MineralsFocus The Magazine for the Mining and Cement Industries - Issue 2019 - Digital Asset Management
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
MineralsFocus
The Magazine for the Mining
and Cement Industries
Issue 2019
siemens.com/mining | siemens.com/cement
Contents
Contents
04 Digitalization on the rise in minerals operations 14 Repeat customers turn to Siemens
03 Editorial | 28 Credits
Cover story 18 Fast power
Mining and cement companies are set to benefit
04 Digitalization: A paradigm shift in minerals from fast-track power plants based on mobile
More and more companies all over the world are gas-turbine technology.
turning to digital integration to increase efficiency
and save money. 20 Service goes digital
Reactive service calls and maintenance according
10 Solutions for security by design to plan are being replaced with service technologies
Securing automation and IT systems against that employ digital tools.
cyberattacks and manipulation is a top priority
in almost every plant and project.
Cement
Mining 22 Industry standard grows with the times
For over 40 years, Cemat has been helping the
12 The gold standard of customer loyalty cement, mining and related industries to keep
Since February 2018, TUMAD Mining Inc has production costs competitive and comply with
been profiting from state-of-the-art electrical and regulations.
automation technology from Siemens Turkey.
24 For higher availability and efficiency
14 Leading the gearless mill drives market In an interview, Ömer Oydaşik, Head of Cement at
Copper mines in Russia, Peru and Chile have recently Siemens, talks about the different digital solutions
placed orders for technology from Siemens. Siemens has on offer for the cement industry.
16 Setting the highest safety standards 26 Bigger and better
Among the first to benefit from an update for An extensive modernization project has allowed a
the Winder Technological Controller from Siemens cement company in Texas to improve plant safety and
is the world’s largest polyhalite mine. increase production, energy efficiency and availability.
17 Optimum load distribution
A new plug-and-play controller extends Siemens’
mining portfolio.
2 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019
Editorial
Dear readers,
Who wouldn’t want greater productivity, flexibility and efficiency
in their minerals operations? In the last issues of our magazine, we
showed you how digitalization can offer just that. In this issue, we go
into depth on how digital solutions are being integrated into minerals
operations today.
On the one hand, the Siemens digital portfolio focuses on the big
picture. For example, for Mintal Group Ferrochrome Science and
Technology Co. Ltd., we are designing, engineering and commissioning
a new production management system based on our Minerals Operation
Management Solution. The system will draw data from all information
sources already in place. While one advantage is that communications
silos will be eliminated, the even greater benefit comes from the business-
level insights that can be drawn from the data.
On the other hand, our digital portfolio addresses individual systems.
A case in point is stockyard management. In China, environmental
regulations now call for all newly constructed stockyards to be indoors.
With their high temperatures and even higher levels of dust, we’re
seeing an increased need for autonomous storage and retrieval
machinery – which are only possible with digitalization. Another
example of an individual system that is being increasingly digitalized
is belt conveyors. Through our collaboration with MineSense, we
are now able to offer the real-time measurement of ore grades and the
characteristics of bulk materials.
Digital solutions are becoming well established in minerals, and we
are constantly looking at further areas to digitalize. An example here
is our work on a cloud concept for mine hoists to among others
monitor machine status and service routines. As you can see, there
is no standing still.
I hope you enjoy reading about how Siemens is driving digitalization
and veritably causing a paradigm shift in minerals industries. But even
more, I look forward to accompanying you, our customers, as you
continue your digital journey.
Best regards,
Roland Ehrl
Minerals Executive Vice President
Cover image: © Siemens AG
Siemens AG
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 3
Cover story
Digitalization:
A paradigm shift
in minerals
More and more companies all over the world are turning
to digital integration to increase efficiency and save money.
In minerals operations, these digital solutions cover
individual aspects all the way up to entire operations.
4 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019
Cover story
Digital solutions for mines
target individual systems all
the way to entire operations.
The benefit for operators is
greater productivity, flexibility
and efficiency.
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 5
Cover story
Siemens is on the constant lookout
for solutions to further develop its portfolio
to help mining companies competitively
fulfill customer demands.
I n today’s world, mining companies have their
work cut out for them as they face declining ore
grades, safety concerns, environmental protection
Safer and more efficient loading and unloading
Digitalization is helping Mintal with the big picture. Yet
digitalization also plays a role in individual systems, such as
regulations and volatile prices. Cutting-edge solutions are the autonomous stockyard management system Siemens
the way forward, and that means integration of more and is supplying to HBIS Laoting Steel Co. Ltd., a Chinese
more digital technologies. While digital solutions have subsidiary of one of the world’s biggest iron and steel
been around for quite some time, Siemens is noticing a producers. The system comprises a material tracking and
big uptake among mining customers across the globe. management system (MAQ), an autonomous stockyard
Increasingly, these digital solutions are being integrated operating system (MOM), a Simatic PCS 7 process control
with the goal of alleviating cost pressure. system and an industrial network. Consulting, engineering,
In a recently won project, for example, Siemens will help project management and commissioning are also part of
eliminate information silos at Mintal Group Ferrochrome the project. Interaction between these different components
Science and Technology Co. Ltd., the largest chrome alloy enables control of all the plant’s machines and conveying
manufacturer in China. The key task in the project is to technology. In addition, it offers wide-ranging benefits,
close the often-significant information gap regarding such as the capability for all machines and conveyors to
production planning, quality, production execution and be controlled from a single system.
material logistics that can exist between customer enter- The new systems will allow HBIS Laoting Steel Co.
prise resource planning (ERP) and plant automation sys- Ltd. to not only drive down its operating costs, but also
tems. For this, Siemens will design, engineer and commis- achieve a 5 to 10 percent improvement in system effi-
sion a new production management system (PMS) based ciency and to increase production capacity by 3 to 7
on the Siemens Minerals Operation Management Solution. percent. The use of autonomous storage and retrieval
With technology-based services throughout the life cycle of machinery also improves safety, as no operators are
an industrial plant, Siemens provides the basis for greater needed at the machinery. In addition, the mechanical
productivity, flexibility and efficiency – reliably, globally parts of the equipment are exposed to less wear and tear.
