improved significantly in recent years, serious injuries are still regularly occurring, and COVID-19 has brought a new range of new health and safety challenges to the forefront.
Distributed and remote workforces remain critical to mining operations and a safe working environment is vital. Improved safety requires higher levels of communication, greater visibility of safe work practices and earlier identification and mitigation of potential hazards to maintain work operations and enforce safety controls during tough times.
High-tech solutions that improve safety while maintaining privacy
Leading asset and work management systems, such as Lumada Field Service Management, are using the latest technology to enable asset-intensive industries to be more insightful, adaptive, predictive and prescriptive, allowing to operate safely, efficiently and effectively.
The risk of incidents can be dramatically reduced by enabling a regional control centre to monitor the location of vehicles and the safety of people, in near real time.
The use of video insights, Internet of Things (IoT), analytics and artificial intelligence technologies is enabling a new world of more granular data and offers continuous operational insights without breaching personal privacy expectations.
Geofences alert when workers enter an unsafe or prohibited area.Personal protective equipment can be detected.
Employees and contractors on site can also receive, review and execute work enabled by digitalised workflows, which improves data capture and can help identify and prevent future asset failures that may pose safety risks and result in downtime.
Special features such as the ability to create safety geofences that raise alerts when people enter defined locations of risk and assessments verifying that the environment is safe prior to workers commencing, greatly improve situational awareness and reduce onsite incidents.
Should an incident occur, analysis using worker replay can show the prior movement of onsite field workers and identify areas where compliance or safety controls need to be reviewed and improved.
The Lumada Field Service Management solution also integrates and builds on existing technologies, without sacrificing software investments that have already been made. Manual processes, such as the transfer of data to upstream systems, is eliminated, improving accuracy and freeing resources to focus on higher value work.
A holistic approach to asset management is key
Smart mines are embracing high-tech solutions to holistically and cost effectively manage the performance of workforces and assets. Advanced enterprise software is becoming essential for not only achieving best practice safety management by allowing managers to react in real time, but also for minimising asset downtime, maximising efficiency and reducing operating costs.
LumadaEnterpriseAsset Management is a solution for mining organisations looking to gain efficiencies in managing their asset portfolio and establishing best practice processes.
For mining companies with aging assets, Lumada Asset Performance Management enables the prevention of critical failures while minimising asset lifecycle costs.
Predictive, condition-based maintenance can ensure employees are working in a safer environment and in the right place at the right time, to cost-effectively address asset performance issues.
Predictive maintenance can extend the remaining useful life of assets and optimise utilisation to increase return on investment.
Hitachi ABB Power Grids is a global technology leader with a combined heritage of almost 250 years, employing around 36,000 people in 90 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, the business serves utility, industry and infrastructure customers across the value chain, and emerging areas like sustainable mobility, smart cities, energy storage and data centers.
With a proven track record, global footprint and unparalleled installed base, Hitachi ABB Power Grids balances social, environmental and economic values. It is committed to powering good for a sustainable energy future, with pioneering and digital technologies, as the partner of choice for enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid.
BHP has partnered with exploration technology company KoBold Metals in the hunt for Western Australian metals and critical minerals to be used in clean energy technology.
The Silicon Valley-based start-up has been backed by major venture capitalists and entrepreneurs including Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Michael Bloomberg.
KoBold chief executive officer Kurt House said the alliance would combine KoBold’s technological expertise with BHP’s extensive knowledge of the Australian landscape.
“BHP has the highest standards for operational excellence and unparalleled troves of data from more than 130 years as a mining industry leader,” House said.
“Combined with our Machine Prospector technology, BHP and KoBold will work to identify new sources of the critical raw materials needed for the electric vehicle and renewable energy revolutions.”
KoBold’s Machine Prospector analyses large datasets which are initially compiled using its TerraShed technology. BHP hopes these innovations can uncover ore resources deeper than previously explored.
BHP Metals Exploration vice president Keenan Jennings said the company was open to all kinds of new technologies if they led to Australia’s next big metals discovery.
“Globally, shallow ore deposits have largely been discovered, and remaining resources are likely deeper underground and harder to see from the surface,” Jennings said.
“We need new approaches to find the next generation of essential minerals, and this alliance will combine historical data, artificial intelligence and geoscience expertise to uncover what has previously been hidden.”
The partnership was inspired out of BHP Ventures, which seeks out up-and-coming businesses like KoBold and taps their true potential in the resources sector.
