A digital trailblazer

FLSmidth has become a critical partner for the Australian mining industry as the sector embarks on a digital transformation.

FLSmidth (FLS) has been a digital forebearer ever since the earliest computers were invented, with its cement origins necessitating the adoption of pioneering technologies.

In 1969, the same year Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, FLS developed a digital solution to automate quality assurance in cement production.

The small computer could store up to 16 kilobytes (kB). For context, the computer that transported astronauts to the moon in 1969 had a maximum capacity of 72kB, while a modern-day smartphone has a memory of at least 64 gigabytes.

More than 50 years on, FLS continues to harness its digital ingenuity to boost productivity and efficiency in the mining industry.

While digitalisation isn’t new to the Australian resource sector, it is an ever-evolving landscape.

“Digital is not new, but it is new when it comes to the relationship between the supplier and the user,” FLS Asia–Pacific regional product line manager – digital Julio Rodriguez told Australian Mining. “In this case, the mining companies and FLS as the technology provider.

“The way in which the user and the supplier interact is new, and therefore we are often asking, ‘How do we structure ourselves internally to best interact with and meet customer needs?’”

For digital offerings to enjoy the greatest uptake, providers need to understand the digital maturity of their clients, while ensuring their digital products are complimentary to a given customer.

As it continues to build out its digital portfolio to match technological advancements in the mining sector, FLS continues to evolve how it supports its customers.

“We see digital as a service, not a product,” Rodriguez said. “And we are focused on forming partnerships with our customers to ensure we are working with them throughout their digital journey.

“It’s not a transactional relationship, rather it’s a continuous feedback loop between the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and the customer, where we are continuously working together to find improvements to a solution.

“This lends to our MissionZero mine, which is focused on efficiency, water management, and licence to operate from a customer perspective. We use digital to achieve this.”

Through the MissionZero mine, FLS has set itself a target of achieving zero-emissions mining through its solutions by 2030. The OEM wants to help miners produce more with fewer resources to create a smaller footprint and reduce operational expenditure.

“One solution that fits into the MissionZero flowsheet is PerformanceIQ, a consultancy and service support program for the adoption of digital technologies,” Rodriguez said.

“We analyse customer data and provide insight into how an operation is performing and whether there are potential pain points that could cause downtime. It is also about ensuring a mine site is operating as efficiently and productively as it can be.

“We jointly adopted PerformanceIQ with Tier 1 miners in North America and South America to great success.”

PerformanceIQ leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to achieve continuous performance optimisation. It aims to plug the gap between current performance levels and the ambitious operational targets miners set themselves to meet increasing boardroom expectations.

The PerformanceIQ solution starts with a bottleneck analysis. FLS looks at the various inputs to a mining process, from materials to process control technologies and people, and completes comprehensive audit and technical analysis of operational and maintenance processes.

The OEM then workshops solutions with its customers and identifies opportunities where meaningful improvements can be made. This could see the adoption of FLS’ LoadIQ smart sensor solution, which ensures operators are making the most efficient use of their grinding mill, or the implementation of remote condition-monitoring services.

Alternatively, PerformanceIQ could determine that an equipment upgrade is needed to avoid breakdowns and downtime in the future.

Opportunities are prioritised based on financial impact and delivery time, and then the lessons are implemented backed by guidance and training from FLS’ PerformanceIQ experts.

The service doesn’t stop there, with FLS continuing to work with its customers to monitor results and make adjustments where necessary.

With a strong international PerformanceIQ customer base, FLS is eager to expand the solution’s presence in Australia.

“In Asia–Pacific, particularly in Indonesia and Australia, we’re starting to see more and more customers enquiring about PerformanceIQ,” Rodriguez said.

“Tier 1 miners have historically completed their technical analysis in-house, but even they are starting to the see the advantages of partnering with third parties.

“A unique perspective can help operators avoid sophisticated maintenance challenges, particularly when advice is coming from the OEM of their equipment.”

The best operational results are achieved when a miner and OEM lean on each other to get to the root of a problem and develop the best action plan.

“You need the pure OEM perspective because they know every bolt in the system, but you also need the customer because they know exactly how and why they are using a piece of equipment,” Rodriguez said.

“When you’ve got that marriage of the customer bringing their operational knowhow and then the OEM brings their knowhow of the machine, that’s when you see the success stories.”

This feature appeared in the July 2024 issue of Australian Mining.