and around the clock. What prompted HBIS Laoting Steel Co. Ltd. to look at
Mintal will benefit from more unified planning and using an autonomous stockyard management system
business-level insights based on integrated, current and from Siemens was new environmental regulations set
actionable data drawn from its information system, from down by the Chinese government. The regulations
ERP and that of other business functions, and from its require all newly constructed stockyards to be indoors.
plant automation, which is based on Siemens Simatic PCS The high temperatures and levels of dust involved make
7. The new PMS provides a fast and powerful solution for for harsh working conditions, meaning that only autono-
improving the product manufacturing experience and mous storage and retrieval machinery can be operated
production management. Featuring the framework and in these new indoor facilities.
functionality of Minerals Operation Management Solution, Jiangsu Binxin Special Steel Material Co. Ltd. (Binxin
it is optimized for the production-process characteristics of Steel) is also responding to these new regulations by mov-
chrome ore pellets and high-carbon ferrochrome. The collab- ing its stockyards indoors. At the same time, Binxin Steel
orative management of equipment, personnel, materials has also decided to upgrade its plant intelligence with
and other resources enables Mintal to achieve a complete Siemens’ autonomous stockyard management technology.
picture of production scheduling and control, equipment The solution will do more than fulfill environmental
operation and maintenance cycle management, and mate- requirements; it will allow Binxin Steel to achieve higher
rial and production quality control. performance, increase accuracy, fully utilize the
6 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019
Cover story
stockyard area, and optimize energy consumption com- real-time measurement of ore grade and ore characteristics
pared to staffed operation. for conveyors. MineSense, a British Columbia-based company,
A core element of the autonomous stockyard manage- is a pioneer in industrial IoT providing real-time, sensor-
ment systems like those at HBIS Laoting Steel Co. Ltd. based ore data and sorting solutions for large-scale mines.
and Binxin Steel is the stockyard 3D model. It provides The company’s fast, scalable and robust mineral-sensing
information on the volume and quality of stocked mate- platform creates transformational value by providing precise,
rial, and it enables autonomous operation of all the accurate, real-time grade control and ore routing decisions
plant’s storage and retrieval machines. The model is at the point of extraction for maximum resource conversion
updated regularly with data delivered by stackers and and metal recovery. The results are reduced CO₂ emissions,
reclaimers. After the working area and the parameters water consumption, wear materials, energy, water and
for each job are specified, the details are calculated auto- reagents during the whole mining process.
matically and approved by the control center. The job is For the joint solution, each company is bringing its
then transferred to the machines, and the rest is auto- strengths to the table. The resulting solution will for the
matic. To prevent collisions between machines and other first time provide real-time measurement of ore grades
objects and constructions, the stockyard machinery and byproducts by MineSense’s BeltSense™ in combina-
comes with a protection system that relies on data deliv- tion with Siemens’ MAQ. This new and comprehensive
ered by sensors. approach will enable operators to significantly increase
efficiency via a single view of quality across the whole
More intelligence for belt conveyors conveying process.
In an environment in which it is becoming increasingly
difficult for mining companies to competitively fulfill Knowing before it’s too late
customer demands, Siemens is on the constant lookout Equipment like belt conveyors or grinding mills is oper-
for solutions to further develop its conveyor portfolio. ated around the clock. It is essential that it functions
To this end, Siemens is collaborating with MineSense on the without fail, because unexpected downtime can carry a
In the mine of the
future, digitalization
touches every aspect.
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 7
Mining
Siemens’ digital portfolio combines
a deep understanding of mining
processes with state-of-art electric,
automation and IT solutions.
8 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019
Cover story
Siemens will soon introduce the cloud-based
platform SmartMining to detect and rectify
anomalies early on.
price tag in the millions. This is where predictive mainte- longstanding expertise in the mining industry and Indus-
nance comes in. Process and operational data are col- try 4.0, the solution will be based on the advanced design
lected via sensors on motors and other essential equip- and performance of Siemens WinCC Open Architecture.
ment. Thanks to intelligent analysis using algorithms, As part of the contract, Siemens will also provide inter-
it’s possible to predict the optimal time for machine and process communication (IPC) and accessories, plus soft-
plant component maintenance. With this information, ware engineering and site-commissioning services.
maintenance activities can be scheduled to keep shut- The project is set to begin this year, initially drawing
downs as short as possible or to avoid them altogether. data from four mine hoist systems at one of the customer’s
Siemens will soon introduce the cloud-based plat- coal mines. To benefit from enterprise-wide insights, the
form SmartMining. With it, anomalies in grinding mills, mine owner intends to later extend the concept to cover
belt conveyors, mine hoists and more can be detected up to 20 mine hoists located hundreds of miles apart from
and rectified early. Downtime is thereby minimized one another at different coal mines. For 24/7 transpar-
while the maintenance plan is optimized. The solution ency, the cloud platform can be accessed by users on
offers just what customers want: For the creation of local PCs in the enterprise network, or with remote PC or
SmartMining, extensive interviews were held with smartphones/tablets via the Internet. As a result, engi-
mining staff all over the world, including maintenance neers and managers are able to monitor machine status,
engineers and operation managers, to learn more about trace faults by historical trend, and manage service routines
their pain points. Using the latest digital tools and tech- and the knowledge library – any time and from anywhere.
nologies, Siemens is able to mitigate these pain points.
