Its well-known RCT’s experience spans nearly five decades, however it is not common knowledge that for two of those decades the company has been actively helping clients in South America.
It all began with the company’s foundation solution, Muirhead® protection systems. These were requested by a client wanting to get more longevity from their bulldozers and loaders which were machine re-builds.
Since this initial project, RCT has gone from strength to strength in the region. As a result, the company has helped deliver fit-for-purpose solutions, encompassing all of its brands, to big name clients including, Codelco, Antofagasta Minerals, Anglo American, BHP, and many more, both directly and partners.
The South American mining region in general is well-known for its copper and gold mines, all of which are located in areas exposed to extreme weather conditions (the heat and the cold) in addition to some being positioned in high altitude locations, making for some precarious working conditions for miners.
Therefore, RCT’s premier automation and control solutions - ControlMaster® have and continue to be in demand in both surface and underground mining operations in the region. While RCT’s Line-of-Sight and Teleremote options dominate the surface mining market, the full automation range is in strong demand for underground mining operations.
This journey for these solutions began in the early 2000’s after RCT completed an audit for ControlMaster® Line-of-Sight controllers at BHP’s Escondida Mine in Chile. The world’s largest copper mine wanted a proven solution to safeguard bulldozer operators manning the ROMpad feeders and crushers. RCT were able to retrofit the mobile machines with the technology that removed the operators from the cab of the machine and allowed them to operate it from a safe location - ultimately solving the issue for the client.
By 2008 RCT collaborated with Hexagon mining to engineer and deliver a bespoke solution to Codelco’s Andina mine site that allowed them to operate safer and for longer in the lead up to the winter shut down, reducing the number of days they had to stop work. This R&D project saw the delivery of a ControlMaster® Teleremote solution, paired with a Muirhead® Speed Limiter and combined with Hexagon Mining’s MineOps Geofencing systems installed on a Komatsu WD600 wheel dozer.
The company was fast becoming a household name; however, it was RCT’s project at Codelco’s El Teniente in 2018 that cemented its reputation in the region. RCT’s ControlMaster® Automation solution helped El Teniente successfully and safely mine ore rich mud in what is believed to be a world-first mining method in these conditions. This impressive feat was facilitated by RCT’s specialised department, RCT Custom, who delivered the bespoke solution to minimise the risk involved in mining in these conditions.
This project required RCT to retrofit its ControlMaster® solutions that were previously installed on Codelco’s mobile machines operating at its Adina surface mine site before integrating the refurbished equipment, installing them on working production loaders (Sandvik LH517’s) into the existing mine network. The solution removed the operator from the cab of the loader and allowed them to control the machine from the comfort and safety of an Automation Station located in an underground control room of the mine.
RCT’s solution allowed El Teniente to recover mud ore reserves that were previously deemed too dangerous to access due to the mud flow into these areas. In addition to this, the loaders were able to tram faster, avoid walls and obstacles after being automated which significantly increased productivity and reduced machined damage and unplanned downtime.
“It was with this project that RCT earned itself a strong reputation technically, it really put us on a solid footing going forward,” said RCT’s Commercial Executive, Phil Goode.
This project was also monumental for the company as it further reiterated the need for RCT to have more of a local presence and compelled the company to open an office in Santiago, Chile last year. The team, comprising of five, multilingual staff are working hard to support our existing and new clients in the region.
“Having a team working locally helps RCT to better function in Chile and other South American, Spanish speaking countries. Technically we have always been very good, but the office allows us to understand the business culture and provide that next level of support to our clients,” he said.
“Most importantly, it allows us to provide the first rate level of customer service and after sales support we have built a solid reputation on delivering to all of our clients around the world.”
Currently RCT’s innovative solutions are being delivered in Tailings and Waste Management situations with the company working with various customers in the region to safeguard their operations in this field with the ControlMaster® range of solutions.
With a local presence, a strong point of technology difference and the experience and knowledge RCT will continue to make its mark in South America going forward.
“We are very different from other companies in the region. As we have been in the industry for 48 years now and therefore we have an immense amount of combined experience in various regions around the world, which can’t be matched, we bring that experience to each client to deliver solutions to meet their specific requirements,” said Goode.
