Spurring Productivity in the Digital Age

Q: What opportunities do Emerson’s technologies open for rethinking strategy and unlocking the productivity of mine operations?
A: At Emerson, we perceive a growing interest in mining companies to adopt new technologies so as to integrate themselves into the new landscape that is emerging from the digital revolution. Emerson helps mining companies to obtain accurate and real-time process data management. The proper administration of processed information is an advantage for companies, as it allows them to make better decisions based on specific information and hard facts. Emerson is committed to harnessing for the benefit of its clients all the corporate knowledge and experience it has acquired during its almost 130 years of global consolidation and close to 60 years of presence in Mexico. We offer this experience, together with the experience of our clients, with the aim of making sure data is put directly into the hands of experts. This dovetails with one of the strongest current trends in the industry today: the implementation of digital transformation strategies in order to obtain more comprehensive, flexible and cost-effective monitoring and control. Emerson’s solutions for the mining industry integrate a broad portfolio of products and services to develop comprehensive solutions for the entire industry value chain, from mine to port. The main focus is on process monitoring and control of operations.
Q: What solutions has Emerson recently made available for mining companies?
A: Emerson recently announced the launch of its Digital Transformation business group, which brings together important resources to help manufacturers develop and implement pragmatic digital transformation strategies that offer industry-leading performance or superior quartile performance. This combines existing experience in consulting, project execution, smart sensor technologies and data management and analysis. The system will help customers not only to establish the clear vision of the digital transformation they need, but also to execute it with confidence and obtain measurable results at every step of their progress. The new Digital Transformation business group brings together existing and new Emerson resources. First, consulting on operational certainty, which includes strategies to improve KPIs of reliability, safety, production and energy use. Second, operational analysis, the most complete portfolio of predictive diagnoses and advanced analyses in the industry, which provides information on the performance of operational assets. Third, industry solutions, including deep and specific knowledge of the industry to boost KPIs. Fourth, pervasive sensing, putting into the client’s hands the largest portfolio in the industry of connected, intelligent and easy-to-install devices, including wireless instruments. Fifth, project management: best practices, tools and resources to implement a digital transformation project with confidence. Emerson’s Plantweb Digital Ecosystem leverages the power of IIoT to expand digital intelligence throughout the company and help achieve greater performance.
Q: Emerson has a mining center in Chile where Ph.D. candidates and specialists work with local industry and universities to develop mining applications. What are the newest advances?
A: The Chilean group, in fact working for the entire region, is our Mining Center of Excellence, which produces solutions for major industry problems worldwide. As part of Plantweb Digital Ecosystem, the group developed a specific tool for the mining industry called Plantweb Advisor for Mining Equipment Health. This is a platform that allows remote online monitoring of asset reliability. Predictive intelligence identifies and detects abnormal conditions that generate equipment failures, the type of failure or the abnormal functioning of the assets or of any of its components. In this way, it helps to ensure the operational continuity of critical assets and avoid production losses due to unforeseen failures. The prodigious optimization of maintenance chains that this solution offers is just one example of Emerson’s continuous commitment to invest in scientific research and develop state-of-the-art technology to boost mining operations.