The experience gained during the pilot phase in a mine The journey continues
operation on the North American continent is permanently As the examples above show, digital solutions are becom-
enriching the SmartMining platform with new function- ing well established in day-to-day mining operations.
alities and technologies, such as artificial intelligence. More and more mines and mining areas are set to optimize
A strong focus is on prescriptive maintenance. For this, their operations. What just a few years ago seemed like a
problems and root causes related to a specific operational futuristic scenario is now reality. Behind Siemens’ digital
point or state are identified, and then actions are prescribed portfolio, and what sets the company apart from the
with the goal to shorten or avoid unplanned downtime. competition, is the combination of deep understanding
SmartMining also includes the powerful Asset Health of mining processes with state-of-the-art electric, auto-
Analytics, part of which is a dashboard suite that intui- mation and IT solutions.
tively shows the operator the status of the assessed
equipment. In case an anomaly is detected – for example
an evolving abnormal operational status, a so-called www.siemens.com/mining
looming incident – a warning is issued immediately Authors: Christian Dirscherl, Dan Fodor, Yun Zeng
along with possible countermeasures selected from the christian.dirscherl@siemens.com
embedded database. dan.fodor@siemens.com
zeng.yun@siemens.com
More uptime
Cloud technology also figures prominently in a digitali-
zation project at a Chinese coal mine. To increase output
while reducing shutdown times, the customer is for the
first time establishing an enterprise cloud concept for mine
hoists. The concept will enable the customer to centrally
monitor production, and to analyze and respond to
insights from real-time data. Drawing on Siemens’
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 9
Securing automation and IT systems
against cyberattacks and manipula-
tion is a top priority in almost every
plant and project. However, many
Solutions operators lack the required expertise
to identify risks and threats. The
good news: suitable solutions are
for security now available that can be easily
adapted to the individual project
by design requirements to provide optimum
security.
W hat happened with the Wanna-
Cry ransomware, as drastic
as the effects were, was but a
In its whitepaper on cybersecurity,
the ARC Advisory Group lists several
barriers to improving cybersecurity in
The phases require clear account-
ability and coordinated communica-
tion between different roles and stake-
warning shot to plant operators and industrial environments. They include holders such as system integrators,
systems integrators: The worldwide increasingly open industrial automa- product suppliers and asset owners.
cyberattack is estimated to have tion, insufficient awareness among
affected more than 10,000 organiza- end-user management, increased use A blueprint for securing assets
tions and some 200,000 computers of commercial off-the-shelf IT solutions, and systems
across 150 countries. Especially trou- inadequately trained staff, and miscon- A defense-in-depth security approach
bling to IT and security experts is that ceptions concerning the cybersecurity covering a heterogeneous and broad
the crypto worm used a known exploit life cycle. range of security topics – including
that could have been closed with ARC believes organizations are network security, user authentication,
patches. However, many organiza- reluctant to act on potential threats secure configuration and the harden-
tions had not applied them or were and to adopt security planning and ing of operating system, logging,
running legacy systems that could implementation because the task encryption, and secure channels – is
no longer be patched. appears too daunting. Furthermore, required. Technical solutions and tools
in the customized control environ- are available, but project teams often
A serious reminder of a serious issue ment of an industrial site, it is lack the time and expertise to choose
WannaCry is just one example of a difficult to predict how a newly a suitable solution for each security
growing number of cyberattacks – and introduced patch will impact the topic. Hence, a common pitfall is to
while malware that specifically targets functioning of the control system, focus on some topics in detail while
industrial control systems is still rare, especially if the patch is not tested overlooking others.
automation and control systems are rigorously. In November 2018, Siemens became
already more networked with general Industrial security as specified in the first company in the world to gain
IT systems than many plant operators recent guidelines, such as the IEC TÜV certification for the secure system
realize. Having good, regular and secure 62443, should therefore be treated as integration of process automation
backups, using appropriate software, a life cycle concern consisting of five and drives systems in compliance
implementing good cybersecurity phases: product or system develop- with the international IEC 62443-2-4
including isolating critical systems, ment, specification, integration & standards. Based on this standard,
and always having the latest security commissioning, operations & mainte- Siemens has developed several blue-
patches installed should be a given. nance, and decommissioning. prints for automation and control
10 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019Mining
The industrial security
defense-in-depth
concept from Siemens.
systems engineering to facilitate compiling; and providing the required As cyberthreats become more
security engineering and eliminate documentation. frequent and more creative, industry
potential security weak spots. These Particularly in large projects where players are developing and deploying
blueprints provide guidance in the security affects different disciplines – more sophisticated cybersecurity
form of references to specific resources such as network, software applica- systems and procedures to meet
and make sure that the engineering tions and firmware – the framework ever-changing requirements. Sup-
project produces all security docu- establishes a common language ported by their own specialist organi-
ments. For example, the Siemens for engineers to work together on zations, a global network of experts
minerals solution blueprints for con- security. On an organizational level, for automation and cybersecurity
ventional mill drives and gearless the framework also facilitates the monitors current and developing
mill drives have been developed communication between units that threats, analyses solutions for weak-
according to these blueprints. develop components and those that nesses, and develops suitable mea-
In the end, designs that fulfill IEC work as system integrators and on sures, thus making sure that their
62443 simplify information exchanges service. control and automation solutions
between stakeholders and deliver a The security framework combines are and continue to be secure by
complete set of documents for accep- the expertise of Siemens security design.
tance tests and the security solution engineers and incorporates them
certification. into a reproducible process that
yields reproducible results – thus www.siemens.com/mining
Security through expertise mitigating project risks. As the blue- Author: Ormond O'Neill
The development of the secure prints are based on a comprehensive ormond.oneill@siemens.com
framework and the secure project Simatic PCS 7 security standard, the
blueprints was driven by Siemens’ secure solution can be easily designed
own experience. Key areas of impor- to cover all required assets and secu-
tance include helping the asset rity levels. Plant operators benefit by
owner identify critical assets and having a security solution engineered
specify suitable protection goals; for their specific requirements that
supporting the security life cycle is ready for certification according
process through an efficient threat to IEC 62443. During plant operation,
and risk analysis; implementing the security documents support
efficient and effective testing and system maintenance.
