Anglo American uses NASA digital twin technology to optimise safety and productivity

Digital twin technology at the Quellaveco mine, Peru, creates a virtual replica of its process plant allowing predictive testing.

These predicitive tests help reduce safety risks, optimise the use of resources and improve the performance of production equipment.

These digital twins allow virtual replicas of equipment and infrastructure, with information on technical characteristics and operation provided by the sensors installed in the mine. These replicas or mirrors are controlled from the Integrated Operations Center (CIO), which is the brain of Quellaveco.

The twins are learning and provide recommendations to avoid failures in real equipment or processes, optimising costs and time, through simulations of the different processes.

Quellaveco is one of the first mines to implement digital twin technology to improve efficiency and safety in its process plant, taking advantage of the connectivity and sensorisation that has made it the first 100% digital mine in Peru.

NASA used this technology for the first time more than 50 years ago, to rescue the crew of the Apollo 13 mission.