ABB has released a new system designed to give miners
greater control over automated processes at their site.
The System 800xA MIDAS Library allows operators a way to
quickly troubleshoot their electrical systems through a greater substation
control and monitoring environment from the control room, allowing plant teams
to remotely solve electric fault issues.
“The main capability is to
give plant technicians better information about the state of their electrical
systems and to allow them to remotely control and correct those systems,” ABB
said.
“An operator who is using the
MIDAS Library will be able to monitor the whole mine’s electrical
infrastructure from a single workstation using a single software package. The
analytics are presented in real time using a graphic interface that is both
comprehensive and intuitive.
“The capability to rapidly
discover the root cause of the problem, and thus fix it more quickly when it
happens, reduces disruption to the working of the mine and lowers the
operational costs of running it.
“Furthermore, the fact that
process and power automation can be done by one common system reduces the cost
of training and spare parts.”
It has enhanced substation control and monitoring environments by offering graphical status; interlocks; and measurement and phasor diagrams.
MIDAS itself stands for ‘Mining Integrated Distribution
Automation System”, with the library working within ABB’s System 800xA platform
for monitoring and controlling automated processes.
The library is based on the IEC’s 61850 standard, which
creates common language for automated substations and power distribution
systems, which means MIDAS can be applied to the mines globally.
ABB added that the new system will have the same look and feel for both Process and Power Automation with System 800xA’s Minerals Library.