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 11Mining
The gold standard
of customer loyalty
Since February 2018, TUMAD Mining Inc has been profiting from
state-of-the-art electrical and automation technology from Siemens
Turkey for its Lapseki mine in Turkey’s Çanakkale province. TUMAD has
been satisfied with the turnkey solution – so much so that the company
has decided to work with Siemens Turkey on an upcoming project.
C oins and jewelry, works of art,
and even electronic compo-
nents: the list could go on an
boasts a recovery rate of 94.91 percent
for gold and 72.35 percent for silver.
on for the many uses of gold. Accord- Proven experience
ing to the World Gold Council, demand With dimensions like these, one thing
for the material is growing. In fact, is clear: operations have to be depend-
the amount of gold purchased annu- able and economical. So when it came
ally has quadrupled since the early time to select a solution provider for
1970s. To fulfill the rising needs, the mine, TUMAD turned to Siemens
1 today gold is mined on every continent Turkey, the country’s market leader
except Antarctica. Whereas around for electrical and automation tech-
four decades ago the majority of nology for minerals works. “With our
supply came from South Africa, high level of expert knowledge for
production is now evenly distributed turnkey projects, expansions, conver-
worldwide. sions and modernizations, we turned
An up-and-coming producer is out to be an excellent partner for the
Turkey. Research shows that the Lapseki mine,” says Emrah Mehmeto-
country has reserves of up to 6,500 gullari, Account Manager for Minerals
tons, which make up for as much at Siemens Turkey. Extremely valuable
2 as an eighth of globally proven was the fact that the Siemens engineers
reserves. When it comes to gold pro- were able to draw on their experience
duction, Turkey’s mining industry is with other mining projects in the
1 Working hand in hand: the
active in all steps of the value chain – country.
Siemens Turkey and TUMAD
Mining Inc teams take time for a
from exploration and mining all the The range of services supplied to
group photo during the construc- way to refining and preparing the TUMAD for the Lapseki mine covered
tion period that lasted from May precious metal for different end uses. the delivery and installation of elec-
2017 to May 2018. One of Turkey’s more recent projects trical equipment and integrated
involving gold has been the opening solutions including design, planning,
2 Turkey’s mining industry is active of the Lapseki mine in the Çanakkale engineering, project management,
in all steps of the gold value chain
province, operated by TUMAD Mining manufacturing, installation, testing
– from exploration and mining all
the way to refining and preparing
Inc. Over the entire operation period, and commissioning on a turnkey basis.
the precious metal for different which is expected to extend to 2027, “As many local facilities as possible and
end uses. the mine’s four pits are estimated to fully local resources were involved in
produce a total of 7.15 million tons of the project,” notes Mehmetogullari.
ore. The proportions of gold and silver Among the scope of delivery is three
per ton are 1.85 grams and 1.86 grams, control rooms – one each for the mill,
respectively. The production cycle the crusher, and the adsorption,
12 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019Mining
he excavated gold is further processed
T
at the Lapseki mine. Here the ADR gold
and silver ore process. About TUMAD Mining Inc
TUMAD Mining Inc – a Turkish mining company that holds its own mineral
desorption and refining (ADR) plant exploration licenses – carries out exploration and development projects for
– and five electrical rooms – for the precious and base metals. The company’s strategy is to create large efficient
crusher, mill, leach, ADR plant and mine production sites that unite economic and social development interests
filter press. The automation system with environmental protection and worker safety.
at the Lapseki mine is made up of two
redundant OS servers, three clients, a
web server, three engineering stations
and four CPU 410s. The equipment the industry: productivity, plant avail- the satisfaction level is so high that
processes 2,300 hardwired signals ability and energy efficiency are cov- TUMAD has again decided to work
and a total of 4,000 signals communi- ered, and for end users the system is with Siemens Turkey on a turnkey
cating with third-party systems. For easy to configure and use. basis for its Balıkesir-İvrindi gold
the process control system, TUMAD and silver mine processing project
selected Cemat MinAS, which is Collaboration continues in western Turkey.
based on Simatic PCS 7, the most Since the Lapseki mine was commis-
proven distributed control system in sioned in February 2018, staff members
the world. Cemat MinAS delivers at TUMAD have been able to depend on www.siemens.com/mining
everything necessary to seamlessly the technology from Siemens to help Author: Emrah Mehmetogullari
meet the most relevant demands of them get their jobs done. In fact, emrah.mehmetogullari@siemens.com
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 13Mining
Leading the gearless
mill drives market
Copper mines in Russia, Peru and Chile
have recently placed orders for technology
from Siemens. Most of these orders are
from customers who already have Siemens
technology at their sites – customers who
have come to depend on the availability
and reliability of Siemens’ gearless mill
drive solutions.
14 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019Mining
C opper is an indispensable
basic material for many sec- Asset Health be constructed at an existing mine.
For many years, four ring motors from
tors of the world economy.
Demand continues to grow, driven Analytics Siemens have been reliably operating
at the site.
by the increase in the production of In all of the projects described
components for power grids and
transmission systems, the emergence
further above, the equipment has been
designed and constructed for easy
of electric vehicles, a strong market
for consumer electronics like smart-
enhances the integration into the Siemens digital
environment. And in some cases, upon
phones and tablets, the building
boom in many parts of the world,
“best-in-class” the request of the customers, the
gearless mill drive systems include
and the continuous need for modern
industrial machinery. availability. comprehensive Assets Health Analytics
to further improve performance and
For 2019, analysts expect total availability. Behind services like these
global demand to increase by around is MindSphere, the cloud-based, open
4 percent. To fulfill growing needs, IoT operating system from Siemens.
the recovery of non-ferrous metal What’s more, the projects repre-
continues at a high rate. On the one sent a total of 16 gearless mill drive
hand, mine owners are taking steps orders consisting of fabrication,
to expand their operations. And on mill drive. Additional materials have delivery and commissioning for mul-
the other hand, new greenfield pro- included the matching transformers, tiple global mining sites since 2018.
