AVEVA World Magazine 2012|Issue 233AVEVA Plant was selected after a thorough evaluation of several systems, resulting in AVEVA PDMS being implemented in 2009. On-site support and training was provided by staff from AVEVA's offices in Peru and Colombia. Important factors in selecting PDMS were that the solution should enable concurrent working between different design disciplines, it should be capable of managing large quantities of data, and should be a well-respected system within the industry.'It was very important for MILPO to find a system that could easily handle a 3D model with a high level of detail,' continued Mr Zavala. 'Our earlier systems performed very poorly when handling large databases. With 2D technology we often found limitations in clash detection, and essential information for fabrication and construction was frequently missing. Together, these led to costly rework due to design modifications late in the design process,' he concluded.Training the trainerMILPO established a small pilot group of skilled engineers, who were trained by AVEVA. This group then trained other members of the 30-strong engineering department. The engineers found PDMS to be very intuitive and easy to learn, which made full implementation quick and efficient. Today, MILPO uses PDMS for all basic engineering, plant layout and detail engineering.'MILPO's engineering department offers services from feasibility studies to turnkey constructions,' explained Mr Zavala. 'For each project, we set up a dedicated project group incorporating design engineers from all the different disciplines. This group acts as an in-house engineering contractor, with full responsibility for the execution of the project from design to commissioning.'AVEVA PDMS in actionMinera MILPO's first project with PDMS was the expansion of Cerro Lindo, a polymetallic concentrate plant located in a desert zone 1,850 metres above sea level. This successful project doubled production at Cerro Lindo from 5,000 to 10,000 tons per day of zinc, lead, copper, gold and silver concentrate. It took 19 months to build, coming on stream in June 2008.'Cerro Lindo was a particularly challenging project,' explained Nicolás Mercado, Engineering Projects Leader at MILPO. 'There was scarcely enough water even for the surrounding population. For this reason we decided not to use water from the nearby river, but to set up a desalination plant that processes sea water, sending fresh water to the Cerro Lindo Mining Unit where it is used for all operational needs, both industrial and domestic.''The single most important advantage of PDMS is its ability to generate completely clash-free designs. Now we can be confident that everything will fit during construction of the plant. This saves us a lot of time and money...'www.aveva.com/45years

34AVEVA World Magazine 2012|Issue 2Reaping the benefitsMr Zavala and Mr Mercado described a number of important benefits that they had gained from the PDMS deployment.'Apart from the ease of creating complete 3D models of plants, our engineers feel more involved,' said Mr Zavala. 'All disciplines in the project form a close-knit team, working on the common 3D plant model. Any change has an immediate impact on the model, and all the designers can see the change,' he concluded.'For me, the single most important advantage of PDMS is its ability to generate completely clash-free designs,' explained Mr Mercado. 'Now we can be confident that everything will fit during construction of the plant. This saves us a lot of time and money.'MILPO also appreciates another popular benefit of advanced 3D design tools: the ability to perform virtual walk-throughs during design review meetings. 'This is greatly appreciated by our Owner Operator clients,' said Mr Zavala. 'We can work with them from an early stage to identify and eliminate any operational problems well before fabrication starts.'In terms of man-hours, MILPO estimates that design productivity has increased by 20-25% compared to when they were using their previous 2D system. Add to that the ability to generate layout drawings, isometrics, lists and reports, estimates and Material Take Offs (MTOs) much more quickly, and with the quality and accuracy that comes from being generated direct from the project model, and the overall business benefits become considerable.About Minera MILPOFounded in 1949, Minera MILPO, one of Peru's leading mining and metallurgical companies, is owned by the Brazilian company Votorantim Metais Ltda and is listed on the Lima Stock Exchange.Minera MILPO operates four mines in Peru: the El Porvenir and Atacocha mines, located in Cerro de Pasco; the Chapi mine, located in Arequipa, and the Cerro Lindo mine, located in Ica. In addition, MILPO operates the Ivan mine and refinery, located in Antofagasta, Chile. It is also involved in three additional mining projects: Pukaqaqa and Magistral (both mines focusing on the exploration and exploitation of copper in the departments of Huancavelica and Ancash), and Hilarion, a polymetallic extraction project established in the department of Ancash.Visit www.milpo.com.pe for more information.AVEVA has recently opened a Mining & Metals Centre of Excellence (CoE) at its new Chilean office in Santiago de Chile. Along with serving a number of Latin American countries the office will be the main hub for the mining, minerals and metals industry, taking advantage of the extensive local industry knowledge, both within AVEVA and with our customers. The CoE will develop customised applications and configurations for the mining, minerals and metals industry, as well as special projects for our 3D Plant customers. Richard Longdon, CEO, AVEVA added. 'The opening of the Mining & Metals Centre of Excellence is a reflection of the growth in the plant industry in Latin America and our firm commitment to engaging with this market. We have already seen tremendous growth in oil & gas and we look forward to the same within the mining, metals and minerals industry, and to welcoming many more new customers to the AVEVA community.'AVEVA opens a Mining & Metals Centre of Excellence in ChileFrom left, Marco Zavala, Manager for Engineering and Projects at Minera MILPO, Nicolás Mercado, Engineering Projects Leader at Minera MILPO.