Rockwell Automation releases DCS for plant operations

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Rockwell Automation releases DCS for plant operations

To optimize the lifecycle of plant activities by digitisation, Rockwell Automation has introduced the PlantPAx 5.0 distributed control system (DCS).

This is RockWell Automation's new DCS which is capable of digitally transforming an enterprise by leveraging process functions that are native to the controller, improving the availability of compliance-driving system properties and using analytics.

Through utilizing plant-wide and modular solutions aligned with digital transformation, Rockwell Automation is assured that this will extend plant operational lifecycles. "Jim Winter, global process director of Rockwell Auotmation, said We are pleased to introduce PlantPAx DCS 5.0 to our customers.

New capabilities of the framework are stepchanges in supporting our clients reduce the total construction and commissioning costs. The functionality strengthens the overall initiative to align the organization with the process management layer. "We continue to find creative ways to add more benefit to end-users by reducing the system's lifecycle expense and lowering operating risks."

By implementing PlantPAx 5.0.0, the total costs associated with a plant lifecycle are projected to be minimized. Footprint reduction; project continuity to establish control strategies that are applicable to all projects; better user interfaces with smooth workflows; strong cybersecurity requirements and processes for moving data from the DCS to analysis tools are areas that the current DCS enhances.

Centered in Wisconsin, the United States, the 23,000 staff of Rockwell Automation support clients in over 100 nations.

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S. Africa's mining industry calls chrome export tax ‘blunt instrument’

JOHANNESBURG,-On Friday, South Africa's largest mining industry body opposed the government's plan for a chrome ore export tax to raise domestic ferrochrome producers, claiming a tax does not solve the core problem of electricity prices that are globally uncompetitive.

Processing chrome ore to manufacture ferrochrome element in stainless steel is highly power-intensive, and the ferrochrome industry in South Africa has suffered because of inadequate energy and regular power cuts in the region.

The provision of a cost-effective and reliable supply of energy is the essential component of productivity,' the Minerals Council said in a statement. Due to faults at its coal-fired power plants, Eskom has failed to satisfy demand for years and is frequently cited as the biggest drain on development in Africa's most developed country.

Rising energy prices have forced 40 percent of South Africa's ferroalloy output potential to be closed or mothballed in the last decade, the Minerals Council said. The business body said, "Import taxes are usually a blunt weapon that has material unforeseen implications." Chrome SA, an organization supporting producers of chrome ore, came out against the planned tax on Thursday that would make it more costly for them to export their output.

South Africa is the main chrome ore manufacturer in the world and a primary metal supplier to China. Global chrome rates will possibly be pushed up by a South African export levy, traders said.

HALCOR PRODUCTS Copper tubes with or without lining or industrial insulation for applications in: • Drinking water and heating networks • Underfloor heating and cooling • Gas and medical distribution networks gases • Cooling and air conditioning systems • Solar energy applications • Various industrial applications Halcor is the copper tubes division of ElvalHalcor S.A. and together with four more companies form the copper segment of ElvalHalcor S.A. that specializes in the production, processing and marketing of copper and copper alloys products with dynamic commercial presence in the European and global markets. For more than 80 years, Halcor has been offering innovative and added-value solutions that meet contemporary client demands in fields, such as plumbing, HVAC&R, renewable energy, architecture, engineering and industrial production.

The copper segment of ElvalHalcor S.A. is composed of six subsidiaries and seven associates/joint ventures, based in Greece, Belgium, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, while it operates a total of five production plants in Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.

The copper segment of ElvalHalcor S.A. develops and distributes a wide range of products, including copper and copper-alloy rolled and extruded products with Halcor being the sole producer of copper tubes in Greece. High quality in production is achieved through strict controls applied throughout the production process. With a consistent quality focus, the company implements an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Quality Management System and leverages high technologies and expert staff.

As a result of the Group’s strategic investments in research & development, Halcor is recognized as one of the leading copper producers globally, setting new standards in copper processing. The company maintains a consistent focus on quality and environmental protection and a strong commitment to the principles of sustainable development. In this context, all production facilities in the Group’s plants leverage advanced technologies to bring in the market innovative products that are energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

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The new norm of operating remotely from mine locations has been driven by Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Company. Secure to Work requires a deeper look at the metropolitan-based operations centres of each business. Technology is reinforcing the track record in knocking down human geographical obstacles, from the invention in vehicles and aircraft to today 's activity of mining operations without the participation of workers on site.

The evolution of remote mine professions

A leading example of a organization that aims to welcome these technical developments is Rio Tinto. At its operations center in Brisbane, the organization consolidates all related shift data to a single point of mine management.

The Albert Street centre offers the protection, development and quality aspects of the Queensland-based Weipa and Northern Territory-based Gove bauxite mines with 24/7 surveillance.

Daniel van der Westhuizen, general manager of Rio Tinto integrated operations, says the team handles mine dispatch, tracking and control capabilities and complex port and grade scheduling for the Weipa and Gove bauxite mines.

"Our operations center offers 24/7 service and supervision on all facets on protection, processing and efficiency at our remote bauxite mines," says Safe to Work.

The power of the Brisbane Integrated Operations Centre (BIOC) would not prohibit heavy machinery from operating; it also optimizes the stockpiles and supply chain of the mines. The BIOC presents advantages that go far beyond eliminating jobs from the face of the mine. According to van der Westhuizen, it also encourages flexible agreements that have proved to improve team involvement.

