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In April 2010, Vale inaugurated its remote control system for port stockyard operations, which is now used at Tubarão and at its Ponta da Madeira Port Terminal in Maranhão. The system uses software that enables machinery to be guided from the port's control center. The second phase of the R$15m (US$9.6m) technological improvement plan involves the integration of online mapping at Tubarão, Steel Business Briefing learns from the company. This R$500,000 pilot project is enabling Tubarão to control inventories online with the aid of scanners."Through online mapping, we will be controlling the stock continually. This will improve the quality of information and so allow us to raise the system's productivity," said Gustavo Mucci, Vale general manager of port innovation and development. This process was previously done manually, so the technology is expected to improve operational safety and increase unload and load activities. A specific calculation regarding the performance improvement at the stockyard is unknown as of yet, since the system is still in an experimental phase. However, SBB is told that the new system currently used on two machines (a stacker and a reclaimer) made a productivity gain of more than 10% - from 8,000 tones/hour to 9,000 t/h. Mapping implementation in the 3.3m t/year stockyard, which has a total of 18 stackers and reclaimers, will be completed at the end of 2013. Vale press release |
Online mapping to boost Vale stockyard performance