Santiago, October 2006 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, won a $17 million technological package contract for Codelco Chile’s Andina Division. The “Information Integration to Support Decision Making” project (PIITD), reinforces ABB Chile’s strategy in automation, systems control and service contract markets.
The agreement includes the supply of technologies for data control, communications and deployment areas as well as the supply of replacement parts and complementary performance-based engineering and maintenance services. ABB will be responsible for developing engineering, design, supplies, construction, installation and start-up.
According to Patricio Huencho, Regional Mining Manager for the Andes and Southern Cone Region, "PIITD seeks to integrate multiple monitoring, control and command control systems for the underground mine’s processes, with a view to implement remote operation and increasing automation to ensure safe and efficient work, adding value to the business operation".
The project was signed in April and will be implemented within a term of seven months with completion scheduled for the second semester of 2006. Maintenance for the different systems will last for eight years.
In addition, ABB will be responsible for the Integral Maintenance and Support Service for the mine’s Environmental Monitoring System for a period of three years.
Manuel Ramos, PIITD Project Manager for Codelco Andina stated that "Centralizing the mine’s main systems into a state-of-the-art control room located 40 km away from the operation will lead to countless benefits, including enhanced personnel safety and operation efficiency, better control of assets and improved decision making by seeing the operation as a large-scale system".
The deal is a major milestone for ABB’s Business Unit Minerals, since this is the first Performance Services contract based on meeting key performance indicators (KPIs) for Chile and Latin America.
The implementation of PIITD considers the contribution of infrastructure, programming, configurations, new developments, technological renewal of hardware and software and the continuous improvement of automation systems and applications for optimizing the operation.
The project’s structure features two levels: the construction of a modern operation and control room with video wall screens outside of the mine and the hardware and software required to integrate the mine’s systems, data transport network, new video cameras, among others, installed inside the mine.
The project also features on-site personnel for development and support engineering for the new platform (24 hours a day for 365 days), in addition to an instrumentation and electronics maintenance block for the systems to be integrated.
The equipment involved includes devices for measuring the level of shafts and hoppers (with laser equipment), presence alert (alerts when someone is inside a defined area), control and monitoring of fans, chutes, ventilation doors, industrial water networks, compressors, air network, traffic lights, dust suppressors, command control of machines, a video network, vibration measurement and analysis, a process network (PLC), winches and others.