“What we can now do is develop small, manageable increments of technology and integrate them into ArchestrA. This will make the whole greater than the sum of its parts and far less risky than developing huge applications.” Barry Searle, Software Development Manager at Systems Anywhere
Expert Operator packages are imported at the click of a button. The database comes pre-configured with proven defaults and complex functionality can now be implemented in minutes. Provision is also made for multiple profiles so that users can set up profiles for common scenarios. This means that a simple configuration change allows users to change the mill from an aggressive profile to a more conservative one. System Anywhere’s Expert Suite of solutions can run through ArchestrA or
What’s next for Geita?
stand-alone and has a SQL Server database. “It allows us to incorporate innovative
• Equipment utilisation – Systems
“This is a very complex system,” says Barry
solutions into ArchestrA without having to
Anywhere has developed an ArchestrA
Searle, software development manager
maintain a separate codebase,” says Searle.
plug-in that writes aggregated equipment
at Systems Anywhere. “However, with the
“By wrapping the object in an ArchestrA
utilisation data to the system’s database.
help of ArchestrA, the Expert Operator was
layer, the plug-in is scalable, versatile, fast
All that’s required to use this is to drag it
able to be implemented faster than with
to implement and brings our knowhow to
under the equipment to be monitored in
traditional means which means a lower-cost
customers in a convenient format.”
ArchestrA and it starts logging.
solution for the client. Also, the operator is now free to multi-task rather than focus
Benefits
only on monitoring the mill performance. The operator is also free to fine-tune that
runtime and service interval tracking with • Throughput up by 30% (e.g. 300 ounces
performance without recourse to us or
at nearly $2000/ounce = $600 000 DAILY
anyone else. What’s more, the operator
or more than $13 million of additional
no longer has to tweak the mill every few
monthly revenue)
minutes because the metallurgist can directly control the Expert Operator to cope
profiles.”
the automatic generation of work orders etc. for maintenance systems such as SAP. • MMRS Integration – Integration with the AngloGold Ashanti global business
• Operator freed for other tasks
with new rock conditions or other issues through the selection of pre-configured
• Expert maintenance – This includes
management system. “We’re now able to link into any of the company’s business
• A complex control solution is implemented in a fraction of the time it
management system for reporting purposes,” says Searle.
normally takes
The next step – packaging the solution
• Economy of scale brings the cost down
Conclusion
Now that Geita mine had a proven Expert
• The Expert Operator gives Geita
Systems Anywhere is using the ArchestrA Operator productivity solution, the next
predictable, peak performance at all times
step was to “wrap up” all the rules and technology that made up the Expert Operator into a single package.
Object Toolkit to take system integration to the next level while Geita Gold Mine is pushing the envelope to extract the
• Change the profile, not the rules. One of the chief reasons for metallurgists having
maximum from their plant as well as from their investment in Wonderware solutions.
to change the rules is changing rock To do this, Systems Anywhere used the
conditions. Adding the Expert Supervisor
“From a system integrator’s point of view,
DotNet3.5 engine, C#, SQL Server database
level of control allows the metallurgist
the ease of implementation of complex
and the ArchestrA Object Toolkit. “The
to add multiple profiles. This means
solutions can’t be overstated. If you can
toolkit allowed us to take technology that
that, instead of changing the rules, the
dream it, ArchestrA can do it,” says Searle.
would have taken a system integrator
metallurgist just selects the profile that
“But more than this, solutions often aren’t
weeks to implement on site, into a single
best matches current rock conditions
a perfect fit and, as in this case, we were
convenient package that not only caters for previous work but that can be deployed in a
able to fill the gap with the Object Toolkit • The upgrade requires installation of a
which has allowed us to integrate 12 years of
matter of minutes,” says Searle. “This then
new object, but this is instantaneous and
custom solutions and the expertise that went
becomes a licensed object that prevents it
doesn’t require intervention by the system
into their development into a de facto world
from being copied indiscriminately.”
integrator.
standard – ArchestrA.”
52 | www.protocolmag.co.za