MES Delay Accounting Solution to optimise asset efficiency

Value proposition

Main drivers

To increase asset utilisation across mining, mineral and metal production

Value proposition

• Delivers an ROI of up to 20% increase in capacity gain from existing assets
• Up to 50% reduction in plant stoppages and a decrease in cost per tonne of production

Differentiation factors

• Designed for the requirements of the mining, minerals processing and metals industry
• Low cost implementation and configurable solution
• Captures both stoppages and slow running events (virtual downtime)
• Accounts for delays in terms of lost time, lost production tonnes and lost revenue (Dollars)
• Connects to all major brand historians and control systems
• Synchronises to the equipment list with a master data provider, including Schneider Electric's Unity Application Generator (UAG) and SAP PM
• Standard "out of the box" analysis tool used to determine root causes of delays and standard reports

Solution architecture

Main characteristics

The Mining, Minerals Processing and Metals industry is typically described as asset intensive. The costs of fixed assets are high and therefore organisations are faced with the ongoing challenge of increasing performance of existing assets. Specifically, they focus on reducing operating costs at the same time as increasing production (ie doing more with less). 

The performances of processing assets are inhibited by unplanned variation. Examples of typical unplanned variations include breakdowns at the crusher, slow running conveyors, slow valve operation (sticky valves), blocked chutes etc

It is these variations that have a negative effect on the processing assets performance and therefore operational targets. The variations cause delays in production, obstructing sites from achieving full name plate capacity of the plant.

Low productivity can result in:

• Fixed costs being amortised over less production output
• Late delivery fees
• Opportunity cost of not making higher profit margin products

Besides productivity loss, delays and stoppages have additional negative impacts on assets:

• Extra wear on equipment
• Overtime to catch up lost production
• Energy losses due to some machines running unloaded while production is stopped
• Product quality issues such as start-up scrap or additional slimes