cessing plants are once again being safety equipment, e-houses, cooling As a result, Siemens is helping copper
built to process the higher volumes systems and various operating ele- mines to ramp up production and
of extracted ore. These developments, ments. Both the mills and drives are take advantage of current market
particularly the latter, are behind monitored by the integrated Simatic trends, and that allows them to keep
contracts Siemens has received for PCS 7 process control system. the world’s copper supplies in pace
gearless mill drives for mines in Russia, Another major greenfield project with growing demand. The projects
Peru and Chile. In most cases the clients in Peru features two SAG mills, each described here and the many other
are repeat customers who have come measuring 40 feet in diameter with orders Siemens has fulfilled for cop-
to depend on the extreme reliability, an output of 23.5 MW, and two 28-foot per producers put the company in an
high availability, minimized unsched- ball mills also with an output of 23.5 industry-leading position for gearless
uled downtimes and low operating MW each. With this machinery in mill drive systems.
costs of Siemens’ gearless mill drives. place, the mine is set to become one
For a copper mining project in of the country’s biggest copper pro-
Russia – one of the most extensive in ducers. In any case, both projects www.siemens.com/mining
recent years – Siemens is supplying together help to strengthen Peru’s Author: Felipe Contreras
six gearless drive systems for two semi- position as the second-biggest cop- contreras.felipe@siemens.com
autogenous grinding (SAG) mills with per-producing country worldwide.
a required power of 23 MW each and for
four ball mills with a power demand Expanding capacities
of 22 MW each. Alongside the ring Chile, the top copper-producing
motor, each of the drive systems fea- country in the world, is also starting
tures three converter transformers, to once again expand capacities now
one Sinamics SL150 medium-voltage that the previous overcapacities are
converter, and a Simatic PCS 7 process being fully utilized thanks to the
control system unit for control and increasing market demand. Currently,
monitoring of the mill. Siemens is delivering to a mine site
in the Atacama Desert an order for
Partner from day one one SAG mill with a diameter of 30
For one of the projects in Peru, a new feet and an output of 28 MW, and for
gearless mill drive with an output of two ball mills each with a diameter of
16.4 MW and a diameter of 26 feet 27 feet and an output of 20 MW. The
complements the four gearless mill next project milestone is construction
drives already in place at the mine. and commissioning.
In fact, from day one the individual A further Chilean mine is also
production lines in this Peruvian expanding – and in this case the cus- New greenfield processing
plant have largely relied on compo- tomer is again profiting from Siemens’ plants are once again being
nents from Siemens, as each mill at expertise: a 38-foot, 20 MW SAG mill built to process higher
the site is equipped with a gearless and a 25-foot, 12 MW ball mill will soon volumes of extracted ore.
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 15Setting the highest S iemens has launched an update
to its mine winder portfolio. On
the one hand, it brings its Winder
Technological Controller (WTC) fully
safety standards in line with the latest digitalization
standards using the Simatic S7-1500
digitalization platform. And on the
other hand, it ensures the solution
adheres to safety integrity level (SIL)
An update for the Winder Technological 3. In fact, Siemens is the first com-
Controller from Siemens has made winders pany worldwide to integrate this
safety standard in a mine hoist. The
safer than ever before. Among the first to new controllers are compliant with
benefit from the improved technology is the most international safety standards,
including the German TAS and the Chi-
world’s largest polyhalite mine. nese MA. The safety system is used
primarily for speed and position
monitoring, depending on the oper-
ating mode and conveyance position
in the shaft.
Additional functions of the WTC
include the continuous acquisition and
collection of motor, converter, brake sys-
tem and mine winder data. The accu-
mulated data is then downloaded to one
of the Siemens Winder Competence
Centers and analyzed as the basis for
recommended preventive mainte-
nance. Among the first installations
to benefit from the new WTC is the
Woodsmith polyhalite mine in the UK.
An extensive package
Polyhalite is a nutrient-based fertilizer.
From 2021, the Woodsmith mine run
by Sirius Minerals will be the world’s
largest polyhalite producer. OLKO-
Maschinentechnik GmbH, which is sup-
plying two Blair Multi-Rope machines
(BMR) for the mine, has ordered the
electrical equipment from Siemens.
One hoist will bring polyhalite from
a depth of approximately 1450 meters
below sea level to the surface at a
speed of 18 meters per second; the
★★★ other hoist with a capacity of 35 tons
CERTIFIED is for service. The scope of delivery
Safety integrity comprises a medium-voltage syn-
level (SIL) SI L3 chronous motor with an output of
9.3 MW and a torque of 1550 kNm. Both
winders are fitted with a COBRA01
multi-channel brake system to provide
SIL is a method for determining
soft braking. Thanks to Siemens, mine
potential risk to life and limb as
hoists like the one at the Woodsmith
well as to systems, devices and
mine are now more digital and safer
processes in the event of a mal-
than ever.
function. The rating method is
based on the International Electro-
technical Commission standard
www.siemens.com/mining
IEC 61508. Author: Roland Gebhard
roland.gebhard@siemens.com
16 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019Mining
Optimum load distribution
A new plug-and-play controller extends Siemens’ mining
portfolio. The first installation at a cement grinding mill in
Guinea has shown significant benefits.
T he Simine portfolio for high-
pressure grinding mills (HPGR)
has been extended to include
a new Load Share Controller. Plug-and-
play functionality makes it available
for immediate use. The web-server-
based operator interface allows the
process and production engineer to
adapt the controller parameters at any
time – whether on- or offline – and thus
optimize the torque distribution.
Programming skills or special equip-
ment knowledge is not required.
The new Load Share Controller
follows the established control
scheme. During start of the HPGR,
the controller is inactive. When
a certain torque level has been
reached, it takes over load share
control. If the controller is not ready
for use, for example, in the event of
a disruption, the drives do not start.