BHP Ventures head Mark Frayman said KoBold ticked all the boxes as a promising partner for BHP.
“We are excited to partner with KoBold. Their powerful platform combined with our in-house capabilities and datasets could unlock an enduring competitive edge as we grow our options in future-facing commodities like copper and nickel to meet increasing global demand,” Frayman said.
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Western Australian company Mining and Process Solutions (MPS) is developing new glycine heap leaching technology with the aim to unlock significant value from copper oxides, gold and nickel ores.
With the backing of the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australian (MRIWA), the technology will assist improved environmental performance through the use of glycine, an environmentally friendly reagent.
The technology has produced encouraging results so far, with precious metals extracted with reduced cyanide consumption, offering an alternative to sulphuric acid for base metals.
MPS managing director Ivor Bryan said a number of considerations are underpinning the new technology.
“Understanding the performance, scalability and financial feasibility of glycine heap leaching was key to advancing further trials for commercialisation,” Bryan said.
The viability of the technology has already been established. Five patent families have emerged in relation to the new technology, including major mining jurisdictions around the world. To date over 60 individual countries have granted patents.
MRIWA chief executive officer Nicole Roocke said MPS’ technology represents a larger success story.
“These results demonstrate Western Australia is a global leader in developing sustainable technologies to offer alternatives to sulphuric acid for base metals heap leaching operations, and reduced cyanide consumption for gold ores,” Roocke said.
MPS is now supporting the development of the state’s battery industry by participating in the Future Battery Industry Cooperative Research Centre.
The company will investigate the use of the technology in the extraction and processing of nickel and cobalt, to supply the battery market.
The new glycine heap leaching technology is a solidification of MPS’ reputation.
The company won the West Australian Innovator of the Year Award in 2019, the Australian Technologies competition 2017 (METS category) and recently won the CleanTech category of the global Xtreme Technology Challenge XTC 2021.
The likes of Sandfire Resources, Barrick Gold, Coda Minerals (previously Gindalbie Metals) and Poseidon Nickel are sponsoring MPS’ project.
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BHP will supply nickel for Tesla’s electric vehicles.
Industry leaders predict critical minerals for battery technologies will lead to significant opportunities for the nation’s growing resources sector.
Australia is expected to be at the forefront of the electric vehicle (EV) boom with key industry figures signalling that a combination of critical minerals for battery production and increased demand for the vehicles will create an enormous opportunity.
BHP Market Analysis Economics vice president Huw McKay, in the company’s first-half economic and commodity outlook, says EVs are expected to constitute around 17 per cent of the light duty vehicle fleet by 2035 and around 41 per cent of annual sales.
“While the collapse in auto sales activity under COVID–19 (from already low levels) also hit EVs, they bounced back hard in the second half of calendar 2020,” McKay says.
“Annual sales passed three million units for the first time, representing 37 per cent growth year on year.
“The 17 per cent fleet share we now project in 2035 translates to 314 million EVs on the road, versus 275 million previously.”
Tesla chair Robyn Denholm, speaking at the Mineral Council Australia’s minerals week event in June, explains that each EV has around $5000 worth of minerals, with Australia capable of supplying almost all of it.
“Australia is the only country in the world with resources in all three of the critical battery metals, as well as other minerals required for the clean energy transition,” Denholm says.
“By 2030, the value of the global lithium-ion battery market is forecast to be $400 billion. That’s eight times the revenue generated by Australia’s coal exports in 2020.”
Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter says Australia is well placed to capitalise on growing global demand for battery systems and the critical minerals associated with their production, with the energy storage market expected to be worth almost US$20 billion ($27.2 billion) by 2027.
“Australia’s resource sector is world-class. Through our $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative, we are helping to unlock this enormous potential by providing targeted support for projects that will deliver big rewards for our local economy in terms of export earnings and new job opportunities,” Porter says.
“It is also critical that we build our sovereign capability in this sector, with China currently the world leader in critical minerals processing including battery production.
“Whether it’s building large-scale battery systems, adding value to critical minerals exports through new refining techniques, or driving the adoption of battery power in mining vehicles, these projects will increase Australia’s international competitiveness and help position us a future leader in this crucial sector.”
Image credit: BHP.
Australia’s nickel production will be a crucial part of this supply chain and price forecasts are already starting to reflect the metals promising future.
In its June nickel price revision, Fitch Solutions predicts the 2021 average price forecast for nickel will rise from US$15,750 per tonne to US$16,500 per tonne.
