Nearly 200 professionals came together for three days to participate in one of the most important gatherings on mining automation in the world.
Issues such as the need to promote water and energy conservation and the shortage of qualified human capital were among the topics discussed at the 3rd International Congress on Automation in the mining industry, Automining 2012, which was held in Viña del Mar, Chile.
Throughout the three days of discussion, close to 200 professionals and experts from the mining industry and mining-related companies were able to address and share experiences within a technical programme consisting of 44 presentations by authors from 13 countries.
Among the works presented, highlights included presentations from Luis Bergh, professor at the Universidad Federico Santa María and president of the International Committee of the Mining Automation Chapter of the IFAC international organisation. Bergh analysed the current human resources constraints in relation to specialised areas such as mining automation.
As an expert in the industry who has attended the Congress since its inception in 2008, Bergh noted that Automining has served as an instance that generates a meeting space between professionals from both the mining industry and academic institutions. Having this space has helped create an organised and permanent collaboration between these institutions.
Another featured work was presented by César Guzmán and Sebastián Rey, who addressed the reduction in water and energy by 35% and 30%, respectively, achieved through various automation and remote operation projects applied in the area of thickened tailings and water recovery in the El Teniente division of Codelco.
Additionally, Marco Orellana, Corporate Manager of TICA Codelco and Congress Chair, delivered the keynote address entitled “Automation and robotics: engines for the future of mining”.
The Automining congress, organised by Gecamin and the Department of Mining Engineering and the University of British Columbia, is one of the most important gatherings of its kind in the world.
