Análisis de desempeño del proceso de tratamiento de pebbles en planta concentradora Candelaria.
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Date
2026
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universidad de Concepción
Abstract
El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar el desempeño del circuito de tratamiento de pebbles en la planta concentradora de Minera Candelaria, identificando las principales causas de detención y las restricciones operacionales que afectan su continuidad. Para ello, se realizó un análisis de datos históricos de operación, complementado con herramientas como análisis de Pareto, evaluación de eventos de detención y levantamiento de información en terreno. Los resultados permitieron identificar que las detenciones se concentran en un número reducido de causas, destacando como principales cuellos de botella las tolvas de alimentación, los silos de fase 3, y las correas CV031 y CV033. Cada uno de estos puntos presenta comportamientos operacionales diferenciados, asociados a limitaciones de capacidad, acumulación de material, intermitencia en el transporte y condiciones de sobrecarga del sistema. En particular, las detenciones en la CV031 se encuentran mayoritariamente asociadas a la detección de metales, lo que genera un elevado número de eventos de corta duración, mientras que la CV033 presenta restricciones vinculadas a su capacidad de transporte bajo condiciones de alta carga. Asimismo, las condiciones de acumulación en tolvas y silos evidencian desbalances entre la generación y evacuación de material dentro del circuito. Adicionalmente, el estudio de la moliendabilidad del mineral mediante el índice de Bond evidenció que el mineral proveniente de Candelaria Norte presenta valores que alcanzan el límite superior del rango de dureza considerado en el diseño del circuito, lo que implica una mayor resistencia a la fragmentación y favorece la generación de pebbles. Esto contribuye a incrementar la carga del sistema y a intensificar las restricciones operacionales observadas. La siguiente tabla resume los principales resultados cuantitativos del estudio, considerando las causas de detención operacional de mayor impacto —excluyendo detenciones por mantención, por encontrarse fuera del alcance de gestión operacional— y los índices de trabajo de Bond obtenidos según la procedencia del mineral.Complementariamente, se desarrollaron estándares operativos para tareas críticas del proceso, con el objetivo de reducir la variabilidad en la ejecución de actividades, mejorar las condiciones de seguridad y fortalecer el control operacional. En conjunto, los resultados permiten concluir que el desempeño del circuito no depende únicamente de la operación de los equipos, sino que responde a la interacción entre condiciones operacionales y características del mineral. Las restricciones identificadas evidencian que el sistema opera cercano a sus límites bajo determinadas condiciones, lo que requiere una gestión integrada que considere tanto aspectos operacionales como geometalúrgicos para mejorar su estabilidad y eficiencia.
The objective of this study was to analyze the performance of the pebbles treatment circuit, identifying the main causes of downtime and the operational constraints affecting its continuity. To achieve this, an analysis of historical operational data was carried out, complemented by tools such as Pareto analysis, evaluation of downtime events, and field observations. The results showed that downtime is concentrated in a limited number of causes, highlighting feeding bins, phase 3 silos, and conveyor belts CV031 and CV033 as the main bottlenecks. Each of these components exhibits distinct operational behaviors, associated with capacity limitations, material accumulation, transport intermittency, and overload conditions within the system. In particular, downtime in CV031 is mainly related to metal detection, resulting in a high number of short-duration events, while CV033 is mainly constrained by its transport capacity under high load conditions. In addition, accumulation issues in bins and silos reflect imbalances between material generation and evacuation within the circuit. The following table summarizes the main quantitative results of the study, considering the operational downtime causes with the highest impact —excluding maintenance-related downtime, as it falls outside the scope of operational management— and the Bond Work Index values obtained according to ore origin. Furthermore, grindability tests based on the Bond Work Index revealed that ore from Candelaria Norte reaches the upper limit of the hardness range considered in the circuit design, indicating greater resistance to fragmentation. This condition promotes increased pebble generation, raising the system load and intensifying the observed operational constraints., indicating greater resistance to VI fragmentation. This condition promotes increased pebble generation, raising the system load and intensifying the observed operational constraints. Additionally, operational standards were developed for critical process tasks, aiming to reduce variability in task execution, improve safety conditions, and enhance operational control. Overall, the study concludes that the performance of the circuit does not depend solely on equipment operation, but rather on the interaction between operational conditions and ore characteristics. The identified constraints indicate that the system operates close to its capacity limits under certain conditions, requiring an integrated approach that considers both operational and geometallurgical aspects to improve stability and efficiency.
The objective of this study was to analyze the performance of the pebbles treatment circuit, identifying the main causes of downtime and the operational constraints affecting its continuity. To achieve this, an analysis of historical operational data was carried out, complemented by tools such as Pareto analysis, evaluation of downtime events, and field observations. The results showed that downtime is concentrated in a limited number of causes, highlighting feeding bins, phase 3 silos, and conveyor belts CV031 and CV033 as the main bottlenecks. Each of these components exhibits distinct operational behaviors, associated with capacity limitations, material accumulation, transport intermittency, and overload conditions within the system. In particular, downtime in CV031 is mainly related to metal detection, resulting in a high number of short-duration events, while CV033 is mainly constrained by its transport capacity under high load conditions. In addition, accumulation issues in bins and silos reflect imbalances between material generation and evacuation within the circuit. The following table summarizes the main quantitative results of the study, considering the operational downtime causes with the highest impact —excluding maintenance-related downtime, as it falls outside the scope of operational management— and the Bond Work Index values obtained according to ore origin. Furthermore, grindability tests based on the Bond Work Index revealed that ore from Candelaria Norte reaches the upper limit of the hardness range considered in the circuit design, indicating greater resistance to fragmentation. This condition promotes increased pebble generation, raising the system load and intensifying the observed operational constraints., indicating greater resistance to VI fragmentation. This condition promotes increased pebble generation, raising the system load and intensifying the observed operational constraints. Additionally, operational standards were developed for critical process tasks, aiming to reduce variability in task execution, improve safety conditions, and enhance operational control. Overall, the study concludes that the performance of the circuit does not depend solely on equipment operation, but rather on the interaction between operational conditions and ore characteristics. The identified constraints indicate that the system operates close to its capacity limits under certain conditions, requiring an integrated approach that considers both operational and geometallurgical aspects to improve stability and efficiency.
Description
Tesis presentada para optar al título de Ingeniero/a Civil Metalúrgico/a.
Keywords
Pebbles, Mineria, Metalúrgicos Chile