According to its Nickel Prices – Upwards Revision Amid Strong Demand report, Fitch Solutions expects nickel prices will trade lower than present levels in the coming months, as demand from steel production stabilises and nickel metal production ramps up.
Prices (at the time of writing) have recovered from a steep price correction in March which occurred after an announcement that Chinese stainless-steel producer Tsingshan plans to bridge the NPI to battery-grade nickel divide by the end of 2021 and substantially increase nickel production for both 2022 and 2023.
Subsequently, nickel prices fell to US$16,450 per tonne. In May, prices reached a four-week low in response to Chinese regulators warning domestic commodities firms to keep the market fair after base metals experienced a strong rally.
Prior to the Tsingshan announcement, nickel prices had progressed to multi-year highs on the back of increased optimism in the market, a weakening dollar and expectations about future nickel supply deficits.
Fitch Solutions also predicts that the EV market will be a source of growing demand as the use of nickel in lithium-ion battery compositions increase.
“China will once again be a key source of demand in this respect, particularly as manufacturers begin to use higher nickel content batteries in their EVs,” Fitch Solutions states.
“We expect this trend to begin taking hold over the coming years as consumers favour EVs with longer driving distance capabilities before recharging, making nickel-based battery compositions the optimal choice for vehicle producers.”
According to Denholm, Australia has a competitive opportunity to enhance its environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices for the future as the global market for electric vehicles grows.
“Tesla is the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles and battery storage systems,” Denholm says.
“At the heart of everything we do in our quest to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy is the lithium-ion battery – one of the most important technologies of the century.
“There is a global transition to sustainable energy underway and this presents a huge opportunity for Australia.”
In July, BHP agreed to supply Tesla with nickel from its Nickel West assets in Western Australia in a collaboration which will aim to make the battery supply chain more sustainable.
Western Australian Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston says the agreement highlights that the state hosts the best quality raw materials integral to the world’s decarbonisation efforts.
“It also reinforces the level of comfort global brands have in investing in the state knowing that raw materials are responsibly sourced,” Johnston says.
“As investors and the community are increasingly holding mining companies to the highest ESG standards and practices, the supply agreement between BHP and Tesla reflects the regulatory framework in place in Western Australia that ensures the sustainable production of battery materials.”
Denholm believes Australia should prioritise onshore refining of its lithium to save costs and reduce emissions.
“There’s another reason for Australia to prioritise onshore refining; it’s a huge economic opportunity,” she says.
“Tesla estimates that last year, Australia supplied approximately 49 per cent of the world’s lithium ore – spodumene – but zero per cent of the refined product suitable for battery cells. That lithium sold for about $US100 million – but if it was processed onshore in Australia the value would have been more like $US1.7 billion.
“So that’s a $US1.6 billion annual opportunity and growing.”
This story also appears in the August issue of Australian Resources & Investment.
The Pilgangoora operation. Image: Pilbara Minerals
Pilbara Minerals is closer to upgrading its Pilgan plant at the Pilgangoora lithium project in Western Australia, with surging sales and shipments supporting the project.
Despite producing almost 700 tonnes less than the March quarter, Pilbara shipped a record 95,972 dry metric tonnes (dmt) of spodumene concentrate and exceeded its target of 75,000 – 90,000dmt.
Pilbara Minerals managing director Ken Brinsden said in the June quarter’s results presentation that the market for spodumene concentrate was developing in ways not seen for several years.
“We think Pilbara Minerals is incredibly well-placed to be able to participate in this next phase of growth that’s going on in the industry,” Brindsen said
“We would like to think we have the right combination of productive plant capacity, skills amongst the team to maximise the performance of those facilities – and that shouldn’t be underestimated because that is very hard-won in the lithium industry.”
The company produced 77,162dmt and sold a record 109,190dmt of spodumene concentrate for the June quarter, some of which was loaded late in the previous quarter.
Pilgangoora has two plants at different stages of operation – the Pilgan plant and the Ngungaju plant.
The former currently operates at around 350,000 tonnes per annum and is set for a 10-15 per cent improvement project during the September quarter.
The latter is set for a stated restart during the December quarter, as Pilbara Minerals targets up to 200,000dmt by mid-2022.
This would see the company producing up to 580,000dmt once everything is up and running at full capacity, while future improvements to the Pilgan plant aim to push Pilgangoora to be a one million tonne per annum operation.
