Bosch Cameras Help Make Copper Mining in Chile More Secure
It is a windy business up there, 3,000 meters above sea level, in the Atacama Desert in the Andes in Chile. Digging for copper in the Radomiro Tomic mine of the state-owned mining company Coldeco is rough, rugged, and dangerous. Nearly every week, strong gusts of wind force 24/7 operations to a halt for an hour or two. Every day, clouds of dust or rock avalanches endanger the drivers of the giant trucks and excavators hauling thousands of tons of rocks out of the 3,500 meters long, 1,500 meters wide and 470 meters deep open pit mine. It is all worth it, for a daily copper yield of 800 tons.
How does Coldeco maintain the highest security in this harsh environment, and still keep its capital-intense operation running at maximum productivity, to compete in the global commodities market? A team of 300 geotechnical experts monitors the operations day and night in a nearby center, and makes decisions to safeguard personnel, machinery, and roads, while interrupting the mining as little as possible. Eleven Bosch cameras give the geotechnical team the observational insights they need to assure the smooth and safe operations of the mine. In every type of weather and lighting condition, even pitch-black night, the cameras installed on cabins around the open pit transmit data and video images to the monitoring center.