IOC to expand I/A Series digital automation systems using latest Foxboro mesh network technology at Canada’s largest mineral processing plant

Project will connect multiple generations of systems, putting entire Iron Ore Company of Canada plant under I/A Series control

Invensys Process Systems has been selected by Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) to implement a new mesh network-based Foxboro automation system for beneficiation processes at IOC’s Labrador City iron ore concentrator. The plant is located near the western boundary of Labrador, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Connecting with several existing Foxboro systems, the new control system, when completed, will put all plant processes under I/A Series control.

The IOC Labrador City concentrator complex is Canada’s largest such operation, with an annual concentrator production capacity of about 16 million tons. Approximately 75 percent of this capacity is processed into pellets on-site, and the balance is shipped directly to sinter feed customers.

Invensys will implement the latest I/A Series Version 8.X hardware and software, including the CP270 family of control processors and a range of I/O modules. The system will replace outdated equipment, which was used to control the magnetite recovery and spiral processes. It will also integrate with existing I/A Series systems used for controlling the grinding area and hematite plant, and the expanded system will have approximately 10,000 I/O points connecting to the network.

Foxboro’s award-winning mesh network process control system backbone utilizes advanced commercial communications technologies in robust industrial configurations. Providing high-availability, self-healing network performance, the mesh architecture can connect thousands of stations at data speeds up to one gigabit between network switches.

Existing I/A Series systems at IOC’s Labrador City plant will be integrated into the mesh network using Foxboro’s new ATS (Address Translation Station) modules. These modules enable I/A Series workstations and controllers on both mesh- and nonmesh-based networks to interoperate seamlessly.

The integrated network will leverage IOC’s investment in existing controls, and will allow IOC to combine all the process areas into a single process control system with a common operator interface for all plant units. The network infrastructure also has the capacity to integrate controls that support planned future production expansions by IOC.

The earlier implementations of Foxboro I/A Series at the concentrator installed in 1997 include automation for the grinding mills and the main spiral extraction processes. Controls for the balance of plant operations were installed in 1999, including the flotation plant and the entire pellet plant, adjacent to the concentrator operation.

The contract also includes services from Invensys Systems Canada, covering engineering services, factory acceptance testing, training services, and field services to support the I/A Series implementation. The Foxboro control automation project will be implemented in stages, with completion planned for the fall of 2006.

About Iron Ore Company of Canada

Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) (www.ironore.ca) is the largest manufacturer of iron ore pellets in Canada and generates over C$600m revenue. It operates a mine, concentrator and a pelletizing plant in Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as port facilities located in Sept-Iles (Quebec). The company also operates a 418-kilometer railroad that links the mine to the port. The company’s customer base covers North American, European and Asian steel producers. IOC has about 1700 employees and is celebrating fifty years of operations in 2005.

IOC’s major shareholder and operator is the international mining group Rio Tinto, which has activities in more than 40 countries throughout the world.