Leading autonomous solutions provider RCT has opened an office in Santiago, Chile to provide comprehensive business and technical support to existing and potential clients in the regional mining industry.
Situated in the business district of Conchali, the office represents the latest develop in RCT’s longstanding business dealings in the country, which span nearly 20 years.
The office contains a meeting/training room, commercial office space and a workshop and storage area.
The office is home to a core group of multilingual staff comprising a business development team and an engineering and field servicing team with space to accommodate additional staff in the future.
RCT Business Manager – South America Rafael Tarud welcomes the opportunity to host mining industry figures at the office in order to better understand their company’s needs.
“We are now better placed to service mining companies throughout the Latin American region with our local engineers able to respond quickly to developing situations and enquiries,” he said.
“RCT has worked in Chile for a long time including delivering automation projects at the El Teniente copper mine for Codelco and our new office will help us to provide additional support to existing and new projects.”
“We welcome the opportunity to engage with the regional mining industry and share our expertise to deliver real benefits.”
RCT Chile is located at Av. Panamericana Norte 5001, Conchali, Santiago 8550678, Chile
All enquiries can be made to Rafael Tarud at Xxxxxx.Xxxxx@xxx-xxxxxx.xxx
The Sixth International Congress on Automation in Mining will take place in Chile from June 6 – 8 and RCT’s Custom Manager, Rob Derries will be taking to the stage to present.
This prestigious event will provide an important international forum to meet and discuss recent innovations and developments in control, automation and robotic systems applied in mining and metallurgical operations to reduce costs and increase productivity and safety.
Derries will be joining a distinguished line-up of speakers from 11 different counties where he will present papers on two of the company’s most significant projects executed by RCT Custom in recent times.
The presentations will discuss the implementation of RCT’s Automation solutions at the Roy Hill iron ore mine in Australia and the world’s largest underground copper mine, Codelco’s El Teniente mine in Chile.
Derries said he chose these two projects to present as they are momentous, with both projects achieving what is believed to be world-firsts.
The Roy Hill project is a great example of RCT’s extensive capabilities and flexibility when it comes to delivering projects to clients.
“We played a huge part in implementing the first dynamic multiple Geofence package to have been successfully interfaced to fixed and mobile asset elements within the boundaries of the Coarse Ore Stockpile (COS),” said Derries.
“It showcases RCT’s collaborative capabilities as well as highlighting our abilities to implement solutions at surface mine sites.”
At El Teniente, the Custom department was able to deliver a ControlMaster® Automation solution to allow operators to access the copper-rich mud to be accessed with minimum risk.
“It’s the first time this solution has been used in an underground mine in this environment and prior to this solution being available, they simply weren’t able to mine in some areas,” he said.
RCT’s involvement in the Chilean mining market has been extensive of late, with numerous projects completed.
“This has really exposed the market to RCT and showcased our capabilities, so being asked to present at Automining 2018 was great recognition.”
“Mining companies in the Chilean region are strong adapters of technology and I’m really looking forward to presenting at this esteemed event,” he said.
Derries has more than 25 years of experience in the automation field worldwide. He joined RCT in 2011 and today he is involved in reviewing mine infrastructure and mining methods, technical feasibility reviews and reporting, identifying and generating engineering scope of works and estimating in addition to managing the Custom team.
RCT itself has more than 45 years’ experience in the mining industry and it the number one Automation solution provider for any machine, regardless of make or model and for every stage of our clients’ automation journey.
Automining 2018 will take place from June 6-8 at Hotel Santiago, Chile. Rob’s presentation on El Teniente will take place in Ballroom A on June 7 at 5.40pm and he will present on Roy Hill in Ballroom B on June 8 at 9.30am.
RCT has helped the world’s largest underground copper mine, El Teniente, successfully and safely mine in mud, in what is believed to be a world-first mining method in these conditions.
This impressive feat was facilitated by the company’s specialised department, RCT Custom. The bespoke team helped deliver a state-of-the-art ControlMaster® Automation solution allowing the copper-rich mud to be accessed with minimum risk.
