Model to improve the copper concentrate production process in a mine at Panama

This research is based on the detection of
problems through technical diagnostics to understand the root
cause through the "5 Why?” methodology and determine the best
practices that could be implemented to address the situation that
does not allow for escalation to a higher impact on production. This
study enabled the design, procurement, installation, commissioning,
and implementation of two redundant direct starters and two
variable speed drives to control the speed of two agitator motors in
two copper concentrate tanks. One of the main issues was that
unprocessed solids accumulated as sediment at the bottom of the
tanks. This resulted in unplanned maintenance, which stopped
production and necessitated the shutdown of the motors and the
implementation of a lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) procedure to permit
the entry of maintenance personnel for the purpose of cleaning the
interior of the tank using extra labor and hand tools. The
implementation of this cutting-edge technology has led to a 33%
improvement in annual production, equating to 175,200 tons more
than before. The technology has optimized the operation of the
equipment, minimized downtime or stoppage of the equipment due
to failures, and/or lack of speed control of the motors. The
implementation has enabled the company to fulfill its commitment
of an annual export of 700,800 metric tons of copper concentrate to
China, a world record for one of the largest world-class mines in
Panama