However, operation without load
sharing is available; in this case,
the drives take the speed reference
from the mill automation.
Successful utilization
The controller is already being used
by one customer: KHD Humboldt
Wedag, an OEM in the cement and
mining industry, installed the con- Within the first weeks after production
troller in the framework of a grinding startup, KHD Humboldt Wedag
plant upgrade for Guinée Industries commissioned and optimized the
Ciments in Conakry, Guinea. Tests controller without any support from
before and after optimization have a service engineer. The graphics show
trends before and after load sharing.
demonstrated great benefits of the
optimized controller for the mill. For
example, the change in the roll gap
and the roll pressure could be kept
in a substantially smaller range.
www.siemens.com/mining-digitalization
Author: Werner Kitz
werner.kitz@siemens.com
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 17Mining
Fast power
Over the last couple of decades several
economic, environmental and technological
C ompanies active in mining and
cement need electricity – lots
of it. But sometimes the elec-
tricity that powers conveyor systems,
factors have led to the expansion of distributed drives, lighting, control rooms and
forms of electricity generation. One segment more is in short supply. One common
reason is aging or unreliable infra-
of this market in particular has seen a major structure. The unplanned retirement
of an outdated power plant or the loss
expansion in recent years: fast-track power of a reliable distribution network can
plants based on mobile gas-turbine technology. cause significant unbalance in electri-
cal grids, leading to production losses.
Mining and cement companies are set to profit. Mining operations in remote locations
often suffer from unstable electricity
sources – or even the absence of a grid
connection. Another common situa-
tion is when great amounts of electric-
ity are needed on a temporary basis.
This could be the case when an other-
wise out-of-commission cement mill
is put into operation temporarily.
18 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019Mining
Fast mobile power can be delivered
anywhere to support customers’ immediate
demands, whether for emergency relief,
seasonal needs or to bridge extended power-
plant outages.
Above: Operation modes of the SGT-A45 aero-derivative
gas turbine at a glance.
Left: Pre-assembled plug-and-play units mounted on trailers
require minimum installation time at the site – and they
can be quickly redeployed to a different location when the
additional power is no longer needed.
Siemens Power & Gas provides and a high level of adaptability to the having to shut down or disturb oper-
a solution: fast-track power plants requirements of mining and cement ations. On request, the units can be
based on mobile, aero-derivative customers. adjusted to run on other fuels too.
gas-turbine technology. The center- The performance advantage of the And when the additional power is
piece of the offering is the SGT-A45. SGT-A45 mobile unit is amplified in no longer needed? No problem: the
hot climates: At 30°C and in 50 Hz trailer-mounted power plants can
Highly efficient and flexible operation, the SGT-A45 still retains be quickly redeployed via truck or
With fast-track delivery and an almost all of its ISO-rated output, airfreight to a different location. Of
installation time of two weeks or without any auxiliary water injec- course, if something more perma-
less, and significantly higher power tion. Where water injection is used, nent is needed, Siemens Power & Gas
output and density than comparable the unit produces a near constant has other solutions on offer depend-
products in this market, the SGT-A45 power output up to ambient tem- ing on the available fuel and genera-
offers considerable cost-saving peratures in the proximity of 40°C. tion demand.
potential. Lending to the fast im- In both cases, the aero-derivative
plementation time is the fact that design provides the operational flex-
the units are pre-assembled and ibility required by the cement and www.siemens.com/mining
mounted on trailers. A plug-and-play mining industries. A further advan- Author: Thorsten Krol
design allows them to be integrated tage is the fuel type: Dual-fuel capa- thorsten.krol@siemens.com
into existing grids quickly. The unit’s bility of natural gas and diesel is
high fuel efficiency and operational standard, with the ability to change
flexibility ensure low operating costs between fuels at any load without
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 19Mining
Service goes digital
Reactive service calls and maintenance according to plan
are being replaced with service technologies that employ
digital tools. Less unscheduled downtime, more precise
troubleshooting and optimized maintenance schedules
based on equipment condition are among the benefits.
F or generations, maintenance
has been based on standard
schedules. And up to some
services like these minimize sched-
uled and unscheduled downtimes
thanks to optimized maintenance
Local maintenance
teams receive support
from Siemens Digital
Services.
extent, it works. Nonetheless, activities. Early planning and opti-
unscheduled downtimes do happen, mization of maintenance and service
for example when a component fails measures save a significant amount
unexpectedly. Until the issue is iden- of time and money.
tified and rectified, hours and even
days can pass – which can easily Fast and precise troubleshooting
result in losses in the millions. But it An example shows the value of Digi-
doesn’t have to be that way: preven- tal Drive Train Services: At a custom-
tive and predictive maintenance er’s operations the drive train was
based on digital services help keep failing during operation. Thanks to
equipment running longer because Digital Drive Train Services, the drive
possible failure sources are identified train was brought back into operation
before they can become a problem. quickly. In this case, Siemens received
And if something does occur, equip- information about the failure and
ment can be brought up more quickly could also refer to drive data includ-
with the help of data “messaging” any ing a fault log and event log. Historical
anomalies upfront. data showed that the customer could Digital industry services for
Continuous monitoring as offered fix the problem on its own – no need to gearless mills
with Digital Drive Train Services call in field service staff. The Siemens The digital service isn’t just for
is based on a cloud solution and service experts also provided support medium- and high-voltage applica-
ensures constant knowledge about for implementing corrective steps. tions, but also for gearless mill
the condition of the components. Through the digital-based service, assets. In mining operations, these
Before critical changes can arise, 11 hours could be saved in rectifying drives are mission critical. This key
certified service experts contact the the problem. equipment, if not functioning, can
user immediately, identify the fault, Digital Drive Train Services also cause bottlenecks that impact mine
and provide support with trouble- enable long-term data analysis and productivity, so it is essential that
shooting. Users also benefit from trend evaluations, which serve as a uptime is kept high. Thus the ability
automated status reports and notifi- basis for detailed condition assess- to correctly assess the condition of
cations that allow them to detect ments as well as specific service rec- the drives and associated sub-assets
faults at an early stage. Connected ommendations. In one instance, data grows in importance.