The Codelco-owned site is prone to mud rush caused by ice melting on the Andes range situated on the surface, a hazard that closed the exploration area for months on end. This combined with the company’s plan to expand operations to the seventh and eighth levels made it crucial to find a solution that would allow them to mine mud ore safely.
Codelco issued RCT with the challenge of retrofitting RCT’s ControlMaster® Teleremote and Guidance Automation systems previously installed on a surface dozer, loader and truck at its Andina mine.
RCT had to upgrade this equipment for fitment onto the site’s Sandvik LH517 loaders operating in the El Teniente underground mine. Operators were relocated to a surface control room connected to the loaders over the mine’s communication network.
“It was quite a challenging engineering project which required the combination of proven RCT solutions with a mine’s network – but RCT thrive in these situations,” said RCT’s Senior BDM. Phil Goode.
“Projects like this are the reason we have our specialised division, RCT Custom.”
While the existing solutions would suit all mine conditions and achieve the outcome desired by the client as is, a factory refurbishment and upgrades were essential to ensure the retrofit went to plan.
“This project highlights just how versatile RCT’s Automation solutions are. It was a significant bespoke engineering project that required the existing solutions to be fully factory tested before being installed at the mine and integrated into El Teniente’s existing network.”
Installation and commissioning were undertaken by RCT with its channel partner, Power Train Technologies (PTT). This required the system to integrate into Codelco’s existing Digital WiFi Network, which required the collaboration between the client’s mining, maintenance, engineering and innovation teams.
“The integration of refurbished equipment, installed on working production loaders into the existing mine network posed unique challenges, all of which were overcome by professional collaboration between, Codelco, RCT, and PTT,” said Mr Goode.
El Teniente’s Chief Automation Mine, Rafael Guzmán, explained that the system utilises the standard wireless network, configured and managed with its own resources, which is used in various systems of underground work.
“The important thing for the site was to have a robust and reliable communications system, which in our case translates into one of the largest networks of this type in mining,” added the Department Corporate of Automation’s Senior Engineer, Norma Vargas.
RCT’s Automation solutions ensure the loader travels along the optimum path and at a speed that will deliver consistent cycle times across all drivers, during every shift. As well as tramming faster, the loader will avoid walls and obstacles significantly reducing machine damage and unplanned downtime.
The operators’ working environment vastly improves, as the operators were removed from the cab of the machine and relocated into an Automation Centre on the surface of the mine.
This customised solution was located in an office on site, complete with amenities. In addition, the Guidance Automation technology removes disparity between drivers and the time it takes to complete the checklist during shift change has also decreased which further increases productivity.
Guidance Automation technology will prevent damage to the loaders while allowing them to be driven in third gear – which results in more buckets each shift.
“Productivity and safety can go hand-in-hand. We have a precious treasure waiting to be extracted from the muddy water, and we are now on the right path thanks to RCT’s Automation,” said El Teniente Mine’s Innovation and Development Project Manager, Pablo Gándara.
“Our goal was to use technology to reach this somewhat hazardous reserve, which has a potential of about 2 million tons, with purity of 0.9 that is very important,” said El Teniente Mine’s Innovation Project Manager, Nicolás Montecino.
As well as delivering the technology, operators underwent RCT product training on the new solution to ensure they got the most out of the technology.
“It was great to have spent time with the El Teniente mine operators to deliver hands-on training and guidance to help them take ownership of the new technology,” said Mr Goode.
El Teniente’s Innovation Engineer, Nicolás Montecino, said he was not only amazed with the system but he was impressed with RCT Custom’s level of professionalism.
“The mine will be able to recover reserves that were once abandoned after being deemed too dangerous to access by our operators who would be exposed to mud water pumping through the area,” said Head of Diablo Regimiento, Leonardo Barría.
There is a goal of producing 600 tons per day in a six-month period with plans to implement another loader with RCT’s Guidance Automation to reach 2,500 tons per day.
El Teniente said it will look at replicating this technology to other areas of the mine prone to mud and humidity if the technology performs well.
“This was a significant, innovative engineering project for RCT, and we are proud to have been part of it,” said Mr Goode.