Transforming the Mining Value Chain

With many advantages, it’s easy to understand why digitalisation, automation and connectivity – the main pillars of Mining 4.0 – are the key to the future of mining.  

But it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the number of solutions available on the market. Luckily, Mipac is here to help cut through the noise.

With almost three decades of experience in mining and mineral processing operations, Mipac is known for its unwavering dedication to solving complex challenges across an entire operation.

“We cover the whole lifecycle of a mining operation from the feasibility stage to basic design, right through to the project stage, including detailed design, configuration, commissioning and site startup,” Mipac sales and marketing manager Steven Cohen told Australian Mining.

“Once processing plants are operational, we also provide support and optimisation for those facilities.”

From industrial automation and software solutions to advanced process control and process optimisation, Mipac’s portfolio of solutions and services help mining operations increase productivity, reduce costs and energy usage, all while addressing ongoing global industry challenges.

“A process that fluctuates around an ideal state won’t recover ore as consistently or efficiently,” Cohen said. “What we’re trying to do is achieve stability by automating or optimising the process using technology.

“Once stability is achieved, we help increase recovery by seeing how much ore can run through the plant and how many minerals can be recovered, in a bid to address the current issue of declining ore grades.”

Mipac’s solutions also help reduce unplanned plant downtime, which can cost operations millions of dollars of lost productivity per day.

“We help improve equipment reliability through modernisation and predictive analytics, by providing condition monitoring solutions and utilising machine learning so our clients can get ahead of any issues,” Cohen said.

Efficient decision-making is critical to each mining process. However, a poor decision can lead to misdirected work and a ripple effect on other business areas.

This is why the need for accessible, timely and trustworthy data is important. But data on its own is meaningless.

“Mining operators need actionable information,” Cohen said. “We collect and analyse data to provide meaningful insights to our clients about what their process is doing, where it’s working and where improvement opportunities are.”

With operational experience in more 55 countries, Mipac has established a strong global footprint.

But the company isn’t settling with its current profile, with further growth opportunities in North America, where it has had a presence for over 10 years.

“We see the next stage of the Mipac journey as growing our capability to support North American clients,” Cohen said.

“We’ve set up a Mipac entity in the United States to join our Canadian business, and we’re setting up our North American headquarters in Tucson, Arizona. We want to have more resources on the ground so we can better support our US clients.”

The company will use the upcoming MINExpo conference in Las Vegas as an opportunity to build its North American customer base by showing how it can address ongoing challenges facing US miners such as the skills shortage and meeting sustainability goals.

“One reason for the labour shortage is an ageing workforce,” Cohen said.

“There are so many competing industries for young people now, and mining appears to be a less attractive option, so it’s harder to encourage newer generations to get involved in mining. Our solutions support our clients in that environment.

“We also aid our clients in meeting sustainability mandates. By operating a plant in a stable and efficient manner, inputs such as energy and water usage required in the process are reduced. Our solutions can support that.”

Like any mining jurisdiction, there are US mine sites that have ageing infrastructure, technology and equipment. Mipac is eager to help these clients modernise their operations.

“A lot of US facilities have been in production for decades, but they don’t have unlimited capital and they’ve got declining ore grades,” Cohen said.

“We want to support them in modernising their plant by increasing their efficiency and reducing their inputs all within their capital constraints. All these projects also need a return on investment, so we want to help our clients make that business case.”

Backed by expertise in operational technology and control systems, Mipac is committed to helping its clients find the right solution for their needs wherever it is in the mining value chain.