devices can be checked on the cus- collected at a customer installation With this in mind, Siemens also
tomer dashboard at any time. This showed that a bearing was about to provides drive train analysis for
allows users to consult with Siemens fail as a result of inner ring damage. gearless mill assets. The solution
service experts to obtain service The bearing repair was then added takes into account the specific
recommendations. If despite these to the activities for an upcoming requirements and behavior of a
measures downtime does occur, scheduled planned downtime. By gearless motor, yet also covers all
operators can react quickly by doing so, an unplanned shutdown components – including power and
directly connecting a service expert of around eight days could be com- cooling equipment, drives, the mill
to the plant. Condition-monitoring pletely avoided. itself and the e-house. The data
20 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019Mining
collected from sensors on the differ-
ent units is preprocessed at the site
to the customer, followed up with
concrete support for troubleshooting
Direct benefits
and transferred to a central cloud. and maintenance recommendations of Digital Drive
A customer dashboard visualizes – and that really does save time.
all relevant status information. The Fewer disruptions to ongoing Train Services
plant operator gets details on which operations and shorter downtimes for
assets are connected, their status in maintenance are the direct result of
regard to maintenance-specific KPIs, Asset Health Analytics. It goes further, • Minimized unplanned
and an overview of certain alerts though: the data can also be used to downtime due to early
and notifications. The name of the optimize performance, for example detection of anomalies
Siemens service is Asset Health with Energy Performance Contracting • Shorter unplanned
Analytics for Gearless Mills. from Siemens. All in all, this new downtimes thanks to
digital approach to plant care is faster troubleshooting
Continuous monitoring making reactive maintenance calls • Improved maintenance
Asset Health Analytics for Gearless and service according to plan a thing scheduling based on better
Mills employs cloud-based algorithms of the past. Welcome Service 4.0. knowledge of equipment
and models to aid service experts in condition
continuously monitoring the condition
of the connected assets. In the case of www.siemens.com/ddts
anomalies or pattern deviations, an www.siemens.com/mining-digitalization
Author: Hans-Jürgen Seger
event analysis is initiated. If a weak
hans-juergen.seger@siemens.com
spot is identified, an event notification
with service recommendations is sent
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/mining 21Since 1987, different Cemat
versions have been in used at
the HeidelbergCement site
in Schelklingen, Germany.
Industry standard
grows with the times
For 45 years, Cemat has been helping the cement,
mining and related industries to keep production costs
competitive and comply with regulations. With each new
version, innovations have been integrated in line with
technical progress. For the HeidelbergCement site in
Schelklingen, Germany, Cemat is a trusted companion.
22 siemens.com/mining | Issue 2019Cement
T he success story of Cemat, the
standard software for cement
plants, began in 1974. The ini-
capacity of approximately 3,500 tons
per year of clinker. The moderniza-
tion, which is set to be completed this
tial release was based on the then year, will transform the site into one of
newly developed Simatic S3 program- the most modern plants in Germany,
mable logic controller, and the indus- if not in Europe, with an annual
try’s first installation was in Cemen- capacity of 1.5 million tons of clinker.
tos Hispania’s site in Yeles, Spain. At the core of the project is the
Over the course of time, the hard- construction of a new line according
ware and software platforms were to the latest standards – including
subsequently replaced with Simatic S5 a new heat exchanger furnace with a
and Simatic S7 programmable logic rotary kiln, clinker cooler and exhaust
controllers, in line with technological gas purification system. The new line
advancements. The standard mod- will replace the two existing rotary
ules for actuators, dampers and kilns at the site. Keeping with tradition,
The focus of development work on Cemat
groups developed for the first version Cemat will continue to play an essential Version 9.0 was to optimize the control
of Cemat were also replaced and role. “Since 1987 we have been using system and integrate innovations that
extended from update to update. different Cemat versions in this make work easier for operators.
While each new version contains the cement plant location. Especially for
latest technological innovations, the our new kiln line, we will be using the
organization and core functions of latest state-of-the-art process control
the modules have always remained system Cemat Version 9.0,” says New features in Cemat
the same. Stephan Wehning, Plant Manager of Cemat Version 9.0 includes improve-
These constant updates are Cemat's the HeidelbergCement Schelklingen ments to existing functions as well as a
recipe for success, because they ensure site. number of new functions. For example,
that every new version of the process the process control system covers the
control system is backwards compati- entire automation chain, from the
ble with all previous releases. In the extraction of raw materials to the
meantime, the Cemat library has packaging of the end products. With
become a standard, not only for cement integrated operating and diagnostic
plants, but also for mining operations functions, potential malfunctions can
and related industries. Today, all lead- be detected more quickly and down-
ing cement plants in Europe employ times minimized. “Our development
Cemat. And with more than 800 work for Version 9.0 focused on opti-
installations worldwide, it is the lead- mizing the control system. In addition
ing process control system for the to these improvements, there are a
cement, mining and related sectors. number of impressive innovations
In short, it is an industry standard. that make work easier for engineers
and plant operators,” says Johannes
A trusted tool Vorsamer from the Cemat develop-
No wonder, then, that for decades large ment team at Siemens.
companies have been using Cemat Investment security is ensured by
across their operations – one of which the fact that Version 9.0 is still back-
is HeidelbergCement. Markus Konecki, wards compatible with all previous
Engineering/Senior Project Manager releases up to version 1.8, which was
at HeidelbergCement Germany: “We
have been using Cemat for more than
About introduced in 1987. This means that
even older PLC programs can still be
30 years now. It’s one of our standard HeidelbergCement operated and integrated into the latest
process control systems because of its version of the process control system.
high market acceptance and Siemens’ In short, the decision for Cemat can
long experience in the industry. More- HeidelbergCement is one of the be made with a clear conscience –
over, Cemat offers customized con- world’s largest integrated manu- which is proven by Heidelberg
figurations that keep things simple.” facturers of building materials with Cement’s repeat trust in the Siemens
HeidelbergCement is currently leading market positions in aggre- process control system.
investing more than €100 million gates, cement and ready-mixed
in the modernization of its plant in concrete. The company employs
Schelklingen, Germany. The site came 60,000 people at more than 3,000
www.siemens.com/cement
into operation in the mid-1970s and locations in around 60 countries.
