Reliable Performance in Extreme Conditions

KPIs:

• Operational Reliability: 24/7 operation in harsh environments without failure.
• Cost Savings: Reduction in maintenance costs and downtime.
• Safety Improvement: Elimination of safety hazards associated with unreliable computers.

GoldCorp has chosen Small PC’s rugged SC240ML computer for its fly-in/fly-out Musselwhite Mine, located 480 km north of Thunder Bay.

The SC240ML is integral to the control and monitoring system of a three-story rock crushing machine, situated 460 meters underground. Its ability to function reliably in dirty and humid conditions, without air filters or climate control, is essential for the mine’s daily operations. The machine’s heavy vibrations and harsh environment typically damage most industrial computers, but the sealed, fanless SC240ML has proven to be highly reliable.

Jason Firth from GoldCorp noted that unreliable industrial computers were a safety hazard, a production risk, and a maintenance issue. The company was losing up to one industrial computer per month, incurring costs in parts, manpower, and lost productivity.

After testing various hardened industrial computers with disappointing results, GoldCorp selected the SC240ML. This sealed, rugged computer has no moving parts and uses a specialized passive heat sink cooling system, combined with waterproof I/O connections, all housed in a solid aluminum chassis. The SC240ML is available in configurations ranging from Dual Core Atom to Quad Core Intel i7 CPUs, with software options including various MS-Windows and Linux operating systems.

Firth stated, “It’s been a year since we installed the SC240ML, and we haven’t had to touch it. We’ve since added a second unit underground and now replace any prematurely failing machine with an SC240ML to ensure our HMIs operate flawlessly.”

GoldCorp, one of the world’s fastest-growing senior gold producers, operates and develops projects in safe jurisdictions throughout the Americas. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, GoldCorp employs over 14,000 people worldwide.

SmallPC.com, a division of ICI Controls, Inc., was established in 1993. The company designs and manufactures computers for specialized, rugged, and industrial applications.

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