MiningCase Study 07

Processing Plant Structural & Vibration Monitoring

Unplanned equipment failures in high-value mineral processing plants are eliminated through continuous AI-driven vibration, strain, and thermal monitoring.

Summary

A large copper mine processing plant faced repeated high-cost shutdowns caused by unexpected failures in crushers, conveyor systems, and ball mill foundations. Traditional maintenance methods based on periodic inspection were unable to detect early-stage fatigue, bearing wear, and structural stress accumulation. OctaSense deployed a full-spectrum sensor network combining vibration sensors, strain gauges, thermal cameras, displacement probes, and acoustic emission monitoring. An AI-based predictive maintenance system continuously analyzed equipment health, detecting anomalies in real time and estimating remaining useful life of critical components. This enabled maintenance teams to shift from reactive repairs to scheduled interventions during planned shutdowns, significantly improving operational reliability and reducing downtime.

Background & Context

Mining processing plants — comprising crushers, ball mills, conveyors, screens, and associated structural steelwork — represent some of the highest-value assets on any mine site. Unexpected equipment failure or structural damage in these facilities can halt all production from the mine, creating losses that dwarf the cost of the equipment itself. Despite this, most processing plant maintenance is conducted on either a fixed-interval or run-to-failure basis, with vibration analysis limited to monthly or quarterly manual readings using handheld instruments. This case study involves the processing plant at a large copper mine, where three unplanned shutdowns in 18 months — caused by conveyor gearbox failure, crusher frame fatigue cracking, and ball mill foundation settlement — had generated combined losses of over $18M. The engineering team recognized that earlier detection of developing faults would have allowed planned maintenance during scheduled shutdowns, avoiding the catastrophic failures entirely.

Sensor Deployment

Vibration Accelerometers
64 triaxial MEMS accelerometers installed on all major rotating equipment — crushers, ball mills, conveyor drives, pumps and screens — measuring vibration spectra continuously.
Key Outcomes & Results
A large copper mine processing plant faced repeated high-cost shutdowns caused by unexpected failures in crushers, conveyor systems, and ball mill foundations. Traditional maintenance methods based on periodic inspection were unable to detect early-stage fatigue, bearing wear, and structural stress accumulation. OctaSense deployed a full-spectrum sensor network combining vibration sensors, strain gauges, thermal cameras, displacement probes, and acoustic emission monitoring. An AI-based predictive maintenance system continuously analyzed equipment health, detecting anomalies in real time and estimating remaining useful life of critical components. This enabled maintenance teams to shift from reactive repairs to scheduled interventions during planned shutdowns, significantly improving operational reliability and reducing downtime.
~45% fewer manual inspections
Inspection workload reduced
Deployment Snapshot
Location
Antofagasta, Chile
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