In the BIOC, Rio Tinto integrates innovations such as exhaustion management devices , data analytics and automation programs, such as the removal of the need for manual visual examination.

A completely automatic 'drone in a package' solution has been launched by the firm, and is made up of an industrial-grade drone that can autonomously deploy and land from a weather-proof base station.

We are pursuing a trial and collaborating with the Civil Aviation Protection Authority (CASA) in the clearance phase to run the device remotely from the Brisbane Operations Center, "says van der Westhuizen." In order to assist with stockpile tracking, preparation, grade management and publishing, the trial has shown the importance and precision of providing access to real-time stockpile tracking as well as access to post-processed databases such as high-resolution aerial photographs, 3D models and volumetric records.'

"With protection at the center, we have been able to incorporate technology such as CCTV and drones that enable our teams securely and effectively achieve their job."

The BIOC presents advantages that go far beyond eliminating jobs from the face of the mine. According to van der Westhuizen, it also encourages flexible agreements that have proved to improve team involvement. "We are willing to handle job and personal responsibilities easier," he notes.

At present, the centre has 50 staff, half of which are female. Staggered change hours, task sharing plans and a number of work from home opportunities are versatile plans. On level one of the Fortescue center in Perth, the same impression is repeated. Fortescue Metals Group, an iron

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ore miner, has refurbished its expanded integrated operations center, known as the Fortescue Hive, which offers greater flexibility for employees.

Across Fortescue's supply chain, there are 330 team members working together at the Fortescue Hive 24 hours a day , seven days a week. Elizabeth Gaines, chief executive of Fortescue, says their position in the Integrated Operations Center (IOC) means they no longer need to travel to the site on a regular basis.

She adds that, with working arrangements of 25 percent, 50 percent and 75 percent of a full-time roster offered as flexible options across the team, the Cloudbreak mine control system leads the way. (This has) proved to be helpful to team members and Fortescue by helping to retain knowledge and experience of the team, "says Gaines."

"The Hive has been built as an accessible space for all abilities and has thus created a flexible workplace that has fostered a culture of support and inclusion."

The IOC is not that far removed from reality, although located remotely from the real actions of a mine site. It involves many team members who have worked on each of the company's mining sites in the Pilbara in planning , operations and mine control, bringing the IOC an invaluable perspective and real-world

An autonomous truck following precision-like tracks at BHP's Jimblebar mine in WA.

experience, Gaines continues. "There is a period of adaptation to remote operations because remote operations require different abilities, such as being able to think in a virtual world," she says.

"We train team members and support them as they learn a different way of working." The Fortescue Hive, enriched by port, rail, shipping and marketing teams, has embraced innovation and technology to bring together many traditionally sitebased teams.

According to Gaines, from preparation to shipment and selling, there is a deliberate flow of knowledge that helps the business to sell the correct tonnes of the correct quality at the right moment. The sales and marketing team's experiences and marketing intelligence can be communicated with the strategy and operations departments immediately.

"In order to bring value to our clients, partners and the larger world, this fully interconnected strategy helps us to focus on industry conditions," she says. The wellbeing of our team members is our top concern at Fortescue, and the implementation of creativity and technology has been important in our operations to accelerate more wellbeing enhancements.

Working side by side in the Fortescue Hive, when our teams exchange knowledge effortlessly, facilitates cohesive planning around the organization. This underpins constant changes in efficiency of our supply chain, which is key to the secure functioning of a mine site.

The Fortescue Hive 's presence should not mean that all its regional staff have migrated to Perth. A suburban staff of about 500 team members live in Port Hedland, amid Fortescue 's groundbreaking bid to become the first Western Australian operator to control a railway from outside the area in 2009.

Kaz Minerals suspends operations at Kyrgyz

In the midst of post-election instability in the Central Asian republic, Kaz Minerals (LSE: KAZ) has halted production at its Bozymchak copper and gold mine in Kyrgyzstan.

On Tuesday, unidentified men demolished facilities at another gold deposit in the former Soviet republic and, according to Reuters, local media reported attacks and demonstrations at a few more mines.

The outcomes of the weekend's parliamentary election were deemed void by the country's central election commission after mass demonstrations erupted in the capital Bishkek and other cities seeking the resignation of the pro—President Sooronbay Jeenbekov of Russia.

Supporters of the opposition occupied government offices overnight, rescued former President Almazbek Atambayev from detention, and called for a new referendum. Hundreds have been injured and one person has died.

In the second half of 2014, Bozymchak started development. In 2019, at a copper grade of 0.82 percent, Kaz mined 1,081 kt of ore and processed 1 mt, yielding 7.3 kt of copper and 41 koz of gold. The mine is officially working as an open pit with an annual mineral production pace of up to 1 Mt.

The estimated annual production of Bozymchak is projected to be 6 kt of copper cathode and 28 koz of gold bar over the lifetime of the mine. In an email to MINING.com, Kaz Minerals said that it is tracking the situation. As of 4:05PM BST, Kaz 's portfolio was down 1.4 percent on the LSE. The business has a market capitalization of $3.18 billion. Centerra Gold (TSX: CG) has stated that, amid the political instability in the Kyrgyz Republic, operations at its Kumtor mine will proceed uninterrupted.

The mine is situated in a small mountainous region some 430 km south-east of Bishkek, the national capital. Kumtor, which produced more than 12.6 million ounces of gold between 1997 and the end of 2019, is one of the largest gold mines in Central Asia owned by a Western corporation.