Four solutions submitted by KGHM Polska Miedź have been awarded in the Champion of Technology of the Copper Belt contest organised by the Council of the Polish Federation of Engineering Associations of the "Copper Belt".
The Champion of Technology title for 2016 was given to:
KGHM Polska Miedź for the "Monitoring the contents of chlorides and sulphates contained in mine water coming from draining KGHM Polska Miedź's mines and Polkowice-Sieroszowice Mine for "ŁS-2 WIG Multipurpose Machine – together with a service system for cleaning under conveyor belts".
The title of Vice-Champion of Technology was awarded to "Numerical hydrogeological 3D model in the impact zone of the Żelazny Most waste treatment tailings pond" prepared by the Tailings Plant. An honourable mention was awarded to the Ore Enrichment Plant for the solution "Improving work safety in the OEP milling plant by implementing a device for automatic loading and unloading of rods – UPM".
The winning projects are implemented in KGHM, but they can also be used in other industries.
The monitoring system for pollutants taken together with waters introduced into technological process is used in the waste treatment tailings pond (Żelazny Most). Fitting measurement devices: in the sampling stations and flow meters decreased the fee for discharging supernatant water to the Oder River by more than PLN 11 million per year. The system allows to make quantitative and qualitative tests of waters pumped from the rock mass with great accuracy. This data is continuously used by the mining divisions and ore enrichment plants.
The awarded multi-purpose machine makes cleaning conveyor belts easier (the Polkowice-Sieroszowice Mine has more than 70 kilometres of those). Small size is one of its advantages, enabling work in hard-to-reach places. The machine has an omni-directional extension for raking out dredged material, which is also useful for mounting and dismounting conveyor belts. Using it allows to increase efficiency, increases employee safety and reduces the number of people working in harsh micro-climate conditions.
The title Vice-Champion of Technology went to a hydrogeological model, which made it possible to perform a series of predictions needed to expand the Żelazny Most facility above the elevation of 180 metres above sea level. The hydrogeological model of the Żelazny Most facility is a tool used for monitoring its impact on ground and surface waters, as well as for performing predictions with regard to modelling technical safeguards for reducing impact.
The commended UPM device changed the way mill rods are operated in the OEP. Thanks to its utilisation, heavy and dangerous human work inside the mill was significantly limited, and operating processes were made shorter.
Two Companies of the Group have also been awarded: Inova Centrum Innowacji Technicznych was named Vice-Champion of Technology for the "ZUCB Central Interlocking Leakage Safety Device", while KGHM Zanam was commended for the "SWT ZANAM-10 ROBUST Self-propelled Transport Car".
Awards were given during the Copper Belt's Science and Technology Days in Legnica. The best solutions will be submitted to the National Competition for Champion of Technology of the Polish Federation of Engineering Associations.