ROBOTIC TECNOLOGY: A WAY TOWARDS AN INTELLIGENT

MINING
Luis F. Ramrez S1., Luis Baeza2 , Juan C. Barros3
MI Robotic Solutions S.A. (MIRS), Chile
Hugo C. Salamanca4, Enrique A. Cooper5
Industrial Support Company Ltda. (HighService), Chile

ABSTRACT
MI Robotic Solutions S.A. (MIRS) with its shareholders HighService Ltd, CODELCO, Nippon
Mining and Metals Co Ltd and KUKA Roboter GmbH is a new technological company which
offers a wide range of robotic system applications and related services for every sphere of
activity in the mining industry. MIRS have currently installed four robotic solutions in various
areas of the mining industry, such as Electro-Winning plants, Smelters and Roasting furnaces.
The integration of robotic technology in the mining industry is especially adequate to improve
its productive processes. Robotic solutions offer specific benefits to workers, the industry and
countries where mining is a major player in its economy. Introduced correctly, mining robotic
solutions can improve the quality of life by keeping workers away from dirty, tedious,
dangerous and heavy labor. It is true that robotic solutions can cause unemployment by
replacing human workers but robotic solutions also create new jobs: robotic technicians,
salesmen, mechatronic engineers, special tools developers, programmers and supervisors.
Considering the new requirements of the mining operators, such as its responsibility in the
direct generation of professional illnesses, the necessity of operation cost reductions, MIRS has
considered to develop different kinds of new robotic solutions, to solve those problems in areas
such as mine, concentrators, copper smelter, Solvent Extraction-Electro Winning (SX-EW)
plants and refineries. These new robotic solutions have been specially designed to play a key
role in ensuring that all critical processes involved in mining production work effectively,
avoiding many deficiencies caused by risk or environmental adverse process' tasks while
ensuring high flexibility, continuity and safety of the productive process where they can be
applied.