PROCESSING

Vale to deploy robots at 3 copper operations

SpeleoRobots will conduct inspections of mills, pipelines and other confined environments.

A speleorobot, developed by ITV, getting ready for an inspection (ITV)

A speleorobot, developed by ITV, getting ready for an inspection (ITV)

The company will send so-called "SpeleoRobots" to copper operations in Pará and iron ore operations in Vitória (Espírito Santo) and Itabira (Minas Gerais), where they will be used in inspections of mills, pipelines and other confined environments.

The Vale Institute of Technology (ITV) has been working with the Federal University of Minas Gerais on the SpeleoRobot project since 2015.

The SpeleoRobot, initially designed to help speleologists working for Vale by mapping caves close to operations, features an interchangeable locomotion system allows the robot to move using wheels, tires, treads or legs.

It has already been used for inspections of pipes, galleries and drains, in addition to services in plant equipment, such as mapping of ball mills and inspection of crusher teeth.

The robot's sensing system can also be used for high-resolution inspections, and the generation of 3D maps.

ITV, in partnership with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, is also developing a Robot for Inspection Services (ROSI) that focuses on conveyor belts. ROSI uses a robotic arm that can reposition sensors and collect samples in places with difficult access.

"These robots were created within Vale by the employees themselves and are a constantly evolving technology," explains researcher Gustavo Pessin, from ITV. "Development is open-source, completely open from hardware to software, and its structure is modular. Everything that is developed can be used in other robots and equipment and adapted to new situations or functionalities using resources within Vale".

Robodogs

ITV has also acquired a "robodog" style machine from Swiss company Anybotics called the Anymal.

. This year, a proof of concept was completed at the Cauê plant, in Itabira (Minas Gerais). The success of the tests convinced Vale that it should purchase a unit of the robot.   

During the proof of concept, the robot maneuvered around the platform and overcame obstacles such as going up and down stairs. It created and displayed a digitized map of the area under inspection, executed route planning and defined the way forward, focused on specific objects and instruments, transmitted images, recorded thermal images with temperature measurements, among other functions.

/

 

"With the robot, we eliminate risks pertaining to inspection activities, such as rotating equipment parts, noise and dust," explains Rayner Teixeira, operational analyst responsible for developing Anymal at Vale. "We also eliminate activities that have ergonomic risk, where the employee would need to perform a task in an uncomfortable position. The robot also gives us access to confined spaces, like the inside of a mill."

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Exploration Report 2024 (feat. Opaxe data)

A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies, highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Future Fleets Report 2024

The report paints a picture of the equipment landscape and includes detailed profiles of mines that are employing these fleets

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Digitalisation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations that use digitalisation technology to drive improvements across all areas of mining production