Smar t Wire less w a s ea sy t o imple m e n t and gav e u s the nec ess ar y t o ols t o op timi z e the proc ess and impro v e the plants throu ghput P a yba ck o f the s o lution w a s a c hiev ed within six months Juan Carlo s Alv arez Me t allur gical Enginee r Barrick Zaldivar F or more in f or m a t ion www Eme r sonProc e s sc omSm ar t Wire le s s SMART WIRELES S AP P L IC A T IONS Smar t Wireless Impro v es Lixiviation P e r f ormanc e Monit o ring at Barrick Zaldiv ar B E N E F I T S S m ar t Wire le s s solution he lped reduc e the risk o f c o stly p a d c oll a p se C oppe r produc tion wa s imp ro v ed b y 7 U se o f sulphuric ac id wa s reduc ed 14 re s ulting in 140K sa ving s P a y back o f the solution w a s rec e iv ed within six mon ths CHALLENG E Barrick the bigge st gold produc e r in the w orld with l ar ge l and po sitions on some o f the mo st prolific mine ral distric ts is the o wne r o f the Zaldivar Pl an t in Chile an ope n pit he ap le ac h c oppe r mine th a t produc e s 150K t one syr o f pure ca thode c oppe r The proc e s s utili z ed a t the mine t o e x trac t c o ppe r c ompounds from ore is lixivi a t ion or le ac h p a ds Sulphuric ac id is a critical and e xpe nsiv e c ompone n t in the proc e s s Barrick w an t ed a c o st e ff ec tiv e w a y t o impro v e throughput with be tt e r c on t rol o f the sulphuric ac ids distribution b y monit oring pre s sure and pH along the le ac h p ad The abilit y t o monit or an y c ondition c h ange s w o uld he lp op timi z e the u s e o f the sulphur ic ac id and pro vide indica t ion th a t the p a d is about t o c oll ap se thu s reduc ing m ain t e n anc e c o sts SOL U TI ON Barrick c ho s e Eme r sons Sm ar t Wire le s s solution c onsisting o f 50 wire le s s diff e r e n ti al pre s sure de vic e s t o mee t this c h alle nge The se lf or g ani zing IE C 62591 Wire l e s sHAR T ne t w ork c o v e r s a long dist anc e o f 2km 15mile s and 650 me t e r s o v e r 2100 f e e t wide and se nds pre s sure and pH v a ri able s t o the m ain c o n trol syst e m RESUL TS This d a t a allo ws Barrick t o op timi z e m ain t e n anc e re sourc e s and also he lp s t o minimi z e the e xpo sure time o f ope r a t or s in the fie l d f or impro v ed sa f e t y Pre s sure and pH vari able s are a v ail a ble online f or ope r a t ion and c on t rol whic h e n able s Barrick t o op timi z e m ain t e n anc e re sourc e s and minimi z e the e xpo sure time o f ope r a t or s in the fie l d Be ne fits a ttribut ed t o the Sm ar t Wire le s s solution inc lude risk o f c o stly p a d c oll ap se wa s reduc ed b y 25 c oppe r produc tion impro v e me n t o f 7 r educ ed e n vironme n t al imp a c t and reduc ed u s e o f sulphuric ac id b y 14 re sulting in U S D 140K sa ving s P a yback o f the solution w a s rec e iv ed within six mon ths A s an addition al be ne fit wire le s s de vic e s mitig a t e the risk o f lo sing sign als due t o cable de t e riora t ion and de vic e s can be e a sily mo v ed without high c o sts