en.Wedoany.com Reported - Codelco's Ventanas Division is advancing the integration of advanced digital tools to strengthen industrial maintenance at its Electrolytic Refinery (Refinería Electrolítica), a key facility for producing high-purity refined copper in Chile. During the 2026 MAPLA-Mantemin International Congress, the state-owned company presented some of its technological achievements involving digital modeling, 3D scanning, and virtual twin applications, aimed at optimizing industrial asset management and improving operational continuity.
The presentation was jointly led by Sebastián Rivas, Reliability and Planning Engineer from the Ventanas Division's Maintenance Management Department, and Tomás Carrillo, a representative from Codelco's corporate-level Maintenance Management. Both detailed progress related to the Asset Maintenance Operating System (SOMA), a corporate-level plan designed to integrate operational and technical information to optimize intervention planning and increase facility reliability. This presentation was particularly relevant given Ventanas' shutdown of its smelter and increasing focus on refining operations, which complement the state-owned company's circular economy and industrial modernization projects underway in Ventanas.
3D scanning and point cloud technology have enhanced operational diagnostics. One of the core points of the presentation was the use of 3D scanners and point cloud measurement techniques, which capture detailed information on equipment, structures, and industrial spaces to build accurate digital representations of existing infrastructure. According to Sebastián Rivas, these tools provide more comprehensive and up-to-date information on the true condition of facilities, which is especially important for plants that have been operating for decades. The Ventanas Electrolytic Refinery, commissioned in 1966, is now the division's main production unit, specializing in Grade A copper cathodes. He explained that introducing these tools allows operators to gain a deep understanding of the facility's actual state with a good level of detail, which is crucial for making correct decisions during the refining process.
The information collected on-site is subsequently integrated into the SOMA platform, which supports maintenance scheduling, asset analysis, and the planning of future operational interventions. Such digital initiatives are part of projects promoted by the state-owned company to strengthen operational efficiency and traceability, particularly significant for aging facilities where original technical documentation may be incomplete or outdated.
Digital twins enable As-Built reconstruction. Another technology presented by Codelco was the introduction of digital twins, which create virtual replicas of industrial facilities reflecting the modifications and changes accumulated over years of operation. According to the presentation at Mantemin 2026, these platforms facilitate the reconstruction of As-Built engineering—a methodology reflecting the actual and updated condition of an industrial facility. This is particularly useful for planning complex interventions, performing technical analyses, and optimizing decisions related to maintenance and operational continuity. Rivas believes these tools better connect maintenance strategies with work executed directly in the field, helping to recover precise data for aging facilities.
In recent years, the application of digital twins in the mining and metallurgical industry has expanded, as they reduce operational uncertainty, optimize maintenance costs, and predict failures in critical infrastructure. For the Ventanas Division, this tool is especially important given that a significant portion of its industrial assets have been in service for many years and the need to maximize refinery efficiency following the definitive shutdown of the smelter.
Eduardo Toro, Maintenance and Projects Superintendent at the Ventanas Division, pointed out that the adoption of these technologies is part of a strategy aimed at strengthening operational sustainability and competitiveness. Currently, the Ventanas Electrolytic Refinery produces Grade A copper cathodes with 99.99% purity, a material used in industrial applications demanding high electrical conductivity and metal quality. He stated that these advances align with the division's strategic objectives of enhancing refinery competitiveness and exploring new business opportunities related to high-purity refined copper. The presentation at MAPLA-Mantemin 2026 also reflects the accelerated digital transformation underway at large mining and metallurgical companies to address challenges in operational efficiency, asset aging, and cost optimization. In Codelco's case, this strategy is complemented by corporate-level initiatives aimed at strengthening operational reliability, automation, and advanced data analytics across its Chilean divisions.
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