Case Study
How LoaderMetrics™ helped a Chilean copper mine prevent a $1.25M production loss
Like many hard rock mines, this Chilean copper producer experienced significant production loss from tooth breakage each year. Between 2012 and 2015, the mine attributed 153 hours of crusher downtime to obstruction – an average of 51 hours per year. To mitigate the impact from missing loader teeth, the site installed LoaderMetrics™ on two loaders. Since installation, the mine has experienced zero crusher downtime due to missing loader teeth and avoided an estimated production loss of approximately $1.25M because of the missing tooth detection system.
The mine’s crushers process an average of five kilotons per hour. If there is additional stock to provide operational support, an obstructed crusher may not immediately impact operational continuity. But if plant operations must be halted, the cost to the mine is approximately USD $25K per hour. Thus, the roughly 50 hours of yearly lost production due to crusher obstruction cost the mine $1.25M. Over the course of a year, the system detected 12 missing loader teeth and the mine experienced zero crusher downtime – preventing the $1.25M production loss that the mine otherwise experiences in an average year.
