How does Yokogawa serve the Chilean mining industry?

Yokogawa operates in three primary areas: field instrumentation, automatization systems, and professional services. Social well-being has been our focus since our origin in 1915, when we first started using technology to improve the quality of life throughout society, focused on improving the industrial sector as the best route to a better society. Our instruments improve information collection and prediction capacity plants, which we use to enhance automatic control processes. We provide all the necessary services to support this process. In addition, Yokogawa offers consulting services and calibration services to enable our clients to use this data to make operational and business decisions.

What is the future of technological advancement in the mining industry?

Historically, there has been significant investment in enlarging machinery and processes to improve efficiency: bigger mills, bigger conveyor belts, and so on. We have reached the limit of growing the size of equipment and mills because, at a certain point, the mechanical components will generate more failure points than benefits. Today, we have reached the limits of growth via size and now focus on reducing the failure points of these assets and optimizing processes. Downtime can cause a major mine such as Codelco hundreds of thousands of dollars an hour. We contribute by using advanced technology and data to reduce failures and downtime, providing confidence in continuous operations. The shift we see in technological development is from increasing size and scale of operations to increasing efficiency and improving processes. 

Can you provide an example of a proprietary innovation?

One such technology is an advanced sensor utilizing fiber optics for conveyor belts. Yokogawa’s value-add in this technology is our proprietary algorithm, created at Yokogawa Chile, which we have since shared with Yokogawa worldwide and offer to all clients. This algorithm handles millions of data points provided by thousands of rollers on the conveyor belt, each generating heat contact points. Our sensor allows the client to accurately identify a trouble point, preventing serious accidents.

Are there any threats the mining industry is insufficiently prepared for?

We also do operational security for communications. Cyber-attacks are a part of business worldwide, across industries, although not extensively in Chile yet. However, the trend is increasing, with hackers taking control of plants such as electricity distribution. A mining production plant is exceptionally vulnerable to this sort of looting, especially in OT communications. We provide communications security, ensuring that hackers cannot take over control of the mine. There needs to be greater recognition of the vulnerabilities of mines to this costly and disruptive type of attack.

What can the Chilean mining sector do to support technological development?

The industry must continue developing technology and control systems because this is the only way to optimize assets. The industry is looking to new areas for optimization, including automatic control systems.

There is a generational shift in engineers in the industry, with many millennials in their 30s now handling vital parts of the plants. This generation is more willing and open to experimentation because they have grown up with advanced communications and high-level technological solutions. Twenty years ago, it was tough to innovate in industries such as mining and gas. There was a sense that because operations had always been done a certain way, they always would be, compared to other industries in which innovation is a constant focus. New engineers come with unique perspectives and an openness to change.

Can you discuss Yokogawa’s strategy for the coming year?

Yokogawa has been carrying out acquisitions and partnerships with other companies on a global level with a strategic focus on reaching zero emissions as a company. On another side, we are diversifying our presence in different segments, investing in specific areas where we see the potential for growth, such as pharmaceuticals and water treatment solutions. We always keep our eyes on the future. Yokogawa has a strong hardware portfolio and, as a company, continuously investigates and develops expertise in new industries. Our vision is to develop technologies to improve the quality of life, ranging from enhancing water and energy management to helping prepare for future pandemics and taking charge of the constant changes of paradigms in the whole world.