Currently, Minera Los Pelambres, is in the process of identifying systems that allow for inspections and/or monitoring of the condition of critical assets in order to ensure operational continuity.

One of the main focuses of this search is to guarantee the integrity of the pipeline systems, which can transport process water, concentrate, tailings, and solutions with additives.

Likewise, the company is also seeking for technologies that make it possible to assess the condition of idlers and conveyor belts in the coarse ore transport system.

Finally, they are also looking for technologies that enable real-time monitoring of the growth and structural stability of the tailings dam.

If any of these systems fail, operational continuity may be affected.

The following are performed:

• Visual inspections
• Sensor-based monitoring
• Thermographic monitoring
• Monitoring based on acoustic measurements
• Expert criteria
• Predictive models

Technologies that enable inspection and condition monitoring of critical assets: pipelines, tailings dam, and coarse ore transport system.

Technologies with a TRL above 6. Solutions capable of preventing and/or detecting and/or measuring and/or alerting failures— ideally in real time.

Companies, startups, institutes, universities, research centers, and other legally established entities in accordance with the laws of their country of origin are eligible to apply. Natural persons (individual applicants) are excluded from this call.

We extend this invitation to foster collaboration and leverage technological and/or business capabilities among companies, entrepreneurs, and other entities. For teams or consortia, the lead institution must be clearly identified in the application.

Consulting, advisory services, and engineering studies.

• The proposed solution must have a maturity level ≥ 6.
• It must be capable of at least detecting and alerting failures in real time, although it is desirable that it also includes a predictive system able to issue alerts before an event occurs.
• For pipelines, it must be able to operate with any type of fluid and have an inspection range greater than 5 kms, considering that the main pipeline networks are at least 60 km long.
• It must be capable of operating with buried pipes, and it is desirable that it can detect failures both in the steel structure and internal coatings.
• For the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF), it must be able to measure and alert in case of irregular growth in the dam crest, as well as perform stress mapping and assess the overall structural condition of the dam.
• For the coarse ore transport system, it must be able to detect potential failures in the conveyor belt before they occur, as well as in the idler roller system (the available space is ≤1 meter wide, so if an inspection robot is required, it must be compact).
• It is required that all systems store data even without network connectivity.