MechChem Africa talks to Sven Demmig and Tim Walwyn of Innomotics about end-to-end green solutions and digital transformation for the mining, cement, chemical and other sectors.
Innomotics digitalisation solutions enable the optimisation of mining operations from pit-to-port.
Innomotics, according to Sven Demmig, Global Head of Minerals Solutions, is an independent new company that is wholly owned by the Siemens Group. “With a trusted Siemens legacy of more than 150 years of engineering expertise, Innomotics has a portfolio of leading solutions in automation, digitalisation and electrification to deliver the digital transformation, first and foremost in mining, but also for the cement, chemical and other industries.”
In reference to Innomotics’ long heritage of innovation in mining, Demmig cites the company’s gearless mill drive (GMD) technology as a key contributor to reliability and efficiency on the mine. Some of these GMDs are amongst the world’s biggest mills. At the Sentinel copper mine in Zambia, for example, two 28 MW GMD drives have been installed to run two 40-ft SAG mills plus two 22 MW drives to run two 28-foot ball mills “These are reliable, high-efficiency mills that reduce total costs of ownership and deliver sustained high performance in meeting the production requirements of mining operations,” he notes.
“We have a product-oriented focus on large and medium voltage (MV) drives and motors – and we are the world market leader in MV-drives. Everywhere in the world, these are critical components for reliable motion for industrial processes and infrastructure,” says Tim Walwyn, Chief Executive Officer of Innomotics in South Africa, adding that Innomotics has access to over 16 Siemens factories around the world that produce these motors and drives.
The digital mining approach
At the 2024 Mining Indaba, Innomotics wants to emphasise its position as a world-class solution provider for electrification, automation and digitalisation in the mining and associated industries.
“Our market-leading products are complemented by the expertise of Innomotics’ Solutions division in integrating these products to create complete solutions, most notably for the mining and cement industries,” says Demmig, adding that this is backed up by a globally active Service division. “Because all the equipment involved are assets in critical applications, their reliability is key for the long-term success and sustainability of any operation.
“The first digital mine has been developed for a copper mine in Peru using our technology, starting from the design phase, through the mine construction phase and up to operation. Closing the loop, the solution comes with a digital-twin of the entire mine, all based on our state-of the art digitalisation capabilities for the mining environment,” says Demmig. This global customer now plans to use the same technology for its next Greenfield mine.
“We see the Digital Mine by Innomotics as a triangle of technologies,” Walwyn further explains. “We start with an engineering platform, which is basically a digital model of the mine represented in a single common database. Then we develop the automation systems needed to control and manage mining and minerals processing sequences. And the third component is a simulation engine, which enables role players to interact with mining processes in a realistic way.”
“We can use the mine simulation design, for example, to build operator training simulators so the people that will be working in the mine can get a very good idea of what they will need to do in the real mine through engagement in a safe virtual environment.”
“This Digital Twin enables any of the key process parameters in the real world to be modelled. Different scenarios can be explored within a whole process simulation to see if there are any more efficient options than those being achieved.”
“And while we have been talking mostly about Greenfield mines, most of the demand for mine optimisation is for mines that are already in production, so Innomotics enables the digitalisation of existing mines. We can already present examples where our suite of digital solutions is being used to optimise daily operations of fully operational mines,” adds Demmig.
Walwyn points to a solution recently developed for a major iron ore producer in South America, collecting data to create a pit to port digital model of a complete mining value chain. “This to enable companies to follow the value stream from the mine, though to stockpiling, blending, loading, and right across the rail network until it is loaded onto ships and/or into processing plants. It delivers end-to-end visibility of every stage of the mineral extraction, beneficiation and transportation and logistics cycle,” he says.
Through improved coordination across the value chain, the company has achieved savings of around US$70 million over a period of three years.
By improving the efficiency of minerals processing, Innomotics’ leading solutions can also reduce energy consumption and improve the industry’s sustainability. “Innomotics solutions enable mines to achieve highest-possible efficiencies from processes such as crushing and grinding. Our key digitalisation focus, though, is on plant reliability, availability, and optimised productivity,” explains Walwyn.
Innomotics will be showcasing its digitalisation competence with a live demonstration of how to optimise operations with the company’s pit-to-port solutions at the Mining Indaba from 05-08 February 2024. “In Cape Town we aim to build awareness of our new role and to highlight our mining capabilities,” he tells MechChem Africa.
“In Africa, we see Innomotics as a key brand for transforming the mining industry. Innomotics looks forward to building and developing stronger partnerships with its customers on the continent, delivering efficient minerals extraction and processing solutions," ends Tim Walwyn.