Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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StruxureWare for Mining, Minerals, and Metals (MMM) software, a scalable plat- form that includes solutions for energy management and asset performance. This platform facilitates ease of integration for new functionalities as needed. Heavy-lift Cranes Support Work at Chilean Copper Sites Five Liebherr 1250 HC tower cranes are being used at two major mining projects under construction in Chile's Atacama Desert region. The large 40- and 50-met- ric-ton (mt) cranes currently in use at Escondida and Sierra Gorda offer lifting capacity equal or better than almost any other tower cranes working in Latin America, according to Liebherr. Two of the company's 1250 HC 40 Litronic tower cranes, mounted on founda- tion anchors, are being used at the Minera Escondida copper mine. Both machines have a working radius of 52 m and hook heights of 40 m and 52 m, respectively. During the construction phase, they are expected to handle loads of up to 20 mt. After current construction is complet- ed, the two Liebherr tower cranes will be used for maintenance purposes. Meanwhile, three 1250 HC tower cranes are in use at the Minera Sierra Gorda copper project. Two of these cranes are rated at 50-mt capacity and the third at 40 mt. The 1250 HC 40 has a hook height of 34.9 m and a working radius of 51.9 m. The two 1250 HC 50s are configured with hook heights of 68.6 and 69.6 m and each has a working radius of 38.8 m. During the current construction phase, the cranes are being used to assist in component handling for process tank assembly, lifting loads of 14 to 17 mt per component. In the future, all three cranes will be used as maintenance cranes at the mine. One 1250 HC will support maintenance work on the mill's flotation cells. The two others will support service and mainte- nance work on ball mills. Liebherr said the extreme geographical and climatic conditions of the two project sites not only present challenges to the workforce but also to the crane equipment. The extreme day/night temperature differ- ential—up to 40°C variation—and dust present in the arid desert climate generate higher-than-usual stress on machinery. In addition, Chile is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, and earthquakes up to a magnitude of 5 are not uncommon. This requires that the cranes must comply with Chilean standards to ensure they are earthquake- resistant. ABB Introduces Underground Asset Location and Tracking ABB recently announced the debut of ABB Mine Location Intelligence, powered by Mobilaris, a global provider of software for mobile location-based services. ABB said its Mine Location Intelligence is a product for location-based decision sup- port that provides real-time positioning of vehicles, equipment and personnel in underground mines. ABB Mine Location Intelligence has a Web-based user interface, making it acces- sible from almost anywhere, providing a 3- D view that shows location of assets and personnel in real time. It offers features for spatial search, navigation support, ad- vanced data mining and analysis, creation and management of geofences, and is accessible online from anywhere. According to the company, the service "opens a new dimension to personal safety," showing the nearest rescue refuge, the best emergency escape routes, and can also prevent workers from approaching dangerous areas by providing automated surveillance. In addition, said ABB, the service can enhance productivity by providing real- time location information for production control and mine automation. It can in- crease collaboration between personnel by integrating voice, message and CCTV services. "ABB Mine Location Intelligence will help customers to visualize their mining operations and reach a new level of situa- tion awareness. This will change how mines are operated and will be an impor- tant tool for increased safety and produc- tion efficiency," said Patrik Westerlund, global product manager for integrated mine automation at ABB. Siemens Systems to Power New Grinding Mills at Toromocho Siemens' Drive Technologies Division has been awarded a contract to deliver Integrated Drive Systems for two new mills at the Toromocho mine in the Peruvian province of Yauli. The order was placed by Minera Chinalco Perú S.A., a subsidiary of Aluminum Corp. of China (Chinalco). Toromocho is located about 150 km from the capital city of Lima, at an altitude of approximately 4,600 m (15,100 ft). Siemens will provide two gearless mill drives and Sinamics cycloconverters for a new production line at the mine as part of 84 E&MJ; ¥ JULY 2014 www.e-mj.com S U P P L I E R S R E P O R T Three Liebherr 1250 HC tower cranes lift 40- and 50-ton maximum loads during construction at the Sierra Gorda copper project in Chile. Two other 1250 HC 40-ton-capacity Litronic cranes are conducting similar work at Escondida. EMJ_pg82-85_EMJ_pg82-85 7/1/14 11:58 AM Page 84