Information technology company Rockwell Automation and mining publication Mining Review Africa hosted a webinar on June 22 on the benefits of model predictive control (MPC) for mining operations.

Mining Review Africa editor Laura Cornish explained that MPC technology can improve throughput, enhance quality and reduce the use of consumables.

Rockwell Automation heavy industry strategy and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) marketing manager Steffen Zendler highlighted the relevance of MPC technologies in light of older, more experienced generations of the mining workforce retiring.

“It’s difficult to find a well-skilled and experienced workforce; however, it is crucial to think about how we can adapt certain technologies to ensure worker productivity, safety and security – what we call the connected worker story. That’s over the shoulder guidance working with augmented reality to create real visual instructions and training.”

With increased capital and operational costs, he added that effective maintenance strategies are necessary for mining operations to avoid downtime on their equipment.

Further, owing to limited access to resources and an increase in lower grade ores being produced, it becomes necessary for mining companies to adapt and find more efficient ways to keep costs under control.

Zendler also noted the importance of keeping up with market demand, while being cost effective over the entire value chain, owing to market volatility.

He cited the “huge potential” to implement digitalisation over the company value chain, particularly because the global emphasis on sustainability is compelling mining companies to implement solutions that optimise energy consumption.

“What we want to achieve is simple. It’s cost reduction, lowering the plant costs when it comes to sustainability, lowering energy intensity and water consumption, and then extending the life of existing ore bodies,” he added.

However, Rockwell Automation EMEA digital account executive Juliano de Goes Arantes said that optimisation can only occur when there is existing control. Hence, MPC aims to stabilise the plant process through the implementation of MPC.

“ First, we stabilise the process, and after the process is stable, we push the process towards the constraint, whatever that constraint is. So maximum speed, or maximum feed, but that's going to be determined by the quality itself. And this is something that we have to analyse to see if there is any critical constraint, anything that would allow us to get a specific additional benefit,” he explained.

He added that MPC systems work more efficiently by combining data between process knowledge and process control knowledge.

Rockwell Automation uses a “collaborative approach” to implement the system for specific applications and De Goes Arantes encouraged clients to undergo training to understand the MPC solution and, in turn, maintain it with the company’s support.

“The MPC generates benefits. We are talking about, not just changes in technology, but also about change management. We need to have support from the top, but there’s not just a top-down approach. We also want to involve the operators, process people [and] metallurgists, [so] that they understand what the system is doing, that it will give benefit to them in the end,” he concluded.