Component repair has become established as an essential practice in the mining industry, generating significant savings in time and resources. According to a report prepared by Aisoncore, a company specializing in monitoring the mining asset repair process, the carbon footprint generated by the purchase and repair of these assets in the sector has been determined.
The study, based on the measurement of machinery repaired during the period from mid-2022 to 2023 in mining companies in Chile, revealed that repairable assets, mainly heavy machinery used in mining, have an average repair time of 108.7 days. In addition, the time dedicated monthly to internal management to send components for repair was highlighted, amounting to 10.16 days on average, which underlines the importance and dedication that mining companies devote to this process.
"The average repair time, considering that there are major assets and minor assets, is approximately 110 days, but the entire repair process can take up to five months. Then, 60% of the time can be used in administrative tasks, so to speak, which are different from the repair time and there we believe that we can contribute by providing valuable information so that those times, in some way, are as short as possible," reports Daniel Viñas, commercial manager of Aisoncore.
From an economic perspective, the repair of components represented a significant savings, with a monthly average of more than USD$2 million, compared to the purchase of new components. This figure evidences the effectiveness of the repair, thus contributing to greater profitability in the mining sector. It also promotes the development of local suppliers in the regions where the mining companies operate, strengthening the associated productive chain.
"In this study we realized that if repair is preferred to purchase, there are monthly savings of approximately 2.5 million dollars and if we extrapolate this to a year we can reach between 25 and 32 million dollars in purchase savings. So there is a positive impact, the components have long life cycles and therefore it is convenient for us to carry out a repair before going to buy that component and be able to make all these savings", explains Viñas.
The report also revealed that the repair of a component emits a considerably smaller carbon footprint compared to the purchase of new equipment. Using variables such as weight, distance and greenhouse gas emissions per transport, it was determined that importing new mining components emits 862 kg CO2 equivalent per ton transported, per kilometer traveled. In contrast, the repair of a component reduces this carbon footprint to 375 kg CO2, which is equivalent to 56% less emissions.
"We identified that, for example, if we make a purchase of a major component weighing approximately 2.5 tons, and it has to be transported all those kilometers from eventually Europe, America or Asia, on average that generates 860 kilograms of CO2 equivalent to the environment. In other words, I am emitting about 860 kilograms into the environment as a result of bringing that component to me. And if I compare that with making a local repair and it goes by land transport to one of the workshops and returns, I only emit 370" emphasizes the Commercial Manager of Aisoncore.
In conclusion, component repair is emerging as a fundamental option in the strategy of mining companies to save time, economic resources and reduce environmental impact. The results of this report underline the significant benefits that this practice brings to the mining sector in Chile and anticipate its continued implementation in the future.
By Bastian Andres Varas Michea
The adoption of technologies in the mining sector has evolved and taken on different perspectives in recent years. Today, it is a topic that aims not only to improve operational efficiency but also to address environmental and social concerns, making mining more responsible and sustainable.
In this article, we'll discuss how technology can play a crucial role in adapting and improving the repair process in the mining sector, covering its various aspects and implementing it.
This year, as part of our commitment to optimizing component repair processes, we set out to improve the usability of our solution, Aisoncore. And after hard work involving our entire team and greatly enriched by valuable feedback from our customers, version 2.0 was born.
What did we discover on this path of digitalization, efficiency, and usability? In this article, we share the main changes we implemented and the improvements we've achieved, which we will officially present at our next launch event .
At Aisoncore , our journey began with a bold vision: to change the game in traceability of repairable components in mining . And while the goal was clear, the path to it was often fraught with challenges and surprises we could never have anticipated. That's why, in this brief note, I wanted to share some of the paths we've traveled to reach this new launch.
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