With such promise on the horizon at Pilbara Minerals, Brinsden said an offtake agreement with Korean manufacturer POSCO was progressing.
“We are still optimistic in both the value in that relationship and the skills of the POSCO team,” Brinsden said.
“We have been frustrated by progress…but nonetheless we are optimistic about the progress of that deal and its relevance to the growth of Pilbara Minerals. We expect to see that progress during the course of next month (August).”
POSCO recently signed an offtake agreement with Queensland Pacific Metals for 3000 tonnes of nickel and 300 tonnes of cobalt per year from the Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (TECH) project.
The Korean company has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Rio Tinto to develop low-carbon emission technologies for iron ore mining, further exemplifying its commitment to decarbonisation across a range of commodities.
The integrated project controls software also takes care of asset health estimations.
InEight’s integrated project controls software allows mining companies to capture and manage operational data remotely, saving time and money in the process.
To successfully manage any mining operation, it’s integral for operators to keep up to date with the latest data and statistics relative to a site’s performance.
Outdated data analysis techniques can compromise thousands of dollars’ worth of productivity if a fault in a mining project is not addressed.
This is because traditional data analysis, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, can take weeks to provide critical information about a mining operation, leaving operators in the dark about operation-halting issues that could be prevented if they were discovered sooner.
As technology advances, real-time solutions have been refined, allowing productivity and cost data to be clearly identified both remotely and in real time.
Heavy industry technology specialist InEight has delivered field-tested data management software that allows mining and construction operations to manage risks and keep project costs in proportion.
At its core, InEight’s integrated controls software delivers real-time information about a mine site to prevent any project-related surprises.
InEight executive vice president, industry engagement Rick Deans says the company’s real-time integrated project controls software helps miners visualise the health of their assets.
“Mining companies – whether they’re an owner producing ore or a contractor – they’re getting paid to produce, not to run around, collect information and put it in reports,” Deans tells Australian Mining.
“By integrating estimating, project controls, field data collection, document management, contracts and change management functions, it allows for a more seamless flow of data across these applications.
“Information becomes more available to companies that need it versus companies having to stop what they’re doing to find it.”
A key benefit to the real-time software is it takes care of asset health estimations, flagging key trends before major issues arise, as health, safety, environmental and business risks are all minimised by the software.
According to Deans, InEight’s integrated project controls software can adapt costs to schedule. The software adds another element to help operators understand when money will be spent, rather than just how much will have to be invested into a project.
“In many cases the ‘when’ is just as important as the ‘how much’,” Deans says. “It gives folks the ability to time-phase their budgets and helps with understanding resource utilisation.”
Cost management is a vital part of a successful mining operation. Deans says traditional ERP systems are not timely due to their month end close procedure.
“You’re flying blind until the ERP tells you how you did five weeks ago,” Deans says.
InEight’s solution allows for data to be shown in real time instead, providing significant advantages across an entire operation.
“ERP systems aren’t very friendly from a forward-looking perspective,” he says. “They’re very good to find things that have happened in the past, but they’re not really helping me look forward and solve tomorrow’s problems,” Deans says.
“It allows workers to make decisions on the job site about moving some resources from some overperforming activities to underperforming activities.”
This also leans into the seamless data flow between contractors and owners, preventing any barriers in project management due to all assets being on the same real-time platform, enhancing visibility in contract performance.
The integrated project controls software also enables earned value management to prevent the guessing game that is often associated with project health.
“They’re going to gain or lose costs and workforce hours during the course of that effort, so management wants to be able to see before they commit a resource,” Deans says.
For Deans, the software mitigates the requirement for disorganised spreadsheets and instead streamlines data on a single platform.
“As estimates are built and changes occur, we need all project team members to log into that live instance of the estimate to track who made the change, when the change was made and how the cost was estimated. How did that affect this particular section of the work breakdown structure?” Deans asks.
“I think many companies have been in cases where we’re in a meeting and the project cost is from $50 million to $65 million.
“Spreadsheets won’t give you that information unless you have intimate knowledge of what those values were as opposed to bringing up an audit log to show the specifics of every change.”
With the mining world rapidly evolving to a more tech-savvy environment, Deans says there is no reason for miners not to adopt a solution like InEight’s integrated project controls software.
“A lot of folks ask us, how do we get started with something like this?” he says. “I always encourage folks to plant a shade tree in one’s backyard either 15 years ago or today.”
