ABB completes first fivepiece stator installation in Chile

ABB successfully installed and commissioned the first gearless mill drive (GMD) system for Codelco, Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile, for their copper mine in Andina, Chile. Bechtel Corporation in Santiago, Chile, acted as EPCM contractor for this project and Metso Corporation as mill supplier. ABB’s scope of supply consisted of a 13 050 kW (17 500 HP) gearless drive motor including preassembled containerized electrical house containing cycloconverter, exciter rectifier, low voltage MCC as well as all the auxiliary equipment to operate the gearless drive motor system and the mill auxiliary equipment.
 
Andina is located 80 km northeast of Santiago, 3700 to 4200 m above sea level. It executes ore exploitation in the Río Blanco underground mine and produces 248 137 t of copper concentrates per year. The crush-, grind- and float line is located in the underground concentrator. ABB’s main challenges were the size limitations. This 7.62 m x 11.23 m (25 ft x 37 ft) stator had to fit a tunnel of 6 m x 6 m and the bridge crane capacity was of 60 t only. ABB’s solution consisted of the first stator split into five sections to master the logistic challenges of the location, while maintaining the usual stability of the system. The design typically consists of four segments, but the demands of this project challenged ABB to divide it into five parts.
 
ABB Switzerland Ltd, Zürich (CH), Tel.: +41 58-586-8832, www.abb.com