Nokia and Claro Chile formed an alliance to equip Gold Fields’ new Salares Norte mine in the Atacama Region, northern Chile, with high-performance private wireless connectivity that will transform Salares Norte into one of the most digitized mines in Latin America, and a true benchmark for Industry 4.0. It is a solution that will support the automation of field operations through the use of applications such as remote control of trucks, excavators, drills, and in the future, drones.
The deployment of this 4.9G LTE wireless private network includes AirScale radio bases, IP routers and a NetAct network management system, which will provide software, administration and troubleshooting tools. It will connect a total of 150 sensors for operation, monitoring and accident prevention processes, in addition to another 72 sensors for connected vehicles and machines. The network will enable critical voice, data, internet and video communications to improve worker safety, as well as operational efficiency and productivity.
“Automation is based on the ability to detect, analyze and act,” said Fernando Sosa, commercial manager for Nokia’s Southern Cone. “To achieve this, industries are connecting every sensor, machine and worker in the most flexible way possible, requiring business and mission-critical wireless solutions such as private 4.9G LTE networks. By working together with Claro Chile to create an automated ecosystem for Gold Fields, we are opening up new opportunities for companies and other asset-intensive sectors such as energy and rail throughout Chile, ”
Francisco Guzmán, director of Claro companies, highlighted the importance of contributing to the digitization of companies to move toward an industry 4.0. “Today optimization is key for companies. That is why we work hard to develop solutions aimed at strengthening your technological development and favoring the automation of your processes, making them safer and more efficient.
“In this case, from the deployment of ultra-reliable, high-performance and low-latency networks, we will be able to deliver the best tools and connectivity to support the development of a 4.0 mining, which is focused on the digitization of its operations and what better way to do it with a partner like Nokia, which has world-class experience and knowledge.”
