Copper SA smelter safety innovation receives global acclaim

BHP has been recognised at the Global Resources Innovation Expo, hosted by Austmine and AusIMM, taking home the prestigious Exceptional Innovation in Mining Award for a robotic arm thermal lancing solution at Olympic Dam in South Australia. 

The world's first robotic arm solution can potentially eliminate the need for high-risk manual thermal lancing for both smelter tapping and launder cleaning – inherently dangerous activities. Smelter tapping is letting molten metal flow out of the furnace, and launder cleaning is removing built‑up material from the channels that carry it. This task is normally done by hand, with an operator holding a thermal lance.

The collaborative effort between the Smelter Technical team, Copper South Australia, BHP Invent and industry partners is currently in its trial phase but is showing promise already indicating significant safety improvements and increased production through reduced maintenance shutdowns.

Reflecting on the work of the teams, Anna Wiley, Asset President Copper South Australia, said the award is a testament to the commitment to continuously improve, particularly when it comes to safety.

“This award recognises the ingenuity and teamwork behind a safer way to manage smelter tapping and launder cleaning,” said Anna of the innovation that combines a robotic arm, advanced computer vision, LiDAR, and AI technologies to automatically detect and clean buildup around launders.

“By combining new technologies we’re reducing high‑risk manual work while potentially improving reliability and production outcomes, congratulations to everyone involved.”

BHP Vice President Innovation Jess Farrell, who attended the awards ceremony, said it was a great example of how BHP is unlocking safer, more productive outcomes by bringing together operational expertise and capability from across industry. “This is a great example of how we unlock safer, more productive outcomes by bringing together operational expertise and capability from across industry. The opportunity to remove the risk associated with manual thermal lancing is a true elimination win if we can get it right, leveraging robotics, sensors, and digital solutions," said Jess.