Drones measure Boliden’s mining sites Boliden is a leading metals company with a commitment to sustainable development. In line with the strategy of Boliden, traditional aerial photography is partially being replaced with the use of remote controlled drones, so called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The benefits of UAVs are numerous; lower costs, increased safety and less environmental impact. Case Boliden Expertise Engineering High accuracy pushes use of unmmaned aerial vehicles and lower the costs Swedish mining company Boliden is aiming to focus on continuous improvement and stable processes to stay competitive. Survey Coordinator Shane Leighton had previously used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Australia on a mining site and crafted a business case for use of UAVs within Boliden. “Before, we had to contact a company and wait until the specially equipped airplane was scheduled to be in our area for photographing. Now that we use drones, we are much more flexible. And the savings are huge, up to 30 % depending on the size of the area to be flown.” Shane Leighton, Survey Coordinator at Boliden Increased safety and flexibility The list of benefits when using UAVs goes on and on. Ease of use is one main reason, as Boliden can now conduct more frequent measurements than before, although the drones cover a smaller area than the airplane would. Some traditional survey work can also be replaced with UAVs as the surveyors no longer has to walk the area to survey it. Safety is another important measure. Before, when surveyors had to be out on the sites, they were climbing stock piles and were exposed to the risk of falling rocks. For the same reason, the drone technology now enables Boliden to access areas they were not able to be inspect before because of safety concerns. Business critical information with higher accuracy The images have been used within Boliden to measure volumes for ore stockpiles which in turn is a key driver to ensure monthly reconciliation is more reliable. This information is useful for the mill to understand the tonnage (value) of the ore that is stockpiled. Boliden has previously used a more manual method, counting the truck loads to understand how many tons were stockpiled and using the conveyor weightometer for how much has been removed. But this method is subject to variations. “With the images from the UAVs, the calculations are much more accurate than with manual calculation. The accuracy now for stockpiled ore is within 5%.” Shane Leighton, Survey Coordinator at Boliden Operated by Etteplan's certified consultants Since Boliden began using UAVs 10months ago, they have performed 12 flights in three mining sites, and this summer the UAV will likely be used in more of the Swedish Boliden mines. “We currently have a single RTK UAV located centrally in Boliden, and the sites contact us when they want to use it. The only limitations we have seen so far are related to the weather conditions. The wind speed can be challenging for the light drones, and also impairs the battery time. However, the drones can operate in cloudy weather, whereas the airplanes could not as they fly at a much higher altitude” says Shane Leighton. The quality of the images depends on the resolution, which in turn is linked to the flying height. “At Boliden we have been flying quite low, at about 100 meters. That provides us with the high quality of resolution we need to analyse the images. The height also depends on the license agreement that is required for the drones to be able to fly at all,” explains Shane Leighton. Increased demand for UAVs Boliden does not operate the drones themselves. Instead Boliden is supported by Etteplan’s trained consultants. The demand for drone technology in businesses is increasing all over the world. The software has evolved greatly during the past few years. Now it is possible to take images from different angles and to create a 3D-picture that can be used for calculations, presentations and visualizations. Also, the accuracy of the GPS-coordinates have improved greatly, with very precise time and location.
EHTA-Test Factory: Transforming Pulp By-Products into Biofuel Tampere University is one of the most multidisciplinary universities in Finland. It brings together research and education in technology, health and society. The University is known for its excellence in teaching and research and it collaborates with hundreds of universities and organisations worldwide. Its’ community consists of 21,000 students and over 4,000 staff members from more than 80 countries.
Etteplan helped scaling Q Power's production capacity Q Power is an innovative Finnish company that specializes in power-to-x deliveries, offering cost-effective and highly efficient technologies for producing synthetic fuels to replace fossil fuels. Q Power’s patented technologies are designed to enable companies to transition towards a fossil-free and self-sufficient energy system, while decreasing their CO2 emissions. With a goal of providing 500 MW of production capacity for renewable synthetic fuels annually by the end of the decade, Q Power is fighting against climate change.
Active Alignment and Bonding of CMOS-to-Lens for Adimec's high-performance cameras Adimec, a leading provider of reliable and high-performance industrial camera systems, is known for delivering crisp, clear images for the machine vision, global security, and healthcare applications. Achieving high accuracy during the alignment and bonding of CMOS sensors to lens systems is critical for ensuring optimal image quality. To accomplish this, Adimec was supported by Etteplan. By combining active alignment with bonding methods, Adimec creates metrology cameras that offer superior resolution and exceptional performance.
VTT ja Etteplan tasoittavat yhdessä tietä suomalaisille lääketieteen tekniikan alan innovaatioille VTT on yksi Euroopan johtavista tutkimuslaitoksista. Omistajamme on Suomen valtio. Tehtävämme on edistää tutkimuksen ja teknologian hyödyntämistä ja kaupallistamista elinkeinoelämässä ja yhteiskunnassa. Käännämme tieteen ja teknologian avulla suuria globaaleja haasteita yritysten ja yhteiskunnan kestäväksi kasvuksi. Tuomme yhteen ihmiset, yritykset, tieteen ja teknologian ratkaistaksemme aikamme suurimpia haasteita. Näin luomme kestävää kasvua, työpaikkoja ja hyvinvointia ja tuomme eksponentiaalista toivoa maailmaan.
Developing Autonomous Smart Wood Processing Solutions with ANDRITZ ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors as well as for animal feed and biomass pelleting. Other important business segments include automation and service business. The publicly listed technology Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria, and has a staff of approximately 29,100 employees. ANDRITZ operates more than 280 sites in over 40 countries.
Valmet develops green-transition technology that replaces plastic with new fiber products - Etteplan part of the project team Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With Valmet’s automation systems and flow control solutions the company serves an even wider base of process industries. Valmet has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal.
