The number of Vale automation equipment in Brazil has increased to 72.

The marine terminal at the port of Madeira in Maranion and Guaiba in Rio de Janeiro has been activated; Vale has currently applied automation technology to 24 trucks, 18 drilling rigs and 30 yard equipment.

As artificial intelligence, computer systems, global positioning systems and radar are used in daily work, more than 300 employees of Vale Brazil have benefited from automated operations. Since the introduction of automation technology four years ago, employees no longer have to operate equipment in the cockpit, which significantly reduces the risks faced by employees in the operating area, while increasing operational stability and productivity. This week, Vale made another important progress in automation operations-the Guaiba maritime terminal in Mangalatiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, opened an automated yard, bringing the total number of automation equipment used by Vale in four Brazilian states to 72.

In January this year, the 18th automated yard equipment was put into use at the Port Madeira Marine Terminal in St. Louis, Maranon, and the 11th automated drilling rig was delivered in the Itabila mining area in Minas Gerais in February. Automation equipment is also used in the Caracas mine in Para and the Brukutu mine in Minas Gerais.

At present, the company has applied automation technology to 24 trucks, 18 drilling rigs and 30 yard equipment. All automation equipment can make operations safer and more efficient, while mobile devices such as trucks and drilling rigs that apply automation technology also have sustainable advantages because they can reduce fuel consumption and extend the life of components.

In 2018, Vale launched the first batch of automated equipment, including self-driving trucks and automatic drilling rigs, in the Brucutu mining area. Today, automated trucks, drilling rigs and yard equipment are used in the Caracas mine, automated drilling rigs are used in the Itabila mine, and automated yard equipment is used this year at the maritime terminals at the port of Madeira and Guaiba. In addition, automated drilling rigs and buckets are used in the Canadian operating area and automated yard equipment is used in the Malaysian operating area.

People oriented; people foremost

With the advance of automation operations, about 300 employees working in mines and yards in Minas Gerais, Para, Rio de Janeiro and Maranion have stopped working in areas at operational risk. While implementing automated operations, Vale has also developed a new technology training plan for its employees to prepare them for future mining work. All relevant employees have been trained in automation operations, some have been trained in new jobs, such as truck lane designers, and some have learned to accomplish the same tasks in new ways.

Philip Coldro (FelipeCordeiro) is the head of automation operations for the Caracas mine. He was born in Para, and his father and grandfather are Vale employees. He said that the launch of self-driving trucks in September 2021 made him realize the advantages of automation technology: "some employees were worried about the new equipment at first, on the one hand, considering Caracas's unique mining conditions. On the other hand, they are worried that the use of new equipment may have an impact on their career development. However, preliminary results show that automated equipment can make operations safer, more efficient and more sustainable. Employees then understand that what is open in front of them is a window of opportunity for the future. "

In the Brukutu mine, Claudio Clement dos Santos (ClaudineiClementedosSantos), a 51-year-old automated rig operator who has worked in Vale for 22 years, believes that automation has also made the company more inclusive. In 2004, he was disabled in a traffic accident, and the introduction of automation technology improved his working conditions. "I was very happy when the company told me to operate the automatic drilling rig," he said. In the past, I had to finish drilling in the cockpit of the drilling rig, then come out to check the drilling, and then return to the cockpit to operate. Now, all I have to do is survey the responsible area, then go back to the control center, enter data into the machine, and the rig will automatically complete the task. This is much more comfortable than before. "

Safer

One of the most important benefits of automation technology is that it can reduce the risks faced by employees. Anna Carolina Pacheco (AnaCarolinaPacheco), a yard equipment operator at the Guaiba maritime terminal, currently lives in Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro. In her previous routine work, she had to climb multiple steps to work in 40-meter-high reclaimers and stackers, which carry 8000 tons of iron ore per hour. Starting this month, she can operate the three devices remotely from the control center. "there is a risk in the operation site, and automation has significantly reduced this risk.

There are also ergonomic improvements, sitting in the control room to make work more comfortable. " Anna Carolina Pacheco said.

Port Madeira in St. Louis, Maranion, realized the semi-automatic operation of the yard more than a decade ago, and operators can operate the yard equipment without sitting in the cockpit. Today, the yard has achieved fully automated operation, and the daily work of employees has been further improved. Jessica Cantanhad, a 34-year-old technician who has operated yard equipment in Vale for 15 years, believes that automated operations have made yard equipment more reliable because of technologies such as sensors. "We don't have to work in the cockpit anymore, which in itself is a step forward," she said. Now, we want to put safety first and further improve productivity. "

Since the implementation of automation operation, there has never been an accident involving personnel safety. In the case of self-driving trucks, the risks of rollover and collision are eliminated. Once the risk is detected, the self-driving truck will stop running until the obstacles on the road are cleared. The sensors of the safety system can detect larger objects, such as large rocks, other trucks and people walking around the road.

More sustainable and efficient

Automation technology also brings environmental benefits. In the Itabila mining area, the fuel consumption of automatic drilling rigs is 7.3 per cent lower than that of manual drilling rigs, which means that about 1200 litres of fuel can be reduced each year, thus reducing 2966 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which requires 22000 square meters of forest to absorb these carbon emissions.

In the Brukutu mining area, the service life of tires for self-driving trucks has been extended by 25%, thus reducing the amount of waste. In addition, the service life of the engine has also been extended by 25%, and automation has significantly reduced operating costs because the replacement cost of each engine is 2.5 million reais.

The top speed of self-driving trucks in the Brukutu mining area is 60 kilometers per hour, while the top speed of traditional trucks used in the past is only 40 kilometers per hour. Measured by the weight of iron ore transported per hour, the mine's production efficiency has increased by about 10 per cent.

After the implementation of automatic operation in Caracas mining area, there has also been a quantifiable improvement in efficiency. The deviation of stacking and mining operations (such as the formation of non-standard ore piles) in the two yards of No. 2 plant has been reduced by 90%. "the smaller the operation deviation, the higher the production efficiency. Reducing non-standard heaps can help us reduce the risk of ore slipping in the heap, thus completing train loading faster and more safely. " Joyce Freitas, director of automated yard operations in Caracas mining area, said.

Further promote automation

Vale is further promoting automation, with a cumulative investment of US $45 million in 2022. By the end of this year, three self-driving trucks, two automatic yard equipment and five automatic drilling rigs will be added in the Caracas mining area, one self-driving truck will be added in the Brukutu mining area, and three new automatic drilling rigs will be added in the Itabila mining area, bringing the total number of automation equipment used by the company in Brazil to 86. "Automation makes the production process more stable and meets safety standards and will support Vale's ambitious goal of becoming a safety benchmark for the mining industry." "in addition, the introduction of digital technology also makes employees better prepared for industry transformation," said project manager Pedro Benfica (PedroBemfica).

Innovate for safety

Innovation is the key to Vale's concerted efforts with society to improve life and change the future. Vale has a strategic focus on safety, reliability and a low-carbon agenda. In 2021, Vale incorporated safety innovation projects into its Safety Transformation Plan and set three goals for it, namely: to ensure safety processes, accelerate operational control, and to keep employees away from hazardous operations through technologies such as remote control, automation and robotics. Projects undertaken by the Security Transformation Program include the introduction of self-driving vehicles, the application of operator fatigue detection systems, and the use of augmented reality technology for detection and maintenance operations.