Owned by Chile's Codelco, El Teniente is the world's largest underground copper mine. With a vast network of underground galleries, the mine has a daily production goal of processing 150,000 tons of ore, equivalent to over 20,000 cycles per day.
A well-run Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) equipment plays significant role in meeting that goal. But a lack of oversight and coordination meant the LHD fleet often created bottlenecks for El Teniente.
To maintain competitiveness and ensure efficient and safe operation, an automated fleet control solution was a necessity for El Teniente.
The sheer scale of operations, combined with the harsh underground environment, demanded a robust solution. To manage an existing fleet, made up of vehicles from multiple manufacturers, the fleet control system would need to be built to support interoperability.
Mining TAG, powered by Epiroc, implemented the MT OneMine fleet control system at El Teniente in 2016. This OEM-agnostic application, compatible with various equipment types and manufacturer brands, provides real-time information on production cycles, equipment location, and operational statuses.
The system utilizes sensors and field computers installed on equipment and physical RFID tags located throughout the mine for equipment tracking. Advanced algorithms in the system’s backend process captured data into actionable information for operators and control tower staff.
Mining TAG provides not only the MT OneMine software, but also both onsite and remote support and maintenance services. Carried out by a team of 30+ people, maintenance in the mine includes the review of the network infrastructure, the status of the tags, and the installation and maintenance of hardware components.
Additionally, Mining TAG offers a specialized remote support system, capable of meeting more complex requirements. This includes the analysis of conflict cycles and the resolution of system bugs reported by users.
The implementation of MT OneMine at El Teniente has led to significant improvements in production control and operational efficiency. The system now monitors nearly 50 LHD units, 12 CAEX vehicles, and 12 JUMBOS.
The systems monitors approximately 3.6 million LHD cycles annually, equivalent to 25.2 million tons of material transported for processing each year. To achieve this level of monitoring, more than 2,500 monitoring tags have been installed across various mine sectors.
The contract, initially awarded in 2016 for 5 years, has been extended twice, demonstrating the system's success and value to El Teniente's operations. Mining Tag provides both on-site and remote support, with a field team of 32 people located at the mine to ensure efficient system maintenance and address complex requirements.
MT OneMine is a fleet control system, which provides information on production cycles, equipment location, and ASARCO statuses by equipment. The product is a universal application, agnostic to the type and brand of equipment.
MT OneMine helps miners to improve fleet planning and management, adjusting the tasks executed in real-time. The web dashboard provides an overview of the equipment location and performance data, which supports problem solving and decision-making.
MT OneMine leverages several key technologies to deliver its comprehensive fleet management solution. Equipment is fitted with sensors and field computers to collect operational data, while RFID tagging is used throughout the mine to track equipment location and movement.
The system works with machine learning, allowing that through iterations in monitoring equipment's production cycle, all data collected by the sensors is transformed into productive information. This means the system is trained with data collected by the sensors, and this data translates, for example, into detecting that a certain movement of the LHD arm is for loading a truck, and this traduce to counting bucket loads automatically.
MT OneMine also incorporates Short Interval Control for visualizing activities and their compliance with predefined operating standards that the user previously defined. When available, network infrastructure allows for real-time data publishing to servers.
By combining these technologies, MT OneMine provides El Teniente with a powerful tool for production control, equipment tracking, and operational optimization in one of the world's most challenging mining environments.
