Copper & Polymetallic

Chile’s largest copper mines use iBelt in several applications:

On tripper cars to control the speed of the tripper car for a homogeneous material discharging process into the stockpiles. Full automatization of tripper car – improved safety for workers.

Control of process chain after primary crushing: storage in silos/domes/stockpiles, feeding to mills, disposal to leach pads (stacker control).

On bucket wheel excavators for cutting depth automation and traversing travel optimization.

The volume, speed, misalignment data and freeboard measurements are provided in real time to the PLC, SCADA and MES systems for various purposes. Usually several departments benefit from the data (e.g. operations, maintenance, management). iBelt usually has a very short payback time, in most cases within months.

Especially in the copper industry, controlling processes by volume is better than controlling by tonnage as all process steps are based on volume (crusher feed, belt capacity, silos/domes/stockpiles, mills).