Author: Thomas Walther
currently provides kiln production thomas.walther@siemens.com
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/cement 23For higher
availability
and
efficiency
“Digitalization is tech-
nology to collect,
store, analyze and
use data to the
benefit of customers.”
Ömer OydaŞik, Head of Cement at Siemens
Digitalization is the buzzword in nearly every industry today – and cement
is no exception. In the following interview, Ömer Oydaşik, Head of Cement
at Siemens, talks about the different digital solutions Siemens has on offer
for the cement industry, and what lies on the horizon.
24 siemens.com/cement | Issue 2019Cement
What is Siemens’ primary goal with For example? location. Therefore, we have created
digitalization for the cement Like I said, the main priority is to help digital architecture to get the necessary
industry? cement manufacturers to operate data from automation systems, trans-
Our mission is to help clients their plants better – to save money and fer data, performance figures, asset
increase the availability and efficiency increase productivity. To achieve the management, etc. With this enterprise
of their plants. That includes operat- best outcome, we optimize different data in hand, management obtains a
ing plants better, increasing volumes applications using Internet of Things clear picture of aspects from key data,
if need be and, of course, saving (IoT) tools, for example MindSphere. for example energy consumption and
money. What’s more, we offer solu- MindSphere is the cloud-based, production volumes, and thereby gains
tions for the entire plant life cycle. open IoT operating system from control of the complete value chain.
Siemens for the Industrial IoT, or In the mining sector, a customer in
When you say life cycle, what do IIoT. Different apps can be created Brazil has adopted this architecture for
you have in mind here? Where do using MindSphere, such as for condi- its operations and estimates savings
you begin with digitalization? tion monitoring. Here sensors on of more than €70 million by 2020.
We start with general engineering, motors, drives and gearboxes deliver
which has changed quite a bit over data to the cloud. The data is then How far along is the cement industry
the last few years. Today, intelligent analyzed by algorithms, which in turn in this respect?
engineering tools that combine all issue automatic warnings before a We have started several pilot projects
different disciplines have become failure is likely. Apps like these go a with cement customers. However, the
the norm. Mechanical, electrical and long way to increasing plant efficiency. cement industry can also take examples
chemical engineering – to name just Let’s take this a step further. from Siemens’ successful references
three – can work in a combined data- MindSphere can also obtain data in the mining industry. In the end,
base or engineering platform. If a from Cemat. And when you combine digitalization is technology to collect,
change is made in one area, it is the two, customers benefit from more store, analyze and use data to the
automatically made in all the other added value. For example, the data benefit of customers. But that can only
disciplines too. Our customers report generated can also help us to make be done together with customers. Our
a significant increase in the efficiency recommendations for changes during approach is to sit together with our
of the engineering work. a planned shutdown. customers, discuss their challenges,
The platform we offer here is and offer tailored-made solutions
Comos, which has been well accepted With the cloud solutions you describe, based on digitalization that brings
by engineering firms in the cement data ultimately leaves the plant. benefit to their operations.
industry. The great point is that after What steps does Siemens take to
engineering, modules in Comos pro- ensure security? What possibilities do you see for
vide the operator with the complete You’ve touched on an important digitalization in the future?
plant engineering data. It helps with point, as security services are now The market is changing. In developed
planning, and if a revision is carried out, more important with IIoT and data countries, overcapacity is a reality.
the data can be adjusted accordingly. transfers. The data and communica- Cement manufacturers in these parts of
tion structure in a plant needs to be the world need to optimize their costs:
Let’s move to day-to-day operations. made secure, which is why we go digitalization gives them more trans-
This is where the process automation beyond standard firewalls consultancy parency for more efficiency. When the
system Cemat enters the picture, services to help clients improve their time comes for modernization, auto-
right? plant’s security from an IT point of mation simplifies the process and
Yes, that’s correct. Cemat is the first view. Our scope covers general IT doesn’t require huge engineering
product we developed exclusively for topics as well as industrial automa- investments. In other parts of the world,
the cement industry. Cemat turns 45 tion and process control systems. greenfield plants are being built. In
this year. Starting with initial instal- places like Africa, there is a need for
lations in Germany, the process auto- A number of cement companies have technology because of the difficulties
mation system soon captured the several locations across the globe. associated with finding skilled person-
market, and today more than 30 per- What digitalization solutions support nel to operate plants. There’s even the
cent of players in the cement indus- them, for example in comparing possibility of central control rooms to
try are using Cemat. The solution is metrics from different locations? monitor and operate different cement
also widely available: providers The topic here is digital transparency, plants in different locations. Cemat
include Siemens itself, Siemens’ which is a key issue for a lot of our cus- is key in these efforts, because the
partner network and several EPCs. tomers – and not just for companies basic topography enables the estab-
For us, strong process automation with plants in different countries, but lishment of remote control.
like Cemat is the basis for digitalization also for local players with several
in cement plants. Above and beyond plants. The basic need is to understand
that, we are entering other realms of what is going on in different plants and www.siemens.com/cement
digitalization for daily operations. to maintain complete control from one omer.oydasik@siemens.com
Issue 2019 | siemens.com/cement 25You can also read
